The Terrys

Chicago

2011-06-25T13:07:00.004-06:00

Mike was awarded a very prestigious award at work and was flown to Discover Card headquarters in Chicago (along with the other winners) to receive it. He went there on a Tuesday, had fun with his co-workers and doing things at headquarters (sitting at the CEO's desk, having fancy dinners, etc.) then I joined him on Thursday and we had fun for the weekend! I'm not gonna lie, it was my first time leaving Jake overnight and I was very anxious about it (he was with my parents and was totally fine)! It was a great trip, our first time to Chicago...we really liked it there.

We were able to do tons of things there: the Science and Industry Museum, Shedd Aquarium, the Chicago Art Institute, a Cubs game (vs. the Yankees!), went to the top of the Willis (aka Sears) Tower and John Hancock Tower, had some delicious deep-dish pizza, a river/lake boat tour, and were able to walk through many of the parks! The weather was great and the city was cool, hopefully we will get to go back again some day!

In front of Buckingham Fountain - it is huge!

This is called "The Bean" in Millennium Park

One of the many famous pictures we saw at the Art Institute

Navy Pier

The river, Trump tower is in the background

Update..

2011-03-29T06:24:00.012-06:00

Well I have been terrible at the blog for the last year or so (I blame facebook)! Here is a quick update...I will try to be more on top of things in the future! Jake is now 12 months old...he is becoming more like a toddler every day...it is kind of sad, but also so much fun. I love seeing him learn new things. He is walking and talking (a lot of things are a car, or as he says "cah"). His current loves are: bananas ("nana"), puppies, bubbles ("bubah"), balloons ("noon"), balls, my dad (papa), and cars. Some of his skills include: telling animal sounds (lion, puppy, bee, horse, cow, snake); pointing to body parts (ears, mouth, belly button, toes, fingers, hair, other people's eyes); signing "more", "milk", and "all gone"; and telling/showing you how old he is ("none"). We think he is brilliant :) We took a little vacation to California in February. Jake went on his first plane trip and did very well. We went to Disneyland and San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park. We weren't sure how Jake would do in general, but once he got used to sleeping in the stroller and we figured out to take snacks with us in the lines :) everything was so much fun! Jake liked the carousel, it's a small world, and seeing balloons.

I love Jake's reaction to the birds!

We are still in the process of selling our townhouse...it seems like it has been forever. (I sometimes forget that we are even trying to move!) Hopefully by the end of summer we will be in a new house though.

My private practice has been growing like crazy!! I have decided not to go back to my school next school year so I can focus on by business and my family. I am a bit nervous about this change, but I am also very excited, a good thing I think...a new adventure for sure!

Long time, no see!

2010-08-23T18:01:00.002-06:00

Well, I have been slacking on the blog this summer! I guess because I've been having such a good time with Jake everyday! But, school started again today, so it's back to the grindstone! I'm working 2.5 days a week, which is just enough!

Jake is 5 months old now (pictures to come soon!) - he's a chatterbox, he's starting to sit on his own, rolling over occasionally, eating rice cereal, and just being totally cute! I can't believe how quickly he's changing and growing.

One other exciting thing in our family is that we have decided to put our townhome up for sale...we need more room!! Hopefully we'll get a good buyer soon so that we can find a great new place for us!

Pictures

2010-06-09T12:13:00.003-06:00

Jake's blessing day

All bundled up and ready for bed.

Showing off in his new hat!

Chillin in St. Geroge

Loving the water!

Welcome summer!

2010-06-09T11:42:00.004-06:00

The last 6 weeks have been busy since I had to go back to work. But, now I have 2.5 months off to just enjoy being a mommy...I'm sooo excited! (I will be going back to work in the fall, but only part time - not too shabby!)

Jake is growing so fast - he'll be 3 months old in 2 days!! At his 2 month check-up he weighed 11 lbs. 2 oz. and was 23 inches long. He's smiling, cooing, laughing, squealing, sucking on his fingers, trying to grab things, sleeping much longer at night now (thank heavens!), basically growing and learning new things. (We think he's brilliant!) It's fun to see him change :-)

One Month Old

2010-04-13T13:16:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that it's already been a month since Jake was born - and yet it seems like he's always been here! He's a good boy - he just cries for the big 3: food, sleep, and messy diapers. He is starting to smile and coo now and then, and when he's awake he is so attentive and just seems to be taking everything in. We're adjusting to the lack of sleep but are loving every minute with our son.

