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!