Moving!

We have another huge life-changing event coming up in the next few months. We're moving to Safford, AZ because Jared is being promoted and transferred again. I'm hoping to be moved by Nov. so I can get the house set up before the twins are born. Scary that everything is happening all at once but I have faith that everything will be just fine.

Jared will be the manager of a brand new operation in Safford that will haul sulfur, just like they do here. They don't even have an office built yet and he has to hire all new people. I'm so proud of him and I have all the faith in the world in him and his abilities. I know he'll be an awesome manager. The operation officially start hauling on Jan. 15. That could very well end up being the same week that the babies are born but the company has known about the adoption since July and they are willing to work with us and give Jared whatever time he will need to get the adoption finalized.

Jared will be traveling a lot over the next few months to check out other facilities and learn from them. He is leaving next week and will be gone for at least week. As soon as he gets back from that trip, he's going to Utah to see his little brother, who's a senior in high school, play football. That means we have to wait until at least after he get back on 10/14 to go to AZ to find a house. I wish we didn't have to wait that long but it is what it is and it will work out somehow.

Please pray that our house here sells fast! We're still not sure if we can use a realtor of our own choosing, or if we have to use one that the company picks, so we have to wait to find that out before we actually put our house on the market. I'm just ready to get everything going and I'm finding it hard to have patience with everything so up in the air. Trying not to freak out. :)

New Callings!

I was released as 2nd counselor in the stake Primary presidency in Dec. because the president was called as our ward Relief Society president. Our bishop called me on a Saturday night (12/27), while I was still in Utah, to call me as the 1st counselor in the ward Young Women presidency! Since I was in Utah, I wasn't there when I was sustained, then stake conference was the Sunday after I got home, so last week was my first activity night and Sunday was my first time teaching a lesson in Young Women's.

Jared was just released from the Elder's Quorum presidency and called as the YOUNG MEN'S PRESIDENT! I'm really happy that we will get to go to some of the activities, dances, firesides, temple trips, etc. together! Jared was just sustained on Sunday, so he hasn't had a chance to do anything except go to a meeting and attend a fireside Sunday night. I know he'll do a great job!

Suze Orman's 209 Action Plan

If any of you have debt or just want to learn about using your money more wisely, check out this book you can download for free from oprah.com.  Hurry, you only have until Thursday, Jan. 15!  She gives advice on credit, retirement investing, saving, spending, real estate, paying for college, protecting yourself and your family and more.  It's worth checking out even if you don't have much debt.  I just love her straight forward approach!

Smart Shopper

So, after I finished watching Ellen while I was eating lunch today, I was just about to turn the TV off when I heard Bonnie Hunt talking about a new product, the Smart Shopper. So I went and looked it up and I am totally coveting this gadget! It's an electronic grocery list/organizer. It has a voice recognition system so all you have to do is speak the name of a grocery item and it adds it to your list (it comes with 2,500 items already entered and you can enter new items, as well). THEN, it will print your list, organized by item type, from the gadget's internal thermal printer! No ink required, just thermal paper rolls. I doubt that I will actually spend the money (close to $100--found it for $79.99 at Amazon) to get this but I really want it! This just shows you what a complete housewife I've turned into that I'm so excited about a product that would make grocery shopping easier, ha ha! You can check out the product here: Smart Shopper.

I'd better go practice--I'm playing a piano solo at our Relief Society Christmas party tonight. Wish me luck!

Thanksgiving

So I'm finally posting about Thanksgiving. Jared had to work that day so I met my mom and my brother, Tim, at my parents' house (Dad had to work, too) and we drove up to my Aunt Patty's house in Jackson, MS. We met up with Ben, Becky and the girls on the way there. We stopped at Wal-Mart on the way to get a few things. It started raining about halfway through the trip and I got a little freaked out from being scared (started crying) but we made it there safely (obviously). Besides our crew, there was Aunt Patty, Uncle Raymond, Katie, Raymond's mom and one of their neighbors. Here is the menu of the feast:

• Turkey
• Ham
• Homemade macaroni & cheese
• Oyster & shrimp stuffing
• Green bean casserole
  
