Don't even worry, I posted twice today....

So I am obviously quite behind on posting. Two months behind actually. I have yet to post about the So You Think You Can Dance tour, our last get together at Dell's house (which is the post below this, so please scroll on down to see that), New York, my nephew's birthday party, my little brother and sister's birthday party, etc. Yeah. But at least I killed 2 birds with one stone by posting twice today! Woot! Anyways, this is us at Katie's house for our October party. All but 2 were able to make it!! We had so much fun, her theme was "Favorite Things" like Oprah does on her show. So we all had to bring a favorite thing and then got to go home with someone else's. SUCH a fun idea. She also made taco soup in "pumpkin" bread bowls, hot chocolate, cookies, candy, the works. We ate, swapped favorite things, and then because there are so many of us (and we all talk over each other and have side conversations) we never get to hear all about everyone's lives. So she had these questions in a bowl and each of us picked out 2 questions and then thats how we talked all night. It was SO fun. the questions were like "Whats the most in love you've ever been?", or "what was the most courageous thing you've ever done?", or "What is the best thing you've ever spent money on?". So we went around the circle and listened to everyone and talked specifically with them about their question. I LOVED IT.

This is Katie giving away her favorite thing, which happen to be wearing hoodies. So she gave the cutest hoodie (hello $$$ Katie, we were not suppoed to spend that much, you punk) to Brooke who drew her name.
Sheena and Hadlee Jo. She was wearing the cutest little outfit! Sheena said she was excited cuz she is now just starting to fit into actual baby clothes. I need to eat her one of these days.

This is Tori giving her favorite candle and sent. I think it was citrus flavored. What, you guys don't eat your candles?

The yummy pumpkin bowl taco soup number. Seriously tasty. Kira made mine for me cuz I couldn't cut make my bowl without mauling it. Thanks Kir.

Hi Weight Watchers cookies that tasted like heaven. Thanks for being so delicious to my tummy, AND being low cal. Super nice of you.

Haley being inventive with bread. Always a plus when you can double your hat as a snack.

Miss Meg. I'm not sure what happened but at some point in the night she got crap all over her shirt. Oops. I'm not sure how she's gonna get that out, I hear it stains.... Hehehehehe (I tease, I tease)

Dell showcasing Katie's awesome Halloween cups. Seriously, every detail was thought of. Katie went all out ya'll.

Sheena, Tori, and Dell. Hot sexy mamma's.

So, a tid bit about Katie. Where do you start with this girl? Honestly, she is one of the most fun people I know. She is crazy and daring, silly and sweet, hardworking and dedicated. I have never met anyone as determined as her to meet a goal she sets for herself. She is also one of the most thoughtful people I know. Katie is always doing nice things for people and in any gift she gives, or party she throws, or card she writes, her whole heart goes into it. You can always spot the gift Katie brought because it is always so put together and elaborate. She is an incredibly creative person, and is always putting that to use. This girls got guts and she's not afraid to get up infront of a crowd of people. She is able to laugh at herself, and not take life too seriously. I have so many memories with Katie, it's hard to know where to begin. Tube socks, highschool cheerleading, camps, going on "crime runs", the beetlejuice mask, spying(hehe), the leprechaun, her rap music always blaring in her car (juan was it?), her talking herself out of 8 speeding tickets in about one year (even going as far as getting out of the car to "throw up"), boys, dancing, her being mine and my highschool boyfriend's therapist, Lake Powell, senior trip, Mesquite, her to-die-for 6 pack, her getting in trouble with our guys friends in Vegas cuz they were worried she looked too sexy (she was wearing shorts, she just has THAT bangin of a body), her witch performance in the 9th grade play, her eating cereal 2 inches from her face, her albums and albums of pictures, going to spend a weekend with her at her sisters in Cali with Brooke, the pinky toe, silver toe nail polish, silver jewelry, laying out and her getting tan and me getting burned, living a summer in Hawaii with her and Brooke, skydiving, running for 3 hours in the rain (ok that was just you, we all stopped at like 45 minutes), eating plate fulls of $.25 pineapple and making our mouths raw, doing her hair for her wedding, and watching her be the cutest dang pregnant chick out there. Needless to say, I love this girl. Thanks for your friendship Katie, for being such an example to me, and for all the fun memories we've had and the next to come. Love you!!!

