Darling Dakota

My trip to UT was probably the most hectic, crazy trip I've had! It was literally non-stop from the time I landed until the time I left to come back. Luckily for me, I have great friends who came to me while I was there. Kelli came over after the reception on Friday night and we were both so tired that we laid on the couch and talked for a couple hours (no pictures, for all of our benefit).

One of my best friends from DC, Kassandra, came all the way from Logan on Saturday morning to visit - and to introduce me to her darling little two month old Dakota. She stared at me for awhile ...And then she was so cute and was smiling and laughing almost the whole time we visited. I'm glad that she liked me, because she was certainly a doll. Thanks for coming to visit!!

My [Online] Hair Modeling Debut...

So a few months ago when I went to get my hair cut, after she finished, she styled it very meticulously and then got out the camera and had me go the front of the salon. I was a little confused, but apparently she had been styling my hair to put on her portion of the website for the salon. Nice ... Jen always jokes that I have the perfect hair that will do anything she wants it to. Too bad this hair cut is long gone by now - I'd been growing out the front for awhile and last finally got rid of the a-line because I couldn't handle it anymore! Good thing she's great at what she does and always makes it look good.

So, without further adieu, here is my online hair modeling DEBUT ...

Baseball at Coors Field in Denver.

I decided that after Ryan's wedding, the best thing in the world would be for Matt and I to get out of town and enjoy, what else, but a baseball game! The Colorado Rockies just so happened to be in town that weekend, and I hadn't been to Coors Field yet ... so ... after cashing in a credit I had on Southwest Airlines, and bidding $50 for the Marriott in Denver and having it accepted, we were off. We were literally there for 14 hours - just enough time to fly in, rent a car, check into the hotel, go to the game, sleep for a few hours, and turn around and come back home in time for church and for me to fly back to VA. Talk about fast and furious! But very fun all at the same time. The game was great - well the last 3 innings anyway. I am sure Matt loved being with me since I made him take a million pictures. Good thing he likes pictures too :)I had the best nachos I've ever had at a baseball game (due mostly to the pulled beef they put on them, along with the guacamole). There were about six little boys sitting behind us for one of their birthdays, and they were hilarious. One asked his friends "how many minutes does it take for them to hit a home run" to which his friend promptly replied "well actually they could hit a home run at any minute, if the ball is over the plate then he could just pull it to the right or pull it to the left and it could go out of the park." ha ha Not a bad photographer either, that little boy ... The stadium was beautiful, especially as the sun set with the Rocky Mountains in the background! After the game we walked around the stadium to take a couple more pictures - some people don't know how to get the whole stadium in it though! Oh well.

So I took one of Matt with the whole stadium in the background - I swear you have to tell people exactly what you want in the picture otherwise they only take it of you.

Then we neglected to go out the same entrance we'd come in, so ended up walking around the stadium both outside ...and inside (which was great because there was no one left in the stadium - they almost didn't let us back in...)before getting in the line for the shuttle to our car. We met these girls who'd gone to the game instead of Prom that night - so I had to take a picture of them. They were hilarious.

After we got on the shuttle, it took awhile to figure out where our car was - but finally we made it. Two people not paying attention to where we'd parked did not equal an easy time! ha ha But we had fun together and I'm so glad that Matt was able to join me on my quest to seeing yet another baseball stadium. This marks #25 of the active 30 ballparks :) Next up, Seattle!

Ryan & Laura's Wedding!

May 16, 2008: Introducing Ryan & Laura Lillywhite!

I flew home for the wedding last weekend. From the time I got off the plane until I came back to VA, it was non-stop! It was a great trip though, filled with lots of family and friends, and of course the most important part - my new sister-in-law Laura :) Its like I said at the luncheon, I've always told my brothers that they needed to marry cool girls since they are the only sisters I will have, and I don't think I could have hand-picked anyone better for Ryan than Laura. She's so great and I'm very excited that she's part of our family. Aren't they just so cute??
The luncheon was as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and then we all walked over to the SLC Temple for the sealing. Before we went in, we had a little while to enjoy the temple grounds with the extended family:
After pictures, we went back home for the reception that evening. Here's mom and dad with Ryan & Laura ...
My green shoes were the hit of the wedding (other than the actually wedding stuff of course) - special thanks to Christine for pointing them out to me! Even Laura's dad, when I met him at the reception, said "oh you are the one with the famous green shoes!" Nice to be known for something :) The reception was in my parent's backyard and turned out absolutely beautifully! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day - in every way - including the 74 degree weather. Unfortunately we didn't take a whole lot of pictures, so I'm hoping that the photographer snapped some good ones for them! I hurried to get a picture with Ryan & Laura at the end of the reception - too bad my flower is turned upside-down by this time of night!!
We don't have ANY pictures of our family all together in our "wedding attire" since we weren't wearing it to the temple, but here's one of me with the happy couple at the end of the reception (after I ditched the shoes).What a perfect day it was! I'm so happy for you two and so glad I was there to celebrate with everyone :)

My Little Blue Box.

