Tarese speak

So...uh...

2009-10-02T14:07:00.005-06:00

Hola! I started using facebook, and my poor little blog never gets used anymore! Seems kind of redundant...anyhoo. Been doing the same ol' same ol' for a while now, but here's what's noteworthy:

Just got done with another horse show. My mom and I took a few lessons from our friend Nellie who lives in Beryl (about 30 minutes to the west of Cedar)to brush up on some things and get ready for said show. It really worked wonders for both of us. My mom had the best show she's had in a while, and good ol' Deuce Moose preformed the best he ever has for me, so I'm really happy we did it. Plan on going back for a couple more lessons before the last show of the season. I'm doing really well in the standing and it will mean a chunk of change if I can stay there! Everybody cross your fingers for me. Jarrod brought the boys out to watch and made me totally self conscious (The pressure is always on when I have family or friends show up to watch me ride!), but it was still way fun to see them all.

Practicing @ Nellie Messerly's in Beryl

Show day! In the closest picture, we're showing in the new covered arena at the fairgrounds. It was so miserable in the indoor arena (top picture - 98 degrees and no ventilation) that we all boycotted until they moved us out there. Much better! Unfortunately, we all had to suffer through the English classes first where there are black velvet riding helmets, button down shirts, jackets, and knee-high leather boots. I think I sweat off a couple of pounds that morning...

Kris and I will be celebrating our anniversary next weekend. We're both really excited to pass the milestone first year in one piece! We took a couple of days off work to make for a long weekend and I think we just plan on going out to dinner, spending a couple of days out of the house to enjoy ourselves and not have to come home to a dependant child --Oops! I mean roomate, then just vegging the other part of the weekend. Ahhhh...bliss. I'm so ready to thaw out my cake and see if it's still as scrum-didily-umptious as the first time around. :) Thanks for being a great hubby, Kris! I love you!

No excuse

2009-08-26T11:19:00.003-06:00

I didn't realize how long it had been since I'd updated this thing! Time flies I guess. Kris and I have had a pretty uneventful summer. Just working away and enjoying the day-to-day routine. I've seen both my brother and his girlfriend (and good friend of mine) off on their LDS missions this summer. Vin is headed to Argentina, and Becky to Edmonton, Canada. We teased them both a lot about convincing Becky to go on a mission at the same time Vinnie does so he doesn't have to worry about her dating while he's gone . We are all totally OK with our Schmeckles sticking around! My mom has had a hard time with Vin leaving, but she seems to be coming to terms with it lately. She's flat out told Kris he had to fill in the "number one son" spot for the next couple of years. He loved it.

Kris has been doing his online gaming thing a lot more lately, due to his joining some group of people ("guild") that have scheduled times to do certain things ("raids") in the game...I love my nerdy husband :P. Anyway... He's been totally absorbed in it from the time he gets off work til like one o'clock in the morning and he hasn't been available to do much more than grunt if I ask him a question. So to "reward" me for my tolerance, he took me to our favorite restaurant, Benja's, this past weekend, and we ate our weight in sushi. It was absolutely delightful... I don't mind putting up with it since he really seems to appreciate that I do. And I'll be taking advantage of his inattention in the near future and spending more time in Cedar with my family and my horse. Have to get ready for the next horse show. As always. YAY!

Finally!

2009-07-13T17:38:00.009-06:00

The professional photos that I ordered from the Utah Summer Games just came in over the weekend (USG was in mid June), and they turned out really well, so I wanted to post them. Deuce and I had a really great show. We're doing more classes than ever, and he's been such a trooper! A good boy til the dying end. What more could I ask for? I'm such a proud parent... We ended up either first or second in thirteen of our fifteen classes. WOOT WOOT!!!! :) Unfortunastely, Deuce is in Cedar for the summer now, and I miss him terribly.

My boy jumps so prettily!....Not very high, obviously...but still!!

This is my dearest ma on Tony, who kicked my trash in the jumping :)

LOL Deuce looks like a TANK in this picture...

Fathers Day - better late than never, right?

2009-06-24T21:31:00.005-06:00

So I know I'm running a little behind, but in honor of Fathers Day, I decided to post a couple of things.

My dad, Larry, has always been into restoring and customizing classic cars, and I finally got a couple of pictures of his current projects. (Usually he sells/trades them before I even know they're there.) Although I didn't get one of the Viper he's recently acquired, which was a little disappointing.
The first one is a 1970 Dodge Duster that he just finished painting, not to mention the body and engine work he did beforehand. I was super proud of myself for helping him tape up the car to paint the stripe on the sides (I've learned the only thing I should do in a garage is hold things and fetch tools...oh, and polish wheels...)

This is a 1974 Corvette Stingray. I don't know quite what he has planned for this one yet, but I had to fish around our garage for parts for it, so I figured I should include it. :) Plus it's sweet...

Although I've never really shared his passion or aptitude for cars, I've always been kind of in awe of what he can accomplish with a lot of sweat, friendly connections, life-long experience, and a little bit of cussing :P Even though he dedicated a lot of his free time to cars, my dad was always up for boating, hiking, tennis or anything outdoors with his family. His energy and willingness to tackle whatever task is thrown at him and still roll with the punches has really influenced my attitude toward life in recent years. I love him dearly and I'm so proud to call him my daddy. Happy (belated) Fathers Day!!!

Stupid economy!!!

2009-05-20T15:21:00.003-06:00

Being in the business I'm in, I've been dealing with alot of people who have lost their homes, jobs, etc. and are just trying to keep their head above water. The downturn of the economy has been rough on everyone, and it's starting to hit really close to home. Not long ago, my mom was laid off from her property management job, and had to find work as a customer service tech for AT&T. It was a pay drop of course, but it's a full time job, which is really hard to come by right now, so we were all considering it a lucky break. Then last week, the Dodge dealership my dad works for got a letter saying that Dodge/Chrysler was pulling their sponsorship and they will be strictly a used car dealership. This would leave my dad, who does the warranty work, out of a job. Fun stuff right?

It makes Kris and I both really thankful for our steady jobs. It also makes me quit complaining so much about GOING to my steady job everyday!

My pride will never be the same...

2009-05-06T11:54:00.003-06:00

I thought I posted this a couple of weeks ago, but apparently not. Anyway...

So I had another horse show this past weekend. The club has never had two so close together before (they were only two weeks apart; usually there are about six weeks or more between), so I've been on my horse constantly for the past month. I think Kris almost forgot what I looked like.

Since I finally felt prepared for this latest show, I decided to enter a couple new classes, thinking they'd switch up the routine a bit and be fun. One of the classes was a jumping crossbars (beginner) class. I've done jumping before, but never on Deuce and not in years. I thought Deuce did great for his first time (and despite the fact that he's a lumbering beast). We didn't even get a chance to practice before hand, since we don't have access to any jumping equipment, so I was happy with him. Unfortunately, while Deuce did pretty well, I didn't do so hot. About halfway through, Deuce got a good look at a "scary" jump we hadn't had a chance to see before, spooked sideways, and I oh so gracefully fell right on my rear. Luckily, I was completely fine, and elated that my feet didn't get caught in the stirrups, which would have ended BADLY. I caught my horse, went over the "scary" jump with no futher problems, and finished the class. I scared my poor mom though, but she's a mom so it's to be expected (she by the way, did great in the jumping class on her little cow pony). I have to say though, that after not being dumped for quite a few years, to FALL OFF in public in the middle of a class while being judged was a blow to my ego. Oh well. Better luck next time. We won our classes the rest of the day, so maybe karma felt bad for me and gave me a break! ...Or the judge did...

