The Ingebrigtsen's

Pecan Creek Boutique

2011-11-01T09:44:00.001-07:00

aw, my poor neglected blog. i will try and be better. in the mean time, if you have seen the posts about the Pecan Creek Boutique check it out here, and on facebook here.

it's gonna be awesome!

Coming Soon: A New Saturday Steals

2010-09-11T12:35:00.001-07:00

I am a Thief!

2010-07-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, yet again, I have come across some great steals. Obviously, my blog now seems to reflect that I only live to find great bargains. While this ALWAYS my goal, it is also a way of life. And I am most definitely a regular Thief.

Below is my booty for this past week. I made out like a Bandit!

Featured in this picture: 4 (pictured) of my 8 (total) girls Xmas presents. $3.98 each. Phew, I am a big spender when it come to the holidays. A JCPenney's clearance swimsuit for Kinzey, $5.97, includes sunscreen and way cute butterflies. A blue and green shirt for Leslie to match a previously stolen pair of shorts, $2.99 (not a great price, but felt bad not getting something for Leslie when Kinzey was getting that way cute suit). TWO new pairs of shoes for myself (a VERY rare occasion that I get new shoes!), the flowery ones were only $4.98 and I've worn them pretty much everyday since I got them, and the zebra print ones are sparkly ballet flats. LOVE these! And only $3.24! I've already worn them to work twice. Little Sister/Big Sister Jammies. I have been looking for something like these pretty much since we found out our 2nd was a girl. And now, the girls will match come Xmas for a mere $5 a piece. I CANNOT WAIT to match matching bows for their heads, they will be SO cute Xmas morn! Then, read it and weep, because penney's also had women's Gold Toe socks on clearance - 4 pair for $1.17! That's less than $0.30 per pair. Yeah, I bought 16 total pairs. Now I can throw away all the mismatched and gross pairs I currently have in my drawer! Woot! There are 4 gift bags and 2 tissue paper sets that I got for $0.50 a piece on target clearance. Yay, now I have some baby boy gift bags! And to top it off, (my girls both a have a ridiculous obsession with My Little Ponies, right now) I found these lovlies on clearance at target, as well. It was only $5 for Kinzey's little box - a baby Pony, birthday hat, birthday cake, balloon and gift box - and for Leslie, only $9.98 for a baby Pony and car seat, mommy Pony, groceries and a PONY CONVERTIBLE! Oh, man my Kids are going to have a FANTABULOUS Xmas.

And because I can't resist a great deal, I went back to JCPenney's 2 days later to buy Leslie a swimsuit for next summer! And look, it has whales! I'm in LOVE!

The previous week I didn't get to post my steals, but I did have some great ones. While out looking for a shirt to wear in our family foto's, a employee at Kmart, handed me TWO free mini bags of cotton candy. A first for both girls, and yes quite tasty.YUM!

And here a few of our lovely family shots. My bestie/sister, Shelly Meyers, spent a few hours with us, and took our pictures for the mere cost of breakfast and a Jamba giftcard. Woohoo!

Thanks for sharing my fun finds with me this week. Come back and visit, as I continue to look for more! And Check out Camille's page for a plethora of other Stealers!

Saturday Steals!

2010-07-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Being an avid ready of Archives of our Lives, and an avid Stealer, I figured I should probably (and finally) get on the band wagon of posting my Steals.

So, a little behind, last weekend, I went on a yard sale mission. Both my girls, and my good friend Molly's Soon-to-Be Baby, were in dire need of some new clothes. I was planning on getting out of the house nice and early - it's HOT here - but, I didn't start until about 8:30 am. Fearing I had already missed all of the good deals, I trudge out the door and up the street.

I hit up 3 or 4 sales, begrudgingly relinquished a few dollars here and there, nothing too exciting. 2 red plastic little tykes chairs, a princess sleeping bag, 2 onesies (.05 ea!), a my little pony book, two helmets ($2 ea!), a Beatles shirt for Leslie (only .25!). I felt good about what I had found, but was saddened that I had not found any good girls clothing deals. :o[

I called my mom and told her I was going to give it 20 more minutes and then come home. Well, lo and behold, just around the corner, I hit the JACKPOT! This lady had girls clothes ranging from newborn to 18m. Exactly what I needed.

Now, her clothes were in GREAT condition, but they were priced much higher than what I normally pay for yard sales clothes. Onesies were $1 and outfits ranged from $2 to $3. I'm more of a .25 to .50 kind of girl. But, I really wanted to get Molly some good stuff, and the 18 month (Kinzey's size) were just too cute to pass up. Anyway, so the lady and I start chatting, and I was telling her all about Molly and how she, out of the goodness of her heart gave all of her baby girl clothes away, and was now having a girl herself. So, because of my past good fortune, I decided that I was going to hunt down some great deals and pass them along. Well, I guess this lady was inspired by my desire to help Molly out, so she told me I could have 30 things for $20! I only had $12 left so she let me have 20 things and any pieces I wanted out of her free box! Totally had more than 30 after the free stuff. Steal!