• Another kind of casserole
• Ambrosia (made by me)
• Artichoke casserole
• Rolls
• Sweet potato souffle
• Pumpkin pie
• Pecan pie
• Cupcakes

We hung out, ate, and played a game of Pictionary--I was on a team with Ben, Becky and 13-year-old Katie. The other five adults were on a team and we beat them, heh heh! Here are some pics from the day:

{Mom chowing down}:

{Becky, Ben, Tim--notice Ben talking to his food, sweet-talking it, saying something like "no, I love you!" What a funny dork!}:

{Belle & Katie--this is the only pic I got of Belle the whole day. She was really tired and wouldn't take a nap so she was kind of grumpy the whole day and wouldn't cooperate for pictures}:

{Ben, Brenna, Tim}:

{Me, Brenna, Tim}:

{Here is everyone playing Pictionary}:

{Tim fell asleep on the couch with Roxie, one of Patty's really cute, sweet dogs}:

Ben & Becky left around 9:00 and Mom, Tim and I were supposed to leave shortly after but we kept talking and talking with Patty and Raymond and finally, when we went to leave, it was really foggy and Patty told us we should just spend the night there so we did. Tim fell asleep on the couch and Raymond and his mom had both gone to bed while my mom, Patty, Katie and I stayed up talking until after 2am. When we finally did go to bed, my mom and I kept each other up because we are both really light sleepers and every noise or movement the other made (even though were were in separate beds but in the same room only a few feet apart) woke each other up all night. I was still exhausted when I finally decided to just go ahead and get up at ~9am.

Patty made us breakfast and we kept saying we were going to leave soon to make it home in time for the LSU game but we kept chatting and didn't leave until after noon, I think. The game started while we were on our way back and we had to wait until we got closed enough for the LSU sports radio channel to come in so we could listen to until we got to my parents' house. I stayed there and watched the pathetic game, which we really should have won but gave it away to them in the last minute and lost by 1 POINT!!!! Aaaaah! What a sad ending to a disappointing season--at least it wasn't as bad as when I went to LSU, though! Anyway, after the game I headed home and pretty much just vegged the rest of the night.

Not much going on since then, just church, a couple of piano lessons, and helping out at Jared's office again today. The stake Primary president was called as our ward Relief Society president on Sunday so I'm wondering if I'll be released as stake Primary 2nd counselor. No one from the stake has even called and asked for an interview yet so I'm sure they are still deciding what to do. I'm kind of on pins and needles to find out if I'll be released or not. I just hope I get to continue teaching my class in my ward. Well, it is 1:20am here and it's getting a little chilly in the house, so I'm gonna go snuggle in bed with Jared now. I put him to bed a while ago (I always go lie down with him and read until he falls asleep, then I usually get up and come scrapbook and stuff unless I'm really tired and actually think I could fall asleep that early). OK, I'm just babbling now 'cause I'm tired so I'm really gonna go now....

Dr. Oz

Those of you who watch Oprah regularly know who he is. I love when he is on her show. He is so informative and will talk about anything health-related (I could never go on her show and discuss some of the embarrassing things people do but I'm glad other people do it, hee hee!). This week, he was on her show talking about anti-aging tips. Here are some of the things he shared that I thought we could all use:

Dry, cracked heels (I'm posting this for someone in particular--you know who you are, ha ha! Love you!):

• Rub heels with Stridex pads (yes the acne pads)--the salicylic acid is a great exfoliator
• Apply a thick layer of 100% cocoa butter, Vaseline or a great lotion like Eucerin to the heels
• Put socks on and go to bed

To prevent wrinkles:

• Use creams with vitamins A, C & E
• Put niacin cream on
• Exfoliate

To prevent age spots:

• Use creams with vitams C & A or licorice extract
• Apply niacin cream

For younger-looking skin or to help with dry skin, eat lots of the following:

• Legumes, avocados, soybeans and nuts (they all contain biotin)
• Salmon (contains carotenoids that keep the skin's elasticity)
• Tomatoes--best when combined with olive oil, which helps to absorb the lycopene

If you have dry/frizzy hair, get a charcoal water filter shower head--it filters out the chlorine, which obviously damages your hair.

