The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

My brilliant friend Christi B. takes a moment every Friday on her blog to pay tribute to a few of her favorite things, from candy to cleaning & kitchen supplies to bath and body. I love reading her Friday Fav.'s because I get to learn a little something more about her and I always end up trying one of them out and loving it! Thanks to Christi, I now have a tiny little cookie dough scooper and a shark kitchen vac among other things. I think it's great to share the little tricks of the trade with each other because we all benefit. So starting today, I'm going to share some things that I think are the best things since sliced bread.
Microwave Mug
First on today's list is my newly acquired 20 oz. Corningware Microwave Mug. I just LOVE this thing! It's perfect for those who have to take lunch to work, eat on the run, or just end up heating up lots of left overs but don't like dirtying another dish just to heat up one serving. This mug is the perfect size and has a handy little microwave vent on the lid to heat your food up just right. Walmart: $4
Tide Pen
Next up, the Tide Pen. I know these aren't new news, but I've been a loyal fan for a long time now and people always ask me, "Does that really work?". Let me answer now once and for all, "Yes!" As long as you use it shortly after the spill happens, it works like a charm. It has rescued me from the following stains:

V8
Ketchup
BBQ Sauce
Juice
Chocolate
Melted Ice Cream
Marinara Sauce

...and many, many more! I keep one in my purse, but I really should keep one in both glove compartments of the cars, and Velcrowed under the lip of our dining room table. I don't have kids yet, but I imagine it will come in twice as handy when I do.

Walmart: $4
Creative Zen & Y-Cable
It's no secret that I love music, and I listen to quite a bit of it. I did a massive consumer reports search to find a replacement for our old iPod mini mp3 player which has served us well for many years, and decided upon the Creative Zen V Plus 8GB mp3 player. It's tiny, has a brilliant colorful display, stores any type of file (data, music, picture, video), is easy to use, includes built in AM/FM radio (unlike iPod) and also saves me from the headache of Apple's constricting software limitations. If you're looking for an mp3 player outside of the Apple family, this little guy is a gem, and a lot cheaper! The only thing that Apple still has on it, is the amount of accessories that are available.
But my favorite and most used accessory is still the simple little Y-cable that I bought years ago to plug my mp3 player into my home theater system when I'm cleaning the house or cooking or just want to hear some tunes on the big speakers. It works for any device with a headphone jack and only costs a few bucks!

HDMI
As long as we're in nerd land, another thing I bought that I love is the HDMI cable that connects our laptop to our 42" plasma screen TV. There's nothing quite like sitting on your couch and checking your email in 42" of high definition! The reason I got it is so that we could watch shows from ABC.com on our TV. VERY nice! And the cable is pretty cheap. If you've got an HDTV and a decent lap top, it's a fun accessory to have. I also recently used it to plug my laptop into the ward projector for our mutual game of Gospel Feud.

Dryer Balls
Back to practicality, the next item is something I acquired in NC upon recommendation from a good friend. They are the As Seen On TV Dryer Balls! Want big fluffy towels and soft clothes without the residue left by drier sheets? Just pop these guys into the drier with a wet load and enjoy the result! They don't make your clothes static, they last forever, they significantly cut drying time and are hypoallergenic! What more do you need?

Bed, Bath & Beyond: $10
Dr. Scholl's Gel Insoles
I spend a lot of time on my feet at work standing at the wet bench in the lab, and after a while, those dogs can really get to barking! So I scored these gems at Target several months ago and put them in my sneakers. My feet haven't complained since! Thanks Dr. S! Are you gelin'?

Target: $13

Reynolds Slow Cooker Bags
Maybe I'm just lazy, but I love my slow cooker, and I love not having to clean it when I'm done using it. These slow cooker bags make clean up a snap! I haven't used my slow cooker without them in years. Worth every penny in my opinion!

Any store: $2.49

So there is my first installment. Ok, your turn. What little things do you adore or can't do without? Is this where I have to say tag, you're it?

Portal to Paradise

Beautiful isn't it? While looking at this picture, you're probably hypothesizing right now that I'm going to write about the wonderful camping trip Layne and I took over memorial day weekend.