So You Think You Can Rock?

So I am an AWESOME rock star. Pretty sure in my next life I'm coming back as Rhianna post Disturbia....I mean, the "sleeve tattoo's" I rocked at this month's get together WERE purchased at Walmart for $4. But Still. I play a mean drum set, and even meaner guitar. September's get together was at Dell's house. She threw a "Rockstar Party" and we played Rock Band and had to come dressed the part. Hence the sleeve's. Although don't put it past me to just randomly sport them to places that have no need. Ok, I'm lying. Maybe. Anyways, Dell went ALL out for her party and it was so much fun! She even did HER OWN mohawk. It was seriously impressive. We rocked it out all night, ate pizza, drank Rockstars (naturally), took pictures, and chatted. My favorite thing of the night was that Haley went and bought a Hannah Montana shirt and microphone that lit up all different colors. Seriously, what's more rockstar than that? Absolutely nothing. Again, people keep coming up with themes and it makes it so fun. And we're super dorky, you won't find one of us denying it....This is Dell all sorts of rocked out. Doesn't she look hard core? And I cant get over the fact that she did her own hair...you should have seen it in person.

T and Sheena. We forgave Sheena for not coming in character, you know, since she just gave birth and all....
This is Haley giving it her all at the drums. She was ALMOST as good as me. Almost.

Kira and Haley. Please notice the black in Kira's hair and Haley's face tat. You're not a rocker unless you've got your face inked....So she's totally got it covered.

Please appreciate our rocker "I'm really hard core" faces.


(not sure why mines in black and white...)

(and Sheena....it's cute. You needed a rocker face)



Haley mid-performance. She doesn't mess around. She totally represented Hannah here, wouldn't you say? Or is this more Miley? I'm not sure....

So, my story of Dell. She's one of the most amazing people I've ever had the privilege of knowing in my life, and I'm not sure how to properly write her "shout out" and NOT write a novel. So I warn whoever is reading this that the rest of this post will in fact be very long, and probably seem somewhat dramatic. But I don't care. It's pretty much just for her anyway, and to tell people how cool I think she is :) Dellany and I have known each other since 2nd grade. We have been best friends since , and she is the first person I met and KNEW I had known before this life. She has lived enough life for 10 people, and then some. I don't know anyone that has conquered as much as she has. I have looked up to her and what she is capable of, for as long as I can remember. In fact, this is a journal entry I wrote about her when I was in junior high and it pretty much sums up how I feel about her (and definitely captures the emotional pre-teen in me...)

"My best friend in the entire world is and always will be Dellany Joy Carroll. She is the most amazing person I have ever been fortunate enough to know. She is more than words can express. There is no one on this entire earth that I love more than her. I can't explain her, she just isn't definable. There isn't a way I could begin to tell you how she does it, how she affects people so deeply. You are strangely changed once you know her. I have never met any one stronger, more honest and trustworthy, or as enjoyable as she is. When we are together, we can say absolutely nothing for as long as we choose, and have had an entire conversation. We will have known exactly what each other thought, and felt. All my best memories include her, they begin with her. Her contribution to my happiness and sanity in my life is enormous. she has never failed me, never let me down. She couldn't disappoint me if she tried. She is one of those people that when you are around her, you know she is different - that she is important in a greater sense. She affects people in a way that you could only dream YOU could. She has this magnetic force that draws people to her. You could be in a room and you would know when she comes in without even seeing her, the room suddenly shifts, and everyone knows of her presence. I know she has angels surrounding her wherever she goes. God knew of her importance, and the protection she would need, so He sent angels to guard her. Maybe that is why people feel changed, because her connection to Heaven is almost tangible..."

