I Gragitated!

So, it's been almost two weeks since this blessed event and I'm just now posting about it.

Actually it was kind of an insane week, to be honest. My parents were here, Nate's parents were here, our friends Adam and Becki were staying at our house, Nate's brother Trav, who just got home from a mission was at our house, my brother, his wife and their little boy came for my graduation. All of these people were around while we re-tiled our kitchen (more on that later) so we basically had no kitchen. My uncle also passed away that week and another sister and her husband and four kids came (they didn't stay with us - there wasn't room!) for the funeral. Then, the following week we went to Moab (more on that as well) and I'm just NOW recovering from all of that!

So here are a few pictures from the day: This was before the ceremony - we took some pictures at the Hinckley Alumni House. I'm pretty sure these two are the reason I made it through college! Thanks for everything!
Here's a picture with Nate and his parents right after the ceremony. Thanks for coming mom and dad! I know it was a crazy week to be away from home!
There is actually an almost identical picture to this one from later in the day, after the ceremony. Very silly. He's a good guy to have around - keeps me from getting stressed out. Love you babe!
This is Nate's grandpa Dewey, who is a picture-taking-home-fixing-knows-everything kind of guy! We sure love having him and grandma Dewey nearby. Thanks for coming Grandpa and Grandma!

This is totally weird, but Nate wanted me to post it. If you have small children, don't let them look at this. :)

Nate was goofing around with the aperture on the camera and took this picture (for those of you who don't know, that's my stuffed animal Johnny that I've had since I was a year old. I still sleep with it.)

Creepy, huh?

So come home to North Dakota....

Nate's little brother Travis got home from his mission to Raleigh North Carolina last week and Dan & Kippy were nice enough to fly us home for the weekend! I took my camera with good intentions to take lots of pictures...and it sat in Kim's car until Sunday afternoon...

I really wanted a family picture with the whole family, but some were a little resistant, so we made it quick...and not that great. Mel took about 5 pictures for me and this was the only one where everyone was at least sort of smiling/not blinking/looking at the camera. Good looking bunch huh? For the past several months, every time I see a picture of Mel I think "that looks like a mix of mom and me when we were in high school." I thought I'd get a cute picture of us to prove my point. Though Mel is WAY cuter/skinnier/good at posing. :)
The Newlyweds! Nate's sister Lindsey got married in December and she's going to kill me if she finds out I posted this picture. :)
Jakey Wakey! This big guy is the reason I am totally okay with having a big dog. If you notice, he's in the family picture too. He's just part of the gang. (This was also an attempt at an action shot for my photography-ness. Not the greatest, but whatever).
And here's the papa. Anyone who knows him well knows he has a mean face that could almost kill you.

This is not it.
Overall, it was a very fun, relaxing weekend. Trav is surprisingly normal (well, by normal I mean not a dorky missionary - he's still a freak) and it was really fun to have everyone together for the first time EVER!

Photography


In January when I realized I would have my whole evenings free, I decided I would need a hobby. I considered some options and decided I wanted to try photography. However, since for the last four months, it has been almost dark when I got home from work, I decided I would wait to start my new fun (instead I watched movies, Friends & Lost all winter).

Now that it's finally warming up (and lighting up) I think I might start trying my hand at it.

The reason I thought of all this was because I was looking through some of our old pictures and found a couple I took that I was kind of impressed with.

This one is at Temple Square at Christmas - they put little floating candles on the reflection pool and I just thought they looked so beautiful.




This was at my cousin Alta's wedding last spring at the Logan temple. There were tulips EVERYWHERE! It kind of reminds me of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!" Doesn't it just look like you could take a walk through the flower bed?!

Anyway, wish me luck on my new hobby! I'll post if I manage to take any good pics.

HAPPY EASTER!

"And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God" (D&C 76:22-24)

Today at work some of the guys were talking about how many shoes girls have and how they just DON'T understand it. There was only one girl in the group that was talking that owned less than 5 pairs of shoes. NONE of the guys owned more than 5. We discussed shoes for awhile and the need we girls have for more than just one pair for each kind of event (dress shoes, tennis shoes, work shoes, etc.) -- different colors, styles, etc. Now, I will grant you, I don't have a lot of shoes - I have enough for my purposes (if I had more money, however, I would have many more shoes).

From there, the conversation turned to purses. What is the need for more than one purse? they asked. One of the guys said something about how he can use the same wallet for years. So I calmly explained to him that it's TOTALLY different.

And here's why: girls don't dress for guys. We may want them to think we look nice, but in the end we don't do it for them. I have a personal example of this: sometimes I will ask Nate to pick clothes for me to wear when we're going out. He'll pick something that he thinks looks good on me. However, in almost every case, it's something I don't think looks very good on me. So I change into something I think I look good in.

We don't dress for guys. And this isn't something new. Jane Austen, in her novel Northanger Abbey, said "Woman is fine for her own satisfaction alone." That book was written 210 years ago! We dress for ourselves and other girls. Going back to the purse thing, when another woman compliments a purse (or shoes, or shirt), it validates us. If another woman who's opinion we respect likes our purse, it's all worth it!


But it made my wonder why? Why do we need/wants lots of shoes and purses? I realize not all girls do, but I am guilty of always wanting a new purse or new shoes. So why?

I have no idea.


Take a look at a study someone did about women's handbags! I only read the beginning, but maybe it has insight. I'll have to read it...

I did it! barely...

I did the Rex Lee 5k Run on Saturday and amazingly, I ran the whole thing. Even more amazingly, I finished in about 30 minutes! Compared to Melissa's 13 miles in 2 hours, that's nothing, but considering I haven't run since last July, I think I did pretty well.