I'll probably write about how we just needed to"escape" and enjoy nature a little. I'll mention the hike we went on and how we canoed down this beautiful and peaceful river, during the sunset or fell asleep looking at a giant clear sky full of stars...


Man, that sounds great...if it were true. Layne and I stayed home for memorial day weekend, and in fact didn't go anywhere, or do anything out of the ordinary. So where, you may ask, are the pictures from? Answer: Our back yard. You'd never know that from looking at these pictures, but its true.


Well, to be fair, it's more like our side yard actually. When we bought this house, we couldn't have been more thrilled with the location, but I had no idea then what lay just beyond the fence across the street. In fact, I didn't know about it at all until my mom discovered it during her visit in April. In the cul-de-sac across the street, someone took out a section of the fence that surrounds our neighborhood and it has turned out to be our little portal to paradise!

A stone's throw through that fence is the Jordan/Provo River and miles of jogging, equestrian, hiking and biking trails, picnic & fishing spots and bird watching lookouts along it's banks. There is so much wide open space that you can be as alone as you want out there. Now that the weather is so gorgeous, I have taken to jogging, or walking the smaller trails that run by the river in the evenings. I really like dusk. I think it's my favorite time of the day (even more than lunch time). Out on the river, the sunset is so pretty, the fish are jumping, the frogs start croaking and the birds really let loose. And that SMELL!! It's DIVINE! Last evening was particularly clear and crisp, so I took my camera. Kim and I busted out our roller blades and did the Murray Parkway Trail on Monday and had a blast. Generally I prefer to go off the beaten path (even though I almost stepped on a snake in the process the other day). I think the real gems of this place are unpaved.

I also love to be by the river. I love running water. I think I got that from my dad who used to sit in a lawn chair in the backyard while watering our little garden, and watch the water inch it's way down the carefully dug rows. I think there is just something soothing about the sound and appearance of running water.

It's great to be able to pretend for an hour or so a day that I really don't live in a townhouse in a Salt Lake City suburb and work in a lab underground with no windows. I've had some complaints about "our lovely deseret" since we moved here, but the landscape and the mountains certainly aren't one of them! I think this is a beautiful state and will never complain about the scenery.
Ok so I know this little video clip is totally Blair Witch Project-esque and it might make you sick to watch, but I pushed the little record button on my camera while I was walking my little trail and thought I'd put it on here. You can hear the birds and the frogs and the running water...and my heavy breathing. Sorry, I had been running. Anyway, you're welcome to take an evening stroll with me. Here's looking at you nature!

Sleep on it

I want to congratulate my amazing husband on the job offer that he received this week and accepted today! We've kept it pretty quite that he was on the hunt because nothing was decided and he didn't want to jeopardize his current job, but today he made it official and will be starting his new job around the 9th of June. Layne will be a material planner for Select Comfort (makers of the sleep number bed) at their Salt Lake facility which serves the all of the Western U.S. There were numerous candidates for this job, which were whittled down to 5 by round 3 of interviews, but it came as no surprise to me that Layne was the best! I have to say this because Layne is too humble to be caught ascending mount ego with flag in hand. After getting the offer, he decided to sleep on it for a few nights (no pun intended of course) and today he decided to accept. It's a great offer and definitely an upgrade for him and us in many ways. He's also excited that he can now get his MBA since it will be on the company's dime. Way to go babe! I'm so proud of all the hard work you have put in to be in a position to get such a great job! Best of luck in your new career, and thanks for being such a wonderful provider for us! Oh and did I mention that we will get a SERIOUS discount on a sleep number bed!? Woo hoo!

So Layne and I watched a little bit of that show So You Think You Can Dance last night and happened to see this guy. I guess what he does is called "popping". I've never seen anything quite like this before and I must admit I was impressed! My favorite is the part where he does orangutan walk thingy.