Yep. That's honestly how I still feel. There are so many memories that we have together, good and bad. So many places we've been, and things we've done, that it would be impossible to try to write them down. We went through silly things like braces, first boyfriends, Backstreet Boys mania, and Jenko jeans together. We tried out and made Cheer together. Our senior year, we got our schedules switched to have EVERY single class together but one: I had Drill and she had Art. We got detention together, and got thrown out of detention together (ha). We sluffed school and went on adventures everywhere. We ate goldfish and Mt. Dew. G-Squad! We loved school lunch, and shared a locker that was full of clothes from bottom to top. We spent our summers bare foot no matter where we went, even in gas stations (I know, trust me, I KNOW) We made up songs in my dad's suburban when the radio was broken, took naps together, and I had her come on every family vacation we took. She is the most hilarious person I know. She was there for me through my parents divorce, and I tried to be there for her the best I knew how through some of the hardest years she would face. I was there to see her beautiful baby girl Stella born. I watched her do the most selfless thing I have ever seen as she placed her child in the arms of another to raise her, and give her the best life she could possibly imagine. She has been so fortunate to be a part of Stella's life as she has grown up. I have watched Dellany dying, her organs shutting down one by one as she lay in a hospital bed, suffering from a bacterial infection. My dad drove me to the hospital with me thinking I was saying my final goodbye. I watched her family break down in the waiting room as they were told to prepare for the same. It wouldn't be the first time I had thought she was leaving me forever. She was rushed to emergency surgery, had a colostomy bag for months, and now has a 13 inch scar down her abdomen to prove it, which she wears proudly. Not a day has gone by that she has ever wasted time being self conscious about it. By nothing short of a miracle from God, Dellany lived. She has work to do here. Her will to fight on amazes me everyday. She is the most spiritual person I know. The most foul-mouthed spiritual person, but hey :) She has such a deep understanding of things. She has never been afraid to be who she is, and has never once been sorry for it. She's crazy, and fun, sensitive, and caring. She is one of those people that when you really know her, you feel blessed. I am incredibly lucky to have crossed paths with such a person as her. She has been tried more than any other person I know. She has been through literal hell and back, more than once. I admire her in every way. She is going to be the BEST mom ever. She is working every day to fight for that blessing. I am SO proud of her. Thanks for teaching me so many things, I am a better person because I know you. I love you Delly.

My Man is 28...

