Dear Santa, I can explain...

I have turned into the Grinch today. I had the Christmas spirit...I really did. Unfortunately, I think I lost it today (in more ways than one). You might as well just keep the presents cause I think I've been pretty naughty.

Grandma talked me into taking her to Provo to see Erick and I figured I could do a bit of last minute shopping while I was there. Not such a bad idea...but, I know better than to shop on Christmas Eve for the ONE thing I haven't been able to find...(and we probably could have lived without it, but I have talked myself into believing that our trip will be ruined if I don't have it...I am such a compounder...)

Well, long story short, I had a flat tire, people were rude at the stores, and every time I opened my mouth something negative came out. I just hate it when I act like that. In a way it makes me happy that Hannah is at her dad's house and not seeing me act like a total jerk. I miss her so much!!! I am so excited for her to come home in the morning! Do you think her dad will think I am nuts if I am parked in the driveway at 6 am?


Anyway, I will still wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I wish you the best and hope your holidays are filled with fun memories, good friends, family (that is nice to each other!) and yummy food. I especially send these wishes to those of you far away or alone this year. Even though I am a total grump today, I am still thinking of you and love you all.

MyFaceLOL...the Duke boys

    Click here to create your own video

FInals...one down, three to go.

Well, I guess the worst is behind me. I took my math final at 7am today. (Who in the world schedules a final at 7am...had to be a man...lol) Well, good news is that it is over and bad news is I didn't do well. I obviously don't know my grade, but I am praying I passed. Oh, well, life goes on.

Tomorrow will finish up the finals for the semester...I'm nervous as hell but excited at the same time. Imagine that. Can you say "emotional wreck"?

So, there it is...I'll try and update this weekend once the shock and caffeine has worn off for finals week.

Christmas blessings...

I know, I know, I just can't stay off the dang computer when I should be studying...So in my defense, I do have something very important to say...and this is the only way to publicly thank the anonymous person who has blessed my life...

On the evening of December 9th, a prayer was answered and a very special gift was left for Hannah and I. Words cannot express how grateful I am to you for your generous gift. I wish I knew who to thank, but unfortunately, there was no name signed to the card. Anyway, without getting all mushy and crying again, I just want to sincerely thank you, whoever you are. You have been an instrument in God's hands, and I will cherish this memory forever.
Love, Sarah

(This has absolutely nothing to do with the above post, but I read this today and loved it. Enjoy.)

"I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no-one but yourself, and sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together."
Marilyn Monroe

Heads up...

Next week is finals for me! Holy cow, this semester has flown by! So a heads up to those of you who are actually interested in this blog and my daily happenings...I will tell you right now that there will be no posting, just some major studying going on around here! Pray for me, people!!!
Love ya all,
Sarah

Dancing and singing

Just a little update on my little Hannah. She has been very busy dancing and singing these past few weeks, and I just wanted to show her off for a minute.
Hannah had a dance recital on Saturday. Her dance class preforms at Swiss Christmas in Midway every year. (This is her 4th year of ballet) It is quite a hectic time, but the girls did an amazing job and were so adorable.
Miss Hannah did not want me to take her picture. I think she was a little tired from being out so late at Temple square the night before.

Hannah dancing with their little snowballs. Sorry there aren't more photos or video...I am technically challenged at the moment.

Today, Hannah's music class did a Christmas concert for the residents of the local care center. They did such a great job (and Hannah even did a little solo!).



Hannah and Susan right after the performance at the care center.

They danced all the way to the car!

A visit to Temple Square.

Last night we took a little trip to Salt Lake to see the lights at Temple Square. We ran into a few friends from Heber while we were there, so that made it kind of fun! (Hi Caren!) Hannah complained everytime I asked her to take a picture, but for some reason she really wanted a picture with this statue.


My very favorite part of visiting the visitor center is enjoying the beauty of the Christus. It was a little chaotic with all of the people there, but still such an amazing spirit when you sit back and enjoy it.


The Salt Lake Temple


As if the Temple itself wasn't beautiful enough, add the lights in for pure delight.


This is Hannah and her new bud Mike. They had a great time harassing each other. I don't know what she enjoyed more...the piggyback rides or just having someone to tease.


Randy and Mike.


A little group shot before we headed home. Figured I needed to get on the other side of the camera for a change.

Family Pictures

I hate having my picture taken. There. I've said it. And trying to hunt down 2 outfits that kind-of match so we don't look like a couple of dorks was quite the event. So why on earth I would pay someone to take pictures of me and Hannah is beyond me. Anyway, have a good laugh!