At the conclusion of this season for the Salt Lake Choral artists, I got a recording of our recent performance of Elijah. It's a long oratorio, but I took out some short clips (mostly a minute or less) from some of my favorite choruses to post for my own record and for those who requested it. I've also included the scriptural text from the program for reference. I cut out the solos (even though they were fabulous), and while it's not the perfect recording, it gives a pretty good representation. Of course, its ALWAYS better (and louder) in person! Just click on the word 'Chorus' if you want to hear any of the clips. If you're a connoisseur, you can tell just how influenced by Bach this work is with all it's counterpoint and fugue.

Elijah - Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, 1846
Salt Lake Choral Artists, Libby Gardner Concert Hall,
May 10, 2008

Chorus: The People (Exodus 20:5-6)

Yet doth the Lord see it not: He mocketh
at us; His curse hath fallen down upon us;
His wrath will pursue us, 'til He destroy us!


Chorus: Priests of Baal (1 Kings 18:26)

Baal, answer us: O hear us and answer us!
Turn, O Baal, behold our offering.
Hear us Baal; hear, mighty god!

Chorus: Elijah & Priests of Baal

Hear our cry, OBaal! Now arise!
Wherefore slumber?

Chorus: Priests of Baal (1 Kings 18:30)

Baal, give an answer! Mark how the scorner
derideth us! Give an answer!

Chorus: The People (1 Kings 18: 38-39)

The fire falls from heaven!
The flames consume the Lord's offering!
Bow down; upon your faces fall!
The Lord is God.

Chorus 1 : The People (Psalm 106:1)
Chorus 2: The People (Psalm 93:3-4)

Thanks be to God for all His mercies!
Thanks be to God, He reviveth the
thirsty land! The waters gather; they
rush along! They are lifting their voices.
The stormy billows are high; their fury
is mighty. But the Lord is above them,
and almighty!

Chorus: The People (Jeremiah 26:11)

Woe to him! Take and slay him. He called
down a famine upon us! And why doth he
mock us in the name of the Lord? Death unto
the guilty prophet! He hath spoken falsely
against our land, as we with our own ears have
heard. So go ye forth; seize on him! He shall die!

Chorus: Trio of Angels (Psalms 121:1-3)

Lift thine eyes to the mountains from whence
thy help cometh. Thy help cometh from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth. He hath said:
"Thy foot shall not be moved; thy Keeper will
never slumber."

Chorus: The People (Psalms 121:4, 138:7)

He, watching over Israel, slumbers not, nor sleeps.
Shouldst thou walking in grief, languish, He will
quicken thee.

Chorus: (1 Kings 19:11-12)

Behold, God the Lord passed by! And a mighty
wind rent the mountains around, brake in pieces
the rocks, brake them before the Lord. But yet
the Lord was not in the tempest. Behold, God the
Lord passed by! And the ocean trembled, and the
earth was shaken. But yet the Lord was not in
the earthquake. And after the earthquake there
came a fire. But yet the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire their came a still
small voice. And in that still voice, onward
came the Lord.

Chorus: Angels (Isaiah 6:3)

Holy, holy, holy is God the Lord, the Lord God
of Sabaoth! Earth is full of the glory of the Lord!

Chorus: (Ecclesiasticus 48:1, 6-7)

Thus did Elijah the prophet break forth like a fire,
his words like brimstone and blazing torches.
Mighty kings by him were overthrown. He stood on
the mount at Sinai, and heard the Lord's denunciation,
and on Horeb, His vengeance.
(2 Kings 2:1,11)
And when the Lord would take him away to heaven, lo!
Their came a firey chariot with firey horses, and he
went by a whirlwind to heaven.

Chorus: (Isaiah 11:2, 41:25; 42:1)

For the Lord God hath raised up one to Him, who
shall call upon His name from the rising up of
the sun, and prophesy, and tread upon princes.
Behold His servant, whom He upholds, and His elect,
in whom His soul delights! The spirit of God shall
rest upon him.

Chorus: (Psalms 8:1)

Lord, our Creator, how excellent Thy name is in
all the nations! Thou fillest heaven with Thy glory!
Amen!

