Christmas Countdown

Our Christmas countdown has begun.  We leave for Idaho one week from today, in about 4.5 hours.  Who is counting down the time..... not me! NOT!  We have our days all planned out while we are there.  As of late, not much to report on.  We have been getting so much rain everything is flooding.  We went to take Christmas card pictures but got over there and everything was under 3 feet of water.  I don't know how it all works but I have heard people talking about the local golf course.  Not a nice one, but one for people like me that are cheap and not very good.  I guess if your course floods, you shouldn't use the ground for a certain number of weeks.  This happened this spring I guess and they couldn't get people golfing until September.   A whole season down the drain.  Well that same golf course is completely under water again. I can't help but feel bad.

For those that know me, I am not a pop drinker.  I will have a drink but I rarely if ever just decide to buy pop or go to a gas station to get one.  Well that changes this time of year.  Thanks to.... Pomegranite 7-UP! In Idaho you used to be only able to find it during the holiday time but within the past year they have it available all the time!  Great day!

There is no such thing in Indiana.  You can't find it!  It is no where to be found here!  I have to say I am very sad but on the other hand I am leaving this place in one week to go to my happy place that has all things Jessica loves.  YEA!!

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

Since I have been sick all week, I have watched a lot of movies.  We have started our Christmas movies.  So far this week we have done The Santa Clause 2, Christmas in Handcuffs and Miracle on 34th Street.  We MO34S the night before Thanksgiving because it does start on Thanksgiving day you know.

Brian is even starting to get in the Christmas mood.  We have listened to a little bit of Christmas music so we decided it was the day to put up our tree.  I just finished putting my living room together last week L.  My wall that I just put together no longer looks centered.  We had to really move stuff around to make room for the tree.  I love my tree this year!  The pictures don’t really do it justice.  You can’t see all the ornaments and the shimmer.  I found the ornaments at Sam’s and found these little twirly things at Target that I pulled apart and made them work for my tree for two bucks!  Thrifty!  Mom, you would be proud.  I wish you could see it in person.  It has been a quiet day but we have watched football all day and worked on the tree and I think that is just what the doctor would have prescribed.  

Sorry, I didn't rotate this one.  Mom, this is for you.  This is the fall stuff that I had in my entry with the stuff that my mom sent me. I found this lantern for cheap and was going to paint it but the light green had a fall feeling and matched my fall stuff.  Thanks for sending this mom!

Thanksgiving

We had thanksgiving with the Gardner’s this year.  We really like them and had a wonderful time.  We made homemade rolls, Snicker salad, and a small turkey breast.  We ate at 2:00 We played kickball outside and then played games.  We were there until after midnight.  Like I said, we had a blast!  We missed being home, but at the same time being with them reminds me the most of what we would be doing at home. 

Yesterday, Black Friday, Brian and the Garnder guys went shooting and I stayed with Elizabeth.  I was going to go with Brian but I have been sick all week and there was enough guys going that I felt like I could stay and not feel like I was ditching Brian.  Us girls ran some errands and got drinks and waited for the guys.  We came home for a couple hours in the afternoon and watched some football and then met up with them again to go bowling and played cards.  We have taught them how to play Canasta.  Thursday night we played 4 handed Canasta but last night we got to decks and played 6 handed.  It was different, and it really was pretty fun!  The girls lost… BAD… BOOOOOO!

Chicago!

November 12^th was our stake temple day. They wanted us to do the 1:30 session but Brian and I wanted to go really early and get to spend the day in Chicago. We left at 8 ET and we got  to Chicago in pretty good time.  It takes about two hours but it is in CT so you actually get an extra hour to play!  I think it the whole trip, there and back, we spent like 15 dollars just in tolls.  Any-Who… we thought we were in Chicago, the temple can’t be that far away right?  Well it took us an extra hour to get there.  I guess we should have looked at a map before we left to see if we could find a way that you didn’t have to go basically right in the middle of the city.  The temple looks a lot like the Boise temple. 

After the temple, we parked at a Park-And-Ride and took the subway in to town.  We spent most of our time around Michigan Ave and Navy Pier.  It was super busy.  Yes yes, it is a city so it is always busy, but with it being a Saturday and in the holiday season, it was busier than normal. 