I hope you find this info helpful. Love you all!

My new favorite album is...

David Archuleta's first album! I LOVE it! I've listened to it every day since Tuesday. I like every song on it. My favorites, though, are "My Hands", "To Be With You", "You Can", "Your Eyes Don't Lie" and "Angels" (which he sang on American Idol). Here's a review of the album that's on Rhapsody:

For an artist who won over audiences with a platform of preternatural talent, endearing naivete, and a baby face just asking to be pinched, David Archuleta's ability to sound so ... adult always comes as a surprise. Here and there on his debut, a lack of depth and dimension -- musically and emotionally --hints at the Idol runner-up's youth. But for the most part, the vocals are rich and mature, and the tracks are sensitive and even a litle all-grown-up sexy ("My Hands"). In other words, just what the man-voiced baby-faced crooner's devotees (tween girls and their middle-aged moms) ordered. -Rachel Devill

If you liked him on American Idol, you will love this CD and must buy it! :)

I also like Taylor Swift's new CD that also came out this week. I'm not sure I like it as much as her first one but it is good.

Civility

I watched a show last week that Oprah did on civility and it has really made me think. It does seem that civility has all but gone out the window these days. They had a list of questions that the audience answered with one of those hand-held voting mechanisms. Here are the questions to show whether you are a rude person or not:

• Are you chronically late? This is rude! They mentioned that someone else's time is just as important as yours so why would you make someone else wait on you?
• Have you ever typed an email while on the phone with someone? I used to do that all the time when I worked (multi-tasking) and I've done it from time to time here at home but I will try not to do it anymore.
• Have you ever interrupted a face-to-face conversation to take a non-urgent cell phone call? I don't think I do this but I will definitely make sure I don't now.
• Have you ever gone through the supermarket 10 item express lane with more than 10 items? Nope, I always count my items and make sure I don't have over 10 if I want to use the express lane.
• Have you ever let your dog "go" on your neighbor's lawn? No. We hate when other people do that to use so we don't let our dog do that to others.
• Have you ever stolen a parking spot from someone? No, I'm pretty patient and would rather just go and look for another one than make someone else mad at me.
• Have you ever gossiped? Uh, yeah, and I don't personally know of anyone who hasn't. The audience poll showed that 97% of them had gossiped and one of the people who answered no said she hit the wrong button so really 98% of the audience has gossiped. This is something that I really try not to do but it is very hard!
• Have you ever taken someone else's food or drink from the office fridge? No, I never did that when I worked. I wouldn't have the heart, plus that is stealing.

A really cool quote they stated on the show is: "We never touch people so lightly that we do not leave a trace." --Peggy Tabor Millin

This is so true! We really need to think about the way we treat others. Think about how you feel when people do things to you, like in the list above. Why would you want to make someone else feel that way--whether you know them or don't know them? Even if it's just a 2-minute interaction with someone at the check-out counter, we can make an impact on that checker for either good or bad. There's just no excuse to be rude to others just because we're in a bad mood or whatever. Just food for thought.

Sheri Dew

So I went and saw Sheri Dew Saturday night and she was amazing!  She said so many things that I really needed to hear.  Here are just a few of my favorite parts:

·        She told a story about how she went and saw the male ice skaters at the 2002 Olympics.  All of the skaters looked beautiful as they were warming up/practicing but when they did their actual skate for the competition, almost all of them fell—21 out of the 24 top skaters.  Obviously, they could do the jumps, etc, but not when the pressure was on.  Her point was “can you do it when it counts?”  My thoughts on this:  It’s easy to live the gospel when everything in our life is going good but, when things are hard, we tend to want to give up.  I want to prove that I can do it when it matters—follows the teachings of Christ, even though I am struggling a lot right now.

·        She mentioned that a lot of people talk about how the Lord doesn’t give us more than we can handle.  But she disagrees and said that He gives just a bit more than we can handle so we will turn to Him for help. 

·        Heavenly Father speaks to each of us differently.  We each need to pray and ask Him to help us know how we personally receive answers to prayer—we need to learn how to speak the language and we need to practice often.  We will continue learning throughout our entire life.  This is definitely something I need to work on!

