Confessions of a Brunette on the Internet 72

I'm not going to lie to you. It has been a rough week. I'm very tired. Very very tired. But I feel like that is nothing new. There were great things about this last week too.

The fort stayed up a little longer than a week. Spent as much time in there as I could. It was relaxing, it was great. Everyone that came over loved the fort. I enjoy it.  Obviously.

My BFF neighbor called me on Friday night and asked me if I would help him shop for clothes. I LOVE when guys ask me to help them shop for clothes. Why? Good question. I think part of the reason is that I feel like most guys could use girls input on how to dress better. Girls like a guy who knows how to dress. Of course... not too well because then they will think you are gay, but you know what I mean. He dressed fine before... but I loved helping him pick out some new things. I also enjoy shopping with guys because I get the satisfaction of shopping without having to spend money. In fact... I didn't even bring my purse. Go me! ha ha.

Also on Friday my boss came to my office and asked me if I had a minute and he had me walking with him towards his manager. He asks if he can borrow me for a min. I automatically think I did something wrong, but then we all continue walking.... then I realize, they are taking me to play Foosball with them. For me this is kind of torture because they play almost everyday and have been playing for a long time. They are all good. I am TERRIBLE! So its embarrassing. It was fun to play with the guys though and I did improve a little from the last time I played... I actually made some of the balls in. It was also nice to get away from my work load and play for a while and not feel bad about it because my boss took me away from my work to do it.

I love my Sunday's. They are usually relaxing... I get to spend time with my family, sometimes I get to take a nap if I am lucky and the nights are spent socializing with my friends in the perfect summer nights. I have been going on walks with Allyson. It has been so great. I love hanging around her. I feel happy and positive around her. Anyway.... I love Sunday nights, but I also hate them. I don't want them to end because I REALLY don't want to go to work the next day. Especially this last Sunday. I knew what the week was going to be like and I didn't want to do it.

Work has been really stressful this week. Wednesday was the worst... as I knew it would be. I am covering the entire world while my co-worker took time off for personal things and then flew to Ireland to train some new guy to help us out with European licensing and consulting because with all the lay off's a while back, they let go our team in Dublin that did all of them and we have tried to take on our work plus theirs... and its not working. With two people it wasn't working... so imagine me doing it by myself this week. It REALLY wasn't working. There were a lot of upset people at me wanting me to get their stuff done. I just wanted to say... Stand in line. Everyone wants me to take care of their stuff and everyone thinks their stuff is the most important. I could only do so much and then I had to just go home and say... they are just going to have to deal with it. Sorry. Lauren, a girl I work with has been really great though. She has helped in any way that she can and she has kept me positive AND we started going to the gym at work together everyday this week. I can't believe that I have never used it in my 2 1/2 years of working there. It is actually really nice and it hasn't been crowded when we go. Its a nice break to leave work and it helps take the stress away. So... that really helped me out this week.

I have been running everyday at the gym and its amazing how long I went without running and then I could just start up again and run for a long time without stopping. It has been great. Novell also has classes at their gym. Today we did Zumba. It was my first time doing Zumba and I loved it. They mixed in some hip hop as well. At a normal gym those classes are packed full to the max, but at the Novell gym, there were only 4 of us total and the instructor. How nice is that? It was like having our own personal Zumba class and it was super good! I will for sure be going to that every week. Then when I get home, I don't have to worry about working out and if I will have time to fit it into my schedule. Its already done. This is the best thing ever and I am so glad Lauren is doing it with me and keeping me motivated. With these things... I just need a buddy. Then after our workout, we take the stairs back up to our office... which is on the 5th floor. Its good. This is all very very good.

On Monday night, I went on a bike ride with Allyson next to the Provo River and Utah Lake. It was so relaxing and so beautiful. I didn't even know that path was there, but I loved it. I hope there will be many more of those. I love spending time in the beauty around me.

My phone randomly deleted all of my text messages again. I hate that. This is the second time... and for no reason I feel like. Does this happen to anyone else? I wonder if there is a way I can fix it and stop it from happening.

Wednesday night I spent the majority of my night cooking with my Tutoring and Temple BFF Sara. I am SO glad that she was my visiting teacher. She has become one of my closest friends in the ward. I really appreciate her. We always have the best chats. She is a really cool girl and I told her that we should have more nights where we cook together, because cooking with someone else is way more fun than cooking by yourself. We had a great night. And I think we both needed it.