I have to give a little shout out to my hubster. He doesn't love a lot of blog time (especially pictures), but it was his birthday on Sunday so here are 28 reasons why I love his awesome self:
1. He's tall. Real tall.
2. He loves the Gieco lizard. Loves it. Tries to talk like it.
3. He loves his family SOOO much
4. He loves me even more (word)
5. He calls me everyday at work, sometimes more than once, just to see how I'm doing
6. He lets me watch Harry Potter every night while going to sleep (I seriously have no explanation for this one, except that I am weird)
7. He would do anything for the people he loves
8. He seems shy, but is secretly obnoxious and dorky. I wish more people, including his family, got to see this side of him more.
9. He loves to make me laugh. But I love HIS laugh. His full on, bust a gut, can't breathe laugh. It makes me happy.
10. He brings me dinner on my days I work at the salon. They are usually 14-16 hour days, so he takes care of me. (Double word)
11. He rubs my feet when I get home from the salon. He's pretty much my slave.
12. He is a football fanatic, and still has hopes and dreams of playing in the NFL one day. Cross your fingers for him...
13. He always encourages me to have hobbies, and do things I love. He loves when I paint and wants to hang the crazy things I come up with in the house. He bought me an awesome camera because I said I'd love to get into photography, and he lets me read, blog, and be creative at any opportunity. Muchos gracias for this, it makes me so happy
14. He cares more about me being happy than sometimes I do. He watches out for me when I don't watch out for me. He protects me when I don't protect myself.
15. He loves kids and can't wait to be a Daddy someday
16. He works so hard and has come so far in what he does. He is lucky to be in the position he is in right now, and I couldn't feel more blessed to have such a hardworking fella.
17. He is honest. In everything he does, he does it with integrity and honesty.
18. He does laundry (boo-yah)
19. If we have a boy someday, he wants to name him Rock. Like, for real he LOVES this name. It's cute because he thinks he will get his way on that one. Awe...
20. He caught me dancing like a dork by myself in the kitchen one day and laughed and said he wishes I would do that more often....sweetness. I've currently got a pretty impressive routine I'm working on...
21. He acts like he HAS to be tortured to sit through American Idol and SYTYCD with me. Loves it. LOVES it. I just know it.
22. Totally sings in the shower. It's quite the treat.
23. Thinks he's going to own about 10 cars some day. All at the same time.
24. He wears his watch with the face on the INSIDE of his wrist. So every time he looks at his watch, it's palms up.
25. He sends me flowers every Valentines Day even though I don't like flowers. He feels bad if every other girl got them and not me.
26. He loves taking drives and walks with me. Just the other day he said, "Ya know, we need to take more walks together". I smiled and thought, "We sure do."
27. He dutifully eats whatever I cook (on the days miracles decide to happen, and pots of gold are sitting at the ends of rainbows) and says it's yummy. I can tell when he's lying (almost always) but I love him for it.
28. And most importantly, I love him for loving me, and taking all the good with the bad that comes with me. He never tries to change who I am. He encourages me to become whatever I want to become and is there for me every step of the way. So when I quit my jobs to become a professional shopper, and then try out for Paris Hilton's new BFF reality show, just know I had his full support.

Love you babe!

Lake Mead!!!

We went and stayed in Mesquite to go boating a couple weekends ago with my in-laws. So much fun! I'm so lucky to have such great, fun in-laws. This is me and the dude hangin out on the boat. My little nephew Dylan is getting so big! He was my little bud. Him and his brothers, Brock and Kaden, are little fish. All they wanted to do was get out and swim with everyone. K, so I know this picture is dark, but I thought it was kinda cool that way. This is my man doing what he loves best, wakeboarding. The water was PERFECT at Mead. So perfect, even I got up. (I've been trying for like, 5 years is all) AND my mother-in-law. Kevin said it was the best wakeboarding he's ever done, but I was too slow on the trigger to get any pics with him getting any air. But him and his sis Beth got some awesome jumps in. I'm sad I didn't get the evidence, cuz it was pretty impressive. Or "frickin awesome" as Tyler would say.... :)
This is Lisa, Erik, and Kaden. It was good to see them cuz now that they live in St. George, we don't get to very often. Lisa got up on the wakeboard as well. WOO WOO! We're pretty much pro's now.
Dylan wearing my sunglasses trying to look tough. He kills me.

These my friends, are the wild donkeys we came across on the drive home. Who knew there were wild donkey families just roaming down south? I sure didn't. You would have thought we saw a pride of lions the way we stopped and took pictures in amazement, but seriously? Donkey's? They were so cute, and look how nice they were to stop and pose for me.

I'm sad I didn't get more pictures, but dont worry. I got a new scary camera for my birthday that I'm not sure how to use yet. I'm gonna take some lessons, so I think I have a new hobby. WOOT! (Don't worry, I won't pretend to be a professional for AT LEAST two weeks. Ha ha ha! No, this will strictly be a hobby thing for me. But I'm SO EXCITED!!!) Thank you to my in-laws for such a fun trip! It's always a good time with you guys and I can't wait till next year when Joleen, Lisa, and I show up all you "experienced" wakeboarders. Yeah, you heard.

Better late than never...