Here I am before the race with Damien & Natalya (they were the only reason I ran the whole thing. I couldn't let them finish TOO far ahead of me. Thanks for running with me guys!)

Ready, set....

Here I am about 20 yards from the finish line. Thanks to my wonderful hubby for taking pictures! :)

And here I am looking ready to die. That's a horrible picture, but it kind of shows how I felt after the race. I couldn't really breathe.

Here is my attempt at a smile. I finished! Yay!

Here's what I learned:

1. Never try to run a 5k if you haven't run to several months.
2. Make sure to stretch. A lot.
3. Wear gloves! (I couldn't feel my hands by the end of the race - they were still tingling by Sat. evening).
4. Having music to jam to would have helped I think.
5. I am not cut out to run marathons, even with lots of training.

Feed people while making yourself smarter!

I was reading People magazine when I came across an article about a man who was trying to inspire his son to study for the SAT. He came up with a computer game that teaches vocabulary words and eventually made it into a website. It doesn't only teach vocabulary however. For every correct answer, this man (John Breen) donates 20 grains of rice to the U.N. World Food Program. The article said he has generated 20 billion grains of rice (enough to feed a million people for a day).

The website is www.freerice.com. I tried it and it's way fun! (I did realize, however, that the only reason I knew half the words I do is from reading Jane Austen books - that's kind of sad). I played for less than 5 minutes and donated 740 grains of rice. That would be a lot of rice if everyone who looks at this blog played for 5 minutes or less (especially if you have a bigger vocabulary than me - which most of you do I'm sure!).

Even if you think it's silly, go play to make your vocab bigger. People will think you're smart. :)

Which Disney Princess are You?

I found this on my sister's friend's blog and thought "why not?" This is amazing. You all should do this.
She is my FAVORITE!!!!! How did they DO that?!?

So click here to see the amazing results and find out which Disney Princess you are. ;)

Thank you Melissa! And Rex Lee!

My cousin ran a half marathon a couple of weeks ago and I thought "I want to do that!" (I seem to want to do what others do a lot....).

So I signed up to run the 5k of the Rex Lee Run. Next Saturday.

I haven't gone running for MONTHS. Literally. That last time I went running was with my father-in-law in July.

I do go to an aerobics class where I get a pretty SWEET workout, but I'll be honest: I'm a little worried I'm going to hurt myself somewhere in those 3 measly miles (I used to run that far and farther several times a week - it's sad how far I have digressed).

So I wanted to publicly thank Melissa for motivating me.

And ask you all to pray for me.

*I'll see if I can convince my husband to be at the finish line so you all can have proof that I CAN in fact run 3.1 miles. Ha ha

YUMMY!!!!

Molten Chocolate Cakes
I have this recipe for an AMAZING, yummy dessert. These are just like the Triple Chocolate Meltdown at Applebee's and SO easy to make (which is a bad thing, in my opinion - we'll just make them more!). We had all the ingredients just on hand and we ususally don't have anything too fantastic around the house. So here it is!

Prep: 20 min Bake: 14 min Stand: 3 min

Baking cocoa
6 oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped (I used 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons butter
3 large whole eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Additional powdered sugar, if desired

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease bottoms and sides of 6-ounce custard cups with shortening and dust with cocoa.

2. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Cool slightly.

3. In large bowl, beat whole eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk or hand beater until well blended. Beat in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar. Beat in melted chocolate mixture and flour. Divide batter evenly among custard cups. Place cups on cookie sheet with sides.

4. Bake 12-14 minutes or until sides are set and centers are still soft (tops will be puffed and cracked). Let stand 3 minutes. Run small knife or metal spatula along sides of cakes to loosen. Immediately place heat proof serving plate upside down onto each cup; turn plate and cup over and remove cup. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar. Serve warm.

So there you go! I just want to add a couple of notes: First of all, you can make them ahead of time and refrigerate them - you will just have to cook them about 2-3 minutes longer. The way to tell if they are done is that the tops will be cracked, like the recipes says. If the top is not cracked, they are not quite done. We learned that the hard way (though they are still REALLY good if the center is really really runny - just not the right affect). The center should ooze out when you take your first bite.

Oh, I'm making myself hungry. :)

(and in case you're wondering, that picture is not mine. I got it off the internet. I have yet to have mine look so good! We usually just eat them before we have time to make them pretty :)

The Winds of Change......or something

My oldest sister recently got a haircut. My first thought when I looked at the pictures was "Oohhh, I want one!" But then I remembered I'm growing my hair out.

Then I thought "Maybe I'll just dye it." But then I remembered I love my hair color.

Then I thought "Maybe I'll buy a console table to go in my living room so IT looks different." But then I remembered we don't have $100+ to spend on silly furniture.

Then I thought "Maybe I'll just rearrange all my furniture to make it sort of different." But then I remembered it won't look good/fit any other way.

Then I thought "I'm a freak. Why does my sister's cutting her hair prompt all this thought process?"

And I realized. It has nothing to do with my sister.

It's all about my dad.

You see, my dad is the kind of person who always likes to be doing something. Even if he builds a brand new house, he has to have a new jeep to fix or an apartment that needs to be remodeled. And I just happen to be very much like my dad in that way. But I can't afford a jeep or a new house to build. But I need change and variety and stuff.

So, I need something different. Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do to have a little variety in myself/my house/etc?

Yay for Amy who has a link to cool blog templates on her blog!

Happy St. Pat's Day! (soon...)

And too bad Easter is in March. I say we ditch the Lunar calendar and just make Easter the same day - like Mother's and Father's Day. That way, we don't get overloaded in one month (ha - like I do anything for St. Pat's Day anyway, except wear my green CTR ring...)

