Sometimes my Heart is in...

In St. George!!

How I love these three little girls! Over my fall break my mom and I journeyed down to St. George for a little sewing fun! The girls were so excited to see us and we were really excited to see them! 

I had have a Sonic Slush and I was more than happy to share!

We ate at Red Lobster for my mom's birthday. After three days of sewing three days straight with little girls under our feet we enjoyed dinner with just the three of us. These are two of my most favorite people!

And isn't this one of the CUTEST things you've ever seen!?! My mother is amazing and we had so much fun sewing - I don't think I'd ever do something like this without my mom's help. What would I ever do with out her? 

A yummy carmel apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Company is one of my favorite treats. We picked this up to get us through a late night of finishing up our costumes. 

On Sunday Emme and I made these cookies for us to enjoy before it was time for my mom and I to leave. I love this picture because Emme's face looks just like mine most of the time when I take food pictures! There's more than one reason this little one is named after me! 

Just a Couple

It's once again late on a Sunday night I have a longer post that maybe just maybe I'll get to before next week but for now - Here are the highlights of my weekend or at least the highlights I took pictures of. I can't express how wonderful life is it really is oh so good!!

Friday I enjoyed the symphony with my wonderful roommates. 

BYU won enough said. 

Preston and I enjoyed some Lemon Head chomping! Like I said it's been a great weekend!

Just a Quick Post because really I should be sleeping

Here's my week in a quick review enjoy!!! 

So there are days that I forget to take my picture until I am headed to bed. Monday I enjoyed home evening - we had a great potluck barbecue. Also, Tricia and I's visiting teachers came over both would have been great pictures but all you get of the day is me at the very end of the day - pretty exciting.  

Tuesday Michelle had me over for dinner. She fed me yummy chili and I brought cookie dough and we had warm chocolate chip cookies after the kids were tucked into bed.  

Wednesday Kendall took me to dinner at Cafe Rio - again I forgot to take a picture of me actually doing something during my day so here I am with my leftovers. I'm just happy I remembered to snap this picture before the day was over. 

Thursday I met Maurianne at BYU for a special devotional. It was really enjoyable and we headed over to the creamery for some delicious ice cream and great conversation. Thanks Maurianne for being a wonderful friend and a great example. I can't wait until the next time we can have some more fun. 

Friday Quade had me over to watch another very sad football game. I'm still a huge fan but really is it too much to ask that we score when we get within 20 yards of the goal?? Notice that Quade is being a bit dramatic... Gotta love him! When I got home I relieved the sadness of the evening by playing a little Mario Party with Preston, Kendall, and Haley. Nothing like some laughter to put you in a much better mood! I should have taken some video footage of us but I was too busy trying to win. Maybe next time. 

Tricia and I stopped by Target on Saturday evening - we tried on some hats on our way out of the store.  Pretty great don't you think?? 

I have a sty and I'm really hoping that it'll be gone by tomorrow. I've had it for two days now so I've got my fingers crossed that it's getting better.  Lilly I took this picture for you because I know just how you feel and how great a warm compress feels. 

And Lastly I had a wonderful time watching General Conference I can't wait to download all the sessions onto my ipod. I love listening and learning from the Latter-Day prophets. It always amazes me that just what I need to hear is discussed. It really is all so wonderful! And now I really must get some sleep so I'm not a grumpy teacher tomorrow. - We're working on a really cool project that I'm excited to share next week! 

Happy Day to YOU!!

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Michelle! Thanks for all the fun, good food, laughter, and a listening ear any time I need it!

The Month of September!!

I have been off track which means I have taken a break from all areas in my life. So I'm posting a whole month in one. Hopefully I'll pickup with my regular weekly posts now that I'm re-entering the realm of working, responsible adults.

After I went for a little run Preston and Tricia shared in some delicious sherbet treats with me. These are quite the great little things. Costco sells these in a package and the sherbet is in the real shells of the flavor. They are SO delicious!!