A Tale of Two Cities

Journal Entry Post

It was a whirlwind trip home for my aunt's funeral this weekend! Unfortunately, because of work commitments, Layne had to stay behind and hold down the fort here in Murray, and did a mighty fine job of it too! Some of the things he did while I was away: all the laundry, washed both cars, did the grocery shopping AND SPRING CLEANING! Yes, my very own Mr. Clean scrubbed baseboards, moved furniture and cleaned behind it, vacuumed the whole house, scrubbed bathrooms to a high shine, washed rugs and towels, dusted blinds, AND broke out the wood polish and hand polished every ounce of wood in the whole house! There is nothing like coming home to a house that is cleaner than when you left it, with a fridge and cabinets full of food, dishes done and all the laundry clean, folded and put away. He won some serious points this weekend! I'm beginning to believe that Genesis 2:18 doesn't apply to my husband. What does he need me for? I should leave him alone more often! :)

Meanwhile in Gilbert AZ...

Kim and I flew in Thursday night. Friday we attempted to lay out and get something of a tan, but just ended up getting a nice burn on my back. The viewing was Friday evening at the Lindsay ward building. It was nice to see a lot of people I hadn't seen in a long time. After the viewing we went out to eat, then played games for the rest of the evening. Friday night I tried those foot pads that you've seen adds for on TV that are supposed to remove metals and toxins from your body while you sleep. My mom had some that my cousin had given her to try and I couldn't resist. So here is the before and after. WARNING: IT'S GROSS!


Disgusting I know, but also amazing! I guess the pores on the bottoms of our feet are bigger than anywhere else on the body and the mix of stuff in the little pads somehow draws all this junk out through the feet! Gross AND cool! I'm going to have to do some more investigating about these things. Anyone else tried them? *For the record, my feet were completely clean before I put these on. That stuff isn't dirt!







Saturday morning was the funeral. It was a WONDERFUL meeting. The boys gave Anne's life sketch and did a fabulous job. What a difficult thing to have to do. I was extremely impressed by them all. The spirit was definitely in attendance. After the service we proceeded to the graveside where it was dedicated and we were able to visit the neighboring graves of grandpa Flaherty and cousin Charlee. I won't lie people, it was HOT!! Someone from their ward (a GENIUS) thought to bring 2 gigantic coolers full of ice cold bottled water for everyone. It saved us all from heat stroke.
The luncheon that the RS sisters from the ward put on was phenomenal! They all donned their aprons that they brought from home and served up a feast! It's as if putting on an apron turns an average woman into a culinary superhero!
After some quick naps, we helped John move and spent the evening playing nertz again. Sunday after church and after dinner, we went to the Stake President's Honors Awards/Seminary Graduation. Dane was getting his first stake president's seminary award. Way to carry on the tradition of seminary excellence boy!
Afterward we followed President Peterson back to his new house for a visit with 2 of my favorite people and most gracious hosts in the whole world! It was wonderful as always (though you wouldn't think so by the look on P squared's face in this picture). Our visit was followed by yet more nertz.
Monday I got to visit my childhood best friend Mistie Rogers Stanford and her adorable kids! She's moving to PA this August so I'm glad we got to see each other before she goes. Who knows how long it will be before I get to see her again. Thank goodness for blogs!

Monday evening, we had an FHE just like old times. We sang a bunch of Hymns. It's a lot more fun now that we have a true Bass (Dane) and can cover all the parts. We also read from the BOM together. FHE activity - more nertz.
Tuesday Kim and I packed up our stuff and I got to go out with my cousin Sandi for our traditional trip to Mesa Fro Yo before Kim and I left for the airport. On our way we stopped by McCarthy to visit/disturb John at work.

