Tagged AGAIN!

7 Things You Don't Know about Me..see my previous "Tag" post for the first five. Here's more:

#6 I hate fixing my hair. I DO fix my hair occasionally (usually never turns out how right though). I don't mind putting make-up on or putting together cute outfits or shopping or any other "girly" stuff, but if I could hire someone to assume one of my daily tasks, I wouldn't pick laundry or dishes or dirty diapers..it would be to have my very own hairstylist. How lame is that??


#7 I can hula hoop decently well.

#8 Mine and Adam's birthdays are only two days apart. Mine is Oct. 22, his Oct. 24 (different yrs) so it's like another anniversary or Christmas!

#9 If I would have had my way completely, Ben's name might very well have been Teagan or Gatlin. Glad I didn't though..he's a Ben all the way now.

#10 Speaking of names, I was named after Lonnie Anderson's character on WKRP.

#11 I can cross my eyes. Very lady-like, I know.


Alright, I'm out of stuff..at least that I'm owning up to any way! :-) (So Laura, does this earn my spot back on your blog? lol.)

Tag, I'm It!

Meghan tagged me so here ya go...

10 years ago...
I was in my junior year of high school. I was dually enrolled in college as well, but I can't remember what I taking. I was probably sucking it up in Nutrition. I hated that class, the teacher was horrible and mean and I had no interest whatsoever. I didn't know at the time, but it was my last year at Paxton School, where I had gone during all of my high school years. I think I was working at Big R that year too..podunk restaurant that some people called "Snortsy's" because the owner would come in a blow her nose really loud..LOL..good times. (Remember that, Amy Jo?)

Things on my To Do list:
1. Unpack my house
2. Clean house
3. Exercise
4. Start reading a new book
5. Finish sewing pillows and curtains for bedroom
6. Write in my journal and Ben's baby book

If I were suddenly a billionaire...
Vacation with my little family and my side of family to Hawaii, pay off bills for us and mine and Adam's family, start a college fund for Ben and kids in my family, find Adam a part-time job (bc I seriously doubt if I could get him to quite altogether), look into some charities and get involved, or start one of my own, buy all the recommended food storage for us and our families, then I'd probably need another vacation or two.

3 Bad Habits
1. Letting housework get behind for no good reason
2. Hitting snooze more than once on the alarm clock (although I don't even remember the last time I used one..I've got a crawling, jabbering one in the form of Ben
3. Procrastinating


3 Places I have lived
1. Escambia Farms, FL
2. Nashville, TN
3. Salt Lake City, UT

5 Jobs I have had
1. Pharmacy tech at CVS & Rite Aid
2. Project manager & dpt assistant for music dpt at Deseret Book
3. Receptionist and Customer Service Rep at Excel Entertainment (distributors for God's Army, Other Side of Heaven, etc.)
4. Server at O'Charley's, Cracker Barrel, and a couple of local restaurants
5. Full-time mom and Homemaker

5 things people don't know about me
1. I have worked on a Grammy-award winning album. (Gladys Knight's One Voice CD)
2. I have secret dreams of being a writer, editor, marathon runner, and photographer.
3. I would probably be in pharmacy school right now if I didn't have Ben. I've taken all of the prerequisite classes. (But being his mom is SOO much better!)
4. I have trouble in the check out line at the grocery store bc I'm too busy reading the covers of magazines.
5. I was engaged to someone else before I married Adam. (Those who know me WELL will know that one though.)

I tag...
Karen, Noel, and Jamie...let's hear it!

No Pain, No Gain

By "gain", of course I mean "lose" but that doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it? In my attempts to lose some poundage, I got a membership to the rec center nearby. I start with 20 min or so of cardio on the treadmill then try to keep up my heart rate by hitting the machines in a circuit. So the second day I'm working out, I get on the last available treadmill which happens to be next to this jock-looking guy. I get my pace going and notice that it is the same speed as Mr. Jock (so he's obviously not that much of a jock if he's running at the same speed as my out-of-shape self). So what am I to do but step it up a couple of notches?? I get going and into a groove so I stay at that pace for a few minutes when I see my treadmill neighbor casually glance over at my settings like he's cheating off my paper in grade school or something..so what is HE to do when he sees that he's being outrun by Ms. Mommy Frump, but step up HIS game, which he does...for a couple minutes and then he wimps out on me. All the time, I'm staying at my same speed, a feat I'm pretty proud of since it was only my second workout in a long while. Pretty soon, Jock Jack does his cool down for a couple of minutes. But I'm still trucking faithful at 5.0. Once he leaves, I get back in touch with reality (not to mention the fact that I can't breathe and probably about to kill over with a heart attack or something) and slow down to a fast walk. But I was able to stay at that speed for 9 whole minutes! And I wiped the floor with my next-door pal! Or so thought till I woke up the next morning...It's been a week now and my knee joints STILL hurt really bad. Man, I'm old..

Why Stay on the Healthy Wagon?

Alright..here's my *start* to a list that is supposed to motivate me. Maybe it can do the same for someone else too. Dedicated to my friend, Jeni..good luck, Jeni!
This is not formatting right and can't figure outwhy, but the idea is to list all the reasons why to stay on the healthy wagon and take those reasons as far as possible. If you want the cleaner list, just email me.

