Let Love Shine

Remember when....

2011-06-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when I would blog all the time. I would do things during the day with the pure intention of blogging about it. Those were the days. I loved this blog. I planned and thought about this blog. Then all of a sudden I lost all of the passion i had for it. My little universe hit a few pretty gnarly bumps in the road and documenting them just did not seem like they appropriate way to handle the situation. Now dont get me wrong, i have started countless posts about the hard things I was going through, but I could never bring myself to finish and publish them. But as in all things in life time makes the pain fade and wounds begin to heal. I can look back at everything now and know that everything happens for a reason and if you keep your head up everything will eventually turn out alright. If you have not heard the sad news. My dearest love C. moved to PA for a new job and a new adventure and I am staying in the 801. We are not doing the "long distance" thing because really its just not far to either of us. Who knows what the future holds for us, but we are both trying to figure things out one day at a time. Thank you everyone for your love and support (especially my parents!!!)

Anyway.... I have decided that i will start blogging again. I have been having lots of fun and going on brand new adventures. I have not been great at taking my camera so I will post the last few pictures that are on my memory card.

What do you do in SLC when its suppose to be summer and instead its freezing cold and hurricane winds? Well we fly kites off the top of Cole & Mady's condos downtown of course!

C. & the gorgeous utah sunsetif you look close in this picture you can see buzz kite flying up high

Oh did I mention that little sissy Sami was in the Miss Sandy pageant. She was incredible and looked so beautiful!! She took 2nd attendant. I could not be more proud of her! So if any of you are going to be at any of the parades in the valley this summer watch for her on the Miss Sandy float make sure you wave at her!

Ten Years....

2011-02-14T07:21:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago today, way, way back in 8^th grade at Albion Middle School. My first real “Valentine” showed up to school with a dozen roses and a teddy bear, just for me. I was the only girl in 8^th grade that got that many roses and I carried them around all day – I was not going to hide them in my locker- come on all the others girls couldn’t be jealous if I hid them away. As tradition at Albion Middle School the annual Valentines dance took place right after school. I danced with my friends and my valentine danced with his buddies (mostly standing around being “to cool” to participate). The last slow dance was quickly approaching and my valentine came and found me to dance. I have never been a shy girl, or one to not say what is on my mind, but for some reason this boy made me blush and oh so nervous. I giggled and danced with him to (in my opinion) one of the best songs of the time, or maybe even all time, “I Knew I Loved You before I Met You” By Savage Garden. I had so many butterflies in my tummy, they were making it hard to breathe. The last chorus began and he looked at me with his beautiful green eyes and slowly leaned in and kissed me….My very first Kiss!!

Now this part is going to sound incredibly corny and somewhat silly, but have you ever seen “Romeo & Juliet” with Leo & Claire Danes? The part where they have their first kiss in the elevator and the entire room spins around them? Well that is what my first kiss was like. Really. I know all of Albion middle school was in the room and I know thinking back on it now I should have been mortified, but I wasn’t. All I could hear was my heart pounding in my chest & the butterflies going crazy in my tummy.

(this picture is from '09 - but this is exactly where our first kiss happened years before)

My Valentine in 8^th grade that gave me my VERY FIRST KISS is the same valentine that I have today. No, C & I have not been each other’s valentine every year since that faithful day in 8^th grade, but we have shared quite a few together (roughly 7 i think). Who would have guessed that ten years later i would still be kissing the same guy? Although (sadly) things are different this year, we will stil be spending this day of love together. We have been through so many ups and downs, such incredible loving memories, and even more wonderful adventures. I would not trade us for the world.

I Love You Christian. Happy Valentine’s Day My Love.

P.S. I still sleep with the teddy bear he gave me ten years ago…every night.

Happy Valentine Day to everyone today! Remember even if you dont have someone special to spend your day with, there are many, many people in your life that love you!!!

elder snowman

2010-11-23T14:55:00.000-08:00

I miss this kid. that is all. (Elder Scottie Draper w/his snowman companion)

s/he's so prit-tee

2010-11-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

a few months ago c. & i watched a movie called "Connie & Carla" - never heard of it? well its about girls, pretending to be boys, pretending to be girls. got that? well since then c. has been set on being a drag queen for Halloween. though i tried and tried to convince him to be a cute couples costume with me, he is stubborn and could not be persuaded to change his mind.

c. has done many (MANY) stupid things in his life, but surprisingly he had never shaved his legs or pits in all of his life, so getting ready was a bit of an adventure for him.
( on a very serious note: how amazing are his calves in heels?! i am jealous! he got hit on more then once that night cause of the legs)
After roughly two years of rocking the beard he was so determined to be as authentic as possible he shaved it. when he doesn't have full drag make-up on he looks like he did in 9th grade. He even let me put a little arch in his brow.

i did his make-up for him. i have never done drag make-up, but i think it turned out well. he looked "so prit-tee" - which is a bit uncomfortable saying about my boyfriend.this is the only picture that i ended up with of my costume on my camera. since c. refused to do couples costumes i was a witch. i made a tutu and a hat. cute but boring. c. looked so legit! he won the costume contest, beating out a guy that does drag on weekly basis at the "trap". we were holding hands & kissin a little and i over heard someone say " oh look at those lesbians kissing" seriously?!!?! funniest thing i have ever heard in my life! i really almost fell over i was laughing so hard.

this is c. & his momma L.L. - Its funny how much he and his mom look a like when c. has full make-up on.

{birthday}

2010-10-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

today is my birthday!

it is also National Eat a Chocolate Cupcake Day!

these are both excellent reasons to enjoy a chocolate treat today!

punk'n

2010-09-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

last week c. & i carved punk'ns for the first time this year. carving punk'ns is one of our very favorite things to do in the fall. we have our very own punk'n patch growing in the back yard that will be ready to pick in the next few weeks. these are the first of many to be carved this year.

that is all.

growing up has its up sides

2010-08-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

(two postings in one day?! try not to fall out of your chair)

a long, long time ago roughly 15 years. i received the best gift an eight year old could ask for. my very own television with a built in VCR player. i loved this little TV and i would stay up all night watching Disney classics. i have watched this little 12" television every morning getting ready for more than half of my life. but times are changing and comcast decided that my little television was not good enough to receive their fancy pants digital signal, so i had to break down and buy a big girl TV. its 32" and it even has a remote (something my old TV has been missing for years now) so i guess what it comes down to is...somethings about being a grown up really, really, REALLY sucks....and other things aren't so bad. kinda makes it worth going to a miserable job everyday...almost :)

green thumb....

2010-08-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

for those of you who have been following my blog for sometime now, maybe you remember the sad excuse of the tomatoes we grew last year. you know the ONE that was the same size as a penny....even though our first go round was far from a success that did not discourage us from trying again. this year we planted tomatoes, peppers,pumpkins, squash, cucumber, jalapenos....good stuff like that. after waiting months and months to see the fruits of our labor grow big enough to eat, it finally came to be. Thursday night we picked these three beauty's! can you believe three big beautiful peppers ready to be made into something delicious like stuffed peppers.....

i then realized i wasn't going to be making anything fancy with these "giant" home grown beauty's.so i chopped them up and put them in salsa.

(ping pong ball, pepper#uno, pepe#2, pepe rojo, & pirate action figure)

oh well at least they are pretty and they were mighty tasty.we will try again next year.

there is a seriously GIANT pumpkin plant taking over the back yard so hopefully we will end up with big (alright decent) sized pumpkins to carve this fall!

Happy Birthday Ruby!

2010-06-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

On June 22, we celebrated this little dogs 2nd birthday. Ruby was very spoiled this year and got new tennis balls, a new fuzzy chicken, and a super chewer tooth brush.

Here is a picture of the birthday girl in her party hat and "my 2nd Birthday" Ribbon

new super chewer tooth brush. ruby can chew through ANYTHING given to her in under ten minutes. so hopefully this super bone can out last the rest of the toys she has destroyed. because c & i love to bake new fun things (as you can tell by 90% of this blog being about baking) we decided that it was only appropriate for us to bake ruby a dog cake to celebrate her special day. It was very simple and even though ruby was slightly hesitant at first i think she really liked it.

Now i know that not everyone reading this are big dog people, or even if you are a dog person not everyone is going to bake their dog a birthday cake. But C & I are not married and we do not have kids so we think it is perfectly normal and acceptable to spoil your canine companions on their special day. Just in case you feel like spoiling your buddy here is the recipe for dog cake.

Peanut Butter Delight:
1 cup White or Whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix together flour & baking soda. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a 8 inch round with nonstick spray. Bake for 40 minutes.

Carob Frosting (carob powder is like baking cocoa, but it is safe for dogs to eat. i found it at whole foods on the baking isle)
12 Ounces Non-Fat cream cheese (room temperature)
3 Tsp Carob Powder
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Honey

this recipe came from Dog Treat Recipe Exchange there a lot of great cake recipes and other healthy and yummy homemade treats for dogs. there are even recipes on how to make your own homemade dog food (if you are into that sort of thing- i am not- but to each their own)

ruby trying to give C kisses instead of taking a picture.

Happy Birthday Ruby!!

dear blog.