So I have been a big time slacker and not posted our get-together for the month of August. I am qiute obviously bad at taking the time to update my blog, and most of the time it only happens when we have these monthly shindigs. So I will try to get better not only at posting things on time, but mixing it up a little in between as well. So....

Cute little Britt had the month of August. Here are a few things I love about her:
We were on drill team together and she was so much fun! The memories I have from our senior year of drill together are too many to post. Drill was one of the best and most fun times for me, and I am so glad that I got to know Britt better by being on a team together. She was even her perky self at the 6 am practices we had every morning. She is such a good sport, and always has a good attitude about everything. She is a hardworker and always willing to help out with anything. She has always been so cute, but she is one of those people I love to hate because she just keeps getting cuter and cuter everytime you see her. I want to slap her because she was still so cute and little after having Treyvan. What a snotface. She is the sweetest mom and watching her with her son is so crazy to me. She is so adorable with him and he is just this little man. I love it. It's been so good to see you every month Britt, and I'm so glad that we can be friends!

She decided that since it was so close to Sheena's due date, that she would throw her a baby shower at her mom's house. It was so nice of her mom to let all us crazy girls come and invade her home for a couple of hours. It was kinda funny, because a lot of people forgot that her parents moved, so they showed up at Britt's old house she lived in when we went to highschool. Ha ha, what losers....So by the time everyone found the RIGHT house, she had some yummy food for us all to eat and we all gathered downstairs to chat and stuff our faces. A couple of the people who have kiddies brought them along (Natalie, Luke was very missed, that kid needs his own Nickelodeon show or something) and it was so fun taking pictures of all the little ones. This made me feel like a real adult, at a real grown up party lining up all the kids and the moms standing behind the cameras making fools out of themselves to get their kids to smile! It was pretty hilarious. Then we opened gifts and played some games. Even though we weren't as cooperative as Britt would have liked, I'm sure. :) The best thing of the whole night was the fact that Meg brought her gift in this huge bag that had an eagle on it. Who brings a gift to a little girl baby shower with a huge eagle flight scene on it? Meg.....Meg does. We were dying laughing. Oh, what would we do without you Meg? The night ended with us on her mom's living room floor and stairway just chattin away about life. It was such a fun night and I'm so glad to have these girls in my life. Thanks Britt!!

Alright people. Go ahead.....domesticate me

So I realized the other day that I use this word (domesticated) a lot. And it's always in reference to what I am NOT. And then I thought to myself, "That's.....actually not a good thing". I never really CARED to be all housewifey (a moment of silence for my Relief Society President mother-in-law, and the pain this has undoubtedly caused her) I don't like to cook, I don't like to do crafts, I don't like to separate darks from lights, and I especially don't want to put a ceramic rooster in my kitchen (gasp). In fact, if the Relief Society had a reality show called "What Not To Be", I'd star in it. But I CARE now. I find myself wanting to make casserole dishes and lemonade. I now WANT to know how to cook, and now get satisfaction out of vacuuming and washing the sheets. I want food storage and fruit trees. I want to label stuff, and have folders for things (it doesn't really matter what things, just as long as it's in a labeled folder...) I feel like purchasing Crockpot Recipes: Easy as 1-2-3, and something Martha Stewart wrote. There is a housewife in here somewhere, but the problem is, I just don't know how to get her out. I don't really have any know-how. I think this desire must have had something to do with seeing many of my friends grow up and have kids. They are all like, women now. Running households and bein all good at stuff. Everyone's giving homemade cards that they did with their Crikut, or sewing baby blankets on their OWN sewing machine, or dropping off homemade bread. I on the other hand, still need my hand held to boil water. So, please, teach me the ways of good housekeeping/cooking/being an adult. I need all the help I can get. I'm even thinking about doing a dinner calendar, just to show you how dedicated I am to Project Housewife. I would LOVE some advice on organizing, cleaning, and cooking with easy recipes (stress the EASY). I 'd love to see what works for everyone else. This is just something normal people are born with knowing, isn't it? Well, go easy on me, cuz I may be the least domesticated person, EVER.