Tonight I threw a birthday party for my BFF neighbor & my good friend Jessica in the ward. Their birthday's are a day apart and they are both some of my closest friends in the ward, so I threw a birthday party for them. That is how I show I care after all. It was a success. Everyone had so much fun. I have many pictures to go through and then I will be blogging about it. Can't wait to tell all about it.

My parents don't live that far away from me, but I feel like I see so much more wildlife there. There was a pheasant that decided to lay eggs in the middle of the grass by my parents house. She didn't move until her little eggs were hatched. I really wanted to see the baby pheasants... but that didn't happen. I feel like every time I go over there now I am on the lookout for little creatures. I love that stuff.

Photo of the Week 70

I am getting totally jazzed about the 4th of July....

The ABC's of Genuine Happiness

I feel like I have been trying a lot harder to live this way.... I think its a good idea.

Baby Audrey

A couple of weeks ago, one of my best friends, Monica, had her first baby. A beautiful baby girl. It's fun that I did her pregnancy photoshoot, and now got to do my first new born photoshoot. I also took their engagement pictures. If only I would have taken their wedding pictures I could feel like I have photographed every major event. ha ha.  I loved getting to hold baby Audrey for the first time. P.S. We did this photoshoot on Saturday morning, so that is why I look tired and I am still in my PJ's.

This photoshoot was definitely a learning experience. I have seen so many adorable new born baby pictures where they are positioned all cute and naked and totally asleep and not bothered by anything. After doing this shoot... I am starting to think they drug the babies in order to get those type of pictures. Even though Audrey wasn't asleep for most of her photoshoot, she was still adorable and we still got some nice pictures. Hope Monica likes them.

I took a ton, and still have many to edit, but here are my favorites.

The Fort

Last year I decided to have a movie night in a fort with a bunch of girls. The Fort was such a hit with everyone... and I loved hanging out in it so much that I decided that it needed to become another tradition. :) So.... this last week I put the fort back up, and I decided that it would go up longer than last time. So I declared this last week "Fort Week". It has been awesome. I got visit taught in the fort, I watched "Ninja Warrior" in the fort with a few friends, I had some people over on Friday night and we watched a movie (She's The Man) in the fort while we ate pizza & banana bread that I made. Then that night Tina, Jennica and I had a slumber party in the fort. And maybe I have slept in it every night since. Good times have been had in the fort.

I seriously love it. I am in it right now. There is something amazingly soothing and relaxing about being in the fort. It's absolutely magical.....

Yep, I like this tradition. 

French Toast Casserole

Since I had a sleepover last night, I wanted to cook something fun and yummy for breakfast this morning. If you love something sweet for breakfast, you will love this. You make it the night before so in the morning... all you have to do is stick it in the oven. Once again, Pioneer Women gives me another amazing recipe. It was a big hit... everyone loved it. I already knew that I loved it because along with the other breakfast Casserole I made, these were both served at that lovely bridal shower that I went to in January. YUM!!!!

Baked French Toast

Ingredients

• FRENCH TOAST
• 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
• 8 whole Eggs
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• ½ cups Whipping (heavy) Cream
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• Topping
• ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
• Fresh Fruit (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks (or cut into cubes) and evenly distribute in the pan.

Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge several hours or overnight.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add nutmeg if desired. Add butter pieces and but into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from oven and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. (If you’re using fruit, sprinkle on before the crumb mixture.) Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.

Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

Flashback Friday 18

In honor of Fort Week at my house... I thought I would go back to my Riviera days (04/05) when we used to love to build forts. We made 3 that year... at least that I documented. Having a fort in the house was ALWAYS a good time. Turns out... it still is. :o)

Our first fort was in the Living room. It was a large a spacious fort. We wanted to make sure lots of people could fit in it and watch movies and such. We also moved our mattresses out there and slept several nights in that fort before we took it down.

Another one of our forts was in my roommate's Brittany and Tammy's room. I brought my mattress over and  we slept in there. I don't think we kept this one up for too long. Still fun though.

My favorite fort that year though was the one Monica and I built on my balcony. We lived on the 3rd floor and on the end apartment (which were the only apartments that had balcony's. Monica lived next door. We made this fort in January, and Monica and I also slept in it. I LOVED it... because we put lots of couch cushions and blankets and such, we slept in sleeping bags, so we were warm enough, but you still got the joy of being outside in the fresh air and night sounds while you sleep. It was nice a soft so it was comfortable, but we were also on a balcony on the 3rd floor, so nobody was going to bother us out there. Seriously, we both loved it. We had to use Monica's Couch cushions too.