We all know what it is. We all know where it comes from. We would all love one for ourselves. Well, back at BYU, I once told a few friends that if any of my (younger) brothers got married before I did, I was buying myself something from Tiffany's. Well, I can't back out on something I told my friends, now can I? That would be very dishonest and un-trustworthy of me! So, last week I went to Tiffany's (by the way, don't EVER go there the day before Mother's day!!) and picked up a little something for myself. Luckily, I'd done my research online beforehand and knew exactly what I wanted, so all I had to do was wait for the woman to wrap up my very own little blue box (which I was happy to wait for)!
So that's it ... my Tiffany's necklace. And, I must say, it does feel good to wear it :) ha ha And just as a sidenote, when I went on the site to get the picture today, I noticed that the price had gone up! Apparently Ryan got married at just the right time!

p.s. I think its kind of funny (or ironic?) that Laura's wedding color was "aqua" which she described as "Tiffany blue." Just another reason that I love her - and a good rationalization that this was meant to be.

Weekend Philly Trip

The last weekend in April, my ward took a trip up to Philly. Katie and I went up Saturday morning, and picked up Christine at the train station. I'd convinced her to come join us for the weekend from NYC - and it was so much fun!! We hung out with ward people most of the day on Saturday, touring around Philly, eating cheesesteaks, and taking in some history. Then we relaxed at our hotel and stayed through Sunday, went to church at the single's ward there, and then headed back Sunday night. It was a perfect girls weekend getaway!

And now for the pictures ... starting with, of course, the Liberty Bell, in all her glory.

Also nearby - the classic Independence Hall.
Near the Philadelphia Mint, we found this little treasure ...In the National Constitution Center, they had an exhibit straight from Cooperstown called "Baseball As America." We didn't actually go through it (didn't want to pay for it) so that is my incentive to just go to Cooperstown!

I'm not really sure what this building was, but I really liked it, and insisted that we take a picture.
Katie wanted to see the Rocky Steps ... so we did. And while we were in line waiting to take this picture, I ran into my next-door neighbor from my freshman year at BYU - so random! And then we had to run up the Rocky steps and of course take the silly pictures at the top.
On Sunday morning we took a walk by City Hall - one of the most beautiful buildings in Philly!I have no idea the significance of these dominos, but there were a whole bunch of random game pieces on the patio of this building, so we, of course, took pictures. I didn't think I was going to be tall enough to do this picture - and it was very slippery!We couldn't let this photo opportunity pass me by ... so here's the 3 of us:I really wanted to find this statue since we'd seen people with pictures at it all weekend, and we finally found it - and actually this park is called "Love Park." ha ha

It was really fun to go see the movie "Baby Mama" last weekend and notice quite a few of these sites in the movie! Thanks girls for a great weekend in Philadelphia :)

This One's For You, Meg...

I know, I have been MIA for over a month. Its not that I haven't been doing anything fun, its just that I've been, well, taking a break from my blog.


But since my blog is unofficially dedicated to baseball, I am remiss for not posting these extremely flattering (ha ha) pictures from the first Nationals game that I went to at the new Nationals Park. I've actually been there twice - both in the same week believe it or not - but the second game, my camera battery decided to die right when we were going to take a picture (much to the relief of everyone I was with).


To the rest of the lovely folks that I've been to games with this year (and you know who you are), I'll get your picture next time, I promise!!
Oh yeah - and I guess I can't really finish this post without saying that the new ballpark is awesome!! I felt like I was going to a new stadium in a new city the first time we went there - oh wait, I was! Its in a part of DC that I'd never really been to before, and a new ballpark it is. Hooray for having such an awesome new stadium right here in little ol' Washington DC!!

Opening Day!