Bless other people's cameras

2009-04-22T10:25:00.002-06:00

Thankfully, someone else at my show had their camera out, and got a couple of picutres of me standing around talking between classes. It's what I do best!

motivation

2009-04-21T14:01:00.005-06:00

So the warm weather is now upon us and, surprisingly, it seems to have gotten both Kris and I outside to do yardwork. Who would have ever thought?!? Tim was even mowing the lawn when I came home from work the other day! I almost wrecked the car I was so shocked. The sad thing is, we've let the weeds and things go long enough now, and there's so much bare ground at our house, that it all seems endless. I pulled all the weeds out of the dog run, which has made me remember just why I hate doing it so much. Kris has mastered the weed eater that we borrowed from his brother Jarrod (Thanks J! The lawn mower too!) and has attacked anything that won't attack him first. The yard is looking less like a jungle everyday!

My mom stayed with us this past weekend since she was the manager for our horse show. I think I impressed her with my cleaning abilities, which I don't think she actually knew I had (I was an incredibly lazy child). We had a great time at the show and inbetween. Except for the awful hours we had to keep. We were up by 4:30 so we could get to the fairgrounds by 6:00 a.m. Yuck. Still, it's all part of the routine and I wouldn't give it up! Deuce and I did pretty well during the show. We weren't as prepared as I usually like to be and it showed in certain things, but all in all it was a good day.

I was going to post pictures of all the goings on, but of course, my camera broke. I'm so irritated...I think the world is against me posting pictures on here. You'll just have to imagine my amazing and interesting life :)

Nothing new to report

2009-03-30T16:35:00.003-06:00

Sorry, I'm boring. Nothing new going on. I doubt Kris and I will get to go snowboarding again before the season ends in a week or so. The timing has just been cruddy. Every weekend that someone else wants to go, we have something going and get left out. Or no one wants to go when we do. So I'm totally bummed about that.

Horse show season is about to start and as usual, I don't feel prepared. Especially since my horse's tail looks so lovely with a big, nasty bald spot on it. Oh well. At least this upcoming show means I get an excuse to ride more. Deuce is my four-legged therapist :). I tend to go a little crazy without a regular session....

Um...

2009-03-16T23:01:00.002-06:00

I've realized that while other people blog about their kids and families and all that fun stuff, I blog about my animals. They're my furry children until I can convince Kris that kids really aren't so terrifying. Is that sad? Probably...

There's still not much going on currently. Just a bunch of little stuff. Kris and I have been rather lazy lately and really haven't been doing too much of anything. He plays video games, I read...so goes life :). My brother turned in his papers for his mission last week. We've all got our fingers crossed that he'll get to go overseas and won't end up in like...Detroit or something. Vin would absolutely die if he got to go to Italy, so that's where we're aiming our wishes.

Got some projects done at the corrals this past weekend. We've had a section of fence that has gradually gotten more dilapidated, and we finally got the time and inclination to replace this one last section with new panels. It looks so much better, and it's safer. So thankfully that's one less thing to worry about. And true to horse form, several of our "herd" have been needing some sort of medical attention lately. Deuce has rubbed a bald raw spot at the top of his tail that now has to be doctored twice a day with baby lotion, Vaseline, ointment, or some combination of the three or he just keeps rubbing it more and makes it bloody. It's been aggravating to say the least. My mom's horse, Tony, is a constant pest and finally pushed the neighbor's mare a little too far and she got him pretty good through the fence a few days ago. He has a bite mark on his shoulder now that is also being doctored that, thankfully, was just this side of needing stitches.

Also, right in the middle of our project this weekend, we had to make a trip to the vet for our little mare that we're leasing to a little girl for 4-H. Her eye was swollen shut and the swelling was also running down the side of her face. The vet deduced that she was probably bitten by a spider or something similar. Gave her what she needed and off we went again. I'm so done with talking to the vet. I've filled my quota for the year I think!

See what I mean about my pet blogging? I need a life.

Sorry I'm boring...

2009-02-23T12:03:00.006-07:00

I realized I haven't posted anything in a while, but I haven't done anything the least bit interesting! I'll just give a little synopsis of the past...what, month now?

Kris and I spent an uneventful Valentines day together, since we boycott the stupid holiday. We had a BBQ with some friends and some of Kris' co-workers from Cartridge World this past Friday. It was a lot of fun and everybody shared what they had brought to grill. One couple even brought crab legs, which were incredibly tasty.

After I filled up my truck the other day, I took the time to calculate my gas mileage for the beast...and then wept (8 mpg at best). My dad took pity on me and is going to trade me for a little Ford Ranger he got a while back. It will definitely be better for my wallet, and it has a heater! And a radio!! Woohoo!!! I'm livin' large now...

Tim may be moving to Salt Lake for a job opportunity, and Kris and I decided that if he goes, we would rather just have the house to ourselves than try to find some other roommate. We went through the options of our other friends that could move in with us, and I really don't think we would remain friends if that happened, so it's for the best. Besides the extra cost, of course.

That's about the extent of the excitement (sad isn't it?) in my life right now. Kris and I are keeping our fingers crossed that it will snow a little bit more before the end of the season so we can get in one last hurrah at Brain Head. But I'm excited to start getting ready for the new horse show season.

nothing much here...

2009-01-27T16:09:00.004-07:00

Not allot has been happening lately (with maybe the exception of one day) so I don't really have too much to write about. I started a new book series on Kris' recommendation. It's called the Sword of Truth Series. I finished the first book, which was very good, and of course passed it along to my mom, who then halfway through like it well enough to buy all 12 books and pass the first one onto my grandma (this is not an unusual practice among the three of us). I'm halfway through the VERY long second book, and it's occupying most of my time. That's about all I've been doing for the past couple of weeks.

Went boarding both Saturday and Sunday this past weekend. Tim almost killed a highway patrol officer in his cruiser as he zipped around a semi getting on the freeway first thing Sunday morning. That got him two tickets and put him in a foul mood. We should have just taken that as an omen for the day and turned around, but of course we didn't. We got up to Brian Head and started out having a grand time. But about two or three runs later, I was patiently waiting for Kris at the bottom of the lift when after waiting about 15 minutes longer than usual, he finally emerges out of the trees, promptly goes right by me down to the parking lot and tells me he hit a tree. I'm panicking of course and immediately unstrap and start trucking after him to the lodge. He had hit his head and definitely wasn't looking too great and seemed to be in shock. He was still feeling nauseous about an hour later, so we packed up and headed home. Long story short, he's fine (thank you very much) although he refused to go to the ER like I wanted him to. We will both be investing in helmets now. Better late than never, right?

I promise I'm going to get some boarding pictures one of these days, but it's a little hazardous to carry a camera in your pocket when you can face-plant at any moment... ;)

Venting...