Our Little Man

2010-03-26T13:01:00.003-06:00

First night home, chillin with dad.

Sleepy boy.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

All tuckered out.

Welcome Jacob

2010-03-24T18:29:00.007-06:00

Hard to believe that almost 2 weeks ago my precious son was born! Jacob Michael was born March 11th at 4:04 pm, he weighed 6 lbs 14 oz and was 21.7 inches long.

We got to the hospital at around 4:30 that morning (my contractions started around 1 am) and things were progressing nicely until around 9. I'd been given the epidural and they had started me on pitocin but as they increased the medication Jake's heartbeat kept dropping...it dropped so low that they almost did an emergency c-section! They stopped the pitocin and his heartbeat became more steady, but after that it was slow going. I was dialated to 6 for about 5 hours, and only made it to a 7. Since I wasn't progressing and because I have a narrow pelvis, my doctor thought it would be best to do a c-section. By that point I was ready for the little guy to be born, so I agreed! It was amazing to hear his first little cry (I couldn't stop crying) and my first memory of him will be all swaddled up with a HUGE frown on his sweet face!

Jake had a little bit of jaundice, so he had to be trapped on a bili bed for a day (not fun). But he's doing much better now. We were in the hospital until the 14th...it was nice to go home...hospitals aren't very restful. I've felt really well, considering I had major surgery. We've been lucky to have help from our family and ward members. It's safe to say that we're in love with our son and couldn't be happier to have him in our family!

More pictures to come...the little man calls for his dinner :-)

Groundhog Day Through the Eyes of a 1st Grader

2010-02-02T16:45:00.005-07:00

Conversation I had with 1st grade student this morning:

Me: You look sad, what's wrong? (She was almost in tears.)
Student: My birthday's in Spring.
Me: Well, that's coming really soon.
Student: But the GROUNDHOG saw it's SHADOW!!!

We then had a little discussion about how Spring will still come at the same time, and her birthday won't be farther away...it just means that it will be colder for longer. She seemed to feel better after that which made me glad because she was really upset about groundhog Phil :-)

In the words of my Grandma Laycock, "Oh to be six again!"

Happy Groundhog Day!

The "Nursery"

2010-01-17T16:15:00.005-07:00

Last weekend Mike and I went and bought a crib and dresser for the baby. Mike got the crib put together last Saturday and put the dresser together yesterday - YAY!! It's still sort of a work-in-progress, but you get the general idea. It was fun putting some of the blankets, burpcloths, and clothes in the dresser...it just makes everything more real.

Hard to believe that he's due in 8 weeks!!

You may be wondering about the title, the other half of the room is our office - we've got a huge desk and bookshelf that we have no where else to put! So, for now we have a nursery/office :-)

(I love this crib because it converts into a super cute toddler bed!)

The Home Stretch!

2009-12-19T15:38:00.003-07:00

Here's a picture of the ever-growing baby bump, for all of you who wanted to see. Just started the 3rd trimester...it's so crazy, he's gonna be here before we know it!!

He's doing well - he wiggles around like crazy when I'm trying to go to sleep (naughty)! I'm still feeling pretty good, so hopefully we'll finish strong and be ready to meet our little boy :-)

Say "AAHH"

2009-12-03T18:38:00.003-07:00

Funny story:

I was working with my cute 5-year-old client yesterday and at the end of the session he started grabbing my face and trying to open my mouth with his hands. He was practically sitting in my lap, nose to nose with me. (Maybe we should work on understanding personal space?!) I told him that if he wanted to look in my mouth, he just needed to ask me...which he did...which I reinforced by opening up my mouth. He peered in for a few seconds and then backed off. I asked him what he was looking at. He told me (very seriously), "I was just tryin to see the baby."
HILARIOUS!! I told him (as seriously as I could) that he can't see the baby yet, only see my belly growing. I am amazed at the stuff kids think of sometimes!

So, hopefully this little anecdote made you smile :-)

Giving Thanks

2009-11-27T20:39:00.004-07:00

Well, I took my camera to our Thanksgiving get-together, but I forgot to take any pictures :-( I've got to start remembering!! Mike and I were with his family this year, and we had a great time. Dinner was delicious and it was just fun being with each other. Tomorrow my parents are doing a turkey dinner too, so I'm excited about that as well.

Let me share with you what I'm thankful for this year - a year that's been so difficult for so many people has been full of blessings for us.

