So Proud!

This little lady is one of the loves of my life (she's making a funny face in the bottom picture and has chocolate all over her lips, but it's my favorite recent picture of the two of us). When I found out I was getting a niece, I could not wait to teach her everything I know. Over the last two years I have taught her love frosting and jello, the art of great water fight, and how to sound like a snake.

I have been proud every time she has learned a new trick, but tonight topped it all! Ensley doesn't really like bedtime, so Lisa and Evan have a rule that if she gets out of bed her babies go to timeout for the rest of the night. Tonight, after about an hour and a half after putting her to bed, Lisa went to check on Ens and found her reading a book with a flashlight! Lisa wasn't pleased, but Ens never got out bed. She was obeying the rule.

Now, I may not have "taught" her this trick, but I am sure she gets it from me. Maybe it can be taught telepathically or something because I don't know how many times I stayed up with a flashlight (once my mom even found me hiding in the walk-in-closet because it had better light). I can't wait to see what this girl comes up with next!

I can admit to being wrong

I am not very good at being wrong. I know that most people dislike being wrong, but I REALLY hate it! It has taken me fifteen years to admit that giving up piano lessons was a mistake, but I have recently admitted to it. I feel regret every time somebody asks for a volunteer to play the piano at church or when I see someone sit down to play just because they enjoy it.

Now that I have admitted I was wrong, I have decided to fix it. I started piano lessons to day and I am so excited. I don't ever plan on being a concert pianist, but I will be happy if I can play a hymn in church when needed. I'll let you know how it goes.

Conference Weekend

This weekend was amazing! For those of you not familiar with the LDS Church, this weekend was general conference weekend. Twice a year (the first weekend of April and the first weekend of October), instead of having regular church we have an international conference broadcast from Salt Lake (the church headquarters). Over the course of the two day conference, the Prophet and many other international church leaders speak to the world and give us council that we need for today. None of the speakers are given topics, they each pray about it to decide what they Lord would have them say to the world.

My parents, several friends, and I spent the weekend at the cabin because we have a satellite dish and can watch it on TV. I love being up at the cabin and it is nice to watch Conference there because there are so few distractions. There were several quotes I loved and want to apply to my life:

"We don't need to know more, we need to do more of the things we know to be right." -Elder David A. Bednar

"Don't intend to be the one to help, be the one to help." President Thomas S. Monson

"Learning and teaching are not optional activities in the kingdom of God." -Elder Osguthorpe

Yellow Daist Festival

Stone Mountain Park hosts the Yellow Daisy Festival the second weekend of September each year. It is a HUGE arts and crafts show with hundreds of different artists who bring everything from hot chocolate mixes to woodworking.

Growing up, I went every year with my mom, my sister, and our friend Denise. My mom bought Christmas gifts for her parents and my dad's parents every year - things like an old PO box turned into a bank or hand-carved drop-baskets with the Nativity scene carved into the top. We have also acquired a lot of stuff for ourselves over the years including carved picture frames, dolls, and holiday decorations. My favorite part is seeing the types of things people come up with.

I haven't been in Georgia in September since I graduated high school and my mom and Denise haven't been to the Yellow Daisy Festival since then either, though I'm not sure why. Well, this year we started talking about it back in June so we were really exciting to go yesterday. We saw some really fun ideas like swings made out of old, cut tires. They even had different designs-a classic seat swing, a rocking horse, and a hammock-style swing. My favorite idea, however, was turning old windows into shadow box tables and bulletin boards. I have been redecorating my bedroom and looking for a unique wall hanging (pictures to come of my bedroom once I am done). I also wanted a jewelry box, but haven't found anything I liked. This booth solved both those problems. I now have a unique, artsy wall hanging and instead of a jewelry box, I found something better.

My beautiful wall hanging. That's a real window frame, glass panes and all, with a fabric covered bulletin board hinged to the back. I love it! I think it has a timeless look to it.
My jewelry keeper. The slats hold earrings and their are hooks on the side and bottom (it's hard to see them in the picture) for necklaces and bracelets. I love it because it is different without being strange or tacky.