Brian really wanted to have a Chicago hotdog and Chicago deep dish pizza.  We went to Puccini’s???  Something like that.  We really liked it!  It was good, lots of options and CHEAP!!  We will definitely go back.  For dinner we had Giorgino’s Pizza.  We had to wait for 1 hour and 40 minutes to get a seat.  Then it takes like a half hour for your pizza to cook. 

We enjoyed Navy Pier.  It was really windy!  We believe it when they call it the windy city!  We rode the Ferris wheel and enjoyed looking around.  There is so much to do!  We think it would be fun to make a trip one Saturday a month.  

Our Halloween

October 29th is our traditional pumpkin carving date.  This year was very sad for me that I was not home to do it with my family.  So, it was up to me and Brian this year to make the most awesome pumpkins!  

Brian was put to pumpkin clean-out duty

Our pumpkin book said so cut the bottoms of the pumpkins off and we decided it really was easier to do it this way

All Ready to Go!

I chose to do the kitty.  Brian did the other two

The semi finished product

The FINISHED Product!

 Aren't we all so cute?

Brian thought that someone in our neighborhood would come smash our pumpkins the first night but on november 7th they are still here!  (We need to through them away....)

My Birthday Cake!  Yummm

On Halloween night we went to the Garnder's house.  We had the BEST time.  We played capture the flag and the old people beat the high school kids.  We were proud.  We woke up a little sore the next day!  We found our new game night family.  Super fun!

How can you tell who your friends are?

- Friends tell each other about 50-percent of sales.
-Friends never brag or gloat, even if their children really are the cutest in the world.
-Friends laugh together.  Often.
-Friends don't feel pressured to fill every silence with trivial chatter.  They're comfortable just being in each other's company.
-Friends can call each other any time of the day or night.
-Friends hurt when friends hurt.
-Friends don't remember who paid for lunch last time, but it always seems to come out even.
-When a friend sends a postcard that says, "Wish you were here," she really, really wishes you were.
-Friends know us well enough to finish our sentences- but value our input enough to let us speak.
-Friends share the last brownie on the plate.

I love this book I found on our bookcase!

Stinking Skinny People

So I have mentioned before that Pintrest is my favorite website.  Well, I usually don't look at the Fitness page because it just makes me so depressed.  But today I did.  Sheesh.  Are there really THAT many absolutely gorgeous girls out there with FANTASTIC bodies?!?!  Holy Cow.  I will say, that after I looked through the pins I was a little more motivated because I want to look like them! (NEVER going to happen) Then... I made a mistake... I was on a fitness high.  I have workout one done for the day and feelin pretty good but then something came over me and I went to the food page.  Oh Gosh...  Bad Idea.  So on the fitness page the pictures are of the most perfect people, well the food page is posts of the most amazing looking foods ever.  I would love to run to the grocery store right now and get ingredients for like 6 recipes.  However, I will try and be good today :(  I hate being good!  Why can't the world be perfect and you can eat yummy things and still look good?  It boggles my mind.  I have just come to the conclusion that I don't like beautiful, skinny people hahahahah. JK!

Brian gets home from NC in about... 47 minutes!  Yea!!

An Inner Diary Momment

There has been a lot on my mind lately.  My mom, aunts and sister-in-laws all watch a common show found on Thursday nights.  No, I am not going to say which show that is but if any one knows any of us, you can probably guess which show it is.  Well, Brian and I don’t have cable so I watch the show first thing Friday mornings as soon as I roll out of bed.  J

The two main characters are named Christina and Merideth.  Since the very first episode of the series, these two girls have had such a special bond with one another and are now the best of friends.  Is it just in TV that friendships like that are found?  Sometimes I wonder.  It has been years since I feel like I have had that. 

So the other day I found a new show on Netflix.  Wow. You must think all I do is watch TV! I promise I don’t.  Mainly just at nights when we are settling down for the evening.  I found the biggest looser.  I have never seen this show before.  Well I may have seen like an episode before but that’s it.  I started at season 5 I think.  Don’t ask me why, I just did.  I kind of figure that the first few seasons of shows can be low budget and therefore maybe not as good, so you start in the middle and work yourself backwards.  This show has done two things for me. 

The first goes back to the whole friend thing.  Everyone just learns to love each other and cry when anyone leaves.  There are two guys that have been best friends for 22 years.  How is that possible?!   They said they don’t even talk anymore because they don’t have to.  They can basically read each other’s minds.  How is that even possible.  And especially for guys!  But then I thought, maybe friendships like that aren’t in the minority, maybe it is just me.  I have come to the realization that I am the alien.  Not everyone else. 

