liz hoke

In JUST ONE WEEK!

2012-02-13T09:13:00.000-08:00

ALL FOUR OF US WILL BE HERE...............................

More excited than what can be expressed on a web page!!!!!!! Thanks P and S for getting the tickets.... it is going to be AMAZING!!!!

ELLEN

2012-01-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

I had to make sure everyone saw this video because I fell in LOVE! I love So You Think You Can Dance and Twitch was one of my very favorite people on the show to date!!! So I thought this was the cutest thing! The video is not the best ever but at least it shows the whole thing!!

A Quick Look Back at 2011!

2012-01-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

January

- Continued my journey at the University of Utah.

- Took 3 amazing classes, Physiology, Kinesiology and Group Fitness Instructor training (my favorite class so far).

- Shane spent two weeks out at Camp Williams for a Warrior Leader Course.

- Celebrated Shane's 30th Birthday.

- Had am amazing visit from my favorite sister, while she attended ALT (blogging conference). She let me crash a Kate Spade party with her!

- Started my running training plan.

February

- Spent an amazing Presidents Day in San Diego with Padgett, Shane, Hannah and Toby!

- While in San Diego tried our hands at Segway’s, totally recommend!

- Had a fantastic Valentines Day.

- Performed the dreaded inventory at Pottery Barn.

- Finally got my bed frame, so I got to set up my Master Bedroom!

March

- Vacationed in Bear Lake over a long weekend with great friends at Christi’s amazing cabin!

- Shane had LASIK eye surgery and will never have to wear glasses again!

April

- Shane’s best friend Tim got married!

- Ran the most amazing race (RAGNAR) with cousins from Huntington Beach all the way to Coronado Beach, might have been the highlight of my YEAR!

- Shane traveled to South Africa for his capstone course for his MBA at Westminster.

May

- Had yet another successful Race for the Cure.

- Celebrated my 29^th Birthday in New York with my whole family!

- Got the most amazing birthday present ever, got to go to Trapeze school (thanks Padgett)!!

- Started my last summer semester at school!

June

- Learned that online classes at college are my weakness!

- Shane's sister, brother-in-law and niece came to visit from Texas.

- Got to puppy sit an amazing little Pug, increasing my want for a dog!

- Watched Shane compete in the Park City Triathlon.

- Finally painted my Master Bedroom, house projects are coming along slower than I ever imagined!

July

- Threw a great 4^th of July party and watched Fireworks way up close, thanks Cliff for being a real Pyrotechnician!

- Threw a successful going away party at my pool for an amazing co-worker that left to be a schoolteacher!

- Missed what I heard was an amazing wedding in Tyler, TX. Congrats Paige and William!

August

- Finished up my summer semester with a BANG!

- Vacationed in Jackson, always good times with family!

- Started my fall semester, my first experience teaching gym classes.

- Had my own Indoor Cycle class and Circuit Training class, hardest thing yet but such a good learning experience.

September

- September 10, 2010 became my first anniversary as a homeowner and I am still in love and it can only get better from here!

- Traveled to Houston for Paige and Williams wedding #2! Was amazing!

- Having a really hard time with school, whoever said school is easy is a liar!

- Vacationed in San Diego, I will go there at any given chance!

- Got a brand new computer, the possibilities are endless now!

- Last vacation of the month, went to Bear Lake again with friends, this time it was warm and we could enjoy the lake!

October

- Padgett and I went on another vacation with Chamber of Commerce, this time taking a cruise through the Mediterranean.

- Started in Barcelona, Spain

- Next on to a tour of Italy, Cinque Terra, Rome, Sorrento and Positano.

- Back to Palma de Mallorca, Spain and flew out of Barcelona.

- Got back from vacation and had the hardest week of school, so many things due all at once.

November

- Shane completed two courses in HazMat and is now a technician.

- Got to go to San Diego for Thanksgiving with the whole family!

- Celebrated a little late, Padgett’s 26^th Birthday!

December

- Took a Schwinn Indoor Cycle training class and now am a certified Cycle Instructor. Wished I could have done it before I taught for the semester!

- Made it through all my finals and passed all my classes!

- Hung out with Shane's family while they visited.

- Got summoned for my first Jury Duty, they never needed me but it was exciting to know I could have missed a final. Not to mention Padgett had jury duty the same day!

- Went back to Jackson for Christmas!

- Back to Salt Lake for a successful New Years Eve party at my condo!

** I can't believe another year has gone by.... here I come

To come:

2 new internships!! Yes I got the Verizon Wireless internship and I will be at Tosh.

Graduation May 2012

Turn 30 years old... YIKES!

Trip to London, Fiji, San Diego and hopefully many more!

Go to the Ellen Degeneres SHOW!

Puppy?!

Wasatch Back! Round 2 with the cousins RAGNAR!!! Yahoo

Can't Wait!!!

Its December... WOW!

2011-12-01T17:58:00.001-08:00

I can't believe its December already!! I have one week of school left, well one final the next week but I don't really count that!

It was so good to have a couple days off and enjoy my great family in San Diego, and great friends too (Becky and Tom) I am so glad you made it this year! The weather was great, the shopping was crazy as always and the food beyond delicious. I love Thanksgiving and being with all the people I love!

It was also Padgett's birthday so Bland and I made a scavenger hunt for her to find a present! We were pretty proud of ourselves of how well it worked! Our clues were all on post- it notes!

Bland was wearing the first clue and I had the second clue!

Tada... she successfully completed her task and found her gift!

Then for some good old paddle boarding... it was so peaceful... and not cold at all in fact we both were sweating in our wet suits! At the end of November to be out on the ocean it was so nice and makes me wonder why I don't live in California!

My headstand! Both Padgett and I managed to do them but never caught on film at the same time... and not too long after that we were lucky enough to be graced with the presence of one maybe two dolphins, they were so close!! It was the perfect day to be out on the ocean!!

Now to finish this semester strong and everyone cross your fingers that I get my second internship at Verizon Wireless in there Heath and Wellness Department, it is very competitive and I feel like my interview went really well but she also had many more people to interview! Yikes... so cross your fingers for me!

Mediterranean EPIC Adventure 2011

2011-10-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here are just a sampling of pictures. We had such a great time, I love traveling with my dear sister so much, we make a fantastic team!

Our home for 8 days!

Spain

Cinque Terre, Italy

Vatican City, Rome

Trevi Fountain Gelato

Positano, Italy

My Blue Man Group Experience! (They picked me to eat Twinkies with them!!)

Palma De Mallorca

Soller

Port de Soller

Leaving Palma de Mallorca

La Sagrada Familia

Pictures don't do this windblown man justice... he was standing still! I still love him

Hello!

2011-10-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

I finally got the sock bun to work, I guess third time is a charm!

Thanks P for finding an easier way!

Easy, well I am glad you talked me through it, tutorial @ padgetthoke.blogspot.com

It has been quite the semester so far, although after Thursday half way over and I am pretty sure the end of the semester always goes by faster! More updates to come I just mainly had to show my hair... thanks P!

