Krishelle Kate Bell

This is my new neice Krishelle Kate Bell! She was born on November 17. She is sooo cute!! Her sisters and brother can't keep their hands off of her. They are always asking if they can "pet" baby Kate.

An Opportunity to Help Around the Holidays...

I got this forward from my mom and wanted to help spread the word...

From my Mom:
"Hey, everyone - if you can send this message on to all your friends and family ... it will help get the word out. Please post it on Facebook or your Blogs - I would really appreciate it. There is a great need and we love this family. xo Cathie"

From some Close Friends:
"Hey Everyone, As you know, our family has had a long battle with breast cancer. Thankfully, we are doing well, but financially it's taken its toll. Thanks to my sisters in law, we received an offer we couldn't refuse."

"On December 11th at 7:00pm we're having a Christmas benefit concert with performer, John Canaan http://www.johncanaan.com/ at Bingham High School in south Jordan. He has been kind enough to donate his time and talent. He is AMAZING personally & professionally!! Proceeds will go to paying off our medical bills and 10% will go to The Susan G. Komen Foundation. We'd love to have you attend!"

"You can buy tickets on-line at http://aseasonforhope.blogspot.com/ We appreciate your support more than you'll ever know. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone else who may be interested."

Check out the link to the blog above for more information about their situation. Tickets are just $10. Please come if you can!

Help! I'm a hoarder!

Several months ago Eli and I were over at my parents and my mom asked us if we would like to watch an episode of Oprah that she had recorded on her DVR. I normally HATE Oprah but the epoisode she had recorded sounded very interesting. It was all about this lady and her husband who had a hoarding problem. I had never realized this was a problem for some people until I saw this show. They owned a 3000 square foot house and every room was completely packed with junk. In every room there was stuff piled to the ceiling and a narrow walkway so you could walk from one end of the room to the other. The bedroom was covered floor to ceiling with clothes. Even the bed was covered in clothes. Only one person could sleep in it while the other slept on a pile of clothing on the floor. It took a group of 100 people 8 weeks to dejunk their house! They ended with 75 tons of garbage that needed to be hauled away.

They also filled a 10,000 square foot wharehouse with stuff and had a garage sale.

One part that really stood out to me was the 3000 pairs of shoes they were selling right next to 3000 purses (no eli...I don't have anywhere near 3000 purses (just 115) or pairs of shoes!)

I of course became convinced that I am a hoarder! My house looks nothing like the one I saw on Oprah...not even close, in fact I am pretty organized. But...I definitely hold on to things for much longer than I should. I have been so worried about becoming a hoarder that I have been dejunking things non stop for about a year. This last week I was working on my closet for the 10th time. I have to keep going back through it because I have a really hard time getting rid of things. While going through it this time I realized how stupid it is to keep things you don't use, wear or need. I found myself saying "I can't get rid of this...it's the shirt I was wearing when that guy winked at me at the mall." or "I can't get rid of these shoes. They were $100. Even if I never wear them cause they hurt my feet." or "I can't get rid of this Dolce and Gabana knockoff even if it is falling apart...I bought it in China for $7." It's so rediculous! Why do I feel the need to keep things that I have no use for?? I did however get rid of 9 pairs of shoes (the rest are on probation and auditioning for a place in my closet)!

In the end I did do a great job in my closet and got rid of A LOT of clothes! My closet looks so nice now, I just can't believe the difference. But I am sure I will be going through it again soon...to get rid of the things I just couldn't part with this time! So, if any of you are available, I need help!!! It's a lot easier if you have a buddy telling you to chuck something!

P.S. I went to the Oprah website the other day and took the "Are you a hoarder" quiz and my results state that I am very far from one! Thank heavens!!

Stalking

I know I just posted really recently so hopefully you have had a chance to look at my last post. ;) I came across a new gadget you can add to your blog. You will see it at the left side of my blog. It's a list of all my stalkers...or people who follow my blog. I thought it was fun cause I always like to know who's reading. So...if you would like to be known as a stalker, just click where it says follow this blog and sure enough your picture will pop up under that heading!

Don't worry...for those of you who like to follow my sad pathetic life, I am working on another post as you read this!

I Need A Break!!

I have been feeling like I need a vacation, and I learned how to do a slideshow (thanks Amanda), so I posted a slideshow below from Costa Rica since I never posted these pics. Hope you like it!

The End of An Era...

" Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown."