On a very happy and some what sad note BYU Football has begun. I love football and I love to go to the games. I was very excited for this season opener. I was very encouraged that BYU won. However, the rest of the month hasn't been as great! I love my BYU football team but REALLY??? Three losses in a row is about killing me. Anyway I'll just think positively for the future. Plus, I get to hang out with great friends while I enjoy the game! Thanks - Kara and Kendall for enjoying the game with me. And Maurianne we miss you and I'm looking forward to seeing you at the next game!

Kendall and I caught these awesome t-shirts! Too bad they were both too small for us. He gave his to his sister-in-law and I sent mine to little Emme who is loving it - or so I hear:)

The Sunday after I went off track I headed to St. George to hang out with Liz and her girls and help them unpack. Something goes off in my brain when I'm off track and I become really lazy so I probably wasn't as much help to Liz as I should have been. I enjoyed staying up laughing with Liz and I was reminded of how lucky I am to have a sister who is such a great friend to me. Can't wait until fall break when I get to visit again!

What a lucky Aunt am I that I get to read stories to these sweet things before bed. I love them to pieces!!!!

After a couple of days in the sun of Southern Utah I headed back to Salt Lake so I could catch a flight to L.A. on Thursday afternoon. Little did President and Sister Ludlow know that they'd never get rid of me when they first met me over 8 years ago. I love to go and visit them. They are always so sweet and I love to just be around them. Sister Ludlow and I went and had our nails done. This was a first for me and I loved it. I've had pedicures before but never just a manicure. - I had fake nails put on once for my senior prom and I hated that but just having my own nails painted was wonderful! It is something that I'll be doing more often in the future! What is it about getting your nails done that boosts your confidence and makes you feel more pretty? I'm not sure but I decided that when I'm having a bad week I'm going to get my nails done to make me feel better. It's good therapy.

The Ludlow's had a wonderful celebration for their 50th wedding anniversary. It was a lot of fun to get to enjoy it with them. Elder Thayne was the only other missionary who was able to make it to the party and I was glad to have someone to sit and chat with for the evening.

The Ludlows have a lemon tree that yields yummy lemons all year round. I volunteered to make dessert on Monday night and whipped up this lemon meringue pie. It is one of my favorite pies to eat and it's fun to make because it looks a lot more fancy than it really is.

It tasted delicious and Sister Ludlow asked for my recipe which is a huge compliment since she's the one I always want recipes from.

On Tuesday Sister Ludlow and I had to ride with President to go and pick up a truck for their company and then drop it off at another location so a tank could be put on the back of it. President kept saying you're going to love these guys! They're the biggest rednecks! We'll get a picture of you with them. I just kept laughing thinking he wasn't really serious. Oh but he was. I only met this guy - can't even remember his name - the other guy was at the DMV so I missed meeting him. Sister Ludlow suggested I show this picture to my students and let them write a story about it. So that's just what I'm going to do we should get some really creative stuff that is sure to entertain. :)

On Tuesday night I flew into Phoenix and Jonathan and Lilly came and picked me up from the airport. I love this picture and love that she put these safety goggles on in the bath tub! What a cutie! She was so excited I'd come for a visit and I was so excited to be there for one. I love that my nieces sneak into my room in the morning and gently wake me up. One morning I kept telling her to come back in 5 minutes until she got frustrated and said, "Aunt Olivia! I need you to get up now!" And you can't resist that and I pulled myself together and got up.

My friend Mellisa now lives in the Phoenix area so we met one afternoon for a session at the temple and lunch. She was one of my mission companions and it is always nice to catch up with her.

Lilly and I accompanied Jonathan on a trip to Harbor Freight and Tools. We walked around the store for about 20 minutes and then did what any sensible person would do - walk across the parking lot and bought two Dunkin Donuts. Lilly happily ate half of her donut- it should be mentioned she ate the top half leaving no frosting or sprinkles. It made me smile.

Jonathan and I enjoyed too many late nights playing Super Mario Brother's on the Wii. I am more of a hinderance than anything but it makes me so happy that my big brother will let me play with him even if it takes him twice as long with my help. I'm kinda like the little kid that wants to help you work but really slows you down. We had some really fun laughter which may have had more to do with the lateness of the hour than anything else.