2009-01-20T15:32:00.005-07:00

Can I tell you how incredibly sick I am of people trying to take advantage of me?!? I'm about to reach that point where I really don't care to if I'm polite or if I upset somebody. (And that's the point where I get fired.) Which is saying alot for me. Luckily, I haven't had to worry about the people I'm close to treating me this way, just the stupid, ignorant, rude, egotistical people I have to deal with in my job. Why do people expect the moon for a discount? The worst thing is when they try to bully and threaten you and you can tell that it's worked for them all their lives because they're absolutley certain they can walk all over you and get what they want. All I have to say is KARMA people!!!!!!!!

Sorry...bad day...I hate my job...

Tagged - 8 Things...

2009-01-09T09:55:00.002-07:00

8 Things I'm passionate about:
1) Family 2) Horses 3) Snowboarding 4) Reading 5) Staying happy 6) Being honest 7) Exercise 8) Yummy food :)

8 Words or Phrases I use way too often:
1) Awsomeness 2) Bummer 3) Dude! (I sound like a surfer...) 4) Don't be stupid 5) I don't want to go to work tomorrow! 6) Any kind of baby talk I use for my animals 7) You are so grounded... 8) Seriously?

8 Things I want to do before I die:
1) Have a family 2) Travel 3) Own a home 4) Get a degree 5) Watch my kids grow up and have their own kids 6) Bungee Jump 7) Watch my brother get married and have a family 8) Alaskan Cruise

8 Things I've learned from my past
1) Parents are right way more than you ever want to admit 2) Keeping up with lies is way harder than the consequences of telling the truth 3) Family will always be behind you 4) Bad things happen to the people who don't deserve it 5) Trusting the wrong people will ultimately bite you in the butt 6) You still have to trust people 7) Being polite never hurt anybody 8) Karma will catch up to you

8 Places I would love to see:
1) Italy 2) Scotland 3) England 4) New Zealand 5) Kentucky 6) Alaska 7) Germany 8) Switzerland

8 Things I want or need:
1) Money 2) More hours in the day 3) Happy Family & Friends 4) New car 5) A Barn 6) Indoor arena 7) Cabin in ski resort 8) Did I say money?

8 people to tag:
1) Mindy 2) Darian 3) Jen 4) Annie (update you blog girly!) 5) Christina 6) I think that's all...

Udates? Not really

2009-01-07T12:07:00.003-07:00

So the holidays have come and gone, and it's back to full work weeks and a diet that doesn't include dessert after every meal. *Sigh* Not much has been going on. Kris is now sick with the nasty cold that's going around. He seems to have it worse than I did, and I'm PRAYING that I don't get it again. Nothing seems to relieve his congestion and he can't sleep at night. The sniffling and coughing is keeping both of us up. Let me tell you, the two of us have been a barrel of fun lately. This has also led to a lack of boarding the past little while and I haven't even gotten to try out my new snowboard yet! I'm chomping at the bit here!! I'm impatiently waiting for the weekend so we can all get outside (Tim included; I'm pretty sure we're driving him insane right now) and work off some of the anxiety from being cooped up all week. My fingers are crossed that Kris is feeling better by then...and that I'm not bed ridden either.

Nothing new...

2008-12-22T10:03:00.005-07:00

Okay, short and sweet won't be hard today. Nothing much has been going on lately. I took my sweet time and am just now doing my Christmas shopping. I turn 24 tomorrow. Was sick a couple of days last week. Even though I was not feeling great, it was still really nice to veg around the house and not leave my bed for two days. Thankfully felt good enough by the weekend that I didn't miss any boarding time :). I'm finally getting the hang of it but waking up the next day stiff and achey is still unavoidable.

During my sick leave I got a call from my horse show club with the results for year end points and awards. I ended up placing first in 8 of my events, as well as second in 2 events, and third in 2. Which put me ahead for high point overall (1st place overall). So all told, that game me $900!!! How sweet is that?!?! Unfortunately, most of that gets to go towards paying off some of my debt...If I want to be responsible that is... *Sigh* Oh well, I wouldn't know what to do with that much cash in my grubby little hand anyway. I still get to do a little shopping. ;)

Snow Canyon Trail Ride

2008-12-12T11:40:00.007-07:00

My mom and I went on a Back Country Horseman trail ride this past weekend in Snow Canyon. We've done the ride before and it's always alot of fun to see all our friends and ride to someone's house at the end of the trail and EAT! I haven't taken Deuce on very many trail rides since I've had him, and this was the longest one he's ever done. About half way through the ride, we all stopped to let some of the stragglers catch up to the group. By this time Deuce was nice and sweaty from hiking through the deep sand in the river beds that make up most of the trail to this point. We were just starting out again when my mom yells from behind me, "Tarese, he's going to roll!" Luckily my stupid horse droppped to the ground slow enough that I just stepped off when he crumpled. Also lucky is that we were still in the deep sand and I had my little English saddle on (which I never usually use when I trail ride) so no harm was done to my saddle or my dumb nag as he had himself a good roll to relieve his itchiness and everyone had a laugh at my expense.

For the last half of the ride, the trail takes you up and out of the canyon. It's a pretty good climb and takes about an hour and a half to get to the top. Deuce got really tired and shaky trying to clamber over all the big rocks and things and I started to get really worried when he kept stopping alot to rest and didn't want to catch up with the other horses. I was getting pretty concerned he wasn't going to be able to make it out since he's a big horse and seemed to be more out of shape than I originally thought. So I got off and walked for a couple of miles just to make it a little easier on him. Once we reached the top of the canyon and headed back towards home, he perked up alot and even got pretty excited and was trying to run around and be an idiot. It was at that point, much to my relief (that feeling later gave way to irritation), that I realized my horse is just a big fat lazy bum and didn't really want to keep putting forth the effort he needed to keep going until he had motivation. In this case, it was heading back to the trailer and his food. It ended up being a really fun and beautiful ride and I got to eat tons of yummy food, which always makes it better.

Seriously, I'm sorry about my long, rambling posts lately. Next one will be short and sweet, I promise. ;)

Notice my mom is being polite and making conversation while I stuff my face? It's usually the way it goes at these things...

An...eventful...Thanksgiving weekend

2008-12-01T14:56:00.004-07:00

My four-day weekend for Thanksgiving was tons of fun up until the the very last day. On Thursday morning Kris, Tim, Chase, Nick and I all piled into Tim's little car and went snowboarding at Brian Head. It snowed all morning and the powder was awesome to board in. Makes for much more forgiving falls for a beginner like me. I only face planted getting off the lift the first time! Ha ha...I'm so proud of myself... We came home just in time to shower and make it to the Bradbury house for turkey, homemade key lime pie, and Snicker salad (apples, Cool Whip, and Snickers. It's delightful), among all the other Thanksgiving staples. Friday, Kris had to work so Tim and I vegged around the house and recovered from the day before...and ate more pie. Saturday Kris and I headed up to Cedar for Turkey Day with my family. There were 13 people packed into my parents' tiny little cabin. I think Kris was about to hyperventilate, but he was a good sport and tried really hard to be his charming self. :)

And then came Sunday. Kris, Tim, Chase, and I all decided to go boarding again that morning, and get back in time for Tim to go to work Sunday afternoon. Well, the morning went really well and we were all ready to pile in the car and go home when Tim realized he had put his car keys in his hoodie pocket instead of one of his many zipper pockets, and had lost them somewhere on the mountain. He and Chase headed back up to try to locate them, but to no avail. So the Brian Head people unlocked the car for us and we proceeded to wait until our friend Carter could go to our house, find Tim's spare key, and drive up to bring it to us. (we tried to call a locksmith, but apparently only the dealer can make a key to actually start Tim's model of car, and they were closed until Monday). We waited for about three hours, and when Carter arrived about the time it was starting to get dark, we all headed home.

