Random

So today my friend Marian and I decided we needed some quality girl time, so we went to this lake near brushy creek. It's a really gorgeous area in north Austin/kind of Round Rock. It's not real beachy, but we brought towels to lay out and get some sun while we chatted and caught up. As we were laying our towels out, this man came out of nowhere. Picture a huge field of flowers and grass up to your mid thigh, off the beaten path. He just came out of there and it was a friend of mine, Mike Brown! I was like, HEEEEYYY!!! And I got so excited because I haven't seen this guy in about 9 months, and he and I were buddies at the hospital. He's one of those uplifting types of guys... he's a radiologist but he plays the piano and writes his own music and performs not only for the hospital guests in the lobby, but also for money at different locations. Anyways, before I left he always was telling me to live my dreams, be free, and not to work for "the man" like he has to. Just a real positive, uplifting dude. So anyways, he just pops outta the field and gives me a big hug and it was crazy. He said, this must be what heaven feels like, you're walking around in this beautiful place, a field full of flowers and a lake nearby, and along the path you find your friends, and you're like, HEY! How'd we get here? Guess we did something right. And it totally felt like that. So I feel like today I got a taste for what heaven must be like, and I liked it. I hope someday to die and wake up in a beautiful field and find all my old friends there. Cause I love you guys. I really do. All of you.

Avoiding packing..

1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? kind of, but they didn't pat me down

2. Do you close your eyes on roller coasters? only if I'm trying to take it up a notch

3. When's the last time you've been sledding?Since my sophomore year in college. I hit a rock
and it broke the sled and bruised my butt.

4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone? I'm more of a community sleeper.

5. Do you believe in ghosts? sure... but I really think the ones people encounter are all evil

6. Do you consider yourself creative? sure

7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife? Yes I do

8. Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie? I think Jennifer Aniston is kind of a whiner, but I like her and I think Angelina Jolie is pretty messed up mentally so I kinda feel sorry for her

9. Can you honestly say you know ANYTHING about politics? some... not much

10. Do you know how to play poker? cha!

11. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight? I think I've been awake longer than that straight...

12. What's your favorite commercial? real men of genius

13. Who was your first love? Muffin.

14. If you're driving in the middle of the night, and no one is around you, do you run a red light?No, cause that's when drunkie comes barreling down the road and T-bones you

15. Do you have a secret that no one knows but you? I can't keep my own secrets

16. Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees? meh

17. Have you ever been Ice Skating?Of course

18. How often do you remember your dreams? almost every night

19. What's the one thing on your mind? 42 days...

20. Do you always wear your seat belt? If I don't my car will continue to beep at me until I follow it's command

21. What talent do you wish you had? I wish I was an amazing gymnast.

22.Do you like Sushi? it's a full blown love affair between me and sushi.

23. What do you wear to bed? that's naughty! I won't answer!

24. Do you truly hate someone? hate is a strong word... but yeah kinda

25. If you could sleep with one famous person, who would it be? Jeff Hartung, drummer for the
Bodagits (that's our rock band name)

26. Do you know anyone in jail? possibly

27. What food do you find disgusting? anything involving onions

29. Have you ever been punched in the face? haha probably... I know I've been slapped in the face, meghan used to punch me but usually aimed for my stomach instead... good times, thanks for bringing that up >:(

30. Do you believe in angels and demons? yep kinda

Happy Birthday, Rebekah

Today my littlest sister, Rebekah, turned 14! I can't believe how grown-up she is getting (not to mention TALL)! So I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you why I love my little sister so much!!!













Rebekah is the sister who is most like me.









We both have blonde hair,






we both have a VERY girly side,







we both can be shy around people we don't know, but when we do know people, we act like our fun, CRAZY (in a good way) selves,









we both loved playing barbies together,










we both have a flair for the dramatic... I was in drama, she is in drama.







we both LOVE to sing, and we are both pretty good at it.




we both are musically talented, we play piano, and Bekah plays the French Horn.




We both were in band (she still is).








We both love to dance (I taught her how).











we both love playing Sims, and eagerly await Sims 3.