2010-06-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

dear blog,

it's me, erin.

you remember me right?

you are named after me. words cannot describe how apologetic i am for being such a negligent blogger as of late. it is not that i have been locked away in a dark room with no fun adventures to post on you, it's that i am so far behind i am not sure where to start. do i start with the new pink bike with a basket? or maybe about our little pumpkin patch, but then there was the Angels & Airwaves concert, or maybe BBQing in the rain or maybe one of the 15 bbqs we have had with friends already?

no matter where i decide to pick up writing about my silly life, i can promise you this, my dearest blog, i will not leave you alone for 2 whole months again.

love, e

this is a picture of ruby. this has nothing to do with the post, i just think she is the best dog ever and pretty darn adorable.

Happy Birthday to my Wonderful Grandpa

2010-03-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

(me & my gpa 1987)

i want to wish my awesome grandpa draper a very, very happy birthday.

i love you g.pa and i hope you have a very wonderful birthday day!!!

(me & gpa i dont know what year this is but i was really into troll dolls aparently notice the troll slippers and troll doll- oh how i miss the 90s)

uni.

2010-03-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

this picture is for my little sissy sami (since she just made accadians at BHS!!) to prove that once upon a time in my life (like in 1989) i could pull off a unitard too-- gotta love the bowl cut, leg warmers, & salt water sandal tan lines on my feet.

Congrats Sami Sue!!! I am so proud of you!

Green Cookies

2010-03-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

monday night c & i made lots and lots and lot of delicious green sugar cookies to celebrate st. patricks day and share with friends!!
my sugar cookies are the best sugar cookies ever made- i would put them head to head against anyone recipe and i know mine would win by a land slide-i welcome the challenge :)

this is more like it.

2010-03-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

i really couldn't justify turning in my assignment with those half ass cupcake pops. so my sister deni and i went back into the kitchen for round two with the intention of making something more worthy to blog about. so i decided that i would try a different route and take the cupcakes off the stick. look how adorable these are! they are pretty simple to make.

bake a boxed cake. and let it cool completely. crumble the cake up then mix in 1 can of cream cheese frosting. then roll into balls and put in the freezer.

you will need some candy cup molds- you can find these at roberts or GiGis for cheap- melt some chocolate bark and spoon some into the bottom of each cup. get the balls out of the freezer and put one in each cup. slowly pushing the ball so the chocolate moves up around the sides, stop when the chocolate gets to the top edge of the mold.

now put those in the freezer- and melt a different color chocolate melts (these can also be found at roberts or michaels or GiGi's) carefully remove each of the balls from the molds. hold em by the bottom and dip the tops into the second color.let the excess chocolate drip off back into the bowl. cute cute. while the chocolate is still soft add a red hot or m7m to look like a cherry, and a few sprinkles. and there you have it!! adorable as can be. i took these little guys to share with my english class today when i handed in my paper, and they were a huge hit!!
i am so pleased with the way these turned out!
hopefully this makes up for the crazy googly eye pop incident :) these cupcake bites are from the always incredibly talented Bakerella. So if you decide to make these and have any more questions check out her blog.
thanks to my sissy deni for taking all of the pictures- you are the best!

bakerella would be ashamed.

2010-03-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

its pretty safe to say that Sunday evening i was far from feeling motivated.
i have a fairly large stack of school projects that are lingering over my head that need to be finished in the next few days, but i can't seem to get going on any of them.
one of these projects is suppose to be an instructional paper about something i am pretty knowledgeable about....and the simplest thing that came to mind was baking.

Well two weeks ago when i was assigned this project i was so pumped to show off some of my awesome cup cake pop skills. i had planned on doing the ones that look like cupcakes, and had all of the stuff picked up to accomplish my goal. But when it came down to actually getting them done....i was over it before i began.
Luckily my older sister came home just in time talk me off a cliff and get me motivated. So instead of bagging the whole plan (like i wanted to do)we made these little monsters. Yes, i realize that this is not my best work. and yes, i realize that they are a little creepy, but i can't help but to kind of have a soft spot for these little guys. look how cute they are with their crazy hair and googly eyes.

Happy Happy Birthday Sami dear...

2010-02-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

(sami dancing in a competition in colorado 1/10)

i want to wish a happy happy birthday to my littlest sissy sami. the baby of the family turns 16 years old today. i can hardly believe it. i remember the day that she graced the world with her presence.

Samantha Jane you are a blessing in the lives of everyone who has the privilege of knowing you. You are a kind, caring, dedicated, driven, talented,beautiful and passionate young woman. When you start a new adventure you always give it everything you've got and giving up has never been an option for you. Your future is so bright with endless possibilities! You inspire me to be a better person and to never give up on anything!

Know that you are incredibly loved by many and i hope that you have the happiest birthday you can possibly imagine!

with lots of love, your big sissy erin

p.s. please forgive my lack of blogging all 3 of you who frequent my blog, but i have been terribly busy with work and school. a quick update though i got a promotion at work and that is pretty awesome. and just in case i have not mentioned it in a while i am head over heels in love with my c.-----promise to do better soon :)

well hello beautiful...

2010-01-11T15:26:00.000-08:00

i must have been a very good girl this year, because santa left this little beauty for me christmas morning...

oh the possibilities are endless...

thanks santa.

Happy 2010!

2010-01-04T08:18:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!

we kicked off the year with the annual torching of the christmas tree at my parents house.this has been a tradition for longer then i have been alive. it is such a great time surrounded by great friends, family, and AMAZING food! (kaboom!!seriously the greatest tradition ever) (kicking my year off with a smooch from my love)

here is to a great new year full of love, life, and prosperity.

"live without regrets."

happy birthday c.

2009-12-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

this weekend we celebrated my c.'s 23rd birthday! he is my very best friend and my partner in crime. we have so much fun together always going on new adventures and getting into mischief. he is pretty much the coolest guy i know.

so happy birthday chris! i love you mucho mucho mucho gusto!!

skate with a derby chick!

2009-12-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

so i have this super awesome big sister,deni, and she is a derby girl. she plays for the bomber babes and is pretty fierce on a pair of skates.

she invited c. & i out to "skate with a derby girl night" at classic skating.

i can't remember the last time we had so much fun!

deni ,being the good big sister she is, held my hand until i got the hang of it. it has only been 102 years since the last time i strapped on some roller skates. c. didn't need any help at all he is a natural at all things athletic.

then c. & i snowballed to love sick tween tunes and it was wonderful.

thanks again 'GrandSlam Brakefast' (aka deni) for a super fun night!

Super Easy Mini Cheese Cakes

2009-12-07T12:17:00.000-08:00

these little cheesecakes are so easy and a total hit especially if you are running short on time and need a quick treat for all those holiday parties & potlucks

Mix Together:

16 oz (2 packages) of Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup Sugar

3 Eggs

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Mix together until smooth.

Use your mini cupcake pan and grab some 2" baking cups. (if you don't have a mini cup cake pan- you can use just a normal baking sheet with aluminum baking cups instead(like these), they may lose just a little shape, but will still look great)

Put Mini Nilla Wafers flat side down in the bottom of the cups. Easiest cheesecake crust ever right?! Then fill each cup about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Play some Jenga while you wait for these little guys to cool down, well at least that is what c. & i do.

When they are cooled all the way (i put them in the fridge to speed this process up) spoon on some pie filling of your choice (we used both raspberry & cherry) and refrigerate. This recipe will make roughly 4 dozen. How simple is that?

Recipe from the always inspiring Bakerella

2009-11-25T15:51:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

because it is kinda becoming my "thing"

2009-11-13T09:34:00.000-08:00

c. & i love to hang out and bake fun stuff together. We take advantage of every opportunity to make yummy and fun treats for our friends.

So today is Shellie's Birthday and we decided to make her some yummy girlie cupcakes!! we did an adorable pink,purple, & white combo that turned out so cute!

Happy Birthday Shellie!! Love ya girlie!!

hug a veteran

2009-11-10T07:39:00.001-08:00

this Wednesday we will be celebrating the sometimes looked over holiday of veterans day.
this is a day that we can thank the wonderful men and women who serve our country and protect the freedoms that we enjoy.

c.'s grandfather sam served as a green beret in Vietnam. He fought valiantly and was lucky enough to make it home in one piece- then many years later in 2004 he went over to Iraq as a civilian to drive truck across battle lines to get supplies to our troops. On sami's 1 year and two day anniversary in Iraq his convoy hit a road side bomb and he was filled with shrapnel, lost half of his skull, and one of his eyes. And after many years of hard recovery he is finally getting back to his old self, but will never fully recover from his battle wounds.

there are countless stories of loss and bravery i am sure most of us have heard a few, but on Wednesday please take a moment out of busy schedules to be grateful for the sacrifice that so many soldiers have made for the freedom that we sometimes take for granted.

