1. My friend Traci. Her birthday was a couple days ago and she is one of the best friends I have ever had. We met each other at greek rush and although we pledged different houses, we have stayed close. We were in nursing school together and I really don't think I could have made it through without her. She is a fantastic mother and inspires me to be a better friend because she is the type of friend everyone wants to be. I love you Traci and although I have already wished you happy birthday, I hope it was a great one!
2. water
3. cell phones-mine is not fancy but how did life exist before them?

The gold at the end of the rainbow

I really needed to see something inspiring today and I would say that I got it thrown right in my face. (No, I did not take this picture :))

-I am grateful for the scriptures. Although I don't read them as often as I am supposed to, I am grateful for the guidance they give us in everyday life.
-I am grateful for prayer and for the comfort it gives me on a daily basis.
-I am grateful for my testimony of the gospel and although it is not super impressive, it is true and genuine and I am grateful that I have it.

Things that make you go hmmm....

Not as if we all didn't have enough to think about...


-Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead?
-Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?
-Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?
-Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
-Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
-Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
-Whose idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'?
-If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
-Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
-Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
-Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
-Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
-Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?
-How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures?
-When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, 'It's all right?' Well,it isn't all right, so why don't we say, 'That really hurt, why don't you watch where you're going?'
-In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
-How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
-And last but certainly not least....
The statistics on sanity is that one out of every four persons are suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.

1. Utah--even though I say I am going to move to California, I love Utah. It is a great place to raise my family and there are so many fun things to do. It is amazing to me what the pioneers went through to travel here and make it such a fabulous place.
2. sunscreen
3. vacuums

Enjoy!

Okay, so there are a ton...

Reality bites.

So, I officially consider myself a beach girl. I LOVE the beach: the smells, the sound of the ocean, and just the sheer joy of being outside with a slight breeze blowing through my hair and listening to my kids laughing and having fun. I know that going to the beach and Disneyland is not a big deal to most people, but we have not been on a real vacation for about two years and it was about time. The boys absolutely loved it--each had their favorite things that they liked the best. Nicholas liked being at the beach and going to the Angels/Red Sox game. Andrew liked becoming a padawan jedi at Disneyland and fighting Darth Vader. Luke loved Pirates of the Carribean and the Mountains at Disneyland: Splash and Space. Liam loved seeing the Little Einsteins in person and meeting all the characters. We all agreed that Legoland was dumb. Oh well, lesson learned. I will post pics later but I am too lazy right now. Just letting you know that I just might up and move to California and maybe live in Disneyland.

10 fav restaurants tag

I was tagged by my friend Matti for my 10 favorite restaurants in my city. Seeing that I live in a city where there is really nothing but fast food, I opted to venture about 20 miles north and tell you my favs of Salt Lake. So, in no particular order, here they are. (Drumroll please...)

1. Outback Steakhouse. I love their little side salad they bring out before your dinner and their pork chops are the best. They also have amazing mac and cheese for the kids(not Kraft which most restaurants sell and try to make you pay $3.99 for a small serving when you can buy an entire box at the grocery store for $1.00--sorry for the tirade, it is one of my pet peeves though).

2. Rumbi Island Grill. I know this is more of an upscale fast food joint, but their salads are to die for and they have HUMONGOUS rice bowls that are equally delicious.

3. Asian Star. This is an amazing restaurant in Fort Union. I recommend the walnut shrimp--if you go with a big group, you will need to order at least 2 because it will be a favorite of everyone at your table. Everything there is amazing.

4. The Dodo. To be honest, I have never ventured away from the turkey and swiss sandwich with the side salad, but it is the best turkey sandwich I have ever had. The dipping sauce is delicious and then I top it off with their key lime pie. They moved the location to the Gateway which is not as quaint as the original location on 7th(?)East, but it is still a fun place to eat.

5. Olive Garden. I could go here everyday for lunch for their minestrone soup, breadsticks, and salad. Yum.

6. Kyoto. This is a little sentimental because this is the first place that I ever had sushi. They did a fabulous job and so I kept going back.

7. Melting Pot. Just the sound of this restaurant makes my mouth water. EVERYTHING there tastes good and I love the atmosphere. It is cozy and dark but there is a lot of fun going on there. And really, who can deny that their dessert rocks?

8. Loco Lizard. Chicken Chimichangas. That is all I have to say about that.

9. Red Iguana. This place is a dive on the wrong side of town but their food is authenic and amazing. Go there at once.

10. Rio Grande. I love this restaurant. It is just a fun place to go and hang out and where else in Utah can you go to see a woman wrapped up in a burrito hanging from the ceiling? They also have a working jukebox so you can pick your own cheesy music to listen to while you eat their delicious food.

There are more that I like but I really think that these are my true loves. If any of you have suggestions of your favorites that I can try...please let me know because I am always up to finding a new place to go! I tag Mistie, Andrea, Justin, Erin, Dana, Adrianne...probably everyone from work will end up doing this tag so I will read yours later I am sure!

1. My sister in law Mistie! She seriously is one of the most amazing women I have ever met. Whatever she puts her mind to, she does it. She is also super organized and thoughtful--two things that I aspire to be.

2. menu planning-it has saved us a ton of money and I am not so stressed out when dinner time rolls around!

3. our cute nursery kids

1. singing songs during fireworks with my family
2. chunk spelunking in ice cream
3. that $1.50 for a ride ticket at the park evokes so much joy from both the riders and the spectators

Or that.

We were watching "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" at my parents house. The boys have seen parts of it but we have always skipped over some of the scarier parts...especially the part when Anakin and Obi Wan are at the lava. I decided to move over to the other T.V. downstairs with Liam to watch Noggin (very child appropriate) and Luke found his way over to me. The way my parent's basement is set up allows you to watch two shows at the same time on two different screens--one much larger than the other. Star Wars was on the larger screen and he became very interested in the lava scene. Anakin had just received the nasty blow that cuts off both his legs and was attempting to crawl up the embankment toward Obi Wan. His face is distorted and his eyes are all red and he screams in an evil voice "I hate you!". Luke asked me why Anakin's voice sounded the way it did. I told him that Anakin was turning into a very bad person and sometimes when this happens, people don't sound like themselves. Luke thought about this for a minute and then said: "Or, he is getting burned by the lava and doesn't like it and that is why his voice sounds that way."

Right. Or that.

I worked on Thursday night, the 3rd, slept for a while and then was at my parents house for a fun filled evening so I was not able to express the reasons why I am so grateful that I am American.

1. I love that we have so many opportunities to do so many different things. There are different schools to go to, different areas of work to explore, and really, I am so glad that I did not have an arranged marriage. I am glad that I can choose where I live, what I wear, what I eat, and what I want to do on the weekends.

2. I love that there are different religions to choose from. I also love that because I am LDS does not mean I cannot be friends with someone who is not.

3. I just love America. It is BEAUTIFUL. There are beaches, mountains, valleys, prairies, oceans white with foam...you get the idea. And there is not a more beautiful sight than seeing a huge American flag blowing gracefully in the breeze or flags lined up along a street for holidays. America is a pretty amazing place.

1. today was the last day of school!
2. my boys' little tan bodies
3. that I was fortunate enough to have braces when I was younger