Lauri and Andy

"A change will do you good"

2010-11-15T22:27:00.001-07:00

Many things in my life have changed
So speaking of change...
My new blog address:
justdandyandy.blogspot.com
Hope to see ya around.

Almost a year ago...

2010-08-25T11:41:00.003-06:00

Wow, how time flies by- These pics are from when we rushed to the court house in Iowa last October.

Larry drove us down for the big day - Thanks for being such a huge support!

The judge was funny, "I now pronounce you ma..., I mean, married." It made me giggle.

Matt, Simone and Hope took us out for cupcakes after. How perfect.

Giggles in May

2010-08-20T17:11:00.002-06:00

Nathan and Cameron and I playing on grandma and grandpa's swing set: the boys were dressed for spring but the cooler temps in Cove required hunting hats, grandpas vest, and Candace's old jacket. It was a bit nippy. Too fun!

Be Mine

2010-08-17T14:22:00.003-06:00

My parents: so dang cute. They celebrated their thirty something anniversary this February. They have their anniversary with my mom's birthday, and Valentines day all in the same week. What a romantic schedule.

Jed is growing up so fast. I was looking at some old photos and it was only a few years ago when he was sill shorter than me. He is such a good guy!

I think that smile is genetic... I have the exact same one. ;)

Oh, what cute girls. Every year Lauri and I exchange planning our anniversary and planning Valentines day. It's a fun way to surprise each other with secret plans and tokens of love.

These guys took the Front Runner from Ogden to the last stop in Salt Lake for the adventure. Katie was about a month away from delivery. They looks so good. Floyd got Annie dressed for the event and met Katie there. Annie was adorable.

Gary's idea to go to dinner. He's always full of those good ideas. Since they moved to Spanish Fork, we have to take advantage of every chance to hang out with them. ...Exciting news for Lindsay and Gary: expecting again ;)

;)

What love is...

Candace and Jared couldn't make it but we had a great time none the less. The restaurant was decked out for all the Valentine love birds. All the girls got a rose.

So, happy week of love for mom and dad. I love you guys!

Delish

2010-05-18T23:05:00.004-06:00

So for a fantastic meal try this:

Parmesan Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 TBS butter or margarine (melted)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400. Spray 15X10 pan with cooking spray. Dip chicken in melted butter; coat with combined remaining ingredients. Bake 25-30 min.

Next a fantastic Breatwist (check out this recipe), a side salad and some brown rice

Love never fails

2010-04-26T22:56:00.002-06:00

So I have a slight confession to make. I'm relieved. I've been in a confirmation program at the Lutheran Church for two years. I've been mentoring a bright young lady, Katie. It's been fun to see her spiritual growth and a good reminder of my faith. Anyway, I'm relieved that the program will be concluded on Mothers Day. She and a few of her peers will be confirmed.

It's really quite exciting experience for them and I'm lucky to have been a part of it. In our last confirmation retreat we reviewed scriptures from John 13, John 15 and 1 Corinthians 13 (look them up ;) They were focused on LOVE. How reassuring and comforting is God's love! I know from experience, as we all do, that human love is imperfect and does not always meet our expectations. However, God's love never fails. What a beautiful idea- reality. Anyway, it reminds me of my new favorite song- check it out.

- Brandon Heath, Love Never Fails

Ski the Beav

2010-04-23T23:40:00.007-06:00

As an activity with campus ministry Lauri invited us all up to Beaver Mtn for a ski/snowboard day. It's been so long since I've been to the Beav that I didn't even know how big the mtn has gotten. There's several more lifts and it seemed like the hills went on and on.

This is a current map of the mtn. It's grown significantly in the past 10 years, especially given that things always seem bigger when you're a kid.

A little blast from the past...

This is Candace, Jed an I in the front and Kenzie and Nate in the background. This is the big hill by our old house in Cub River. The winter wonderland was amazing in that neck of the woods. Tractor tire tubes make the best snow riders. However, it's beginning to look a lot like spring- an I'd say summer is just around the corner. So put the snow gear away and lets get ready for some warmer weather.

Misadventures in the swimsuit isle

2010-04-22T23:18:00.002-06:00

So yesterday Lauri an I went to the store to get a few things and I realized I was in need of a new swimsuit. So I find the suit section an a possible fit in my size range. Then I take a look an realize that the butt on the suit is HUGE. I think to myself, "There's no way I'll fill that; look at the size of that thing!" Then I take it back to the dressing room an much to my dismay... it fit. Well, other than the fact that it was too short. But the butt fit. ;(

So that's it, I'm still on the hunt for a new swimsuit. Maybe I'll finish my shopping online this time :] Feel free to recommend any swimsuit sites.

BOO- an she's back from the dead

2010-04-20T11:39:00.008-06:00

So even though we are almost closer to this year's Halloween than last year's Halloween I figure I should share these cute pics. Last October we had our annual party at mom an dad's. I love this Holiday! Everyone in costume, ready for a howling good time. The kids lined up getting ready to go through the haunted maze in the basement.

Mom even dressed up this year. The clown, cow girl and a bunny.

(Annie and Taylee)

Spooktacular!
T

This is part of the maze in the basement. I'm sure we'll have to change it up a bit this year. This tub is gone and the basement is getting finished. But if I can talk Lauri into helping again (well, she did most of it herself- what a girl!) we'll do the box tunnel again.

This was the entrance. A skeleton welcoming them through the house and into the tunnel. The kids played down here for quite a while. I'm sure they'll be expecting it again this year. :) I'll be finishing school in October so I'm hoping to have a little more time on my hands this time to actually help Lauri a bit. We'll see.

Adventures with the Mullers

2009-11-16T21:44:00.006-07:00

This is Lauri's dad and the newest addition to the Muller family- Taylor. She's so cute. I think she looks a lot like Lauri just like her big sister-Logan. When Taylor was born she had a clubbed foot and so they've been keeping her in a brace. You can kinda see it at the bottom of this pic. It looks a little like a snowboard. She's doing well!

Little Taylor was tuckered out by the end of the baptism. She just likes to snuggle.

Okay, if you don't see a resemblance... This is Jason, Lauri's oldest brother (but not Taylor's dad).

Here we have Stephen (Taylor's dad) and an obviously unhappy little Taylor.

A proud aunt for sure!

No- they don't even look alike at all ;}

Oh, what a beauty.

The whole fam. How fun!

She has the most beautiful bright eyes and puckered smile.

Fun Times!

While we were in Nebraska for the baptism, Lauri and I decided to skip on over to Iowa (20 min away) and get officially married. It's kinda crazy to think that we've been together since 2001. That's 8 years folks! After we left the court house (October 27, 2009) we went out to lunch with Matt, Simone and Hope. They asked what we'd learned about marriage in the past 8 years. Lauri's words were, of course, so gracious, and all I know is that marriage is work! You communicate, compromise, stay best friends and ask for God's presence in your relationship. So- here's to another 8 years of "Fun Times"!