I ended up with tons of stuff - all Carter's, Gymboree, Baby Gap, etc! I love that I got some great pieces for us and am able to help out a friend at the same time!

Also, I found a butt-load of 3-piece sets (shorts, onesie, shirt) on clearance at Walmart for $1. You better believe I got some of those for Molly's newbie, too.

And to end my week? A 50 minute massage at Massage Envy. Free! Cuz my Sissy loves me and gave me gift card for Mother's Day. I can't wait until the day comes that she finds the right guy and jumps on the Mommy Train. I want to spoil her, too!

Had a great week and can't wait to Steal some more. Gonna check out some more $1 clearance at Walmart tomorrow, when I visit my Aunt Gloria.

Until then, health and happiness, Amiee

Freebies and Give-aways!

2010-03-25T10:51:00.001-07:00

Well, if you know me, you know my motto for life:

If it's FREE, it's for Me!!

This week I am entering into a give-away on Archives of our Lives. It's a great blog. The writer is inspiring and hilariously honest. Always makes for a great read! Anyway, she is giving away some headbands from another beautiful blog called, Simply Memzelle.

I'm right there with her in her new found attempt to dress a little better and expand her ability to look better. So I am blogging for an extra entry. Check out her site and feel free to enter her fabulous contest!

Now Presenting...

2010-02-01T13:45:00.000-08:00

Amiee's Babies

I finally have Amiee's Babies up and running. I'm SO excited to debut and share this with you! Please click the link above, check it out and think of me for all of your upcoming Babies, Showers, and Gifts!

I can't wait to get sewing!

Leslie

2010-01-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

After hearing Leslie waking up, I got out of bed and went to get her from her room. I didn't want her to wake Kinzey. She was sitting on the living room floor, slumped over and pouting. Our first morning conversation continued as follows:

Mommy: Good Morning! Leslie, what's wrong?

Leslie: hmmph.

M: What's wrong, baby?

L: I miss my best two briends...

M: Who are your best two friends?

L: Daddy is one best briend and Moomah is uh other best briend.

M: Oh, well Moomah and Daddy are at work, they'll be home later. What about Mommy?

L: hmmph.

No morning hug or anything. Not my ideal start of the day. But too cute none-the-less!

My Parents

2009-12-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

This year, I talked my Mom into giving her sisters a framed picture of herself and my dad. I took them with my point and shoot, and was pleasantly surprised. After all, these years, they are still so cute! Maybe next year, for their anniversary, I'll have Malia take some good ones!

The Picture Update.

2009-12-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

These pictures go with the words in the previous post. I should have switched them. Oh well. Can you guess what I was for Halloween? And which of Malia's pics is you favorite? I can't pick.

Update

2009-12-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

Wow. I am the lamest blogger ever. I couldn't keep a diary growing up, why would I think I would be diligent in keeping up with a blog? Oh well.

Lots has happened since Tamra's wedding in September. We moved to a new place. Ok, an old place, but new to the kids and Matthew. We moved into my parents house. We're all living together. We're paying some rent to help my parents out and we're saving some money so we can buy a house in 2010.

Halloween came and went. Leslie got to trick or treat at Matthew's work again this year, and then Grandpa took her out on Saturday, while we finished cleaning the apartment.

Kinzey has started eating solids. We've gone through rice, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Today we start squash and then in few more days we'll move on to green veggies. She has two teeth now, and only got her great personality once those teeth broke through! Actually, the second only came in yesterday. I had my fingers in her mouth in the morning and it wasn't there and by dinner time, she had another tooth! No wonder she was grumpy all day!

Matthew's birthday is this upcoming Monday. We will be celebrating by going to my office's Christmas Party. Ha, lucky him! It is a Casino Night at least, and we don't have to spend our own money to gamble, so it should be fun. I love when they do themed stuff, we always have a lot of fun!

We got some family photo's done last weekend and my friend Malia Clark took our pics. She did an AWESOME job and we are completely loving the beautiful artwork she made for our family. We've gotten lots of compliments on the posted facebook ones, but I keep referring all the credit to Malia. Amazing! Thanks so much, Malia!

Speaking of pictures, I've been feeling kind of inspired my my friend Holly and her 30-day Picture Challenge, so I'm thinking I'll start our New Year out with a celebration of things Inge. A picture blog will be challenging, but I'd like to think I can commit!