Does it really do this someplace! I want to see this!

I love giraffes!

Bottom 3 Photos via Erineverafter

Fall Line-up!

2011-09-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

The only good thing about fall is that all the good TV shows come back and you get to see some new ones! I love TV and am very excited about all of them, I have most of them on my calendar when they start. Here are some new ones I will be watching....

and starting TODAY.......

**** Note first episode of Modern Family was filmed in Jackson Hole!

SO EXCITED!!! I have no idea how I am going to still fit school and work into my life!!
Am I missing any that you think I shouldn't be?

Spell Check!

2011-08-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Look what Shane spotted on Fox 13 News!!
Spitting.... really..... I think this is hilarious!
I think they were going for SPLITTING! And the rumors are FALSE! Thank goodness

Surgeon General's Report

2011-07-11T20:44:00.000-07:00

Learning more and more about this I realize how important all of these activities are, and I saw this picture thought it was cute and accurate (for now at least). The fitness industry changes so fast that I am sure there will be updates to this in no time! But for now everybody out there follow these easy guidelines! So get out and do something fun. And don't forget your weight training because it is SO important for your ADL's (activities of daily living)! If you need any recommendations I have plenty now!

Man versus dart in Zoosk's new US TV spot!

2011-06-29T07:54:00.000-07:00

I had to post this because it makes me laugh every time!!

Food Pyramid

2011-06-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows the food pyramid exists ... here is our original old fashion Pyramid!Here is the new one they came up with not too long ago because people were saying that the original was confusing. And it added the physical activity component, which seemed good but still confusing for people!

So today a NEW pyramid was unveiled on CNN! This food pyramid has been dismantled in favor of a simple plate icon that urges Americans to eat a more plant-based diet.

I think it has some good things...
Good for visual people.
Good actual visualization about what we should actual be eating!
Backed by Michelle Obama (you know that is going to help)!
But I also see some concerns!
What if people don't eat off a plate every meal?
Unless you go to the website you don't really get actual portions.
And what plate size are they basing this off of?

What do you think?!

Goodbye MAY

2011-05-31T20:57:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the end of my favorite month...
But the rest of it has been fantastic!
My birthday was great... spent a long weekend in NYC with the family and had such a great time.

We went biking along the Hudson River.

Birthday Girls! Yes we have the same birthday and its GREAT! May 14th!

And the highlight of the weekend was my birthday present that I received from my dearest sister Padgett! If you haven't seen the Sex and the City episode where Carrie goes trapezing, you should! And that is what we got to do! It took me a long time to understand the surprise but once I did it might be the greatest present yet! So Padgett, Bland, Abby, Ali and I all met on top of this building and for the next 2 and a half hours we got to fly!

All the "Fliers"!

Me doing "The Catch"

I have wanted to go to Serendipity for SO LONG and we finally made it happen... and the wait was totally worth it!

Frozen Hot Chocolate.... yes it really is worth going there just to get that!!

On another totally random side note, my neighborhood has been full of crazy wildlife this past week. On Saturday Shane went out for a run and ended up running with a moose. The moose ended up downtown and captured later on in the day. The little yearling made the news!
Then today the parking lot of my building became a home for a couple of hours to a GIANT swarm of bees. The beekeeper had to come rescue them and everything!

Everyone that actually saw them flying around said that this clump did not do justice to actually how many bees there actually were!Beekeeper taking them away!
The newest addition to my patio, Bougainvillea! Shane's birthday present to me... I LOVE IT!

My favorite show is BACK!!

Also for Memorial Day weekend, Padgett, Sam and Tucker (Sam's adorable dog) came to stay with me for the weekend. We at least had one good weather day and took full advantage, went for a fantastic "hike" down City Creek along the flood waters and spent some time in the hot tub and pool. Always fun to have house guests and I am glad I now have a room to offer! So that was a great way to end the last weekend of May.

And last but not least I have to retire my Wyoming license plates today... I cannot tell you how sad this makes me! So good bye, I will so miss being a county 22 plate!!

Now back to the grind of summer semester, the good news is I do have the most fantastic pool and the sun should now be shining bright!

May 7, 2011

2011-05-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

See May is already a GREAT month and yesterday was such a good example!
Started off (way too early) but for a good cause... for 3 years now I have been on the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure Committee with the I AM THE CURE specific committee and I feel like finally by the third year we finally had a handle of everything!
All of our cheerleaders were perfect, the weather was perfect (the warmest it has been in the last three years at 6am), and the whole race was a success!

Thanks FM100 for taking a sweet picture of the start line... that's me in the very middle with a pony tail in our really pretty bright green T-shirts with the rest of my committee!

Our Cheerleaders line the race and they were especially enthusiastic this year!

At the end of the race they do a Survivor parade and have them all fill the steps at the Gateway.. one of the most touching parts of the whole day!

The day did not end there...
Came home to get ready for a fantastic little Kentucky Derby Party!

The party would not have been complete without this little man... Thanks everyone for coming!

And to top May off today is Mother's Day!
So Happy Mother's Day MOM, Love you!

MAY the 4th Be with You!

2011-05-01T20:24:00.001-07:00

Its May! I love May for so many reasons... It should be the time that it really starts getting warm and summer is weather is right around the corner, normally pool's open sometime this month and of course its the month of my BIRTHDAY!
This specific May will be great too, in 8 days the whole family will be in New York City! To visit my dear brother and to celebrate mine and my moms Birthdays, because we share the same fantastic day! If anyone has any must do things in New York please do share!!
I am hoping is on the agenda...

I also get a little tiny break from school... thank goodness... actually this semester I had some really great classes and amazing Professors! I actually miss my Group Fitness class already, I had great friends in it and both teachers made it such a great experience!

Seriously if I can be half as inspiring as Denise Druce one day I will be impressed, she is amazing!

Wahoo its COMING!

2011-04-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

I just learned that Salt Lake City is getting..........

To open in the fall...says KSL! So that means in the next couple months we will have H&M and

Beyond Ballet

2011-04-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all you know I will try and probably love any gym class! (Well maybe not silver sneaker strength) A class for the elderly and I didn't realize it until it was too late to leave, but none the less a good learning experience!

But anyway I keep reading about these Barre classes, there are so many different variations: Barre Burn, Pure Barre, Cardio Barre and Ballet Barre. It uses a bar like they do in Ballet class in a fitness way, it says it will bring out your inner ballerina! Anyway... I want to find one in Salt Lake! Or maybe I need to convince 24 Hour Fitness to bring one in... So if anyone finds a good one, or one at all in the valley let me know!

Tibby's Trackstars Ragnar So Cal 2011

2011-04-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

What an amazing experience Ragnar ended up being... I like to watch the video over and over!! Great job P for making it SO fantastic and not to mention so fast! So looks like we will for sure be doing it 2012, because it was such a great success!! A special Thanks to Maria and Kent for all the coordination........ and one more special Thanks to everyone in VAN 1 because we were all so great!! I am so proud of all 12 of us for actually making it to the finish line!!
Thanks Family!
More pictures to come!