But Rebekah is also her own person, and here are some of her unique qualities that I love:















Bekah loves like a puppy, unconditionally... she is very loving, very open about it, and forgiving.




Bekah has a soft heart, she treats people well. When she hurts someone's feelings on accident, she feels worse than they do about it.

Bekah is in choir, and she excells at it.




Bekah makes very good grades, is very smart, and very talented at just about everything she does.




Bekah is a great artist. When she was little, she used to draw me pictures everytime I came to visit her. I still have most of them.




Bekah was the cutest baby in the world, I have not seen a baby cuter than my little sister was.





Bekah loves her parents, she respects her parents, and I love that about her.





Bekah makes me laugh, she's spunky and adorable, and I have enjoyed being a part of her life.








Now that she's 14, I worry about boys coming around and messing with my sister while I'm not there to beat them away with my metal baseball bat. But I'm not too concerned, after all... my dad can handle it.








So Happy Birthday, Bekah! I love you SO MUCH!

RIP Muffin... A tribute

Yesterday, May 16th, was Muffin's birthday. She would've turned 21 this year. I can't believe she's been dead for 5 years. I just wanted to list the reasons why Muffin was special to me, to remember her in the most positive and happy light I can.

I met Muffin when she was 4 years old, I was almost or barely 6. We picked her up from the Groomers, and then sat in a circle around her trying to get her to come sniff our hands or let us pet her. She was scared to leave my mother's side. My mom worked that summer, and Muffin would sit on the back of the couch howling for her. I felt so much compassion for the poor dog, that I wouldn't leave her side. I sat and pet her for hours, while the other kids played with the babysitter. I couldn't stand to hear her howling while I had fun, so I just stayed with her. After no more than 2 days of this, Muffin started following me around, sleeping in my bed, and coming when I whistled for her. What a good dog she was. As I grew up, and dealt with many hardships, Muffin always knew when I was sad, and she would lick the tears off of my face. When I came home from school, she was always waiting by the door to greet me. Our bond was so strong, that when I left her for a few months to be with my dad in the summer, my heart would ache knowing she would be waiting by the door every day until I came home. When I felt lonely, friendless, or unloved, Muffin took those feelings away for me. She was my best friend. I don't really expect anyone else to understand how deeply I loved my dog. The bond between man and dog can be something so beautiful if you have the ability to see dogs for what they truly are, loving, kind, and compassionate creatures, empathetic creatures. They love unconditionally, and if you show them love in return, there is a beautiful symbiosis that occurs between dog and dog's best friend. Muffin and I share many fond memories. She used to "hunt" acorns in the yard, and bring them to me as gifts. She and I would go for "daily rides" in my little red pedal car. Sometimes when we would come home from school, Muffin would be crossing the street from the park. We never figured out how she got out of the house. My theory was that she learned to open doors and met up with her boyfriend at the park. lol. Muffin was very protective of me... a few boys learned that lesson the hard way. Even as she got older, Muffin always showed a fierce loyalty to me. Once, I was swimming with some friends, and one of them kept dunking me under water, Muffin leapt in trying to save me, only to find herself in danger. I had to rescue her instead lol. What a sweet dog. I miss her little face, and how content she was to just sit in my lap or have me carry her around like a little purse. I miss kissing her little poufball head. Muffin taught me about unconditional love, about taking care of and appreciating small animals roles in life. She will always be in my heart. I love you, Muffin... I know we will be together again someday.

Blog Out.

A wedding story...

This is my favorite photo from the wedding I think...

THURSDAY: So we left Thursday morning for Salt Lake. It was early, and we were tired, but we laughed and joked the whole way there. Something I love about my husband is how much fun we have together. Although, I am sad to say, I didn't take many pictures aside from the actual wedding part of the trip. It was getting kinda freaky cause Jeff and I kept saying the same things at the same time... luckily we got a break from each other just in time before we became the same person... I met up with Melissa at the Gateway mall and Jeff started working on his bidding and estimating. Yes, he worked the entire "vacation" which was incredibly annoying to me, but I will have a discussion with his "boss" about that later. Mel and I didn't find what we were looking for at the mall, so we went to a little place called Blue Boutique. Yeah.... I was giggling the whole time cause it's one of those places that takes lingerie above and beyond. We found something... er... "tasteful" for the bride, and went on our ways. Jeff and I headed for Idaho. It went by really fast because again, I love being with my husband, especially when he is NOT working. We stayed at this little hotel called the Pinecrest Inn, which was super cheap but actually not a bad room (NEVER EVER WILL WE STAY IN MOTEL 6 AGAIN). Then we went to sleep.