My husband - he's a great example to me and I'm thankful to have him in my life.
My healthy pregnancy (so far) and the chance I'm going to have to be a mom.
My family - parents, siblings, in-laws, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. They are great!
My home, neighbors, and ward. I love where we live.
My job, and the laughter it brings to my life
Mike's job.
My country and the people who give their lives to protect it.
My testimony of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
My Heavenly Father and Savior, who have given me all of these things and so much more.

I could keep going, but that might get boring to read. I feel very blessed and am thankful for so much this year.

It's a BOY!!

2009-10-31T09:44:00.002-06:00

We had the ultrasound yesterday afternoon. (It was so amazing!) The part everyone wants to know is the gender - which I've already explained in the title :-) And here's the proof:
At first he was being modest and not showing us the goods. The radiologist said she thought it was a girl which he apparently didn't like because a few minutes later we got this picture, and there's no denying he is a HE!! I honestly wasn't really hoping for one or the other, just as long as it was healthy and developing normally. Looks like, I've got another man in my life now! I love being able to say a gender - we can say HE now and not IT. I have a feeling that it might take awhile to pick a name, so when we do I'll be sure to share...for now he's just my little guy!

It was amazing being able to see all his body parts so clearly and being able to watch him wiggle around. His hands were up by his face for most of the ultrasound and at one time he gave us a thumbs up! I already love his little feet and profile - can't wait to see him in real life. I'm sure he will come faster than I can imagine - we're already half way there - crazy!

So, it was an exciting day yesterday. I'm so thankful for this little miracle and that all is well.

Oh and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Disney World Vacation

2009-10-09T20:19:00.004-06:00

Mike and I (as well as the Parker family) took a little trip to Disney World at the end of September. It was my first time there, and Mike's second. We had a really great time...even if it was hot and humid! We went to each of the 4 parks for at least a whole day, and went to one of the 2 water parks (Typhoon Lagoon) on one day too.
I can't really pick a favorite thing, I liked pretty much all of it. Some of the highlights included:
1. Swimming with sharks at Typhoon Lagoon
2. Seeing Mike and Steve participate (i.e. get soaked) at the Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour
3. Eating Yorkshire fish and chips at Epcot's UK (they were quite authentic)
4. Watching Mike buy a 6 month (green) Mickey Mouse shirt for the baby (totally his idea)
5. Spending time with my wonderful husband, who made sure I was eating properly, not getting dehydrated, and wearing my (SPF 70!) sunscreen!

We had a great time and it made me so excited to experience the magic of Disneyland through the eyes of my child one day!

Vacation Photos

2009-10-09T19:57:00.001-06:00

Gotta love it

2009-09-16T18:31:00.002-06:00

I was working with a group of 5th graders (who are in a self-contained special ed. class) this morning and one of them asked if I was married. I told them I was and of course the follow-up question was if I had kids. I told them not yet, but that I was going to have one soon. It was so fun to see their reactions! (They are the first students that I've told.) One student said, "Well I knew you were because when I first met you, you were more skinny." (Which is awesome because I've worked with her for 2 years AND I haven't gained any pregnancy weight yet!) Another reaction was, "Oh, you're gonna be bigger!" But the sweetest response was from a student who can be a big pain the the rear but was in a good mood at the time: he gave me a "side hug" and said, "Mrs. Terry, I hope you have good luck when your baby gets bigger." He was so sincere and truly meant what he said. This is why I do what I do - how can you not love that?

Wonderful News

2009-09-01T19:03:00.003-06:00

I've been so excited to make this post - and now I feel like it's time to tell the world that Mike and I are expecting our first baby in March!!! I am 12.5 weeks along now and am feeling fabulous. (I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to battle morning sickness.) It took more time (15 months - which I know isn't very long for some couples) and more money (4 artificial inseminations at $300 a piece) than we ever expected it to - so we are very thankful for this little squirt. It still seems unreal to me, but I couldn't be more happy.

Those 15 months were the hardest of my life, but I learned a lot and definitely learned to rely on the Lord. I know that life is one of the greatest gifts Heavenly Father gives to us, and I'm so thankful that he is willing to send one of his precious spirits to us.

So, stay tuned for more updates!

Summer is OVER!

2009-08-24T18:28:00.003-06:00

Well, my summer vacation is officially over :-( When I was little summer seemed to last forever - why does time go by so fast now that I'm old?! I love working in the schools because I've got an awesome schedule with lots of holidays and vacations...but it's hard to go back to work after those times. So, here's to a new school year - let's hope it's a good one!

