Just Me

Kyle's 29th Birthday

2010-04-14T23:00:00.003-06:00

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T15:53:00.000-06:00

Valentines Day 2010

2010-04-06T15:51:00.001-06:00

Stephanie's 6th Birthday

2010-04-06T15:10:00.000-06:00

New Years 2010

2010-03-14T03:22:00.003-06:00

Christmas 2009

2010-03-13T23:03:00.005-07:00

2010-01-12T20:22:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving

2010-01-11T19:28:00.002-07:00

Yellowstone June 2009

2009-12-03T21:16:00.003-07:00

Kyle, Stephanie and I went to Yellowstone in June, as a first for all of us. (I must mention my mom says the trip when I was 18 months old counts, I disagree)

First we stopped at the Bear Park in Rexburg. It was pretty cool. We could drive all through the animals, which included deer, elk, moose and of course bears. Stephanie kept yelling at her dad to stop rolling down the window to try and get a picture. It clearly said "Leave windows up at all times"

Been A LONG Time

2009-12-03T20:53:00.003-07:00

So I took a 10 month hiatus from blogging, completely unintentionally. I got so busy and just didn't have much worth bloging about. So here’s an update.

In June, Joe and I expanded the Canyon Dental concept to a new practice in West Jordan. It has been fun, nerve racking, insanely long hours, and hopefully all worth it. We have completely remodeled the office and Joe has done most of the work himself. I was as helpful with construction as possible, and even lost two toe nails in the battle field. When we thought things were starting to move forward, our office was robbed, actually according to the investigator the correct term is burglarized, robbed is when your there during the crime and potentially held-up, we were not. This was a HUDGE set back, and as typical, insurance has not helped at all. But we are moving on, and now have a lot better security in place. Live and Learn!

I have continued to work on my house… very…very…slowly. I have finished my master bedroom and have moved to one of the extra rooms now. Still NO, absolutely NO, progress on the yard, deck or exterior. So blog as my witness, by next fall it will be DONE!!!

All of the puppies were sold and are doing great. However, Sam, my male dog has since had a stroke, and has diabetes. Which means a lot of vet bills, and insulin shots every 12 hours.. But hopefully he isn’t suffering, it’s hard to tell sometimes with dogs. On that note, my parents also had to put their wonderful dog Harley to sleep in October. She was so sweet and a great companion and I know she will be greatly missed.

I have met a new guy, Kyle. We started dating in March and are still spending as much time as possible together. He has an amazing 5 year old daughter, Stephanie, that I have fallen in love with. Although for now they both live in Idaho, it’s a hard economy to change jobs. I have been able to spend some fun times with both of them and will post some pictures soon.

In a nut shell, life is good. My friends and family and happy and healthy, business is surviving and it’s my favorite time of year!! Hope all is well for everyone else and Happy Holiday Season!!

Down to 11...

2009-02-18T20:29:00.003-07:00

So our first puppies are gone. We usually don't sell any until they have had their shots, but our first buyers are veterinarians and want to give them their own shots. I'm so excited that they took my favorite male "tank" and there can't be a much better family to love him. They even live in Idaho! The amazing news is, I told them about our female, the little on that might be hard to find a home for, and they found someone in their community and took her too. Although I miss them, at least the end is in sight. I'm EXHAUSTED. So starting Saturday afternoon, our house will have a revolving door until the remaining 11 are sold. I think we are headed to Vegas ASAP. If anyone had plans to see them again, time is running out. Let me know, they are SOOOOOO cute!

Puppies

2009-02-13T22:51:00.003-07:00

The puppies got a check up and their first bath today. It was an eventful day. One of our puppies, the tiny one, isn't very healthy. We knew from the beginning she might not be ok. Now we have to decide what to do. I have mixed feelings but, one thing is certain, this is our last litter. It has been exhausting. We have had multiple friends and family come to town and because of the 15 Rotts, we can't even have them stay with us. It takes about an hours and a half every day to clean up after them, we have to do 2-3 loads of laundry to wash their blankets and now they want to eat constantly. It really is a lot of work. But... for about 45 min each night, right after we put down fresh blankets, hey are sooooo fun. They run and jump and play, bite and grawl, snuggle and kiss.. It really is the sweetest thing. They were 5 weeks on Wednesday and their personalities are starting to show. I just can't get enough of them. If it wouldn't be inhumane and insane, I would keep all of them.

More Puppies

2009-02-11T22:59:00.003-07:00

2009-02-08T00:49:00.003-07:00

So Many Puppies....So Much Love

LETS GO STEELERS!!

2009-02-01T14:17:00.005-07:00

So I don't know if I can be considered a "true" Steelers fan, but I have been raised, by my brother, to think I am. So I'm pretty excited, in part just for Brian, that the Steelers have the chance to be the first team to win 6 Super Bowls. I have followed them closely all year, and very early in the season made my prediction that we were going all the way!! I'm also pretty excited for the half time show.. It doesn't get much better then the Steelers and Bruce Springsteen all in one. Well maybe ACDC instead... I hope everyone enjoys the big game, I can't wait for it to start!!