Also, if you notice anyone I forgot on my list (like yourself, for example) PLEASE let me know. Besides the fact that I'm scatterbrained, I did this at work and was kind of distracted. Don't be offended and please just tell me so I can add you! :)

100 Things....

I really love my job. I get super stressed out for a couple of hours, do some basic work for a couple of hours, then play on the internet for the rest of the day!

Since I have the time, I thought I'd do the oh-so-popular 100 things about myself. It seems rather selfish and vain to do, but I know several of you will read it anyway :) So here goes:


1. I want to be a mom more than anything in this world and always have.
2. I love being a wife, even though I'm not very good at it. I was even awarded "Most likely to be the best wife" by my high school graduating class.
3. Ramen is my FAVORITE food in the world.
4. I put ketchup on frozen burritos. My husband thinks it's disgusting.
5. I am a Jane Austen fanatic. I have read all but one of her books and seen all but one movie. And Becoming Jane is one of my favorite movies.
6. I used to be the worst dressed kid around.
7. I didn't kiss a boy until I was 18 - my first kiss was 8 days before I graduated from high school.
8. I received the Ernest Hemingway Writing Award from the Kansas City Star my senior year. It was a $2,500 scholarship.
9. I also received the North Dakota High School Journalist of the Year Award.
10. Even after the journalism awards, I did not major in journalism. I majored in Home and Family Living.
11. From August 2006-January 2008 (less than a year and a half), I have had 5 jobs and my favorite job EVER has been waitressing.
12. My favorite book in the world is A Tale of Two Cities.
13. My favorite number is 23 (because of #12, my fave book).
14. I have been to 7 countries and 35 states (I think...)
15. I have not been to Disneyland since I was 3 years old (I remember the Dumbo ride and Pirates of the Caribbean).
16. Before I got married, my only close female friends were sisters and cousins.
17. I have eaten a baby/miniature squid -- the whole thing.
18. I have lived in Russia - twice.
19. I think the Russian language is the most beautiful (Italian is right up there with it).
20. I was going to convince my dad to take my to Italy the summer after my sophomore year of college. I got married instead.
21. My husband and I met on a blind date set up by my mom.
22. While I was dating my husband was the first time I didn't have the desire to date other people at some point in the relationship.
23. I bite my fingernails and have since I was 7 years old.
24. I love homes that have creatively/beautifully decorated interiors, but I'm not creative enough to make mine look good.
25. I LOVE broccoli.
26. The only vegetables I don't like (but will still eat anyway) are onions, peppers and purple cabbage. I like the rest.
27. I tried on more than 50 wedding dresses before I found the one I chose.
28. I love watching most kinds of movies and my favorite movie in the world is "While You Were Sleeping"
29. I go through stages where I don't like to be around people, even Nate.
30. I don't love chocolate, like most women - I think my husband likes it more than me. That doesn't mean I don't eat it, but most of the time, I can do without it.
31. I am easily persuaded in most things.
32. I tend to act like people I'm around a lot. I think if I lived in the south, I would have a southern accent in about 2 weeks.
33. I LOVE wearing high heels and I am slowly but surely ruining my feet.
34. I'm not very good at cooking, but I'm pretty good at baking and LOVE it.
35. I LOVE to clean. I get mad at my husband when he cleans something he knows I like to (like vacuuming or cleaning the bathroom).
36. I enjoy traveling. I want to travel the world someday. I like seeing new places, but I don't like getting there because...
37. I get motion sick really easily. Car sick, especially but also boat sick and sometimes plane sick.
38. My two favorite names (what I wanted to name my first boy and girl) used to be Ethan and Ellie. Then, 2 years later, every other baby had those names!
39. When I was 3, I quoted a line of Ursula's from The Little Mermaid to our 60 year old neighbor. I've been quoting movies ever since.
40. Once I decide I like a song, I'll sometimes listen to it OVER and OVER (right now it's "Fall for You" by Secondhand Serenade....)
41. Before Nate, I dated guys who were an average of 6 feet (a few a little shorter, some taller).
42. I love swimming.
43. My junior year of high school I pinched my rotator cuff in both shoulders and couldn't swim anymore.
44. My appendix ruptured when I was 10.
45. I like Backstreet Boys, even though I'm not 14.
46. I prefer to write cursive over print. I can write faster that way.
47. I am horrible at remembering to take pictures when I want a memory of something.
48. I remember dates very easily. I know all of my family's birthdays. However, for some reason I have a hard time remembering my husband's birthday. It's either the 18th or 19th and for some reason, I always forget which.
49. I organize like CRAZY.
50. Salt and Vinegar chips are my favorite. I once ate three vending machine bags of them in less than two days.
51. I get headaches from smells that are too strong (gasoline, smelly lotion, etc.)
52. The only bone I have ever broken was a hairline fracture in my foot from playing on some monkey bars.
53. In 8th grade, I basically became a clone of one of the "popular" girls at school (dressed like her, did my hair like her, ate what she ate for lunch).
54. In 9th grade, I realized people liked me because of who I was (ah, junior high enlightenment).
55. My longest crush was for 8 years (I'm not saying who...) :)
56. I once sprinted a mile because I was so angry about something that I ran faster and faster for 10 full blocks.
57. I ran hurdles in high school.
58. I tripped over the 5th hurdle in the 300's during regionals my senior year in front of at least 500 people.
59. I got a Tickle-me Elmo the year they were selling for $1,500. Mine was a Christmas gift from someone I still don't know.
60. I know it's lame, but I like to stay up-to-date on celebrity news. Except Britney Spears. I'm sick of her.
61. In 9th grade, people told me I looked like Britney Spears.
62. My senior year of high school, I cut 10 inches of my hair and donated it to Locks of Love.
63. I once had a migraine that lasted 3 days. I couldn't get out of bed and when I did, I fainted.
64. I used to hate spicy foods, but since I married Nate, I eat spicy food a LOT. And like it.
65. I LOVE ballroom dancing (watching and doing).
66. I would love to live in Boston or San Diego or near any coast(unfortunately, my husband refuses...prices, politics, etc.)
67. I am a spontaneous person (I am less than I used to be since I married Nate who over analyzes everything and has taught me to analyze a little bit).
68. I love back massages, foot massages, hand massages, etc. etc. My poor hubby...
69. Someday I want to go to either cosmetology school or culinary school or a trade school to do interior design.
70. There was no hot water in the church the day I got baptized; one kid backed out because the water was so cold!
71. My favorite church calling so far has been the activities committee.
72. Half my ward is pregnant. The other half has a kid. And I'm only sort of exaggerating. This makes me more baby hungry.
73. I hate ice in my drinks and (with the exception of milk) would prefer my drinks room temperature.
74. I daydream all the time. If I'm not daydreaming I'm replaying a conversation in my mind (and changing what I should have said, so...turning it into a daydream).
75. In high school, I cross stitched all the time and made several quilts.
76. When I was a teenager, I spent hours on the phone. Now (with the exception of talking to my mom and occasionally my siblings) I usually spend as little time as possible on the phone.
77. When people ask for embarrassing moments I never know what to say because I forget mine (on purpose, subconsciously).
78. I love change, but rarely experience it (I don't buy new clothes that often, don't cut/color my hair often, live in the same place, etc). I think that's why I change jobs and used to change boys so often. That's so bad.
79. I get annoyed with people easily and have to force myself to realize that they're good people, despite what my mean mind thinks.
80. I love cloudy days. I wouldn't want them all the time (I just recently realized this), but occasionally, they make my day.
81. I hate contention. Nate and his brothers & friends will have "discussions" that seem to just be fighting and I get really uncomfortable. For the first several months of our marriage, when we would argue, I would just shut down because I hated fighting (still hate it, but I will hold my ground better now).
82. Reading magazines makes me nauseous. Not because of what the magazines say, but something about reading them makes me feel ill. It doesn't happen with books. Just magazines.
83. I love living in the same town as family and hate that I have no siblings in Utah right now.
84. I pretend to hate cheezy, love lines from movies, but secretly they give me chills.
85. Music has such a powerful affect on me.
86. If I wasn't LDS (and what that statement implies) I would wear halter tops all the time. I love my shoulders.
87. I think really dark brown eyes are amazing. I also think bright blue eyes (like Nate's) are pretty brilliant (hopefully our kids will have a mix!).
88. I have this ongoing battle in my mind of knowing that I need to eat healthy and loving to eat junk food.
89. I tend to hold grudges. I hate that I do, but have such a hard time forgetting when people have hurt me.
90. I used to be a night owl, but when I got married that changed. Now I hate mornings and really late nights. :)
91. I have claustrophobia and can remember the first time I felt that trapped feeling. It still makes me tense up just to think about it.
92. I am horrible at keeping in touch with people. I know what 2 friends from high school are doing and have no idea what any of my freshman roommates are up to.
93. I usually remember numbers and dates really well. Ask me my first crush's address (first grade). I can still remember it.
94. I HATE cold weather. I would much rather be sweating than shivering.
95. I love camping and I think it's mostly because I get to play with fire.
96. I love watching the food network - Iron Chef America is my favorite. :)
97. At the moment, I have a LOST obsession. Some nights I will watch it for about 4 hours.
98. I stole chap stick when I was 7. My mom caught me and made me go back to the store and pay for it.
99. I hate doing things I'm not good at (card games, sometimes cooking, etc.) because I hate looking stupid/incompetent (who doesn't, really).
100. After I post this, I will mostly likely think of several things I wish I had posted instead of what I posted.