Some Wedding Pictures

2009-08-17T11:07:00.004-06:00

Mr. & Mrs. Blake

2009-08-14T13:06:00.009-06:00

My sister got married yesterday! It's weird, crazy, exciting, and so great! It was a wonderful day, and Emily and Tyson seemed so happy. Love to them both and happy eternity together!

Bridal Shower

2009-07-18T14:26:00.005-06:00

It's hard to believe that my little sister is getting married in less than a month!! I'm super excited for her and her fiance, Tyson, and was glad to throw her a shower with my Aunt LaDean. It was this afternoon, and I think it was a success. We played a little game (which Em was a good sport about), she got some great gifts, and had a nice lunch. I hope everyone had a good time! Here are some pictures:

Heather, Logan, Hannah, Kris, & Natalie (Weeks cousins)

Diana, Lori, Julie, & Amy (Alder cousins)

Emily, Tiffany, & Whitney (2 of Em's future sister-in-laws)

Grandma & Emily

LaDean, Emily, Me, Mom

New Hair-do

2009-06-13T11:32:00.003-06:00

I had a hair appointment on Monday evening - I had just planned to get a trim. I got there early and was looking in a magazine where I saw a picture of this hair cut. I decided it was super cute and proceeded to chop off my hair! These aren't the best pictures of the cut - but you get the idea. I totally love it - I forgot how much I liked short hair. So now you know - that's about the most exciting thing that's happened all month. :-)

(Well, I am technically done with work for the summer, but I'm taking ESL endorsement classes until June 23rd - so I'm not on break yet!)

#6

2009-05-08T07:27:00.004-06:00

Today is our 6th anniversary! It's hard to believe it's been 6 years...and at the same time it's hart to remember a time when we weren't married. Like any couple, we've had difficult times, but those times have been few and far between. I think we have been so blessed and so fortunate in all the things we've done the last 6 years. I'm so glad to be able to share my life with my best friend. Even though he never reads my blog, I want Mike to know how much I love him and how thankful I am to be married to him. Here's to more exciting and fun years together!

Better Hearing and Speech Month

2009-05-03T08:20:00.004-06:00

I'm sure everyone knows that May is BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH MONTH, right?! Well...it is! And because of that (and to help promote my business) I'm offering FREE, that's right FREE, speech/language and hearing screenings during the month. For hearing screenings I'm willing to do 3 years old to adults, for speech/language screenings 3 to 12 years old. SO, if you're interested or you know someone who might be interested PLEASE pass on the info and contact me for an appointment. You can find my phone number and email through my website valleyspeech-languagetherapy.com
Thanks all - Happy Better Hearing and Speech Month!

Ode to Grandparents

2009-04-21T16:10:00.005-06:00

Mike and I are total nerds (or just really spiritual) and we (by we I mean mostly Mike) have been on a genealogy kick lately. This has made me think more about all of my grandparents and how great they are and how much I love them. We have some really great photos of my Grandma and Grandpa Laycock (my mom's parents) when they were young in England and I just LOVE this one! My grandma is the girl with the dark hair looking over her shoulder at the camera and my grandpa is the taller man by the train. (Isn't it cool?!) Grandpa died when I was about 10, and my grandma died just over 3 years ago...and I sometimes really miss them! The first thought I had when I was told Gram died was, "Oh good, now she's with Grandpa!" I know that's true, and can't wait to be re-united with them some day.

I guess the reason I'm writing this post is because my Grandma Tidwell's husband, Newell, died very unexpectedly today. He's an awesome man and I'm so sad that he's gone. I'm still in shock about the whole thing. So, I just had to put down these thoughts and express my love for all my family, but especially my grandparents, who I love and miss.

Look what I found!

2009-04-08T16:04:00.007-06:00

Well, I was so busy today at work that I just had to mess around online for awhile! (SHH - don't tell my principle or coordinator!!) While I was spending my time SO productively I actually found a really cool website/blog by a mom and SLP (who happens to be from Utah). It has really great info on speech and language development as well as ideas for you to help your child's speech and language! I think it's a good resource for parents AND therapist and thought I'd share it with you all! I've added the link under my websites - it's called mommyspeechtherapy.com
So let me know what you think about it if you check it out.

Flight of the Conchords

2009-03-18T13:51:00.003-06:00

I've been meaning to tell you about one of my new favorite shows - Flight of the Conchords. One of Mike's co-workers gave us the season 1 DVDs to watch and now we are addicted. It's in its second season on HBO and is hilarious!!