I'll post some pics in the next section. So look for those.

Wedding Pics

2009-10-06T08:32:00.000-07:00

So, my SIL, Tamra, got married mid-September. I have a few of my own pics and a few of the photographers that I stole from Tamra. :o) Thanks Jessica! If you guys need a photographer for you upcoming event, ask Jessica Drew! She's Grrrreat!

Anywho, I'll most likely post a lot of Leslie, cuz I can. There wil leven be a few of me! And that never happens!

Tamra's Bridal Shower

2009-09-03T10:46:00.000-07:00

I promised not to post any "clothing" pictures, but I can post the rest. It was fun for last minute planning. Not as many guests as I'm used to, but it was a good time! Thanks Laura (and her mom) for doing all the work!

Time Flies!

2009-08-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that Kinzey is three months old already! Holey Moley, time passes SO quickly! Here are some pics, Enjoy!

So Proud!

2009-07-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

My hubby, Matt, got to walk at graduation for Axia College of the University of Phoenix! Check out these studly pictures!

A Crafty Adventure

2009-07-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

I LOVE being crafty. I was recently thinking about how I needed to get the extra fabric to finish Kinzey's blanket, and it occurred to me that I could totally make a habit out of making blankets and cards.

And then I thought I might have some friends that would like a handmade blanket, or cards, or pillowcase dresses.

I'll do the work and you can reap the rewards? I'm thinking cost of fabric and a little cost of labor? Leave a comment and let me know what you think...

This is the blanket I made for Leslie. It is pinkish on the other side with tiny white polka-dots. I love it! I'll get some pics up of the dresses and cards next, gotta finish them this weekend!

My Rediscovered Passion

2009-06-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Last August, I started my own health and nutrition business with a company called Saladmaster. We teach people how to prepare healthy, delicious meals for their families using the right equipment and techniques. I absolutely LOVE what I do! More than a "sales company", Saladmaster has brought such joy to my heart in allowing me to share information, which I feel EVERY person should have access to, with those who truly can benefit from our message. I was in shock the first time I experienced this information and now feel that it is necessary for me to help give this blessing to any and all. Not only does our company teach healthy cooking techniques, but they work within our community to support the American Cancer Society and by cooking we help to donate tens of thousands of dollars to this cause each and every year!

We change lives with this information. I have heard AMAZING testimonies of health problems making a complete turn around, medication no longer being needed, and enough weight loss stories to keep me happy for years. However, none of these stories come from people I know directly. I want so desperately to change that. I want to help change the lives of people I know and care for. I want them to have that same opportunity that has been given to me and my family.

I love what I do! We Change Lives!

Welcoming...

2009-05-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

Kinzey Pearl!

Born Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 at 7:05 pm.

30 days early.

5 lbs, 7.8 oz. 19 inches long.

She is in NICU until further notice. Not sure when she will come home, soon we hope! Sunday or Monday, most likely. Will post more soon. And pics...

A funny thing happened...

2009-04-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened on the way home from church today. I laughed so hard, I thought I should share the joyous moment.

First a little background. Since it rained on Easter weekend, the ward "Egg Hunt" was canceled. They had a lot of leftover eggs, so they gave some out in nursery today. Leslie got a neon green egg with a neon green "boinga" (a slinky) and a picture of Jesus. I'm not sure of the correlation between Jesus and a boinga, but that's what she got. She was VERY excited.

Well, in the car on the way home, Matthew turns and looks at Leslie and says, "Don't eat Jesus!"

That is all. In the context, it's hilarious. Maybe not so much when I'm writing it down.

But, needless to say, moral of the day, DON'T EAT JESUS!

Baby News

2009-03-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say that we've hit the 30 week mark. So, sometime in the next 8 - 10 weeks we will finally get to meet Kinzey Pearl. She's getting big and right on track for my belly size.

I'm so proud that as of today, I've only gained 19 lbs with this kiddo. Hurrah! My doc is giving until the due date to go naturally. If we don't go into labor before then, we'll have this kid by c-section on the 5th of June. He doesn't want to run the risk that my inside incision on the uterus could rupture. That would be bad!

So anyway, we're getting close. I've decided that I want another baby shower, so look for that info soon. Every baby deserves to be celebrated, right?

Let me cook you FREE dinner!

2009-02-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Friends!

February is going to be an amazing month! It's the month of love and sweethearts! And we share that same feeling in Saladmaster!

We've introduced some amazing new product this month. You're going to love these! Our new 10" Electric Oil Core Skillet is finally available, as well as the AWESOME new 9 qt. Braiser Pan. These two pieces of cookware can definitely add to your kitchen!

Also, and this is AMAZING! Anyone who invests in a set this month, will automatically receive $900 in extra free product! AMAZING!