Of course I couldn't let this one go by with out a post (sorry for the lack lately) ... BASEBALL season is officially underway, starting with Opening Day for my hometown Nationals yesterday! I was soo sad that I couldn't go to the game since they were playing my team, on my half birthday, in my home city (well, kinda), but it was on a Sunday and I swore I'd never do that again after Chicago last year. So ... despite being offered a ticket at church yesterday, I watched it on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball like everyone else. Here's a pic from my friend Dave who WAS at the game -

And just in case you wondered, just because the Braves lost last night doesn't mean they're not still a) my team and b) my pick to win the World Series this year! ha ha Actually, ESPN's Jayson Stark agrees with me ... in his story "Unsung Braves built for October glory." Wah-hoo, Play Ball! I can't WAIT to go to the new stadium ... the stadium looks absolutely beautiful! I'll have to wait until next week when the Nats are back in town though.

Yoga anyone?

I went back to the chiropractor today. Ok, I have continued to keep going to the chiro through this whole back mess, but today she told me something that I needed to hear. She's told me before that I'm super tight (not uptight...ha ha) and today told me that I am "so small and so skinny" that there is NO reason that I should be as tight as I am. Ok well the first part of that was nice to hear ... the end, not so much. But its nothing that I don't already know. She honestly thinks that is the root of all my problems, since it seems to be stemming from my SI joint.

So ... they have a good yoga class at my gym, but um, its at 10am. Who can go to a 10am yoga class when you work? Not me. My friend Cristy told me about Bikram yoga, where you do yoga in a room that is 105 degrees. Sounds good in theory, but given my history with passing out, I'm a little afraid of it. What I need to do is find a good yoga dvd that I can do at home, and make it a part of my daily routine. Anyone know of a good one? I'm on the lookout! I'm getting really sick of feeling like a pregnant woman who can only walk and stretch for exercise. It is beyond the annoying phase. It kills me to go out on a brisk walk when I see everyone else jogging. I want to be them! Or riding my bike. Or something.

As a parting thought today ... when I got onto my gym's website this afternoon to double-check the class schedule, this tagline caught my eye and I've been laughing about it (mostly to myself; sometimes out loud) all day: "Sure, the economy's shaky. That doesn't mean your butt needs to be, too." I love it!

March makes me smile.

Its March - so let's bring on the spring. What does that mean? Well, first things first, March Madness of course! I can't wait.

But let's be honest, what does a girl like me really think of when someone mentions spring? Um ... think really hard. Bingo! Spring Training. Hooray. I went home for lunch on Friday and turned on ESPN and got REALLY excited when I saw the Braves-Dodgers spring training game. Baseball season is on its way.

This is the year. This is my year. And by that I mean its the year that I'm going to finish my baseball stadium tour. I can hardly wait! Our hometown Washington Nationals have a brand-spanking new stadium that's about to be inaugurated. Unfortunately, opening day is on a Sunday, so I'm opting out of that one. The really sad part about that is they're playing the Braves!! But they're in town the next week, so I'm planning on going then. Its very exciting to have baseball's newest stadium (for a year anyway) right here in DC! Single game tickets go on sale tomorrow morning :)

I've already bought my ticket to fly to Seattle for Memorial Day. Can't wait! The plan is to go to San Francisco and Oakland over the 4th of July, and Houston and Dallas over Labor Day. Then the only other stadium I have to manage to squeeze in there sometime is Denver, and I'm done! Finished. Wow. I can't really believe it. Now if only I could find a sponser.....

Chili Cook-Off

There's nothing like entering a chili cook-off and winning 2nd place when you are crippled. ha ha That's what happened on Saturday though; we had a multi-stake YSA chili cook-off activity, and I didn't really consider changing my plans to enter it based on the fact that I couldn't stand up straight. A friend tried to convince me to not do it, but another friend (who knows me very well) told her "good luck telling Shanna 'no'."

I was surprised when I walked (er, hobbled) into the cultural hall (from a bathroom break) to hear my name announced as the 2nd place winner - the winner of a $75 gift card to Maggiano's. Yum! If I hadn't have already been up, I would have sent someone else to claim my prize. However, I was up, so I continued the what seemed like forever walk up to the front. I can't actually take all the credit though - I have to thank Jenny for the recipe (a white chicken chili that is fabulous!) and both she and my roommate Lisa for going to the grocery store for me while I slept.

I must say, my chili should have won first place, because the chili that won wasn't very good (I tried it). Oh well, first place was a gift card to the Cheesecake Factory, and I already have a gift card there anyway. Now I just have to figure out who to take with me to Maggiano's - just as soon as my back issues are finished!