Well, Grandpa Sami had a birthday last week he turned 60!! happy birthday! c. and i were assigned to make some yummy cupcakes to celebrate! So in honor of his bravery & dedication to his country we made him camouflage cupcakes!

wilton makes the most amazing icing coloring that we used to get these great camo colors. the dye is only $1.70 a piece and come in a wide spectrum of colors and shades- so if you ever have a specific color for a project check em out (i got mine at Michael's) we were going for a camo effect so we did 6 thinner layers of batter instead of the 3 thick layers (like in the halloween tie-dye cupcakes)fresh out of the oven the tops look like this! they didn't even need frostingnow cut it open a look inside! i love how they all turn out so different just depending on how the layers come together. how amazing are those greens? we used chocolate frosting to look like dirt. then decorated with little army men and camo stars. here are all of the different stages together.close ups. i think these little guys look ready for battle.we may have run out of chocolate frosting towards the end- so we improvise. we made some tasty green frosting for the rest- it kind of looked like grass at the front of the battle line. this is one of the best things about baking and decorating, there is freedom to just let your creativity roll. HAPPY VETERANS DAY TO ALL OF THE BRAVE MEN & WOMEN WHO SERVE & FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM!!

october "ketchup"

2009-11-04T07:34:00.000-08:00

because this week started off a little rough due to the "jackass" featured in my previous post, i have been way to frazzled and discombobulated to post the rest of the Halloween festivities that were enjoyed. but today is a better day. technaglass fixed my window bright and early this morning for a much better price then i thought it would be and my bank is taking care of all of the fraudulent transactions- so ...here is a happy post.

c. & i love to carve pumpkins (as mentioned in many a previous posts) c. loves to do the most difficult and challenging pattern that is available just to prove he is super awesome. after seriously 30 minutes of looking at patterns and evaluating the difficulty he finally settled on this freaky clown. i think he did an amazing job, like always. he is so incredibly talented! i decided to go a much more simple route this time- i did both the cute cupcake and the little angry baby face. i drew my own pattern for the cupcake pumpkin and i was more than pleased with the way it turned out. there was also "Witches Tea" at Gardner Village with all of the female cousins on the rogers side. it is always such a good time to get together with all the girls, get manis & pedis, and just laugh.
i think one of the best parts is shopping with my sisters & mom. we have so much fun together and always spend way to much money! i love it! then the big day finally arrived! HALLOWEEN! the one day a year that you can be anyone you want to be and no one looks at you funny for painting yourself blue or wearing a tutu!

this year c. decided to be maurice, from little monsters. it is one of his all time favorite movies and he has wanted to be him for years. His costume was awesome! people were stopping him to take pictures. His mom made him a custom vest, and he did all of his own make-up.c. even cut his hair into a mohawk just to get all of the details right. he was very impressive!i went as a troll doll this year. yes that is a giant rhinestone on my belly button. i was pretty happy with the way it turned out. my sissy deni made this awesome tutu and let me borrow it.
Ruby had to be in every picture we took, i think she likes showing of her cool pumpkin t-shirt. my parents had their annual halloween extravaganza at their house. this is all of the girls before the party started. me the troll doll. deni was "Hell on Wheels" she looked so super hot in her little devil outfit! my mom was a wench that was being turned into a vampire by my dad, they looked very fierce! and my youngest sister sami was Minnie mouse! she made her own costume and looked so adorable! my dad was a classic vampire (think interview with a vampire era) - as mentioned before my mom is his wench that he is turning her. such an awesome couple costume.my sissy and i cinching my mom into her costume. i thought she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen-but hey its better to look good than to feel good. :)

my poor lil' raisin

2009-11-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Jackass Who Broke my car window and stole my wallet-
I hope you enjoyed your breakfast you bought with my debit card.
thanks for leaving my school books i do appreciate it.
and remember,unfortunately for you, karma is a bitch.
Have a great day.

All Things Cupcake

2009-10-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

i just wanted to thank All Things Cupcake for being nice enough to feature the cute Halloween cupcakes c. & i made a few weeks ago on their website.

So check out "ATC" for everything you have ever wanted to know about cupcakes from costumes, to recipes,beanies, and everything else in between.

halloween fun

2009-10-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

this is how ruby gets excited about the spookiest holiday of the year...she wears her glow in the dark pumpkin shirt. she looks adorable!

i found these cute haunted houses and had to buy them. they are such an awesome idea and easy cause they come with everything that you need. c. made the one above.its pretty spooky and creative.

and i made this one.
they turned out alright considering i was having some major issues with the frosting melting down the walls, but other then that i was happy with it.

its spooky time!

2009-10-09T08:15:00.001-07:00

it is October my favorite month of the year! lots of pumpkin carving, make spooky treats, wearing fun costumes, and it is my birthday month!! the decorations are awesome there is a crisp cool feel in the air. i cant get enough!
C. and i decided to plant a little garden this year. we had tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins. unfortunately by the first frost this is all we had to show for our trouble. i guess we don't really have the touch yet ....

maybe next year we will do better :)

we are only a week into october and we have wasted no time partaking in the haunted halloween activities!

c. takes pumpkin carving and easter egg dying very seriously. i love that about him.
Madison carving her master "peace" ha ha that was a funny joke you will get it soon......get it now? master "peace" this is madison's peace sign made of bones.

ruby girl even got her own pumpkin- this was before she though it would be fun to chew it up...madison and me. i love her.all of the beautiful pumpkins together. pretty awesome if you ask me.

all of these designs came out of a book called "diggin the decades" so all of the designs are nostalgic things turned haunted. Like Evil PacMan. Carved by drewdrew (c. little bro)

Punk-Ula done by C. - his was the coolest out of all of them it has shadows and shading and all this other fancy pants stuff. he did an awesome job like always!

last but not least is my little pumpkin. if you can not tell she is a marilyn monroe witch. i think she is adorable.

What would a blog post be without something about baking?! madison's older sister is having a birthday this weekend and i was assigned the task of cupcakes. it is going to be a Costume/Halloween party and i wanted to do something fun.

So i decided put a spin on the typical tie-dye cupcake idea- and turn it colors that most people don't really consider incredibly appetizing- a spooky combination of yellow, purple, orange and green matched the adorable Halloween cupcake cups.add some neon green frosting, black sprinkles and a spider! and TU-DUH!! spooky cupcakes.

elder draper

2009-10-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

hey friends and family!!
just lettin ya'll know that i have started a blog for scottie to keep everyone updated on how he is doing and what he is up too!

so check it out and leave him some love and comments!

mongolmissionary.blogspot.com

cali. adventures

2009-09-21T11:24:00.001-07:00

as most have heard at the end of this month little brother will be leaving on his mission to mongolia-so in a last hoorah my parents decided that we would have a family get away before he takes off for a few years.
so we took a long weekend and headed to california.
we played for two whole days at disneyland. and had a blast!!
we saw bugs, princesses, villains, and everything in between.on sunday we spent the day riding awesome roller coasters at six flags.
we flew home early this morning...and little brother & i were sleepy on the airplane.
this weekend was so much fun! my feet are soar and i am tired but it was worth it!! thanks mom and dad for a great little get away!!

pie bites

2009-08-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

this summer has been way to fun (and hot) to stay inside and bake, but sunday brought nice cooler temps and some rain and i felt a little motivated to bake somethin tasty!

being inspired by the always creative and talented Bakerella, i made these adorable little pie pops!these little treats are very simple! start with some pre-made pie crust. use a rolling pin to roll out the crust.

pick a cute cookie cutter to make your bite size shapes (the stars are really cute but there was a lot of space in the points that didn't have any pie filling in them so they were a bit dry, i would suggest using a more even/circular shape)place sucker sticks and push them gently into the bottom pie crust. Start adding the goods, you can use any pie filling you are cravin, be careful not to over do it on the filling cause it will leak out all over. the stars only held one cherry and some juice.

put the tops on and crimp the edges using a fork. i brushed a little egg white on top and around the seam to help hold them together better.follow the baking instructions on the pie crust box.as mentioned the stars were a bit dry, so in an attempt to liven them up i whipped up a simple almond glaze. it consists of about a cup of powdered sugar, a splash or two of milk, and a few teaspoons of almond extract. sorry i don't have exact measurements for this i just make it to taste.let them cool for a few minutes, then drizzle on the glaze.

after all that work with the sticks and all i decided i liked them better without, so they became pie bites, instead of pie pops.delicious!!serve warm with some vanilla ice cream.for the apple pie bites i used a more open shape, and they worked much better!repeat all the same steps.... add the filling. crimp the sides. brush with egg white. bake.

the only thing different for the apple is right when they are finished baking brush the tops with a dab of butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mix.

these bites are "easy as pie" and were a major hit!

called to serve-drum roll please...

2009-08-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

so as promised i let little brother make his big announcement to the world last night,
and it is now my turn.
my awesome little brother has been called to serve here
it will be a total culture shock for him, but i know that he will be a phenomenal missionary!
we love you scottie!