Here is a look at the fort from the inside.

I remember waking up the next morning to a text message from our maintenance man asking me if I was sleeping on the balcony. I said yes. He just laughed and said he could see the fort from across the street at the Glenwood. I am sure a lot of people were wondering what the heck was going on. This is what you saw on the out side.

The next morning we made breakfast and invited some friends over to eat breakfast with us in the fort.

I love forts. This is something I think I will love doing with my kids one day. 

Confessions of a Brunette on the Internet 71

This week I declared it "Fort Week" Monday night, I set the fort back up in the living room like I did last year and decided this time I would leave it up for a whole week. Tina said when the fort is up... it makes her want to call into work sick so that she can just be in the fort. I feel the same way. However, I did come home on my lunch break and eat lunch in the fort. My BFF neighbor helped me put up the lights last night and we sat and chatted in the fort. Tonight a few people came over and we watched "Ninja Warrior" in the fort. That was pretty awesome. Even right now... I am blogging in the fort. And there is much more to come in the fort this weekend. It is going to be awesome!

Today I went grocery shopping after work. For the most part, I really don't like grocery shopping, especially by myself. Not sure why exactly, but I feel like I have always felt this way. While waiting to check out at Wal Mart... I realized one of the reasons why I hate it. I don't have patience to wait behind people that take forever. Today, I was behind a lady that brought in a bunch of coupons.. so the guy had to calculate everything. I was seriously in line behind this lady for 15 minutes. I feel like I always choose the wrong lines. I wanted to poke my eyeballs out. It took everything I had not to scream in frustration. I am all about people saving money, but I am one of those people that dislikes grocery shopping enough that I would be willing to pay more to get out of their quicker. I feel like they should have separate lines or something.

Tuesday night was a busy, but fun night. We played our Bachelorette game. There were 5 of us watching the show and you should have seen how worked up we get over how dumb this girl is being. She can't get over this Bentley guy from SLC and she didn't even spend that much time with him. She talked about him SO much last episode that we decided to play the drinking game (with chocolate milk) where every time she said his name, we had to take a drink. Its a lot... but not as much as if we would have played this game last week. It was pretty funny and we all had a great time watching the show together. Its a dumb show, but its just fun to watch together. I love hulu for that reason too... we can't watch it on Monday night when its really on, so I just hook up my computer to my tv and we watch it on Hulu the next day whenever we feel like it. Pretty sweet deal. Its going to become a weekly activity.

After I got my wisdom teeth out, I realized that on my right side, where the tooth had been extracted, there was something sharp. It was taking longer to heal and it was just really tender back there. I kept feeling back there with my tongue and I couldn't get over this sharp whatever that was back there... so I went back into the dentist. You would think it was my favorite place to be for how much it seems like I am there. I wanted them to check it out because it didn't seem normal to me. Turns out... it was fragmented bone that was from around my tooth that was taken out. So he said he would take it out and the tenderness should go away and heal up quickly He asked me if I wanted him to numb my mouth or if I could stand the pain. I wasn't sure how painful it was going to be so I said I don't know. I couldn't tell from him poking at it how much it was going to hurt. He had to squeeze the fragmented bone out of my gums back there that was already tender. I would compare it to having a splinter in your finger for a while... it starts to be tender and then poking at it trying to get the splinter out just makes it hurt that much more. Well... he didn't numb my gums and he pushed REALLY hard to squeeze the fragmented bones out of my gums. I can't tell you how bad it hurt. Maybe I am a wimp... but there were tears. He offered me a tissue at the end and I tried to play it off like I was fine, like it was not big deal. I'm glad its gone now though. I can already tell a big difference. Ugh. The things we go through with our mouths.

I got a new calling in church this week. I am now the Relief Society Meeting Coordinator or Chair... or something like that. Its the new name for Enrichment Leader. Hooray for more activities. Should be a nice change or not so much change since I always have a calling that requires activity planning.