FRIDAY: Friday morning I woke up too eager to get to Lorraine's side to sleep. Jeff and I went to Denny's for breakfast since we had pretty much lived off of beef jerky all day thursday. gross. Anyways, so we hurried at Denny's and then I rushed to Rigby to get to Lorraine. When I got there I met her family and there were a lot of them, but they were all really nice people whom Jeff and I would eventually really enjoy spending time with. Lorraine was taking a bath when I got there, so I waited and chatted with the family. When she got out, I found her very overwhelmed, so I decided to take charge. I made her get back in the shower and rewash her hair because the bath had made it greasy, then we packed up all of her makeup and took her to the spa in Rexburg where she and her daughter got their nails done. Lorraine forgot a few things so I rushed back to Rigby to get them, then back to Rexburg. I then helped her do her makeup, straightened her hair, and rushed her to the Temple, barely making it close to on time. Honestly, I'm not sure if she would have ever made it had I not come to Rigby. But, I am so glad i got to be there to help her, and by the time she made it in the temple, she looked amazing. I went next door to the church building and got myself ready in the bathroom there while several ladies came in and out thinking I was nuts for doing my makeup in the church bathroom, but I told them what was up. It took me an hour and a half to get my hair right, then I waited at the temple for another hour or so, thank goodness Lorraine's sister Natalie and her fiance Zach were there to keep me entertained! We heard the couple was coming out, so we went outside. I got a funny looking sunburn while waiting outside. When the couple emerged, they looked radiant! It was all worth it. I double wielded cameras and tried to get decent photos, then ended up just using Lorraine's camera and deciding to use mine for the reception. We took lots of photos. Then I went back to our hotel where Jeff had been working ALL DAY. I picked him up and we went back to Rigby for the informal bridal party dinner. It was fun. Brenden and Zach were really hilarious and kept us all entertained.

SATURDAY: Saturday was hectic. Jeff and I checked out of our Pinecrest hotel, and went to Le Ritz. I then went straight to the salon where all the bridesmaids were getting their nails done, and Lorraine was getting her hair and makeup done professionally. Day two of the wedding celebration. We ate chocolate covered strawberries and I got my nails painted a sparkly gold color. Lorraine looked just as gorgeous as she had the first day, and all went well. Then I took Emily back to Le Ritz and told Jeff to get dressed up for the reception. We were late, got lost, and eventually found the place. It was gorgeous! I have tons of photos so no need to describe it. They did a ring ceremony, so we all walked down the stairs with two bridesmaids to every groomsman. Then the bishop talked about where rings came from and the symbolism. He asked Lorraine to tell him what she had learned in the first day of marriage. Her answer was hilarious but I can't remember it word for word. We took tons of photos, danced, ate cheesecake, blew bubbles, and generally had a wonderful time! I think my favorite part was seeing how happy lorraine was, Brenden's pre-garter retrieval dance, and that I got to give a toast to the bride and groom. I almost cried but kept it together. While they were destracted taking couple and family photos, Lorraine's brothers, Zack and Natalie, and Jeff and me all decorated their car! I wish I got a picture. We used: plastic wrap, paper towels, cheese wiz, ritz crackers, hot dogs, and toothpaste ( I claim no responsibility for the toothpaste ). All in all it was a beautiful wedding. That night, we all went out to dinner at Sizzler, laughed and talked. Then it turned into a spitball fight! I know it is so juvinile, but it was hilarious. Even I was shooting spitballs! Jeff started it, and Zach got me in the hair, so it was on! It was a great ending to a perfect weekend!