I actually wrote this a couple of weeks ago and saved it until now to post, just in case I wanted to change some of my answers. That probably tells you something else about me.

Nate the Great!

I'm stealing Annie's spouse tag! :) Since my husband has yet to have any interest in starting/contributing to blogging, I'll just embarrass him by talking about him (plus, I have nothing to do at work right now....)!

What is his name? Nathan Andrew (which he would have you all know, means "manly") Frakes

How long have you been married? 20 months

How long did you date? 2 months, then we were engaged for 3 (look at that - we've been married 4 times as long as we knew each other before we got married!)

How old his he? 23

Who eats more? Probably me, which is pathetic. In fact, last year I gained weight and he lost. No good.

Who said I love you first? We still have a dispute about this I think. He said it in a text message (so maybe that doesn't count?), so he says I said it first. But honestly, I think we just can't remember.

Who is taller? Nate

Who can sing better? If one of us is actually trying? We both tend to belt horribly, but I probably sing better when I'm trying.

Who is smarter? Definitely Nate.

Who does the laundry? Alisa (though Nate does help fold when he has time)

Who does the dishes? Both, but mostly me because I have more time (and despise it less).

Who pays the bills? Alisa. Nate reminds and advises and asks how much money we have.

Who sleeps in the right side? Looking at the bed: me

Who mows the lawn? We both really like to. Nate used to own a lawnmowing business, so he usually does the edge trimming, but I really like to so I don't let him have all the fun!