Lucky #13

2009-01-07T23:26:00.007-07:00

At 4:30 this morning Allie had her thirteenth puppy. It was a LONG night! They are all healthy and seem to be doing great. They have a vet appointment Saturday to have their tails removed and a well puppy visit. Allie is doing great but she is exhausted...I hope she gets her strength and personality back soon. There are 6 girls and 7 boys. One of the baby girls is tiny..the smallest puppy I think we have had. I will apologize in advance for talking about and posting so many pictures of the puppies for the next 6 weeks, but they really are sooooooooo adorable. I will post them on KSL tomorrow and start taking deposits to reserve them, first come first serve, so if you know anyone that is looking for a sweet new puppy, just in time for valentines day, have them call me.

Getting ready for puppies to come

Little One...

the puppies were trying to climb on top of her

All 13 of them trying to eat

Dad and Baby... Just Amazing

A few minutes old

6 Baby Girls

7 Baby Boys

We're Having Puppies!

2009-01-06T23:51:00.002-07:00

Today Skylier called me at about 3:00 and said he was home early and he was pretty sure Allie was having her puppies today. We have her box already (thanks Larry), extra blankets and the kitchen rearranged to allow room for what could possibly be 12 puppies.

Our suspicions were confirmed. At 10:34 pm we had our first baby boy. About 10 minutes later a second boy was born. That was a change from the last two litters, she has had every other one boy - girl. But as of now, 11:54 we still only have two....sorry just had another one -make that three!! I guess blogging is good luck, now we have four. So it is going to be along night, wish us luck, mostly Allie...poor girl....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

2009-01-03T21:08:00.005-07:00

My mom has the advantage and disadvantage of being a new years baby. Since it's so close to Christmas, and is new years day, she usually doesn't get the recognition she deserves. I really do have the world's best mom. She is funny, supportive, understanding and has all the qualities I want as a mom. When I was about 12 I realized I was the luckiest girl ever. It's funny when we all reminisce, she is shocked at the things I remember. And my brothers memories are very different. I remember at a very young age riding on her lap as she mowed our lawn. I remember wanting to have a chore list, she didn't think it was really necessary-I helped when I was asked. I would write my own list, misspelled of course, and tell her to make me finish it before I could play. I would get a few things into it and usually have a bigger mess then when I started. Specifically, I would start cleaning the wall behind the stove. And get bored fast. Her or my dad would have to help me finish because a clean spot on a dirty wall looks worse then a dirty wall. I suppose that's why I didn't have a chore list. My mom can make me laugh until I cry. Recently, when my parents were at my house we started talking about ring tones. My dad mentioned my ring tone on my mom's phone. She hit him with a smile and then he proceeded to tell me it was a strange, annoying voice saying "Blahh Blahh Blahh, Blahh Blahh Blahh Blahh Blahh!" Getting louder and more annoying. My mom tried to explain she didn't have many choices and I should feel special since I was the only person with a different ring tone. She continued to argue it was the loudest one and that's why she picked it, so she would always hear when I call. We laughed and laughed, mostly at my expense, since I have a tendency to talk alot. She kept hitting my dad the entire time saying thanks alot. Before she went home I found a very funny ring tone for her that makes me smile and laugh every time she calls. Now when I answer, laughing, she asks whats so funny and we both laugh about our ring tones. I wish I would have been there for her birthday, or at least Christmas. I really am the luckiest girl ever and have the world's best mom!! I love you and hope you had a Very Happy Birthday!!

This is the only pic I have on my computer.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T20:55:00.002-07:00

Good Bye 2008..!!! December was a crazy month. In the dental field it usually is, lots of patients procrastinate and wait until the last minute to use their insurance benefits, and we just can't say no. Next year things are going to be different, I think we will take the last 2 weeks of December off. The disadvantage to that, is we do so much dentistry in December that it is a great way to close out the year. Considering everything that happened at my office this year and the economical effects on dentistry, we ended on a great note! Thanks to all my co-workers for all your hard work, 2008 was great!

I'm so relieved to be starting a new year. 2008 was really challenging for me. Sky and I are hoping 2009 brings wellness and healing, still no change in his bell's palsy. We are also hoping to take a few more vacations. I know that seems like a strange resolution but we work way too much. Of course the usual.. get in shape, be more active, eat healthier. Financially improve, I'd love to get another investment property and increase the equity in my house. I have at least 5 business adventures underway so if anyone of them is successful I'll be satisfied. Last but not least, help others, give what I can, be aware of the environment and do my part. I hope all of my friends and family have a Happy New Year and a prosperous and healthy 2009!

Christmas

2009-01-03T20:15:00.006-07:00

Christmas really snuck up on me this year and was gone just as quick. Things did not turn out as expected but all in all it was a great holiday. Skylier and I were making and changing our plans up until Christmas Eve. Finally we agreed that we would spend Christmas Eve with his Mom and Step dad, get up early Christmas morning and head to Idaho to be with my family and then Friday drive to West Yellowstone to be with his Dad and step mom. We had the car packed, arrangements for the dogs and all the gifts wrapped for 3 Christmas's.