My mom also found several fun things. Here are my favorite treasures she found.
It has a bear, so we clearly needed it. We need to find pictures to put in the large letters and my dad wants to try to make a frame for it, but we already know exactly where we want to hang it.
We had to buy this for my sister. Anyone who knows her will agree that she simply needs it, there is no other explanation.

Labor Day Weekend

I never fully appreciated three-day-weekends until I started working a full-time job, but now I think they are AMAZING! We spent a great weekend as a family at the cabin. My parents and I left after work so we arrived early in the evening; Lisa, Evan, and the kids left after Evan got off work and it's about a five hour drive for them so they arrived around midnight.

Poor Swiper put up with lots of "love" from my favorite two-year-old. Ensley carried her around, smothered her with hugs and kisses, rocked her to sleep sing lullabies, and chased her through the house the entire weekend. We tried really hard to save her, but Ens kept insisting, "Kitty wuv me! She want to pay wif me!" Ens tried really hard to be gentle, but she's two. We were constantly reminding her not to pull the tail, not to "hug" her too tightly, and if Swiper went into her kennel it was "nap time." Despite all the abuse, Swiper was so good with Ens. She never once snarled or clawed, even when she was being dragged out of her kennel by her tail. I see a life-long friendship being formed.

Receiving a little "love."
"Wock-a-bye, Kitty, in da twee tops. . ."
Best Friends.

Just a few minutes ago Ens called my mom crying. She was so upset she could barely talk but she kept saying, "I miss the kitty!" I think Lisa and Evan may need to get a cat eventually.

While Ens was chasing the cat, my mom, Lisa, and I had a very productive weekend. We have spent the last several months trying to make the cabin our own. While we love the way it was decorated, there were two main things we knew we wanted to change. The TV cabinet was literally falling apart and the kitchen table just didn't fit with the rest of the decor and was a little too big for the cove it sits in. We have a small kitchen my parents have had there entire marriage that has been sitting in our basement for the last several years and our friends the Gregorys gave us their old armoir because they had redone their living room. Both the table and the armoir are really nice pieces of furniture, but the finishes were a little dated so decided to paint them. I wish I had before and afters, but I didn't think about it until after we had started painting, so I will just have to post before and afters of the room. The armoir was originally a white-washed color and the table was a dull brown.

The old dining room table in the middle of the kitchen with the island in the alcove.
We switched the island and the table, then we painted the legs and chairs to match the curtains.
The old TV cabinet that could barely support the weight of the TV.
The newly refinished armoir. We are going to sand the edges a little to give it a distressed look, but we wanted to wait a while to make sure it is completely dry. Also, the door handles really are even, but one door is open slightly.

I am so pleased with the results; I think they really enhance the look of the room.

We didn't spend the entire weekend painting; we went to church on Sunday, we were able to see some friends of ours who have a cabin about two miles from ours, and we had a bonfire. Ens is a huge fan of s'mores (she gets that from me), but I'm not sure how much of her s'more actually made it into her mouth.


My little man is getting so big. He is a generally happy baby and he loves to talk and flirt with anyone who will talk to him.

I love it in Blairsville. If it weren't for that pesky job I have, I would spend every day up there.

Swiper

My mom has been wanting a cat for a while, so yesterday we got one and she is TROUBLE. She is so cute but she is into EVERYTHING. She has already gotten herself stuck in several small places and taught the dogs who is boss. We named her Swiper (from Dora the Explorer because he is my neice's favorite character).

John and Sara Preston

I want to congratulate my cousin Sara and her husband John who were married on Thursday. Wish I could have been there, I love you guys!

Bearadise

This is my new favorite place on earth. In June, my parents bought a cabin in Blairsville in the North Georgia Mountains. I looked for a picture of the cabin from the outside but I guess we don't have one. I LOVE this place. The cabin came fully furnished and it is completely decorated in bears. If I could, I would spend all my time there. It has an amazing screened-in porch which looks down over the yard.