Side note... Happy Easter yesterday!

I am pretty proud of these cupcakes!! Great Easter activity... thanks Kami for helping me make it happen!

Now back to studying... Oh finals week... can't wait for May 2nd and I will be done with Spring semester 2011!

Run. Drive. Sleep? Repeat.

2011-04-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

RAGNAR! That's what me and 11 of my family members will be doing starting at 7:15am tomorrow morning!
Today I fly out of snowy Salt Lake City and into beautiful, sunny Huntington Beach to start this crazy adventure! Thanks Maria for making this happen, I don't think it would have ever happened without your dedication to our fantastic team and organization!

We will be running as Tibby's Trackstars and we are going to be fantastic!

We start in Huntington Beach Friday and finish 200 miles away on the island of Coronado, hopefully sometime before 5:00p, Saturday! So wish us all luck and can't wait for the after party in San Diego!

And to top it off it is this great boys birthday TOMORROW! He is one crazy, lovable brother and for the first time in a really long time I get to actually celebrate with him!

Wahoooooo Happy Birthday Bland!

Baby watching mom blowing nose

2011-03-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this it is worth watching!! So funny!

Need your VOTES!!

2011-03-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is my amazing Professor at University of Utah and my Boot Camp instructor at 24 Hour Fitness! Denise Druce
She has even bribed us with canceling a class if she wins, but beyond that she deserves to win she is GREAT!
http://photos.fitnessmagazine.com/face-of-fitness-contest/10/2011/7

Volkswagen Commercial: The Force

2011-02-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

Did everyone get the chance to watch this Superbowl Sunday? The little kid is so cute... his interview on the Today show is also worth watching... he is 6 and already has a pace maker... hasn't stopped him!
And doesn't he look like Meg Ryan?

I liked it a lot and thought I would share in case you hadn't seen it!

Nordstrom Cafe Bistro

2011-02-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

I just want to say that this place is one of my favorite lunch spots ever!
Most of the time I get the Blue Cheese and Pear Salad and it is the best thing EVER! But the pizza is delicious... the Crab Bisque is a must have... the french fries are fantastic! I just left there and I would so go back and have the exact same meal again!
And not to mention you can't leave there without having the Strawberry Shortcake..... mmmmm

If you have never been I would suggest going right this second!

Snapple Facts

2011-01-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

I loved Snapple Facts, they used to be on the bottom of every lid and I used to get Snapple just to get the fun facts... so I thought I would share some that I have found recently! Also playing Trivial Pursuit (with Great company) recently I realize I need to learn a couple more random facts to even play that game... seriously!

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.

A cow produces 200 times more gas a day than a person.

A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.

A giraffe can go without water longer than a camel can.

A hard working adult sweats up to 4 gallons per day. Most of the sweat evaporates before a person realizes it's there.

A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside.

A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

A jellyfish is 95 percent water.

All porcupines float in water.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

Spotted skunks do handstands before they spray.

The average person laughs 15 times a day.

The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched."

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.

There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.

There are more chickens than people in the world.

Women's hearts beat faster than men's.

Your right lung takes in more air than your left one does.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks otherwise it will digest itself.

Taken at the "Girls with Glasses" Kate Spade party @ the ALT Summit that I got to go to with Padgett! It was so much fun...
Thanks again P!

New Years 2010

2011-01-26T15:45:00.001-08:00

I had a really tiny little party at my place for New Years!

I hung up cute decorations...

And Shane made a bunch of really good appetizers...

Had some really funny noise makers... and we played some fun games.
Good times had by all!

2010 Wrap Up

2011-01-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

Before I move on to 2011... There were some things I thought I would recall before it was too far past!

Had a very successful 1st Game Night at my new Condo! Games... I love any and all!

Spent a great day at the San Diego Wild Animal park during Thanksgiving in San Diego! It's not Africa but it was fun for the mean time until I can get back there!

P made a new friend!

William and I teamed up to make a Sandcastle during the our 1st Annual Pilgrimage that Padgett and Bland organized.... it was so funny! I so wish I had the picture of William flipping the burger.

On the way down to the beach for the Pilgrimage with our directors explaining the rules!

A quick look back at 2010!

2011-01-03T14:19:00.000-08:00

January

- Started my first semester at the University of Utah.
- Had to relearn how to study all over again!
- Celebrated Shane's 29th Birthday.

February

- Tried all the new classes they start at the gym for the New Year, Hot Hula.. was hilarious.
- Had a fantastic Valentines Day.

March

- Vacationed in San Diego with family for Spring Break!
- Struggling through Biology but loving my nutrition and ESS classes.
April
- Competed in my first Triathlon with Shane and Tim.
- Started job #2 with Ann Taylor Loft.
May
- Had another successful Race for the Cure.
- Celebrated my 28th Birthday in Wendover, NV!
- Finished my first semester back to school with flying colors... whew.
- Started my summer semester, had the best class yet... Emergency First Aid.
June
- Threw an amazing Baby Shower for Tonya, a Pottery Barn coworker.
- Shane's sister, brother-in-law and niece came to visit from Texas.
- Spent a great weekend up in Midway, UT at a little cabin.
July

- Shane left for 3 weeks to travel to Cambodia for the National Guard.
- Christi had her new baby Keira!
- I went home to Jackson Hole for my 10 year High School Reunion and got to spend some quality time with one of my oldest and best friends Sara!
August
- Went to a fabulous wedding of two of my favorite Pottery Barn coworkers!
- Vacationed again in Jackson, this time with Shane, Toby and Hannah.
- Finished summer semester of school!
- Took an unexpected trip back to Camden, Maine for a funeral, hard but always good to see family.
- Started my hardest semester of school to date, oh Anatomy!
September

- September 10, 2010 became a proud owner of my own CONDO!
- Cheered Shane on at the Salt Lake City Half Marathon.
- Became totally overwhelmed with everything!
- Started packing up my apartment.
- My mom and sister came down to visit and help me move into my condo and shop for new furniture!
October
- Traveled to St. George to watch Shane and Tim run the St. George Marathon.
- Padgett, Me and the Chamber of Commerce went to China!! First off Beijing...
- Then Hougzhou...
- Then Suzhou...
- And finally Shanghai!!!
- Had the annual Simmons Meeting in SLC so once again got to hang out with lots of family!
- Made the final push and offically moved out of my apartment, October 31, 2010!

November

- Drove to Las Vegas for Virginia's Bachelorette Party!!
- Flew to Houston to be in Virginia and Cramer's Amazing Wedding!
- Celebrated Padgett's 25th Birthday!
- Got to go to San Diego for Thanksgiving with the whole family!
- All the while struggling to get through school, mostly Anatomy.
December
- I got to put up my first Christmas tree and decorate my brand new house!
- Made it through all my finals and passed all my classes!
- Hung out with Shane's family while they visited.
- Ice Skating!
- Went back to Jackson for Christmas!
- Back to Salt Lake for a successful New Years Eve party at my condo!