Thanks to a huge storm, our flight home was the worst flying experience I've ever had!! The turbulence was OUT OF CONTROL!! The descent into Salt Lake was a hair raising experience. The plane was getting tossed around like mad and the wings were flapping so hard it looked like they were made of paper. The plane dropped so hard so many times it felt like our stomachs were being thrust into our sinus cavities. During final approach to the runway, they put the wheels down and lowered the flaps and as we were coming in, the plane was shaking and being tossed so violently that at the last moment, the pilot raised the flaps and leaned on the throttle, taking the plane back up. He came on the PA saying that the 60 mph winds were making it too dangerous to land and that we needed to circle and wait. So we explored Northern Utah for a while (still getting tossed around like mad) and finally the pilot girded his loins and decided just to go for it. It was no better than the first time. People started crossing themselves and groaning. As the wheels came down, Kim and I shared our last wishes with each other while clutching our barf bags and arm rests and decided that if we survived the inevitable plane crash that we wanted to be known as "The Southwest Sisters" (a nod to Lost and "The Oceanic 6"). Miraculously the plane landed and stayed on the ground. Kim and I disembarked looking overly green and staggered out of the terminal about as gracefully as a pair of Hippos on roller skates. Needless to say I don't care to repeat that experience any time soon! I suppose the good thing about this storm is a return to cooler temps in the 50's and 60's around here which is much needed relief from the record breaking 113 degrees in AZ this weekend. I DON'T miss that one bit!

Check 'em Out

Last night, my brave aunt Anne McDowell finally lost her long and well fought battle against breast cancer. She was so young, it's just so sad, but it makes me happy to know that she's no longer confined to a broken body. My heart goes out to her husband, her 5 sons, her grandchildren, her mother and her siblings who are left behind. She was always a wonderful example of optimism and finding the joy in life. She was always tough and a gamer (you'd have to be as the mother of 5 boys) and a model of faith and steadfastness. I never heard her complain about her health (or anything else for that matter) and she has always been a wonderful friend and support to me. This picture was taken a week ago as she attended her youngest son's high school volleyball state tournament. A wonderful mother all the way to the end! Kim and I will be boarding a plane this evening to attend the viewing tomorrow and the funeral on Saturday, and will stay in AZ until Tuesday evening. Please lend your prayers to the McDowell and Bob & Lee Flaherty family.

That being said, I need to do a better job of getting myself checked on a regular basis and I would encourage all my friends and family to do the same, even if you don't have a family history of cancer. Perhaps its because I work right next to the Huntsman Cancer Institute that I am constantly reminded, or because its in my family. It's never too early to get checked, but it is possible to be too late. Numerous studies have shown that if breast cancer is detected early and has not spread to other organs, the survival rate is 94%. If it has only spread to nearby organs, the survival rate is 73%. Once cancer has spread beyond nearby organs, the survival rate is 18% As early cancer usually goes undetected, the best way to catch it is to have a professional screening at least every 3 years under the age of 40, (annually after 40) and perform self exams monthly. Ok, there is my plug. I know it's unpleasant to do, but I've never met a woman who regretting getting checked!

Weekend Warriors

*Journal Entry Post*

While not completely the busiest weekend on record, this one certainly came close! For me it started Friday afternoon with a job interview for a 2nd job. More will be forth coming about that soon. I haven't made a final decision about it yet. Friday in Murray has now also come to be known as "David Day". For those of you who somehow may not have been aware, Friday marked the triumphant return of our native son, David Archuleta to his home town. This picture is of the plane flying above Murray High trailing a 'Good Luck David Archuleta' sign prior to his arrival. There were helicopters and news crews all over the place. Layne had to leave work early to avoid the mob of people trying to make their way to the high school to see David perform 3 songs. It was an absolute ZOO! After grabbing a quick bite to eat and getting our house ready for weekend guests, I ran off to Elijah dress rehearsal from 7 to10. While I was gone, Kim picked up John and his friend James from the airport.

Saturday morning, I had early baptisms for the dead with the youth (all 4 of them) and John and James drove down to Timpanogos for the wedding of Ben & Crystal Shultz. Congratulations you guys! When I got back from the temple, we were graced with a surprise visit from our good North Carolina friend Chris Hardy who was in town on business. After getting a few things done around the house, I had to don my ugly beaded dress and go to the concert hall for 6pm call. All in all Elijah went great! It was probably the largest scale choral and orchestral production I've ever participated in.