As we hit Cedar, Kris calls me from Tim's car (I was riding with Carter) and asks me how to get to the Cedar City hospital...................Pardon?!?!? Chase suffers from headaches on a regular basis because of a car accident and had one when we left the mountain, but said it was normal after a day of boarding. I guess it got worse and worse, to the point where he got incredibly nautious, and his entire upper body went numb and white, and his hands cramped and he couldn't move them. So we headed to the emergency room to wait and see what they could do for him. Poor guy looked absolutely awful. All the symptoms ended up being migraine related, so they gave him a shot of pain killers and sent him on his way. He was in a VERY good mood by the time we got home. Needless to say, it wasn't quite the enjoyable day we planned on. This is a really long post. Sorry. I ramble...

Quirks...

2008-11-21T14:34:00.005-07:00

Darian did this on her blog and it was pretty funny and cute so I decided to do one. Plus I'm bored...

6 Quirky things about myself:

1) I have one-sided conversations with my animals. Well, I guess it's not even just my animals. My computer, the copy machine ("Why do you do this to me when I'm in a hurry? You're doing it to spite me aren't you?), a stubborn food wrapper, the scum I'm scrubbing off the shower. Doesn't really matter, my mouth just never seems to stop moving. Funny thing is I caught Kris talking with the dog the other day. He says he got it from me... I think we're both nuts.

2) I love food. Seriously. LOVE IT!!! I have to spend alot of time at the gym to combat my addiction because I have no willpower when it comes to tasty yumminess. Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday and I have to spend like a week on the tredmill beforehand so I can thoroughly gorge myself and not have to be rolled out the door when I'm done. I get two Thanksgivings this year. Can you imagine my delight?

3) I'm el fluento in el Spanisho. My three years of Spanish in high school didn't serve me very well, so I have my own version that comes out sounding extremely gringo (I remebered that word at least!). It's like pig latin only easier. "I'm muy tired-o." "I'm going to the el gym-o" You get the idea. Vinnie speaks it too and we have our own little language that drives everyone crazy because we sound rediculous.

4) When I get interested in something, it becomes almost a fixation. I spend more time than I probably should pursuing and researching this new interest. Example? Well the most prominent and long-standing one is my horses. They rule my thoughts most of the time. Another one is the Twilight Saga. I am so addicted to those books!!! I'll re-read them three or four times in a row. I go to the websites, watch interviews, read articles. Yet another example: Kris and I have been looking to buy a new car. So of course, I then spend all my spare time researching EVERY SINGLE car in our price range and seeing what's available in our area. I read reviews and test-drive results, what options are availalbe, work out budgets, etc. etc. It just goes on and on.

5) I have been extremely lucky to have owned and ridden horses as long as I have and never been seriously injured. (I know I just jinxed myself...) Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of accidents, but I've never ended up in the hospital for anything horsey-related. It's a miracle, seriously.

6) I'm a pushover. Not when it comes to my family and friends. I can (sort of) stand up to them, but anyone else? It's not going to happen. I'm a people pleaser by nature and I hate dissapointing people, so I'll bend over backwards to make someone happy. I'm getting better though. If you're rude to me I won't go quite as far out of my way to do what you want. :P I'm never going to be the kind of person who can tell someone to shove it when they deserve to hear it. (D, can you inject some of that into me?)

Anyone else who wants to be tagged for this, you're now tagged.

Did I mention I hate moving?

2008-11-17T10:04:00.004-07:00

So this past weekend Kris, Tim, and I all moved into my house in Bloomington. I'm really happy to be back in my house. Kris says I have a strange attachement and I can't seem to leave. (I grew up there, moved out for a couple of years, moved back in w/ my brother after my parent's left for Cedar City, moved back out when I got married, and moved BACK in...LOL...Yeah I know. He's probably right.) Can I just say that their TV's are ridiculously heavy? I love my little 20 inch...just pick it up under your arm and off you go. Kris and I started packing and moving yesterday around 7 a.m. We stopped about 11 last night. I'm so sore and exhausted, I really would have rather not gotten up and gone to work this morning, but what can you do, right? Neither of us took a break at all except for about ten minutes while we scarfed down some Mickey D's for dinner (we were lucky to get Tim out of bed by noon to help). I still have to go back over to the old house and clean today. *shudder* I hate move-out cleaning. Pulling out all the appliances, scrubbing baseboards, fans, plant shelves, oiling cupboards...seriously, you should see the list of stuff that has to be done. That's the bad thing about renting from my office. They're extremely picky when it comes to the move-out. It's going to take me a couple days to get it all done, since I still have to work and unpack at the new house. Oh, well...wish me luck that I can get through the day with out the nap I so desparately need! Can we say Big Gulp full of coffee?

High school memories...

2008-11-11T13:04:00.004-07:00

I stole this from Mindy. I'm oh so bored at work, so here I go...

1. Did you date someone in high school? Ok lets see here... There was Nate Johnson several times throughout my sophomore year...I had it bad for him, even though my parents HATED him. Got engaged to John Ahern my Junior year (ya I know, seriously stupid and I NEVER recommend it!). And then after a couple of extremely short relationships, I started dating Kris my senior year. :)
2. What kind of car did you drive? Sophomore year it was my '88 T-Bird, Junior year it was my Isuzu pick-up (I miss that thing) and my Prelude (I miss that car too...good times) and then I got my pimpin' Integra my senior year.
3. Did you pass your driver's licence test the first time? I failed the written test by like 2 points the first time, then passed the driving test with flying colors :) Then I rear-ended like three people the first month I had my license.
4. Were you a party animal? I liked to think so at the time, but not really. I usually just ended up driving all my drunken friends around...
5. Were you considered a flirt? While I was single, absolutely!
6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?I was in band up until my sophomore year, but then I quit...
7. Were you a nerd? Not in the stereotypical sense, but I'm still a dork at heart ;)
8. Were you on any teams? Nope!
9. Did you ever get expended or expelled? No. Never got in that much trouble. I was never at school enough...
10. Can you still sing your fight song? I used to be able to. I'd probably remember it if I heard it again...
11. Who were your favorite teachers? Mr. Sherman, my ceramics teacher. He actually got arrested for sexual exploitation a couple of years ago (EEK by the way!) And Mrs. Jackson, my speech teacher.
12. Where did you sit at lunch? I was usually found at Taco maker with my Friends until senior year when I was usually at Tim's house with Kris (Tim lived right across the street from the high school)
13. What is your school's full name? Dixie High School
14. School mascot and colors. a Flyer (whatever that is) and our colors were blue and white.
15. Did you go to homecoming and who with? I didn't go to homecoming until my senior year, then I went with a kid named Ryan who had graduated and not even from our school. It was awkward. We didn't know each other very well...
16. If you could go back and do it again, would you? I would do things differently if I did go back, but I don't really have a desire to at this point in my life. I certainly would have gone to school more!
17. What do you remember most about graduation? Grad night! good times, good times...
18. Where did you go on Senior Skip Day? Wet N' Wild in Vegas. I wish it hadn't closed down. It was sweet.
19. Were you in any clubs? The Spanish club. They never did anything to do with speaking Spanish except a trip to Mexico at the end of the year. It was just an excuse for everybody to get together and have a school-funded party.
20. Have you gained weight since then? I was a twig in high school. *Sigh* I've gained like ten pound since then...
21. Who was your prom date? I was too young for prom my sophomore year, Junior year I wen to Snow Canyon's prom with my good buddy Tyrel (we both had significant others at the time, but who cares, right?). and Senior year Kris took me :) He was such a good sport...
22. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Probably not. I didn't care for allot of the people I went to school with, and really don't have a desire to see them again.
23. Did you have a job while in high school? LOL. Yeah. I worked at Godfather's Pizza when I turned 16. That didn't last long since I was the world worst waitress (I think I could do better now). Then I worked at Sears until I graduated. I started working there because I found out Kris did. Even though he had a girlfriend at the time... Muahahaha!!!! I always get what I want.