Remembering Yellowstone

2009-09-28T21:42:00.008-06:00

A few weeks ago Lauri and I went with some friends to Yellowstone on a camping trip. We had a blast. It was so beautiful. It's so good to get a chance to have nature take your breath away!

What a motley crew! Fun Times!

In nursery our theme has been "God made the world and everything in it". We got a tray full of dirt and sprayed it with water we got from the bathroom to make mud. The kids and I talked about how God made the sunshine, dirt, water and mud. Then one of the nursery kid says to me, "God is good because he gave us water, but does God live in the bathroom?" I couldn't help but giggle.

Lauri and Dustin evaluating the geysers.

I hadn't been to Yellowstone since I was Jada's age: 6. That's over 20 years! Old faithful was not quite as I remembered it. It's amazing how things are always bigger when you are small.

Jayce was disappointed about the small amounts of wildlife we encountered. Just a few buffalo here and there.

In Jackson Hole we found some of the best carmel popcorn at a gas station. It was a Rockey Mountain brand of some sort and It Was Amazing. At the next gas station in Yellowstone we bought 3 bags.

Oh, I can't forget about meeting up with Bigfoot. Camping in Yellowstone: an adventure for sure!

Bean's Bearthday

2009-09-15T21:17:00.003-06:00

Before
And After

Last week Macie had her third birthday. She's such a cute girl. We went to Firehouse to celebrate and Macie got her very own pazukie- and believe it or not- she ate the whole thing. I just love this chick. She is full of laughter and love and always makes me smile. Happy Birthday Bean!

School Buds

2009-09-02T20:55:00.003-06:00

We're getting ready to take the ATI next week. It's a placement test for nursing boards, and I'm freaking out about it. I guess I should be spending tonight with my nose in the books instead.

2009-08-22T09:29:00.003-06:00

The other day Candace and I took Taylee out to the pool. It was her first swim.

I was nearly expecting her to hate it. I was surprised by her constant smile. What a cutie!She was so intent on the other kids in the pool. What a sweetheart!No more perfect way to enjoy the summer.When we finished swimming I jumped in the shower. When I went to wash my hair I realized that my shampoo and conditioner were in the other bathroom. I remembered someone saying that you could use conditioner in place of shaving cream so I wondered if I could use shaving cream in place of conditioner. Just an FYI: Shower gel does not replace shampoo and shaving cream does not replace conditioner. My hair was like straw when it dried.

A Toast

2009-08-11T08:18:00.007-06:00

After clinicals on Saturday we all went out for a toast at Chilis to celebrate the end of Nursing Process A. We'll be starting Nursing Process B on Monday.
We decided to do pot luck every Tuesday. Of course I brought a desert. My new favorite is Harvey Wallbanger Cake. It's fantastic.

Family Fun

2009-07-23T11:28:00.004-06:00

Birthday Bash

2009-07-13T14:34:00.009-06:00

Who can have a party without cotton candy? Jada is such a people pleaser and a good friend. She loves people and always wants to be with her friends and cousins. She's great at spreading laughter and smiles.Dustin and Shiela became experts at the cotton candy machine. (It only took about an hour of streams of cotton candy floating around in the air :)Jada was very excited about the stack of gifts waiting for her. She couldn't wait to open each one. It's hard to believe these girls are getting so grown up. A day or two before Jada turned six she told me that, "One is never too old to celebrate a birthday." Now where does a six-year-old come up with something like that? Lauri, or Noni (as Jada and Macie would say) was the designated face painter. She's such an artist. Thanks to mom I got to dress as the clown. All the kids loved it, but it took Macie a good while to warm up to me and get used to the idea of anyone having a red nose, white face and rainbow hair. Once she realized it was me she thought it was pretty funny. Cute as a button! The birthday cake is a party hat. Of course there had to be some pink cupcakes in the mix. Oh, to be a kid again :).

Leslie is a great party planner. Jada and Macie are lucky to have such a great mom. Each day is filled with new memories and adventures.

Mudslide hits Logan

2009-07-11T19:43:00.004-06:00

Today I had the privilege to go boating with Candace and Jared and his parents. We went to Willard Bay. I'd never been boating there but we had a great time. I even TRIED to go wake boarding. I say tried because I was very unsuccessful. Now my body kinda feels like it got hit by a train (great!).

About an hour and a half after we got out on the water a huge wind storm picked up we headed in to shore for lunch. Taylee was a trooper. She just enjoyed the waves and the breeze.

On our way home from the boating adventure I were listening intently to news of a mudslide in Logan. Yes, I did say a mudslide. Check out these pics.

ksl.com - Mudslide hits Logan neighborhood
ksl.com - 3 people missing after mudslide hits Logan neighborhood
ksl.com - Mudslide hits Logan neighborhood (Gallery Viewer)

Hope - full of hope

2009-06-29T18:54:00.007-06:00

This is Matt and Simone's little angel Hope. She's such a doll. They were in Utah for a concert tour this spring. It was amazing to see them in concert. I love the inspirational, soul stirring music they share in performance. One day while they were here Lauri, Simone, Hope and I went for a walk on the Ogden River Parkway. What a beautiful day it was; blue skies, green grass and Hope full of smiles. Lauri and I are Godparents of Hope, what a blessing!
Simone and Lauri were roommates in college - oh so long ago :) I'm glad that they've remained such good friends so I could get to know the Weber's too. Matt and Simone started an organization called Table Grace Ministries. Talk about making a difference in the world!I love the idea of making a positive influence in someones life just from being yourself, by following through with your good ideas and having faith that God will see you through. Just get out there and take action. Go out on a limb and make a difference. What a message of Hope.

2009-06-21T01:40:00.004-06:00

Today has been a busy day. This morning Lauri and I were supposed to meat up at the wetlands with Brooke to go kayaking. Of course we were late. We didn't realize that there was an extra paddle in her car so we tied our boats together and Lauri toted me along, using the one paddle. Brooke is only about 5 foot tall an we were using her kayaks. So, not realizing that the boat is adjustable I just hung my feet out the edges of the boat. What a sight we were.This is what you're supposed to look like when you're in the boat. No just imagine me with my but on the seat and my dang legs hanging over the sides. We tried not to be seen because it was obviously silly. On our way back to the dock Lauri's boat flipped right over. We ended up walking back along the shoreline. I don't know that I'm going to try that again any time soon. Now, more than 12 hours later my tail bone is still sore.