The porch is great during sunrise and sunset. Ensley loves to swing on that swing in the back. We've rocked her to sleep a few ways out there (Will is happy anywhere in the cabin as long as he is being cuddled).
The fire pit is another on of my favorite parts. We build a fire almost every night when we are up there and I don't even want to think about how many s'mores I have eaten in the past two months. Ensley likes "cooking" marshmallows and eating the chocolate, but the concept of s'more's hasn't quite set in yet. The pit is also nice to just sit around and talk. My brother and his friends built the best fire a few weeks ago, we melted 3 glass bottles in about 15 minutes. I took a group of friends up this weekend and we all sat around the fire talking until 2:30 in the morning. I don't know what it is, but fire pits bring people together.

I'll post more pictures of the cabin soon, I just need to get them off other people's cameras. If anyone wants to come out and visit, we'll go up there. There is tons of hiking, river rafting, and other outdoor stuff to do there. Like I said, it is my new favorite place..

Life Update

I have been informed by my friend Ashley that it has been too long since I posted. I agree, it has just been such a crazy summer that I keep forgetting to post. I have so much to blog about that I will have to do a few different posts. I would like to add pictures, but most of my pictures, but most of the pictures are on my dad's camera (which m mom has in Utah) or on my sister's camera (and between two kids she hasn't had time to upload them to our photo site yet). I will add pictures as I get them.

My Loves

I had a great three day weekend! My parents, brother, and I drove up to Raleigh to meet our newest family member. Will is definitely the cutest baby boy I have ever seen. He's a pretty good baby too, he only cries when he's hungry or when his diaper is changed. Most of the time he is content just to cuddle or look around.
I also loved spending time with my Ens, she grows so much each time I see her. She's adjusting pretty well and always talks about how much she loves "Baby Wiw." Each morning she woke us all up She is quite the talker and some of the things she says crack me up. Every time we put her in a dress she looks in the mirror and says "I look like a PWINCESS!" My mom, sister, and I were watching Australia one day while Ens was napping. She woke up about 15 minutes from the end so we tried to distract her with he blocks while we watched the end, but it didn't work too well. When Hugh Jackman walked out of a burning building, looking incredible, Ens's eyes got huge and she turned around to look at us and just giggled, it was like she knew he is sexiest man alive (I didn't give him the title, but I'm not gonna disagree), it was so cute! She is also in a very independent stage. She no longer wants help putting on shoes or buckling her seat belt. Whenever I tried to help she would get an indignant look and say "I'ma do it!" I sure love those two!

A New Man in My Life

That's right, I have a new man in my life. His name is Will and he's 6 lbs 12 ounces, 18 inches long and has some red curly peach fuzz. William Paul McNabb was born this afternoon at 12:51 to my sister Lisa and her husband Evan. Everybody is doing well, big sister Ensley is coping. I can't wait to meet him, we are going to go up this weekend. You can see more pictures of the happy family on their blog.
Or, go to their gallery.

A job!

I found a full time job! It's not my dream job, but it is a job and in this economy it's all I can ask for. I will be working as an office assistant in a law office. I figure I will work there and advertise on-line to do research and personal histories on the side until the economy rebounds.

Recycling

Is it just me, or have other people noticed that companies are recycling commercials? We are in a recession, and when you think about it companies don't need a new commercial every month. It just cracks me up to see these old commercials I haven't seen in years. Some of my favorites include the Folger's commercial with the Irish dancers, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie-pop?" and some of the original FreeCreditReport.com commercials. It cracks me up.

Finished!

Well, Graduation was Thursday and yesterday. It was nice but REALLY, REALLY long! My major is under the college of Family, Home, and Social Sciences which is the largest college at the University; our convocations was two and a half hours.

My parents flew out for graduation late Wednesday night. Thursday morning they helped me load my car (miraculously, everything fit and we even had room for a few things my friend needed to get home). Then we went to commencement, followed by dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. My grandma and two aunts came to convocation, followed by lunch at Cheesecake Factory.

We took about a million pictures and I have more to say but right now I need to go put gas in my car and buy "survival food" for the drive to Georgia. My dad is flying home at 11:00, then my mom and I are leaving. I will post pictures and more details after we get home.

