I....

I am...
physically exhausted - and usually by 4 in the afternoon. I don't know how I make it to ten o'clock each evening. Purely by the grace of God I guess :)

I'd like to think...
that one day I'll get everything done in one day that I put on my to-do list. I must be too optimistic because it never ever happens. (I might have a chance if i just didn't put laundry on the list)

I've become...
obsessed with toned arms. Before LJ I had really nice toned arms. Now, I refer to my upper appendages as "mom arms." I'm not asking for Jennifer Anistons's arms - just a little less flab, you know?

I think...
Too much. It's hard to shut my brain off at night. Sometimes I name things from each letter of the alphabet so that maybe I might get tired. Afghanistan, Beirut, Canada, Denmark, etc. I know, I'm weird....

I know...
What people REALLY mean when they say something. I have a keen ability to read between the lines.

I want..
To stop watching Vh1 reality shows, I really do. But they make it so hard!! Rock of Love, I Love New York, Real Chance of Love, I Love Money.....somebody please stop the insanity!

I have...
The cutest kid. Sometimes I look at her and think how much I pity any subsequent kids because there may not be any cute genes left :)

I like...
When it rains all day. That rarely happens here in dry ol' SG. We get morning teaser showers or late-night drizzles but a day long rain is a cause for celebration!

I wish ...
My dogs would quit digging holes in the backyard. THERE'S NOTHING UNDER THERE BUT MORE DIRT!!!!!

I hate...
When people don't reach freeway speed at the end of the on ramp. And by people I mean the elderly. And by the elderly I mean those people who should have had their license revoked 4 presidents ago.

I miss...
Doing whatever I want, whenever I want. Spontaneity is a word long since gone :(

I fear...
That our next president is going to screw things up even worse for our country. And considering our two choices are both complete idiots - my fear will most likely become a reality. Maybe I should write myself in on the ballot - or SpongeBob :)

I hear...
Snoring. It must be contagious in my house. Jeremy, the pups, my congested child.

I smell....
The orange chocolate cupcakes I made with the tops that caved in and are now completely useless.

I love...
SCHADENFREUDE!!! (pronounced SHAW-den-Froyd) It's my most favorite word in the world. It means the feeling you get when someone you dislike gets their just desserts. We all know that feeling - don't deny it!

I don't always...
Wash my hair. And I don't care one bit. I could spend an hour getting ready during naptime or ponytail it and have a bit of time to myself. The ponytail wins every time :)

I win...
At Scrabble. Always. Unless I LET someone else win. I once spelled THORAX on a triple word score - please, no applause. (Note - it did not say "I Win without cheating")

I lose...
My keys at least once a day. Everyone says, "Why don't you get a big key ring to put your keys on?" Well, probably cuz I'd lose that too. I'd probably lose my keys even if I had to attach it to a garbage can lid like they do at convenient stores.

I never...
Will like olives or mushrooms. I just won't. Olives remind me of stinkbugs and mushrooms are a fungus people! I can handle them on pizzas, but when I see someone eating one or the other simply because they enjoy the taste I almost gag.

I listen...
To audiobooks while I work out. It makes it easier to concentrate on listening to a story rather than on how much I want to quit and just go eat a cookie and watch Vh1

I am scared of...
Haunted Houses. I refuse to go to them ever since I was emotionally traumatized as a child when going through one I was chased by a guy with a chainsaw - I had no idea it wasn't real! I have since been classically conditioned to immediately cry upon the sound of the chainsaw.

I read...
Anything and everything. I'm never NOT reading something.

I...tag anyone and everyone.

LJ and I drove up to Logan last weekend to visit Kelly and we had a great time! I decided it would be easier to drive up in the evening that way LJ could just sleep in the car and there would be less stops along the way. She did great both up and back, except on the way back we had a major poop blow out - it was everywhere! I'm sure the people pumping gas next to me at the Texaco in Nephi were appreciative of the eyeful of messy gross poop diaper that I bestowed upon them. Oh well - I wasn't about to change her in the WT infested bathrooms!

Poop incident aside, we had lots of fun! We went to the Logan Zoo where Lindsay saw her first wallaby and even got to feed the little ducks all around. She also tried the swings for the very first time! She loved it - until she went a little too high and then she was all about getting out of it. We also drove down to Salt Lake and went to the Hogle Zoo where Lindsay participated in her first shoplifting (they start young these days). We walked out of the gift shop and somehow StickyFingers McStealsALot had managed to lift a rubber frog and hide it in her stroller - I wonder what other treasures she has illegally amassed since she's been able to reach. We also visited a really fun park by Utah State and Lindsay crawled all over the grass, played with the leaves, and even enjoyed a leaf or two in her mouth - she tried to eat a pinecone but I put my foot down and decided that she'd have enough earthen debris in her mouth for one day.

Kelly stayed at our hotel with us and unfortunately LJ was a nightmare to get to sleep or nap. Normally when I put her to bed, if she starts to cry I tell her goodnight and good luck and let her cry it out, but since I'm sure there were people in the rooms next to us I couldn't just let her scream her guts out so I had to force her to sit still in my arms until she fell asleep and then it was a cross-your-fingers game as to whether she would stay asleep when I put her in the crib. And then if she did wake up she would just stand in her crib and cry while giving us the death look so we would just lay still on the bed on pray that her vision was based on movement lol. (Update - she is still not back on her sleeping schedule since our return and currently wakes up every three hours during the night. Note to self: No more trips for a while.)