Hannah looking at me like I am a big dork.

A fun little ride.

I love this picture...we were headed back to the car and I started to pinch her cute little bum...that explains the face a little better.

The Duke Girls.

I am so thankful!

I know, not the most flattering photo of Hannah and I, but Pat was so kind to take a quick pic of us after Aunt Dana and I finally got all of the dishes done. This was as good as it was going to get!
So since I am sitting at work and have no way to download my pictures from this last week this one photo will have to do for now.

Heather Epperson posted an A-Z thankful list...so here is mine, just a little shorter.


A- America. I am thankful to live in a place where I have the freedom to express my thoughts and feelings without persecution.
B- Boots. Warm, fuzzy snow boots when it snows.
C- Children.
D- Dads.
E- Education.
F- Forever Families.
G- Grandma's who love us even when we are a pain in the rear.
H- Hope. Man, gotta have hope. And Hannah.
I- Icicles.
J- Jokes. I love to laugh.
K- Knowledge. Especially the knowledge I have of the gosple.
L- Love.
M- Moms. And mittens for those tiny little hands that just have to play in the snow.
N- Night. Love the stars and the crisp night air.
O- Orange juice.
P- Prophets.
Q- Quirks, the ones that make us unique and lovable.
R- Reality checks.
S- Sleep.
T- Tutors! And tables. The big ones that the whole family can gather around to eat and laugh.
U- Underwear. The long, warm ones.
V- Video night. Cuddle up under the covers and just be together. The best thing in the world.
W- Words. Especially the right ones at the right time.
X- Gotta love those "X's" Lessons learned, my friend. That's all.
Y- Yahoo...I love being able to keep in touch with email.
Z- Zippers that work!
So there it is, my thankful list. Feel free to add your name to the appropriate letter. More to come on the blog...just be patient!

Little update

Holy cow! Has it been a whole week since I posted on this thing???

Here is a short and sweet update:

School is going pretty good! I finally rocked a test in Physiology...fingers are crossed for the final! Math...well, still a bit of a struggle for me, but I have an amazing tutor that I need to spend more time with.

Hannah is growing like a weed! She has her first dance recital of the year on December 6th, Saturday. (Swiss Christmas) If anyone is interested I think she dances about 1:00. I tried to talk her into staying home from school today, ok, not really, I was just messing with her, but her response was this: "But mom, I have sooooo much to do today! We have projects to finish and 4 recesses!" I lost that fight.

Heather is going to be here tonight! I'm taking her out on the town tonight for her b-day tomorrow (the big "30"). I plan on having some excellent blackmail photos on here within the next week!

Last, but DEFINITELY not least, dating. Love it, love it, love it!!!

That's all folks!

6 Quirks of the Heber Girls

Here are my 6 quirks...
1. I push the snooze button exactly 3 times every morning. If I have to get up early, I set my alarm earlier so that I can get in that 27 minutes of snoozing...I am not much of a morning person.
2. I don't know what color my hair is. I have colored my hair so much since high school that I don't really know what color is underneath...grey?
3. I have a real honest to goodness phobia...spiders.
4. I don't like basements. Especially unfinished ones! There are big freaking spiders down there...(Refer to #3)
5. Leftovers. I don't like them. I like to eat something once. My dad, on the other hand, can eat reheated lasagna for a week. That is just weird to me.
6. I don't like sweets. Go figure. Now if you put something salty in front of me, that is a different story!

Hannah's 6 quirks...
Well, I wouldn't consider her "quirky" but here are 6 of the cutest things about my little Hannah-Balloo...
1. She likes to make beds. I don't. She makes grandpa's bed for him. What an angel.
2. She likes oysters. You know the smoked kind in the can you buy at Wal-mart? Well, give her one of those, some crackers, and a fork and we are good to go. (She gets this one from G-pa Duke)
3. She doesn't say "without"...she say "fur-out"...example "You aren't going to the store fur-out me are you?" I laugh every time.
4. She calls herself "Rascals Mother" (In case you don't know, Rascal is the dog I got for her when she dropped the 'I want a baby brother' thing on me...)
5. Hannah loves to sing. She has a little Hannah Montana guitar with a microphone that plugs into it and she will hang out in her room singing made up songs all day long.
6. Hannah loves the monkey bars at school. She refuses to wear dresses to school because that ruins her being able to hang upside down on the monkey bars (that never stopped ME...).
So there you go...quirks of the Heber Duke girls...hope you got a good laugh.