Today has been a sad and interesting day. I have worked for the same company for almost 10 years. It has been a great company where I have learned a lot and met a lot of GREAT people. It has been a company I believe in and have been proud to work for. It has been a great experience and a wonderful 10 years that has definitely prepared me for the next chapter in my life. I have put a lot of hard work into this company and done my best to be successful. It hasn't been just a job, but a career. I have learned a lot about the economy, stock, coaching for results, selling products and services, creating strategies that lead to success, leading staff for results, working as a team to achieve a goal, and much more.

As the nation has been going through these tough times, my company has been affected greatly. So much so that it was announced tonight that we have been sold to another large company. While this news does make me very sad, because this company I have loved and worked so hard for will be changing, I am confident that all options were weighed before making this decision. I believe that what has been decided will be the best for our employees, our customers and our company. We will be a bigger and stronger company and work together to be very successful. One big thing I have learned that will help me now is to anticipate change and work through it because "Change is the only constant."

Though I may be sad at the end of this era, I am optimistic and excited to see where this road takes me.

I've Been Tagged!

3 Joys:

Visiting far away places.
Spending time with friends and family.
Sewing.

3 Fears:

SNAKES!!! (even though I am fascinated with them! It's like a train wreck!)
Losing my passport!
Waking up late for work...I check my alarm clock about 70 times before I go to bed!

3 Goals:

Save money
Get my craft room cleaned out and set up.
Diet!

3 Current Obsessions:

Facebook...I'm pathetic.
One Tree Hill...even more pathetic.
iTunes...finding and downloading new music.

3 Random or surprising facts:

I have blue streak extensions in my hair right now and I LOVE them!!
I have over 100 purses in my closet...I guess you could say that's another obsession of mine.
I have a collection of Russian Nesting Dolls...my mom and I got hooked on them and bought a whole bunch on Ebay...strange I know but they are really cute!!

OK...I tag Melinda, Krisanda, and Patience! Have fun girls!

To The Guy In The Truck...

Let me start out by saying that something is seriously wrong with me...something that would probably take years of therapy to fix!




So here's the story...


Last Saturday I was driving (in my fancy new Lexus) from work to my parents house. I was on Bangerter going south. When I hit about 6200 S I noticed a truck behind me that was following rather closely. As soon as I noticed him, he pulled into the lane next to me and slowed down to drive the exact same speed as me. I realized he was staring right at me! When I turned my head to look, he waved winked and smiled. Now this wasn't your typical creepy, balding, toothless, child predator type guy that would normally flirt with someone while driving down the highway, this was a very good looking, tan, guy that any single girl would love to date. As soon as he winked I completely panicked. I flipped my blinker on, got into the turn lane as quickly as possible and took a left turn onto a road that put me total off route, as he sailed ahead through the next light (probably thinking what a snob I am).


The instant I made the left turn I realized something was seriously wrong with me and contemplated making a U turn (which would have been impossible) getting back on Bangerter and hunting down that truck again. There was no use, my future husband was long gone...I was certain I had ruined my life forever and let my future speed on past me. Then I remembered I had a cold sore and my face was peeling horribly and decided it was probably better he didn't see me up close!


So, to the guy in the truck...


I am extremely sorry I acted like such a snob. I know it seems ridiculous that I couldn't even wave back but I am shy, I completely panicked and acted on the first thought that came into my head. I don't think you are a creep or a psycho. I realize that something is seriously wrong with me, so please (after I attend years of therapy) give me another chance!!

I am completely pathetic and doomed to be single for the rest of my life!!


***Disclaimer for my parents who will probably read this...I completely understand that single girls must be very careful to not get into situations that may be dangerous or scary...which is probably part of the reason my reaction was what it was. There is no need to worry (obviously) because I couldn't even wave back like any normal person would do.


While I am on the subject of being single, I have one other story to post...


On Monday I walked into work and Rob, one of my employees, who sits in the desk right next to me said, "I have a funny story to tell you..." He was at his aunt and uncle's house over the weekend when his aunt told him she wanted to set him up on a blind date with someone she knew. She continued to tell him about this girl and how she knew the girls family and that this girl worked for a bank just like Rob did! When Rob asked for the girls name...it turned out to be me that she was trying to set him up with. His aunt happens to be in my parents ward and serves in the primary with my mom. We laughed and laughed...and although Rob is fantastic and a lot of fun to work with, neither of us date coworkers so we won't be going out anytime soon.


It's really nice to know that people are watching out for me (even people I don't know that well) because believe me, I need all the help in the dating area that I can get!!! So...if you are reading this and you just happen to know some fantastic, single guy that needs a date...I am totally free for blind dates...unless he's a co-worker or I have to meet him on Bangerter Highway...

Lizards and Overnight Bags!!!

Yea, even this picture gives me the creeps.....

There are two things that happened on our trip to Mexico...several people have told me that I needed to post these (mostly people in my family because they understand the people they are about which makes the stories even better.) I will do my best to explain...