I've been tagged...

2008-10-29T08:55:00.005-06:00

Mindy tagged me! I'm a sucker for these anyway...

1- WHAT IS YOUR HUSBANDS NAME?

Kristopher Reed Bradbury

2- HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED?

18 days!

3-HOW LONG DID YOU DATE?

Almost 6 years (ya know, you get that high when you're counting years you've dated, and it's kind of a shame to start over)

4-HOW OLD IS HE?

Kris is 25

5- WHO IS TALLER?

I fit right under his chin if I'm barefoot...he loves it...

6 - WHO CAN SING BEST?

I plead the 5th...

7 - WHO IS SMARTER?

He is....but not by as much as he'd like to think. He just watches WAAAY more Discovery Channel than I do.

8 - WHO DOES LAUNDRY?

Me! He'll help fold HIS clothes, though. Heaven forbid he fold a towel...

9 - WHO PAYS THE BILLS?

We've agreed that I'll be taking it over.

10 - WHO SLEEPS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BED?

Him

11 - WHO MOWS THE LAWN?

The HOA!!! haha. Although I'm proabaly going to see if I can make Kris do it when we move back to Bloomington later this month. I had to mow the lawn when I lived with my parents and I hate it. Wish me luck!

12 - WHO COOKS DINNER?

We both do. He handles the BBQ grill and I take care of the rest :) (Thank you guys, by the way! We've used it TONS already!)

13 - WHO IS THE FIRST TO ADMIT THEY'RE WRONG?

Usually me. >:( Although I won't admit it most of the time; it's usually pointed out to me. I hate being wrong...

14 - WHO KISSED WHO FIRST? I kissed HIM, the wussy...

15 - WHO WEARS THE PANTS? We take turns. I'm pretty indipendent and can take care of myself, but I'm still a girl and Kris is pretty protective... But he's WAY more high maintenance than me. I get to pet his little ruffled feathers alot.

OK, I tag Shoni and Darian if they're EVER online!!! *wink wink*

Goodbye horse show season, hello snowboarding season!

2008-10-28T11:36:00.004-06:00

I went to my last horse show of the season this past weekend. It's been a great year, so I'm kinda bummed it's over. I'm sure Kris is definitely NOT bummed, since I won't be disappearing for a week at a time anymore....until the next season starts in March of course. This last show was tons of fun. Deuce and I kicked some serious trash :). Plus my mom did great too, so that always makes her happy. She even beat me in a couple of classes. Go Ma! The season has been good to us, I'll end up with about $800 worth of stuff! I should ask if they'll just cut me a check... but stuff is always fun too! Plus, my horse is back in St. George for the winter, and I get to see him every day again!! I'm so happy...

Snowboarding season is almost upon us and I'm so stoked! I just started learning last year and only went once all winter. (It's expensive w/out a season pass!) I still plan on falling on my face alot, but I was able to get a pass for this winter and have plenty of opportunities to practice. This is the one outdoor activity that Kris and I both enjoy and I'm extremely excited to get to spend every weekend with him in the snow. I'd rather be outside than anywhere else, but Kris doesn't always feel the same way; especially in the summer when it's scorching outside. So I've been looking forward to this all year. My goal this season is to conquor the lift, since I can't seem to get off without face planting. Yes, that is as embarrassing as it sounds.

You guys have to endure tons of wedding pics...

2008-10-20T12:48:00.014-06:00

Today is my first day back to work after my wedding and honeymoon. What a drag... Oh well, look how I'm spending my time! (I'm a horrible employee when it's slow.) Although there were a few hiccups before the wedding, like say the SNOW IN OCTOBER!!!!......I think it went really well! We had an outdoor ceremony and the nasty weather abated just long enought for me to be escorted up the path to my waiting dad on my ribbon be-decked horse whom I will forever be grateful to for not bucking me off in my wedding dress. We tried to do a unity candle ceremony, but the wind and snow wouldn't allow it. Kris just asked everyone to pretend there were flames. Afterwards, we all rushed inside for pictures, food, and lots and lots of mingling. It was a wonderful day that will give us funny stories and great memories for the rest of our lives.

Here's some of the pics that my friend Shoni took. I haven't seen the professional ones yet, but Shoni got some great ones! Thanks Shon Bon!

Do I look nervous?

My daddy and my Kris in a rare photo op.

Seriously, how fetching cool is my cake?!?!

The girls!!

This one is my absolute favorite...

The boys

This is so classic...

My daddy was lookin' sharp in his tux and new hat (you can't tell but he had boots on too!)

Here I come!

A closer look at my decked out horse

This is right before I completely missed the mounting block as I got off and bruised the crap out of my ankle.

Yeah, see the clouds rolling in behind us? They're carrying the snow that hit us about a minute after this picture was taken.

Holy Crap!!!

2008-10-06T15:45:00.004-06:00

Okay. I've got 5 days until I'm Mrs. Kris Bradbury. I think I've just about hit the freak-out stage. I don't have cold feet at all, but it just...mind boggling that I'm getting married!! .......................................................................... It's cool..................I'm good. I have my stress-out moments, then I make another list of things that need to be done and I feel better. Althought I'm not quite sure why that helps. A little OCD? Yeah, probably not.

Bridal Shower Pics

2008-09-24T10:33:00.003-06:00

I think I have about 7 or 8 pieces of gum in my mought by this point. I wasn't done yet either...

Look at the haul I got! Awsome!!