Who cooks dinner? Usually me. Occasionally when I'm sleeping on Sunday and he's starving, Nate will make something. He's a much better cook though. If he had more time, I think he would more. He actually wants to send me to culinary school someday....That shows what kind of cook I am.

Who drives? Either. Depends on who wants to.

Who is more stubborn? Define stubborn - less willing to give in to views that are not his own? Nate. Actually any way you define it, it's Nate.

Who kissed who first? Nate kissed me first.

Who asked who out first? My mom asked Nate to take me out. Does that count? :) He got my number from my mom and asked me out first.

Who proposed? Nate, of course. And he did it one of the few ways I had always thought I wanted to be proposed to. How did he know? :)

Who has more friends? Definitely Nate. His friends have become my friends and that's about all I have (that we spend time with).

Who is more sensitive? Definitely me. I'm getting better at not getting offended, though.

Who has more siblings? Me by 2.

Who wears the pants? Nate does, but I give advice and make suggestions, which he's great about listening to.

Since my last post delivered so much commentary, I thought I would post something that will probably not get a single comment. Maybe one or two. :)

I saw this idea on someone else's blog and just tried it with the book I had, so here goes:

Instructions:
1. Grab the nearest book (that is at least 123 pages long).
2. Open to p. 123.
3. Go down to the 5th sentence.
4. Type in the following 3 sentences.
(There was an instruction to tag five people, but I figure if you want to do this, you will)

I will be amazed at anyone who can name this novel (except Nathan and AJ), but you can try!

"Born to the prospect of such affluence! I cannot conceive of a situation more deplorable. The interest of two thousand pounds -- how can a man live on it!"

Men are from Mars.....

I used to mock my husband for always talking about this radio talk show host he listens to all the time. Well, here I am, talking about the same talk show radio host. His name is Dennis Prager and yesterday he did an interview with the guy who wrote the book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus," as well as a new book entitled "Why Mars and Venus collide" (I think that's the title). Anyway, John Gray, the author, basically reaffirmed VERY well the difference between men and women.

I am amazed that there are people in this world who believe men and women are basically the same. I don't mean to offend anyone, so please don't be if you believe that. But here's the thing: you see it everywhere. Little kids whose parents don't want them to be part of the stereotypical males/female roles will give their sons dolls and daughters trucks.

And you know what always happens?

The little boys turn the dolls into guns or swords and the little girls give their trucks names, tuck them into bed and invite them to tea parties! If you think about it, even homosexual couples have gender roles. There is always a more masculine partner and more feminine partner. Why is that?

Because IT'S NATURAL.

Anyway, that's not at all what the talk show segment is about. I just had to get on that soapbox for a minute. The talk show is mostly about the differences in how men and women deal with stress. It must be true because I found myself chuckling the whole way through at the TRUTH of what John Gray was saying!

Anyway, if you have the time, it's really interesting and worth the time - the whole segment is just over 30 minutes, but even listening to the first 10 is beneficial.

So here it is: Mars vs. Venus

Hey, for those of you thinking you'd rather not vote in November because you don't agree with either candidate (and all of you that are interested in the fate of this country....as I once again am - my resignation is over) read this article: Better than the alternative...

By the way, Michael Reagan is Ronald Reagan's oldest son. I think that gives a little more credence to this article.

Here's a cute little picture to go with it:

Strike is over!

This is completely contradictory to Shan's great post, but I thought I'd share the news: the Writer's Guild of America Strike is over! Do you realize what this means?!?

Great shows are back from reruns.

And probably better than ever since writers have had 14 weeks to come up with amazing plot ideas!!

For the depressed...

I talked to my brother and sister-in-law last night about Romney's decision to suspend from the race. They mentioned how upset they were by it and I realized I wasn't as much as I thought I would be. I think I owe it all to Adam Johnson. If you want to feel better about the whole political situation, check out his blog. The link to it is in my links under Brett Bubbles :) -- don't ask.

I resign.

I just wanted to let you all know, I am resigning from my interest in politics.

I don't like being an angry person and after yesterday, I'm just angry. Every news website -- actually nearly EVERY website -- I've seen today is just MAKING ME ANGRY. So I resign. No more politics.

But you're welcome to let me know if something good happens....

Something that might make me change my mind about finding a new country to live in.

Politics...usually not my topic....

My sister AJ and I have been talking politics a lot over the past couple of days. Since I'm married to a political freak :) I have learned a lot about the candidates and issues this time around and am actually amazed at how opinionated I am about the candidates. Basically (and I'm sorry if this offends anyone) I can't understand how any morally descent person could vote for McCain. Even if you agree with some of his policies/ideas/etc., his life resembles Bill Clinton's too closely for comfort (except McCain shows no remorse...). I know people say you shouldn't let a man's personal life affect your vote for him, but I can't help it (plus, I disagree with some of his views on issues). Anyway, AJ showed me this website that gives information about each of the candidates. If you have time, take a look. I would say specifically look at the difference in the bios for Romney and McCain. The stark difference between them really just baffles me. Anyway...that's my rant... :) Here's the website: Presidential Election 2008 Candidates

The Miracle of Babies

Read this article: How my twins saved my life. My jaw literally dropped at how amazing this story was. Enjoy!

Succession of a Prophet

I have loved reading what others have posted about President Hinckley and can honestly say "ditto" to everything I've read. He was and incredible man and touched my life in more ways than I can say. I've thought a lot in the last week about things he taught in my youth that completely affected the very path of my life. What an incredible man!

While I honor President Hinckley, I have a slightly different purpose for this post. It is a VERY long post and I won't be at all offended if it's not all read, but I think it's important stuff, so if you have time, please read it. This morning I googled President Hinckley and read a news article in the Salt Lake Tribune about who would succeed President Hinckley. These are the words of the article: "President Hinckley died Sunday; if tradition holds, the first counselor will take the helm."