The first stop went off great. We had dinner with Sky's "Utah family" including Athina who was in town from Cali, exchanged gifts and played some good old competitive rook. Side note, A GIRL FINALLY WON, thanks Athina! It really started snowing and by the time we headed home it was zero visibility and slow going. We didn't let that alter our plans, we came home and finished getting everything ready.

Christmas morning was not as ideal. The roads were closed to Idaho, both ways. We even considered driving to Montana first, but the roads were closed that direction too. We checked the road conditions very hour or so and no luck. At that point it was late enough we decided even if the roads opened it wasn't worth the risk. So we went back to Sky's mom's for a turkey dinner and of course more games and rook. Again, ALL 3 GIRLS WON, 1st, 2nd & 3rd!!! I was still optimistic that Friday we could still make it to Idaho but mother nature had other plans, the roads were still closed. So at this point, I have all my parents gifts, gifts for my Grandma from other family members and missed Christmas, including the tree at my moms.

The important thing is we were safe and still had family to be with. As of now my parents are coming my way in January for dentistry, so we will have a belated Christmas celebration. Maybe I should finally put up a tree. It would be strange to be opening Christmas gifts with Valentines decor up... Hope everyone had a VERY MERRY Christmas!!

Kaybree and The Boys

2009-01-03T19:55:00.005-07:00

So this is very over due. Stacey's kids are doing great. I was lucky enough to see them the day Kaybree was born and 3 weeks later when they came to Utah. I didn't even remember to take any pics of my own, I was too busy holding the new baby. My mom found multiple opportunities to stop by and see Kaybree. When she held her, at 24 hours old, she said that was the youngest baby she had held since I was born. Well here are a few pics from Stacey's e-mails.

Getting ready to leave the Hospital

10 tiny toes...

First pro pictures, less then 1 week old

Beautiful Christmas Dress

Brogan, Teagan & Kaybree Uscola

IT'S A GIRL

2008-11-13T21:21:00.002-07:00

Stacey & Jereud Uscola are the proud parents of a precious new baby girl. Not sure what the final name decision is... She was born tonight around 8:00. Stacey has been at the hospital since 8:00am, and didn't get her epidural until 7:30pm. Poor girl was in labor for 11.5 hours, but she said it was defiantly worth it. I have not seen her yet, but have some camera phone pics. She is stunning. She weighed 6 lb 6 oz, and 18 in long. She has a little bit of dark hair (she gets that from me) and I hear her lips are her best feature. The time wont pass fast enough until I get to see her tomorrow. Hopefully, my 3 and half hour drive will remain speeding ticket free. Congrats to the new parents and those lucky big brothers who can't wait to see their baby sister. I will have lot's of photos to post when I get home. I'm simply beside myself with excitement and anticipation.

Update

2008-11-13T01:15:00.002-07:00

So it's 1:15am and I can't sleep. It's been another long week. As usual some great things happened, and some not so great things too. Skylier has had no change in his Bell's Palsy symptoms. The headaches and the sensitivity to light and sound are much better. He's working at 100% so that is great news. Skylier recently had some changes in his job, and is really happy about it. Now he wont have to be on call and he gets off 30 minutes earlier (not that it matters much, he always beats me home). So that means a few more movie nights and maybe even a short getaway.

I'm so excited that my very best friend, Stacey, is scheduled to have her first baby girl tomorrow. She calls the hospital at 7:30am to make sure that there is an open bed. If history repeats itself (she has two little boys already) she will have her precious little girl by 3:00 tomorrow. Her name will be Kaebree .... Uscola (last I heard). Last time I asked, the middle name was undecided. She momentarily considered Rose (my middle name) which naturally I thought was a great idea. I was able to be in the room when her youngest, Brogan, was born on June 16, 2003. It was so amazing to be there, and I toke almost 2 weeks off work to spend time with them. We joked that Brogan had no idea which one was the real mom, since I held him as much, if not more, then Stacey. I miss her and her family very much, when I moved in 2004, that was the first time we ever lived more then 45 minutes apart, she's like a sister! I'm excited and nervous for her, although I know everything will go great. I'm heading to Rupert ASAP to see the newest addition to her family. I can't stop thinking about PINK!! Good luck Stacey and Jereud, can't wait to see you!!

Skylier's Birthday... Sky's bday was November 6th. I didn't have my camera, left it at work, which he prefers. He was on call, so our options were limited. We just spent the evening at home. He opened a few gifts, I think he really liked his wallet. Then Friday night we had some friends over and played poker. It was really fun! The last few months, even more then usual, I feel so lucky to have Skylier in my life. He makes me laugh all the time, he is so patient, he will let me talk about teeth for hours, let me complain about my day and always agrees with me when it's important. He is my BEST FRIEND and probably the only thing keeping me sane. I can't imagine my life without him in it. I am so lucky.

Things I love about My Sky: His sense of humor, his family, his unbelievably high body temperature (a human furnace, reminds me of my dad), he's taller then me, eats my cooking with a smile, looks great in blue, he laughs so hard at movies he cries, we have a secret hand shake, he will answer my questions about sports for hours, he created a quiz of all NFL teams and their mascot (so I could get better), he cleans house with the best of them, he excuses my obsessive compulsive tendencies (even having bath towels folded a certain way and in the closet by color), he gives amazing hugs (that way we fit together, like a custom puzzle), how much he loves are dogs (you would think they were actually his children), the way he loves kids. I could go on and on, but this is a good start. I know it's late, but Hope You Had A Great Day, I Love You!!