It's about 2 musicians from New Zealand who've moved to New York to try and become famous. They have one slight problem: they're not very good!

You're probably thinking, "HBO?" (Which is exactly what I thought when I heard about it) It does occasionally swear (but it only seems to be by their American friend) and talk about sex - so if you don't like those things don't watch the show. In my opinion, it's not too bad and I recommend it!

If you like any of the following shows: The Office, Simpsons, Napoleon Dynamite, or Anchorman you share in my sense of humor and you should watch Flight of the Conchords!

P.S. there are 3 of their songs on my playlist (The Most Beautiful Girl, Albi, and Sugarlumps) if you want to take a listen and get a taste...but for the full effect you must watch an episode!

Miss Mia

2009-03-09T17:26:00.006-06:00

I haven't been able to post about our fun weekend with our niece, Mia, because we've been having computer issues! So...2 weekends ago Melissa and Steve trusted Mike and me enough to leave their precious daughter with us. She turned 1 in January and has started to walk, so she was into everything, but tons of fun!
Mike and I have new found respect for all you parents, because taking care of a 1-year-old is not easy, and we only had one to take care of! I think the thing that made it most difficult is that she HATED her pack and play, so it was really hard to get her to sleep and stay asleep! Which meant WE didn't get much sleep either!
Funny story: I took Mia on a walk one day in her stroller...things were going well half way around the block then we walked pasted a chain link fence that had a huge dog behind it. Of course the dog started barking, she wigged out (if she hadn't been strapped in she probably would have fallen out of the stroller it scared her so bad!) and cried the rest of the way home! It was sad, but humorous!
So, thank you Parkers for trusting us with your child (I found the missing Binky by the way!) we had a blast and love Mia Grace so much!

In the dreaded pack and play!

She had a darling dress on, but she didn't want to be a model right then!

OHH! He's gonna be such a sweet daddy one day!

Muffins & MDs

2009-02-04T16:43:00.003-07:00

Some of you have been curious about how my business is doing - so here's an update:

I got my first box of business cards last week, that was exciting! Maybe I'll hand them out to 500 people and will need to order more - probably not for awhile though!
So far 57 people have looked at my website - and no, it wasn't all ME!
The big event: 7am this last Monday morning - I went to Copperview Medical Center and did a "Provider Presentation" to a group of Doctors in the hopes of getting referrals. I took them muffins (hence the title) but they didn't think I was bringing anything so they had someone else bring bagels!! My Uncle Dave is an administrator there so he's helped me out a TON. It went well, and now I'm just crossing my fingers that they'll send someone to me!
I'm trying to figure out how to become provider on medical insurances and it's a pain in the butt.

So, there ya go. Things are going, slowly but surely. I've got a few ideas of ways to find other clients, and I have more than enough to do about the insurance business. I'm excited to see what happens next and I'm so thankful for all the help and support I've had so far.

Terry Family Cruise

2009-01-08T21:08:00.012-07:00

For Christmas, Mike's family decided to go on a cruise together and it was so great! We left on Dec. 30th and got back Jan 7th - it was a Mexican Riviera cruise and stopped in Acapulco, Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, and Manzanillo. We (jokingly) said the vacation was a success because we were all still talking to each other at the end of it! It was a long cruise, with 4 little kids (and a few big kids) but we all had a good time and really enjoyed ourselves...it was hard to come back to work and cold weather!

So, here is a review and some pictures of the trip! Enjoy :-)

Days at Sea

2009-01-08T21:08:00.011-07:00

The first and last 2 days of the cruise were "Fun Days at Sea". It was unfortunately not very warm those days - so we didn't spend much time at the pools. We did some mini golf on the top deck (it's quite challenging on a rocking ship!), played lots of bingo, Mike and Steve became regulars at the casino (though not winning very often), Connor and I each won a lovely trophy: Connor for a basketball free-throw contest, and me for winning a round of a trivia game (I went to the final round, but didn't try too hard since the prize was a bottle of champagne)! We kept ourselves busy and had fun.

The Nordgrens: Mollie, Devin, Connor, Eliza, & Travis

The Parkers: Mia, Melissa, & Steve

All of us at dinner on New Years Eve - don't we look nice?

Happy New Year!

We enjoyed playing SPOONS together at night - with only a few minor injuries and warnings from the security guards to quiet down!