The Reason I am Leaving Utah

You may think these pictures were taken a few months ago. That would make sense, everything is covered in snow and snow falls in the winter; winter ended weeks ago. These pictures were, in fact, taken within the last eight hours. I took the first one just a few minutes ago and the second one last night right before going to bed. The weather over the weekend was great, it started to snow again. I am not a fan of snow. It is pretty, so I like it if I don't have to go out into it, but I definitely do not like to drive in it. I have to drive up to Salt Lake around noon so hopefully it will start to melt by then.

No more classes, no more books...

Today I attended my last undergraduate college class ever! I still need to finish up a little bit of independent study, and I have a final paper due next Monday, but I am done going to classes. It's kinda weird. I actually enjoy school so a part of me will miss it, but that is a very small part. Now I need to focus on finding a job. Unfortunately, the family history industry is kinda dead at the moment, people who can't pay the mortgage don't hire professional researchers. I know I'll find something, I just have a hard time with the unknown.

Happy Easter!

I love Easter, it's one of my favorite holidays. Growing up I loved dying eggs, having an Easter egg hunt, and searching for my hidden Easter basket. If I was at home, I'm sure I would be participating in all those things. But, like Christmas, Easter isn't really about all candy and treats. I love Easter because I get to live with my Heavenly Father again! I think sometimes we make Christmas the only holiday to celebrate the Savior's life. But, while his birth was certainly important, we would be nowhere without the resurrection. He suffered for each of my sins in the Garden of Gethsemane, he hung on the cross, and three days later he rose again. (If you would like to know more about my beliefs, click here). I love Easter because I know I can live with my Heavenly Father as long as I strive to be the best person I can be while I am on this earth. I'm not perfect and I don't have to be; the Savior paid for my mistakes in the Garden. I know that my Redeemer lives! And because he lives, I will see my Heavenly Father and my family again.


I love when Easter falls on April 12 (this is only the second time in my life) because it is also my Grandpa Grande's birthday! He was born on Easter in 1925 and he always told us he was hatched out of an Easter Egg on the kitchen table. When I was really little I never knew whether or not I should believe him. I didn't think it was possible, but I was sure Grandpa would NEVER lie! He passed away about three years ago, but he loved when his birthday was the same day as Easter, so I had to post this just for him! Imiss him, but it's the same way I miss my family when I am in Utah and they are in Georgia. Because of the atonment and the resurrection, I know I will see him again. This is what Easter is all about!

Countdown

That's right, I am getting close enough to graduation that I can start a count down:

6 Days until my History490 paper, Famous Female Civil Rights Activists, is due
12 Days until my final History 480 Paper is due
12 Days until I pick up my cap and gown
14 Days until my last day of work at BYU Imaging
14 Days until Mom and Dad arrive
15 Days until Commencement
16 Days until I move out of my apartment
16 Days until Graduation
17 Days until I stuff my car and drive home

The Singles Scene

I have always known that I wouldn't marry super young. My senior year in high school my friends in Sunday school starting guessing which of the four girls in the class would be married first; nobody guessed me and several guessed I would be the last one standing (that wasn't difficult, Tatiana was married by the next May, Kendall got engaged the same day Tatiana got married and was married by August, and Ashley was engaged by that Christmas and married in August). I don't mind being single, I have my whole life to be married so I am just enjoying life, I just find the dating scene really amusing, especially in Provo.

Blind Dates
I never say no to a blind date. I don't particularly love them, especially when people think they know my taste but they don't. But, you never know who you might meet. My parents met on a blind date and it certainly worked for them, so I give each one a chance. I have had a good time on a few blind dates, but none have ever developed into anything. I have also had some REALLY BAD ones. My two worst dates of all time were set up by coworkers of mine in the BYU Imaging office. The first was clearly not happy to be on a blind date. If he didn't want to go, I'm not sure why he agreed because he was miserable the entire time, making it really awkward and uncomfortable. The second one was awkward, but now is a really funny story. My friend Carrie was going to Octoberfest with a good friend and it was supposed to be a triple-date with two of his former mission companions. One of the guys had only been home from his mission three weeks and was afraid to ask anyone, so Carrie's date asked her if she knew anyone who would like to go. I had only been home from my mission six weeks, but I was starting to feel a little more comfortable with the whole dating thing. My date, however, was not ready to be back on the dating scene; poor guy, he was so uncomfortable the entire time. I did have a really good time on that date though because I was with Carrie and everyone else was friendly and talkative.