Mostly, friends, I just want to get out there and cook. January was a slow month and I could really use your help to get my business back on it's feet. As always, there are NO sale requirements for your friends and family guests. All they have to do is laugh at my jokes, eat the food, and stay for the whole time. That's it! And when you have guests over to share my presentation, you will qualify for a FREE GIFT! I love sharing the uniqueness and healthy aspects of my product and would be so grateful if you could help me out this month!

Also, if anyone would be interested in joining my team, you could be my sweetheart this month and earn some free product! It's a very simple and profitable business! I will absolutely help you get started. Not only will I be the one to help train you, but we have the a whole support staff in the office I work in. Everyone there loves to see everyone else succeed! If you join in the month of February and sell 1 set by March 15th, my dealer will give you a $900 9 qt. Braiser pan absolutely FREE! Isn't that awesome?! So won't you please come in on any Monday night, 6pm sharp, and learn how to be my sweetheart!? You will not be disappointed!

If you are interested in a dinner, or lunch, send a message my way and we will set up and appointment! Talk to you all soon!

Have a great and love-filled February, Sweethearts!

We Change Lives!

2009-01-14T16:47:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Lots of pictures!

It took me four days to upload and label everything. Holey Moley!

Wow, I was so incredibly moved and motivated by our International Convention. So much happened while we were there and I now have a renewed spirit of commitment to my business! Saladmaster does so much to change lives. Not only do they promote healthy living through healthy cooking and create "jobs" in an ever-changing market, but they also reach out to help the less fortunate in other places throughout the WORLD! I am so proud to have stumbled upon such greatness!

I wanted to share a few pictures with you all, and I will try to explain what they are as I go along. We had a opening night 1920's themed party. It was a blast! I've never seen so much fringe and pinstripes in one place! We had a lot of general sessions throughout the weekend in which we heard motivational speeches, were introduced to many AMAZING people, and had free product raffled off. On Sunday, Matthew, myself, and a group of others walked around and toured the area surrounding the hotel. Then we went on a dinner cruise around the Potomac, completely paid for by the company! That was a neat experience! On Monday, they introduced all of the new product, which are all quite amazing I might add, and we hopped a bus and a subway into DC to check out the sights. That night we had an awards night, which was comparable to the Emmy's in style and dress. They even had a red carpet for us! Tuesday was check out day, and more touring in DC.

Us in our 1920's Get-ups! Don't we look Awesome?

QHS in all it's Gangster Glory. And yes, that is a man in a dress...

Opening Ceremony. Flags from all the countries where Saladmaster is present.
Jeff Regal. Owner of Regal cookware and Saladmaster. Isn't that cool?

Tony Meloto: Founder of GK777. Saladmaster and GK777 have combined efforts and actually built a village in the Phillipines. A communtiy for squatters to live for free. Together they are working to change lives. Ths was what I was most inspired by. Check out more: http://www.gawadkalinga.org/gk_heroes.php
This is Lars Frolander, Olympic Gold Medalists and owner of Saladmaster. He even took his cookware to the 2008 Olympics!This was on the beach in National Harbor. Matthew is tickling the armpit.
I'm standing really close to a really big foot. It looked like a guy was drowning in the sand. Artisitic? Maybe. Creepy-ish? Yes.
I found this place online. It was the only place nearby that was less than $10 a meal. We didn't even get to eat there. But, we thought it would be funny to take my pic with the potbelly sign!

That's the bridge in the background. We were going under it. The lady behind me is a Junior Master dealer. She makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Amazing!

This the inside of the subway system. Isn't this a cool picture?The Washington Monument. We rode an elevator up to the top and got to look out some little windows. The view was awesome!

Our Sunday tour group. Back: Suzy, Logan. Front: Brittany, Liz, Richelle, Us. See the White House on the back left side?
The White House from the top of the Washington Monument. It doesn't look like it does in the movies, does it?The Jefferson Memorial. We walked a very long time to get here. Two preggos + long distance + small bladders = bad plan... :o)Matthew and I in front of the monument.Matthew took this picture from inside the Jefferson Memorial. I thought it was really amazing!
New product: 9 qt. Braiser Pan, 10" Electric Skillet, Finger Guard for SM Machine, and a Tea Kettle! Amazing! Ask me, and I'll tell you how you can get this new product!

Awards Night Attire. Tracy and Tiana Klimczak. Grand Master Dealers and owners of QHS.

The whole QHS Team
Aw, so pretty!
This is where the Inauguration will take place. There were thousands of chairs already set up!
I thought these trees looked really neat. We don't have neat street-side trees at home.
The Old Post Office. Architecture in DC is amazing!
View from the flight home. The colors looked like perfectly painted stripes across the sky. The red at the horizon was so bright. It was beautiful!