2009-08-05T13:20:00.001-07:00

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elder draper

2009-08-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

what a very exciting day!

little brother recieved his mission call!

he leaves september 30.

where is he going?

well... i promised i wouldnt steal his thunder and inform the world where he is going until he gets home from trek tonight and has a chance to call everyone... (so i will inform ya'll tomorrow)

but it is an awesome place and he is going to do great!

i love you scottie!! we will miss your happy, funny,and loving personality around the house! it is going to be a quiet 2 years, but we are so proud of you and how hard you have worked to achieve all the goals you have set for yourself. You are an inspiration to our family, and i know all of the people you teach will be just as inspired and blessed to know you.

summer time when the livins easy

2009-07-17T09:02:00.001-07:00

i love summer! no school. warm nights. lots of fun adventures. i have been terrible at taken pictures but here are a few event i captured.

the tornado- the freedom festival on the 4th of July in provo.

little brother vs C.- hilarious- also at the feedom festivities

c. and his little bro. drew drew- went on a little hike up mt. olympus

they made it all the way to the top. yay! maybe i will go with them next time...but i doubt it.summer twighlight concert series at galivan. good times.

happy birthday ruby girl

2009-06-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

ruby turned one year old this weekend! c. & i love ruby very very much. she is such a good dog and so smart, and has the most fun personality! i can not believe how big she has gotten and quickly time has flown by!!the first week we had her when she was just a puppy- sleepin on her back.

she still sleeps on her back...even though she doesnt really fit in this chair anymore...but she does not mind

ruby is OBSESSED with playing fetch! it is her most favorite thing ever!!she loves her ball, but she will go get anything that is thrown for her like sticks,branches,rocks, toys,pine cones, etc.she will play fetch for days and days and never get tired!!her second favorite activity is destroying her toys. if she is given a new toy she likes to chew it up into a million little pieces all over the floor as quickly as possible.she really likes riding in the car with us also. especially on long road trips.

we love our little ruby dog!! we are so lucky to have gotten such a great dog!

guapo que lucha

2009-06-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

lo siento,

yo no hablo español (other than the little bit i picked up while working at restaurants-but those things are not appropriate for a family friendly blog like this)-so.... there is a little thing called freetranslations.com- i am practically fluent now ;)

little brother went to mexico for his senior trip. he returned with these awesome mexican wrestling masks. "little brother is....gato pequeño" "ok, ok..... little brother is gato grande.....now put me down!""introducing....señor jefe grande"...mmm músculos.....delicioso....desmayo.....caliente...mina.

dorks en el amor.

fin de semana feliz

(i deeply apologize to those readers who speak spanish....you are probably ripping your hair out after reading this- maybe i should have paid closer attention in those two years of spanish i took in school lo siento amigos:)

saving the world a pint at a time

2009-06-12T07:31:00.000-07:00

i like to go give blood as much as possible. it feels like my little way of giving back to the world. yesterday i went and donated and they gave me my "ONE GALLON DONOR" pin.

i felt pretty cool. (if you look closely in my right hand you will notice my awesome new pin)

so if you feel like you need a little extra good karma or maybe just want to save a babies life, call the american red cross and go donate. maybe one day you can have your very own gallon donor pin too!

agustus gloop

2009-06-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

this is my little sister.

her & her friends are pretty cool.

they watch the special features on charlie and the chocolate factory to learn to oompa loompa dances.

she tries to teach me....

i look kinda silly....okay i look ridiculous...

but it is pretty funny, especially towards the end when i start making up my own moves :)

and yes- we have twinner shirts on-she made them-

no we did not plan it, but we look pretty awesome.

enjoy. have a laugh on me :)

have a wonderful weekend ya'll

he grew up so fast

2009-06-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

this year my awesome little brother graduated from brighton high school. i think that means i am getting old. here are a few things that are super radical about my little bro.
1. he can make anybody laugh, no matter how cranky or unhappy they may be.

2. he wears leather pants to senior dinner dance and totally rocks them

3. he was involved in everything at brighton! he never missed a dance, or a game, or any other activity.

4. he is nice to everyone!!

5. he will still play power rangers with me on the trampoline

6. he plays lacrosse- and i love lacrosse. here is a pic of the alumni game-c. is in the U of U gear behind scottie.

7. he has a very strong testimony and has worked towards his goal of going on a mission- he will be turning in his papers really soon!

8. he just graduated from high school and is already done with his associates degree!!

9. he cleans up very nicely!!!10. he is the best brother that any sisters could have asked for! our lives would have been pretty boring if we had not had scottie around! look at all those tassels and things he got to wear at graduation!! i was lucky to get the one on my hat!! :)

we missed sami-she went to lagoon day.my parents & scottieuncle jason & jen

g-ma & g-pa draper

and of course what holiday would be complete without baking something?!?! as my gift to scott i made some awesome cup cake caps!! blue and orange and delicious! i got this adorable idea from the amazing bakerella. these were pretty easy and so cute!!

thanks to deni for doing the arranging for me! we're a good team!

because i am a girl of my word...

2009-06-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

school got out...i still havent checked my grades...i am to nervous....but i will....later....

for memorial day i decided to do a little baking. i found this delicious recipe on the always creative and entertaining pioneer woman site (if you havent already read the adorable love story of her and the marlboro man, black heels to tractor wheels, you should go and do so immediately) well, my first attempt was what us pros call a bust. there was cake over flowing everywhere and burning to the bottom of the oven. it was a DISASTER!! but after i tasted the cake and found it was delicious i had to get back on the horse and try again.

and this was the little beauty that came out of it!! this cake was so delicious!! i would recommend this cake to anyone! i put the link up at the top to get the exact recipe but the only thing i would change would be to bake it in two 8" rounds instead of one and trying to cut it in half. and i have to thank my g-ma for gifting me this beautiful 40s milky glass cake plate.i love it!!

i think i will post...

2009-06-10T07:55:00.001-07:00

tomorrow.

summer nights

2009-05-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

as i get older i have learned to really appreciate my weekends- and i do my very best to fill them full of good people and good times- last week mady & marshall invited us up to her sister annies house to bbq and have a camp fire. we had such a great time- it was a fun kick off to summer!ruby decided to help annie with the yard work and pull this big stick off the tree for her:) thanks rubyi love c.above:madison & me

below: madison and marshall - marshall cooked all the 'bobs' and did such a good job-that was some good grubbin!

last weekend we went bowling. i dont know if i have ever mentioned this, but c. can be very competitive and can be a bit of a sore loser- it is a very very VERY rare occasion that i beat him at his own games- but this weekend the stars aligned and it happened

i beat c. bowling!!

i am a very poor winner and enjoy basking in my glorious victory with a series of jumping up and down pointing, and sticking my tongue out at the person i have just defeated....i know i know i am a poor sport....i am alright with that.
c. was not very happy at all-but he took it like a champ and like any good boyfriend he was happy that my bowling skills are improving.

it was a very intense game for marshall and mady- they were neck'n'neck the whole time- it came down to marshalls last shot-he had to pick up the strike to secure his victory....and he missed....Madison gets the Win!

Girls Rule!! Boys Drool!

a bit bummed

2009-05-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

once upon a time when i was a much younger girl, i would travel around with a wonderful group of kids and we would sing and dance and i would have solos that i would sing at the top of my lungs! that is were i was happy. on the stage sharing my talent with the world.
then something changed i dont know if it is because i have older and a little bit more afraid to fail or maybe because i have not been on the stage for so long i must have forgotten how.
apparently- over ten years ago i promised my little bro that if when he went on a mission i would sing at his fair well- and he has NEVER forgotten this promise. in august my little scottie will be leaving....and intend to make good on that promise.
i have been taking voice lessons every week for a few months now trying to get back to the caliber that i once was- and decided to participate in the recital this weekend- i have not been so nervous about anything in a long time-but i was very excited....
i think mother nature has different plans for me.....
i am soooooo bloody sick it is ridiculous! i have a nice allergy-cold combination going on.
i have taken every antihistamine, decongestant, nasal rinse, juice, cough syrup, tea,mucinex, EVERYTHING that i can possibly get my hands on to try to feel better for saturday. i can not even practice my song because of this stupid cough!
so if you have any suggestions as to how i can be at a 100% before tomorrow i am begging for any help i can get.

(not in the mood to think of a clever title)

2009-05-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

well happy tuesday to the 4 people who read my blog :) just kiddin. my allergies are making my head want to explode and the sound of the keys is only making it worse... but i really wanted to post some pics of our fun weekend. on saturday c. & i joined my family to support my older sister GRAND SLAM BRAKEFAST (aka deni) and her team the bomber babes in their bout against the sisters of no mercy.

i had never been to a derby girl event and didnt really know what to expect, but it seriously turned out to be very fun!! if you are ever lookin for something to do on a saturday night- check em out. by the end we were all in to it!! cheering and screaming. it was pretty awesome.the sister of no mercy having a little prayer before the game- this cardinal was pulling the alter boy around on a leash & drinking a beer- it was pretty hilarious i am not going to lie- the bomber babes defense line- ok i dont know what the technical term for it, but these are the girls that bring the pain. action shots...ha ha ok photography is not my strongest talent please forgive me :)nicks (deni's husband) family was very supportive and came to cheer her on!

me and my sissy- i was trying to be strong like her- i was not successful...she brought the pain! i was very proud of her.

after the adventure that was the roller derby- c. & i went to a mustache party-and because i was lacking in the facial hair department we went to walmart (yes walmart- i am not ashamed:) and got some felt and double stick tape- and TA DA we have mustaches-the party was a going away party for a really good friend of c.- paul ryan - these two were practically born into the same diaper-their dads were really good friends and played in bands together.

and i'm spent.

albion knights...