The Difference between men and women
When I go on a date, I dress for it. I comb my hair, put on a fresh layer of makeup, and I take time choosing my outfit. I don't dress like I'm going to the prom but I at least try to look presentable enough to be in public. Guys don't always do the same. Most guys I go out with show up looking like they have just come from school or work, one guy even came straight from the gym and was still in his sweaty clothes. I don't want a pretty boy, but I would love for someone to show up at my door looking like they cared enough to wear clean clothes.

At least dating is one of those things that always keaves me with great stories, because I love to tell stories.

Confessions of a TNT Employee

Over New Years Eve and the 4th of July, my brother Stevie and I run a fireworks tent. It's a lot of work and not always comfortable, but I always really enjoy it. A good friend of my family, Linda, is the regional director for TNT, so we also do some work for the company. My mom basically acts as Linda's assistant and Stevie and I do whatever Linda tells us to do; I make a lot of phone calls and Stevie does a lot of driving around and helping people get their tents set up correctly. After sales are done, we work the Return Center. People who worked tents bring their remaining product back and settle their account with the company.

I don't know which is more fun: running the tent or working for Linda. I'm not saying they are fun all the time, the fireworks season definitely has its moments of stress, but I always come out with some really great stories. I have always thought it would be fun to write a book about it, but at the moment I just done have time, so I'll write a blog posting. Here are a few of my favorite firework moments.

Working for Linda:
I really don't know where the company finds some of these people to run the tents, but they are interesting to say the least.

Phone Stalker
This New Years Eves we had a lady, we'll call her Jo, who was managing a tent for the first time. A few days before Christmas, I made several coordinating calls for Linda using my cell phone. My mom then used my phone to make a few calls. This was a bad idea because it meant Jo then had my number. Jo is the type of person who truly believes in persistence when it comes to phone calls. She kept calling my phone, so we politely told her that the number was my personal cell phone and asked her to contact either Linda or my mom. On Christmas Day my family went to a movie and when we came out my mom and I both had several missed calls, all from Jo's number. She had called my mom, then called back five minutes later, then called back another five minutes later and left a voice mail. Then, she repeated the process on my phone, leaving a message which asked if I was with my mom. She continued to call my phone with any problem throughout the season, even though I was constantly telling her that I had no authority. After the season was over, I basically forgot about Jo, until today. I was studying on campus when my phone started vibrating. I didn't recognize the number, so I let if ring through. A few minutes later, I noticed the same number had called several more times and finally left a message. I was walking to class, but decided to listen to the message on the way. Yes, it was Jo. She had received an email from Linda, so had decided to reply by calling me. Really?

SHE IS NOT THE BOSS!
There is a man who does a tent every summer, we'll call him Mike. Mike is legendary at TNT, and not just among those of us in Georgia but also at the corporate office. Mike is not exactly the brightest crayon in the box. My family started working with TNT while I was on my mission, so they met him before I did. The first story I ever heard about Mike was when my dad was helping at the return center the first summer my mom worked for TNT. Mike pulled up with the bed of his truck and his trailer full of fireworks, yet he had a lit cigarette hanging out of his window. He also has a huge gun rack on top. The first time I ever met Mike was last summer. He walks into the room (I knew who he was immediately because it was his appointement time and I had heard so many stories I could just tell) and the first thing ot of his mouth is "Were's the fooood? We 'ad food las' yeer!" We were running behind, so they boys outside weren't quite ready to unload his product and we weren't ready to process his paper work. What's a guy to do? He took a nap in the bed of his truck. Someone took a picture, but I couldn't find it to post. Mike's asleep in his truck, cigarette in one hand, gun in the other (about 5 feet from a trailer full of fireworks).