After that we met up with Laura to start visiting the homes in the Parade of Homes. We only made it to 4 of the homes. I love looking at the new trends and styles. So far I've not been too impressed with the homes. We'll finish up next weekend and maybe I'll have better news about the homes to come. I'll bring my camera along just in case I find something fantastic and interesting.

Weekend Oasis

2009-06-20T23:51:00.003-06:00

What a whirlwind. My first module of nursing school is finished. One down and 14 to go. On Thursday a some girls from class and I went to a condo on Pine View lake. We enjoyed boating in the afternoon and then headed back to the condo for dinner and a soak in the hot tub.

I had really been looking forward to a break, and it was fantastic. It's been so long since I've not had a deadline or a project or a time commitment. Like usual this June, the weekend was full of rain. We caught a few glimpses of sunshine in between the rain clouds. There's something so nourishing about being in the water on a sunny day. Maybe I was meant to be a fish.

There are eight girls in my nursing class. I really like it because we're off to a great start. We all get along great and actually enjoy class together. Laura, a friend from church has been so great to let me stay in her condo during the week so I don't have to drive back and forth from Logan to Ogden every day. It's helpful because I actually get a bit of studying done when I stay down there. The hardest thing is not ever being home. It already feels like I'm only seeing Lauri in passing, and I miss her. I keep reminding myself that the end is in sight, only 12 months to go.

Over the river and through the woods

2009-06-11T23:01:00.003-06:00

We have not spent a lot of time at my parents lately because we've been SO busy. I'm excited because we're actually going to be able to go up on Sunday to help celebrate Jed's 16'th BIRTHDAY. It's hard to believe he's already 16!

Last time we were all together at my parents house was on my birthday. It was great. Here are a few highlights

I'm a bit of a slacker and was just getting Candace's birthday gift to her. So it was a party all around.

These boys (Coleman and Nathan) were out on an adventure looking at grandpa's stuff. They found a very scary looking bumble bee. They're both getting so grown up.
Lauri and her pup...

It was a beautiful day with the sun setting over the valley. I miss having time to just relax and enjoy the sunshine.

Of course the night would never be complete without a few rounds of Greed and Pounce.

Chocolate * Chocolate * Chocolate

2009-05-24T15:52:00.003-06:00

After church today I had a hankering to bake something. I'm not usually exceptional at baking cookies but I thought I'd go out on a limb. I found the recipe online for Thick and Chewy Double Chocolate Cookies.

If you're a fan of chocolate- you'll be hooked. There's a melt in your mouth goodness to them and they don't seem to be too sweet. The recipe makes about 5 batches worth of cookies so I guess I'll be taking some to work with me tonight.

Today is your day...

2009-05-24T00:02:00.001-06:00

"Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest."
So, that's it. I'm now past the quarter century mark. I guess that makes me old. As I look over the crest of my years (you know, the many I've survived) I wonder where all the time has gone, and where the future will take me. Yesterday I picked up my books for my first nursing class. I swear they weigh a ton! I'm excited to see myself on the road again. The road to what... I don't know. I make plans and think I have it all figured out but I know in reality that it's not in my hands. I'll be molded and shaped into something that God has planned. And to be honest, I'm excited about that too.

So, to all those who are at a milestone or at a crossroads in your life I'll say:

Today is your day...
You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You're on your own.And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

I'm sorry to say so But, sadly it's true
That bang-ups and hang-ups Can happen to you.
On an on you will hike, And I know you’ll hike far
And face up to your problems whatever they are.
You’ll get mixed up of course, as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.Step with care and great tact
And remember that Life’s a great balancing act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
Will you succeed? Yes you will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
- Dr. Seuss (someone who was much older and wiser)

Any other Grey's junkies out there?

2009-05-12T02:24:00.001-06:00

CAUTION- DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE BEHIND ON GREY'S!!

So, I must admit, I'm a sucker for this show. Izzie has been going through chemo and her bo, Alex is so cute with her. I missed last week's episode but I already know that the two get married. I can't wait to catch up. You can get caught up too. http:www.abc.com Has all of this season's episodes. Last weekend I had a Grey's marathon to get caught up. It's a good thing that I was home alone because I was a wreck. I was balling my eyes out. This little girl was dying from tasacs disease. Her dad was not giving up hope that he could find a treatment for her. I was just sobbing because she Baylee was holding her until her dad got there...just in time to cradle her as she died.

This little girl and her mother have been abused by her dad. The little girl tries to stop him an shoots him 17 times. Somehow the doctors keep him alive and the girl wonders why her daddy didn't die. Oh my gosh! Crying my eyes out!

There is a girl on the show who is just coming out to her family. Callie is dating Arizona, a pediatric specialist. They're so cute together but the episode where she tells her dad hit close to home. She just expects her family to be supportive and love her anyway. Her friends tell her to just lie about their relationship but she doesn't. It's hard not to have expectations like that when it comes to family.

So if you're not already a fan, you should be. You'll laugh and cry along with me.

Bathroom Fixer-upper Extraordinaire

2009-05-12T01:16:00.010-06:00

While we were in Nebraska, Lauri and I got a wild hair to fix up her parents guest bathroom. This is the faucet before we pulled off the tape... and after we pulled off the tape.

The previous tape job just didn't seem to be doing the trick because it had started peeling up.

There was also a considerable

opening in the paneling on the wall...

We proceeded to pull up the rest of the tape

lining the creases in the shower/tub.

Logan was a HUGE help!!

Here are the pics of our completed project.

Have a heart

2009-05-05T02:13:00.005-06:00

So Lauri headed to Nebraska on Monday the 20th. She, needing companionship, took our dog Jayce along for the ride. What a duo, I'm glad I wasn't in the mix for the whole drive. I would have kicked the dog out before we even left Utah.

Anyway, once she got to NE she found that her dad was having heart troubles and had an angioplasty scheduled the next day. Larry, her jolly ol' dad, had a 90% block in the back of his heart. The doc was surprised that he hadn't killed over from a heart attack yet. I'm glad she happened to be there to support her parents, even though she's afraid of the future when she'll be "trying to talk them out of their crazy senile ideas". Which, I'm sure is a fear for most of us :)

After the wedding she skipped on over to Dubuque to visit Matt and Emily. Sunday night the whole crew was sitting around playing cards and decided to book me a flight the next morning to Cedar Rapids. The whole getting to Iowa thing is a bit of a blur since I'd been going on a lack of sleep for almost 48 hours. I was a bit delirious, and I've learned I'm not as young as I used to be.

I'm glad to report that Larry is doing well, even if he's not excited about the cardiac rehab before him. Also, we made it home in one piece, amazingly. Now, try to imagine, the worst part about it was going through a canyon in the darkness of night and having Jayce breathing on over my shoulder. She'd slept all day in the back seat, but once we reached the bends in the road through the canyon she thought she needed to look out for me by watching through the windshield. I didn't want to yell at her annoyance because Lauri had finally gone to sleep in the passenger seat. Oh, it was an adventure.