·        We spend too much time acting like we’re here on Earth to stay when we can’t and we won’t.  We worry too much about mortal things, not thinking enough about the big picture, about eternity.  So true!!

 

So I said in my previous post that I was gonna go straight home after the Sheri Dew talk to watch the LSU game (even though a bunch of my friends were going out to eat afterwards).  Well, I called Jared  as I was leaving the church and he told me I should just go out and have fun eating with my friends because the game didn’t look good and I would just get ticked off if I went home and watched the game.  So I went out to eat and I’m so glad I did!  First of all, I had so much fun!  I got to really catch up with an old friend and the food was great (Copeland’s Cheesecake Bistro). Secondly, LSU ended up losing 51-21.  So sad.  I was half expecting LSU to lose but I really thought it would be a better game, that we would give Florida a run for their money.  And now we’re out of the top 10 at #13 (we were #4).  Oh well.  I’ll still root them on for every game left in the season and hope that we make it to a good bowl game.

 

Sunday, we went to my SIL’s parents’ house for a steak dinner and cake to celebrate my brother’s birthday.  The birthday boy made the steaks and they were delish!

 

I get to watch my 4-month-old niece today.  My SIL just brought her and she’s sitting here with me now as I type this.  She is such a good baby—so happy and smiley.  And, of course, over-the-top cute! J  I’ll take some pics and post them later.

 

 

Quick update

I got the results for the MRI on my neck on Monday. The dr. said I have a ruptured disk. There's not much that can be done for it--just keep doing physical therapy and see if that helps and take meds and use a TENS unit (electrodes) to help relieve the pain. Very frustrating, since I'm always in pain! He also ordered an MRI on my back and pelvis, which I did yesterday (took 2 hours!). It will be a couple of weeks before I get the results. In the meantime, he ordered another 4 weeks of therapy--oh joy; going there 3 times a week is getting really old! But I'll keep doing it if it helps me feel better in the least bit.

Not much going on besides that. Jared is in Houma today (south Louisiana)--lots of people from our stake went down there to help with the hurricane clean-up effort. I can't help, of course, because of my back and neck so I'm home until I go see Sherri Dew speak tonight in Baton Rouge. Then, I'm coming straight home to watch the LSU vs. Florida game. GEAUX TIGERS!!!

Oh and a huge congrats to LSU's Golden Band from Tigerland for winning ESPN's Battle of the Bands. Seven schools (Florida, Univ. of Texas, Auburn, Clemson, USC, Georgia, & LSU) each played their own version of the theme from Indiana Jones. You can see the video of each band here: http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/contests/indianajones/index They announced this morning that the Tigerband won! The prize isa $25,000 donation from Paramount and Lucasfilm Ltd.--which they REALLY need since they are in the process of building a very badly needed new band building!! You should see how small and old the current one is--way too tiny for a 360+ member band. So congrats to Tigerband. I'm a very proud Tigerband alumnus! :)

Baptism, Utah, Gustav

Well, it's been fairly uneventful here in Utah. Between Kiki being pregnant and on semi-bedrest and my back and neck problems, we both haven't been able to do very much so we've spent most of the time here at her house. Kind of sucks that I haven't been able to go out and enjoy this awesome weather and beautiful mountains. My back just hurts too much to do anything. I even opted out of playing putt-putt with everyone (except Kiki and Carma, of course) and I haven't made one trip to a scrapbook store--so you KNOW I'm in bad shape! :) My parents' flight here was cancelled in that big airline communication break-down so they decided to drive. So, instead of getting here the same day I did, they got here 3 days later (on Friday).

Judson's baptism (along with his twin cousins) was Saturday morning. They were so cute! Here's a pic of Juddy:
There was a luncheon after the baptism at Michael's parents' house. Because of the hurricane, the LSU football game was moved up to the same time as the baptism so we missed the first half. It was supposed to be televised on ESPN but, because of the time change, it was on ESPN Classics, instead, and we didn't get to watch it because they don't have that channel here at their house. Oh well. At least they SMOKED them!!!