On our way down to Mexico we stopped at my Grandma's house (we like to call her Nona). Nona lives about 20 minutes from the border (about 2 hours east of San Diego). Nona is sooo fabulous! She is the sweetest person I have ever met! And so much fun to be around. She is always invited on all of our adventures and has been with us on some of the most memorable ones. It's always so much fun to be around her!! She has a cute little house in Brawley, California. Brawley is a little farming town that gets sooooo hot in the summer. The last time we were there, in May, it was 118 degrees! We always get to her house very late at night and she always has a huge meal prepared for us when we get there...so huge you would think it was Thanksgiving. When we visited her in May, during the chaos of getting all of my family, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc etc into the house, a small lizard crept in through the front door that we had left open. My sister came walking in with her bag and about died when she saw the lizard perched on the rug of the entry way. We are a bunch of wimps in our family...we are all terrified of any creature that moves, except my mom she is very brave...but of course she is, she grew up in Brawley with the rattlesnakes, tarantulas, lizards, and even the Bear she claims she saw at her bedroom window one night. Anyway, my sister screamed and ran to get back in the car, followed closely by me, my other sister Micalyne and my brother Eli close behind. My nephew JJ was in heaven, chasing it all around the front room growling at it. It took my two brothers in law to get it out of the house. Our cute little Nona was standing with her hands on her cheeks saying over and over again how embarrassed she was that a lizard would be in her house...as if there was anything to be embarrassed about, her house is immaculate and we were the ones who let it in.

Well, this most recent visit was not much different. We arrived at 11:30 and she had a huge meal prepared for us as usual. During the process of trying to get our bags into the house 2 small lizards found their way in. I am sure they had been waiting at the front door for the first chance to get out of the sweltering heat. I ran screaming into the house like a little girl while Uncle Will chased the lizards down. Nona was standing in the same position saying over and over again how embarrassed she was that this had now happened twice!! It took Uncle Will a while to catch the lizards because they are just so quick. As he caught the last one, he grabbed it by the tail and the tail immediately broke right off...which sent me into more panic (I am such a baby!! On a trip we took to Mexico a few years ago I was so freaked out by the little geckos that were everywhere, that I couldn't even sleep at night...especially after one morning when we got up and my cousin Bridgette, who was sleeping in the same bed with me, said..."a lizard got in our mosquito net and was in our bed last night. I put my hand down by my side and felt something weird so I starting petting it and then I heard it run across the bed. I didn't tell you cause I knew you would freak out!" and she was right I was freaked out!!!)

After Uncle Will announced that the tail had broken off of the Lizard the following conversation occurred...

Uncle Will: Oh shoot the tail broke off in my hand.

Nona: Will it grow a new one?

Uncle Will: Yes, Lizards can grow new tails.

Nona: No, will that tail grow a new lizard???

She is sooo cute.

The second story is about Uncle Will. Uncle Will is very cool and very fashionable. Anyone who has met him knows that he always knows what is "in" and is always dressed accordingly. Our flight left on Friday night, so I went straight from work to his house so that we could catch our plane to San Diego. When I got there he wanted to show me this really cool overnight bag that he had found at TJ Max. He was so excited cause it was the perfect size for an overnight bag and would be perfect for all the overnighters he goes on...(I think it was one of those things that seems so useful and practical, so you buy it and then when you get home you realize you don't really go on overnighters...). The next day when we arrived at our beach bungalow in Mexico, Uncle Will started to unpack his "overnight bag". I was sitting on one of the beds watching him unpack when he pulled out this mat. It was a rectangular pad about 2 feet long and 1 foot wide. This is the conversation that followed...

Uncle Will: This came with my new bag, I am not quite sure what it's for. I think it

must be used to separate your dirty clothes from the clean ones.

Me: No, I don't think so....is that a diaper bag????

Uncle Will: No, it's an overnight bag.

Me: No, that's a diaper bag...that's a changing pad you are holding.

Uncle Will: No way!! So these pockets on the outside of the bag must be for bottles??

Me: Yep, that's a diaper bag!!!

We laughed for days about this...poor Uncle Will...he thought he had found the best overnight bag ever and it turned out to be a diaper bag. He was soo embarrassed! He had to haul around that diaper bag for 3 days, while people were probably thinking what a great dad he was to carry around the diaper bag...but where's the baby????

San Felipe

For anyone who doesn't know, I just got back from Mexico. My Uncle Will, his friend Missy and I went for Labor Day wekend. It was sooo much fun!

We go to San Felipe (Baja) whenever we can. We stay in a little place right on the beach.