Bridal shower

2008-09-22T15:14:00.003-06:00

So I had my bridal shower this past weekend. We (well, I ) played a game that Mindy put together where I had to predict what answers Kris gave to some questions that she asked him on camera. Um...I didn't do very well. I had to shove a big piece of bubble gum in my mouth for every answer I got wrong. By the end I couldn't talk and almost drooled all over Sherry's nice couch pillow every time I tried . It was still wicked-awsome fun. :P I definitely think Kris should be on video more. He was his funny, adorable, charming self and everyone thought so, except him. I'm just waiting to see if Mindy happened to get a picture of the nasty, bouncy ball-sized wad of gum before I threw it away. I threatened her with her life if it ended up on her blog.

.........................I should check that...

Anyway, I got to see tons of people that I love and got some great stuff to stock my walls and kitchen with while I was at it, so it was a great day. Thank you everyone!!! And thank you especially to Mindy and Sherry for all their hard work to put the shower together. I love you guys. You're the best!

I'm really bad at this...

2008-09-08T11:05:00.003-06:00

Alright. I ran into my cousin Darian and she told me I needed to update my blog, so I'm doin' it! (Thanks, D. I was being lazy...) Life been a bit monotonous lately, so I'll try and think of something interesting to write about.

The wedding stuff is just about done. Just a couple of important things I've neglected until now. I still don't have anyone to do my cake yet. I just barely got the DJ booked. But I now I'm a little worried about the justice of the peace that I hired. I've never met the guy, but he seemed like a nice old man on the phone. But then I get a call from my mom yeterday saying that she was going through pictures of another wedding that my cousin Jaci was the photgrapher for. Aparrently this couple had a nice old man as their JOP as well, and he happened to bear a striking resemblance to a cadaver. He had sores all over his face and no teeth, among a few other things. Apparently Jaci took one picture of him resting on the couch, and her daughter saw it and thought he was actually dead. Needless to say, Jaci is trying to find out what his name was... On THAT note, lets change the subject.

I went to church for the first time in a long time yesterday because my brother was being blessed as an elder. He's been preparing pretty hard so he'll be ready for his mission, and it was a big deal for him. My mom actually got my dad to go as well. We all wanted to be there to support him, but my dad doesn't have a religious bone in his body, so church is...uhh...challenging for him. He was a good sport though. Afterwards my parents, Vinnie, his girlfriend Becky (we've told Becky that we're chaining her to us so she has to stick around until Vin gets back from his mission) and I all went to Chuck O Rama . It's my dad's favorite restaraunt, so he got rewarded for his good behavior. :P

And the wedding stuff continues!

2008-08-14T09:56:00.004-06:00

So I realized after I got back from Kansas that I only have about 2 months left to plan this wedding, and I didn't have all that much done. So after a short moment of panic, I relaxed and got working. Now I have a color-coded list of all the stuff I have to get done (I'm extremely proud of my unorganized self for that), and I'm slowly but surely working my way down. I dragged Kris along to do the final selection and editing of photos for the invitations and such yeaterday. I'm really starting to enjoy all of the planning, since I'm organized and focused now. My mom is absolutely loving it! Even Kris is getting excited, which is the most adorable thing in the world. Next on the list is picking out stationary and finalizing flowers, and a road trip to Vegas this weekend. Woohoo!!! My mom, Sherry, Alyssa, Becky and I are headed to pick up bridesmaid dresses and find something for both the moms to wear, since we've realized there's absolutely NOTHING in St. George. Yay for shopping! Ooh ooh!! And I get new shoes!!!!!

By the way, friends and family: Just FYI that you'll probably be getting a call from me sometime soon to see if you're available to help put together invitations and programs. Thank you everyone for all your past and future help!

Kansas continued...

2008-08-14T09:33:00.006-06:00

Alsright, so this post is kind of late since I got back about 3 weeks ago, but better late than never right? (Are you starting to see a pattern forming here?) I was going to wait until I could download some pictures, but I can't find the USB for my camera. ARRGH!!! Anyhoo, the Kansas trip: Kris, his mom Sherry, and I all drove out to Moudridge, Kansas for his cousin Annie's wedding. For my family members viewing this: Moundridge is a farming town about the size of Baker, Montana (oh the memories). It was a wonderful trip. We got to see all of the Graber clan and Grandma Ruby fed us WAY too much delicious food. I had withdrawls when I got home and had to go back to my cooking and fast food...*sigh.*

Annie and the wedding were beautiful, Kris made a good lookin' head usher in his tux, and I really wish I had some pictures!! Mark and Tindy were even nice enough to let Kris and I crash in their basement in the midst of all the wedding stuff they had to do. Needless to say, everybody went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. It was a really nice (and too short) vacation away from work for a while, and I came home with some more good memories of Kris' Kansas Family (almost mine too! Yay!!).

I'm slackin'

2008-07-23T09:30:00.002-06:00

Alright, I know I haven't been updating this thing nearly as often as I probalby should. My bad... My posts are going to start looking like summaries of my life. Anyhoo, here's what's been going on lately:

Instead of going to Logan for our usual family vacation over the 4th of July weekend, we decided it was cheaper to stay around Southern Utah and play tourist for a few days. So Vin and I stayed in Cedar with our parents, much to my mom's delight. We went to the Iron County Mission museum. Um...parts of it were kinda cool, but others were pretty boring. Also went to see Wall-E. That is the most adorable movie and we all loved it. We were the oldest people in there though. Whatever, i don't care... We also went to the Shakespearian Festival and saw School for Wives. None of us have ever gone before and thought if would be fun. It was! I can see why the festival is such a big deal. The actors, sets and costumes are unbelievable. And of course, knowing my luck and my love for shoes, I happened to leave a pair out and my parents' puppy (if you can call her that; she weighs 75 lbs) ate one.

There were a couple of days where we just kind of hung around the house and watched movies and were lazy, which was really nice. We had a little adventure with one of my dad's old custom cars dying on us on the way to a car show and had to wait for my mom to come pick us up wih the truck and trailer. We also hiked the Narrows in Zion. Vinnie and I had never gone before, and my parents hadn't gone for 30 years, so we all really enjoyed it. All in all in was a nice long weekend away from work.

Deuce is now in Cedar for the summer. I know he's alot more comfortable up there, but I'm having withdrawls! I got really used to seeing my horse twice a day, and don't really know what to do with myself now. I know it's kind of pathetic, but Deuce and my dog Sadey are my little furry, four-legged children.

I'm leaving for Kansas today with Kris and his mom. We're all headed to cousin Annie's wedding. I'm excited! Jarrod and Mindy (Kris' brother and sister-in-law) and their family are already there and I'm sure will contribute to the good times. I even got new shoes for the occasion...I couldn't help myself. I have a shoe addiction. I'll be sure to write about all my fun and post some pictures when I get back.

It's about time for an update I guess...

2008-06-20T11:52:00.003-06:00

So I haven't posted anything in forever, so I figured I should write about all that has gone on since the last post.

First: I have spent every weekend for the past month in Cedar City building a shelter for Deuce (my delicate little flower needs a shade/shelter from the sun and has to be separated from the other horses who already have one). Let me just say, my family is not the all that handy, with the exception (maybe) of my dad. We're so proud of ourselves for the simple fact that we're almost positive the thing will stay standing unless some pretty horrible winds pick up. It's definitely not up to any kind of code though. Oh well, it's for a horse, right? Even Kris was a good sport one weekend and came to help. This totally broke his usual "I will have nothing to do with your horses" code, so I'm extremely grateful to him. :) I'm also really glad the stupid thing is just about done.