I also took pics of Carma in the Southern belle dress. She LOVED wearing it!! She was so excited! I just have to say that she is SO sweet and funny! Every minute with her is either entertaining or good for your ego. :)


On Labor Day, we BBQ'd ribs (SO yummy!!!) and had pot roast, baked potatoes, homemade bread, and corn on the cob. And we played games and just had fun together.

And here are some other random pics from the past few days:
I have some really funny videos of Carma I want to post but I've been sitting here at the computer waaaaaay too long and my back and neck are killing me! So I'll try to post those tomorrow.

About Gustav:
I spent Monday worrying about Jared and our house, and Ben and Becky. Jared worked most of the weekend, even staying overnight, so he was home all day on Monday, the day Gustav hit. Becky had to work at the hospital so Ben decided to stay there with her and they sent Belle and Brenna with Becky's parents, sister, nephew and my brother, Tim. They were supposed to go to Memphis but ended up going to Montgomery, AL, instead. Everyone is OK, and all of our homes are good. I am so grateful that it ended up not being as bad as initially predicted! Now we just all need to get our electricity back. Ours went out at 10am Monday morning. If it doesn't come back on by tomorrow evening, I may try to have my ticket changed to fly home later. We'll see. I hope the power comes on soon!!! But if that is all that happened from the storm, I call us all lucky, lucky, lucky!!!

Update, Tim's Master's party

We have really enjoyed watching the Olympics! We're pretty much addicted to watching it--we Tivo everything and fast forward through commercials and some of the stuff. Our favorite sports to watch have been swimming (it's been thrilling to see Phelps win all his golds!), gymnastics (even though we get ticked at some of the scoring that seems to favor the Chinese gymnasts but we are so proud of Shawn and Nastia!) and beach volleyball (May & Walsh rock!!). Other than watching the Olympics, pretty much all I've done is go to a Cub Scout swim party (I was in charge and thankfully other people helped a lot) and to a party at my parents' house, as well as a wedding open house.

As far as my recovery from the wreck, the real pain started a few days after the wreck, after the stiffness went away. It's been hard to find any relief at all and to get any sleep. At some points, I've been in so much pain I've cried. I went to see an orthopedic surgeon last Monday and he had me take lots of x-rays (didn't see anything, of course, since any real damage would only be seen in an MRI) and he sent me to physical therapy. I started the physical therapy this Monday and am going three times a week. Fun stuff, let me tell ya'! I'm happy to report that after only two sessions, the horrible pain I felt around my right shoulder blade, with referral pain in my chest, has lessened. I only hope I continue to feel better and better. I will defintely do all the exercises and stretches I'm supposed to!

I want you all to know how great Jared has been. Since I haven't been able to do much around the house, he has really been a huge help, coming home from working all day to do stuff around the house plus keep up with his yardwork. He really takes great care of me and is being so sweet and understanding (although he doesn't usually know what to do or say when I start crying because I feel bad for not being able to do very much). I love him so much!

Another side effect of the wreck--post traumatic stress disorder! We went to my parents' house on Saturday for the party to celebrate Tim getting his Master's degree. It was the first time I've ridden in a car in the rain since the wreck. I was petrified! I started breathing heavy, almost to the point of hyperventilating and I actually started bawling from being so overwhelmed with fear. Jared felt so bad--he said seeing me like that ripped his heart out. He had to stop at the first exit after we got on the interstate and wait for me to calm down. Then, he made me lay my seat back and close my eyes, and he turned the music way up, for the rest of the drive. I'm sure I will eventually get over that fear, or least mostly over it(it has to since we live in Louisiana and it rains so much here!), but I'm not looking forward to facing that fear again.

Here are some pics from Tim's party:

{Jared and Belle taking a rest from playing--love that outfit we gave her for her bday! :) }

{Tim and Brenna--dontcha just love that outfit, especially the shoes?! It's an LSU shirt, BTW}

{Belle changed into this adorable outfit to go to a friend's birthday party} {Brenna is smiling a LOT--it doesn't take much to make her smile! She is such a sweet, sweet baby!}
{Best buds Brandon, Tim & Greg--Tim wearing an SLU shirt, even though this party was to celebrate getting his Master's from LSU!}

David A. in the New Era magazine

So I noticed one of the young women in my ward reading an article about David A. in sacrament meeting yesterday. When she closed the magazine, I saw that it was the New Era! If you haven't seen it, here's what it says:

David Archuleta, a 17-year-old from Murray, Utah, a town centered in the Salt Lake Valley, made it as one of the top two on American Idol, a television singing competition.