I need like a friendship recipe book to follow.  The “ How To- How to be- How to Make’ a best friend book

The second thing Biggest Looser has done for me… Marathon numero dos!

That’s right, I have decided to officially start running again.  I have said this before but this time I am determined.  Believe me, I know how much work it is to prepare.  I guess you could say I am doing this for completely selfish reasons.  I want to loose 7 pounds.  I want to be in shape.  I want to say I have run 2 marathons. I want to be able to be part of something that only 1% of the human population will ever do. 

Most people that know me know I don’t like to do things that I can not excel at.  I think that is why I haven’t wanted to run a marathon seriously again until now.  I know where I am at, and how extremely far and how hard it will be to be able to run easily and at will again.  Hopefully I can keep up the motivation. I have to humble myself and start at step one. 

Tonight is stake volleyball night.  The R.S president asked me to go with her and I said yes. I DID NOT want to, but Brian made me.  Again, it goes back to I don’t do things I can’t do well.  I have not played since the championship against St. Maries in 2007. 4 Years ago this weekend.   I don’t want to go.  I am tempted to cancel because I really don’t feel good today thanks to the stupid dentist.  I am scared.  Brian said in church that I was a great volleyball player and now I am being recruited by all these people in our ward.  I have been able to blow them off until now.  Brian may think I was good,  but I really wasn’t.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, and still love it, but I never made it a priority in my life after graduation like a lot of the other girls on my team.  Hard to believe based upon where I am now, I was dedicated to school and homework and grades and did very well my first few semesters of college that I didn’t want to give up any time I didn’t have.  They all had two extra semesters off before they all started school that they could play.  I don’t want to walk in to the gym and be the worst one and have people say, what was Brian talking about.  

I think there is a ‘help you find work’ place by my house.  I have applied for three jobs and haven’t heard anything on them so I am going to take it that they are a no.  The extra money would be really nice to have right now.  Yea for bills and expenses!  NOT. 

I am nervous. I don’t feel qualified to do anything.  Basically just be a target cashier.  No offense to those who actually work there!  That is just not a respectable job to have here of all places.  Land of the educated Purdue people EVERYWHERE!  I feel like I would be an embarrassment to Brian as well.   He has worked so hard and has a wonderful job and is sure to go far places.  I would hate for him to be talking to the very important people he talks with and say ya, my wife is a grocery store cashier. 

I have been extremely blessed in my life.  As soon as I graduated high school I have had a good paying job.  In Rexburg as a college student, that truly is an accomplishment.  I have never had to sell myself for a job before.  Judy asked me to come work for her before I even started school at BYU-I.  Then out of the blue I get contacted by the president at Premier and asks me if I will come work for them after I did a little bit of work for them the previous year. 

Up until a few weeks ago I have never needed a résumé.  This will be another new experience for me while in Indiana as I have to go out and find something.  I am scarred of rejection.

Well, enough about me.  Brian is in NC this week and says it is beautiful. I wish I could have gone.  My mom and I want to go on a Nicholas Sparks tour.  A lot of his books take place there so we would love to go see the magical places he talks about.  Maybe next time!

He sure does love his job and I am very proud of him!!

Crafting!

All of my post titles are so boring.  I only have one picture for the last seven posts!  I will try better.  I left my camera in Idaho and I just got it back on Thursday.  Hopefully I will start to get some pictures.

Lets see... what has happened since Tuesday...

Well Brian went on his trip to Phoenix and got back late Friday night.  He said the weather was wonderful and it was like 98 degrees but didn't seem that hot.  Dry heat doesn't seem all that hot any more after humid heat.  He got to spend some time with one of his great friend Jason and his wife.  They spent a couple evenings together and Brian had a wonderful time.

He got back Friday at like 10 and I was too tired to cook so we went to Cracker Barrel.  I have never been there before.  I have to say it is a fun little place!  I was most impressed with their mashed potatoes!  They are real potatoes and were really good!!!! 

Yesterday was our Day of Service.  Brian and I were in charge.  There was another couple that was supposed to help but they flaked on us from the very beginning.  I spent all Saturday baking.  We made sheet cakes, 48 cupcakes and cinnamon rolls.  We?  I take that back.  Just me.  Brian did help me make the hot fudge though and helped me clean up.  Believe me… our kitchen looked like a nuclear bomb went off!