Who are you?

This weekend was busy. Between sleepovers and shopping, primary practice and programs, it was just too much for a little six year old. My poor little Hannah was so worn out that she passed out watching TV last night aroung 6:45. She coughed all night long so I let her stay home from school today as long as she promised to rest. Well, she wanted to dress up, so I let her dress up. (I'm a pushover.) So, my dad stopped in for lunch and Hannah ran down the stairs to see who was there, and he says to her, "Who are you? Wait...let me guess..." She stares at him while he is trying to think of 'Jasmine'...then she pipes up..."I'm absent!" We started to laugh and she said "Well, I am!" What a funny little girl.

A good walk, ruined.

Mark Twain once said, “Golf is a good walk, ruined.” Let me tell you about my “good walk” that was ruined...not by golf…but by thousands of people protesting the LDS church and the ruling on same-sex marriage.

Last night I had a date…the plan was to go to Temple Square and take a walk and try to see the movie at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. Sounds simple? Yeah, right. Traffic seemed crazy as we got closer to downtown, but I had no idea what was to come. Thousands of protesters were circling Temple Square shouting and chanting about equal rights for same sex couples. We decided to not let that ruin our plans, so we attempted to go anyway, but unfortunately, the gates had been locked due to the obvious disturbance. This brings to mind another major debate over the LDS church…remember when they wanted to buy up a block of main to make a beautiful little place for people to go? Well, thank heavens that the Church owns a little peaceful strip of street on Main Street...we were able to go and sit by the reflection pool on the street and enjoy the beauty of the temple.

Meanwhile, there was a helicopter circling overhead and protesters were gathering near the corner of the Church Office Building. We sat for a while then headed back to the car and had to walk right toward the protesters. A little uncomfortable? You bet. They would look right at us and scream their little issues at us...It was hard for me to keep my mouth shut! You can bet I thought of some great things to say, but I really didn’t want to get my butt kicked last night.

Anyway, I’ll make this short…I am a firm believer that marriage is between a man and a woman. That is it. If you want to go have sex with people of the same sex, go for it. As long as you are two consenting adults, that is your issue, but don't walk past me on a public street...next to a place I consider to be a holy place...and try to shove your ideas down my throat. Talk about disrespect. I live my life, you go live yours. And remember, the same democratic right that we were given to vote on this issue is the exact same thing that gives you the right to scream and act like a freaking idiot in public.

P.S. I had a great time with the most amazing guy. Maybe I’ll have more to tell in a future post…

Open letter to our new President-Elect

I found this letter from my favorite columnist, Robert Kirby, in the Tribune today. He couldn't have said it any better.

Dear Mr. President:

Congratulations on your victory at the polls. You are now the leader of the free world whether anybody likes it or not. Frankly, I give you about a week to figure out that you don't.

As a participant in the process that put you in office, I am writing to offer you the benefit of the common man's advice. Men don't come more common than me. Ask my wife.

First, please do not let the victory go to your head. You aren't smart as you think you are. In fact, you aren't even as smart as your supporters claim. We're all going to find that out in the next four years, so there's no point in pretending otherwise.

It doesn't take a genius to be president. I offer as proof any number of dolts we have elected to the country's highest office. So please remember that the trust we've placed in you isn't necessarily a compliment.

The truth is that most Americans could do your job. They could even be good presidents if they remembered to keep things simple. And that's what I'm writing to you about now.

Most Americans know what needs to be done. We learned it growing up, or at least those of us with decent parents did. Presumably, that includes you. Here's what my parents taught me that would also work in the White House.

ENVIRONMENT -- If you make a mess, you have to clean it up. It doesn't matter how long ago you made the mess, or who else helped, you still have to clean it up--even if it takes all day.

FOREIGN POLICY -- You are not the most important person in the world. If you think you are, you need to be taken down a notch or two.

EDUCATION -- Stupidity will always cost more than tuition.

NATIONAL DEFENSE -- Bullies always have to look over their shoulders. Be strong but don't pick on your sisters, or your father will kick your ass when he gets home.

CRIME -- A punishment equal to or worse than the deed is the most effective way of remembering not to do it again.

ECONOMY -- If you want something, go earn the money for it. If you borrow more than you can repay, you deserve to have your thumbs broke.