Such a crazy year! But lots of fun and can't wait for what is to come!

photo via marthastewart.com

Oh yeah ... I am back from China!

2010-12-29T20:02:00.000-08:00

China was amazing! Traveled with some amazing people that going into it I knew and then met so many more that were equally as fun! (And have some stories of a couple crazies too!) Traveling with groups has got to be one of the best ways to go, you always have a variety and if you get bored you just move on to hang out with someone new.

Got to go to the World Expo in Shanghai and many of the Pavilions for the different countries were really cool... USA it was a little embarrassing to be honest. But good to see non the less. There were so many people there, on average on a slow day there are 400,000 people that go there per day! SO MANY PEOPLE!

As an avid watcher of the Beijing Olympics it was really cool to get to see the Birds Nest!

The great wall of China was for sure one of my favorite highlights! Padgett and I climbed all the way to the top of the hard side... yeah it was hard they were not joking!!

Forbidden City, was really fun to see!

And what can be better than traveling with your sister... So much fun and so many funny stories to look back upon!

It would have been nice to see the sun once while we were there but I would go back and eat the food... it was delicious!

CHINA

2010-10-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

I leave for China tomorrow!! I must go take one last test and then off for fall break... thank goodness because I need a break from school it was getting to be too much! Here are some things I hope to see... I will have a full report when we get back!

Running Man

2010-10-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of going down to St. George with Shane to support him while he ran the marathon! It was so much fun being a spectator and after watching all the people come into the finish line that is all I ever want to do. It was the hardest thing to watch the people that came in that were collapsing right in front of me. I am not a runner in the first place but to watch the people being carried over the finish line it confirmed that I am totally happy being a spectator!

Coming into the finish line!

Running away at mile 16... 7000 runners in total!

And to top it off he ran the Salt Lake half marathon four weeks earlier... a half marathon and a marathon all in a month! He is a runner that is for sure!
This was at the finish line of the half marathon!

A MUST SEE

2010-09-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

ITS BACK!

I have missed it over the summer and if you are not watching this TV show it is a must!

Seriously funny TV!

Update!

2010-09-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

It has been WAY too busy in my life... seriously! And my major news of the moment.... I AM A HOME OWNER! It is so fantastic and I can't wait to move over there!

(A little slice of the living room)

I will have to take more pictures but to be honest pictures just don't do this place justice... you will just have to come and see it! I also have to decorate so if anyone has any helpful hits and or places to start I am open to any and all suggestions!
What else.. school started again and i am only taking 3 classes (one of them being ANATOMY), which I had heard was going to be hard and a boat load of memorization but nothing could have prepared me fully for what I have gotten myself into... it is another language people!! And actually I don't really even have time right now to be writing this but I had to take a break!
Also preparing to have a fantastic Bridal Shower next weekend for my beautiful cousin getting married in November, Hannah and I made the invitations and after a couple trial and errors we finally came up with something terrific!

We also made a quick trip back to Maine right before school started and I would go to Maine anytime I had the chance it is SO pretty.

(P and I and beautiful background)

Well to leave you with that today... I must get back to moving, studying, two jobs, classes and trying to get the most out of the warm weather that we are still having!

Snorkel the Snake... or Tube!

2010-08-26T22:11:00.001-07:00

Its always a pleasure to get to go home, and this one was no different. My dearest brother always has some crazy idea to execute and this was no different! He convinced 3 out of the 5 members of the family to SNORKEL down the Snake River, I was happy as a clam watching them from the comfort of my tube!

Maybe I will join the party next time if they go a shorter distance but for now I like my party ... on top of the tube!

Good by July and hello August!?

2010-08-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

How is the summer going so fast? It is so sad, I am never ready for it to end! Well I finished all my summer classes and I have a couple weeks until the fall semester starts! I have been super busy, school, work, gym, and trying to spend all the time at the outside in the sun and at the pool as I can! I have been to Jackson and back for my 10 yeah High School Reunion (weird) and going back again next weekend! Shane has been to Cambodia and back also!

Looking through old pictures I found this one and it made me laugh! I think the hoop is bigger than I was...

Shane at the airport... those bags were so much heavier than they look in the picture! Glad he made it back safe!

Oh and very very exciting.... I made plans to go to CHINA! With Christina and the Chamber of Commerce and my favorite sister! Yahoo can't wait till October!

Oh hello....

2010-06-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hi, its been awhile and I have great updates! First of all HAPPY SUMMER! Its the first official day of summer today and I have to say it finally really feels like summer, so needless to say I have made my home down at the pool!

On the educational side of my life I took and am certified Advanced First Aid and CPR and AED, it was the greatest class yet since going back to school. I had the greatest instructors that made going to class every day for two weeks straight so much fun! I will also have to say I learned more than I thought was possible in a two week span and now that its over I miss it already.

I already have a story where what I learned came in handy. One of our assignments was to build a first aid kit, so being a good student I or course did it and have stored it in my car. Shane's sister, her husband and their little girl (Hudson) are visiting for a couple weeks and we all were up in Heber, UT for fathers day to have dinner with Shane's dad and brother in law. To start off the night they headed to the park and Hudson was swinging on the swings and to make a long story short ended up face planting off the swing. But not to worry the second we pulled up, missed the incident by moments but came to the rescue with everything we needed to bandage, clean and care for poor Hudson's chin. YES, thank you for a great assignment and Hudson was great the whole time.

To go along with summer all the baby ducks at the park is incredible... there are SO many and they are so cute!
To leave you tonight with.... Happy First Day of Summer!
and Happy Fathers Day (yesterday) but I love this picture so it was a must!

Happy National Iced Tea Day

2010-06-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

I never even knew this existed! But hey why not... so I found a good receipt for a very easy Iced Tea. It really is the perfect summer drink!

Needed (for 1 leter of tea)

800 ml (27.05 fl oz) of cool water, from a refrigerator or just tap water
200 ml (7.76 fl oz) of hot, boiled water
4 to 5 teaspoons lemon juice
4 green teabags, 3 clear green, and 1 mint tea
Liquid sugar (or regular, fine sugar) (to taste) -- (Or my new favorite Agave Nectar!)
2 tablespoons fruit syrup or fruit juice (this is the secret ingredient, don't forget)
Ice cubes

Fill a pitcher with the 800ml/27.05 fl oz of cold water.

Fill a heatproof glass with the hot water, freshly boiled. Dip one or two of the teabags at the same time in the water until you have a glass with very strong tea.

Slowly pour the hot tea you made in the glass into the pitcher.

Repeat with the remaining teabags.

Sweeten. Once you have added all the tea, add the liquid sugar to taste.

Add 4 or 5 teaspoons of lemon juice into your tea.

Add the fruit syrup or fruit juice into the iced tea.