No, seriously... I love road trips. It's great to get out and drive, to see family and friends and to enjoy a break from reality (even if it only lasts a few moments).

Now, I know that when you're traveling it may be hard to come across a good night's rest. You never know what kind of a bed you'll be sleeping in. When we stay with Lauri's parents it's always an adventure. The guest bedroom is Lauri's old room. When she was young she had a water bed that has since been replaced with a standard mattress. Unfortunately, I believe this mattress must have been a garage sale find because when laying in it you sink to the middle. It's almost like a 400lb person died in this bed and then laid there for a week. It's so sunken in. One day Lauri woke up and found herself in the center of the bed and she realized that the sides of the bed were actually higher than her body was. Maybe next time we'll stay in a hotel.

Face It

2009-04-08T18:36:00.004-06:00

Oh, if you can't tell, this is Lauri.
She's getting ready for the Gender Blender. I think she looks a little like her brothers. Jada was her helper. She says, "So why are you dressing up as a boy?" The Gender Blender is put on by GLBT services at USU.

Okay, we couldn't find the camera when we took these pictures so we snapped them with the phone.
This is Macie with a chocolate facial mask. She pretty much loves lotion - so at first she really liked the idea of putting brown lotion all over each other. Pretty soon she realized that her face just looked dirty. She's kinda a clean freak so she wanted to wash it off.

We had a great time at our slumber party...

facials, movies, popcorn, and staying up way to late.

I had a strawberry face, Lauri had a blue raspberry face and Leslie had a mango face.

Yes Man

2009-04-08T15:16:00.002-06:00

Lauri and I just got done watching Yes Man. I'm not usually a fan of Jim Carrey, however,
I loved this movie.
I laughed the whole way through! Incidentally enough, there was also a scene with some Nebraska football (Lauri liked it too).
I highly recommend it.

2009-03-19T22:25:00.000-06:00

Yes, we finally made it to NE. I worked Tuesday night and when I got home Wednesday morning, we started packing. We planned to head to the airport around noon. At 7:30 the airport called. We were informed that our airplane had mechanical errors and if we still wanted to make it to Nebraska that day, we'd have to be to the airport in 2 hours. Well, unfortunately for us, the airport is an hour and a half away, and that's on a good day.

We finished packing and booked it out of town. After we parked and got on the shuttle I realized that we'd be stopping at every other station (of course when you're in a hurry you decide to catch the first shuttle so you can ride the dang thing for another 15 min.). I was panicking the whole time, constantly asking Lauri what time it was. I'm sure she was about to kill me. We got there a minute or two before they closed our gate.

Because our first flight was so early we were going to have to stay in Denver for a seven hour layover. However, we were able to catch an earlier flight to Omaha. We finally got here around 6pm. It's too bad though, that our luggage didn't arrive until around 11pm.

So, yesterday was kind of a blur. Today we went with Jen to pick Logan up from school. We went to lunch at BW3's, an awesome wing's joint here. This is us at lunch. (Okay, not a photo contest winner, I think the waitresses finger was in the way.)

This afternoon we met up with Lauri's old poise. This is Michelle, me, Lauri and Sabry. It was great to chit chat with them. Sabry brought her little baby Lucy along for the ride, too bad she slept the whole time. She's a doll.

From here we went straight to the the wedding rehearsal and dinner. It was so fun to see Jason. He was a bit nervous, constantly playing with his hands and shifting his eyes. Through all the nervousness you could see that he was happy. It almost made me cry (I'm such a cry baby). Anyway, things went well.

Since everyone has a birthday in March, I mean everyone (and on both sides of the family too) we had to do some unwrapping tonight. Oh, and yes, that is Logan's doll nearly mooning us. Oh joy! Logan's getting so big. It's hard to believe how much she changes each time we visit. Maybe we'll be able to do some convincing for her to come out for VBS this summer.

2009-03-18T00:04:00.000-06:00

Cute little miss Taylee Mae sticking her tongue out at us.

Yesterday we took the girls for a walk. If we go all the way around the block it's a full mile. This is the last stretch of the way. Macie is just gettin' tuckered out.

The little wobble turned into a less and less coordination; half run, half fall, half dance.
I love these girls, they remind me that it's okay to be uninhibited and laugh a little. They keep me smiling.

Oh, the good o'l days

2009-03-15T22:12:00.000-06:00

Wednesday we're heading to Nebraska. Lauri's brother Jason is getting married. Lauri and I are both excited for him. I'm sure I'll be posting about the events of the trip. It will be great to see the whole fam too.

This picture is from last year when we went to visit Matt and Em. They're fantastic and I can't wait to hang out with them. We're going to skip on over to Iowa Sunday night for a quick adventure with these guys.

On our last visit we went to a casino to play a few shots. Matt was my good luck charm. I ended up $20 ahead at the end of the night. What fun.

I miss having these guys around. They moved to Iowa (those boogers) a few years ago. Now we don't see each other nearly enough. Emily is just finishing her last class of Seminary. Way to go Em! I'm so proud of her. She'll be a great pastor. God's got some great plans for her to start shaking up our old ways.

Matt's working at John Deer, he's such a hoot. I miss hanging out with him too. He always makes me laugh.

2009-03-07T00:56:00.000-07:00

So, kind of ironic that a few hours after my last post (done while at work) I checked Candace in to Labor and Delivery. I was just grinning from ear to ear when I saw her. I kept telling her that one of these day's she'd walk up to the woman's center and I'd be there to welcome her. We both laughed that the day had finally arrived.

This is Beep (Candace)before coming to the hospital.

Poor girl, she's not really having the time of her life at this moment.

...And a few hours later we have little miss Taylee May Thomas. She's such a doll.

Taylee struggled a bit in the beginning and required oxygen. It's kinda heart breaking to see this sweet think hooked up to all the wires and tubes.

She's a fighter though. She came off the oxygen in less than 24 hours and stayed in the NICU for a few days for observation. I was lucky to be on the other end of it all. When I'd come to work and get to snuggle with Taylee. All the nurses were jealous and cooed over her gorgeous long dark hair and big beautiful eyes.

Taylee had an IV in her hand at first and then they moved it to her head. When I first started my job in the NICU that was the hardest thing to get used to seeing. Taylee was receiving antibiotics through the IV.

Candace and Jared got to take Taylee home yesterday. I've been working or sleeping since so I had to go see them this evening after work. They were attempting her first bath at home.

These NICU graduates made me so proud. They were just adorable with her.

Oh, so cute. It's great to see her without the IV.