HEALTH CARE -- Eat right, work hard, don't smoke, brush your teeth, wear your seat belt, and look both ways before crossing the street. If it's not your fault, we'll help you pay to fix it.

There's more, but I think you get the point. Our problems aren't that complicated. Your presidency shouldn't be either.

Best of luck

Robert Kirby

Salt Lake Tribune

This looked fun...One word tag

So I've seen this on a couple of the blogs I read...Looked like a little something to distract me for a minute...So I am tagging anyone who reads this and has never done it!

One Word Tag
1. Where is your cell phone? TABLE
2. Where is your significant other? NONE
3. Your hair color? BROWN?
4. Your mother? HERE
5. Your father? HILARIOUS
6. Your favorite thing? HOPE
7. Your dream last night? NOPE
8. Your dream/goal? EVERYTHING
9. The room you're in? WORK
10. Your hobby? HOMEWORK
11. Your fear? LOSS
12. Where do you want to be in six years? HAPPIER
13. Where were you last night? BED
14. What you're not? COMPLETE
15. One of your wish list items? COMPUTER
16. Where you grew up? HEBER
17. The last thing you did? TEXT
18. What are you wearing? UNIFORM
19. Your TV? OFF
20. Your pet? SILLY!
21. Your computer? CRAP
22. Your mood? ANXIOUS
23. Missing someone? DEFINITELY
24. Your car? NOISY!
25. Something you're not wearing? EARRINGS
26. Favorite Store? CHEAP!
27. Your summer? OVER
28. Love someone? ALWAYS
29. Your favorite color? BLUE
30. When is the last time you laughed? TODAY
31. Last time you cried? TODAY

What a fun (and exhausting) week!

Man, this week has flown by...I guess that is how it goes when you stay busy.
Hannah has been partying it up all week with this whole Halloween thing...I remember when I was a kid we didn't do quite this much...
Monday we went to the party at UVU...it was fun but WAY too many kids there! We ducked out early with our cookies. Tuesday Hannah had a big party at girl scouts, yesterday she got to dress up again for dance, this is her class...what a bunch of cuties!
and today she is going to the party at the Rec Center. I am pretty sure that after tomorrow night she is gonna crash!

44 ODD and slightly randon things about me...

Subject: 44 ODD things about you!
1. Do you like blue cheese? Only with hot wings
2. Have you ever smoked? yes
3. Do you own a gun? Not yet
4. What flavor Kool-Aid was your favorite as a kid? Grape
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? No
6. What do you think of hot dogs? They are ok...depends on my mood
7. Favorite Christmas movie? All of them
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I'd drink chocolate milk every morning if I could get away with it...but I settle for a glass of OJ
9. Can you do push ups? Yes
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Don't really have one...but I enjoy getting earrings from Hannah every year for Mothers day
11. Favorite hobby? Catching up on my sleep
12. Do you have A.D.D.? Most definitely
13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I over analyze everything!
14. Middle name? Don't have one
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. I should be studying instead of doing this. I miss someone. I can't wait to go home and go to bed.
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, OJ, and water
17. Current worry? School
18. Current hate right now? Dating
19. Favorite place to be? Cuddled up in bed reading a good book
20. How did you bring in the New Year? With some good friends
21. Where would you like to go? Hawaii
22. Name three people who will complete this? Hopefully everyone who reads this will
23. Do you own slippers? Yes, a couple of pairs
24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? The ugliest blue and black Holiday Inn shirt you have EVER seen!
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Satin? I can't afford SATIN!
26. Can you whistle? Yes
27. Favorite color? Blue
28. Would you be a pirate? Sure, if they had life jackets and didn't make me walk the plank!
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever song woke me up that morning.
30. Favorite Girl's Name? Hannah
31. Favorite boy's name? Colton
32. What's in your pocket right now? Nothin' but sunshine...lol
35. Worst injury you've ever had? Broken finger
36. Do you love where you live? Usually
37. How many TV's do you have in your house? 2
38. Who is your loudest friend? Caren
39. Do you have any dogs? Yes, Rascal is Hannah's baby.
40. Does someone have a crush on you? I hope so.
41. What's your favorite book? Suzanne's diary to Nicholas
42. What is your favorite candy? Reese's PB cups
43. Favorite Sports Team? Broncos
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? Haven't really thought that one through...I'll get back to you on that!

What hand gesture are you?