Add ice cubes and chill for about 1 minute. Enjoy your homemade iced tea!

Cupcakes!

2010-05-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

I've had the materials to make multiple wreaths for a long time, and I finally succeeded! I watched my fantastic sister make wreath after wreath and was inspired to try one my self... so all it took was a little baby girl! Christi's baby shower seemed like the perfect time to make myself do it! I used some already fantastic cupcake liners from William Sonoma and 5 long hours later, TADA! Not gonna lie, I am pretty proud of it, so Christi, I hope you like it as much as I did!

And they're OFF!

2010-05-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

For Salt Lake City, May 9th was the date of the 14th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, for me it was my second annual as a committee member and just as good as the first year! To see all the people that come out to participate is so inspiring. Our little committee (I am the Cure) gathers the cheerleaders that line the race. This year the 5 of us on our committee organized over 250 cheerleaders and 2 drumlines! We are on the best committee for sure... all the cheerleaders are from different high schools around the Salt Lake Valley and they were great to work with.

These were the final numbers as of May 13, 2010 the donation amount could continue to raise, and 75% of what is raised stays in the valley.

$232,720.98 Raised

16,738 Participants

Shane and his family (Brad and Laurel- Luke not pictured but participated) all ran the race to commemorate their aunt and sister Bethany Wilkinson Thompson, who's long-time battle with Breast Cancer is a constant inspiration.

After the race they have a survivors parade, where cancer survivors march in order of the years since their diagnosis. The picture above is the end of their parade, where they gather to get their picture taken. The sheer numbers of survivors altogether creates such an amazing impact!

Here are some of our cheerleaders, all in the bright green t-shirts! They were so cute!

So if you didn't make it out for this years race plan on it next year... it really is an experience. Not only to support the survivors but also all the people that are there to support the cause.

Kate Spade Bali Bound Sweepstakes

2010-05-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

Kate Spade Bali Bound Sweepstakes: "Kate Spade Bali Bound Sweepstakes"

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here's to YOU! Love you and thanks for everything and more!

(I don't know why I love this picture so much but I do... it makes me giggle!)

Triathlon in ACTION!

2010-04-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

Driving up to the transition area (yeah I am already in my helmet... I was ready!)

Transition area ... you came here after the swim and then back here after the bike!

Right before we split up to get in our designated swim groups... they split the boys and the girls into different pools (thank goodness it was warm!)

Standing the line waiting to start in my fantastic silver swim cap!

Whew... one down two to go!

Shane and Tim at the transition spot after the swim!

And DONE! Came 1:30:09 .... swim 7:09 bike 48:41 run 33:28 and transition time :50!

Triathlon!

2010-04-24T23:22:00.000-07:00

I DID IT! Today Shane, his buddy Tim and I all competed in a Intro-athlon.... it consisted of a 300 meter swim, 8.5 km mountain bike ride and ending with a 5 km run. It was such a cool experience and so much harder than I thought it was going to be! The swim which I was not concerned about going into was hard and the bike ride that I felt very prepared for (I take spin class lots) was hard too. Although they did send us all through the hills above the University and there were so many steep, really scary parts of the trail and to top it off it was SO rocky. The run which I was the most worried about was yeah pretty much what I expected, but finished with flying colors. My goal was to do it in under 2 hours, I really had no idea how long it would take and ended up doing it in 1 hour and 30 mins on the dot! I still have to figure out what I did in the individual events but I am pretty proud of that! We got some great pictures that I will post tomorrow... So I had a FANITASTIC SATURDAY and can't believe I am still awake so off to bed!

Oh Hello!

2010-04-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

It hasn't been that long since I last wrote but I feel like so much has been missed! I had my actual Spring Break and I didn't go anywhere so Shane decided to create "Liz Day", and I got to choose what we did for the whole day and he surprised me with dinner! So he made breakfast, then we went to "She's Out of My League" and "Bounty Hunter". I am totally going to recommend "She's Out of My League", it was GREAT! Then we played games and followed by a fantastic dinner at... Takashi... which is great if you have never been!

Then back to school I went... but I did get my second Biology test back and I got an "A" YEAH I KNOW! I was beyond excited and now I know I will pass that class (because it was a question whether or not after the first test)! Whew

I also started a new job, on top of school and Pottery Barn. I now am a sales associate at Ann Taylor LOFT! The best part is I can literally walk across the street to go to work now!

And on top of everything I am trying to find a Condo to live in because lets face it, it is a great time to buy!

So that is my life for the moment in a nut shell!

Pre Spring Break in San Diego!

2010-03-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

For a fantastic long weekend in March we had the pleasure of visiting my parents in San Diego. It had just snowed again in Salt Lake so it was the perfect getaway! Not to mention the weather was perfect in there. We biked, ate, swam and stand up paddle boarded away! It was so much fun and can't wait to go back again soon!

Thanks Mom and Dad for having us!

Venerdì felice!

2010-02-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

I saw this on someone else's blog and it looked fun!

If I were a month, I’d be May (my birthday month of course).
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Friday.
If I were a time of day, I'd be oh lets say noon (I love food).
If I were a planet, I’d be Pluto (because its tiny and out there).
If I were a sea animal, I'd be a sea otter.
If I were a direction, I’d be South (cause its warmer).
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be big comfy chair.
If I were a liquid, I’d be Sugarhouse Coffee Chai (mm mm good).
If I were a gemstone, I’d be a emerald (my birth stone).
If I were a tree, I’d be Palm tree!
If I were a tool, I’d be straight iron.
If I were a flower, I’d be something tropical.
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be a “not too hot” perfect sunny day.
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a piano.
If I were a color, I’d be yellow.
If I were an emotion, I’d be happy.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a grape.
If I were an element, I’d be water.
If I were a car, I'd be an Audi.
If I were a food, I’d be a milkshake!
If I were a place, I’d be a beach.
If I were a material, I’d be anything soft.
If I were a scent, I’d be Viktor & Rolf FLOWERBOMB.
If I were an animal, I'd be lion club.
If I were a facial expression, I’d be a SMILE.
If I were a song, I’d be “Right Round” by Flo Rida.
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be a pair of tennis shoes.

So HAPPY FRIDAY and here is a funny thing that came out of my biology class when we were talking about Darwin and Survival of the Fittest.

Adore!

2010-02-25T10:47:00.000-08:00

As I was trudging through the snow today walking to class.... this is what I was thinking about!
Now it doesn't have to be this specific WARM place but i just wanted to be somewhere warm!

Giveaway!

2010-02-16T15:29:00.001-08:00

Yahoo Padgett, I say you ditch the giveaway and keep these goodies! But for everyone that cooks these would be fantastic because everything that Le Creuset makes is GREAT!
Visit my wonderful sister's site and you could WIN!
http://padgetthoke.blogspot.com/

Vitamins and Minerals

2010-02-15T15:55:00.000-08:00

We just got done studying Vitamins and Minerals in Nurtrition class and a couple of the Vitamins do things I never knew, so I thought I would share! I am a major advocate of vitamins so I couldn't have been more interested in this topic anyway!