I think only the Brahms Requiem and Handle's Messiah come close. We even had a handful of MoTab & orchestra at temple square members join us just because they wanted to. I couldn't pick them all out, but I did see the guys that always sing the trio at the beginning of The Spirit of God. Layne said he thought it was one of the best concerts I've been in. Can I just take a moment to say how grateful I am for a husband who has always been my number one fan? I told him after the concert that if he had known years ago that marrying me would mean sitting through 2+ hour Oratorios on Saturday nights he may have run screaming. But by his own admission, he has not only come to enjoy such concerts and attending the symphony with me, but he can also now speak quite intelligently about music and composers and always gives me quality feedback after a performance. He's turned into quite a cultured guy! Thanks for supporting me babe!

The only thing I can complain about (besides a few minor flubs) was the hand full of concert goers with no etiquette whatsoever. We sold out the show which is always a good thing, but the down side to that is getting everyone into their seats on time. There was a gaggle of folks who arrived late and were still trying to find seats 15 minutes after the performance began. It got so obnoxious that finally Dr. Allred cut off the orchestra and stood there waiting for everyone to find seats.


During the second half, after a tenor recitative leading into Trio of Angels, a cell phone belonging to a guy in the front of the hall started ringing LOUDLY. Well, either he was too embarrassed to claim it as being his, or he couldn't figure out how to turn it off because it rang at least 5 or 6 times. Again, Dr. Allred cut off the choir and orchestra and turned to GLARE at the guy and wait until the ringing ceased. If looks could kill, that guy wouldn't have stood a chance! It was one of the most uncomfortable 2 minutes ever! He restarted the tenor solo and we moved on from there. We only had one chance to get a good recording and Dr. Allred was pretty peeved that rude people who showed up late and didn't turn off their cell phones had to ruin it. Other than that however, he seems thrilled with the evening. The audience gave a 15 minute standing ovation at the end. The soloists were phenomenal. It was a very rewarding (and exhausting) musical experience, but it'll be nice to have a little break from rehearsals over the summer.
Layne and I got home around 10:45 and we played a round of Hearts with John and watched Hunt for Red October (one of the best movies ever).

Sunday was a beautiful day and we enjoyed going to church together. Layne volunteered to sit with a primary class so all the women could attend RS. He had his hands full and has a new found respect for the women who have to teach that class every week. The YM took over YW's for us so I got to attend RS as well. After church we got another surprise visit from more North Carolina friends Bryan and Rachel Garner and their cute cute kids. I posted a picture of their baby Andrew (Mr. October) last time they visited. He's so big now!

It reminds me just how fast the time is passing. After dinner, we called and sang to mom for Mother's Day and played Nertz until John and James had to go to the airport. After we dropped them off, we cleaned the house and Kim finished packing up her stuff for her final move down to the Y this morning. My sister has either lived with us or been 5 minutes away from us for the past year since she helped us move from North Carolina, and I have loved every minute of it! While I'm super excited for her to be starting school at BYU and all the fun and new adventures that will bring, I am sad today at the thought of her not being around when I come home from work today, and how much more empty and quiet our house will be without her. Best of luck at BYU Kim! Layne and I will both miss you a lot!

Kill 2 Tags with 1 Stone

So I've been tagged a couple times but haven't done either of them yet so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and do them both in one post. First things first, the "Purse Barf" tag. I suppose you're just supposed to dump out your purse without cleaning it out first and list everything that's in it. So here's my bag that goes EVERYWHERE with me. I'm definitely a one-hand bag-woman. I'd be too scatter if bags were accessories for me. So here's the show and tell part.
I usually have more gum wrappers and receipts in my bag, but not today! Here's what we have:



1 set of personal keys (home, cars, mail box, Albertsons card)

1 cute Roxy wallet (great Christmas gift from my sister!)

1 mini brush (if your hair is as stringy as mine, and you have to wear hoods and hair nets at work, this is a must have!!)

1 pair of finger nail clippers. When you don't have them is when you really need them! I can't have a hang nail and wear nitrile gloves at work.

1 mini bottle of lotion. I practically have to BATHE in lotion during certain times of the year and ABHOR dry skin, so I always have to have it with me.

1 mini bottle of Purel hand sanitizer - A MUST HAVE

1 tube of Cover Girl Lipslicks lip gloss.