Once again, I am playing on the Internet when I should be studying...I saw this funny quiz...and yes, I did assume I was going to be another type of hand gesture!
This is what I got:

You Are a Heart

Your life philosophy can be summed up as, “Love like you've never been hurt.” Your greatest wish is to have harmony in all of your relationships. You can't help loving people, even when they're incredibly flawed. You are a true romantic, and you are willing to give almost anyone a second chance.

What Hand Gesture Are You?

What is so funny about this...the studying I am avoiding doing at the moment just happens to be Chapter 12: The Heart. Laughing my head off!
So for any of you that are so bored you are reading this, take a second and do the quiz...I'm wondering what you are!

Hannah FINALLY lost a tooth!

Well, it finally happened. Hannah finally got up enough courage to pull her loose tooth. I swear it has been loose for a month, and she just wouldn't let anyone touch it.
I have been studying for a midterm and she kept coming in my room to show me how loose it was...so I put her in front of the bathroom mirror with a piece of dental floss and told her to go for it!

She came running in a few minutes later and voila!
She has been giggling for the last hour!
She got ready for bed and said "Mom, PRAYERS!" So she was getting ready and says,"I have a lot of stuff to pray about!" Then giggles again. In her prayer she says, "Bless the tooth fairy so she won't forget I lost a tooth today." So cute.

Fall break

Well, as I promised here is the update on the mini-vacation to Montana.

~disclaimer~ The diet went to crap. Deal with it.

Dad decided to go with us to Heathers so we waited for him to get home from work. We loaded up the car and we were off! My dear friend Cheryl loaned us her DVD player for the car (thank you a million times!) so Hannah was pretty quiet the whole drive. She did make one screaming announcement to Grandpa "I have to pee!" We were in the middle of nowhere and it was dark out so she got to go on the side of the road. What a way to start off the trip!

We arrived late (about 1:30 am) and crawled into bed. Heather lives about 2 blocks from the railroad tracks. Lets just say we didn't sleep well. The dang train blew it's whistle all night long and I swear the bed was shaking. Not to mention the police sirens. What the heck was going on on a Wednesday night? Anyway, we didn't sleep so well.

The next morning Heather and I did some sisterly bonding...a.k.a. shopping. She helped me pick out a really cute pair of boots and a sweater, so I guess we did ok. She took me to the local convenience store for a homemade cherry coke and to make fun of the local creep working the register. Good times. We figured the kids were hungry so we headed home and took them out to lunch. I guess TJ and Tori like to take everyone to this little Chinese place when they come and visit. It was actually really good (the crab puffs were yummy!)

Somehow we talked dad into a haircut and a color...yes a color. I have the pictures but silly me never got an after to compare to the before...I will work on that. After that, Heather and I took the kids to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua. The kids totally loved it. I could have lived without seeing it, but Hannah had wanted to take the kids ever since the show came out. I caved. What can I say, we were on vacation!

We spent Friday morning at the museum. I wanted to visit the capital, but since it is an even numbered year they only do tours on Saturday. Dang politicians. The kids weren't that impressed with the choice but I think that dad kind-of liked it. TJ loved the room upstairs with all the old army and war stuff. (Apparently he wants to join the army when he grows up) They had a really fun quilt display so I took some pictures of some cute quilts for my quilting buddies. I just wanted to let them know I was thinking of them. :) We took the kids to this really cute park (castle park?) and then to ride the carousel. Sorry for the crappy pictures.







Friday night Heather, Jared and I hit the town...You'll have to ask Jared about it cause I'm keeping my lips sealed. Let’s just say he was a hoot.

We had "girls day" on Saturday while the guys all went antelope hunting. We were getting ready to go out and decided that manicures or pedicures would be really fun with the girls. I am in the bathroom combing what is left of my hair when Heather starts to scream...I run to the kitchen and we have a friend outside the kitchen door eating her tree. The girls thought it was awesome and wanted to pet him. I couldn't believe how tame he seemed.




That must've been some good leaves. Heather chased him off cause she was worried about the landlord's trees. Sissy. Just kidding. I made sure to get pictures cause I was sure Jared and dad wouldn't believe it.

Back to girls day...we went to this cute little place called Shellie's cafe for lunch and had the best sandwich. It was called a Montana Steak Sandwich...yummy. It was kind-of like a philly steak...sliced meat, melted swiss, mushrooms and onions...yum. Just thinking about it makes me want one! We went and did a walk through on a house that Heather saw in paper...it was so cute! I really hope that they buy it! Then we visited one of her friends that has a new baby (so cute, I wanted one for like a half of a second) and then went and had ice cream.