What an angel, she and Candace had to snuggle for a while after her bath.

Taylee has a low resting heart rate. Especially when she's in a deep deep sleep. Her heart rate slows way down. Candace and Jared decided to take her home with a monitor. When her heart rate drops to 60 it alarms. She has these little leads that attach like a sticker to both sides of her belly and connect to the monitor.

I love this picture because of their pup's reaction to the new addition to the family. She's very protective of Taylee. She watches over her and tries to sooth her every time she cries.

All dressed and ready for bed. (Yeah right! If only.)

What a happy little family. We're so glad Taylee's home!

Excitement

2009-02-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

So, Candace is due on Wednesday. I can hardly believe that my baby sister is going to be having a baby of her own. I wish I was able to be a better resource for her and that I had answers for all her questions. Now that she's nearing the end I have to chuckle about the beginning.

To tell everyone they were pregnant, Jared wore a shirt to Sunday dinner that said, "I love my pregnant wife."
In the following few weeks there was a flood of questions, mostly directed to my mom. The best one was, over a plate of spaghetti, "Mom, did you have to have an episiomoty?"
A few baby showers here and there offered some great gifts. There should be showers for more thing than just weddings and babies.
Then, last week Candace says, "You should see my legs. I think I have elephantitis!" and "Do you think my baby will be huge, like 10lbs?" and "Andrea, you have no idea, you just have no idea. My body is going through some crazy things, and I'm swollen everywhere. You just have no idea."

Now the countdown is on. The crib is assembled, the curtains are hung and I think the nursery is nearly ready. The question is, are Candace and Jared ready.

Pay it forward

2009-02-21T01:41:00.000-07:00

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what it will be is a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be one didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift. Let's see who looks at my blog!

2009-02-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

So I have the flu. Yeah, it's pretty crappy. I went to the instacare clinic yesterday. After waiting about 3 hours I saw the Dr. To run the test for the flu they had to stick this swab thing up my nose. It hurt and it gave me a bloody nose. The Dr. said I could not go to work for 5 days and that I should avoid contact with others.~Great!

Unknowingly you may have come into contact with influenza A virus. Luckily, if you catch it soon enough it can be treated. There is an antiviral med called Tamiflu . If you experience any of the following symptoms please see your doctor immediately.

Think You Have the Flu? What Are Flu Symptoms? Know the FACTS
Fever
Aches
Chills
Tiredness
Sudden symptoms

Why Antibiotics Cannot Cure the Flu:
Although it seems like antibiotics would be one

of the better options for fighting the flu, this is actually not the case.

Antibiotics have a completely different purpose, and should

never be used to treat the influenza virus.
Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria and are,

therefore, only useful for treating bacterial infections.

The flu is a viral infection, not bacterial, and because

of this it cannot be treated with antibiotics.

Taking antibiotics to fight the flu can actually

be harmful to your health. Inappropriate use of antibiotics

contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance,

which is a growing health concern.
Bacterial and viral infections are distinctly

different, and require different treatments.

2009-02-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

In early December our friend Leslie took some cute shots of us for Christmas cards. Of course we're never on time for anything, not even Christmas. Yes, we still have a few cards sitting on the table waiting to be mailed.

Most people know that I'm not the world's biggest fan of animals. However, I must say that I am some what of a fan of our Dog Jayce. She really is a good dog. She knows I'm not in love with her and she really gives me space. I know if it were up to Lauri, Jayce would have free reign in our home. Jayce has her own bed and limited areas of the house where she is welcome. She does a great job at not crossing my boundaries.
My favorite thing about having a dog is how happy it makes Lauri. She is such an animal lover. I'm glad Jayce is able to give her a comfort that I'm not able to. She's her constant companion. I guess I get jealous sometimes.

I am truly happy in my life with Lauri, and I look forward to each new day of true friendship, love, excitement and time together. I have great expectations for our future but I guess I get ahead of myself sometimes. I have to remind myself to live in the beautiful moments around me.

I read a quote yesterday that said, "life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, but about learning to dance in the rain."

When Lauri and I first met she described me as a passive pessimist. I don't know that the description has changed too much, but I've been learning to be an active optimist. It's harder than you'd think it should be.

Christmas Spirit

2009-01-05T18:14:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay, so back to reality. I had 2 weeks off of school and still didn't manage to get a lot done. Christmas was beautiful as always. Lauri and I went to both Christmas Eve services at church. I look forward to it every year. At the end all the lights are turned off. Each of us are given a candle at the beginning of the service and when the lights go out our candles get lit. During this process we all sing Silent Night. It's so beautiful and every year I can't help the tears from welling up in my eyes. Christmas day we spent with my family after I got off work at noon. I love my family. It's so fun to spend time with them. We had a great time playing games and visiting. Christmas night it snowed so much that were were stuck. After an hour and a half of plowing with the tractor my dad was still not to the bottom of the driveway. Needless to say, we spent the night... what an adventure.

This holiday season I've been reminded of something I'm familiar with but somehow often forget. I'm sure this will sound silly, but I've been reminded of how important it is to love one another. We get so busy in our own hustle and bustle that we forget that we're here to love our neighbor and to love God. I think this means we should have compassion on others and forgive when we are wounded. So, why then do we forget this simple truth? Why do anger or frustration or discontentment come to our minds first? Well, a few years ago we did a Christmas program that talked about how we could live with Christmas 365 days a year. If it were only that simple. If I could just keep the spirit of Christmas with us throughout the year maybe I love and compassion and forgiveness would be my first responses. Here's hoping, and I guess this is my first new years resolution: To Keep Christmas In My Heart All Year Long.

Happy Halloween

2008-11-10T01:09:00.000-07:00

Back row: Jared as Mustard, Lauri as Big Bird, Annie as a lady bug, Floyd as Joe Dirt, Cole as a pirate, Katie as a witch, Cameron as an army dude, Lindsay as a nerd, and Gary as a hipi

Front row: Candace as Ketchup, Me as a little old lady who lost her dog... between her cheeks, Mom as a cat, Jed as a punk rocker, Nathan as a dragon, and Dad as Cookie Monster

We had such a blast on Halloween. Since it's one of my most favorite holidays I love to celebrate it. I have anticipation all year for Halloween. We were able to reserve the clubhouse and everybody came over, including my aunt Sandy and most of her kids. It was great to see my cousins and their families, it's been a while. My grandma and grandpa Griffiths were also there. Candace came over early that day to help me prepare the great spread. Here are some links to most of what we made, and some of what we just didn't get around to making:

http://www.familycorner.com/family/food/inthekitchen/pumpkin.shtml

http://www.perfectentertaining.com/halloween/hrsoups.htm

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/halloween-candy-crackers?lnc=c4338f416b86b110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/brain-cupcakes?xsc=eml_cod_2008_10_08

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=e1731ec3efe63110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/invisible-pops?xsc=eml_cod_2008_10_11

http://southernfood.about.com/od/pumpkins/r/bl30212s.htm

http://www.perfectentertaining.com/halloween/hr99.htm

http://southernfood.about.com/od/halloween/r/bl30628q.htm

http://www.perfectentertaining.com/halloween/hr182.html

Candace and Jared won for the best dressed couple. Gary and I won the other two adult prizes. Lauri Dressed as Big bird, a costume her mom wore the year she was pregnant with Lauri. My dad was Cookie Monster, also from Lauri's mom. All the kids had a blast doing a halloween hunt and a pinata. We also painted pumpkins and played Halloween Bingo. The whole night was a lot of fun.