1 green pill box. Mostly what I carry this around for is the Ibuprofen that I keep stocked in it. You never know when you're going to need one and never want to be without. I also keep some vitamins, Sudafed and airborne in here just in case.

1 tube Burt's Bees chapstick. I am a chap stick FIEND. Whenever I'm asked which 3 things I'd take with me to a desert island, chap stick is my number 1 every time! I have been switching off between Burt's Bees and soft lips.

1 pack Tropical Twist Trident Sugar Free Gum. I always have Trident in my bag, though I switch between flavors regularly. Trident's fruity line of gum is just the best gum ever PERIOD! People always love the smell and I get compliments all the time. I'm paranoid of having bad breath.

1 Cell phone. I love T-Mobile, and I love my Samsung t619 phone. Music, movies, pictures, the works! Many a great picture wouldn't have been taken if I didn't have a camera phone.

1 Compact mirror. Gotta have it to check whether I've got cloudy skies or bats in the cave (food in my teeth, unwelcome guests in my nose) from time to time. There is not make up in it, I just keep it for the mirror.

1 Day planner. Despite what some may think, I really am an organized person, and enjoy having all my ducks in a row. With everything I have to juggle it's a MUST! The main reason I have it is for the calendar and to do lists. I've had the same little day planner long enough that at this moment I can flip back and tell you what I was doing on this day in May of 2006 (getting ready for youth conference)!

1 set of work keys (2 U of U building keys & 2 keys for rooms in those buildings, USB flash drive, hair tie)

1 Tide Pen. I'm a little prone to accidents, I won't lie. And I tend to spill things when I eat. Yes, I'm about as graceful as a Hippo on roller skates! But I SWEAR by these things! Tide pens have saved me from many an embarrassing moment and many a permanent stain!

1 Ralph's Automotive Pen - one can never have too many pens in one's purse.

1 Creative Zen V Plus 8GB MP3 player- I don't usually carry this in my purse, but it was in there today so there you go. I always have it in my work bag though! It's definitely a favorite possession (and for those of you looking for iPod alternative devices, I HIGHLY recommend it!)

Last but not least, 1 rock hard red Starburst fruit chew. Of course, if you tried to chew this one, you'd lose all your teeth! This is special to me because it's from my grandpa Flaherty's funeral a few years ago. Starbursts were his favorite candy and were given out at the funeral. I didn't intend to keep it in my purse for so long, but I like having it in there now because it reminds me of him, and how I need to enjoy the little things in life like he did.

So thats it! Is that supposed to reveal the deep mysteries of my psyche? Any interpretations?

Ok, now for the 2nd tag, this is the 'reflection tag'

20 years ago:

1. i was almost 6 and probably about to enter Mrs. Littlefield's 1st grade class (pictured above, can you find me?)

2. it's a miracle I was willing to go at all after having survived an abusive kindergarten teacher!

3. i was blonde, getting perms in those days, playing t-ball and loosing teeth (as you can see).

10 years ago:

1. i was about to become a junior at Highland High.

2. i was a month away from turning16, getting my license and starting to date, WOO HOO!

3. i was asked on my first date by Travis Hinton :)
5 years ago:

1. i was living at San Angelo for the last time.

2. i was a twin RS president in Mission Bay ward with Christi B!

3. i had just been proposed to by my handsome hunk and was busy planning my upcoming wedding!
3 years ago:

1. i had just survived my first year living in North Carolina, and Layne and I bought our first house!

2. i was working at Riverside Veterinary Hospital

3. i was preparing to attend East Carolina University in a couple months
1 year ago:

1. almost EXACTLY a year ago today I was walking across the stage in Wright auditorium at ECU receiving my Bachelor's degree! Vacationing with my family, and recording a CD with the ECU Chamber Singers.

2. a year ago next weekend, Layne and I sold our house, said goodbye to our friends, packed up our stuff and drove across the country to Salt Lake City!

3. i started my new job!

so far this year:

1. i auditioned for the Salt Lake Choral Artists and will be completing my first season with the performance tomorrow.

2. i got called to the YW presidency in my ward.