2009-05-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

last night my wonderfully talented younger sister sami had her albion advanced dance concert. she did such an amazing job! she is so graceful and beautiful. i kind of get a little emotional watching her dance and become such an amazing young woman because i remember the first time she rolled over, and her first steps. i am so incredibly proud of her and how hard she works.

being at albion is pretty nostalgic and sentimental to me, especially when c. is there with me. albion middle school is where the love story of c. & e began roughly 10 years ago. oh how simple life was back then.we reminisced of friends and drama-how the littlest heart ache felt like the end of the world. we look back now and laugh of all the silly things that seemed so huge back then. in 8th grade on valentines day this is where we had our first kiss. i will never forget that day... i still get butterflies when i think about it...

c. was on the championship team when we were in 9th grade. he is so talented.

kick off to summer

2009-05-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

1# thank you everyone for your very nice and encouraging words about my final. it has been taken- and i felt pretty good about it. i will just have to wait and see....

2# Let the Summer begin!! c. & i love to do fun, new adventures. so last night we had an impromptu party. Well it was not much of a party considering it was c,me, ruby, and Marc (c. cousin) but it was a great time none the less!

with a big metal goat feed bucket, an oven rack, a vintage vinyl umbrella(with shag), and some hot dogs the
First Annual Red Neck Kick Off to Summer
party was born. With true red neck style, we used all of the junk mail in the house to keep the fire going and boy did it burn!!

c. showing off his mountain man skills building us an awesome fire.
our delish cheese filled dogs cooking on the oven rack- i don't think i have ever eaten such an amazing dog in my whole life!!ruby was very upset that we were burning all of her sticks-she was trying to protect them here :)and for her being a good sport and sacrificing her favorite toys (aka sticks) we made her a hot dog and for dessert she got a marshmallow... which she got all over her face.

so next year we hope to plan it a little better and hopefully more of our wonderful friends out there will join this fun new tradition.
the only catch to coming to the party is you have to bring your own junk mail to burn :)

its the final count down...

2009-05-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

my math final is one hour away.
i am feeling pretty prepared.
this is the hardest i have ever studied in my whole life!!
i have gone to the library every single day for at least two hours for the past week.
i am so nervous! i think i am going to be sick!!
wish me luck.

feeling mildly inspired

2009-04-30T10:24:00.000-07:00

i have been working really hard to study for my math final this semester.
and really evaluating what i am doing in college.

i have been feeling kinda (okay EXTREMELY) overwhelmed. and maybe a little lost.

at work today while browsing some of my favorite blogs that always lift my spirit and make me smile (examples here & here) i found lists of simple, beautiful, little things that make every day great.

i was inspired to take a breath and remember what makes this journey called life even more beautiful.

1#

E: "c. do you love me?"

C:"more than anything in the whole entire wide world."

E: "you promise, promise?"

C: "promise, promise" then he kisses me on the head.

and i smile,because i know he means it.

2# picnics in the park

3# new sexy high heels

4# the smell of fresh laundry

5# ice cold diet coke

6# chicken fingers & fries submerge in ranch & ketchup

7# sunday dinners with my family

8# salt lake valley sunsets (best in the world)

9# warm summer nights staring at the stars

10# kisses from my c.

oh the wonderful simple pleasures in life.

when there is nothing better to blog about.

2009-04-24T08:45:00.000-07:00

my life is fairly uninteresting. and when life gets a little dull its time to add frosting and sprinkles!! it is a friend of ours birthday-and i thought it would be so nice if we baked him a cake- well i was mostly just looking for an excuse to use my cool new cake pan-but it was still a nice gesture. c. is always such a good sport and participates in all my baking endeavors. just one more reason i love him!

this is my awesome Giant Cupcake cake pan after her maiden voyage.

right out of the pan..... i think i added a little to much batter to the bottom half, it looks like a giant muffin! which then gave me the idea that next time i make a muffin loaf i will bake it in this so it will still look like a muffin- i need to host a tea party or something and serve giant muffins! anyway back to the current cake....there is not a recipe or instructions of how much batter to put in the pan, so i guessed and made two box white cakes-i used a little over a box and a half in the cake so with the remainder we made these adorable little cupcakes. c. & linda (his mom) decorated this cute little rainbow of cupcakes. (sweet little shout out to equality & equal rights for ALL!!) :)TA-DA!!! so pretty and colorful!!we look lovely at 1 am when we finally finished this master piece....
(on a side note if anyone would like their own awesome giant cupcake pan by wilton-they are available at target, and amazon.com. mine is from amazon because it was like $10 cheaper- also, the bottom takes longer to bake then the top does!! fill the bottom half and start baking it for 15-20 minutes then add the batter to the top. this should make it so the top does not burn)

my dad.

2009-04-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

On sunday my dad celebrated a big birthday! it was a very fun day of yummy bbq,a family adventure to the park, and yummy cake.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! You are such an amazing person! you have more talent in your little finger then most do in their whole body. Our family has been so blessed to have you as our strong quiet leader. thank you for all of your hard work and sacrifice for our family. i love you with all of my heart!!my dad and his new camera my parents . they love each other.

g.ma & g.pa

c. was sleepy after playing at the park w/scottie.

because my dad needs nothing, buying him a gift is always a bit of a challenge. so this year i made him a gift from the heart :) i made this little beauty-Homemade chocolate cake w/chocolate sour cream frosting
i was really really nervous how this would taste because i have never made a homemade cake before - it think it turned out alright, well nobody died after eating it so i am going to take that as a good sign. everyone said it was good, but i think they were just being nice to me :)

P.S. on a totally separate note, i have not bit my nails in 7 days. this is a very big deal!!

rainbows in the kitchen

2009-04-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

last night was so incredibly pleasant.

c. and i made R A I N B O W cupcakes!!

the most adorable happy cupcakes i have ever seen!

colors of the rainbow

this is what they look like on the inside. i did not get a picture of these aborable little things frosted because my little nikon was exhausted- but imagine cute fluffy white frosting to top them off!

this recipe is very simple!! and fun to make! the original recipe i saw was a two layer round cake with white frosting. it was so cute cause it looked kinda plain and blah until you cut into it and see the awesome rainbow inside.

traditions.

2009-04-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

when my grandparents were alive, one of their favorite holidays was easter. My moms whole family would get together and we would bbq and have a big easter egg hunt. my grandma would make an white easter bunny cake with white coconut and big paper ears, since she passed away i have taken over her roll to make her trademark cake every year. i think it really means alot to all of my family to have that remider of her there every year. we miss my grandparents very much, but love that we can keep our family close and let the traditions they started live on.i have added a chocolate bunny into the mix just to keep things interesting.also this year i (and all my helpers :)) made another batch of cupcake pops. this time we did a mix of easter eggs,bunnies,& chicks.

ryan & scottiesteph & me

uncle mark & my dadthis is the girls traditional "attitude" picture. (my sister d. (third in on the left) sprained her ankle at her new hobby(see previous post))

sami jane

this pic of steph makes me happy :)

bomber babes

2009-04-13T10:43:00.000-07:00

my older sis. has found herself a new hobby. Roller Derby!! she had her team pics for the bomber babes on friday and i did her hair and make-up for her. i think she looks beautiful if i do say so myself!

(photos by fuzzygraphics)

happy birthday round 2

2009-04-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

happy birthday lindsey caitlin!! i hope you have a most wonderful birthday today!! i love you my dear!! we have so many wonderful memories together-the highlights of most of my teen years involve you and our crazy ways!!

happy birthday bff

2009-04-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

today is a very special day!! It is my wonderful madisons 22nd birthday!

dear m.,

fate brought us together when i needed a friend the most.

we have been there for each other through some of the darkest hours, always knowing that the other would hold our hand until the storm cleared. we have watched each other grow and learn. we have had our hearts broken, and lost many friends-some years more difficult then others. i don't think i would have made it through without your support.

oh but the good times far outweigh the bad! so many nights dancing until our hair was dripping in sweat, singing our guts out, and going on adventures. talks of politics, religion, faith, and hope. The long summer days laying by the pool and those beautiful nights sitting on the porch just spilling feelings of love, loss, and dreams. i cherish these memories that our friendship has bloomed from.

thank you for your kind, understanding, and charitable heart. you have taught me lessons of patients and love that will never be forgotten.

it is a new year of life! release the past with love - your possibilities are endless!

HOT CHICKS!!

2009-04-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

this weekend my wonderful family and i decided to do a little baking project. so after being inspired by the talented bakerella- we got to work! I have NO idea how she gets the chocolate to be so smooth, she makes it look so easy!! we did our best but we are definitely amateurs!sami,me,deni, & scottie dippinmore dippin...this dipping thing was a lot harder to do then i thought it would be!!!sami,deni,mom, & c. starting to get creative.these are all of our cute little chick creationshere are some close ups. i love the pink one with the worried eye brows that c. madepigs,monsters,bunnies,chicks with mustaches, & roller derby chicks.marilyn monroe chicks, & chicks with red hawksthe lone rooster -a favorite of mine -made by my dad.

more chicks.