Two: The Utah Summer Games has come and gone. Can I say I'm really grateful it was in Cedar? It was still hot up there, but at least it wasn't 103 degrees...stupid blast furnace St. George summers... Anyway, I have Deuce to credit for my first ever gold medal in a trail class. Woohoo!! We got a couple other gold, silver, and bronze medals, along with some other good placings in other classes and it turned out to be a great weekend. I think we did pretty well overall considering the caliber of our competition and the obscene amount of people competing. Yay for us!

Three: The wedding plans are trudging along. I'm sure I would have many more things accomplished in this category if I wasn't a bit of a procrastinator. I finally have an appointment for Kris to get his haircut. SWEET!!!!! I'm cutting mine as well, and we're having photos taken next weekend. I met with the florist last week and got a basic plan figured out for bouquets, corsages, etc. Here's what my bouquet will look like with a couple little changes.

Awesome, right?!? I'm excited anyway...

Four: I didn't think there was a four, but I just remembered something else. The family vacations! Over Fourth of July weekend is my family's customary vaca to Logan to participate in the Cache Valley Cruise-In car show. We stopped going a few years ago because my mom and I aren't that into cars and it makes for kind of a boring weekend for us, even though my dad and brother love it. We decided to all go again this year because it's kind of the only trip we ever took as a family and it's the last time we'll get to go before I get married and my brother leaves on his mission.

Next is the trip to Kansas for Annie's wedding (Kris' cousin). Kris and I originally didn't think we could go, but then his mom decided that she wanted to go as well, and voila! We have a car that can make the trip! I got an excuse to buy a new outfit, and Kris has been all sorts of giddy to see his family. I'm excited too. Kansas is always a good time.

I thinks that's it for my news...let's hope so because this is getting long.

Victory!

2008-05-22T14:10:00.004-06:00

So I finally got some time to download my pictures of the horse show and put them on here. We did great again. I love my horse! He tried so hard all day, and was so good. Poor Deuce was completely pooped by the last class, though. The judge gave me 1st place, then came up and told me that I needed to make sure my horse kept his head up because he was looking kind of tired. Well, no freakin' kidding. He'd been loping around all day in that nasy heat (it wasy 98 degrees and we were in a big metal building all day). Thank goodness they installed some enormous fans in the indoor arena to at least get some air flow in there, or I'm sure we would have had a few people passing out from heat exhuastion. It was still a good time...

This is my mom and her nag, Tony

It's horribly hot with that jacket on by the way

I like this one :)

...This one too...

Another day, another show...

2008-05-15T16:43:00.002-06:00

AGGHH!!!! My next horse show is on Saturday, and I'm so not prepared! I didn't get anything besides practicing done, so that means tomorrow is going to be NUTS! The Friday before the show is usually dedicated to cleaning horses which takes up most of the day, so I try to have the other things like cleaning saddles, organizing outfits ( 3 outfits for each person showing), and getting everything needed for the horses' sleepover at the fair grounds-- and of course I didn't do any of it. My cousin Carli is showing as well, so that means we'll have three horses to bathe, clip, band, brush and paint (yes I said paint) and make pretty for an 8 a.m. class tomorrow morning, instead of two. Believe me, it makes a big difference to have another entire 1100 lbs beast to scrub. Deuce also thought he'd help my state of mind by being the trouble-making little nag that he is and smack his head on I-don't-know-what and knock a big piece of hide off the side of his face. Luckily, he didn't poke his eye out or anything. Thank goodness for horse paint! Greatest invention ever...

I'm stressing more writing about this since the list of things I have to get done is compiling in my head, and making me realize how little time I have. I'm going to stop typing... Wish me luck! I'll make sure to take some pictures this time so I can share them.

The new diet...

2008-05-13T10:10:00.002-06:00

So I've decided I'm really sick of hating myself and I bit the bullet and started on Isagenix. It's a nutritional cleansing program that my brother is involved in and swears by. He looks great so I figured I'd try it. I drink two shakes a day and have a sensible meal. There's also one "cleanse" day a week where I only drink this special little juice thing three times a day. I'm pretty sure I'm going to think I'm dying of hunger that first cleanse day, but I'm hoping I'll get used to it. Everyone I talk to who's doing this system talks about how great they feel, and that losing weight is just a bonus side effect. I'm really stoked to see what happens. My mom has started on it too, so at lease I'm not doing it alone! If I can drop at least 5 pounds, I'll be happy. Gotta fit into the wedding dress!!!!!

Tag!

2008-05-06T15:31:00.002-06:00

THE RULES: Answer these 15 questions about yourself on your blog. List: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts.Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

3 Joys:

Uno: My family. I have the best freakin' family in the world. My heart just swells with the love and support I have around me. We're really close and love spending time together. I know it kills my parents that I'm going off and getting married, and my brother is going on a mission soon after that, and we won't see each other nearly as much. Honestly, it kind of kills me too, but I know we'll always have all of our happy memories, and we'll certainly be making more. My mom is already whining for grand kids!

Dos: Kris. This list would certainly not be complete without my Kristopher. He can be the most stubborn, dramatic poop I've ever seen and I want to punch him in the nose at least once a week, but I know no one will ever love me like he does. I can't imagine starting a life and family with anyone else. The fact that I adore his family is an added bonus too. :)

Tres: My animals. Who's life is complete without pets? Well, I actually consider mine my children. It's just that much more special to me when you have something from a completely different species that can return affection. I smothered and mauled and hugged and kissed my pets their whole lives, and when they got used to it they returned the favor and became adorably cuddly. Yes that's right, I have a cuddly, 1200 lbs horse. It's a great feeling. If you count the family animals, we have 6 horses, 2 dogs, 2 cats and a guinea pig. We're well on our way to a menagerie, don't ya think?

3 Fears:

1) Losing a family member. I think almost everyone has this fear. It's a logical one. 'Nuff said.

2) Disappointing my family. It has been a fear of mine since I was old enough to feel accountable for my actions: That I would do something or behave in a way that would cause my grandparents (those particular family members' opinions resonate with me the most) to lose respect for me. I want to always be the kind of person that my family can be proud of.

3) Bees and anything else with a stinger. I was stung by a hornet when I was three and I've been a spaz about bees ever since. It's now a running joke (no pun intended) because I sprint away if I even hear a buzz that I feel is a little too close to my head. Most of the time it's a fly or something, but I'm not taking any chances!!

3 Goals:

1) To start a family before I'm 30! I think this is a reasonable request, and hopefully Kris will no longer be terrified of having children by then.

2) To get back on track with my diet and exercise. Seriously, I've been slacking on both since Thanksgiving. I've gained back almost all the weight I've worked so hard to lose. ARRGH!!!! With the wedding coming up, I need to find some willpower and motivation somewhere and kick it in the butt! No more late night McFlurry runs...