Halloween

2008-11-01T13:54:00.002-06:00

Halloween ended up being a lot more fun then anticipated. Skylier is still the same, and very hypersensitive to light and sound, so I wasn't sure what he would be up for. We had talked earlier about hosting the second annual Halloween Party with our friends, but decided not to, in case Sky wasn't going to be up for it. Well at 6:00 Chad called and wanted to know what the plan was. Before long, the very under planned Halloween Party was on at our house. We didn't have costumes, but others did. We played rock band, cranium and poker. We didn't have the actual rules to cranium, so it was especially fun, we were laughing so hard we were in tears. One card I had was to act out the heimlich maneuver... I proceeded to get on the ground and act out a very accurate CPR. When I realized what I had done, I jumped up and yelled "Wrong One!!" I was laughing so hard I could hardly act out the correct word. The girls guest it, so no harm done, but it was hilarious. We had fondue (the hit of the party) and lots of other snacks. We also had the most trick or treater's we have ever had. I didn't take a single picture, but Ashley won for best costume with her super cute strawberry shortcake. Next year I promise we will host a better party, but considering we had 2 hours to prepare it was A TON OF FUN!!

DENTAL FRUSTRATION, 1 OF MANY....

2008-10-20T21:23:00.006-06:00

I love my job, anyone who knows me has had a Slightly forced conversation about dentistry. In my defense, I’m usually not the first one to bring it up, but do have a hard time stopping. I work for an AMAZING dentist. Not only is he a down to earth, great guy, but he really is an insanely talented individual. This last summer he has spent HOURS and HOURS taking continuing education courses, so he can offer more comprehensive care to his patients. The things about my job that have caused uncountable hours of frustration have nothing to do with “My Job” or our practice, but dentistry has a whole.

STANDARD OF CARE: Dentistry does not have a united standard of care, and this is a growing problem. Dentist’s are permitted to practice as long as they want, only needing to maintain minimal CE credits, which can often be gained through reading articles and listening to CD’s. There is no regulation on the actual skill level or results dentists produce. Patients, even the most educated, choose their dentist based on personality, not skill or ability. It’s not their fault, what else would they do. Very few people can interpret x-rays and understand the importance of materials, margins, open contacts/floss-ability, and the importance of being conservative while providing longevity. I am stunned at the dentistry being done everyday. It should be UNACCEPTABLE! I feel like there should be something dental professionals should do, similar to board exams, to insure they have what it takes to produce predictable and acceptable restorations. The only one’s loosing are the patients. Now, the need for dentistry or even the need to periodically update the dentistry you have is not necessarily the fault of the dentist, in fact a majority of the responsibility belongs to the patient. But if a dentist does unsatisfactory work (work that is actually making the tooth worse and lasts less then 5 years) and continues to see that patient back for hygiene exams and chooses to say nothing, ignores the EXCEPTIONALLY obvious problems, this is WRONG, ethically and legally. Supervised neglect is cause for a malpractice suit. I’m not recommending or condoning law suits, but maybe that is what it will take to make dentists open their eyes and take responsibility for the work they produce. Telling a patient everything looks good, and knowing you would never have that dentistry in your mouth, is wrong.

So to anyone who had the patience to read this, I’m not saying your dentistry or dentist is bad, but I am warning the people I care about to be aware. Some of the worst dentistry I have seen has come from the nicest, most honest professionals. Although few people have the passion for dentistry that I do, we all have to deal with our teeth and TRUST ME, you don’t want to be on the other side of this conversation, a frustrating and often emotional one I have with new patients everyday. So if you’re close enough to come to our office (I now have friends and fam traveling 4 hours) please consider a free consult. This is not an advertisement; I really do want to help the people I love find the right dentist, and avoid a future of bad dental experiences.

Skylier Update

2008-10-20T21:12:00.002-06:00

It's been 12 days since Skylier got sick. He tried going to work today (he has been off all last week) but they sent him home again. The lights and noise are just too much... Not really much to report, no changes in the paralysis, the head aches are still hard to handle. For some reason it's not as scary, more frustrating at this point (I think we are just getting used to it). This last week I had some time off, which was great timing since Sky has about had it with being home alone all day. It's still hard for him to talk, but I think just having someone siting next to him makes him less lonely. I know I feel better being home to take care of him. He finishes his steroids in 3 days, if there is still no improvement we will make an appointment to see another doctor. I'll post again when I have more info. Thanks for all the nice comments and e-mails. I read them to Skylier and he smiles (lopsided) :/