All the "B" vitamins are great for you but a couple in particular were interesting to me! Niacin, considered B3 has been proven to lower you LDL cholesterol.

Folate, helps you divide and replicate your red blood cells and it also prevents Spina bifida from occurring in fetuses.

Vitamin D might help prevent cancer, so keep tanning, eating your fatty fish and fortified milk and cereal.

And finally I thought this one was the really neat. Vitamin B6 can help prevent morning sickness! Granted you have to take 70X the RDA but my Professor said his wife tried it and it worked!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

2010-02-14T22:25:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a LOVELY day!

Exercise and Sport Science

2010-01-31T08:07:00.000-08:00

I already love the one and only class that is actually in my degree! I am taking basic biology, which sucks, lets just be honest, and a nutrition class which is pretty interesting. Not to mention his assignments are GREAT because we venture into the real world and put the material we learn in class to work. To top it off his name is Thunder Jalili and looks like Ben Stiller! BUT my Exercise and Sport Science (ESS) class, Explorations of Movement, is the greatest! Or second day of class we played kick ball, third week we got to go to the PEAK Academy and get our blood tested and had to do the whole fit test thing! Also homework was to run so we could learn how to figure out our VO2 max, to see how strong our heart and lungs are! Where else would you ever have homework that required you to run, its GREAT!

There is my update on school so far!

I HEART Audi

2010-01-23T22:40:00.001-08:00

I must share this story just in case anyone has the same problem. My seat heater had been "acting up" and I just decided it was easier not to use it at all because it got to the point it would get too hot just in one spot. So driving along one day Shane had the heater on and put my mitten in the hot spot and it all seemed good, until I picked my mitten up off the seat and smoke billowed out of the hole it had just created.... WHAT! Yeah I had a quarter sized hole burnt in my seat now! I was so bummed so I started researching what to do, in my mind I was hoping there would be some way to fix the leather or something. I found a site where other people had had the same problem and there recommendation was to call Audi of America and report a claim. So I did and I just have to say that was the best thing I could have done. I have a brand new drivers seat now... my car is 10 years old and they replaced it for me! I couldn't be more thrilled to not only have a new seat but a heater that works again! So there is my crazy story with a happy ending, I have always loved my car and still to this day if I were to ever get a new car I would still get and AUDI!!

Official Student!

2010-01-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

Here we go again... on to Bachelors degree #2 and I am so excited about this one! I think I am almost prepared besides the fact I still have some juggling to do to get my schedule down just right, whew! 1st lesson learned and I have not even started classes is to register early, they were not kidding when they said classes will fill up fast!

Goodies!

2010-01-06T20:33:00.001-08:00

I want a puppy oh so badly! This is Dutchess, my Aunt and Uncles pup! So she is just an example of one I would take anyday... she is so cute! We tied a big red bow around her neck at Christmas and she was beyond darling!

Ever since I made my own tutu I love everything tutu! If someone can figure out how to buy this skirt I would take it!

And Beach Cruisers... the are so underrated, you just feel happy riding them and this one is super cute!

And she is pretty! At the same time wearing a tutu like shirt! Love IT!

I just like this dress and I am trying to decide whether to buy it or not?

Christmas Card Preview!

2009-12-29T15:06:00.000-08:00

Every year we take a Christmas card photo and at home we have a wall where they all hang, starting before any of us were even born. For the most part, Hank, a family friend has taken almost all of the pictures and the last two years he has decided that he should add pictures of just the three of us in! So here are a couple I thought were cute!

(Bland was throwing snow up to try and make it sparkle, and i guess that was more interesting than the camera for ALL of us)

Christmas Time

2009-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

Padgett, Tucker and I went for a walk one beautiful day!

We always have a fantastic Christmas Eve party at our house in Jackson, and it has been so long since we have had little kids their. So this year family friends of ours brought their little girl Ashland and she sat for so long next to her Grandma, Tica, while she played the piano! It was the cutest thing!

Shane and I made Gingerbread houses!

And one more cookie bake night at Lara's house to top it all off!!

This little guy was so fluffy and provided me with lots of entertainment while I was home! Although very, very dumb and kept running into the house and finally the day after I left hit a little too hard... poor little thing! But I had a sweet picture of him to remember him by so I thought I would share him with everyone!

Bake Sale

2009-12-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

Every year for the past half-decade, I help Christi make cookies for her church's bake sale. We have had a couple of disasters in the past (measuring miscalculations, burning and emergency runs to the store for forgotten items), but this year we had none of the above! We successfully made three very different non-traditional snacks: Biscotti's, Wreaths, and Christmas Hard Candy!

Tada!

So thanks Christi for giving us a good reason to make cookies and not have to eat them all ourselves!!

***Results of the sale - Biscotti's and Wreaths were the first gone!

Smash Ball Fun!

2009-11-29T23:03:00.000-08:00

We (Me. Padgett, Bland, Sam and Charlene) played Smash Ball on the beach today for like 3 hours! It was endless fun and we created every different variations to the game... We tried playing with our left hand then we decided that we had to say a state every time you hit the ball or some random category. And didn't stop there we had to jump and hit the ball or hit and then spin or hit and then trade places with someone, or moving in a circle and playing and reversing the circle! Just funny that you can take such a simple game and change it in so many different ways... just shows you there is always something you can add to make it BETTER! All and all the sun started setting and we got some fun photos that I thought I would share because I thought they were AWSOME!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

Always a success is the giving of THANKS! I had an amazing day! Running on the beach in the morning, played with a gigantic hula hoop (video's to come... it is hilarious) and laid out by the pool! Could it get any better! Then had family and friends over for dinner, which is always amazing. . . the food and company was GREAT! And ended the night with Scattergories!

And now must go to bed because as tradition has it, Padgett and I must go shopping tomorrow to join in the fun of . . .!

San Diego!

2009-11-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

I forget how pretty Balboa Park is!

He was just standing there reading... I thought it was CRAZY!

Of course walked down the La Jolla shores beach! We ran into a wedding that was happening on the beach and the groomsmen's suits matched the sand... ewww!

Went to SeaWorld! Great as always and they had a special Halloween Sea lion and Otter show!

I was in dire need of a vacation and Christi and Lara helped me make it happen!! We all needed to get away and what better place to go than La Jolla! We were going to have a girls weekend and added Robbie so it turned into an adventure! We were just there for 4 days but we packed in a ton of stuff!

Happy Birthday DADDY!

2009-10-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

I can't wait to see you in a couple days!

I want one!

2009-10-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

I love this so much! It's in the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, which has many a fun items but this little guy is GREAT! Who doesn't need Cupcake Car.... seriously! It didn't occur to me how cool they are until I saw them on the Today Show... HILARIOUS!!

ode to VACATIONS!