Solid Work Fam-it was so fun to see every ones different personality coming out in the decorating of the chicks.

hmm...maybe i will pass.

2009-04-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

i have spent many a hours day dreaming about the future- my dream house, my dream husband, my perfect life, with my perfect babies- well i stumbled across this website that can take all the guess work/worry out of what your kids will look like- So i put in a picture of c. and i and the computer generated these pictures of our future little gifts from heaven.
hmmm....for some reason i thought they would be more attractive and a lot less alien looking.

mom & me

2009-03-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

last week my mom had to go to washington dc for business and she let me tag along. It was so much fun just hanging out and going sight seeing with her.

The first day i got to go to her meetings with the representatives of utah. I got to meet matheson,hatch, & bennett and sit in on all of the meetings about health care in utah.

(it rained most of the time we were there so please disregard our beautiful hair)

the capitol buildingus with orrin hatchthis is a back side of nancy palocythe lincoln memorialwashington monumentthe white houseoscar & memy mom and i rockin the kanye shades.

on the last day we went to georgetown and shopped and shopped and shopped- then my mom (who is always down for any adventure that will result in a good story) decided we should go wait in line at the legendary GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE to try some of the delicious goods. this is the line that we waited in for over 30 min.

all the beautiful cupcakes

we decided to get a dozen and haul them home for the rest of our fam cause we are very nice like that.

we hauled them all the way back to our hotel with only minor damages(note the sliding white frosting) to partake in the spoils-and let me tell you they were worth ever minute and calorie! delish!!

it was so nice to be able to spend some quality time with just my mom and me! we are both so busy that its rare we just get to sit and laugh and enjoy each others company.

thanks again mom for letting me go with you!!

happy anniversary (i think)

2009-03-20T14:20:00.001-07:00

c. and i are not particularly great at remembering anniversaries or specific dates of significant events -all we know for sure is that we have really,really liked each other for a long time now. We have guesstimated & debated that our anniversary is somewhere between the 19th-25th of some month a long time ago. So even though this may or may not be our anniversary--

Happy Anniversary C.!! I love you!

You make me the happiest girl in the whole wide world and i could not ask for a more loving and talented person to be with! I know sometimes i don't tell you enough, but i hope you know that i appreciate everything you do for me to keep me happy!thank you for going the extra mile to make me feel special. i love you from the top of my head to the tips of my toes!

always.

road trip...

2009-03-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

well sort of a road trip.

on sunday c., ruby, and i went on a little adventure down to panguich to visit marc (c. cousin)

c. and i always have so much fun together!

we like to pretend that we are rock stars and sing our guts out! there were lovely renditions of Queens greatest hits, then some super awesome old school rap, followed by a Mest,blink 182,good charlotte mix.

other then the major downer of the party pooper uhp trooper who sighted c. for 10 over the speed limit we had a wonderful time!

baked

2009-02-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

baked round 1:
lately i have been in a baking sort of mood. i have this uncontrollable desire to create the most delicious high carb, high sugar, high fat comfort food you can ever imagine. So i recruited my partner in crime to sacrifice his whole evening off the making miniature soft pretzels with me. i am not even exaggerating it took ALL evening!! but it was totally worth it!kneading... pouching...heart shaped pretzel... cause we are adorable like thatpreparing for salt...salting.....as i have mentioned before c. is somewhat of a perfectionist (which i love about him) and insisted the salt be perfectly even....this is the finished product!! seriously they were so tasty ! i have probably eaten like 20 mini pretzels! this is us while slaving away in the kitchen-don't we look lovely-
i found the recipe here so if you are bored and have 5 hours to spare.

Baked round 2:
c. and i have been dating for a long time and after seeing each other everyday for a few years now, things can become some what routine. so in an effort to revamp our daily adventures we started cooking dinner with each other or baking something fun a few times a week (see above pretzel story)
so one day last week we made home made pizza.
hand rolled dough...pepperoni...canadian bacon....and olives.... pizza heaven!
this recipe also takes forever! but also worth it :)

would you like fries with that....?

2009-02-10T07:33:00.000-08:00

would You like that Macho Sized?(click here)

Whats My Age Again?

2009-02-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

I had a most pleasant weekend- but i must say the highlight of the weekend came in the late evening sunday during the grammy's-

One of my all time favorite bands are geting back together! the one and only Blink-182! the wonderful c. introduced me to this kickin' music back in the 7th grade! Most of my important moments of my teenage years have Blink playing in the background.
Mark-Tom-& Travis confirmed on their website-
Hi. We're blink-182.This past week there've been a lot of questions about the current status of the band, and we wanted you to hear it straight from us. To put it simply, We're back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy.
Summer 2009.
Thanks and get ready…

YAY!!

(i had this poster hanging in my room all of middle school)

Happy (belated) Birthday To Two Very Talented Girls!

2009-02-04T12:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful mom! She turned 29(again)! My mom is one of a kind! She has taught me the value of hard work and commitment. She truly is a superwoman. Her talents are over flowing and she always so willing to help and share what she has been blessed with. At one point she was balancing planning my sisters wedding,3 kids under 18(2 without drivers licenses), being a vice president of Intermountain Health Care, Primary President, Wife, and getting a masters degree at BYU(which she graduated one of the top in her class). What did i tell you amazing right?!

So Happy (belated) Birthday Mom! And Thank You for all that you do, i know you don't hear it enough.

Happy 15th Birthday Samantha Jane! My baby sissy is getting so old! I can not believe how time flies by! I remember the day she was born and the first time i held her. She has always been such a beautiful girl! Where do i even begin to talk about a person who possesses so many incredible talents? Sami is a ballerina. A VERY incredibly talented one at that. Last year she was accepted to one of the most prestigious dance schools in the country (only 30 kids in the country get in) she attends the Ballet West dance school, and is on Albion Advanced dance. Not only is she an incredible dancer but also an awesome student she was in tears for days after receiving an A- in a class. One of the greatest qualities about Sami is how angelic she is. She is truly one of the most innocent and most sincere people i have ever met. So happy birthday Samantha Jane-i could not have asked for a better baby sister!

tag:couples

2009-02-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

The Couple...
he.
1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? ESPN or some other sports show. Family Guy.Superbad.or Stepbrothers.
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Whatever is available.He is not a picky eater at all!
3. What's one food he doesn't like? BBQ sauce on hamburgers-Or anything that is bland He LOVES spicy food with a kick!
4. You go out to a restaurant, what does he get to drink? He says,"Barq's ,Because Barq's has Bite" which is always followed by my eye roll and "He'll have root beer"
5. Where did he go to high school? BHS
6. What is one phrase he says all the time? "I am hurrying babe-i will be there in a just a minute" (he is almost always late:)
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Hats! he loves old school sports team logos
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Bologna with mustard
9. What would this person eat everyday if he could? Ling Ling Pot Stickers
10. What is his favorite cereal? Life
11. What would he never wear? Brown shoes with a black belt, or white socks with dress clothes
12. What is his favorite sports team? the Jazz
13. Who will he vote for? The most Liberal
14. Who is his best friend? Me :) (he has lots and lots of friends so it is hard to say-but i am definitely his very favorite!!)
15. How many states has he lived in? 1
16. Does he have any nervous habits?
17. What could he spend hours doing? Playing Guitar Hero, or playing his real guitar
18. He is: hard working and loving, helpful and understanding.Fun,adventurous,and awesome.

she.
1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? CSI or any show similar, Gossip Girl, Family Guy or the Simpson's.
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does she get on her salad? Ranch!! i put ranch on everything!
3. What's one food she doesn't like? onions.
4. You go out to a restaurant, what does she get to drink? diet coke
5. Where did she go to high school? BHS
6. What is one phrase she says all the time? Yeah, i bet.
7. If she was to collect anything, what would it be? Shoes
8. What is her favorite type of sandwich? Turkey,Gouda, and sprouts.
9. What would this person eat everyday if she could? Pepperoni Pizza and French Fries
10. What is her favorite cereal? Frosted Flakes
11. What would she never wear? Ugly Shoes :)
12. What does she always wear? Pink Sapphire Ring
13. Who will she vote for? the more liberal view
14. Who is her best friend? Christian.Madison. Lindsey.
15. How many states has she lived in? 1
16. Does she have any nervous habits? nail biting
17. What could she spend hours doing? Staring at the stars, laughing with my family, baking,Going on adventures with C.
18. She is: loving and caring.Fun and easily excited! Enjoys the smallest things in life.

Now I tag:Deni,Shelly,Kylie,Stephie

dear c.

2009-02-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

i love you.

you make me smile.

"shred the sicky gnar"

2009-01-27T07:32:00.000-08:00

yesterday i scooted out of work early to go out and play(sorry kylie). If any of you know Chris, you know that he is an avid snow enthusiast and loves to 'shred the sicky gnar' (i think it means: snowboard in fresh powder )So though it was a slight insult to his "gnar shredding" skills i made him go sledding with me at rail gardens -which happens to be a place other "gnar" shredders go to set up "kickers"(ramps?) and other fun things of that nature to do tricks on-well Chris became envious of them and decided that he would not let the fact that we were sledding hold him back from sliding on rails and taking jumps. This is what happens when you ride a sled down a hand rail

what a mess.