We flew to San Diego on Friday night and rented a car that we drove to my Grandma's house in Brawley, California. Right on the border of Mexico. I am soo glad that we got to see my grandma. She is so sweet and had the most GIANT meal prepared for us when we got there at 11:00 PM. We stayed at her house that night and then drove to Mexico the next day. It was about a 2 hour drive.

We spent most of our time in Mexico on the beach!! Which was fabulous! I could just live on the beach. One scary thing that happened...I got bit on the toe by a crab!!! I was terrified!! We also did some shopping and loaded up on silver jewelry and sunglasses!!

Here are a few pictures I took while we were gone.

You may not have known...

Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Shape Tracer for the Porters (strange job tracing shapes on to wood for the neighbors craft business. My sister and I used to sing Opera really loud while they were cutting the shapes because we didn't think they could hear us over the noise that the saw made...we found out differently later on when they mentioned it to my mom. We had been doing it for months...I still get embarassed when I see them!)
2. Nanny (worst job ever!!)
3. Arctic Circle
4. Banker

Four Places I've lived:
1. South Jordan, Utah
2. Logan, Utah
3. West Jordan, Utah
4. A State of Confusion

Movies I love:
1. Nacho Libre (dumb I know!)
2. The Gladiator
3. The Notebook
4. A few I am embarassed to admit

Four Favorite Foods:
1. Ice Cream (the candy bar kinds...like Twix)
2. White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheescake from the Cheescake Factory
3. Cool Ranch Dorritos
4. Hot Tamales

Four Weird Things About Me:
1. I would love to move to Europe for a while, but I am too chicken.
2. I am OCD about my alarm clock I check it about 75 times before I go to bed and every time I wake up during the night. Same thing with locking the doors.
3. I am terrified of Lizards (the tiny little geckos). When I was in Mexico I couldn't even sleep at night...I was in fear they were in our room. One morning my cousin even told me that she woke up in the night and touched something in our bed and it was a lizard!!
4. I don't know...I am sure there are a lot of weird things about me...but obviously I don't think they are weird that's why I do them!!

Four Favorite TV Shows:
1. The Office
2. So You Think You Can Dance
3. One Tree Hill (cause I am 12 years old)
4. Keeping Up Appearances (the british comedy)

Four Places I'd Rather Be:
1. Anywhere except where I am
2. In a gondola in the canals of venice
3. In Marakech walking through the souk
4. Salvation Mountain and Slab City!! (quite the place! you can read about it on my brother's blog: http://www.itjustgetsstranger.blogspot.com)

Remember When...

I got this from a friend's blog. I hope you will play along.

Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot--anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

Hopefully there will be more good memories than tragic ones.

I know you all have good memories so please post them!!!

Fishin' With Dad!!

When we were kids, one of our favorite things to do was to go fishing with my dad. This is my favorite picture from one of our fishing trips! (mostly because Krisanda and I are both wearing Chucky Cheese T-shirts, we were so cool!!) We were so lucky to have such a great dad who liked spending time with his girls!! And...we are still very lucky, I am sure my dad is the best dad in the whole world!!

And, I am sure you can tell who his favorite child is....I'll give you a hint....It's ME!!!

Worst 4th of July Ever!!

So...I seem to have a lot of time on my hands this week so I thought it would be a good time to update everyone on the horrible 4th of July I had.

About 2 weeks ago I woke up in the night with the worst pain I have EVER felt in my abdomen. Lucky for me this pain was followed by violent vomitting. the vomitting and pian lasted for about an hour and a half and then I was perfectly fine. I realized at that time that it had to be my gallbladder. (we have a history of gallbladder disease in my family and several members of my immediate and extended people have had theirs removed. In fact my dad just had his taken out 3 weeks ago.) But of course I ignored the situation and went on living my life. Well, last monday I once again woke up in the night with the same pain and vomitting. For those of you who have never had this lovely problem...I hear that the pain is worse than childbirth. This time the pain would not go away. So I waited until I could not stand it any longer, about 5 hours and then called my dad. He immediately came to pick me up and took me to the ER. The ER gave me morphine and did an ultrasound and found gallstones. So, they sent me on my way and told me I needed to contact a surgeon to have my gallbladder removed.

I thought this would be ok since I was feeling fine and they had sent me home with a little supply of Lortab. But....then again on Thursday morning...PAIN!!! This time the pain was not quite as bad so I went to work and went about my day. Well...after laying around and whining at my parents house for a day and a half my parents started noticing that I was turning yellow. this was definitely not a good sign!!! So on the afternnon of the 4th, my dad took me back to the ER. I had called and made an appointment with a surgeaon, but they couldn't get me in for 2 weeks just for a "consultation" then surgery 2 weeks after that!! There was no way I was going to make it that long. Lucky the doctors in the ER decided to admit me to the hospital. Apparently I had a gall stone that had excaped from my gall bladder and was lodged somewhere near my pancreas (which is life threatening).