Scary and Hopefully Over Soon

2008-10-13T23:44:00.004-06:00

So things have been a little tough around our house the last week. Skylier was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy last Thursday. It really puts things in perspective. He has complete paralysis of the right side of his face. It started with cold sores, then pink eye (which I got) and then within a few days we knew something was really wrong. Joe's brother-in-law (doctor) was so nice to see Sky at his house at 10:30 at night. The good news is 95% of the time symptoms subside and most patients have a complete or almost complete recovery. The frustrating and scary part is it can be permanent. We aren't dwelling on that, but it's very hard for him. He can hardly eat, your lips and jaw muscles play a big part in that. Talking is difficult since almost all pronunciation comes from the lips. His eye sight and hearing are very hypersensitive. The medication he takes makes him hungry, which makes the inability to eat even worse. He has had all the soup he can handle. He was sent home form work today because the lights and noise give him a terrible headache. He can't move his eye lid, so it's hard to sleep and his eye becomes dry and sensitive. We have eye drops now and are trying to tape his eye shut at night. It is a helpless feeling knowing how scared and miserable he is, and I can do nothing. Everyday we monitor the muscle movement, or lack of it, and are hoping his eye lids don't get worse. He thinks they are. The paralysis can't be spread since it's a unilateral inflamed nerved, so at least there is no concern of that. I will keep babying him, and trying to come up with more food that he can eat. I wont post pics, don't think that would help his self esteem. I hope this post serves as only a bad experience, that passes. But it does remind me how unbelievably lucky we are to have our health. I love him very much and am praying for a speedy recovery. Normal recovery is 2 weeks to 3 months and up to a year. Were sure hoping for 2 weeks, his birthday is November 6th... Sad if he can't have a good b-day dinner. Wish him luck!

What happened to fall??

2008-10-13T23:21:00.003-06:00

Friday was my brother's birthday, so in addition to Stacey's shower, we also had birthday celebrations. My parents, and my brother and I went to Jackpot Friday night. We had a ton of fun. I could play craps for hours (and have). My mom and I tried some new card games and did really well. All in all I lost money, but that's not what it's about for me. My brother got us compt a suite, it was really nice, and free! First thing Saturday morning my dad woke me up to show me the snow. It had snowed 2-3 inches by 8:30 am. We figured since the pass can get bad, we would head home early and we were glad we did. From that point on, it NEVER STOPPED SNOWING. For 24 hours it snowed on the 11th of OCTOBER.... The total snow fall was estimated at 18 inches. WOW, that was something I had never seen, 18 inches in one day in mid October. The roads to Utah were closed, I thought I was stuck. But Sunday morning the sun came out, the roads cleared and the freeway opened. I loved being home, but I was anxious to get back to check on Skylier. The snow was still every where of course but it really was a site to see.

These pictures were taken at 4:00 in the afternoon, about 11 1/2 inches. Imagine it was still snowing at 3:00 am and ended up 7 inches taller then this...

Stacey's Baby Shower

2008-10-13T22:58:00.004-06:00

Last weekend I went to Idaho for my very best friend's baby shower. Stacey and I met when I was in the 3rd grade, she was in the 5th. We were neighbors, which in Rupert means about 1 mile away. We had so much fun playing anything we could think of outside. Stacey had horses and was a talented little cowgirl. I wanted to be just like her (never happened) we would ride her horses for hours, I got bucked off, bit and stepped on, what FUN :) We played with the cows, goats, kittens, you name an animal and Stacey loved it. She would always find sick or abandoned animals and take it upon herself to nurse them to health...usually doesn't work by the way. My first double date was with Stacey, my first high school dance Stacey was there. She is part of almost every memory I have from 8 years on. My first plane ride was with her, my first real vacation was with her. She is still my best friend. I was there when her son was born, I was there when tragedy struck, I even had a bedroom named "Crystal's Room" on the floor plans of her parents new home.

I am so EXCITED she is having another baby, only 5 weeks to go!!!! I love her two boys to death and this precious baby girl has already stollen my heart. Her shower was really nice, she had more perfectly pink gifts then I have ever seen. She has an outfit for everyday of her first 2 months...and I'm sure there is more to come. I now have to budget for baby gifts. Thanks for being such a great friend, I miss you and your boys everyday!!

Mohler BBQ

2008-10-13T22:17:00.006-06:00

We went to Sky's step-brother Nate's house for a family BBQ last month. We were celebrating Shae's mission call, he's going to New York the 1st of December! We had a great time.. eating, playing football, I saw an even more competitive side of Mohler football (which I didn't know was possible) with all of Larry's kids playing. I think only a view tears, bruises and a little blood was spilled, that's a good sign. It was so nice of Nate to invite us over and we are so excited for Shae, hope we can do it again!

Happy Birthday To Me!

2008-10-13T21:37:00.005-06:00

My birthday started great. My co-workers were so nice, I had balloons at my desk, great gifts (including a carmel apple from Rocky Mnt Choc factory Yum!!!), and a homemade cake that Kassandra cooked three different times to make sure it was perfect. Thanks guys!

My parents were in town the weekend before my birthday so we went to dinner and had a great time. The night of my birthday Skylier had reservations at The Melting Pot. It was a first for both of us. IT IS DELICIOUS!! The chocolate fondue was my fav!