I figured that a Utah newspaper, however liberal it may be, would at least be able to get the facts right about the MAJOR religion of the state. For some reason, it really frustrated me and maybe it's because during our ward's testimony meeting yesterday, people seemed to intentionally avoid saying that Elder Monson would be the next prophet and president of the Church. That got me thinking that maybe people don't know the doctrine of succession in the Church and perhaps many do think tradition has something to do with it.

So the purpose of this post is to enlighten those who may not know this doctrine and maybe it will reach the Salt Lake Tribune since I have no idea how I would write a letter to the editor...

The next prophet in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not, as some people think, the first counselor in the First Presidency. In fact, when the prophet passes away, the First Presidency is dissolved. Those of you who watched President Hinckley's funeral noticed that Thomas S. Monson introduced himself not as President Monson, but as ELDER Monson. An article on BYU's website that Nate pointed out to me explains really well the principle of succession. Click here to read that. The article states that everything is done in seniority. Elder Monson is the senior apostle, which is why he will be the next prophet - not because he was the first counselor. I think there is this idea that the next prophet is chosen by the twelve apostles through revelation -- that's what I used to think at least. However, that is not the case. Nate was telling me about something he heard -- and of course I've forgotten who said it -- that the Lord has created this principle of succession for a reason. If he doesn't want the next most senior apostle to be the president of the church, then basically (and I don't mean for this to sound callous) that person will no longer be alive to fulfill that responsibility. That's how the Lord handles succession of leadership.

Another interesting position in all of this is that of Elder Boyd K. Packer. To be perfectly honest, I didn't understand this, so that's why I'm posting about it now that my husband has enlightened me. I think this is important to know, especially since we're in this situation and it really is doctrine, so we should know it. Anyway, Elder Packer has been the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He wasn't actually the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. President Monson was. But since President Monson was in the First Presidency, he couldn't act as the president of the quorum. So Elder Packer acted for him, basically. Now that President Hinckley has passed away and the First Presidency has been dissolved, Elder Packer is no longer the acting president of the quorum.

One final important key to all of this (no pun intended) is that of Priesthood keys. Elder Nelson wrote an article concerning this idea that can be found at LDS.org and is entitled "Keys of the Priesthood." The President of the Church (the most senior apostle) is the only person on the earth who holds all the keys of the Priesthood. The 12 apostles, combined, hold all the keys, but the current prophet is the only man who holds ALL of them. After the death of the President of the Church, the Apostles meet and bestow all the keys on the new leader of the Church.

I hope this was as clear as I wanted it to be. I think the SL Tribune article really got to me and I just wanted to clarify as much for myself as for all of you. Please, if you hear someone discussing this matter, join in and share what you know. As silly as it may sound, just knowing all this and learning more about it because we're in the midst of it has strengthened my testimony of this principle. The Lord knows what he's doing with his Church on this earth. He will never let his children be led astray. In fact, President Woodruff said in the 61st Semiannual General Conference "The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty." How true that is. I believe that the succession of leaders of the church is the Lord's way of preventing what President Woodruff talked about.

Sorry this is so long. If you have any further insights, please share! That way, maybe I won't feel too preachy. :)

The WHOLE Clan!

For Christmas, we managed to get the entire Cox family together, which was quite the feet and quite fun! Besides this family picture, we really didn't have any structured activities (though, the guys started an igloo that everyone ended up helping with)!

This is just a cute picture of the youngest niece and nephews, who had a blast playing together! I have a feeling each one is looking at his/her own parent in this picture.... :) I also have a feeling the next "batch" is on it's way soon! (no, that's not an announcement -- I know you're all thinking it).

Hey, check out this website. A friend mentioned it and I checked it out today. I had no idea this existed, but it's interesting and helpful! Click here.
Enjoy! :)

Ramblings....about books.....please read if you're looking for something good to read!
I started a new job last week and they don't have my computer system set up to do my job yet, so I'm left to do whatever I want in my little cubicle. For awhile I surfed the internet and looked at blogs and pictures of celebrities for several hours. Then I wised up and started reading a book. First I read "My Antonia" which was a good book, but nothing fantastic. I would compare it to "Little House on the Prairie" but for an older age level. It was not very challenging though (I mean that in the sense of getting me to think about what it meant).

Once I finished that, I decided to read a book one of my roommate read in college. I knew nothing about it, but saw it in the library and thought I'd give it a try. It's called "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. I've only ever read one of his books -- "The Pearl" -- and I hated it. I didn't understand it and the ending was depressing, so I was a little leary of reading Steinbeck again. As I first started to read, I didn't really like it, but I figured I'd give it a little more time. And I'm very glad I did. It's an incredible book. I tried to explain to Nate why I like it so much, but I couldn't. I think I just like the way Steinbeck writes and that it forces me to think about what he's writing and actually put myself there. I could try to give a synopsis of the book, but I would end up making it sound horrible or give something away. Basically, it's the story of Cain & Abel, but told in such a subtle way, you have to pay close attention to catch that. I highly recommend it. It does have language, whorehouses (no explicit details) and "thematic elements" -- the villain is the worst I've ever read -- It's a pretty deep read, but worth it in my opinion.

I made a list of the books I want to read -- it's about 25 books long and I know I'm forgetting several books -- so expect lots of posts about good books (especially if I don't get work to do soon! :)

If I do this enough times I might just get everyone on my list. I did another one with my hair in a ponytail that I refuse to post. My top choice was Howard Dean. Paul Newman was also on my list...But hey! I look like Vanna White apparently. And all those kids in junior high were wrong. None of them have included Brittney Spears (luckily...I can't imagine the comments I would get on that!)