2009-09-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

I think need a vacation, so instead I went back to reminisce about a couple vacations of the past! And as seeing as it is terrible weather outside as we speak it becomes even more of a problem... yeah snowing in parts of the valley already (I think I live in the wrong state)!

Starting from the top - Venice - New York - Prague - Australia - Bahamas!!! All fantastic and would go back anytime!

I LOVE TV!

2009-09-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

One good thing about fall is that all my favorite TV

shows come back! I enjoy so many shows it is hard to keep up with all of them, but I do my best... and all I can say is thanks goodness for DVR!

My all around favorite is SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE! I love it so much and keep all of the episodes that my DVR can hold.... I love it and can only aspire to be able to do all of it one day!

So here is my shout out to some of my favs... really I like them all and it would take way too long to list them all so I will just give you a couple GREAT ones!

CBS with "How I Met you Mother" and "The Big

Bang Theory" if you have not seen them they are very entertaining! And to go along with "Project Runway" they have started "Models of the Runway" so you get to see the other side of the show... great who ever came up with that idea!

"Glee" ... is so cute, I loved it after the first episode!

And "Into the Pride", I pretty much could watch any of the shows that have to do with Africa now, but this one was really good! The man in it, Dave Salmoni reminds me of my crazy brother sometimes!!

Of course you can't forget the classic "Grey's Anatomy" and the spinoff "Private Practice" which I actually really like! And can't wait for both of those to start!!

So just to mention a couple... there are so many that I forgot, like "The Biggest Loser" and "Heroes" and thats not to even get into all the Great HGTV and Food Network shows that are always good anytime of the day! And lets never forget the always good anytime always over and over "FRIENDS"!

Baking

2009-08-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to make Cup Cakes for a friends Wedding Ring Ceremony, why I don't know cause I am for sure not a baker! And I got all stressed out realizing the day before that I had done nothing to prepare to make these 50 to 100 cup cakes! So thank goodness for a co-worker with an amazing frosting receipt and the help of Hannah to frost them, they turned out fantastically! Well at least now I know I can successfully make CUP CAKES! Oh and by the way the Ring Ceremony was beautiful too, I even sent the Bride and Groom with an extra box of cup cakes because there were so many extra!

July 2009

2009-07-31T16:43:00.001-07:00

July has been GREAT! Lots of sun and it has been really hot! The 4th of July was so much fun... I love fireworks and Sugarhouse Park puts on a really great show and there are always amazing people watching opportunities, and Utah is great because you don't stop there you also get to watch fireworks again on the 24th! We went to the REAL game and watched a really exciting soccer game that we ended up winning... (although we were sitting on the wrong side of the field for ALL 6 goals)! But really fun and that firework display was amazing! So good times all around and I can't believe it is August tomorrow..

Hudson!

2009-07-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hudson and her darling mom and Shane's sister Joey!

Shane's niece is the cutest little thing! She has the greatest personality and is so much fun to be around! And we had a great time dancing all around Gateway!

Mini Vacation!

2009-07-06T10:39:00.001-07:00

I got to spend a couple days up in Eden with Shane's family at the end of June! It was fantastic, the weather was perfect and it was fun to have his sister, brother in law and niece here too! We played at the pool and at the lake! Played tennis, did some hiking, picked flowers, played games and had some great meals!

Africa .. because I miss it so!

2009-06-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

I hadn't looked at our Africa pictures in awhile so I thought I would go through and find some that I had forgotten about! And I loved it so much, and would go back right this second if I could so why not look at more pictures of MY LOVE!

Little lady was asleep in the road!

We got to go on a walk through the jungle... notice the gun in Gordon's hand!

All three ended up with little mud gotee's!

So many amazing sunsets... so we jumped for JOY.. he he he!

Images...

2009-06-02T15:28:00.000-07:00

There were a couple more that i thought needed to be posted!

He he he...

Moab

2009-06-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Shane and I made the trip to Moab for my old roommate, Tara's Wedding! I also love weddings so it was tons of fun! I had never been to Moab before and I will for sure go back because I didn't get to do enough there! We got there saw the wedding spot and it was amazing... on top of an arched rock on like a lookout point, then went back for the rehearsal dinner and then Shane and I got to escape and go hike up to Delicate Arch! It was so much bigger than I though it would be! Next day was full of wedding activities and it all went very smoothly and it was a beautiful ceremony!

Her adorable flower girls were searching for lizards!

The beautiful BRIDE!

I am obsessed with the Colgate WISP... that is what is in all of our mouths! Its like a disposable toothbrush and it happened to match our colors, Love IT!

Look at how tiny I look next to that gigantic arch!

MAY!

2009-06-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

I love May, first of all its my Birthday month and second of all its the start of summer!!!

For my birthday this year Shane, Hannah, Toby and I went up to Jackson for the celebration, mainly because it was my moms 60th Birthday ... yahooooo.... and she was having a party and who is going to miss out on a 60th Birthday Party! It was so fun to have a combo party and so good to see everyone that was there! We had some good fun with the Kubota, my dads 4th child! He was attempting to clear out an area on shrubbery behind the guest house, and needless to say Shane, Bland and I got way too into it one day!! Had some great dinners and quality time in the sun!

Amazing day.....

2009-05-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

For the past year, I have been on the Susan G Komen committee for the Salt Lake City Race for the Cure, and it all added up to this day! Race day, and I could have never imagined how well it would turn out and how many AMAZING people I would meet! All of it has been such a learning experience but today made all the hard work totally worth it and plus some! So for anyone that didn't make it down this year either to race, support or volunteer next year be a part of it all somehow! I enjoyed myself oh so much today....

Here are a couple pictures of the event...

Craft Night #2

2009-04-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

So Hannah bought a sewing machine and we went crazy for two days!! And I am sure there is way more to come but so far we have made bags and I made an eye mask... They turned out so cute and i am so proud of us!! Here was bag number one for me... Its even reversible!! Working on bag number too and clutch.... it is so much fun and a little bit relaxing. So more to come later!

RACE FOR THE CURE!

2009-04-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

http://race.komenslc.org/site/TR/Race/General?fr_id=1000&pg=entry&JServSessionIdr010=w9yhlhopk3.app306a

This is the link where you register for the event. It starts at 8:30 a.m.

Join us on Saturday, May 9th at the Gateway in Salt Lake City for the 13th Annual Susan G. Komen Salt Lake City Race for the Cure®!... Read More

Race Start Time: 8:30am

Team Packet Pick-up: Thursday 4/30 from 3pm to 7pm & Friday 5/1 from 12pm to 7pm.

Individual Packet Pick-up: at the Health Expo Thursday 5/7 & Friday 5/8 from 10am to 7pm.

Packet Pick-up Location: The Gateway Union Pacific Depot at 400 W & South Temple

All teams and individuals please pick up your t-shirt packets at the above times!

Updates!

2009-04-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

I just realized it has been forever since I have posted anything... so here is my life for the last couple months!