So my new found love is a website called Pintrest.  My FAVORITE site in the world!!  Home of all things design and crafts.  You have to be invited but it is well worth waiting for.  I learned about it from my friend back in Idaho so since I have been home I have really been thinking of new projects I can do.  In my last post I posted the picture of my wreath I made.  I have some projects that I really want to do but I don’t know if I can afford them.  I want to make pillows and curtains but I don’t have a sewing machine and the fabric I want is really expensive.  The curtains I would want would be 40 dollars.  Not terrible compared to most curtain prices.  They can get expensive!  But 40 dollars I don’t really have at the moment.  Problem two… I don’t have my own sewing machine.  I am looking for a used one, but still money I don’t have. 

I really want to make some wood letters.  They are so expensive to buy and I could make my own if I had my own saw.  Then again, no money for that either.  I was telling Brian that I need him to tell his friends at work that they need to bring him their old wine bottles and beer bottles.  You can do some really cool stuff with the.  Brian looked at me and just laughed thinking about what the guys are going to say when he tells them why he needs them.

We both had dentist appointments this week.  Brian came out with nothing but gold stars.  Well, his last filling he had fixed 6 months ago doesn’t look like it is holding so he may have to get it fixed next time.  Well, MY filling I had done a year ago didn’t hold and is really bad.  I get to go back on the 25^th and have it fixed. Yippee!

Well other than that, nothing has happened this week.

I take that back!  The truck is broken… AGAIN.  This time the breaks are not working.  Literally.  Brian took the truck to work and at a stop light and the breaks did not do their job.  I have yet another broken vehicle in my garage and I am without a vehicle.  Brian is doing the repairs himself and getting the parts which will save us over 600 hundred dollars. 

Well here we go for another week!

A Life Full of Suprises

Well as of two hours ago I got a text from Brian that says he flies out of Indy tomorrow and is going to Phoenix.  I think he will get back Friday night.  Lesson learned: don't arrange home teaching and camp trips and scouts ahead of time or you have to call and cancel.  So the updated schedule is this week Phoenix, next week we might still have NC then the next training then the next Chile.  Then again, it could change like ten times ha!

We have had uninvited visitors lately. SPIDERS!  This house isn't build all that great.  Their are cracks in all the vents that who knows what can get in and out.  And around the doors you can see daylight.  We have had spiders with bodies the size of a hot tomaly!  NOT KIDDING!  Brian knew I would freak so he didn't show me at first but he saved it so we could examine it and determine the breed.  Not to worry, I had a great conversation with the Lowes man and told him I don't care about being humane and I just want them GONE.  We got the situation under control :)

So I finally got a picture of my wreath!  I love it.  I am trying to find a new project for me but money puts a damper on things.  I really want to decorate my living room and make pillows but number one, fabric is so much money!  and Two, no sewing machine.

Well here it is!

Another Week

Well, I came back to Lafayette to great weather.  The temperatures have been wonderful and in the week that I was gone, the colors of the trees have started to change!  The trees change more red and purple than yellow and orange.  It's pretty.  The girl I  get my hair cut from introduced me to this site called Pintrest.  I love it!  This week, I have made a fall wreath and some coasters!  I can't wait to start a new project.  Being crafty is expensive though!  I don't know how long I am going to be able to keep this up!  I did make my wreath for about half what you could buy one for but still, it can eat up your pocket change!  It looks fantastic on my red front door!  I will post a picture soon.  I tell you what, being wrapped up in a craft all day really makes your week go by fast.  It was very nice.  Yesterday we went out to a bike race at the Wildcat Creek MX track.  It was fun.  Brian says the track is VERY nice.  I think it was a race kind of thrown together at the last minute because the weather is still so nice so the turnout wasn't fantastic but it was still fun!  All of Brian's friends are getting new motorcycles.  All three of them are.  I think having him listen to his friends get new shiny toys and watching a race naturally has made him want one.  He says there is no need for one here, which is true, but I think he still wants to be like all of his buddies.  I feel bad that I can't let him have one.  I feel very blessed to have a husband that knows that now is not the time, nor the place to invest in something like that.

Well, this is the week!  The Lafayette 3rd ward's Day of Service is this Saturday the 15th!  I was really worried but we rallied the troops today and filled every spot we were supposed to.... and then some!  Now I just need to call the facilities and see if they would allow us to bring more people!  It is so good to see the work of the Church going forward!