So there you have it. I look like Condoleezza Rice. And Beyonce. I actually tried it first of a picture of me with my glasses on. Not a good idea. Larry King was on my list. Yikes.

Also, on the same website you make this, you can morph yourself into one of the celebrities you look like. I morphed myself into Dakota Fanning and midway through, it really looked like a picture of me when I was younger! Cool stuff.

I know, I know. I said that once I was done with school, I would post more. I've been done with school for almost a month and here I am! I don't have any pictures to post because I don't take pictures. However, now that I am not in school and my husband is still as busy as last semester, I've decided I need a hobby. And I think it might be photography. I was looking at a friend's website and loved the pictures they had taken (not sure if it was the wife or husband who took the pictures -- not important). Anyway, it got me thinking that it's something inexpensive that could be really cool! I took a couple of pictures at my cousin Alta's wedding that I really liked, so I might have the knack for it. Who knows...I guess you'll find out if I start posting random, non-person pictures, huh?
My husband's best friend's wife has a blog on which she puts things she's been thinking about - kind of like a journal that the world can read. I guess that's what blogs are supposed to be, but I guess I always thought of them as somewhere to post pictures (they are that as well). Anyway, I may be posting more because I want to share something, just for the sake of sharing. That way, it's like something I might forward in an e-mail, but it's your choice to look at it (don't worry, it won't be those lame-o, cheesy, "if you don't pass this on, your lungs will catch on fire" kind of things.
That's all. I have a feeling no one will be reading these. That was pretty boring.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
I know you're all amazed that I'm posting...but I told you when I had more time I would. And since I get this beautiful three day break, I thought I post some pictures of Thanksgiving with the Frakes. So...here goes!

Frakes Family (minus Travis)

Good lookin' guys!
Pretty Ladies (no, I'm not pregnant - I definitely think I look like it...apparently I slouch a bit)
Our Christmas Picture!
Paige and me!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and thought about all we have to be thankful for. Despite my constant complaining about school, I'm so grateful to be getting an education and that I am able to finish. I'm grateful for all of you and the love we share as family and friends! Enjoy the Christmas season!

Okay, so I'm completely copying Melissa, but I wanted to tell everyone about this movie Nate and I went to and I didn't want to wait until I talked to everyone (since I talk to most of you about once every three months!) The movie is called Stardust -- I'm sure most of you have heard of it and maybe some of you thought what I thought "That looks so dumb." Nathan, however, heard good things about it and decided we should go. I ended up loving it. It's one of my favorite movies that quick. The music is great, the effects are pretty cool. It's strange, I'll grant you. You start out thinking "what is this movie" but end up liking the idea if you can get into the whole fantasy thing. I recommend it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet! Thanks for the idea Melissa! And we will totally take you up on the offer for the Hula Hut when we come to visit....

Okay, I have 20 minutes until class, so I'm gonna make this quick.... :) So here's my meme....
The rules are...
A. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
B. Tag seven people to do the same.
C. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag "whoever wants to do it".

1. I have a shoe and purse fettish. I never really buy them because usually the ones I like most are too expensive, but I always notice people's shoes and stop in every store that has either shoes or purses. Plus, to make matters worse, my shoes, belt, purse, etc. need to match. I'm getting better about not making my purse match, but for a kid who wore the most random outfits, I sure like to have my clothes match a lot now. That kind of turned into two things, huh?

2. I don't like M&M's (just the plain ones), because someone told me one time that you have to run the length of a football field to burn it off. That's all I think about when I see plain M&M's. However, I have no problem eating peanut M&M's or peanut butter M&M's both of which I think are less healthy, so I'm not sure what that's about.

3. I am super baby hungry. And it's not really for brand new babies (though they are cute). It's more like "Toddler hungry" - from about age 1 year-3 years. I think they're so cute and I want one. :)

4. Kind of going along with the last one, I think pregnant people are so cute. I've never talked to a woman who actually thought she was cute while she was pregnant, so I don't think I will of myself, but I think the clothes are cute and just that cute little bump!

5. My favorite thing to do in life is watch a good movie. Seriously. I LOVE watching movies and if make me sound totally lazy. Maybe I am!

6. Sometimes I open my eyes during prayers to watch the person who is praying, just to see what their facial expression is like. Some people are just kind of stoned-faces and some people really get expressionate (is that a word?). I know I really shouldn't do that, and I don't all the time, but if it just seems like the person might be showing expression, I'll open my eyes, just to check.

7. My favorite food in the world is Ramen. I know most people say it's gross and only eat it because it's cheap, but it is my FAVORITE and has been since I was about 4. I know it's really bad for me, but I just love the taste (probably because it's so salty and I love salty foods!).

So that's that. I'm not sure if I did it right, but there you go. Off to class I go!
Oh, and the 7 people are: Melanie, Suzie, Dad, Ryan Harding, Christine Harding, Emily (I can't remember if you already got tagged), & Shan (same as Em).