On Our Way!

2009-01-08T18:11:00.001-08:00

We're on our way to International Convention in Washington, D.C.! It will be so much fun and I'll be sure to take lots of pictures to share when I get back next week! Have an awesome weekend!

This is the place we're staying at! (Can you say wow?!)

Gaylord National Resort. We'll be there only days before the inauguration! Crazy!

My Day

2008-12-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

Today is my Birthday. I turned 24. Not so exciting, I know. To celebrate, we're going to Chili's with friends and family tonight. I'm such a high-roller!

P.S. For Christmas and my Birthday, Matthew got me the entire set of Harry Potter books. I think it was a double-sided gift, being that I recently read him the 1st one and now he's addicted. We're going to read the whole series together, and I'm really excited about that!

Maybe I'll post some pictures of dinner later. Not that, that's a thrilling post for you all...

Update in Pictures

2008-12-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

Wow, I've got a lot to do to update this blog! I'm going to do it mostly in pictures, because that will be easiest. I hope you enjoy this little mini-album!

In November we took Leslie to Disneyland. It was so much fun! Matthew and I also used our birthdays as an excuse to celebrate. Leslie got to eat her first churro, got her first set of ears and (to her excitement) got to meet Mickey Mouse for the first time! (We've pic of that last one, but she did do it!

For Matthew's birthday this year, we went to the Grand Canyon. Matthew had never "officially" been there, so we took the opportunity to spend some time in nature and play in the snow. We took along some friends, and stopped in Flagstaff for lunch and cupcakes at the local Wendy's. We're such nerds! It was a lot of fun, pretty cold, and totally worth it!

And then we have Christmas. First we spent some time with the Ingebrigtsen's. We had our family get-together and a gift exchange. The kids had fun playing in the park across the street from Aunt Karin's house.

Christmas morning we opened presents at home before heading over the my parents house for breakfast and more unwrapping. We had another fun day with family. Leslie got a Talking Teapot from Auntie Pamber. She absolutely loves it! I'm going to add a video of her dancing to the music, we'll see if it works.

It's a no go on the video, but I hope you enjoyed our last few months in picture recap. Happy Holidays!

Leslie's First Trick-or-Treat!

2008-11-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Leslie's first Trick-or-Treating. We went to Matthew's work for their first annual Fall Festival and got some candy there. It was several hours of walking around and asking for more, so we figured that was good for her first time. It was a lot of fun and Leslie is an adorable kitty.

Her version of "Trick-or-Treat"? "Gickle Geat!" I Love it. She said thank you each time and asked for more everytime. She always took a double-fisted handful of candy and especially likes smarties and suckers. What a goof!

Earn a Free Handbag!

2008-10-15T09:06:00.001-07:00

Come check out the launch of this brand new website! To get their name out there, they are giving away a FREE handbag every hour for 24 hours! Amazing!

Check it out: Handbag Planet

Stock Program Continues...

2008-09-29T09:09:00.000-07:00

4 dinners down,
26 to go.

WHO'S NEXT??

Holey Moley, a New Update!

2008-09-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

I just realized it's been over a month since I last blogged. SO much has gone on since my last one. We've moved, gone to Utah, celebrated our anniversary, and got our Saladmaster business on a roll!

We were able to find a place in the ward. Which I think was a HUGE relief for us. One less change that could have happened in a two week period. Leslie started nursery and we are so excited for her. She loves going in and seeing other kids, playing, having snack, reading, and she loves to do singing time. I am the nursery "Song Lady" for our ward's three different nurseries. I go around each week and sing, occasionally dance, and always have stickers to hand out to the kiddos. I'm rowing to love this calling even though I don't know very many songs! Each week as the kids remember my name, or their parents tell me how much they love singing with me, or their excitement for songs time every time, reminds me why Heavenly Father places into the positions that does. I love being relied on to know these songs and I love that Leslie and I sing them at home. my faves to sing with her are the ones where there are some kind of motions. She's so smart and remembers things so well! She even pretends to "sign" when we sing the alphabet! But, back to the point, I love our ward and am so grateful to be a part of it!

When went to Utah in mid-August for an early anniversary trip. The whole trip was arranged by Matthew. I had no part in it because it was his gift to me for our anniversary. I knew we were going but, all of the other details were secret. We stayed at his sister, Katrina's house. And had a blast playing Rockband with the whole family. Leslie loved getting to meet her cousins and we loved the fresh air! My "gift" part, which was kept secret from me until just before we went, was concert tickets to JACK JOHNSON! Now, those of you who know me well, know that I LOVE JJ. He's my hero and his music ALWAYS makes me happy. When it's sad, bad or stressful times,I can always pop in some JJ and chill. His music connects to my soul and reminds me of better times, past and future. OK, back to the concert, we had lawn seats and weren't to close, but that didn't matter. Matthew and I were able to spend some time without the baby and do something that meant so much to me! The concert AWESOME and JJ is AMAZING live. He never disappoints me! Ever! Hooray JJ!