So, two nights I spent in the hospital jumping through all the weird hoops they make you jump through. And in the end they removed my gallbladder on saturday afternoon. (after not eating for 3 days!!) It was miserable!!

I am home now recovering at my parents and today was the first day I felt like I could actually move. So...I got up tp shower and ended up passing out on the bathroom floor....not such a good idea, maybe I should stay put for a few days.

Anyway...I think the worst is over...at least I hope it is. And I really hope this all makes sense as I do not have the energy to read through it again before I post it. I just really wanted to post an update because I am sure a lot of you are wondering what happened to me!

and there is a lesson to learn from this...anytime you think something is wrong, see a doctor immediatly do not ignore it...it will only get worse!!

JJ Montana

The things my sister does to her kids for entertainment... This is JJ in a Hannah Montana wig that Krisanda got kaylee for her birthday after she begged and begged. Poor JJ!

Babysitting...

Last night I got the chance to babysit my 2 neices and nephew. They are just the cutest kids ever! It's always so fun being with them especially becuase you never know what they are going to say.

Kaylee is the oldest. She just turned 5. She is sooo smart and acts like such a little teenager. She is always trying to negotiate to get what she wants. Last night when I was trying to put them to bed, we had this conversation:

Me: OK, it's time for bed.
Kaylee: But my mom said I could stay up till they got home. (flat out lie)
Me: Nope, they won't be home till very late and you have church tomorrow. I will have them come in and say goodnight when they get home.
Kaylee: No, it's too hard to go back to sleep after they wake me up.
Me: Ok then you can see them in the morning.
Kaylee: Nope, make another deal.
Me: You have two options, you can see them in the morning when you get up or I can have them come wake you up to say goodnight.
Kaylee: I don't like those...make a third deal please...
Me: Nope, let's say prayers while you decide which one you would like.

She is soo funny! Such a negotiater.

In the mean time, we started prayers. Kamree went first (she is 3 and such a handful!). I was trying to help her, but she kepy saying "I can by myself". Which turned out really funny...my favorite line from the prayer was (in the whiniest voice you have ever heard)..."and JJ, he pinched me on the arm. And it really hurts." As if she was a little spy reporting who had broke the rules for the day.



After prayers, Kaylee told me that she had worked out a deal of her own, and that was that she wanted to call everone in the free world to say goodnight. So, since I am such a nice aunt and I really wanted them to go to bed as we had had a rough night, I accepted this deal. After 5 phone calls I convinced her that everyone else was in bed and she finally gave in and got in bed. Then Kamree climbed on the top bunk bed with Kaylee and started jumping and jumping, screaming "I want to sleep with Kay-Wee!" to which Kaylee replied with a good kick and a bite on the arm.

Needless to say it was complete chaos!!! Luckily for me JJ, the youngest, had gone to sleep about an hour before.



The funny thing is that no matter how naughty they are, I still just love them to peices! I just can't get enough of them. But I was of course relieved when their mom and dad got home and I could return to the peace and quiet that was waiting for me at home.

Just love these kids!

Aren't they cute?

Trip Pictures!!

Well, so sad to say, I am back from my trip...but I have some great pictures to post...so here goes.




Our trip started out in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a great European City, but sooooo different than anything you would find here in the states.



We were only there for a few days. We spent the time with Uncle Will's friend Lori who is fabulous!! We were soooo lucky that she was able to come meet us (she lives in Belgium, so she was very close.)





For those of you who don't know...certain things are legal there that aren't quite legal here...



We went to the Anne Frank house. It was really amazing!!!


Next we went to Cairo and saw the pyramids and rode camels...Grandma was the first to jump on that camel's back...





Eli had a heart to heart with the sphynx...




Then we went to Petra, Jordan...Petra is absolutely amazing!!!








At our Hotel in Petra Eli took my camera to go take some pictures or our amazing view and this is a few of the pictures that he came back with...






We then headed to Jerusalem...


These are pictures of the old city, and the wailing wall...








This is Temple Rock...





The Garden Tomb and The Garden of Gethsemane...







We then drove to the Dead Sea, the Sea of Gallilee and the Mediteranean Sea...








Then Back to Cairo where we rode a Felluca on the Nile...








We hung around Cairo a bit and then to end our adventure... a picture of Eli at the airport in Amsterdam...I will let him post about this on his blog, I just HAD to post the picture...