The Sheen Diggler....and her party

So, it was Sheena's month to host, and this is how she greets us at the door. Could she BE any cuter? I'm not sure I know a whole lotta women who would sport a bikini at thier Luau, let alone at 8 months pregnant! It just goes to show how much fun she is. And doesn't she look AMAZING? I will surely want to kill her when I am pregnant someday and think back on this moment.
Kira doin' the hula. Lovin' the coconuts.
Brittney and Treyvan. He was the destroyer of all the lei's. But a dang cute one.
Kira, me, Dell, and Talisia. Kira is really the only one who got all decked out, out of those of us in the pic, but Dell and T at least made an effort to look as Hawaiian as they could. I came from a baptism and therefor am lame and not dressed up as Sheena requested....
Haley, Cassi, and Jason Castro. So nice of him to come to our little get together.


So, as you can probably tell, Sheena held a little Luau at her house complete with Hawaiian haystacks (yum), smoothies (yum), and lei's (not sure if I'm spelling that right). It's fun because when we started this whole thing we kinda said people can do whatever they want, make it as low key or as involved as you want, as long as we all just get together. It's been so fun because most people have had a whole themed out party. Love it. We all ate and talked till about 12:30 (it started at 6:30) We just can't seem to stop talking and laughing and sharing stories of what's been going on, and remembering good ol times. This time, thanks mostly to Cassi, I have some great new memories to take home with me...hahaha. Anyways, here's my little Ode to Sheena...


The Sheen Diggler, I'm not even sure how you got this nickname? But the Sheen Diggler she is. Sheena is one of my favorite people ever. She is SO much fun to be around, is up for anything, and is just plain hilarious. She is GORGEOUS, and really talented. She loves scrapbooking and is amazing at it. Therefor she is a picture taker. Her house is decorated so cute, and she is an awesome hairdresser. I have some seriously funny memories with her! We used to sluff school and go to her her house and make food. Anytime we hung out at her house, she was alsways making food for everyone. I remember the homemade salsa her Dad would make, and I LOVED it. To this day it is my favorite salsa. We would have sleepovers at her house, and oh the things we would do. Anyone remember the scare I had on her couch when someone was totally breaking in? :) Her whole room was wall to wall pictures, and I don't know anyone more photogenic than her. Although I do own a few pictures I could blackmail her with....haha. One of my favorite memories is when me, Sheena, Brooke, Katie, and Meg all picked up and spontaneously went to Bear Lake. One of the FUNNEST trips ever. Just on a whim, not even sure what we were gonna do, but we had so much fun. First mistaking where we were actally staying, then the dance, our midnight swim, Katie falling on the playground, getting raspberry shakes and hit on by like, 3 different groups of men at the shake place. One even offering to buy us all clothes and things to stay extra days...Anyways, got a little carried away with that memory. I loved going over to her house and people would be over till the wee hours of the morning and her parents never cared and just stayed downstairs asleep. Her house was definitely "the hang out". We had so much fun on Dance Company, it seriously wouldnt have been the same without her. All our road trips, especially staying an extra day in Vegas on our way home from senior trip. Her and her family and my family taking all the girls to Lake Powell on a houseboat. She has such a fun family. She would always do everyones updo's for dances, and even just to go hang out. Oh, and I do have to say that I seriously miss her booty. Where has it gone, and will it ever make another appearance? :) I remember her always having stilts for shoes, I guess that goes with being a McShorty. And always being in her underwear. Ha! And most recently, being able to be there at her wedding and then going to the hospital when she had Kreyton. She is such an amazing mommy. She has the best dressed kid in town, and soon to be best dressed little girl. Cant wait. Thanks for all the memories Sheena! You have been such an awesome friend, and I obviously have a TON of things I can say about you. I could go on and on. I honestly think the world of you and I always look forward to the next adventures we will get in. LOVE YOU!