Hangin' at the park

2008-10-30T17:24:00.000-06:00

Just some fun times playing at the park.

You can sure tell that Lauri knows how to use the camera a lot better that I do.

Too cute!

Okay, I vow to work on my picture taking abilities!

Salmon Run

2008-10-30T17:09:00.000-06:00

These are some somewhat older photos. The last weekend in September we went with a group form church to Porcupine Reservoir. It's pretty amazing to see the salmon. I didn't even know that there was a salmon run in Cache valley.

Les, Macie and I were hanging out in the shade of the trees. It was such a beautiful day.

Just the view from the road.

The kids, Jada and Tate loved chasing Lauri around.

Jada and Tate are sure cute! It's funny to compare these two. Tate is such a boy. He throws things, kicks things, and is rough around the edges and insensitive to Jada's feelings most of the time. Jada is fragile, girlie, prissy and tender. It's amazing how well they play together.

How to avoid a UTI

2008-10-25T16:17:00.000-06:00

I can't tell you how excited I am to be finished with Patho. Thursday was my last day of class and the final. I really enjoyed the class but it took up a lot of time. It seemed like I was either driving to and from class, staying in Ogden or working all the time. Not that I've done a lot, but it's been nice to have the last few days to do some dishes, laundry and so on.

Last week in class we were talking about the urinary system and UTI's. Dr. Weeks was explaining what to do to treat a UTI. "You see, the solution to polution is dilution." Then he went on to mention that people should urinate often, drink lots of water and cranberry juice. Then he said, "but I'd just go have a margarita, a cranberry margarita at that."

So in lue of the end of Patho and of course to avoid a UTI I think I'll have to go celebrate this weekend. I don't know if anyone makes cranberry margarita's but it's worth a look see. So, here's to the weekend and the next four weeks of not driving to Ogden. My next class is online and I intend to take it easy and catch up on my blogging.

The colors have faded

2008-10-08T01:10:00.000-06:00

Since I started school in August, I've been driving through Sardine Canyon at least twice a week. It has been great to experience the fall colors so often. The first week of September the colors were outstanding. Each time I passed through they would seem to intoxicate me and at the same time leave me humbled. However, today as I came home from school it was sad to see all the beautiful red, orange, purple, and pink colors had faded. The scene is brown and yellow with a few specks of green and even less orange. Well, it was inspiring while it lasted. I'm not sure how winter will be, having to travel through the canyon so often. No more sleeping in I guess.

2008-09-29T21:01:00.000-06:00

DUATHLON 2008

(2 miles run/ 13 miles bike/ 2 miles run)

This was an awesome exerience and I actually did better than I had anticipated. My time was 1:49:27. Not sure what place I was but it certainly wasn't last. Hooray! I learned a lot, especially about transitions and the need for a team to help with those transitions. I was really worried about the running and it ended up being okay. I kicked butt on the bike (thanks to Jay and Laura for the help) and made up some good time there. I am definately going to do it again. Who knows maybe someday I will get to LOTOJA.

September 27, 2008

2008-09-21T22:02:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, Katie ran the Top of Utah marathon. It's really amazing that anyone's body and soul could endure a run like that. It's so cool. Anyway, for lunch we all met up at 1st dam for a little get together. As always, it was a blast to see everybody. We had a great time in the canoe, in the sand pit, catching fish and even feeding the ducks. Annie was so cute, I finally herd her mutter a few words. It seems like she's always so shy, but I did witness her flirting with the ducks a little. She'd throw a piece of bread right down my her feet so that the duck would actually have to come all the way over to her. She giggled and said "duck" with such enthusiasm. How adorable!
It's almost believable that Nathan caught all the fish... except for the fact that he really didn't want to get that close to them. He did hold the fishing pole, he even got to reel in a fish. However, after that he really didn't want anything to do with the "slimy" things.
You can tell that Jed is just so excited about having to help me steer the canoe. If you look real close you can almost see a smile in there. Coleman and Nathan were so concerned that we'd tip the boat over and that it'd be too deep to save ourselves. And, unfortunately, we had no luck in catching a duck from off the pond.

2008-09-11T09:04:00.000-06:00

JUST FOR FUN!

Stewardesses' is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
And 'lollipop' is the longest word typed with your right hand.
(Bet you tried this out mentally, didn't you?)

No word in the English language rhymes with month , orange, silver, or purple.
'Dreamt' is the only English word that ends in the letters 'mt'.

(Are you doubting this?)
Our eyes are always the same size from birth,

but our nose and ears never stop growing.
The sentence: 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' uses every letter of the alphabet. (Now, you KNOW you're going to try this out for accuracy, right?)

The words 'racecar,' 'kayak,' 'dad,' 'mom,' 'pop,' and 'level' are the same whether

they are read left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are only four words in the English language which end in 'dous':

tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
(You're not possibly doubting this, are you ?)

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order:

'abstemious' and 'facetious.' (Yes, admit it, you are going to say, a e i o u)
'TYPEWRITER' is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

(All you typists are going to test this out)

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds .
(Some days that's about what my memory span is.)
A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.

(I know some people that could do this too.!...Andrea!)
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
(I know some people like that also. Actually I know A LOT of people like this!)

Babies are born without kneecaps.

They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, 8 abreast,

the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite!
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

The cruise liner, QE 2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket. (Good thing he did that.)
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid .
There are more chickens than people in the world.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men

'Evian' the name for a brand of bottled water is 'naive' spelled backwards...coincidence?
Now you know more than you did before!!

Posted by Lauri

2008-09-08T14:12:00.000-06:00

I got to go hang out with Cole and Annie on Tuesday. It was a blast. We went for a treasure hunt around the house and couldn't get enough of the backyard swings and trampoline. We were listening to a book on tape that talked about a riddle.
Cole asked, "What's a riddle?"
I said, "It's like a trick with words."
He asks, "What's a trick?"
I say, "It's like a joke."
He says, "What's a joke."
I tried to explain a knock knock joke to him. He didn't quite get it. I said, "Knock knock". Once he finally said "who's there?"
I said, "little old lady." He laughed so hard.
Then he said, "Knock, knock."
I said, "Who's there?"
He said, "Little old horse." We both laughed so hard we fell over. It was so funny.