This week is our week to get things done.  I wanted to go watch Purdue play volleyball but Brian is going to be gone next week to NC and the next for some sort of training so this is our week of productivity.  I have two ladies to visit teach, Brian and I need to home teach our three families and get everything ready for our DOS this Saturday. Did I mention Brian is going to be gone with the scouts this weekend too?  Volleyball just may have to wait.

Well, onward and upward for another week!

-Jessica

Back to Reality

Currently, I am sitting, rather laying in my hotel bed at the Fairfield Inn in Salt Lake.  The Indianapolis Colts are playing Monday

UGH!!!!!!!

I had 7 more paragraphs typed and it deleted it all!!!!!!!!

take two:

So to continue… Monday Night Football.  I fly to Indy tomorrow… On the other station, What Happens in Vegas.  Should I mention that my layover tomorrow is in Vegas? 

Should I read this as a sign?  Let’s hope that all goes well.

I have truly enjoyed my time in Idaho.  It is very bitter sweet to be going home.  I would just like to continue my life here, out west, in Idaho.  The only thing keeping me from turning off my alarm to catch my flight… Brian. He is the ‘bitter’ part.  I really hate it when we don’t see each other every night.  You know how you talk to young couples that say they have been married 5 years and have never spent a night apart?  Well that is definitely not us.  The morning after we got home from our honeymoon Brian had to go home and work and there have been several other occasions that have led us to spend many nights apart from each other. 

When he was in Canada, it was no big deal for  me to have him gone, we couldn’t talk anyways. But since he got home, I have had a part of me that has just wanted to be home.  It is getting harder and harder to be apart from one another.  Does that make me weak?  I would just like to think that it is because everyday we love each other more and more and I have had to rely on him for everything now that we are in Indiana and the closest friend I have is 26  hours away in any given direction besides Suzie. He is my best guy friend that I can talk trucks with, my golf instructor, my grocery shopping partner,  my daily walk companion,  Football enthusiast junkie partner, my personal chauffer  who drives me wherever because I am too scared to drive in the traffic, my airport dropper-offer-picker-upper. 

In movies you hear all the time that women need a great gay friend.  That way they always have someone to talk to that is not going to create drama, a shopping partner, and someone who will tell us, ‘honey, don’t wear that again.’

Well, my husband is definitely NOT gay, but he plays the part of the Gay man right now.  Shopping with him is definitely not the same as shopping with my mom or out with the girls, but Brian is my shopping partner.  He doesn’t like or enjoy it, but we make sure we always make a pit stop at Dick’s to keep him happy.  It is a sacrifice for him I am sure to go with me, but I really just don’t like to go by myself, but thank you Brian for always be willing to go. 

I think Brian is becoming more in tune with what is in style.  It seems like every few days I ask him, “what do you think of this outfit, does it match, what should I wear with it, what jewelry do I wear?”  When we were first married he would always tell me ya, whatever, everything just looks great.  I love you Brian but there are times that I would really rather have a woman’s opinion on fashion matters, but I don’t have those right now so Brian is it.  He is getting better, and more honest about what looks good and is getting very good at putting it in a way I won’t take offense. 

He has also had to become my ‘best girl friend.’  He listens to all of my drama.  He is my shoulder to cry on.  And unfortunately for him, I think I tell him things he would wish he would have never known about. AKA… women isses…

Anywhoo… the moral of the story is that I am truly grateful for Brian and I hate it when he is gone.  I get so lonely. 

Idaho, Idaho Idaho.  I love you!  When I got to SLC my dad came and picked me up and we just talked to whole way home.  It was great to catch up.  The drive even went by fast!  And those of you that know me, I hate driving in cars.  I am not patient.  Mom and Logan greeted me in their BSU shirts ready to watch the game.   We had a BBQ and enjoyed the game. Don’t worry, we recorded the R.S  broadcast and watched it Sunday. 

Sunday I got to go to our own ward.  It was so nice!  It was nice to be back in a ward where you know everyone and everyone loves you.  We went for a really nice drive in the mountains up past Warm River.

Monday I got to go to Zumba!  Idaho Zumba is so much better than IN Zumba.  I actually got a work out!  It about killed me to tell you the truth.  If I were to Zumba with the way Brian and I have been eating, I seriously think I would be in great shape.  There is too much good food in Idaho and I think I will be taking home a few more pounds with me.  I enjoyed doing Zumba everyday I was here. I spent most of Monday at Premier talking to all of my friends.  I love the ladies that I worked with.  I even got my hair done.  I have the best hair girl.  I love her.  I only started going to her about a year ago and she is my all time favorite.  Is it weird to say that I wish we stilled lived in Idaho because I really think that we could become the bestest of friends?  It makes me really sad.  I find someone I really think we could really be great friends and I move to Indiana where I can’t find friends. How do I rate. 