I know that  I just wrote about how I don't stress out at work... and I think that is still very much the case, but I think work has now reached the point where I dread going in. I am not enjoying myself. There is a lot of work and its going to get worse. My co-worker is gone starting tomorrow and for the next two weeks! And since our team in Dublin was let go... this means I will be covering the WHOLE WORLD... by myself... for two weeks. I hope I survive... or else I think I will go nuts and quite. They act like its no big deal.... but it is a really big deal. I can barely keep up with my own work. I have to just keep telling myself to take one day at a time. Blast my music and sing a long (that always helps me take my mind off all the work). My boss is trying to be understanding I think... he took us out to Indian Food on Monday (which I love) and he gave me a little gift card for iTunes the next day... but I REALLY don't think he gets it. Really. I am going to be hating my days for the next couple of weeks. I'm pretty ready and excited for the weekend. In the meantime, I really do try and stay positive and focus on the little things at work that I enjoy. Such as going down to the Cafe and running into and chatting with people that I know like my Institute crush. Or like today, listening to the manager over our department blast disco music and talk about the Glory days while we all sit in our own offices and laugh at him while we work. Trying to trick our old wasted printer to print what it is supposed to. The silly emails that go back and forth between everyone. The fact that the guy that works the grill down at the cafe knows my name even though I never told it to him and gives me extra stuff when I go down. Or when I come into my office and I see this (penguins were given to me by Les when he was let go and Alex wanted the penguins to do "anything penguinly possible" for nothing to happen to these documents while he was gone).

Yeah.... I just try and focus on the little things to get me through the hard days...

Photo of the Week 69

The pathway to Jenny's Canyon in Snow Canyon St. George.

Girls Weekend in St. George

Last year I went to St. George with Tina, Ashlee & Lorelie. After having such a blast, we decided we wanted to make it a tradition every summer to go down and spend a weekend in St. George and see a play at Tuacahn. Such a good idea. This year it was Tina, Ashlee and I again but this time Allyson came with us. Allyson used to be our roommate... so this was a true roommate trip. I can't tell you how much fun we had. We were only there for 2 days, but it was super eventful and relaxing at the same time.

Here is a little run through of our trip.

Friday Ashlee, Tina and I took the day off of work and drove down to St. George while we listened to a CD I made for the ride which included "Good Life" and Bieber's "I Just Need Somebody to Love" which Tina and I decided was our theme song. We got to St. George and checked into our hotel. We then went to our favorite Cafe in St. George, Twenty Five Main. I ate the most amazing Salmon Salad and left with their yummy cupcakes. Then shopped at our favorite store, Rock n Rose. Seriously... that store is Dangerous for me. We then went back to the hotel, met up with Allyson who couldn't leave work until later... so got there later than us, then Ashlee, Tina & I head to Tuacahn to see The Little Mermaid. Which I loved. A lot. Came home, went to bed.

Saturday we slept in. We then all went out to breakfast at a place called Bear Paw Cafe. We had heard about it and how awesome it was (which we believed when we waited an hour to get in) and it did not disappoint. The Belgium Waffles were to die for.

After a VERY filling breakfast, we went back to the hotel and laid out by the pool. Swam a little. It was great to soak up the sun after so much rain in Provo. It was also great to come to St. George in June this year instead of July like we did last year. Just as hot during the day, but the evenings cooled down for us, so it was very pleasant outside.

Tina wanted to lay by the pool all day.... but the rest of us don't have the skin to handle that, so we went and got pedicures! I have to say it was one of the most entertaining pedicures that I had ever received. It was a husband and wife (who was VERY pregnant) doing them. The wife was very funny. They were giving us dating advice and a lot of other interesting conversation. When I choose my color she said I was pretty enough to handle the wild color. When Ashlee chose a very neutral color, she told her she was too young to be wearing a boring color... or something like that. She also offered for me to take her husband home so that I wouldn't be single anymore... which was kind of awkward. We all had a great time and it was Ashlee's first pedicure!!! Hooray!

Next we got smoothies and then headed to Snow Canyon for some hiking. This is where we met up with Allyson's friend Derek. We just did some simple hiking... but it was fun to get out into St George Nature. Snow Canyon is really pretty. We took the Jenny trail to slot canyon.

This is Ash getting rid of her hiccups.

After that Derek left and we went to go get Frozen Custard... which is amazing in case you have never tried it.

Tina went to see Greese, but the rest of us didn't want to see it, so while she saw that play... we chilled and took a nap out on the grass at the park and sat by this awesome fountain.

By the time Tina came back from the play it was almost midnight and we headed back to Provo. Since there were two cars now... Ashlee and Tina went in one car and me and Allyson went in her car. On the way back we stopped in Cedar City to visit a friend that I went on a couple of dates with over a year ago to say hi for a few minutes. Then we were back in P-Town and the fun weekend had come to an end. And church was pretty rough the next day since we only had 3 hours of sleep. It was all worth it though.

I LOVE these girls!!! We had so much fun and I am so glad that we were able to go.