SUNDAY: Sunday morning Jeff worked ALL MORNING until 1 or 2 pm. I worked out for over an hour in the hotel gym. I watched the HOUSE marathon. I waited and waited until we were forced to check out, then I waited in the business room for hours. FINALLY we were able to leave, and we hit the road at high speeds trying to make it in time to have dinner with Melissa and Theron, see Jeff's friends, and see Daniel Bagby!!! We got a speeding ticket. Well, Jeff did. What's awesome is that it was only $140 bucks, if we had gotten the same ticket in Texas, it probably would have been around $500. Yeah... but honestly I couldn't get mad cause I know I would've been going just as fast if not faster had I been driving. So on the road we were driving, and Jeff looked over and saw the WEIRDEST looking girl we have ever seen. He was like "Is she real? QUICK GET THE CAMERA!!!" So I look over, and this girl looks WEIRD. She has these HUGE lips and they are all sticking out and open like a duck about to bite something. She has huge bug-eye glasses and just looked comical. So I grabbed the camera and took a picture right as she looked at us! HAHAHA. Then we sped off. This is Jeff's impression of how she looked from the side:10 minutes later, the very same white car she was driving catches up to us, we both look over right as we see the flash of a camera! She caught up to us and took a picture back! It was hilarious! Then she cut us off, and took the next exit before we could take another picture. She flashed us the peace sign. It was hilarious! By the time we made it to Ogden, we only had half an hour to see Jeff's friends in order to fit everyone in. So we saw Matthew and his wife, and we saw Josh and Harmony. Harmony is due to have her baby anytime in the next week or two, and was glowing! Josh's family was really cool. His brother is a singer/song writer and plays punk/emo type stuff... he sounds amazing! It was like getting a free concert! Then we headed for Salt Lake, had dinner with Melissa and Theron, which was really nice to see them. They barbequed for us and we just sat and talked. Afterward, Jeff and I headed for our hotel the Sky Lounge, which was really cheap, but super awesome! Next time I go to SLC, I am staying there. It's like a little apartment. Anyways, we checked in and Jeff started working again, so I went and met up with Daniel Bagby and his mom at the temple. It was SO great to see them both again! Daniel just got back from his mission to Brazil, and it was lucky I was in the area literally 1 day after he got back. We sat and talked for about 2 and a half hours, it was so great to see him. I have to say, some of my best memories are from high school and being friends with Daniel, and all the people in our group of friends. It was also nice to hear what was new with people I have lost touch with and all of that. It was a GREAT ending to the whole trip.

Weird Monday...

Today can only be described as... really really weird. It was a mixture of some incredible luck and some irritating misfortunes... but more of the luck so I am happy.

It all started out with me forgetting to set my alarm last night. I woke up just in time to realize I missed my Aerobics class, and fall back asleep. I then woke up again around 10:30 and began to get ready. I skipped the foundation, but left it on the counter top for some strange reason. The reason it's strange, is because the last foundation I had, Akira swatted to the floor and broke into several peices. This is important for later. Anyways, as I was taking my hair out of it's rollers, the doorbell rang. I knew who it was, it was the maintenance man, because our water heater is broken and he's been fixing it. One of the unfortunate habits of the maintainance men at this apartment complex, is they like to ring the doorbell, wait 3 seconds, and then barge right on in. Knowing this, I scrambled for some sort of decent clothing, praying he didn't come back to my room. I then made my way into the living room, greeting him coldly, I really need to have a chat with the Apartment people about these things, I have been walked in on more than once. It's really annoying. Anyways... I then found Akira hiding behind the fridge again, coaxed her out, and hid with her in my bedroom to finish getting ready. Without realizing it, I was running late, and by the time I had gotten my things together, stuffed a frozen waffle in the toaster, and headed to school... I was once again late for class. Luckily it was Gymnastics so it was ok.