For our actual anniversary on Sept 10th, my best friend, Shelly, came and babysat for us as our gift. What a gift! A night out as adults is always appreciated! First we went to the temple to do some Sealings. We thought that was a perfect way to celebrate! Besides I can only do those like once a year anyway, because all that kneeling hurts my knees so much! After the temple we went to dinner. We went to the Texas Roadhouse, as usual, but we tried different menu items this time. We got a coupon for our anniversary for a free appetizer and we tried the onion blossom. It was ok, but would have been way better if it had been cooked all the way. Yuck, raw onions! After dinner we decided to go to the movies. We went to see a Matthew movie, I figured it was only fair since I got JJ last month. We saw Babylon AD. It was a very interesting movie. Not something that I really, really needed to see, but I was a cool concept and was pretty well done. The special effects and fights scenes were pretty well done. And I actually do like Vin Diesel so, it worked out. When we came out of the restaurant, we could feel the rain coming. The temperature dropped and it got real quiet. We parked at the theater just as it started to rain. and not teeny tiny sprinkle rain, these were like big mondo drops. And it came FAST! by the time we got to the door of the theater, we were drenched to the core. AND to top it off, we missed the showtime, so we had to go to a different theater! So, we had to venture back into the rain and drive somewhere else! When we got to the other theater, it hadn't rained there at all and didn't until we left. I think we were just cursed by the rain gods or something! It was alot of fun and reminded me of our high school days, when we wouldn't let anything top our date nights!

And lastly, one of the biggest things in our lives right now, is my Saladmaster business. I've officially completely my training phases and am now a consultant. I'm doing solo dinners and have started my Stock Program. We are going to earn our set for free! My goal is to beat the office record for completed stock program. The current record is 65 days. I am going to set a new record and complete it in 50 days! So, I am really going to need the help of all my friends and family to make this happen! Host a dinner for me, help me out and earn free stuff for you too! As of today, I have 1 show down and 29 to go. I have three on the books for next week. If you are interested, I can send you my calendar!

Well, I'm signing off for now, but promise to come back with updates on my Stock Program and more Leslie anecdotes!

Ta Ta for Now!

Blessings

2008-08-07T14:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. Matthew and I are now and forever (with a 3 generation Lifetime Warranty) the owner's of a new 316Ti Titanium Cookware set. Life is GREAT! We can now start eating healthier, cooking healthier and living healthier! We are so excited.

I picked my cookware set up today after my first training day at the Quality Health Systems headquarters. I am SO excited to be a part of this team! WE CHANGE LIVES! It's our motto and I know it to be true. I am so very thankful to have Heavenly Father in my life, shepherding me through the hard times. We were struggling there for a little while, not sure where we were going to live, how we were going to afford something right, and trying to find some supplemental income. Matthew's best friend and his wife invited us over a couple of weeks ago, and everything has just been progressively spiraling forward since then! We've found a place to live and we found a way to afford it, with my newly income-supplemental career.

We have been blessed in so many ways these last few years. First, being brought into this ward by family. What a blessing all by itself, this community family is awesome! Then came our sweet little Leslie. We can't even begin to describe the life-altering Joy that comes from having a baby! And, now, SaladMaster. It probably sounds silly to think that a cookware system can be a blessing. But, it will be in so many ways! It's such and amazing investment. Not only with our health increase tenfold, but our children will be healthier, and we are going to be able to use it to supplement our needs just by cooking dinner and sharing the benefits with friends, family, and others!

I know that Heavenly Father listens to our prayers. He loves us and wants us to be happy and healthy and to feel complete. As I strive to be a better wife, mother and woman, I know He will continue to bless me and help me grow in those areas. I am eternally indebted to Him for delivering me unto this Gospel. For showing me the truth. For bringing friends into my life that were able to help guide me to a better plan. It has been such a blessing to have a man as supportive, loving and spiritually passionate as Matthew in my life. He has helped bring me to the place that I am in today and I know that as we continue to reach for exaltation that we grow as friends, companions, parents, and people.

A New Adventure

2008-08-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend Matthew, Leslie and I went and toured the apartments in our ward. I don't know why it's taken us so long to get over there. I think we were holding out for a house or something. But, it is official. We waited and fasted yesterday, and today, we've called and gave them the go ahead to process our info. So unless they find some random reason to not accept our application we've finally got a place to call home at the end of this month! Hooray!