3) To eventually move to Cedar. I've decided I really like Cedar; Kris does too. And it's a lot cheaper to buy a house there. And tere's no face melting heat! Always a big plus in my book. The only challenge is to find a decent paying job that isn't factory work!

3 Current obsessions/collections:

1) My always present obsession: horses. I'm such a nut for my nags. My room still looks like it did when I was 10 and has my fortyty-odd horse models all over the shelves and picutres of all my equine family members plastered on the walls along with the ribbons and trohpies from my horse shows. I'm hoping Deuce and I do really well in the shows this year. Even if we don't, I just bought a bunch of new outfits and we can at least look good while we do badly!

2) Twilight book series. I'm so hooked on these books!!!!! Kris' mom shoved them at me and I'm so glad she did! I went out and bought my own copies and passed them around to my family. Now they're all hooked too. I'm stoked for the next edition that's coming out in August.

3) Snowboarding. I wouldn't call this an obsession just yet, but it's something new I'm starting with Kris and I really like it so far. I was SOOOO sore after my first time. I fell like every 20 feet. At one point they even had to stop the lift for me so I could get off (pretty embarassing by the way). I think I tweaked my tailbone or something too, but I don't care. It was still fun. I love being outside and now I have a snow activity!

3 Random surpising facts:

1) I have mob connections...well kind of, not really. I had a couple of great uncles who were involved in the mob back in Sicily. One "fell" off a balcony. Don't mess with the family...

2) I'm addicted to Cafe Rio. I eat it twice a week now, and would eat it more if my waistline could handle it. Their salads are devine.

3) I'm really spoiled. I kind of get whatever I want most of the time from my parents. Well, my mom anyway. She's an extremely giving person, and her children are usually the on the receiving end most of the time. We try to refuse when she tries to just give us straight-up cash, (we are both trying to be grown ups after all and make it on our own without mommy's help) but then she just sneaks and deposits it right in our bank accounts. I love my sneaky sneaky mom, but honestly...

Well, I have no one to tag, so this little branch ends with me...thanks Mindy!

Progress

2008-04-28T13:43:00.002-06:00

I have booked the venue for my wedding! Huzzah! I'm so excited. The Ledges clubhouse is perfect. I get to have my outdoor ceremony in a beautiful setting, and have enough room to accomodate all the people I have to invite. So much for a small, uncomplicated wedding. I'm still hoping for the uncomplicated part, but uh...the guest list is rather large. I'm hoping the list I get from Kris' mom won't be exceedingly long. We'll see how the planning goes. Next step: pictures and invitations. I've got to get Kris to cut his hair! That will be a feat! He keeps saying he wants to do it, but won't commit to anything! I forbid a pony tail in our engagement photo... Ha! Maybe I'll make him get an updo...

Hooray!!!

2008-04-07T11:50:00.004-06:00

Alright. So Deuce and I had our first horse show together this past Saturday, and we did GREAT!! I'm so proud of my boy. Out of 13 classes, we placed either 1st or 2nd in 9 of them! I'm so stoked... The first class of the day was showmanship (you lead the horse on a halter; have to do a little pattern. It's more difficult than it sounds and looks) and Deuce had never done it before. Anyway, I'd been working with him, but didn't expect to place at all because he's still so new to it. But we did really well in that class too! The only class we had a bit of trouble in was trail. It's basically an obsticle course (walk over a bridge, open a gate, trot over some poles without hitting them, etc) and Deuce and I haven't even looked at one in over a month, so I can't blame him for not being great at it. We still had a wonderful time. I got to see all of my friends and visit all day long. Too bad I was so busy I didn't get to eat at all. Oh, well. What can you do, right? I can't wait until the next show!

Horse show jitters

2008-04-02T10:42:00.002-06:00

I've got a horse show coming up this weekend. It's the first one of the season, and I'm a bit apprehensive. This will be my first show with Deuce. I'm so excited to see how we do! He's been doing really well in practice, but you never know what will change the day of the show. My nerves, combined with new horses, sights, surroundings and smells can combine for a possibly very...eventful...day. I used to hate all the prep work and time that went into getting ready for a show. Now I love it! I had to make a schedule for the week so I could get everything done in time and not be up all night on Friday trying to get it all accomplished. Poor Kris is resigned to the fact that he won't see me very much (if at all) for about a week if I have a show coming up. LOL. I love that man. He's a good sport and puts up with a lot of crap when it comes to my nags. :)

Well, wish me luck. Hopefully I'll have something good to report next week!!

Hollow

2008-03-25T09:14:00.007-06:00

It's amazing how much the loss of a pet can affect someone. I don't think I'm ever going to forget walking down the street to feed for the night and finding my baby horse stiff and bloated with a grimace on his face; his eyes glazed over. Not ever. I still dream about him.

Keeko was my life. That horse was my baby and my best friend, all at once. It sounds weird to people; that I could be that attached to an animal. I just don't understand the people who cannot grieve and love as deeply for their pets as they would any other member of their family. Keeko was the one I went to if I was upset over anything. If I had a fight with Kris, he came to know that he would find me at the corrals. Keeko always seemed to sense when I was upset. His usually playful attitude would subside, and he'd just follow me around. Let me climb on his back and just sit there while he wandered around with the other horses. I think my mom is the only one who truly understands what losing him has done to me. I actually think she hurt more than I did when it happened. She grieved for herself and for me. Kris knows how much I loved him, and I think is the only other person who has an inkling how I feel. He was my rock those first few days, when nothing could take my mind from what had happened. He just held me and let me cry.

The addition of Deuce to the family has been a releif though, I must say. Having another horse around who is so sweet with such an adorable personality has made things easier than they would have been if I had not bought him so quickly. I felt guilty for a while. He came home with us only a week and a half after Keeko was gone. I know it sounds kind of stupid, but I think Keeko sent him to me. Deuce looks so much like him, and has the same wonderful qualities Keeko had, while still having his own quirky personality. I adore the big doof. Nothing will ever replace my baby boy, and I know I will never have another bond with a horse like I did with him, but Deuce is a new love. I can't imagine not having him with our little herd.

The first blog!!!

2008-03-24T15:35:00.000-06:00

OK, so I'm totally new to this whole blogging extravaganza, but I'm gonna give it a shot. Just humor me...

I decided to do this whole thing because I've read some other people's blogs, and it's fairly entertaining. A good way to pass time on a lethargic work day, right? Ha!...Guess what? It's Monday afternoon, I'm at work, I have an hour left before I can sprint gleefully out the door...and I'm painfully bored. Don't ya love those days?

I've been dreaming of a nap all day. I started a new book over the weekend, and it got really good and I couldn't put it down. I realized today was going to suck when I turned the last page of my book last night, looked at the clock and realized it was 4 am. Whoops...Oh well, it was worth it. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, people. I reccomend it. It was basically shoved at me by my soon to be mother-in-law. She told me once I started it I wouldn't want to put it down. Yah, we know how that ends. Thank you Sherry!! I love reading something that sucks you in, to the point where the people around you disappear. Nothing can avert my attention but the sound of someone -- most of the time, a rather exasperated someone -- calling my name several times. My poor Kris has to tell me things two or three times before he just stops trying. Just tell me another time, honey. It's okay :)