In one interview given while in the middle of the competition, David was wondering about the changes that were coming with the fame of performing for millions of viewers each week. He said that he still felt like “I’m just David from Murray.”

The nation may have been surprised to hear such a pure, clear voice coming from one so young, but David’s classmates at school, and especially those in seminary, were not surprised at all. They already knew he had an amazing voice because they get to hear him sing at school programs and for seminary devotionals.

“Every time it’s his turn to do the class devotional,” says Brother Justin Harper of the Murray High Seminary, “he asks if he can sing. Then the other teachers will bring their classes in just for devotional to hear him. It really sets a wonderful spirit for class.” Even while busy and involved with the television show, Brother Harper said David reported on his daily scripture reading to keep up with his seminary class.

Mietra Aarabi, one of David’s close friends, says that David did not enter the competition to become a celebrity. She says, “David understands that he has a talent and that his voice affects people. He’s not arrogant about it. He is as humble and thankful to those who help him as you saw on the show. That’s how he really is.”

Was David the popular guy in school? Jessica Judd, another of David’s friends says, “If by popular you mean people like him, then yes, everyone likes him. At lunch, you know how everyone has their own group to sit with. You can never find David because he’s going around talking to people. He cares about you.”

The Church is a major force in David’s life. “He is so strong,” says Mietra. “He is the one that reminds us of what is right. He will keep on doing what he believes.”

“Even while he was so busy in Hollywood, he asked about the meeting schedules of wards in the area and went to church,” says Jessica.

David Archuleta is not just David from Murray anymore. The music world now knows about a great guy with an amazing voice that has a quality they can’t quite describe. Those at home in his ward, in his seminary class, and his hometown know what that is. What he believes shows.

{picture from the article}

--------------------------------------------
That just makes me like him even more! :) BTW, he won the Teen Choice Award for Most Fanatic Fans. Yeah, I might be one of those fanatics but I love to promote him because I love his voice and there is finally a true GREAT example for the young people to follow! Nope, I don't care if any of you think I'm a dork, ha ha!

5 Five FIVE!!!!!

That's how many freaking car wrecks I've been in now!

I took a ride with my mom to go pick up my Maw-maw to go bring her halfway to my Aunt Patty's but we only got 15 min. from my parents' house before we got in a pretty bad wreck. It was raining and this guy behind us hydroplaned, lost control of his car and hit us from behind. I was on the phone with my dad when all of the sudden my mom was looking in her rear-view mirror and screaming and saying, "He's gonna hit us!" Before I knew it, we were headed for the left side concrete guard rail (we were in the right lane) and we both started screaming. [So my dad heard us screaming, then the phone hung up.] We crashed in to that side (going at least 65 mph), crossed the interstate, and slammed into the right side concrete barrier. [Sound familiar? Yeah, that's because it's almost exactly what happened when Jared and I got in a wreck in Utah Christmas Night 2002! What the h*%#?!!]

So the airbags deployed, of course, and there was smoke so my mom was FREAKING out and yelling to get out of the car. So she gets out, was standing out in the rain, looking at the car and screaming like a banshee. I'm laughing about it now but it was freaking me out! So, of course, my dad called back and my mom was still screaming but I was trying to stay calm because I didn't want him to freak out, too. Last thing I heard him say was "Well, I'm leaving here and I don't care what they say!" hee hee! So he left work and headed our way.

It took a good bit for my mom to calm down. I thought she was gonna hyperventilate! I was so worried about her, though, that it kept me from freaking out. Thankfully, an off-duty paramedic stopped to help a bit before the cops and ambulance got there. Let me just tell you that the car was TOTALED! Even worse than when Jared and I got in that wreck--I know some of you have seen those pics. I didn't have my camera so I took some crappy pics with my cell phone so I'll put them on here later if I can.