Gymnastics went well, although I continue to do my back-handspring crooked, at least now I know why. When I squat down, I poke my butt to the left and end up flying Left instead of going straight. I'm working on it. I did still land my front flips, so it wasn't a complete failure of a class. One of my friends in class invited me out to lunch with her and another girl who is also in the class. I had a really great time with both of them, just chatting and learning new things about each other. I'm sad our semester is almost over... but so it goes. I ended up giving my friend a ride to work, and then I went and picked up my dress from David's Bridal, for Lorraine's wedding. The dress was ready and in the correct size and color, so that was a great relief (especially since we are leaving Thursday morning). I needed to get some shoes, so I drove to the outlet mall and walked in the first shoe store I found. To my incredible disbelief, the first pair of shoes I laid eyes on matched the color of my dress PERFECTLY! Then I picked a size 7 (my foot ranges from 5.5-8 depending on the brand), and it fit me PERFECTLY! I was like WHOOHOO! What a stroke of luck, I mean, seriously? Who carries the exact color of Teal... TEAL of all colors... that I need? Aldo does. That's who. And I just happened to walk in on the right day at the right time. They were the only teal shoes they had in the whole store. I bought those suckers and made it home in time to get my groceries to the fridge.

When I got home, Akira was pretty needy because she'd been traumatized by all the strangers coming in and out of our apartment all day, so I decided to be nice to her and let her in the office with me (she's usually not allowed). She played with a highlighter for a while, and then a random leaf from our plant, Frank. Then I allowed her to follow me in the bathroom, because she likes to play with the sink in there. Big mistake. I look away for 10 seconds, 10 SECONDS, and once again I hear a CRASH!!!!!! My brand new foundation, the foundation my mother in law makes for me, just my skin tone... was all over the tile, along with shards of glass everywhere. Not only was this a repeat of LAST weekend, this time it was a very full glass bottle of foundation, which took me 1.5 rolls of paper towel to clean up. I am soooo displeased about this. Not only because it sucked to clean up, but also because I had only gotten 2 uses out of it, and now I will have to ask my mother-in-law yet again to mix it up for me... like an idiot. Sometimes I just really want to kill the cat. In fact just as I was writing this, the doorbell wrang and it was more maintainence guys... so I had to put her in my bedroom so she won't run out the door... and she gave me what I'm sure will be more scars because she didn't want to go... Man this makes me look forward to what my children will do to me...

In any case, for a Monday, it's gone pretty well. I really enjoy being in the company of good people and good friends. And I am SO greatful that getting the bridesmaid stuff was so simple. To those of you who are in Utah who read my blog, feel free to text or call me. We'll be arriving in Salt Lake around noon on Thursday, and will be in town only for a few hours. We will, however, be spending Sunday evening in Salt Lake, so anyone wanting to see us give me a call or text me and we can arrange something like a dinner or something.

Blog Out.

Weekend Haps...

Friday night was fantastic! Jeff and I had gone earlier in the week and purchased DEATH NOTE 1 and 2. We had already seen 1 but hadn't yet seen 2. Chris and Tom came over and we all watched Death Note 1. It was really good, even the 2nd time I watched it. We also at ZPizza, and mine was Gluten Free. Delicious. Before the movie... Chris showed me a very interesting music video. It's an indian music video... click on "video" to watch it! It's really hilarious.


Today Jeff, Chris, and I rode bikes for about 5-6 miles!!! It was super fun, and a great way to get some exercise into my weekend. Jeff was not fond of the ride, but he was a good sport. After the ride, Marian came over and we finalized our plans to get certified! YAY!!! We both joined ACSM, both signed up for their 3-day crash course, and made hotel reservations. WOOHOO!!! ROAD TRIP!!!! I am really excited about it. Not only will I get my career started, I will also get a great trip with my friend. I really enjoy being around Marian and can't wait for our girls weekend. I will have to see if they have anything cool going on in Dallas... unfortunately Dallas can be rather boring... but it has great shopping. I seriously am stoked.

We are also considering adopting another kitten. Jeff and I have agreed on getting a Maine Coon if possible, and are currently looking with a shelter that specializes in exotic cats, like Bengals and Maine Coons. I didn't really think Maine Coons were exotic but someone does. Anyways, there is one in particular, named BlueBell we are hoping to get, she looks like such a sweet girl, and she's so young that Akira could mother her hoepfully. I just feel like Akira is lonely, and want to find her a little buddy to spend her time with. I'll keep you posted.