We made it home just as the guys did. Everyone was worn out and tired so we ordered pizza and watched a movie.

A little funny thing that happened while we were chilling...Hannah comes down and crawls on me and says Tori won't play with her. Then we hear Tori up in her room fake crying. Heather calls her down to get the scoop. Tori tells Heather that Hannah hates her! Hannah starts to sob and swears she didn't say it...So Heather asks her again. "Tori did Hannah say she hates you?" "No, but she thought it!" (still sobbing) We all break down laughing. Oh the things kids will say.

Regardless, we had a great time...If you take out the part about the noisy trains and the sleeping on a couch it was awesome. It was a long drive and I didn't get a dang thing accomplished except and cute outfit I probably will never wear...but I am so glad we went. We made some fun memories and I can't wait to go again...Next time I am staying at the Holiday Inn as far away from the train as possible...and I'm taking my ear plugs!

Octobrrrrrrr.....

Holy crap it's cold. I never thought winter would get here and here it is. Time sure flies when you are having fun... :)
So here is a little update for those of you I haven't spoken to in a while. First of all school is going great...well, I guess that maybe I should say it's going better. I am finally starting to catch on in my math class (I have an amazing teacher) so my hardest subject is now not so hard. Had my mid-term for Psych...aced it (thank you!), and English is going well. I had to give an oral presentation a few weeks ago and thought I was going to die, but other than that, it's great! Physiology...ugh. I am struggling. I just can't seem to read a chapter and know what the heck is going on. I need pictures. A video. Maybe a cute little song to sing to help me memorize the vocabulary. I am too visual of a learner to just read a 50 page chapter on the nervous system and go "Dang, I get it!"
Needless to say, I've had to shift gears a bit to keep it afloat. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, heaven only knows how badly I need them right now!

Tomorrow we get to celebrate Hannah's "unbirthday" at school. The original plan was for Wednesday but I got a sticky note from Mrs Mecham today asking me to change to tomorrow. Shifting gears again. (Apparently Mrs Mecham doesn't know about my English midterm.) So Hannah has decided she wants to do root beer floats for her class tomorrow. Easy enough, right? I'll let you know how that goes.

Dating. (Insert four letter word here)
What can I say? It sucks. Not that I am not having fun, cause I am. I am meeting tons of people and having a great time...I am just a little tired of the games. I am sick of guys looking for a rebound girl or just a good time. I know all of you married gals are thinking right now...geeze, glad I'm out of that stage of my life...and all I can say is I envy you. BUT...on a good note...I did go out Friday night with a really neat guy. He is 6'3" (I like 'em tall, and the last 4 or 5 guys I've been out with have been short...I mean SHORT), cute, and a total blast. We went out to dinner and then to Thanksgiving Point to the haunted corn maze. It was freezing cold...but I had a great time.

Last but not least, vacation. Hannah and I both have a few days off for UEA/Fall break and we have decided to head up to Montana and hang out with Heather and her family. Hannah has been counting down the days...2 to go. I will take pictures and let everyone know how the trip goes.

What the heck???

If any of you know me very well, you know that I have a severe phobia...spiders. I am talking phobia. ( pho•bi•a [foh-bee-uh] –noun a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.)

I have been trying to deal with it for some time, heck; I have even pushed myself to the point of squishing the really tiny ones without calling for help. (That is, if Hannah isn't around and willing to do the deed.)

So here is the story...I am at work at the old Holiday Inn and two of the housekeepers, Isela and Paula, bring this bottle and set it on my desk. It's a half empty (half full, either way) bottle of Mike's hard lemonade. She says "Sarah, look at this." And I am thinking, what, it's just a bottle of alcohol, no biggie...then she takes her hand off the bottle and inside is the biggest fricking spider I have ever seen in my life!!! Needless to say, I freaked out. So I back up against the wall and start to feel woozy and Matt, the GM of the hotel, starts to laugh at me. I explained to him about my little "phobia" and he finished laughing at me. Then they all go into this huge debate on whether the damned thing is real.

IT IS STILL SITTING ON MY DESK.

To keep this post short and to keep me from having to take a Xanax, let’s finish this up now. Apparently I must have started to look ill. Matt tells them to get it out of there before I pass out...good call. So they decide to go out and dump it in the parking lot so they can squish it and see if it was real or not. (That is how the debate was settled.) So to try to do some self-therapy to deal with this irrational fear… I followed them to the parking lot and I took pictures. From a distance. Thank heavens for zoom. I had to do it. It was therapeutic. Besides, who was going to believe this?