2009-01-26T08:35:00.001-08:00

a few months ago ruby got this awesome toy. It is a tug rope and "gummer" chew all wrapped into one heavy duty contraption...When she first picked it out at the store she could not even get her jaw around the knots... three short months later....this is what is left...

oh how quickly they grow...

happy friday

2009-01-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

(for your enjoyment-click to enlarge)

today is the day

2009-01-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

It is official-There is a new president of the United States of America.
I really hope that Barack can get us back on track!It's time for a change!

grr

2009-01-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

i am incredibly frustrated today.
maybe discouraged is a better word.
grrr....
another semester...

to all the men who never listen...

2008-12-22T12:56:00.000-08:00

Nagging wife, sausage help man win lottery

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A "nagging" wife who pushed her husband to buy a lottery ticket helped scoop the $4.2 million ($7.7 million New Zealand dollar) first prize — with only minutes to spare. The man from New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, bought his ticket just two minutes before ticket sales closed Saturday night.
"My wife had been nagging me all week to get a ticket, so I when saw the Lotto sign ... I sprinted in to get the ticket before they closed," said the man, who asked not to be identified — normal practice among lottery winners in New Zealand.
"I must have been their last customer of the night," he said, adding that the young married couple had had a "rough" couple of years, reduced to one income after having children.
"I have never been so glad to listen to my wife's nagging," the man said Tuesday.
He discovered their newly won fortune Sunday thanks to his wife's request for a barbecued sausage.
'All I wanted was a sausage'Out shopping for bargains, the man said he didn't have enough money to buy his wife the sausage she'd asked him for. So he decided to check his Saturday lottery ticket in case he'd won a small prize.
"I could not believe it when they said I was actually the big winner," he said.
When he showed the printout to his wife, she initially thought they had won $4,200.
"When she realized how much it really was, she fell to the floor, and then said: 'but all I wanted was a sausage.'"

Yo Ho Yo Ho

2008-12-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

So this weekend i had a party to celebrate Chris and Jesse! (his twin sissy) It was pirate themed and so much fun! Thank you to everyone who braved the snow to celebrate!

This is the awesome pirate ship cake that i got for the festivities! It was so awesome!!

and yes those are pirate hats, eye patches, flags, candies, balloons and tatoos on the table, i went all out this year. It turned out so great!

Our long lost friend Mykel even came.

Shupapalooza!

2008-12-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Today is my wonderful boyfriends 22 birthday!! Chris and i met in 7th grade and it was love at first sight-for him :) we "went out" for a few months and then broke up, then we "went out" again in 8th grade. I have never understood that term because we never actually went anywhere together, but that is not the point. Well, 8th grade Valentines Day, was the highlight of my middle school years. Chris came to school with a dozen red roses(which i still have) and a pink teddy bear(which i have slept with every night since) for me. It was the first time a boy had ever gotten me flowers and i was so excited i carried them around all day! After school there was a Valentines dance that was pretty lame-until... Chris asked me to dance. We danced to Savage Garden and stared at eachother. All of our friends were watching to see what was going to happen. it seemed pretty dramatic at the time! The last chorus of the song came on and that is when it happened. He leaned in and kissed me!! My first kiss!! it was like in Romeo and Juliet when they kiss in the elevator and the whole room starts to spin around them, yeah that is what it was like!! I still get butterflies when i think about that day. Well anyway...to make a long story short we went our seperate ways but i would always think about him. And senior year on my birthday he called to wish me a Happy Day, we started talking and have had a hard time being apart since. It has now been over four years since he called me and i look forward to many many more with him.This is our first picture together. Please dont laugh at the chubby face and over plucked eye brows-thank you.

Chris i love you so much. You have been through so much and stayed so strong. I am so proud of you and everything you are working to achieve. Happy Birthday Baby!

Ch-Ch-Check it out

2008-12-18T09:10:00.000-08:00

so i am a total cheese ball/hopeless romantic. I love silly little decor and cute random things. I just stumbled across this cute site http://www.boldloft.com/ it is all silly girly/lovey dovey stuff but very cute.

This next one is for all you cute girls with those adorable growing bellies!! http://www.belliesrock.com/
There are so many cute things that would make awesome gifts for moms to be!

Give a Little Bit

2008-12-16T14:36:00.002-08:00

Today is the American Red Cross Blood Drive from 6 a.m.-6 p.m. They will trade you a pint of your fresh clean blood for these awesome goodies...

This Really NEAT XXXL t-shirt...

Or Maybe this awesome pink medical tape is more you style...or for you sports fans a little football....

Or maybe you just feel like you have not done enough charity this wonderful Christmas time and would like to help some people in need.

A woman that was donating next to me was telling a story about her husband and how he had to have a liver transplant last year. During the surgery alone he went through 45 units of blood and 4-5 units everyday for the next 4 weeks. She started to cry & thank us all for being there, because of people who take the time to donate, her husband is still with her today.

So if you have time today go down to the red cross and donate. If you can't today you can call and make an appointment to go donate as soon as you can!!

Winter Warmth!!

2008-12-15T10:49:00.000-08:00

So I know alot of you out there are having the same battle with yourself that you have had for year after year now-
How to Keep Off the Holiday Pounds!
This task is never easy, but i for one have become an expert on it! And as my Christmas gift to you this year i would like to give you some advice on how i keep my girlish figure no matter how many cubes of butter have been added to the mashed potatoes!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can..and quickly. It's rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-oholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.
8. Same for pies. Apple, pumpkin, mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?
9. Did someone mention fruit cake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Good Luck Girls!! This is Your Year to Beat that Winter Warmth Layer!!

This Makes Me a Little Happy

2008-12-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

Aston Martin with Extra Pepperoni

With unemployment at a 26-year high, everyone is doing whatever they can to make ends meet -- even using their Aston Martin to deliver pizza!

( i dont know what style this one is but some 2008 Aston Martins' go for MSRP:$262,000)

What this season is really about....

2008-12-09T12:40:00.001-08:00

This year my dad was asked to do a tree for the festival of trees and if any of you know my dad he always out does himself! He is so incredibly talented in so many ways. He can turn a pile of junk into art. So between my mom's wonderful creativity and my dads incredible talent they put this beautiful tree together.

This tree is in honor of Elizas Foundation. Eliza is a little two year old girl who is suffering from metachromatic leukodystrophy, a degenerative neurological illness.My dad hand sculpted this life size Santa clause reading his naughty or nice list books (Erin is right after Eliza in the nice book :)) he even custom made the mink lined rob Santa is sporting.

This past summer My younger brother scottie did his eagle project for Eliza as well.

(Scott & Little Eliza)

Scott Draper chats with Eliza Williams in the new Eliza's Library in the Oquirrh View Community Center Friday in West Valley City. Draper's Eagle project involved setting up furniture for five Eliza's Libraries. Williams has metachromatic leukodystrophy, a degenerative neurological illness.(Deseret New Published: Saturday, July 26, 2008 12:14 a.m. MDT)

I am so grateful to be able to say that this is my family. I am reminded everyday how lucky we are to have the things we do and how important it is to give and help those in need.

tag: ten things i can't live without

2008-12-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

#1 Diet Coke-The nectar of the gods! I can not function without a steady intake of this delicious goodness!#2 Sunsets- a nice reminder every day of the natural beauty all around.

#3French Fries- seriously i could eat them for every meal!! (with a diet coke of course)

#4 High Heels- there is nothing sexier then a new pair of heels!

#5 MAC Eye Shadows- no other product can even compare!!

#6 Ipod

#7 Pepperoni Pizza w/Ranch dressing

#8 DML Lotion- This is the most incredible lotion for people who have any sort of skin ailment (i.e. psoriasis-like me) No smell, no color, no greasy mess, Quickly absorbs! I would most likely die if i did not have this lotion!!

#9 BIG SUNGLASSES!!- like these...

#10- These People-

I am tagging---shell,kylie,clisty,...and whoever else feels bored enough to do this silly tag.

Ch-Ch-Check it out

2008-11-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

This site has some of the most fun stuff for a relatively realistic price (especially if you check out the clearance stuff) ! I just bought dinner and appetizer plates, for the house i hope to have someday, the whole set for only $30!! (that is shipping included)
www.cb2.com
Also...
www.uncommongoods.com
www.msandmrs.com

There are some very fun gift ideas on all three!

Yes it hurts

2008-11-26T14:05:00.000-08:00

Today i had the pleasure of having a 2 hour root canal.

I am starting to regain the feeling in my face....

Kinda feels like a got scissor kicked in the jaw.

That is all.

Goodbye For Now

2008-11-13T12:13:00.000-08:00

It is a sad day today. Chris has to part ways with his beloved Top Banana Daytona Series Charger. It was a beautiful and (Most of all) FUN car! it was great while it lasted , but it is just not practical anymore (with the snow coming and all)
I think it also has something to do with this "phase" he is in, i think professioanls call it "Growing Up"? weird, i know?...
We will miss racing around and rockin' out, but i told him as soon as he makes a million dollars he can buy it back in every color :)

So, lets join together in a moment of silence for the Top Banana. You will be missed.