Now, here's what you'll all want to try for dinner tonight:

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
2 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
¼ cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (1 14 oz can)
2 cups half and half (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half)
1 teaspoon Tabasco – or to taste
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
dash cayenne pepper
two 4-ounce cans mild fire roasted chopped green chilies with their juice
1 whole rotisserie chicken shredded – white and dark meat
6 ounces grated Monterey Jack Cheese – about 1 ½ cups
½ cup sour cream
Garnish – fresh cilantro sprigs

Directions:
1. Drain beans in a colander and rinse.
2. Cook onion in 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat until the onion is softened but not brown.
3. In a heavy pot melt 6 Tablespoons butter over medium low heat and whisk in flour.
4. Turn heat to LOW and whisk constantly for 3 minutes making sure it doesn’t turn brown.
5. Stir in onion and add broth and half and half, whisking constantly.
6. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. The mixture should be thickened. If it is too thick add a little broth or water to thin it.
7. Stir in Tabasco, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
8. Add beans, chilies, chicken and cheese.
9. Cook over medium low heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
10. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

(I adjusted the seasonings a little to make it a little spicier).

Serve with sour cream, cilantro, and tortilla chips (if you prefer) on the side. Enjoy!

Straight Up Now Tell Me...

Thanks to Paula for being the inspiration for my title of this blog (ha ha) I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was having back problems. Well, they were getting better, my chiro was helping, and I was on my way to being 'normal' again without being in any pain.

Well, Wednesday morning I woke up in excruciating pain for some unknown reason (and I do not even move in my sleep, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't some weird flailing about I did in my dreams). I went to my primary care dr. that afternoon, who basically told me I had bad luck, gave me a 500mg prescription of Naproxin, and a few samples of Soma muscle relaxers. The result? Nothing. Nothing has helped. I can't walk straight, I can't stand up straight, it hurts to sit, stand, crawl, stretch, cough, sneeze, and even laugh. This is as straight as I stand - seriously.

I went to a new chiro yesterday and he said he sees this all the time and that I will get better. Um...when? I felt a little better when I left there yesterday but nothing huge. And as the night progressed, it got continually worse. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but this just doesn't seem to be anything that I can kick right now. So that's it from me, your crippled friend.

A Lillywhite Engagement!

Wow, its finally happened. The streak is over. A Lillywhite is engaged!! Don't worry, there's nothing that I've been hiding - its not me - its my brother Ryan. Congratulations to Ryan & Laura. They will be married in the SLC temple on May 16 and I couldn't be happier for them.

I think I knew from the very beginning - I mean how could you not when you felt comfortable enough to cut your nylons with a pocketknife in the middle of your little brother's mission farewell at church - while she is sitting next to you the very first time you met her?!? ha ha I'm excited to finally have a sister-in-law. I always told my brothers they needed to marry cool girls, I and I most definitely approve of Laura! Let the fun begin...

Here's a pic of the happy couple in San Diego, just prior to the proposal:

Happy Valentine's Day

A good fortune from a cookies I ate today ...

"The current year will bring you much happiness."

And my personal favorite (I actually got this one a couple weeks ago):

"There's a good chance of a romantic encounter soon."

Hooray for Valentine's Day. And thanks for the flowers (you know who are)!

Finally, its over!

I'm not a huge tv addict, but I have definitely felt the pain of the writer's strike over the last 100 days. Hooray that its finally over! Now the question is, when are the shows going to be back on again? Here's what I've found so far...

LOST (which is thankfully still on right now since they had 8 episodes filmed before the strike began)

Damon Lindelof is eager for some answers. An executive producer of ABC's mystery serial "Lost," he should learn this week what his show's future holds as it closes out its fourth season.

"Lost" has been back on the air just two weeks. But the strike meant a planned 16-episode shooting schedule was halted after just eight episodes were shot. Fans braced themselves for no more this season.

"But we very much want to come back and do as many episodes as possible," said Lindelof, who then listed a few issues that first need to be settled.

"How many episodes can best serve our story? And what are the production realities?" He noted that the shooting facility in Hawaii, 2,500 miles from his Los Angeles office, had been shuttered since Thanksgiving. The crew has dispersed, the huge cast has scattered.

The first new post-strike episode of "Lost" could possibly be ready for broadcast the week after episode eight appears, he said. There likely would be three or four more after that.

Could there be even more?

"I'd be surprised if the network wanted to air episodes deep into the summer," he said. But if all the pieces fell into place, "Lost" fans would be blessed: "I don't see why we couldn't deliver all eight remaining episodes."