Jan 2nd - Acapulco

2009-01-08T20:43:00.007-07:00

Our first port was in Acapulco, which is a big city and was very busy because of the holiday. We hired a very nice driver named Roberto to taxi us around all day. We went to a beach first. It was very crowded and there were TONS of people trying to sell you all sorts of garbage! (Massages, bags, hats, food, jewelry, shirts, I could go on!) The beach was very steep and got deep quickly - it made for some good sized waves. My loving father-in-law pushed me into the ocean not long after getting there and I had sand everywhere, it was very uncomfortable!

We went back to the ship and all took showers then Mike, Steve T., Mollie, Melissa, Kathie, and I went to see the Acapulco cliff divers. Years and years ago after the fishermen of the city were done fishing for the day they would go to these cliffs and dive off them...people would go and watch them and in the 1930s it became an official job and tourist site of the city. They climb up the cliffs and jump off into the water - from the very top it's 105 feet! They were pretty amazing to watch.

Mike insisted that I get a picture with one of the divers!

Me, Kathie, Melissa, Mollie, and Steve waiting for the show

After the show we asked Roberto if he could take us to a good (but most importantly clean) restaurant for some authentic Mexican food. He took us to a place that was inside a little department store and there we had the most delicious chicken enchiladas I've ever tasted! They were in some sort of amazing green sauce - yummy. It was a great way to end the day (and even better the next day since none of us got sick)!

Us and Roberto waiting for our food.

The last thing I have to say about this day is: GO UTES!!!

Jan 3rd - Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa

2009-01-08T20:30:00.002-07:00

This city was the smallest of the three we stopped at, and it was my favorite. We did a little shopping but spent most of the day at the beach. The port was small, so we had to tender in from the ship, and from the dock we took a small local boat across the harbor to the beach. The beach was less crowded than the one at Acapulco, and had less people trying to sell crap to you - so that was nice. The water was shallow for a quite awhile, but was very rocky. Mike got a cheese-grater-like scrape on his heel from the coral. But overall it was a nice little place.

Us on the beach

Connor, Devin, Kathie, Mollie, Melissa, and Steve going for a ride.

Mike posing with a local who is "dressed" in a traditional Mayan costume.

Jan. 4th - Manzanillo

2009-01-08T20:11:00.004-07:00

In size, this city was between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo. It was a nice little place. We did some shopping and the boys decided to do some deep-sea fishing with a local fisherman. The girls didn't have anything else to do, and there was room on the boat, so we all went. We saw dolphins and got to enjoy some pretty scenery...and about half of us got sea sick (including me)! I had never been out on a little boat in the ocean before and didn't know that I was going to get sick - if I had known I wouldn't have gone since I ended up barfing over the side of the boat! The fishermen gave me a slice of lime to suck on to help with the nausea - and it worked for a while. I'd never heard of using lime to help stop nausea! So, never again will I go on a small boat out in the ocean! I think everyone else enjoyed it - even if we didn't catch a big fish.

Mike enjoying the boat ride, while I was throwing up!

One of the fishermen showing a marlin lure - no hook, it's nose is rough and gets easily tangled in the string! Who would've thought?

Some of us resting in the shade after shopping.

Mike in front of a huge marlin by the Manzanillo port.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-26T14:22:00.005-07:00

I know that Christmas isn't all about what you get, but I was really excited for my present this year! I learned to play the piano in jr. high and high school, but I kinda stopped playing after I got married since I didn't have a piano to play! I decided to get a piano for my birthday/Christmas this year. I ordered it online, and it came really fast it's been sitting in the box for about 3 weeks torturing me...Mike threatened to send it back if I opened it before Christmas. Waiting to open my keyboard brought back all the excitement and anticipation I felt at Christmas as a kid, so it was fun and I love it!

We spent the afternoon at my parent's house. My brother got Guitar Hero World Tour so of course we had to play it...the drums are so hard to play!! It's a really fun game and Mike's a very good band vocalist!

We had the traditional omelette breakfast at the Terry's on Christmas morning...yummy as always. (Didn't Mike build a nice Christmas fire?) We usually do a gift exchange, but this year we didn't because we're going on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera together next week! Yay sunshine!

So that was our Christmas: relaxing, enjoying family, playing, and having fun. I'm so thankful for Christmas time and the chance it gives us to think of the Savior and his life, to think of all of our blessings, and to find ways to give to others.

I hope you all had a very merry Christmas!