Ruby!

2008-11-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

this Post is about our little ruby. She is growing so fast!! She has already grown out of her first collar and number two is getting snug!! She has learned to sit, stay, shake, and High Five (thanks to Chris' patients and persistence)
Last night i was teaching Ruby how to play fetch. She gets the point of going after the ball and bringing it back, but she does not want to give it to me. She thinks that if she went to all the work of going and retrieving the ball then i should have to play tug to get it back from her. I hope she gets the gist soon because those puppy teeth keep cutting up my hand trying to get the ball back!! We played fetch for about three hours and we both got a little tired of the game so Ruby gathered up all of her balls and slept with them to keep them safe.

Witch-A-PaLooZa!!

2008-11-06T08:48:00.001-08:00

Now i know that Halloween is over & this post is kinda late, but i could not resist posting these hilarious pictures my sister just sent me of Witches Tea!! Its a tradition that the girls in my family get together, put on our best witch hats and get crazy!

All the Witches!

Queen Witch, and her 3 Princess Witches

My Sisters My Sissy & Me

Below:Baby Sissy

Emma Nelly Aunt Gainelle-Shakin' what her mama gave her! Everybody Konga! Lisa having a good time. Dancin' Witches! Me and My Favorite Cousin Steph
This picture brings the LOL's- this is my cousins wife- and i dont think **she enjoyed this tradition very much** HAHA Classic

We are All in this together!

2008-11-05T12:06:00.000-08:00

After a seemingly never ending campaign, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States of America!!

His acceptance speech was so moving and brought a sense of pride and hope! I am so excited to see how he will improve our country!

It is absolutely terrible that Proposition 8 passed in California.

It breaks my heart.

Love is Love.

Equality is a Right, not a Privilege.

Spooky Runs in the Family

2008-11-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

As you can tell from posts in the past month i love Halloween, but as you will see i come by it honestly. Every year my parents have a very haunted party and invite all the neighbors over. My parents are both very talented and creative people, they definitely know how to throw a party. It's always the talk of the neighborhood.

The top picture is the ghosts in the front yard, it is hard to tell in the pictures how cool they are, but trust me they were pretty awesome. The Second picture is the voodoo lamp over the buffet table. There was so much to see but deni only emailed me these two...oh well :)

My Dad as a Goth/Punk Vampire.My Mom ,TheBlackWidow.

they looked fierce!

My Mom,My Sister Deni as the White Rabbit, & me, Ferosh Robin.

HALLOWEEN!!

2008-11-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

Halloween was such a blast!! Here are some fun pictures of this weekend!

Chris and i were batman and robin. This was the more appropriate version of his costume that he sported to my parents Halloween party :)

This was the version he was wearing for the reast of the Halloween adventures!

This little stinker is legacy. She is the only baby i have ever met that actually makes me baby hungry.

Robin and Dorothy (madison)

This is Dorothy and the wicked witch of the West (that dude was seriously 8 feet tall!!)

TAG

2008-10-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

TAG: post the 4th photo from the 4th folder in 'my pictures' file.

i love this pic of chris,ruby and me. Just relaxin. Look at those cute big puppy paws! I Just Love her!

I am tagging...???Does anyone even read my blog?? Well other then Shellie and Kylie cause i know you two read it :)

this day sucks

2008-10-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

and i just want to go home!

i wish it was the weekend already.

i have been cranky for a whole week now.

maybe it is time for a vacation.

Grrr..........

Random thoughts and birthday surprises

2008-10-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

New discovery of the day= Though "blog stalking" may be one of my favorite things to do while i am bored at work, it kinda depresses me and bums me out. All these people i knew from high school married with kids and houses and scrapbooks and such, wow i feel old :)

it was my birthday on saturday, the big double dos (that is 22 for all of you non spanish speaking folks) and i had an awesome day! My wonderful mom took me to get my manis and pedis! I always have such a great time with her!She is definately one of my favorite people to spend time with! After,Chris and i made one of my favorite lunches :) pancakes,sausage and eggs...yum...

Followed by Nap time!!!!

Then Chris, mady and i went to dinner. I could tell the whole time that those two were up to something...After dinner they told me we were going to one of our regular hang outs to do some karaoke---well we get there and a whole slew of our friends were there with a cake and balloons singing Happy Birthday as i made my grand enterance. It was such a great surprise and it was so nice of everyone to come!! It was an awesome Birthday!! Thank You Chris and Mady for being so amazing and planning such a fun day for me! I love you both so much!!

I Didnt end up with many pictures cause my memory card was full so here are a few :)

Madison and our good friend Patty

What would a surprise party be without those annoying horn things

Madison and Chris singing some Queen

Birthday Kiss and dance with my baby

Tory, Dakota, Alex thanks for coming! Thanks to everyone else who came that i didnt get pictures of.

halloween shenanigans round 2

2008-10-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Well of course this weekend consisted of more pumpkin carving!!

This is Frankie. I carved him.
This is a monster of some sort that Chris carved Cute our pumpkins are totally checking eachother out... pumpkin love
Chris and Drew (his little bro) Obviously it runs in the family to take this VERY seriously. Drew's jack-o-lantern
Drew would not smile for a brotherly love picture so Chris made him.

Not to shabby if you ask me.

Ruby and Mom- She is getting so big!!

TAG!!

2008-10-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch:
1.Family Guy
2.Gossip Girl
3.One Tree Hill
4.Simpsons
5.Anything on TRU network
6.CSI:Miami
7.Anything with New York in it (ie I Love New York, New York does Hollywood)
8.UFC fighting w/Chris

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1.Cafe Rio
2.Chilis
3.Olive Garden
4.Wingers
5.Carls Jr.
6.The Pie
7.Betos
8.The Steak Pit

8 Things that Happened Yesterday:
1.Started a new Psoriasis study
2.Slept in
3.Work
4.Drove all the way to school and found out class was cancelled
5.Watched television
6.Avoided homework
7.Kissed Chris-alot
8.Played with Ruby

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1.My Birthday in 9 days!
2.HALLOWEEN!!
3.The weekend! Yay three day weekend!!
4.The semester to be over
5.Seeing Chris after work
6. Angels and Airwaves
7.CHRISTMAS!
8. Retirement!

8 Things on my wish list:
1.To have a baby just like Legz
2.Marry Chris
3.Make babies with Chris :)
4. have our Own house
5.A New Car
6.Graduate
7.Have a job i can tolerate
8.A new digital camera

8 people i tag:
Well considering i don't think eight people know i even have a blog, i am just going to go with who ever feels so inclined to fill this out can do so.

It Happens To Be My Favorite Time Of Year!

2008-10-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

So Chris and i LOVE FALL!! It is the best time of year!! Our Favorite Part is HALLOWEEN!!

Last week we got some friend together to carve 'punkins'. We went to the store and couldnt decide which pumpkins we wanted so we ended up buying 100 pounds worth of pumpkins!! Which lets be realistic is a little over board, but it made for a very fun evening!

This is Chris focusing very hard on his pirate pumpkin. When it comes to pumpkin carving and/or easter egg dying he takes it very very seriously! he is kinda silly like that.
This is the final product after all of his hard work. He was not completely satisfied with the way it turned out so he has already planned more carving for this weekend...
Andrew carved a double sided pumpkin with a butcher knife. His carving skills were quite impressive. Amy was here to but some how out off all of my pictures i didnt get one of her! Lame! Sorry Amy!!The fat monster face is mine next to chris' pirate. Sorry these pics arent more focused. Alex got frustrated with the carving pattern and decided to play with Ruby instead.

the left over pumpkins that we are going to carve this weekend.

Pleasure to introduce...

2008-09-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

Chris and I adopted a puppy! She is the most amazing well behaved puppy anyone could possibly imagine.We have had her since saturday and still haven't heard her bark.

Her name is RUBY and she is 4 months old. She is going to be the most spoiled dog ever! We love her so much!

Ruby And Her Hot Dog.

Chris and Ruby taking a nap.

.life.

2008-07-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

Life
After a while you learn the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn and you learn
with every goodbye,
you learn...

nothing new to say....i just love these pictures

2008-07-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

Okay so i dont really have anything new to say, no rants and raves or anything i just really love all these pictures and wanted to share :)
This is Chris and me at the Fair last year on some spinning thing...Good times.
Madison and me just being cool...or not so cool, it is really up for debate sometimes...I just love her!
My love and i...

Much More Calm Today....

2008-06-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

So if you read my blog yesterday, you could tell i was a little emotional and heated about a few situations, but have no fear i calmed down. And i am feeling much better today! Even the stars are telling me i am doing better :)

Today's Libra Horoscope: Jun 25, 2008
You will find that your emotions are much more under control today, dear Libra. You are able to strike a happy balance in all situations without having to go to extraordinary extremes that scare others away. Indeed, quite the opposite is true. People will be attracted to you, as you provide a life raft on turbulent waters. Your sensitivity is quite strong, and you are able to sum up the status of any situation within minutes.