January - signed up as a Coldwell Banker Real Estate Agent and have taken so many classes I am slowly learning more and more... lets emphasize slowly!

February - Still taking gym classes non stop and love having people join me, so anyone is welcome! Pottery Barn is picking up so working there still also in my free time! Still training for Real Estate stuff... and door knocking (which I still don't like)

March - On the committee for the Race for the Cure and that is starting to pick up... although we have been meeting since August of 2008 for the race on May 9th 2009! My darling Grandma passed away and had a beautiful funeral and got to see all the family which is the silver lining of the whole situation! And had my car broken into and they stole my purse... HUGE learning experience!

April - Hannah, Virginia and I decided we are starting craft night and we decided to make hand blown glitter eggs (thanks to Martha Stewart)! And blowing eggs was harder than the three of us realized but mission accomplished and they turned out fantastically! These are Hannah's eggs in the picture! And got to take a break and go to San Diego for a birthday and to spend Easter! It was SO nice to get away and they weather was so perfect for two of the days!! And still learning more and more about Real Estate... it is harder than I could have EVER imagined and still haven't decided if I like it or not yet?!?

Mozambique!

2009-01-05T09:59:00.000-08:00

To finish off our African adventure we ended up on an island off of Mozambique! So after seeing tons of animals we had to top it off with a relaxing beach ending. It was so pretty and oh so different than what we had been in the middle of for the past 15 days or so. We laid by the beach, lots of reading, windsurfing, dune boarding and the best horseback ridding of my life! If anyone ever has the chance to go horseback ridding on a sand dune you have to go!!

Oh more Botswana!

2008-11-30T09:01:00.001-08:00

There was so much more than animals too! All of the camps were so different and had their own special qualities... Here is our bed at Jao Camp. It was also the camp that we got the closest to the elephants!

Botswana

2008-11-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

In Botswana we moved through three different camps so there are so many pictures of just Botswana so I will have to add them as I find really good ones!

Here is a tribute to the Wort Hogs because they are the funniest animal and I came to love them very much! They first of all have they to get down on their knees to eat and just watching that is funny! But even better, their skin is so tight on their body that when they run they close their eyes to protect them from any bushes they might run through and in closing their eyes it causes their tail to shoot straight up! That is why whenever you see a Wort Hog running their tail will be straight in the air!

Then the lion cubs.... they were two months old and it was just them hanging out, mom was out hunting and they were the most playful little things ever! I could have sat there all day and watched them!

The baby zebra, our guide say was less than a week old so he was still a little wobbly on his little legs!

South Africa

2008-11-26T22:53:00.000-08:00

All of the animals were more amazing than I could have ever imagined! I think I never realized how close we were going to actually get to them, unbelievable!! And pretty much on the first day we had seen all 5 of the "Big 5"!!

AFRICA!

2008-11-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

I have wanted to go to Africa pretty much since I was in the womb and we got to go in October! My fantastic parents did such a good job planning and organizing I could not have hoped for anything better! It was the greatest trip we have taken as a family yet! So we started out in Johannesburg for a night... pretty much saw the airport and our hotel which we could have walked to from the airport but had to wait like a half and hour for a van to take us..?? But woke up the next morning to the staff of the hotel singing and dancing in the lobby! Because everyone in Africa is born with the amazing ability to sing and dance! It was amazing!

Halloween!

2008-11-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

I love dressing up! So it makes Halloween parties a blast, and last night was no different! It was tons of fun, got very little sleep and had to be at work at 9:00 am the next morning but it was all worth it! So I went as a boxer and Shane and all his "roomies" went as various Sesame Street characters!

Made our Mark!

2008-10-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

So I am forever imprinted at Westminster! The school built and alumni house and gave us the option to buy a brick with our name on it so there were a couple of us that bought a little group of them! Thanks Christi for sharing a brick with me!!

2008-09-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

So I had heard that is existed but I hadn't seen it in real life, and still haven't but look Scott that I used to work with found me!! I am on a University Health Care car.... how funny is that! So while your out there look for me, I will be rollin around!!

The Wedding!

2008-08-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

I couldn't put all the pictures that I wanted so had to make two posts! Because everything was planned and executed so perfectly!!

So the bride in the first one is in the middle... she looked so pretty and Millen so hansom! Then her cake which was so yummy. And Padgett, Hannah and Maria in front of one of the two tents and then the boat which was the getaway!! So cute!

With love from MAINE

2008-08-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

For a way to fast vacation Mom, Dad, Padgett and I got to fly into Maine for our cousin, Wheeler's wedding! It was so pretty and I would go back to Maine in a heartbeat!! Even though we were just in the little itty bitty town of Camden!

So the pictures.... the first one is the view from Padgett and I's hotel room (isn't it amazing!) Then the first night we were there we went on a boat for a dinner cruise so that was our nautical night... well the whole weekend was nautical but that was what the dresscode for that night was! Then from the boat we got our first glance of the wedding spot... oh so pretty! Then before the wedding we went to a brunch and lastly the view flying in!

Jackson Fantastic!

2008-07-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Jackson Hole is so fantastic!

We got the chance to go this past weekend, I drove up with my cousins Hannah and Toby! We were there for all of two days but managed to do everything!

Hiking, biking, floating, boating and the all classic laying by the pool! And had and amazing dinner at the top of the mountain in Teton Village!

So much fun to be there with my family, cousins, Aunts and Uncles and everyone that we got to hang out with!

CTS!

2008-06-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

It is my accomplishment for the month and it is so little but I thought I would post it anyway! So at PotteryBarn we vote for CTS (Catch the Spirit) essentially employee of the month, and I WON FOR THE MONTH OF MAY! I was super excited to have been voted for!

Hannah's Bridal Shower

2008-05-30T15:29:00.001-07:00

We had a small little get together at my Grandma's house, out on her patio! It was so cute... My mom, sister and I put it together really from three different locations, so we did a fantastic job! And it went off flawlessly, it was so perfect and everyone had a fantastic time! So as of today the countdown is on for Hannah and Toby.... 21 days to go!!

Christi's Baby Shower Favors!

2008-05-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

I was given the task of coming up with prizes and favors for the shower four of us girls held for Christi and with my dear sisters help this is what I did! I thought they turned out fantastically and everyone loved them! And the flowers actually grew!

Vegas

2008-04-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas is great! We had a secret connection and got into all of the clubs that are in The Palms casino including the Playboy Club! We managed to surpass all lines and did it all for free! So much fun, I also found a sugar daddy that let me play Craps with $300 of his money! I lost it all and he still let me keep a $25 chip so I played for 4 hours and made $25! NICE

Photography

2008-04-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

I love taking pictures and this was Jake and Carrie's idea but I did do the honors and took it for them! Isn't that a cute idea for Thank You's for after your wedding!

First Off

2008-04-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

I am trying to be more creative ... well I am creative but now I am going to start doing things and I might as well put pictures of it up! Why not.... I have lots of extra time in my life right now and maybe this will help me find something to do with the rest of my life!