5 Things...

2008-12-22T17:48:00.004-07:00

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

Learning to drive
Going on my first date with Mike
Cheering at high school sport games (GO WARRIORS!)
Taking piano lessons
Many other silly and embarrassing things that 16-year-old girls do!

5 things on my 'To Do' list today:

Finish Christmas shopping (check)
Vacuum the house (check)
Clean the bathrooms (check)
Help Mike make something for a game at work (check)
Make dinner (probably won't happen!)

5 favorite snacks:

Yogurt covered raisins
Reese's peanut butter cups
Peanut butter M&Ms
Wheat Thins
Fuji apples

5 jobs I've had:

Cleaning office buildings with my dad - YUCK!
Receptionist at the Lifetouch office in SLC
Receptionist at Bryner Clinic (IHC Dr. office) - I worked all over in that building: pediatrics, internal medicine, general surgery, ob/gyn, ENT!
Aide to 3 SLPs in granite district - I did this while I was in school which was so great!
Currently - an SLP in granite district

5 things I'd do with a Million dollars:

Pay off student loans
Buy a house
Buy newer cars
Travel
Invest (good idea Becky and Janene!)

5 people I tag to answer these questions:

Melissa
Ashley
Mollie
Natalie
Michelle

Business Owner!

2008-12-09T17:12:00.002-07:00

Well, since last summer I've become a certified SLP and I've been jumping through all the hoops to get a business license...and it's finally come! YAY! I now have a private practice and am able to work on my own. It's very scary and I'm definitely learning as I go, but it's so exciting! Now I just need to find some clients :-) I've mostly worked with kids, and would prefer to have mainly pediatric clients - but right now beggars can't be choosers! So - if you know anyone who needs a speech therapist please please please give them my info!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T15:01:00.005-07:00

We had Thanksgiving at my parent's house this year. It was a nice, quiet affair - good food and great company! It's hard to believe that it's the holiday season again. I've started putting up my Christmas decorations and it feels like I just took them down! But, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas time.
Lately I've been thinking of all the things I don't have or things I want to have and I need to be more thankful for the things I do have. So, here are some things I'm thankful for (in no particular order):

My wonderful, funny, loving, supportive, creative, smart, hard-working, handsome husband.
My family - all of them: parents, brother, sister, husband, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, mom and dad-in-law, sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws, nephews, nieces, etc. You are all so great - I LOVE YOU!
My membership in the church, and the knowledge and blessings it has brought to my life.
My health.
My job. I love going to work and that's such a blessing. I hope I'm a positive influence in the lives of my students, because they are in mine.
My cute little condo!
The country I live in and the freedoms I enjoy.
My friends, who I should probably keep in touch with better.

I'm a very blessed girl and I need to remember that!

Tag! I'm IT!

2008-11-22T12:24:00.006-07:00

Well, I've been tagged and now whether you're interested or not you get to find out 7 random things about me! Hopefully they're interesting facts - cause I don't think I'm very random!

When I was little (3-4 years old maybe) I was obsessed with Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I wanted red shoes, had a poster of her in my room and I told people that Dorothy was my name! Not sure where it came from! I'm not that obsessed anymore but when I see the Wizard of Oz on TV I just have to watch it!
My mom has the most amazing green eyes I've ever seen and I've always wished that I had eyes the same color as hers. (Mine are green/brown/hazel but hers are GREEN!)
I don't think I'm a picky person as far as food goes - but this week I found out that I am! At SEPs (aka Parent Teacher Conferences) this week the PTA provided dinner for the teachers and staff one of the nights. They made sloppy joes - and I couldn't eat them! (There are 2 foods that I really hate: cooked broccoli and sloppy joes.) I had school lunch at lunch time and saved my home-made lunch for dinner so I wouldn't have to eat those terrible sandwiches!
I can never remember having a favorite color until I was in Junior High (I'm sure I had them, I just don't remember what they ever were). At the beginning of the school year my health teacher was going around the class asking students to say their name and favorite color (it helped her remember our names for some reason!). I decided to say yellow was my favorite color because it wasn't very popular with the other kids - and since that day yellow has been my color of choice!
I've always wished I could be a ballerina.
I have terrible eye sight. I found out last year that they're so bad corrective eye surgery can't give me 20/20 vision! I've had glasses since kindergarten and am trying to accept the fact that I will always have them!
I love to play solitaire on the computer - I find it relaxing and could do it for hours at a time!