The layout is pretty nice and it has all upgraded appliances including a washer and dryer! So that is great. We will still have to down-size our amount of furniture and stuff, but at least we're staying in the area we love! So far the only things we're having a really hard time figuring out what do with, are our extra fridge and our work bench for the garage. Who would want to store those for an entire year for us? That's a long time.

But on a Toddler note: Leslie is getting bigger and funnier everyday! It boggles my mind how fast she actually grows. It could just be that she has a huge belly, but I can already put her in 2T size clothes and she's not even 18 months until next Tuesday!

We are constantly trying to teach her new and funny ways to be entertaining. Right now, she can flap her arms and "bock" like a chicken, she can bark, she says "see you later" (well at least some form of those words) when someone leaves the house, and we've started teaching her to shake hands and say "nice to meet you". She also says "thank you" for everything. When you hand her something she says "thank you", as is appropriate, but she also says it when you say thank you to her, instead of saying "your welcome". She'll say it back and forth about twelve times before she's satisfied that you are welcome and she is appreciative. It's great. She's also learned "ew", "ow", and "who-ray" (that's how she says it: with a pause between the syllables). She sings along with Diego still and is always repeating what she hears! So be careful when you're around, she's a smart little cookie!

That's all for now, but I know there will be more to come! Our world and hers are constantly changing. Plus, nursery is coming in a few weeks! Woohoo!

Fast Sunday

2008-08-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

This is an especially important Fast SUnday for us. We've found a place we love and can't wait to be 100% sure it is the "one". So today, we are fasting for that. Join us if you'd like, we could use all the help we could get! It's here in our ward so let's hope Heavenly Father agrees that it's perfect!

Busy Busy Bees!

2008-07-27T23:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post. I told you I get bad at this kind of task!

A lot has gone on this last week and a half. On Friday the 18th, Matthew and I went to the temple to support our friends Spencer and Jessica. It was great, and if you've yet to have had a chance to go, you should go someday! That was fun and great, but since we had a babysitter already arranged, we decided to abuse them and go out after that early evening session. We went to dinner with a group of friends; Bryant and Andie Cherry, and Mike and Erica Glover. I think it's the first time we've gone out with an all married group! It was fun to catch up and be silly! Then we went and saw the Dark Knight! Oh man, I've said it once, I'll say it again; Christian Bale and Heath Ledger in the same movie? SWEET! It was awesome and Heath Ledger was spectacular as the Joker! It was a really long movie though, every time you thought it was over, it kept going! We needless to say, we were out until 2:30/3:00! Yikes! We haven't done that in years! It was fun though!

We still have not found a place to live and are really starting to feel the stress. It's just so hard to pick the right place. We have so many more factors now; you know, with me and Leslie at home during the day and wanting to stay in a semi-safe community, there's just not very many options. We're still hoping that a miracle will happen and we can stay in the ward. I don't know, maybe Heavenly Father has different plans for us.

My sister, Amber, is turning 20 on Thursday, and I'm very excited for her! She's finally not a teenager anymore! I'm not sure if we're doing anything, but I'm happy for her nonetheless!

Leslie continues to make us all laugh with her happy little self. She's almost always dancing, singing or talking. And it gets 10x worse when there are other kids around! Our niece and nephews were here last Wednesday and she had a hay-day! She ran back and forth, back and forth; screaming, smiling, giggling and laughing. It was nonstop pandemonium! She loves to talk to my parents dog. Her latest endeavor is the word "no". I know, it's a little early, but it's very cute. Mostly she yells it at Matthew when he's tickling her. She has her own version of "Daddy" for Matthew: "Dah-doh". Of course, I think this is the cutest thing ever, Matthew just tries to get her to say "Dah-dee, Dah-dee, DEE DEE" It never works. But when they get going in a tickle and giggle fest, she yells "Dah-doh, doh! Which means "Daddy, No". It makes me smile every time she speaks now, just hoping for the next new word she'll discover. My other favorite for now? She sings along with the Diego theme song. She'll sing his name at the right spot in the song and she always tries to make the animal sound when slides down the zip line! I crave this kind of goofiness on a regular basis, and am SO glad she's finally starting to use her words to interact with everything around her!

That's all for now, more Leslie anecdotes to come soon!

Summer Showers

2008-07-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

Today I went to my friend, (soon-to-be WIFE of friend Spencer Drew) Jessica Whaley's, Bridal Shower. I was a little apprehensive at first since the only person I knew that was going was my friend Andie, who I also know through her husband. But despite that fat that all of her Highland High friends were there and tons of family, I had a great time.