We decided to go to the hospital and get checked out, especially because of my existing neck and back injuries. They strapped us onto the gurneys and everything. Those neck braces are very uncomfortable and I had to wear it for at least an hour, until they took some x-rays of my neck and I was cleared to take it off. Then, they took more x-rays of my neck and back. They said they didn't see anything major with either of so we waited to be discharged and they gave us each some Lortab for the pain. I am already in pain in my chest (from the seat belt--that'll leave a mark!), my neck, back, and butt (not sure why on that one). I know tomorrow will be worse and they 3rd day is typically the worst. I will probably ended asking my dr. for an MRI--my existing injuries were only seen using an MRI, not an x-ray.

Jared "won't let me" drive home, especially since it has still been raining, so I'm staying at my parents' tonight and I think my dad and brother will take me home tomorrow. I just wanted to post this tonight because, from past experience, even though I don't feel that great right now, the next few days are going to be miserable.

I am thankful to still be alive, though--I thought for sure that, since we hit the 2nd side pretty much straight on, that we were going to flip up, end up in the swamp, and get eaten by an alligator--my mom said she thought the exact same thing. I must have some major work to do here on Earth since I always come out fairly unscathed from all the close calls! Gives me chill bumps. I am starting to wonder what's wrong with me, though, that I attract so many car wrecks--especially when other people are driving. So, if you are ever driving me around and I am constantly "sucking wind" (as Jared says) or clutching the door handle, you'll know why! It's called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder! I already had fears while riding with other people and now it's gonna be tenfold. But, I'm still alive...I'm still alive!

Ya just gotta laugh

So Jared had the opportunity to sleep in ‘til 8:00 this morning since he’s taking a ½ day off today.  So what does Chloe (my cat) do at 6am?  First she starts playing with a plastic grocery bag that is on the bedroom floor.  Jared threw a pillow at her so she stopped.  A few minutes later, she jumps up on the bed and starts meowing and Jared yells, “Just get up and get her what she wants—she won’t stop until you do!!!”  So I finally had to get up and turn on the tap in the bathtub for her for a couple minutes then I went and filled her food bowl.  She doesn’t always do that, BTW—I usually put food in her bowl before I got to bed to keep that from happening but I had forgotten.  Yes, I have a very spoiled cat but I love her.  And I have to laugh that, of all days for her to meow incessantly early in the morning, it had to be a day that Jared could have slept in.  Hee hee!  Sorry, Jared!

About Global Wildlife Center

Global Wildlife Center is a free-roaming wildlife preserve on 900 acres of land in Folsum, LA that does guided safari wagon tours. They have bison, giraffes, zebras, camels, eland, many different kinds of deer (thousands of deer!), rhea birds, miniature Sicilian donkeys, llama, and other animals I know I'm forgetting. The cool thing is that you're able to feed all the animals (except the zebras--they're too aggressive) right from the wagons. The giraffes can even be fed out of your hand. Two baby giraffes were born in the last couple of weeks. See http://www.globalwildlife.com/ for more info.

I went with my parents, niece, sister, and BIL on Tuesday. Of course it was hot as heck--102--and humid as all get-out!!! But it was still fun and, no matter how many times I've been there, I'm always still fascinated by all the beautiful animals--especially the giraffes.

A busy month!

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since I last posted and, boy, have we been busy! My MIL, 2 SILs, and BIL drove here from Utah and got here last Tuesday afternoon. Here's a basic run-down of all our activities while they were here:

7/31: met them in Baton Rouge, went and got some seafood for lunch, then went and toured the USS Kidd (a naval destroyer ship docked on the Mississippi River here in B.R.)

8/1: went and browsed shops at a Cajun village in Donaldsonville (all kinds of Louisiana stuff and antiques), stopped at a couple of plantations (Oak Alley and a couple others) and toured one of them (Laura), went on a 2-hr.+ swamp tour, ate fried seafood.

8/2: drove to New Orleans and went through the huge aquarium there, walked through Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral, ate beignets at Cafe DuMonde, then browsed through some shops and the French Market, then went to Ponchatoula to go to Kliebert's Alligator Farm but it was closed so we went and walked a swamp walk (saw a baby alligator near there).