Non-sleeping and explosive pooping aside, it was a great trip and we were just glad that we got to hang out with Aunt Kelly for a while - she is one of my favorite people in the world! We already miss you Aunt Kelly!

Tag I'm it :
Favorite person (outside of family)?
Alyshia Miller - My BFF since high school. I would be a sad, lonely girl if she wasn't around :)

Favorite food?
I never met a cookie I didn't like :)

Quirks about you? I
can't stand misspelled words and incorrect grammar; I can't sleep with a closet open; I don't like foods that don't go together to touch in any way (i.e. cranberry sauce & turkey); I like my baths scalding hot; I can remember exoribant amounts of useless information

Any regrets in life?
None that I haven't learned from

Favorite Charity/Cause? T
he Gnome Liberation Front

Favorite Blog recently?
TheSuperficial.com - gotta love the celebrity gossip :)

Something you can’t get enough of?
Cookies! When I see a cookie, I can't forget about it!

Worst job you’ve ever had?
LearnKey - I dreaded every morning. My boss was the devil, and sometimes didn't wear a bra.

What job would you pay NOT to have?
I'd have to go with the same as Carie's - cleaning out porta potties - yuck!

If you could be a fly on the wall, where?
At the time of any infamous murder - Jon Benet, Scott Peterson, O.J. You know, to know just what really happened!

Guilty Pleasure?
Any of the VH1 reality shows - they're so stupid and pointless but it's hard not to watch

Got any confessions?
I steal bank pens.

If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it?
A long massage, a mani-pedi, a new outfit, and a nice pair of shoes.

Favorite thing about your house?
My bathtub

Least favorite thing about your house?
The neighbors

One thing you are bad at?
I always interrupt

One thing you’re good at?
Losing my keys

If you could change something about your circumstances, what?
I wish I was a little bit taller..... :)

Who would you like to meet someday? Living or dead?
My grandpa

What makes you feel sexy?
A tan

Who is your real life hero?
I don't know........but certainly not Oprah, I can't stand her.

What is the hardest part of your job?
Getting the folded laundry from the clothes basket to the closet/drawers. I can get it into the washer, into the dryer, into the basket, but putting away is something I dread.

When are you most relaxed?
In a hot, hot, bath with a good book

What stresses you out?
Unnecessary messes

What can you not live without?
My DVR. How else can I watch all my stories with the ability to skip commercials, fast forward boring parts, and pause so I can get another cookie??

Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists?
I disagree. The definition of a narcissists is someone who is overly obsessed with their image. If I was obsessed with my image, well, then my thighs would be smaller, my skin would be tanner, and I'd weigh 15 pounds less. However, If you have a blog dedicated only to the continual discussion of your looks, outside appearance, or social status, then you might be a narcissitic blogger and then it may be time to let go and let God :)

Why do you blog?
Because I think it's a fantastic way to journalize your life. I have a hard time taking the time to write things down, but I can sure type like a bat out of hell!

I tag: Tracy, Solinda, Beth

We decided it would be fun to go and have Lindsay pick a pumpkin from the patch at the Staheli Family Farm. We drove all the way out there and can I just say - WHAT A WASTE!!! It was the biggest rip off ever! We had to pay $4 each just to get in the fly infested place and then we were escorted by someone who can only be described as as something straight out of "The Hills Have Eyes" over to what they called their pumpkin patch. What follows is exactly what we were expected to sort through in order to find a pumpkin:

I mean, seriously??? Is this a pumpkin patch? I call it pumpkin trash - and a complete waste of $10 - the pumpkin we found cost us an additional $2. We did find a little pumpkin, however - pretty much the only one there that wasn't mutated, molded, unripe, smashed, or rotten.

Today....................

I went to sleep on the couch AT 5 A.M. because Jeremy was snoring like crazy. I wonder what would happen if i shoved a sock in his mouth :) He may die from stocking asphyxiation but at least I'll get a peaceful night's sleep!

LJ and I went to the rec center and watched the elderly play basketball (It's the senior games) - granny shots and all! Then we ran 2 miles on the indoor track while watching the lady Alyshia and I usually see run around the track while leaving her sleeping baby in his stroller against the wall. (We call her Leggy McLeavesHerKid)

We had Mommy & Me swim class! Lj loved to sit on the edge of the pool and lunge off to me. She laughed hysterically! We played Duck, Duck, Goose and Ring around the Rosies and LJ didn't choke one time when she went under the water! She also did great kicks when trying to swim to her toy!

I finished some pointless and monotonous homework (every day is closer to being done!) and did my best not to make up answers instead of actually doing the work. It's hard cuz sometimes my ability to B.S. far surpasses my knowledge on whatever subject I'm studying.

I played with LJ in the backyard until water seeped up through our supposedly waterproof picnic blanket and made me look like i peed my pants. Sadly, I got over it and didn't even bother to change.

I Watched Gracie for Alyshia and Chad because they had a temple prep class! Yea! Soon their loads of white laundry will quadruple!!!!! Gracie and I played hide and seek and then she had a fun bath and we read two stories twice each and then waited out on the swing for them to come home

I Bought a Hot-N-Ready pizza (Gross, but convenient) and watched The Happening with my husband - My Review: Movie was lame but Mark Wahlberg kept my attention :) It's hard not to watch when he's so easy on the eyes.

And here's a picture of my babe just for fun - You know, cuz she's just too cute! (Doesn't she look just like her Daddy here?!)