So there are my random facts - now you're IT: Lori, Heather, Michelle, Alisa, Jeana, Terri

Body Worlds

2008-11-09T10:14:00.004-07:00

Mike and I went to the Body Worlds exhibit (The Story of the Heart) yesterday. I was so excited to go and wasn't disappointed! At first I felt like I was at Disneyland again - we waited in lines for almost an hour before we got into the exhibit! But it was incredible to see the things they've done with those bodies. Seeing all the veins in your body, your nerves, and the differences between healthy and sick bodies (cancer, strokes, artificial joints, effects of smoking and obesity, etc.). I've learned a lot about the body in my anatomy classes but seeing the body like that was very cool. I'm so grateful for my body and my good health. When I think about how complex our bodies are I'm in awe of Heavenly Father's knowledge, abilities, and power. I don't think I would ever be able to create something as wonderful as a human body. What an amazing gift for us to have! The more I learn about the body the more thankful I am for mine and the more dedicated I am to respect it and keep it healthy and strong.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T07:23:00.004-07:00

We went up to Mollie and Travis' house for a little Halloween get-together on Halloween night. It was fun to see the kids (and adults!) in their costumes. I was a non-threatening witch and Mike was Cornelius (he said it was the guy from Fight Club). I think he got the name tag idea from The Office - I told him to be Jim Halpert (who he kinda looks like) but he wouldn't. We ate some yummy food and had a great time!

Jenni (witch), Melissa, Mia (giraffe), Steve (Bleeker from Juno)
Connor (a baseball player who's name I forgot), Devin (Elvis)

The Mighty Hunter

2008-10-27T18:36:00.005-06:00

Mike went deer hunting with his dad this last weekend and got a deer (oh goodie)! Now we get to have a freezer full of deer jerky to go along with all the rest of the deer and/or elk meat that's already in there. (Can you tell I love it when Mike goes hunting and actually kills something?!) I can't complain this year though, because Mike did leave me a little spending money when he left and I got to go shopping. If you want to know the gory details about how the poor deer died you'll have to ask Mike...but it sounded pretty exciting, he's quite the hunter! I think I'd appreciate his hunting skills more if our family depended on the meat to survive the winter, but we don't, so it's really just something I have to put up with and will probably never appreciate. (Sorry Mike. I love you!)

Trip to California

2008-10-22T17:17:00.008-06:00

Over UEA (sometimes referred to as Utah Escapes to Anaheim) Mike and I along with Mike's sister (Melissa) and her husband (Steve) went on a little trip! We went to Disneyland, Universal Studios, the San Diego Zoo, and Sea World. It was such a blast! The weather was amazing, the parks weren't very busy, and the company was excellent, which makes for a great vacation!
We all love Disneyland - it never seems to get old no matter how many times we go there. Mike and Steve feel like they should write a book on how to go to Disneyland - they pretty much have it down to an art (fast pass strategies, days of the week to go, places to eat, etc.)!
We saw lots of animals when we went to San Diego. Mike and I had never been to the San Diego Zoo before and were pretty excited to go there - it's HUGE! It makes Hogle Zoo look like a joke! (Sorry Hogle Zoo!) They have awesome habitats that let you get pretty close to the animals. After a morning at the zoo went to Sea World - which was cool, I've only been there once (a long time ago) and couldn't remember much about it. I kinda felt bad for the animals, it seemed mean to make them do lots of shows and have them swim around in shallow pools for people to touch all day. I guess it's no different than a circus (or a zoo), but it just seemed weird to me!
Universal Studios was good - nothing quite compares to Disneyland though! There was a fun new Simpsons ride to go on and the good old back lot tour. It really was fun, there were no lines at all which was great!
This was an awesome way to spend my days off from work - even though I feel like I need a vacation to rest from my vacation! Trips can be a lot of work and make you tired, but they are always worth it!

In the Kwik E-Mart at Universal Studios (Note it's Duff energy drink NOT Duff beer!)

Melissa and Steve riding Peter Pan

Escaping from jail - they're so strong!

On Splash Mountain

We're so cute!

Random pictures

2008-10-21T20:22:00.013-06:00

Jumpin on the band wagon!

2008-10-21T18:56:00.001-06:00

Well, I've given in and have decided to start one of these things! I have no idea what I'm doing - but it can't be too difficult if everyone else can do it, right?! I'm sure I'll like it since I'm a prolific journal writer, I'm on journal #21 right now! I guess we'll have to see how it goes - more exciting entries to come. For now enjoy this random assortment of old pictures!