Tuesday I spent the day with my mom in IF.  It was so nice to just go shopping all day and go to lunch.  I didn’t buy a single thing but to have regular, normal, familiar, girl talk, was so nice.

Wednesday I met Sheila, Grandma Gibbons, Mark, Jackie and Ezra for lunch in Pocky.  We met at Café Rio.  I didn’t even know they had one there.  It replaced Pocatello Pizza Place!  It was our all time favorite pizza place that caught fire a few years ago and the owners never did have enough money to restore the building. 

Thursday we went to the temple.  I have only been in Indiana 2 months but I have realized how much I miss the temple.  I took advantage of it while I had it so close.  There have been many days where I just need to go to the temple but when the closest temple is 3 hours away in the city, you just can’t decide to go whenever.  We did a session with my grandma and grandpa and then did some sealings. It was so great but it really made me miss my Brian.   We had a nice dinner at Wingers and then went home and gathered things up to go enjoy an evening at the Sand Dunes.  We played Botche Ball and had a fire and made S’mores.  It was so wonderful. It was great weather this week!  Like mid 70s or 80 every day!

Friday we went to the football game.  Sugar beat Kimberly for the first win of the season.  I think I was the good luck charm.

Saturday we went to Island Park to watch conference.  It is so beautiful there. We had the best four-wheeler ride.  Such a great weekend.

Sunday night was difficult.  We played canasta. Don’t worry, my mom and I won. J But as I went to bed, I broke down.  My last night in Idaho.  It was like leaving for the first time.  Today, Monday, not much better.  I realized that I was leaving a place I love for a place I don’t want to be.  It was hard to say goodbye to everyone.  My dad drove me down to SLC as mentioned above so I don’t have to take the Salt Lake Express at two in the morning.  I hope Brian makes lots of money so someday I can just fly in to Idaho Falls and not have to inconvenience people to get me to and from the airport 3.5 hours away. 

Needless to say, this week has been the best!  I don’t want to go get on a plane. I have realized though, that home is where your family is, my Brian.  I just hope that someday the Lord will allow us to come home.  Home to Idaho.  Even somewhere just out west will be better ha. 

Thank you to all that have made this week so great.  Thank you to my Brian for working so hard to allow me to come.  Thank you to my mom and dad that have done so much for me and created a life full of wonder and memories that I will cherish forever. 

I get to see Brian tomorrow!  YEA!!!!  I think he is going bored silly without me home!

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Well Brian is gone on his business trip and I have made it home. I have had so many mixed emotions.  When I landed in SLC I started to cry.  Not because I was sad to be here, but because I was so happy.  So happy to feel like I was back in my environment, my comfort zone.  I miss Brian so much.  It has made me realize how difficult it is going to be when he leaves on business.  I am home with my family and everything I love and I still feel sad I don't get to see and talk to him.  How am I going to do this when I am all by myself in Indiana?  I can't decide if this was a good idea for me to come or not.  It has been so wonderful to be here.  I realized how much I truly LOVE it in Idaho.  It really does make me NOT want to go home.  I have not taken one picture while being here. Granted, it is still early, but I don't see a point.  Everything here isn't picture worthy.  People travel here for their  two week summer vacation.  They take pictures of the Tetons, the bears, the deer and even cows.  Those things are just part of every day life.  Rivers, mountains, Yellowstone, Jackson, lakes, boating, exploring, cows, horses, pasture, big trucks.  They don't have things like that in IN.  You live somewhere for almost 22 years and things become engrained in to you, your heart, your soul.  How do you just pick up and leave and just pretend things don't matter and you can just pick up a totally new life that includes NOTHING of what makes you you?

I need new hobbies.  I am thinking of taking up sewing.  I want to make new couch pillows and curtains.    I keep thinking of things I really want to do but then realize how expensive they can get and then I forget the idea.  Off the new and cheaper options.