We were in salt lake an hour early so we would have time to find the restaurant and parking. After circling the same 6 block area for 45 min we finally found it. Of course no parking, but they had valet, we had NO cash (not even $4....I really should listen to my mom). We had to drive 10 min to find a gas station with an ATM and the location was a little sketchy... So Sky went inside to get cash and I decided to put gas in the car. He was taking FOREVER. He decided to get us something to drink while he was in there...don't completely understand why we needed drinks when we were headed to dinner and he knew I didn't like being alone, but I survived. It wouldn't be a complete evening in SLC if two men hadn't approached me asking for money. FINALLY Sky came out and they approached again, this time for a ride. I'm always too friendly in situations like that, so I was quite surprised when, after Skylier said we didn't have time to give him a ride across town, the stranger said I better leave you alone before that one (me) calls the cops... I think I was smiling... Do I naturally look mean?... it was probably just my frustration for Sky taking so long. After all of that we were 10 min late for the reservation but it was no big deal. I specifically took my camera, and the battery was dead, all we had was our no flash camera phones... take my word for it the food was gorgeous! I had a great birthday and loved spending it with Skylier.

Camping

2008-10-13T20:38:00.003-06:00

This August we went camping with some friends. We went up American Fork canyon, a first for me. It was really late when we all decided to go. So Sky and I decided, since we don't have a tent, we would just put a mattress in the back of the truck. So we loaded a queen size mattress in the truck, well the wheel wells were too wide. So after getting creative we discovered the twin box spring from the other extra bed room would fit perfect. We were set, dogs and all were loaded. Then Dave called and said it was raining in Salt Lake and it was headed our way. We were all packed so decided to add a few extra tarps and head out. We didn't even make it one exit before it was pouring! So we hurried and got the bed in the house, moved all of the stuff over to my car and were back on the road. By the time we got to Silver Creek Lake, it was about 9:00 and starting to get dark. We headed up the road and drove FOREVER. All the sites were taken and we needed a place with room for 3 vehicles and a place for our dogs. After the road got sketchy we decided the next corner was as far as we would go. One of our friends was 8 months pregnant and convinced if the road got worse she may go into labor. The next corner was the perfect place. It had stopped raining but was really wet! We had a huge site with a great big fire pit. We got settled about 10:00. A pretty late start for a one night camp out. We cooked dinner and enjoyed great company. Someone mentioned bears, so I was paranoid about the dogs safety. So.... all four of us slept in the back of my car. Well actually we just killed time until morning since it was so crowded and Samson is like a heater so we were cooked! All in all it was a great trip. We stopped and went fihing for a few hours, I think this was the highlight of Dave's trip. One reason we went is because Dave was leaving for the Marines in September and we wanted to do something fun with him. No good pictures, only had my camera phone.

More Food

2008-10-13T20:18:00.004-06:00

I've been busy cooking...too busy to blog. Not really, but it sounds better then the truth. (so exhausted that every free moment I have, I'm taking a 15 min nap) Well I made these muffins for work and they were a big hit. Probably the most popular yet. They have a brown sugar crispy top that is simply delicious!

This brownie with white chocolate raspberry frosting was a special request from Skylier. He loves all three of those ingredients. It was a new recipe and turned out pretty good. I will make a few changes next time. I'm still looking for my signature dessert. That one dish that is a guarantee success. I'll let you know when I find it and share it with everyone!

New Found Love

2008-09-05T21:38:00.005-06:00

For the past 5-6 months I have had a cooking bug. I have spent hours reading and researching baking and cooking. No particular reason, just seems like a skill anyone can benefit from. Of course any thing I do must be organized. So all my recipes are digital and sorted by category. I only enter the ones I have tried/changed and liked. I'm almost complete with my "baking station." I have an entire section of my kitchen designated for baking. Well my office and Skylier have certainly benefited from my practice. I usually have two-three new desserts a week. Dinners are not quite as frequently new... I still return to some simple, familiar recipes several times a week. Plus, sometimes buying all the ingredients for new recipes is expensive. I found a neat blog that has photos and recipes. The pics just make your mouth water, and for me, excite me to try the challenging new recipe. I've never photographed my food before but I thought this cake was so pretty. It was simple and has fresh fruit, which I always love. It stayed moist for days. Watch for more delicious food photos!!!

Welcome to the 21st Century

2008-09-05T21:20:00.003-06:00

Also while my parents were visiting, my mom discovered the PSP. She was pretty amused with the technology. She sat and watched/played for quite awhile. Skylier was patiently answering her questions and helping her figure it out. Who knows... she might have a PSP on her Christmas List this year.

Along the same lines, I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day, and I needed to call a business in Rupert. So while we were still talking I googled it. A few minutes after I already had the number, she offered to look it up in the phone book. It made me smile when she was just shocked I just looked it up. It will be interesting to see how technology changes and what inventions I will be SHOCKED about. Love you mom!

Dad, Mom & Brian

Rottweiler Plantation

2008-09-05T21:02:00.005-06:00

My parents and brother came to town a few weeks ago. They mostly came to see the dentist, but I'll take them any way I can. I thought it was amusing that most of the time, we were out numbered dogs to people. Sky and I have two adult rottweilers, so having my parents 120+ pound rot at my house too... is a whole lot of rots!! But we wouldn't have it any other way. My dad always says "Our house has gone to the dogs."