After Floyd got home we went to a pizza place for dinner. Cole thought he'd eat his pizza like a T-Rex would "devour his prey". He's such a smart kid.

Summer is officially over

2008-09-07T21:37:00.000-06:00

Nathan, Cameron, Lindsay, and my mom came over for our last day at the pool. Of course it was beautiful and sunny until we got in the pool. Somehow it became overcast and dull once we were all wet.
I got Nathan to jump in with me, but only if he had a life jacket on.
Mom and Cameron. How cute! It turned out that the hot tub heater was broken. So the water was not quite hot, more like regular bath water. It was perfect for the boys, and once we realized it was a good temp. we didn't even get back in the big pool.
There's a little ledge on the edges of the hot tub and so the boys just walked around it for a while. A few times Cameron decided he would rather crawl. He thought this was a great idea until he realized that he'd have to go all the way under the water in order to do it. He got very upset when the water got all over his face, but in the next breath he did it again. He'll learn.
I'm sure glad we've moved to these apartments. We have used the pool a ton! Sometimes I think I was intended to be a fish. It's great that the these guys were able to come down and spend the day with us at the pool. Thanks Lindsay and Mom!

Kisses

2008-09-07T21:18:00.000-06:00

Macie and Lauri were giving kisses left and right the other day. It's so sweet. Macie just can't seem to stop drooling and so when she gives kisses you end up with a very wet face.
Jada was convinced that our friend Ellie the elephant needed a diaper. So, we practiced putting it on.
Macie thought the diaper would make a great hat. It was quite hilarious.

2008-09-07T00:04:00.000-06:00

I think I'm going to try to make these with the kids in the nursery at church once it get's closer to halloween. We'll see how it goes. Try it and see if it's a success for you.

What you'll need:
Black construction paper
Wiggle eyes
White paper (for "fangs")
Scissors
Tape
Yellow construction paper
White crayon
Glue
Pencil

How to make it:
Fold black construction paper in half.
Along folded edge, lay child's hand palm down (midway through palm) and trace fingers with white crayon. Cut out the outline of the fingers.
Unfold and you’ll have a complete image of a spider with eight legs. Turn the spider over and, with the pencil, roll the legs around it – this makes the legs curl under and gives a more creepy, crawly effect.
Cut a one inch strip of black paper from the remaining scraps and form it into a circle for the bracelet. At the appropriate length, tape the ends together.
Attach the bracelet to the underside of the spider using tape or glue.
Glue the wiggle eyes and "fangs" to the spider’s head.
Cut a small diamond shape from the yellow construction paper and glue to the spider’s back.
Place the child’s wrist through the bracelet.

Pre Labor Day Festivities

2008-09-06T22:18:00.000-06:00

Yes, this is a picture of Jed. I know, it's crazy, he just keeps growing. We measured, and yep, he's finally taller than me. Candace and Jared got a new pup. She's so cute. Her name is Sadie. On Sunday we were at my parents visiting and they brought her over.

Candace and Jared (by the way, she's pregnant). I'm so excited, I can't wait to see these too as parents. Candace said she wants the baby's room to have a bright orange stripe across the bottom half. How cute!
Dad and Cameron, these two guys are birds of a feather. They are always happy and have the cutest facial expressions. I love them both dearly. They can turn any frown upside down in an instant.
Sadie was so excited to be around the kids. We had to keep a close eye on her. Cameron was just not so sure of her energy.
Mom and Dad are the best grandparents in town. It's so fun to see them get excited about their grand kids. They're adorable.

Gary, Lindsay, and the boys headed home to celebrate the holiday mowing the lawn and doing chores around the house. It was a blast to hang out with them while they were here.

What's for dinner?

2008-08-30T03:51:00.001-06:00

Mushroom Quesadillas

Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 8-inch whole-wheat flour tortillas
6 tablespoons shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers or low-fat Cheddar cheese

Cooking Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray a large skillet with vegetable oil spray. Cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic in skillet over medium heat until onion is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat.
Arrange one-third of the mushroom mixture on half of one tortilla. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Fold the other half of the tortilla over cheese. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 3 quesadillas total.
Bake quesadillas about 5 minutes or until filling is hot and cheese melts. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.
Serve warm — with salsa, if desired.
Microwave Method: Spray a microwave-safe casserole with vegetable oil spray. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook, uncovered, on 100% power (high) for 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring twice. Stir in cilantro. Assemble quesadillas as directed above and arrange them on a microwave-safe plate or platter. Cook, uncovered, on 100% power (high), rotating plate once, for 1 to 2 minutes or until filling is hot and cheese melts.

Nutrition Analysis (per serving)
79Calories
1.0 gTotal Fat
0.5 gSaturated Fat
0.0 gTrans Fat
0.0 gPolyunsaturated Fat
0.0 gMonounsaturated Fat
2 mgCholestrol
0.0 mgSodium
17 gCarbohydrates
2 gFiber
1 gSugar
5 gProtein

A day at the Market

2008-08-28T21:35:00.000-06:00

Today, on my way home from school, I stopped at a fruit stand in Willard. All the fresh fruits and veggies smelled so good I could almost taste them. I just had to stop and breathe in the freshness of the tomatoes, corn, peaches, watermelon, cantaloupe, and all assortment of berries. I decided on some corn on the cob and some peaches.
Tonight or dinner we had peach cobbler, corn on the cob, chicken and zucchini, all the tastes of summer.

The peach cobbler was excellent.

3 c Peaches -fresh/thin sliced
2 c Sugar - divided
1/2 c Water
2 Egg
2 TB Shortening
2 TB Milk
1 c Flour - all purpose
1 t Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease 11 x 7" glass baking dish. In medium saucepan, combine peaches, 1 cup sugar, water; bring to a boil, stirring frequently; keep the peach mixture hot. Meanwhile, beat egg, 1 cup sugar,and shortening until fluffy. Add milk; stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Spread batter in prepared baking dish; pour hot peaches over all. Bake 25to 30 minutes, or until tender. Serve warm, with cream, whip cream or Vanilla ice cream.

Birthday Boys

2008-08-18T15:53:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, my mom, Jed and I went down to Spanish Fork to Nathan and Cameron's birthday party. These boys are SO cute!
I got off work on Saturday morning at 6am and went home to sleep for about 2 hours. My mom picked me up at 10ish. We went to some garage sale's on our way dawn. I've missed going shopping with her. We found a few good deals. Anyway, we got to the party around 5:15.
Nathan and his buddies took turns hitting the elephant pinata. Then there was a mad dash for all the candy. I gave a grape sucker to Cameron...what a sticky mess!