8/3: Went to Kliebert's Alligator and Turtle Farm

8/4: All 6 of us drove to Toccoa, GA to visit a SIL and BIL there

8/5: Went to church, napped, hung out, played games

8/6: Drove around and hiked to several different waterfalls in northern GA and into North Carolina

8/7: Spent the entire day at Stone Mountain--went on the big paddle boat, went out on the peddle boats, tool the tram up to the top of the mountain and walked around, toured the antebellum homes, and watched the laser show.

8/8: Jared and I drove home--everyone else stayed there in GA--the crew who drove down from Utah will drive to Tampa, FL, where my youngest SIL will be living for the next year to work as a nutritionist.

It was such a fun week but I am still feeling a little pooped and out of it. One of my sisters and her DH are down from Utah now and I'm not sure what we'll be doing with them and my family the next week. Then, I leave for Utah on the 18th for 3 weeks! Busy month, huh?! It will all be so much fun, though!

I will be posting some pics and videos the next few days from the last week; I have TONS of photos to choose from, so I will only pic my most favorite ones! :)

Here is a funny video of my BIL scaring my SIL on the swampwalk near Ponchatoula:

Yep, that was her cell phone that she threw into the swamp! Thankfully, it landed on something that was sticking out of the water, so it wasn't emersed in the water--otherwise, it wouldn't have been so funny. We sure got a lot of good laughs about that over the next few days following that stunt! :)

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Yesterday was our 8th anniversary! It really doesn't seem like it's been that long! Guess that's a good thing, huh? Jared had to work, of course, but we went out and got fried shrimp po-boys and friend mushroom slices when he got home. We had agreed not to get each other presents; instead, we were gonna go to Bed, Bath, & Beyond together and get a backrest for each of us to be able to read and watch TV in bed more comfortably. But, Jared being the stinker he is, went and got me presents, anyway. I mentioned our anniversary the night before and he pretended like he didn't remember. Then, he came out with two presents for me--a backrest and a memory foam pillow (for my neck problems):

He didn't even wait for our anniversary to give them to me--he was too excited! So cute! Then, yesterday, he gave me the LSU wallet (exactly matches the purse my mom gave me) and a card. I felt like a jerk because all I gave him was the card I made for him. We're gonna go get another backrest, though, so I have one and he has one. It was a relaxed anniversary. I'm still in love with my wonderful husband and I can honestly say I'm still glad I married him! :)

Fabulous advice from Maya Angelou

My good friend, Meredith, sent this to me. I need to work on a few of these!

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE…

enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .

one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will mak e her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

a feeling of control over her destiny.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to fall in love without losing herself.

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to quit a job, break up with a l over, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..

whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

Fun day with DH

Once we finally got goin’ (slept in late, then just dragged a bit), we went to eat a late lunch at the Cheesecake Bistro in Baton Rouge. We split a huge seafood platter containing fried shrimp, oysters, and catfish (plus French fries and onion strings). The catfish was the dirtiest tasting catfish I’ve ever had (you southerners know what I’m talkin’ about), so we barely touched it. If Jared won’t eat something, you know it’s bad! J We also had some of their divine cheesecake—White Chocolate Macadamia Cheescake! I promise they have the best cheesecake I’ve ever tasted.

We then drove down to Sorrento (just south of Gonzales for you Louisiana folks) and browsed a couple of antique/souvenir shops in the Cajun Village. We also stopped at Best Buy on the way home and looked at big-screen TVs; if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to share them! It was a pretty fun day. Now I need to prepare my lesson for Primary tomorrow. If you don’t know already, I just got called to be the Sunbeam teacher. So fun! I’m excited—get to be back in the Primary w/o all the responsibility of being Pri. Pres. Yay!

Well, I hope everyone has a great Father’s Day. We are headed to my parents’ house right after church (2^nd Sunday in a row) for dinner. Check out this mini album I’m giving to my dad: http://www.scrappersdailydose.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=38875&cat=500&ppuser=166 . The actual size is 10.75” x 3.75”. I hope he likes it!