(right to left) Allie, Harley & Sam

Notice how they are setting on every one's feet. They LOVE people and can't get enough attention. They love it when company comes. Harley would prefer to be home asleep on the couch, unbothered by people or canine.

Living Room

2008-08-22T15:16:00.004-06:00

After my kitchen was complete I moved onto the living room. About the same demo as the kitchen... new lighting, electrical, sheet rock and texture, trim work, carpet and paint. This was a lot more manageable and went pretty quick. I'm really happy with the final product, the only thing left to do is some final accessories that I'm having a hard time deciding on.

The wall behind the TV is causing me problems... I just want something more on the wall, but don't want clutter...

This is my lonely piece of art on my entry wall. I'm at a loss for ideas... I wanted a console table but afraid it will stick out too far into the walk way. I have been considering some sort of shelf but just haven't figured out the perfect solution. Any Ideas??

This arrangement in the corner is actually a source of controversy in my house. Believe it or not Skylier has a strong opinion about decor. He doesn't have ideas or suggestion just strong objections when he doesn't like something. So I would love your honest opinion. I personally love the tall vases and the flowers I picked, I love the shadow it puts on the wall and I think the height fills the empty corner without fealing heavy or dark. But since I'm not exceptionally confident in my decorating skills.... I have left the tags on. Let me know what you think - should it stay or should it go.....

Kitchen Mini-Re-Model

2008-08-22T14:45:00.005-06:00

I have had several requests for pictures of my "almost finished" mini-remodel. So just some insight on where I started.. I bought my house in Orem in July 2007. Almost immediately I began planning all the changes I wanted to make. None of which would have been possible with out my mom and dad and brother.

The day after Thanksgiving it began....in the kitchen. Holes in every wall in the kitchen, including the exterior wall, all the kitchen cabinets & appliances removed, a large window was removed, soffits tour down, and all the old lighting & electrical removed. To say the least... it was a mess. Over the next month, the sheet rock (walls and ceiling) was replaced or repaired and textured, a new exterior door and window were hung, new under counter lights and recess cans were installed, all new light switches and plug ins were placed, the cabinets were hung, new trim and finish work was done and everything was painted. The kitchen was completed just in time to have Christmas Eve dinner at my house with my family, including my grandma. Since then, not much other cooking has happened in my kitchen. I have a few things left to do. I want new appliances, counter tops and to try staining my cabinets, but that will have to wait until my back yard is finished.

The door and window use to be one big window.. The only way to get to the back yard was out the front door and around the house. This is a huge improvement, especially with our dogs. This is also the reason I need a deck, since there was nothing there before, there are no steps.

The lighting is probably my favorite change. These pictures don't do it justice. I plan to stain my cabinets to match my dark mahogany colored table.

The under counter lights are all along the counters and are controlled by their own switch. It looks so cool to have all the other lights off and just the under counter lights on. THANKS BRIAN!!!!

More Cali Pics

2008-08-22T14:14:00.003-06:00

Skylier and Crystal at the Beach in Santa Cruz.

That's as far as Skylier would go, he didn't even get his feet wet.

"It's too cold..." What a wimp!

Shelby wasn't scared, she went completely in and was riding the waves!

The pier at Santa Cruz

Skylier, Shelby, Athina & Crystal

So a kind of funny, after the fact story. At Lake Tahoe, which I have no pictures, Sky & I got really sun burned. Anyone who knows me, knows I always get sun burned. But this time Skylier got it worse. He actually ended up at the emergency room twice on Thursday. He had a severe reaction to his sun burn and broke out in hives, was itchy and in a lot of pain. So after three shots in the rear end, poor guy, and three days of 4 pills every 4-6 hours, and some r&r he was back to normal. So Tahoe went from one of his favorite spots to a "I'm never going there again." Of course this is funny now that he is completely recovered.

Trip to Cali

2008-08-16T00:13:00.008-06:00

Skylier and I just returned from a little sand and sun in California. We went to see his sister that lives in Sacramento, to bring his little sister home and to just get away. And boy did we need it. Life has been a little rough the last few weeks but everything seems better in California!! We started in Oakland - where Skylier and I met two couples at dinner and ended up spending the entire evening with them. One was from Salt Lake and the other from Oakland. We didn't see too many sights but had great conversation. The next day we headed to San Francisco where we met up with two of Skylier's sisters (Athina & Shelby) and a couple from Orem (Steven & Bobbi) that came with us. Neither Sky or I have been to San Fran before so we did the basic tourist things. We spent 2 days there. Too many favorites to list but loved Pier 39, the sea lions, the boat ride around Alcatraz, the golden gate bridge, the bay in general & the Giants game. We missed out on all the shopping... :( but maybe next time. On day 4 we headed to Santa Cruz. We only had 1 day & 1 night there and I could have stayed days. It was REALLY cold but we went down to the beach. Shelby was the only that went swimmng but we all got our feet wet. We walked the pier and the board walk, enjoyed more sea lions and great food. Especially the candied apples! We had a great hotel, within eye sight and walking distance of the coast. Monday morning we left pretty early to head to Sacramento. We stopped at The Mystery Spot. It's a phenomenon where the gravitational force is off. We took the tour, it was pretty cool but made me and Shelby dizzy... The pictures didn't turn out great but it's only $5, if your in the area it's worth stopping. Tuesday we spent the entire day at Lake Tahoe. This was probably one of the high lights of our trip. We spent ALL day in the lake playing Frisbee, we rented a paddle boat and laid out. We ended up with serious sunburns!! This will defiantly be a place we will return, it would be fun camping and boating! Wednesday we headed back to Oakland to catch a flight home. We are glad to be home and missed our puppies... Athina was a great host! If your in Sacramento area let me know, she knows all the great places.