Annie and Jonathan introduced me to the card version of Monopoly. I really don't like Monopoly but this wasn't bad at all. I think it has a lot to do with the fact a game can be played in 20 minutes instead of 4 hours.

For Lilly's birthday I bought her this cute tuperware cake taker and dishes. So of course we had to make a mini cake. She did a great job frosting it and then eating the cake too.

And don't forget that I got to play with this little angel. What a sweetie! She's growing so fast!! Little baby Ivy won't be a baby for very long - too bad children grow up so quickly!

When I got back to Utah my dear friend Debbie met me at the mall for some fun. I wanted to buy some lotion in the body shop. They have this lotion that I LOVE and that is saying something because I really don't like lotion that much. We bought some suckers in Sees and let the kids enjoy them while we shopped. These were just too cute to not share.

Oh and I must say isn't my little name sake just a doll?? Little Olivia is so much fun!

And my favorite! Coen with sucker everywhere. Deb is so great she just let them enjoy them and then worried about wiping them up. This little guy was one happy camper!!

I don't know if you've heard but Harry Potter comes out in a couple of months! It is exciting! I can hardly wait. To celebrate I'm making Griffindor scarves for Raegan and I. We are going to have a Harry Potter week with our students. I get so excited every time we talk about it. There will be more about this when it happens I am sure!! Oh and notice I'm knitting these scarves - how cool is that? I can now knit!!

Kara and I had a wonderful weekend together! We went to her nephew's first birthday party where we enjoyed yummy cake and other treats. Then I slept over at her house so we could stay up late laughing and talking and watching North and South. So much fun.

Saturday was a busy day! We got up and went for a run. Went to the temple. Cheered on BYU at the game and for the record enjoyed ourselves even though they did not win. Watched the General Relief Society Broadcast. Ate pizza at the Brick Oven complete with big mugs of their famous root beer. And ended the evening watching a little more of North and South - it's four hours long you know so you can only watch an hour at a time. I decided to stay an extra night and headed home the next morning.

And here we are today - with my roommates and our friend Brian at ward prayer. It's been a lovely day.

I didn't accomplish near enough while I was on break but then I never do so what do I really expect. I'm ready to see my kids tomorrow and I expect that October is going to be just as much fun as September.

Race Day

The first of January Marianna, Kera, Liz, and I were sitting around discussing our New Year's Resolutions. Liz and I said our resolution was to enjoy everyday in 2010. To help us do this we resolved to take a picture a day and create a photo journal. We convince Marianna and Kera to join us only by promising that we would do something they wanted to do in return. Marianna named running the Mesa Falls 1/2 Marathon in August. In January August seems forever away so I agreed even though it was reluctantly. I didn't have to worry about training until May right?? Well, May came quickly and I started to run a little bit. I'd run a little under a half mile and feel like I was going to die. Each week I'd try to do a bit more and the past two weeks I've run more than I have my whole life combined. I've discovered that running a 1/2 marathon is really more of a mental thing than anything else. On Saturday morning mentally I had no doubt I'd finish. So, I popped in my ear phones turned on Harry Potter and took off with the masses to run my first 1/2 marathon. The time passed really quickly - I think that has a lot to do with the fact I was getting to the climax of book seven. In case you're wondering it took from breaking into Gringott's to the inhabitants of Hogwarts getting ready for Voldermort's first attack for me to finish. Then I crossed the finish line and I felt so happy. Not happy it was just over - that's why I originally thought I'd be happy. My joy came instead in knowing I'd accomplished a big goal, that I have a healthy body that allows me to be active, and that there are many more adventures in my life yet to come. It was fun; not the same fun as riding a roller coaster but still fun. Liz and I are already looking forward to our next race... whose going to join us???

I was going to post some of the pictures but I keep getting an error so the slideshow will have to do.