After we played on the playground we had a little fun with water balloon's. (Cameron, Jed and I got the most wet.)

Lindsay's sister Lisa gave Cameron this little truck. It was a hit!
Now that's quite the picture. I don't know that the four of us have been in a picture together for a long time. Gary did a great job of running the grill, we had quite the spread of food, it was great.
Nathan couldn't understand why we would want to pop the balloon's when they were just so much fun to play with and manipulate.
Anyway, we had to leave around 7:45 in order to get me back to work at 10pm. I was sad to leave but also very sleepy. At work that night I think I fell asleep several times while I was standing up. Needless to say, I slept all day Sunday.

High School Mission Trip 2008

2008-08-10T01:22:00.000-06:00

Good clean dish towel fun with the youth in San Francisco.

We spent just over a week serving in SF. The youth rock! I am really blessed to be able to work with them. It was a great trip and I love SF. Not only did we work really hard we had some time to play and see some sights as well. Another awesome thing was that we got to camp out on the way there and the way back. YEA CAMPING! I have really enjoyed YouthWorks and the staff were top notch too. The youth got to do service that focused on poverty and homelessness. They did Kid's Clubs, served meals, worked at the food bank and a bunch of other stuff. We had an awesome time and we're already pumped for next year. -Lauri

Monkey'n Around

2008-07-28T08:21:00.000-06:00

Last week we had an afternoon adventure at the Henry Dorley Zoo in Omaha. Jen, Logan, and Lauri sure got a kick out of the orangutans. While holding on with their toes, these monkeys were sticking their arms through the fence trying to reach popcorn from the gathering crowd.

Then we went to the new butterfly exhibit. They were beautiful!

The day shaped out pretty good even though the weather man was wrong... it was not overcast... no rain... just humidity and sunshine.

Ticks in Nebraska

2008-07-23T13:18:00.000-06:00

We headed for Nebraska Monday night. We made pretty good time. Larry (Lauri's Dad), Lauri and I took turns driving and we finally rolled in around 4pm last night. Everybody just cashed out and took a nap.

This morning Lauri and I went for a walk to the church to get Logan. For some fantastic reason we had decided to take Tigger with us. Once we got there Logan said, "Hey Andrea, Tigger has a tick in his ear, aren't ticks your favorite?" GROSS!!

Logan helped Lauri do a little surgery on the dog. They used alcohol, and tweezers to remove it.
Poor Tigger, I feel for ya!

2008-07-23T12:19:00.000-06:00

The girls came for an action packed sleepover. They decided
to keep their pets close for company through the night.

Sophie, Jada, their pets (Patches the cat, Ellie the elephant,
and Sassy the tiger) and I finally got to bed around midnight.

Sophie was the first to wake up (7:00 am)

Jada said, "Um, Andy, you look like a maniac."

She'd never admit that she fell asleep during the day.

We went to the store to get eggs to make cookies.
After I'd put all my items on the counter and paid for
them Jada turns to me from in the cart and says, "Um,
Andy, you might need this." She unrolled her dress and
handed me an egg. "Um, I was just keeping it warm for you".
The cashieer and the bagger couldn't help but giggle.

Farkel

2008-07-23T11:52:00.000-06:00

Emily and Matt
came over to play cards on Saturday night.

Larry and Jana
taught us how to play Farkel (a dice game simmilar to my mom's
dice game called Greed).

Macie, Me and Lauri
were so happy to have their company.

too cute!

2008-07-19T15:02:00.000-06:00

2008-07-19T14:54:00.000-06:00

Before we went to the pool we skipped over to A&W to get some ice cream cones, my favorite! I'm not sure why we thought Macie needed her own cone, but it turned out to be a messy extravaganza.

Slumber Party

2008-07-14T08:53:00.000-06:00

I love these girls! Jada and Macie came for a sleepover and it was quite an adventure. Jada and I set out our blankets in the living room and Lauri had Macie in her playpen next to our bed. We stayed up late eating popcorn, watching movies, telling secrets and giggling. Once we finally went to bed Jada said, "Um Andy, I don't think it's very comfortable on the ground." So she slept on the couch and I slept on the green chair. Around 3am Macie woke up and so I switched places with Noni (when Jada was learning to talk she couldn't say her L's and when she said Lauri it came out Noni, it just stuck after that). Macie was such a pill, she didn't go back to sleep for four hours. The next morning we had waffles and fruit and danced to oldies. It was a blast!

Where does the time go?

2008-07-14T08:04:00.000-06:00

Laura, Sophie, Emily and Lauri... fun times.
These guys are such great friends. It's been wonderful to spend so much time with them this summer. I can hardly believe summer is almost over. Laura and her kids left last weekend for Delaware and Emily and her family head to Palm Springs this weekend. I don't know what we'll do with all our time.
However, Lauri's parents get back from their vacation this weekend and on Monday we'll be driving back to Nebraska with them. And I guess Lauri still has the middle school mission trip to look forward to :} and I'll be starting class the first week of August. Just when you think your life is starting to calm down, it just gets busy again.

Best Ever Banana Cake

2008-07-08T07:34:00.000-06:00

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or plain or

vanilla yogurt)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
chopped walnut

Directions
Preheat oven to 275°.
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Stir in banana mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes.
This will make the cake very moist.
For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Beat in 1 tsp vanilla.
Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
Spread on cooled cake.
Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

"The 4th of July is the BEST!"

2008-07-08T07:10:00.000-06:00

I'm elated because Lauri is finally home from the High School mission trip. This year she took the kids to California and form the sounds of it I think they had a great time. Next time you see her, you'll have to ask her about it.

It's quite amazing that at the end of the day Lauri is still such a positive person to be around. She is such an inspiration to me and I don't know where my life would be without her. She brings me up everyday and reminds me that God is all around and cheering me on.

The mission trip always seems to fall over the 4th of July. So I don't think we have actually ever spent the holiday together. However, I had the privilege to spent time with Leslie and the girls and their cousin Tate on the 3rd. We went swimming and had a great time. I made Jada jump in with me and I don't know if she's forgiven me yet but it sure was fun. She sat on my lap at the fireworks that night and told me that she wished the everyday was the 4th of July because it was so beautiful to see the fireworks. I'd have to say that I couldn't agree more.

2008-05-09T14:18:00.001-06:00

2008-03-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

2008-02-18T16:48:00.001-07:00

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

2008-02-18T16:09:00.001-07:00

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

2008-02-18T16:06:00.001-07:00

Make a photobook - it's easy!

2008-02-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

2008-02-17T23:18:00.001-07:00

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!