Skylier, Shelby (click on the pic to see her hair) & Athina AT&T Ball Park - San Francisco Giants vs LA Dodgers

Manny Rameriz just got traded to the Dodgers and is one of Skylier's favorite players. So it was a really exciting game to watch.

After the game we went for dessert. Athina new his great restaraunt that served giant pizookie's. I love this pic of Sky & Me, who know a cookie could be so fun. Upper right is Athina & Shelby, lower right is Steven & Bobbi.

iPhone 3G

2008-07-25T19:57:00.010-06:00

So Skylier & I have turned into technology geeks. We both got the first generation iPhones when they first came out. So we were the suckers that paid full price, they did send us a gift card a few months later when they cut the price by almost $200. Well needless to say we couldn't be out done by the New 3G. Skylier waited in line for 2+ hours on Wednesday at the ONLY apple store in Utah, just to find out I had to be there too. So first thing this morning we were in line at Gateway. Once all the store's opened I left Sky in line and went shopping. Found a great home decor store!! By 11:45, 3 hours later, we both had our phones. Now we have googled them to death and figured out all the latest and greatest updates. If you were wondering if it is worth the two year contract, IT IS!

Update

2008-07-23T22:14:00.005-06:00

I have not had my camera for the last few months and I associated my blog with pictures. Then I realized the pics are nice but I enjoy the stories just as much. I have really enjoyed every ones blogs and although I might not be as interesting, I'd like to keep all of you updated too. So just a recap... It was great to see all the family at 4th of July. I had a GREAT time catching up and am looking forward to Thanksgiving!

I have completed 90% of my interior house remodel and now I'm ready to tackle the yard. The biggest project is the deck. We currently have a ramp for the dogs to use and it's a little red neck.. So I've started my research and have pretty big ideas. To include a sunken hot tub, bbq area, pergola, water feature, benches, built in flower pots, really cool lighting (Brian doesn't know it but he's getting recruited too) and a fire pit. So I'll keep you posted.

Nice Saturday Evening

2008-07-23T22:06:00.002-06:00

Skylier, Dave and I - golfing in Orem.

Future Golf Pro

2008-07-23T21:51:00.004-06:00

So after our humbling experience, we decided to try another course. This one was more our skill level, again Skylier's skill level, they don't make 200 yard par 5 courses (my level). So exciting news... Skylier got his very first Birdie. It was pretty exciting and he must have been pleased since he let me take his picture with out argument (very rare for him to consent to pics). He attributes his accomplishment to his new, rather expensive, Callaway clubs. So he thinks my problem is my clubs aren't nice enough.... I'll use that excuse as long as people will let me. (skylier has golfed 54 holes in the last week and a half) I think it's officially addiction!!!

Golfing Fools

2008-07-23T21:37:00.003-06:00

So Skylier and I have taken up golf. Ok Sky has always been a golfer and I'm very much a beginner but it's been fun. My office is right on this gorgeous course that lies against the mountain. We decided to try it, since I look at it all day long. Well, beginners beware, Cascade Golf Course, at least the back nine, is a little technical... I lost 10+ balls and didn't keep score, except when the hole went well (only twice). Skylier even thought it was tough. But it was the prettiest course I've ever seen. It's entirely on the mountain side. We saw a fox and a deer and watched the sun set. Forgot my camera....

Jill's Wedding

2008-07-23T21:01:00.004-06:00

This June one of my best friends got married. It was a gorgeous wedding. It was in a park in Idaho. But being Idaho and all, wind was unavoidable and it was REALLY cold. I promised Jill I would wear my dress as long as she wanted. So, needless to say, 6 hours in a corset and a formal dress made me thankful for my jeans and tennis shoes! It was so great to be a part of her big day and I feel so lucky to have a friend like her, for 15 years. My parents and Skylier came for support, but I never did Skylier on the dance floor.

Puppies

2008-02-22T20:56:00.001-07:00

My First Blog

2008-02-22T19:53:00.000-07:00

Well since everyone seems to being getting a blog spot, I decided to get on board too. Plus, I can't seem to keep up on e-mails and myspace. Well just a quick update. My puppies, all twelve of them, have figured out how to escape their box. So now their favorite thing to do is wait until I walk away and start climbing. They love to pile on top of one another and sleep on this small rug. When they are all on it you can't even see the rug. They have started eating softened puppy food and LOVE it. First, I started with two small bowls but now I've upgraded to a full size cookie sheet. It takes them about 10 minutes to lick it dry. I'll try to post a picture, if I can figure out how.