Mike was unhappy about something the next day, so he called Linda's phone, but she was in the middle of helping someone settle an account, so my mom answered the phone and tried to help him. That just made Mike even more upset. About 20 minutes later, Linda gets a text from corporate which reads, "That Mike guy is crazy." That was enough to spark curiosity, so she called corporate and put it on speaker phone. I guess he was so mad that my mom "wouldn't let him" talk to Linda that he called corporate. He said to them, "Kathy Roos is NOT the boss, and she thinks she's the boss! She is not the boss!" I want to have that made into t-shirts, along with the picture of him napping, for next summer.

I have so many more stories, but I have some homework to do and this post is already huge, so I will add the others tomorrow or Thursday.

Leaving Utah

Come April 24th, I am outta here! I am graduating on the 23rd, then my mom and I are packing up my car and heading home. I have spent the entire winter saying I will not miss Utah (I'm not a huge fan of being cold), but I'm not so sure that's true. Here is a list of the things I will and won't miss.

Won't Miss:

1. Dry Skin- Can't we get a little moisture?
2. Snow on my car. When I got back from Christmas Break this is what my car looked like. It took me about fifteen minutes to get the snow brushed off and the windows scraped. I then spent another half hour trying to get the car out of the stall. I would shovel a little bit of snow, try to back over it, then repeat the process. It finally took two of my friends four tries to push me out. Snow is pretty, but only from a distance.
3. People worrying about my dating life (and by people, I mostly mean the 2nd councilor in my bishopric who is just a little bit crazy).
4. Being so far away from my family
   

Things I Will Miss:

1. Chocolate Covered Cinnamon Bears- you can't buy them in Geogia and I think it is a shame.
2. The Family History Library- I know, I'm a dork. But, as a Family History major who hopes to do professional research, having it so close is so convenient. I drive to Sandy, hop on Trax, and I'm there.
3. Relatives- Having grown up away from extended family, it has been fun to be able to live near them for a few years. I have enjoyed being able to stop by my Grandma's house for a few minutes whenever I want (well, whenever I want to drive an hour to Bountiful).
   
4. FRIENDS- Old and New. I have made so many great friends out here and I'm really going to miss them. I also get to hang out with friends from my mission, which is cool, but the best part about living out here has been seeing OLD friends. I lived in Salt Lake when I was a little kid, but after moving to Georgia I lost contact with most of my friends (really, all but my oldest friend Megan). Being out here I have been able to reconnect with quite a few of them. A few weeks ago, I was able to have dinner with my friend Kimmi, who was one of my closest friends starting in Preschool until the time we moved. I hadn't seen her in thirteen years, but it was so much fun because we just seemed to pick up where we had left off. I also get the opportunity to see my friend Megan occasionally. When I say Megan is my oldest friend, I mean our moms were next door neighbors when they were pregnant with us. I really do want to move home, but I have so many friends out here whom I am really going to miss.
   

Valentine's Day, 2nd Grade Style

I am not a Valentine's hater, I just want to put that out there right now. But, I don't think anyone will argue the fact that as an adult, Valentine's Day is much more fun if you have a significant other. As a kid, however, Valentine's Day is always fun- what kid doesn't like a holiday that involves free candy? Think about it though, you get to decorate a shoebox, you buy cards with your favorite characters for your friends, and everybody in your class brings you candy and cards.

A few of my coworkers are married or dating, but most of us are single. As we were planning our Valentine's party this year, one girl suggested Valentine Mailboxes and we all LOVED the idea. We went all out decorating boxes and buying Valentines. Some people did personal, home-made, well thought out Valentines. Not me. I figured as long as we were going 2nd grade-style, I needed 2nd grade-style Valentines. I bought Disney Princess Valentines, but we had a full array of character cards- CARS, Power Rangers, Speed Racer, Shrek, and Madagascar to name a few. I haven't had that much fun on Valentines Day for a LONG time!

Here are a few pictures of our beautiful boxes:
I was pretty proud of the way it turned out.
He may have enjoyed decorating a little too much.

Back to Blogging

So, I will be the first to admit that I haven't been the best about keeping up on my blog. I started this blog so I would have a place to share my opinion (and those of you who know me well know I have a lot of them), so now I am really going to use it.