I thought it was really funny that two different ladies from my home ward were there. Best part of that? They're related sorta and didn't even know it! One is the wife of the bride's dad's brother; and the other is the daughter of the bride's mother's sister. Did you get that? We all got a kick out of it anyway!

The best part was that Andie Cherry, Erica Glover, and myself all got a chance to get to know each other a little better and catch up. It was a regular old girlie chat-fest. I got to meet the wife of a friend from high school and visit with the groom, Spencer.

Even better than that? I get to go to the temple on Friday when Jess gets her endowment. Andie and Erica are going too and I am SO excited to have a group of girlfriends that are able to go to the temple! Jess, Andie and I decided we're going to have a regular girl's temple night. I get all girlie and excited about going to the temple when a friend gets their endowments. It's such a blessing to have been one of the first to have gone through the temple. I love sharing that moment with them!

Here's to Temple's, friends, and time and all eternity!

Baby Feet are Fun!

2008-07-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today Leslie got her first "big scratch". She was trying to wear one of Matthew's flip flops (one of her latest obsessions) and it slipped out from under her. She fell face first onto the corner of a box of books and bam! scratched her face. It broke the skin a little and definitely broke the capillaries, because she's got a pretty good looking bruise! I picked her up, hugged on her, and gave her her Binky. She cried for all of two or three minutes and was done. That's my little trooper. What can you do, right? You can't protect them every second of the day!

On a lighter note, and on her obsession with shoes, I caught Leslie with both of her feet in one of her Daddy's church shoes today! She was trying to stand, but her feet were too close together, so she had to take one out! Her little feet aren't strong enough to carry the shoe while wearing it, so she had to take it off to carry it back to the basket! Ah, life's little moments are what make it great!

Also, I think one of her feet is crooked. Is that something I should worry about? Should I be sure to ask the doc about it next month at her well-baby? She also grips the floor with every step she takes, it's really fun to watch!

A Place to Live

2008-07-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Matthew and I went apartment hunting today. We officially cannot afford to buy a house, and we'ce come to accept that we have to downgrade back to an apartment. It's kind of depressing, especially because we have to leave our ward. I think that's the worst part for me. Since joining the church, this is the longest I've been in one place. And I'm finally comfortable and completely in love with the people and community here. It makes me really sad to think that Leslie isn't going to get to be in nursery with all of those really cute kiddos. And having to face new calling and all new RS sister again. I hate having to start over.

So unless you friends and ladies out there can help us figure something great out, I'm afraid we're going to have to move away. Sad, sad day for us.

P.S. I wish there was a way for me to make some extra money so we could stay here in the ward. But alas, not one person has been able to suggest something legitimate to help out. Sad day, again.

SaladMasters

2008-07-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

So we went to a presentaton for Saladmasters tonight. There are some pretty interesting things to learn about health, nutrition and cooking from this class-type setting! Don't be surprised if I invite you to a class of my own, you'll be amazed at the things you never knew!

Leslie was goofy as ever; she played most of the time with Bryant Cherry. Maybe she likes him so much because he and Matthew are so similar in shape and size. It makes me smile that she'll sit in the lap of another guy and not even think twice about it! She also had her first bite of fish sticks. She seemed to really like it, but it's not something I'll be cooking at home. YUCK!

Overall, it was a pretty good day. I was going to have yard sale tomorrow morning, but with the unpredictable weather this week, I'm going to hold off until next weekend. So come if you dare! Instead we're going to start apartment/townhouse/condo hunting early. I hope it all goes well, we really need a place to live - and soon; August is fast approaching!

Wish us luck!

Global Chess

2008-07-10T13:22:00.001-07:00

So yesterday, Matthew's Dad, Rich came over for dinner. He brought Papa John's, mmm yummy! He wanted to visit Leslie and play this new game he has called Global Chess. First off, I can't even play regular chess, let alone some fancy schmancy version of chess. Matthew and Tamra seemed to enjoy the concept though. Basically, it's chess on two round boards that rotate against each other. Leslie just wanted to watch them play and steal the game box and carry it around.

I watched So You Thin You CanDance during all of this and generally tried to avoid the mass competition going on behind me. I missed part of the show because Leslie and I were dancing to the music instead of watching. She likes to spin and throw her arms from side to side. It's pretty funny. Her latest move discovery? She puts her head on the floor, her butt in the air, and sways from side to side! I love it! She's going to be our little dancer I think. She picked all of her dance moves on her own - ok, maybe a little from the "we did it" dance on Dora. But she's great none the less!

New to This

2008-07-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

So I've officially decided to start an actual blog. I'm not quite sure how dedicated I can be, but I will try. Mostly it will probably be me ranting about something, but hopefully I can keep everyone updated on our little family and upcoming events! Wish me luck!