1. Starting back is so hard
2. Healthy
Keep Word of Wisdom
Lord said so
Feel good
Be happier
Live longer and in a condition I want to be in
Have peace of mind
Able to have fun with kids
Make more good memories
Have well to draw from in hard times
Easier labor/delivery/recovery
Less pain
Set good example for Ben
3. Good posture
Look better
Feel more confident
So won’t walk humped over when older
Breathe in more air
Be healthy
4. High energy level
Keep house clean and in order
Nurturing place for Ben to grow up in
Set good example for Ben
Welcome the Spirit
Take care of Ben
Because I love him soooo much!
Read/pray personally daily
Strengthen relationship with the Lord
Lord said so
Set good example
Read/pray as family
Strengthen relationship with the Lord
Lord said so
Set good example
Have FHE
Strengthen relationship with the Lord
Lord said so
Set good example
Increase relationship as a family
Perform callings
To serve others
Lord said so
Makes us feel good

Talk to family/friends
Continue and strengthen relationship with them
Show my love and gratitude for them
Blog
Record my life
Let others learn from my life
Get more done in a day
The more I get done now, the easier life will be
5. Better skin (fewer breakouts and less wrinkles)
Look better
Feel more confident
6. Gets me out of the house each day
Good for my mental wellbeing
7. Gets endorphins going
Makes me happier
8. Makes me a more rounded person
More interesting
Have more friends
More people to love and support me
Can set even more goals and become an even better person
Can learn more from them and their experiences and examples
Makes me more rounded person
More people to serve
Lord said so
Makes us feed good
More experiences to draw on
Learn more in life
Only thing besides relationships can take with us when we die
Help me get through hard times
Can be happier sooner
Able to contribute to the Lord’s kingdom better
Lord said so
Get blessings
Fire insurance
Makes me happier
9. Increase strength and stamina
Able to do more work (or at least have the option to)
Keep house clean and in order
Nurturing place for Ben to grow up in
Set good example for Ben
Welcome the Spirit
Take care of Ben
Because I love him soooo much!

Increases my ability to fight off something or someone trying to cause harm
Protects me better
Live longer and in a condition I want to be in
Have peace of mind
Able to have fun with kids
Make more good memories
Have well to draw from in hard times
Protect those I love better
10. Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, colon cancer and breast cancer (by up to 60%), diabetes, osteporosis
Less heartache for myself
Less heartache for family and friends
Unnecessary physical pain
Take pills rest of life
Expensive
Reduced quality of life
Annoying
Cost of heathcare
Expensive
Reduced quality of life
Annoying
Reduced mental wellbeing
Reduced physical wellbeing
Painful
Reduced mental wellbeing
Reduced physical wellbeing
Reduced physical wellbeing
11. Reduce the risk of developing
12. It’s fun to listen to music and get exercise..can get a really good stride going after about 30 minutes where it just flows
13. Enhanced sports performance
14. Improved balance
Won’t fall
Can hurt like heck
Makes people stare
Embarrassing
15. Better sleep

Seven Years Good Luck!

And here's to many, many more! Nope, I'm not talking about breaking or not breaking a mirror. (Although, I probably could break a mirror in my current state..lol) Today is mine and Adam's 7th Anniversary! And even though we are in a crummy hotel with no babysitters to keep Ben, we're having a nice one so far. With the prospect of a new house on the way, I'd say that's a pretty big anniversary gift! Here's a lookback.

Summer 2004, Bountiful, Utah


December 2004, Disneyland


Summer 2005, The Gateway, Salt Lake City, UT


December 2005, Disneyworld


May 2006, Adam's Graduation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City


January 2006, 5th Anniversary, Salt Lake City, UT


Dixie Stampede, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, October 2006


The day our lives changed forever, Ben's Birth Day, April 3, 2007, Northport, AL (Actually, this is the day AFTER our lives changed forever..lol. This is 4/4, day after Ben was born. Here we are in NICU with him.)


Before church, Crestview, FL, December 2007

I love you, Adam!

Me Using My "New Media"

Check out this article: http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/apostle-urges-students-to-use-new-media

In light of it, I'm going to sound off! I do not listen to the Rick and Bubba Morning Show on the radio, mostly because they are annoying. But Adam, however, likes to listen to them--that is, he DID like to. So as if I needed one more reason to not listen, here it is and SHAME ON THEM!

It all started one morning (or so I hear) when Adam is on his way to work. He, as usual, is listening to the show and hoping his boss is in a good mood today and that no machines are going to go haywire. The show reaches the topic of the presidential election and potentional president-elect Mitt Romney and thus the church that we and Mitt Romney belong to, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I'm not sure what all was said exactly, but I don't have to. I know that a lot of it was false and that something was said about us not being Christians. Well, we are. Rick, Bubba, Christian World, we too are Christians! We love the Lord and know that His suffering and death was for all of us. So there, now you've heard. Also refer to the NAME of our church as it bears the very name of Jesus Christ. And please remember--you wouldn't go to your P.E. teacher to learn how to write a research paper so please, don't go to the member of another religion (friend, website, preacher, morning show, etc.) to find out about Mormons. Go to the website www.lds.org or www.mormon.org or ask your Mormon friend. Lesson #1--"Mormon" is just a nickname probably from someone who isn't. We prefer to be called "LDS" for Latter-Day Saint.

So I'm hopping down from my soapbox now and hope we've all learned something. ;-)

Lake Charles, Here We Come!

Adam got a job in Lake Charles, LA that will be a lot better for our family in a lot of ways. Although we will miss our Tuscaloosa friends, there is a lot about his job that we won't miss. He is scheduled to start with Basell/Lyondell on January 7th which means we have to sell a house and find, then buy a house realy really soon and amidst the holidays at that! Yikes!