This is Isela...looks like she is really enjoying herself, huh?

IT IS A FREAKING BLACK WIDOW! I WASN'T GETTING ANY CLOSER, JUST NOTE THE RED HOURGLASS ON THE DAMNN THING!

The question of the day is this....how in the hell did the dude in 326 get the spider in the bottle? And why would you want to do that anyway? Any suggestions?

Tag!...Now you are it!

Amanda Jones...I am gonna stop reading your blog if you do that to me again!

How To Play This Game of Tag:
1. Post these rules on your blog.
2. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names...

Grab a coke so you don't fall asleep and hopefully I can find 5 unsuspecting victims...

3 Joys
1. Hannah. I love her beautiful smile and blue eyes. She has the funniest personality and I am amazed by the things she learns and then tries to teach me on a daily basis.
2. Sleep! I am a totally different person when I've gotten in my full 7 hours. I would rather sleep than eat. That is sad.
3. I have the most amazing friends. I know that they love me and would do anything for me. I never have to worry about that and that makes me feel very blessed.

3 Fears
1. Missing out on the best years of Hannahs life.
2. Missing out on best years of my life.
3. Finding Mr. Wrong all over again.

3 Goals
1. Well, I am playing biggest loser with all of ya, so my first goal is that 25 pounds I committed to lose...
2. Finishing school (in a timely manner!) with out a nervous breakdown.
3. A date for this Friday night...I am a woman on a mission!

3 Current obsessions
1. First promise not to laugh....but I get online every day to check my stupid LDS Mingle account...I know, what a dork, I have resorted to internet dating! You know, if my friends would help me out I wouldn't have to look online...I'll leave that there...
2. Not sleeping in and missing my Math class. My class starts at 7 am...I work till 11 pm...you do the math! (No pun intended.) Lets just say I am one crabby beast in the morning, and my chipper Professor has made it clear in no uncertain terms that if you miss a class he will deduct 2 points per day off the final exam. I'm not gonna mess with him!
3. Eating healty and drinking my water.

Random Facts about me!
1. My favorite flower is a daisy.
2. I hate tuna fish.
3. My keyboard sticks...I spend more time backspacing than I do typing...therefore I have an amazingly strong right pinkey finger...

Now...who to tag, who to tag...(This is assuming anyone reads this damn blog)
Heather Epperson, Rachel Crane, Tori (sorry Tori I don't know your last name!), Jenny Rowser, and Anh (AKA "Girl")

A day of reflection...

I was looking at some old emails today (while I should have been finishing my English Paper), and a certain one caught my eye. After reading it, I really just had to take a second and reflect. Life is so busy and I wonder sometimes how I am doing as a parent. Yeah, I know no one is perfect, but at the same time, we can all be a little better. So, along with my new commitment to be the "biggest loser", I am also going to make a commitment to be a better mother. At least the best one I can be.

To My Daughter - by an OK. Police Officer

*Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

*Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

*Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

*Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by.

*Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

*Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

*Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

*Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I
love you.

*Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

*Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

*Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

*Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

*I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and
fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.

*And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day...

My adorable little Hannah...

So last night I was driving Hannah to her dads house in Salt Lake, we were on I-80 just out of Parleys. The sky was pretty dark with storm clouds and there was this one little place where the sunbeams were shining through.
Hannah says to me "Hey mom, do you know what it means when the sky is all dark and there is a light shining down?"
I replied, "No, what does it mean?" I wasn't sure what she was talking about at that point...
She says, "It means someone is praying and the light is shining on them."
Then she pauses, "That or Jesus is coming!" I held in a giggle and said "Oh yeah?" Then she says, "I saw a picture of it before when Jesus was coming."
What a sweet little girl I have!

So I haven't had the caffeine headache, that'll probably hit me in my 7am meeting with the stake Primary Presidency...(7 am? What are they thinking? Hello...single girl here gotta go out Saturday night...)I am doing well on the water drinking, though I haven't spent this much time in the bathroom since I was 8 months pregnant!

So update on "the date"...
I had a great time! We went to dinner and a nice long walk and lots of great conversation! I'm looking forward to the next one...

A little update....

A quick update...Sorry no photos this time...
Well, I am officially in on the "biggest loser contest." Thanks ladies for inviting me! This is gonna be fun...I'm half way through my first day with no caffeine...I'm preparing for the headache! The water challenge...I'm trying!
So, school is going well...I am so glad it is Friday! Have a date tonight...wish me luck!