It Is Friday

I feel like there is nothing exciting or worth mentioning in my life right now.  But by the time something picture worthy or post worthy, it may be a week until something happens.  A week would be a safe bet because I fly to Idaho next Saturday!!  I am so excited.  Brian will be out of town, well out of the country... So I won't be talking to him.  No Bueno to international calls! So I get to go to Idaho and spend Spud Harvest with them :)  I am really looking forward to seeing everyone.  Even Duke!  I want a dog really really bad but I can't have one for a few years until we actually own our own house.

Like I said, nothing exciting has happened this week.  The weather has been up and down.  We planned to go golfing a couple times but it then would start to rain.  Tonight BSU plays so that will give us something to do.  Saturdays are always pretty boring around our house.  No yard work to take care of the house is clean so there really isn't that much that we have to do.  Once the colors start to change there is a covered bridge festival that I really want to go do.

Idaho, Idaho, I-Da-HO!

I am so very truly outrageously happy to say that I am coming home to IDAHO!!!!  I leave next weekend!!! crazy!  Brian is going to like the North Pole so I may as well go home :)

Peace out Indiana!

Squirells

We came across this while searching for a way to "get rid" of my mom's new friend. AKA a BAT


Here is the thread.  If you need a good giggle take the five minutes and read through this  link.   And look at the utube videos that are listed!


Okay. If you belong to PETA you do not want to read this post.

We have had problems with squirrels taking all the bird food from our bird feeder.
I have a bird feeder rigged electrically, controlled by the front porch light switch. I built a two rail hot and neutral all around the the perch area of the feeder. Stripped #12 solid wire. Its an open ended system with no load. The subject becomes the load when touching both conductors.

It works well if you can catch the subject in action (on the feeder). The problem is it just shocks the hell out of them but does not kill. I want complete destruction or serious bodily injury. Any suggestions as to how to make this more deadly. I am thinking of a small load attached to the open end. This would increase the current draw, but not sure if it will make any difference. Thanks in Advance.......John

Labor Day

Well,  It was a very good day in the Allen residence on Saturday September 3rd, 2011.  Chris Peterson and Kellon Moore took to the field for yet another season of Bronco football.  I was not nearly as nervous as I was for the opening game last year against VT.  We found a way to watch it on the internet and we plugged Brian's computer in to the TV so we could watch it a little bit bigger.  Definitely not HD but better than not watching it at all.

We got ready for the day and we ran our errands in our Boise stuff.  We got a few strange looks for the most part we didn't even phase people.  We went in to a furniture store that was having a huge Labor Day sale in the hopes of finding a bookcase.  No luck but the gentleman that was helping us said 'oh I love to watch them play on that blue grass.'  We thought it was funny!

We came home and had our pre-game food:  grilled hotdogs, italian nachos and brownies.

We were a little nervous to hear that a few players had to sit out because paperwork had not settled in time for the players from the Netherlands to be approved by the NCAA.  Granted our third string safety cost us a couple of TDs but we looked so good!

The TV showed Kellon's wife and I told Brian that he may not be the most attractive (it's the teeth!), but I have a crush on him.  It is ok with him because he has a crush on the supercross announcer girl, Erin Bates:

Ya ya ya... she is very pretty...  He says even more so in person...  Whatever...

We got the big win.  1-0 for the season.  Now UGA needs to win the rest of their games and TCU cannot loose again.  We slept pretty good that night.  I told Brian, when any other team is playing I can sit back and relax and just watch, but when it is your team, you just can't sit still!  Auburn doesn't look so hot this year.  They barely won against Utah State!

Yesterday we spoke to Trent, Brian's sisters husband.  He lives in Boise and we got talking about how next year may be a train reck for us.  He is of the understanding through the grapevine that is not Chris's style.  He doesn't believe in rebuilding years and that he has a very competitive schedule for the youngsters to the program so they are ready and that there are several sophomores that have the chance to outplay/out start some seniors this year.  That would be nice wouldn't it?  Keep it up Chris!

Oh Sunday...

Is it bad to somewhat dread Sunday's?  I kind of do.  Not so much the spiritual side of things... just the people part.  Br. Gardner called us in to give us callings.  They keep saying that they need an R.S secretary and since the first week we got here I honestly thought I was going to get that calling.  Boy was I WRONG.  They called Brian to be an assistant scout master.  He needs to be to all the activities on Wednesday nights and two camping trips a month.  I am super excited for that...  Brian is going to be gone 50 percent of the month, now two weekends a month and evenings.  The Lord is truly testing me in this town.  Ya, ya I know... tons of people have callings like this but right now I hate this town and this is just icing on my cake.  Give it time and I won't mind the calling at all.