That kind of zeal should warm viewers' hearts. Lindelof and the rest of TV's creative community seem delighted to be back.

Almost as delighted as we are.
(http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/12/hollywoodlabor.viewer.ap/index.html)


The Office

Comedies will be able to return to air the quickest with new episodes, in as soon as four to six weeks. NBC's "The Office," for one, had one script ready before the cast walked out at the start of the strike. The show hopes to have five to 10 episodes starting in April or May.
(http://www.courant.com/entertainment/tv/hc-showstatus.artfeb13,0,6214897.story)


Grey's / Private Practice

Four to five new episodes of the ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy" and its spinoff "Private Practice" are being prepared for April and May; both shows have been picked up for the fall season.

Etc.

The latest thinking on Jack Bauer's strike-interrupted season on Fox's "24" is that it will just wait until January 2009 to try again. Producers didn't want to present a fraction of the shows it had done without being able to present 24 in a row as usual.
(http://www.courant.com/entertainment/tv/hc-showstatus.artfeb13,0,6214897.story)

Many hit series (such as ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy," as well as CBS' "CSI" trio) will be back this spring for what's left of the current season, with anywhere from four to seven new episodes.
(http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/12/hollywoodlabor.viewer.ap/index.html)

Hooray - I can finally start filling up my DVR again :)

I Want to 'Stand a Little Taller'

As many of you, I was very inspired by President Hinckley's funeral services on Saturday. Everything about it was incredible (including the tears that streamed down my face almost through the whole thing - so much for me not being a crier...) I especially loved President Eyring's talk. I want to be like President Hinckley has counseled us to stand a little taller every day of our lives by doing our best.

I also want to very literally stand a little taller ... I jacked up my back again on Saturday at the gym and am walking like a pregnant 80-year old! I went to a new chiropractor (mine was out of town) on Monday and he didn't do much. I have a hard time sitting still for very long and when I get up out of my chair it takes quite awhile; then I have to 'straighten out' before I look semi-normal. Hopefully my regular chiro can help me. I wish I were in UT to go to my dad's acupressurist so he could put the little magic beads behind my ear and make it all go away.

So here's to 'standing a little taller' in every sense of the phrase!!

The Soup Nazi

Ok so I'm not going to yell "no soup for you!" like the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, but I sort of feel like I'm going to get that name since over the last two days I've managed to make four different kinds of soup and freeze it in quart-size ziplock baggies so that I can have some ready-made meals for the next month. I'm not sure why I got the sudden urge to pre-cook meals, but I'm sort of hoping it will take some of the guesswork out of figuring out "what's for dinner." (or lunch...)

The thing I hate about cooking is that I can't make anything for one person - hence the fact that my freezer is full of 20+ baggies of frozen soup. I'm hoping that if I eat one kind each day, I won't get so sick of it like I do when I make something and then have the same leftovers every day of the week ... I guess this time its just having the same leftover every day of the month. So we'll see how this goes. I'm a little bit afraid that its going to do something funky when I defrost it and then all my hard work is going to go to waste. I hope that's not the case! So, Taco Soup, Tomato Basil Parmesean, Chicken & Wild Rice, or White Chicken Chili - which one should I eat first? ha ha

January Randomness

So what HAVE I been doing in January (obviously NOT blogging)? Just to name a few, in no particular order:

1. Trying to figure out which half marathon I'm actually going to run (oh and trying to figure out a training schedule so I don't die in the process).
2. Watching football.
3. Celebrating birthdays.
4. Planning baseball trips for the summer (just bought my ticket for Seattle over Memorial Day).
5. Resisting the urge to buy music off of iTunes (successfully).
6. Tracking my life (ok my financial life) on Quicken.
7. Wondering if I should give up sugar again for an undetermined amount of time.
8. Watching movies - "27 Dresses" being my favorite (I think I love James Marsden).
9. Wishing the writer's strike would be over so The Office would come back.
10. Counting down the days until January 31 when LOST returns.
11. Breaking hearts left and right (hey if that's what people want to think, I've decided to let them go right ahead).
12. Remembering how much I love my space heaters and electric blanket.
13. Staying away from the mall - I haven't bought any new clothes all month!
14. Discovering a new flavor of ice cream - Chocolate Nutty Moose Tracks (the light kind - because I'm sure after all that chocolate and peanut butter and nuts, saving 50 calories makes a HUGE difference, right?!?).
15. Thinking its time for a blog makeover (obviously not enough to do something about it, but its a thought).
16. Getting information about my 10 year high school reunion and trying to decide whether or not I should go.
17. Reconnecting with old friends on Facebook.