It's Sunday and it's raining

I love a good raining day especially when I can put on comfy clothes and just enjoy the fact that the weather is dreary outside and I don't have to go out in it unless I choose to. We have been getting quite a bit of rain lately. Wednesday there was a spectacular storm and it was wonderful. I got lucky because I had computers so my class didn't get wet. (My class has to walk outside to get into the school.) Usually here in Utah if it rains you can count on it raining hard for 10 minutes max. Tuesday it rained like I was in Pennsylvania. It rained in sheets - and it rained hard for a good two hours. I loved it and the only thing that would have made it better would have been if I was home reading a book. I feel the same way when it is blizzarding. I'm not ready for that so I am loving the rain.

Here are a few pictures from the last few days enjoy! And if a storm comes your way I hope you're somewhere safe and warm where you can enjoy it while it lasts- They never last long do they? And the sun that comes after is always so bright and pleasant makes the storm worth it some how.

Tricia and I went to a demolition derby with a bunch of friends. We are both working on a list of 30 things to do in corresponding to turning thirty. I have a few things left to add to mine and then I'll post it so look for it in the future. This activity was on Tricia's list and we had a great time cheering for cars as they hit each other. I think the whole idea is a little odd - we had a good time.

Jonathan and Annie were in Utah to visit her family so I got to play with Lilly. I made a cake and made a little one just for her. She was excited to get to frost it with me.

I tried to get a better one but she didn't want to keep her eyes open. She said the flash was hurting her eyes. She looks like she is crying here but she isn't she was laughing and being really funny every time I clicked the picture. She's such a sweet heart and I love her to pieces!

Monday for home evening we had the classic picture scavenger hunt. I know what you're thinking I wish I could have as much excitement in my life as Olivia does. It's true I'm pretty exciting.

On Tuesday I had my hair cut. I love it this length. I'm always a little frustrated that I can't get it as straight as Emily my hairdresser gets it but I enjoy it this way for the day that it lasts.

Kara and I enjoyed an evening of dinner, catching up, and a session at the temple. I enjoyed it so much and am so grateful for good friends who help make life so wonderful!!

Saturday my ward had an activity at a local pool. I was excited there was a slide. It reminded me I need to plan a trip to a big fun water park next summer! Anyone want to join me???

Have a fantastic week!!! Stay tuned next week to find out if I survive my first half marathon... wish me luck!!!

I'll always be an Idaho Girl at Heart...

Saturday I took a quick trip to Idaho and I have decided something - No matter how long I live in the "Big City" (and I realize the Salt Lake valley isn't really that big of a city) I will always be small town at heart. I love a lot of things about Utah - there are still mountains and a hike is only a few miles up the canyon. I love that I live minutes from the airport, any store I could possibly need to visit and of course BYU football.

But...

I will always love the Teton mountains, endless potato fields, and cool summer nights after the dew has started to settle. While I was home we ate new potatoes freshly dug that morning. I may be a little weird but one of my ultimate comfort foods are potatoes. During the first 6 weeks of my mission when I was extremely homesick and wondering what in the world I gotten myself into a miracle occurred. Every dinner appointment we went to we were fed potatoes - mashed potatoes, twice baked, potatoes in a casserole, and numerous other ways all at different houses and all from people who hadn't learned the new sister missionary was from Idaho. It was a tender mercy from my Father in Heaven. I knew from that point on He was watching out for me, He loved me and would send me comfort in the smallest ways. Since then potatoes in any form have held a piece of home to me and they make me happy when I eat them.

Saturday I wanted to bring some of that taste of home with me to enjoy the rest of the week. So Jed and I went out to the field to dig some potatoes. That's another thing about Idaho in the fall that I love - there's always a potato field close with rows and rows of potatoes. While Jed was digging, I mostly watched, he mentioned that a neighboring farmer had a field of peas so I convinced Jed to call him and see if he minded that we pick a bag. - I knew the answer would be yes but it's good to have permission when you're tromping around in someone's field. With fresh peas and new potatoes I was all set up to make one of my favorites! New peas and potatoes.

Today as I ate leftovers of this delicious dish for lunch I thought fall can now begin. Growing up new peas and potatoes at Grandma's house signaled the end of summer and the beginning of fall. I think it is a dish I'll be making every August. Really there isn't anything that can make me feel more at home!