3. i have gotten 2 raises at work.

yesterday:

1. i went on a date with my husband to Central do Brasil

2. i bought a gift for my wonderful mother for mother's day

3. i watched a funny episode of The Office

today:

1. i have a job interview for a 2nd job (wish me luck!)

2. i have Elijah dress rehearsal from 7pm till 10pm tonight.

3. my brother is flying in to stay with us this weekend, YAY!

in the next year:

1. we are going to pay off all our debt!

2. we'll be planning a SERIOUS vacation abroad!

3. kids??? :)

I tag YOU!!

Back in Black

Last night was our ward YW Standards Night on Choice and Accountability. We had a guest speaker named Katie come talk to the girls about choice. She was an army nurse in Saudi Arabia during the first gulf war and had some amazing stories to tell. As part of her object lesson, she brought some real Saudi women's wear and dressed up our laurels to demonstrate how the women there don't have the freedom to make choices about what they wear and numerous other things like education, profession, marriage etc. If a stitch of skin or a strand of hair is showing in public, they get beaten with a stick by the dress code police. She also dressed a member of the stake YW presidency up as a man would be dressed. Which do you think would be more comfortable to wear in 120 degree weather!? She told us about how a woman's ID card doesn't have her picture on it, it has the picture of her husband (from an arranged marriage of course). So if she's ever seen in public with someone other than the man on her ID card, she's toast. There are also only 2 professions women there can have, 1) teacher (of girls only) and 2) physician (to women only). While that seems respectable enough on the outside, in Saudi Arabia, they believe that there is nothing more vile or disgusting than to touch another person's skin or body, especially of the opposite sex, so it's really not as glamorous as it seems. Women who choose to be physicians there give up the possibility of getting married because no man would ever want to be with a woman who has to touch other people for a living. I can't even imagine, but it sure made me grateful to live where I do, and to have the opportunity to make choices about my life! It's easy to forget how blessed we are.

Speaking of blessings, thank goodness Jason Castro finally got kicked A.I.! What a joke. And speaking of A.I., anyone who watches knows that little David is going to be paying a visit to Murray this week. He's going to be putting on a free concert at Murray high just down the street. All my YW are SOOOO excited because the students at Murray high are going to be released from school early to occupy one section of bleachers in the football stadium. They're estimating 30,000 people for this concert! It's going to be a zoo. He's also singing the national anthem at a sold out Jazz game while in town. Our little local Mo'celebrity returns a global star! I never would have thought Murray, UT would be on the map for anything this big. I wonder if this will help the resale value of our house. :)

Spring Time, Tuesdays and Kids

I think I'm finally ready to declare the start of spring here, even though it's currently in the low 60's and pouring rain outside. The point I think is that it's raining and not snowing. By now the low 60's feels like summer weather so I'm pleased. One of the things that clinched it for me was the sight of these little guys with their mother (who was hissing at me) when I was getting the mail yesterday. It's that time of year!

I finished another book yesterday called Tuesdays With Morrie. Its the true story of a Sociology professor from Massachusetts named Morrie Schwartz who was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, written by one of his old students and close friends Mitch Albom. You can watch a series of his interviews before he died with Ted Koppel on you tube. Anyway, I had heard good things about it, and it certainly wasn't a bad book. It was a short read, sentimental, and laden with good solid life advice and aphorisms. That being said, I had a hard time getting into it. I didn't finish it feeling particularly inspired to change my life and make every day count, but maybe its because I had already heard most of his aphorisms before. Anyway, it's a nice little non-fiction about love, life, and making it count while you still can.

After reading a book about death and dying, I enjoyed looking at these pictures that my sister sent me in an email titled "Kids". Very cute!

I think this one defines what "crocodile tears" are. Such a look of betrayal!

I suppose if you're afraid of getting athlete's foot...

Just plain CUTE!

I think this one is my fav! I love how all the other kids are laughing except the next one in line!

Don't you just want to stick your finger in that mouth?

I'M scared of those things!!

The only thing that would be cuter is the baby riding the mini pony

Love it! From the look on her face I would guess she's listening to either Brahms or Gloria Estefan.

I guess some are born with a fear of dogs.