That's all for now (not all that I've done, this is far from a conclusive list, but at least its an idea). I can't believe I'm leaving it at 17 - its such a random number and I don't like doing things that seem unfinished. But hey, its a new year so I'll just go with it. And I'll try not to continue my absence from the wonderful world of blogging.

Dean's Birthday

Dean was in Utah for his birthday, but I convinced him to let us take him to dinner when he returned. So we all went to Eggspectation and enjoyed dinner together. (and no, not everything on the menu has eggs in it...)

And from the other end of the table ... gotta love those awkward dinner table pictures:Then we went back to my house for what was probably the most delectable cake I have ever had in my life. I'm not saying that because I made it, but because I ordered it from Cold Stone. Yellow cake sandwiched between layers of cake batter ice cream with cookie dough chunks mixed in, covered with a chocolate ganache and topped with chunks of cookie dough and chocolate shavings. Absolutely, positively, delicious. I can't remember what someone said after he made his wish and blew out the candle ... I think it was a line from "Sixteen Candles" but it was apparently pretty funny (sometimes I hate not being the one taking the pictures!!):

After cake, we played Dean's new game of 80's Music "Scene It" and called it a night. Happy Birthday Dean!

Becky's Birthday

For my roommate Becky's birthday, we celebrated at Ledo Pizza. We had one table that was separated from the group, but the noticed that the couple sitting at the table at one end of our group was Becky's friend from work, so we nicely asked them if they'd be interested in switching tables. They obliged, and we were all able to sit together. We had a LOT of pizza.
The night in and of itself was something of a miracle, because the four of us roommates all actually went in the same car, together, for the first time since Lisa moved in August! Better late than never, right?!? I made Dave take a picture of the momentus occasion. Its hanging in our living room right now, purely as incentive to all of us to take more pictures together since none of us like it! ha ha Happy Birthday Becky!

What? I'm Not Perfect Anymore? (ha ha)

I haven't ever hated the dentist like most people do (hygenists who should have been hair stylists with the way they talk, now that's another topic). Here's how it usually goes: I go to the dentist, they clean my teeth, take x-rays and put flouride on them, then the dentist comes in and says one of a few things to me ... "You have perfect teeth." "Gorgeous." "You make me sick." "You don't make me any money, now get out of here." Then I get my free toothbrucsh and floss, and that's it. 30 minutes, and I'm done for the next six months.

Well today he came in and started poking around and said to the hygenist "you told her about this little one right?" To which she responded "No, I wanted you to confirm first." A little WHAT?? Yup, a little cavity. He said its really nothing, just a tiny dot, that he couldn't even really show me it was so small. He said they'll pretend its a sealant, and if I ever join the Peace Corp, he will still tell them that I have perfect teeth. No rush to get it filled, but I scheduled it for next week. How cool is this though - he does all his fillings with a laser! I have always wanted to see how it works - I guess now I will get to by no choice of my own. Oh well I guess I can't have perfect teeth forever.

To Blog Or Not To Blog?

That is the question I have been toying with back and forth. I know I haven't posted anything since Christmas (on this blog at least). Those of you who know me well know that it most definitely isn't because of a lack of excitement in my life, or a lack of anything noteworthy to blog about. It simply stems from the time factor. And not having very much of it. So, my apoligies for not keeping my blog more up-to-date. I have quite a few posts in que, but I have to sit down and download my pictures before I can post them. Patience is a virtue, at least that's what they say. Whoever 'they' is...

Merry Christmas!

I don't have to dream of a white Christmas this year, because we most definitely have one! Here's a shot of Ryan, his girlfriend Laura, and me earlier today - we were sick of waiting for Matt to come so we could take a picture to send to Josh! Its a really bad picture, but I love the view out our back door with all the snow!Christmas has been very relaxing this year - which has been very nice. We were able to talk to Josh (on a mission in Canada) this morning and open our presents and then basically hang around the house and eat food (and more food - isn't that what vacation is all about?) ... I've been reading a couple good books and working on mastering my Dr. Mario skills.

Laura joined us for Christmas dinner, but before, we had to snap a few Christmas photos. First, one of the kids ... And then one of the fam (minus Josh of course):

That's about all the excitement from here ... hope everyone has had a very merry Christmas today!