Can you say "BORED"

The Recipe For Sarah

3 parts Recklessness 2 parts Passion 1 part Cleverness Splash of Glamour Finish off with an olive

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Ok, I admit it. I procrastinated on my English essay so I had to scramble to get it done tonight. I have a quiz tomorrow in Anat. and my brain is totally overstimulated and I just want to go home and go to bed! Long story short...little mindless quizzes on the net...gotta love it.

What year do I belong in....I am...

You Belong in 1956

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatyeardoyoubelonginquiz/">What Year Do You Belong In?

College...

So here is a little update for those of you who don't have anything better to do tonight...I am back at school for the fall semester. I am attending the UVU campus here in Heber...it's quite convenient. I am not sure how long I am going to be able to stay here without taking classes in the valley, but like I said, for now I am still here. I am still doing generals (yippie) but the intended goal is to do a Bachelors in Community Health Education. It is a way to combine my love of the medical field and my new love of teaching. I am quite excited about it!

I am taking 14 credits this semester...I know, I am nuts! I am taking Algebra (yuck, yuck, yuck), English 2010, Psychology, Zoology (anatomy and phys.) and YOGA. Yes, Yoga. This is a one credit class that is taught by one of the coolest teachers I've ever met. It is an hour long class, 2 times a week...it only cost me $5 to sign up for it! It is a pass/fail class and I get a free semester long pass to the fit stop! Come on, this has got to be a good motivator to get my act together, right? (Balance mind, body, spirit...) So long story short...I am stressed out about this heavy load I have taken upon myself, and yet excited to be back into the structure and the learning again. If you see me at church or in the store and I seem to have a very overwhelmed look on my face and a slight limp...just smile and say hi!

What a weekend!

This weekend was such a blur! Thank heavens I took some pictures! :)

One of my very best friends, Kellie Jo Bell, got married this weekend! I am so happy for her! Lets just say she hasn't had the best of luck in the relationship department...anyway, she finally met a super nice guy! We had a little bachelorette party for her Thursday night in Salt Lake (the good photos I will not post, I'll save them for a bribe later!)

This is Kellie, Holly, Becky, Annabelle, and Tiffany...there were a few more people there that came and went, but I was having too much fun to keep stopping and taking pictures!
The wedding was held on Saturday at the town hall (is that what they call the old church now?) in Wallsburg. They held the ceremony outside, and aside from it being hot and windy, it was beautiful!

Kellie with her Mom, Nola Mae, and her Dad, John...looking so cute!

This picture makes me laugh! Note that Kaden has his eyes covered! He is such a crack-up!
Here is my bud, Kaden John Bell. He informed me at the lunch after the ceremony..."Hey did you know my last name is Smith now?" I said, "I thought your name was Bell..." Then he says, "Nope, we got our new names today, now I'm Kaden John Smith!" Isn't he a doll?
The happy couple...Brandon and Kellie Smith! I am so happy for these guys!

Meanwhile..........

My little Hannah-Balloo decided that going to her best friend Mandy's party was WAY more fun than going to Kellies wedding...they had a Soda Pop the clown there, played in the water, and had her face painted. Hannah said "Mom can I keep my face painted for church tomorrow?" We all know what the answer to that one was! So we took a picture to remember it forever!

First Grade

First grade has officially started!!! HOORAY!

Had to do a pose with the "Hannah Montana" Backpack....

Tuesday was the first day of school for my little Hannah. She told me that she wanted to walk by herself because she is 6 now...So I followed behind on the sidewalk and watched her till she turned the corner into the school...and I didn't even cry! :)

I am so excited for her! She has been ready for this for quite some time...I just hope she remembers that school is to learn and have fun, not just about recess and lunch! Funny, cause that is all I heard about when she got home...who she played with at recess, what they had for breakfast, who is in her class from last year...I'd say she was pretty excited. Her teacher is Jenny Mecham and I hear great things about her! I am so excited for my little Hannah-balloo...she is growing up so fast and learning so much...it will be neat to see how much she grows and develops this year....I just hope it doesn't go by too fast.

Speaking of school...I have 6 days until I start back for the fall...note that there is not even one bit of excitement in this paragraph. Things are gonna get pretty busy around here for the next few months. I guess I shouldn't complain....I had a blast this summer and we did a lot of great things...BUT I really do need to keep myself busy and out of trouble...