When I took a religion class from Br. Sturm on campus he told us to always accept our callings with open hearts.  I don't like him right now.  Yes I have heard this often. But it goes deeper than that.  He told of a story of a girl coming up to campus and getting a calling to play the piano in sacrament meeting.  She accepted and then asked if me would get her a list of people that played the piano so that she could take lessons and learn to play.... I thought that was the most ridiculous story and things like that do not happen.  Wrong.  I am the new primary piano player.  I quit taking lessons when I was a sophomore in HS and I never played out of the song book.  I always considered them far more difficult than the hymns. And even then, I couldn't play that many hymns either.  I am stressing this calling.  I don't have a piano.  How am I to learn how to play the piano?!?!?! What am I supposed to do, hire a teacher? Is that what the Lord is telling me? Don't have a job?  Well fine I am going to make sure you are busy???  Does he not know that I cry just thinking about it and playing in recitals or church or even YW for that matter made me sick?  I am not happy right now.....

We went for a drive Sunday evening and I found where I want to live.  Granted I would need $400,000 but I can dream right? I have my house picked out for heaven?  I don't know why CAT people even buy houses.  You have to move every 4 years.

Today I went and got my visiting teaching done.  Brian is out of town and this morning when he left I asked him which car he was going to take.  He said the car.  I didn't say anything more to him because I knew the GPS was in the truck and he wasn't going to need it.  Well he took my GPS.  So much for going and getting out of the house while he is gone and finding the library and other things.  I cussed him for a moment.  I realized this about 37 minutes before I was supposed to be there.  Lets just say it took me 40 minutes to get there.  I was so lost.  I had to go to like downtown and it is ghetto.  I thought I was going to get shot.  I didn't.  Lucky for Brian.

A few tears and streaks of mascara later I found where I was going.  No, I don't ever want to do that again.  Why do I even bother putting on make-up?  I swear it comes of by mid day anyways.  Oh well.

Is it Friday yet??

Football 2011

Well, we officially consider this a great day... the start of the 2011 college football year!!!

Go Boise!!  .... and Kellon!! :)

To MAC or not to MAC

Sunday started out as a crazy day.  We had to be to a meeting that started at 8 only to find out at 8 that the meeting now didn't start until 8:30 and someone missed the memo to let us know.  That right there should have been enough to tell me just go home, skip church and go to bed for the day.  It was a very interesting day...

Since Sunday I have just had a hard time getting out of bed.  Luckily, or sadly, whichever you prefer, our upstairs gets pretty toasty and the sun streams in which will not allow me to lay in bed as long as I would like.  I think Brian thinks I go back to bed after he leaves and goes to work and for the most part I do, but for the past few mornings I can't go back to bed but I can't bring myself to get out of bed either.

The longer you sleep in the more the day passes, and the quicker it is over with.

This morning was extra difficult, don't know why but it just was.  So for my title, To MAC or not to MAC.  MAC make-up is my favorite.  I showered for the day and was contemplating 'getting ready' for the day.  I knew that if I did take the time to put on my make-up that within the hour it would all end up in a tissue on on my shirt or my white pillow cases.  Therefore, I decided to not waste my favorite eye liner.

Wouldn't you know that not 15 minutes after I got dresses Brian and his co-worker show up at my door and want to go to lunch.  Great timing huh?  Brian's phone shows he tried to call and give me warning but I had my phone by me the whole time waiting for him to call and I never got a ring.  My hair looked good and I went out. No Make-up.  I don't believe in doing so but I did anyways today.  I have met Frank twice now.  Both times I have not had make-up on.  The first was when I just finished doing ZUMBA and they showed up and we went to lunch.  He must think Brian is a fool for marrying a "humble" looking girl.

I came straight home and put on the MAC!

We are talking about what to do this weekend.  The first weekend in September is always big for us.  We always do the fair or something fun for Labor Day.  Not this year.  It is hard to imagine how much your life can change from one year to the next.  This year the family will be going to the Filer fair and the other half to Myles' Baptism. As for us, Lafayette doesn't offer much.  Maybe we will go to Chicago and walk around.  At least I have my boys to watch this weekend.  It will be strange not having fellow friends wearing blue and orange in the grocery store with me.

Time will tell.

114 Days, 5 Hours, 1 Min., 36 seconds until Christmas.

            

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