I saw Em's post and realized I don't need to post pictures to say hi and explain why I haven't posted. My reason isn't the same as Em's (in fact, I should probably give Em my camera for awhile...). To explain my lack of blogging, I need to explain my life right now. Here's an average day: I wake up at about 6:30 or 7 (depending on how tired I am), go to work for about 8 hours, go to school for 2 1/2 to 5 hours, do homework until I pass out, do it all again the next day. Oh and weekends consist of homework. :)
Nate and I decided right before this new semester started that since he would be doing the accounting junior core (which, we were told over and over was hell on earth) and I would never see him anyway, PLUS we figured out it would be cheaper this way, I am now taking 17 1/2 credits of night classes while working full time during the day (but there's a light at the end of the tunnel - I will graduate in December!!!). Needless to say, we don't have time to do anything that would make very interesting pictures. To add to that, our camera card isn't working. We can take pictures, but we can't get them off the camera. The plan is to get a new card, but we don't have time for that (I use that phrase a lot lately :)
But for those of you who actually still check our blog from time to time, know that I look at yours and love to hear what's going on in your lives. And just for information, I just found out the girl I work with is pregnant, which leaves only 1 other married friend who isn't pregnant...what can I say, I'm feeling the pressure! :) But no, not pregnant. Can you imagine me pregnant and working full time and taking night classes full time? That's a joke. :) Hopefully you all will hear from me again...someday... Love you!
Alisa & Nate

I feel terrible. I think I was the first one (at least from our family) to start a blog and I now look at all of your cute posts and never put anything. Part of the reason is because we don't have internet at our house anymore. I'm hoping once school starts again I'll be able to find time to add stuff while I'm on campus (by then, however, Nathan will have started the accounting program and everyone tells me I won't see him for the next few months, so maybe I won't have much to post...) The point of this is, I feel terrible that I haven't posted and actually have some pictures to post, so I'll do that as soon as I get the chance! Until then, we're doing great and look the same! :) We love you all!

Take the Quiz here!

AJ showed me this link and I think I knew a long time ago I was most like her. Take the quiz! It's really fun (especially if you're a Jane Austen freak like me)!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

ALTA'S MARRIED!!!

I finally used my camera again. I had a great excuse! And I thought I'd share with those of you that couldn't be at Alta's wedding how beautiful she looked, how beautiful the day was and how much fun we had! (And of course, how much we missed all of you...)








Here's the happy couple and something you'll never see again -- Michael holding a pretty little bouquet (though I've seen lots of pictures of guys holding the bouquet at some point in the picture taking...)















I decided we needed some new pictures of us that weren't from Moab, so we took a few at the wedding. Cute, huh? :)









She looked so beautiful! She said I should have been crying in this picture because she was crying in our picture together at my wedding.









The flowers on the temple grounds were beautiful. I think I took too many, but this was my favorite.

LOOK I'M POSTING!!!!!

It's even before the 21st! :) However, Nathan and I apparently have forgotten that we have a new, nice camera that takes great pictures. We really haven't taken many. But I will post some from our trip to Moab. That seems to be the only cool thing in our lives. Moab. :)This is the first picture we have from Moab in the few times we've been there that I look HUMAN. It was insanely cold that weekend and it rained most of the time we were there (we decided this would be a good time to camp...)
I was in a semi-bad mood this day (probably partly because none of us got any sleep because Darren heard someone outside the girls' tent and no one slept well for the rest of the night). But my hubby still loves me, despite my crabbiness! :)

Okay, you were probably expecting more from me, but I'll be honest -- I don't have anything cute to take pictures of. Nathan and I are pretty boring compared to all ya'lls chilluns. :) But we both want you all to know that we love you and think of you often! If I can figure out the One True Media thing, I'll post a sweet video too. :)

For those of you who are wondering if I dropped off the face of the earth when I started this new job...I have. :) Or at least I feel like it. I promise to post pictures sometime between now and April 21. :) I know that's a long time, but that's when I'm done with school and have spring break at work. Until then, know that I love all your pictures and will try to be better. :) I love you all!

I got a new job! I am the new office manager at Kids Village, a preschool/elementary school for children from 2 years old through fourth grade. I love it! I get to spend the whole day with kids and work in an office! I'm very excited about it (though I am changing my whole graduation plan for it... :) I don't have any pictures, but if you're curious, the website it www.kidsvillage.net.

Okay, so I realize this isn't a picture of me, but I thought this was a great picture of grandma and grandpa with a cute little addition. Hopefully they'll still be around when I have a little cutie to take pictures with them!
...And the next generation of grandpa. Poor Mr. Charlie who would only go to sleep being bounced a certain way...grandpa did a pretty good job, huh?
On our drive home, we needed a break after driving across the reservation in Arizona, so we stopped at the north edge of the grand canyon and took some fun pictures. And Stella was in a great mood (and AJ and I were a little bit too hyper :)




And since I don't really put many pictures of Nathan and I (and since this is supposed to be a blog of US) I thought I'd put one of our cute engagement pictures back when my hair would do what I wanted it to. :) Plus, it's a good picture, eh? I think we look like clothing models. He he

This is me in my new glasses. In case you didn't know, I got glasses. :) I have been having trouble reading and getting lots of headaches, so I went to the eye doctor and found out I need them for reading, but also that I have astigmatism -- three times worse in my right eye than my left!
Last Friday, Nathan, his friend Damien, his girlfriend Natalya and I decided to do something super crazy. We went to the hot springs down by Fillmore when it was probably about 0 degrees outside. This is what happened to our hair by the time we got from the spring back to the car (about 200 yards of running to keep from getting hypothermia). It was an adventure, but I don't think I'll ever do it again when it's that cold!

Okay, I'll admit this pictures pretty gross, but I wanted you all to see my owie. I fell on the ice when I was walking to work one morning and ripped my favorite pants and ruined my favorite shoes, as well as ripping up my knee and foot. It still hurts. :(
And the best picture! I promised at least Melanie and mom that I would take a picture with Stella in her Ugs. She's such a cute, silly little munchkin. She also has some very-80's-style high top tennis shoes. They're pretty awesome. :)