I would have to agree!

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, & aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You are a handful, & you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited...which can be good or bad. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are relaxed, & likely to go w/ the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. You are well adjusted & incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a free spirit. You are unpredictable, adventurous, & always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. Check Out Your Name's Meaning!

7 more days!

I am so excited for you Tammy!

For the Love of Apples...

Dessert came first tonight!
I believe these lovely Granny Smith apples fell from heaven, then hand-dipped in a soft, creamy caramel.
My favorite is sprinkled with cinnamon sugar...
that is my kind of Apple Pie! Yummy, yummy!
Sticky, chewy, sweet & crunchy, it is a treat that can't be beat. Sweet golden goodness makes me very happy.
Jocelyn & I found these at Tai Pan Trading Company,
I think they are absolutely divine!

In Pursuit of Happiness

"I used to cry because I had no shoes

until I met a man who had no feet."

It is a Wonderful Wednesday!

If I had really lived in the 60's...I would have wanted Marilyn to be my best friend. I know that she had Kathy, but I think we would have made a great trio!
I am so blessed because Marilyn is not just my mother, she is one of my best friends.
I am grateful for my mother who loves me so perfectly. She is patient & kind, her words encourage me & never hurt. My mother has always maintained a sweet loving spirit through every trial she has ever been faced with. Today my heart has been filled with beautiful thoughts & memories of my wonderful mother. Tonight I will give her a hug & tell her that I love her. I hope she has a wonderful Wednesday too.

Want to make your own smiley face cake pops?
I got this cute idea from Bakerella!

1 box cake mix (cook as directed for 9x13)
1 can frosting (16 oz)
Wax paper
Yellow candy melts (1 lb)
Lollipop sticks
Edible ink pens

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (I use the back of a large spoon, but it may be easier to use fingers to mix together. But, be warned, it will get messy. Also, you may not need the entire can of frosting, so start out by using almost the entire can and add more if you need to.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50)
4. Melt chocolate in the microwave per directions on package. (30 sec intervals, stirring in between.)
5. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.)
6. Place them in the freezer for a little while to firm up.
7. Once firm, carefully insert the cake ball into the candy coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered. Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Don't tap too hard or the cake ball will fall off, too.
8. Place in a styrofoam block to dry.
9. Once dry, draw faces with an edible ink pen and allow ink to dry!

Note: I think cake pops are a little more difficult to make than the cupcake pops because of trying to get the candy coating smooth.
If you haven't made them before, check out red velvet cake balls & cupcake pops.

Oh My...

1966

1968

1978

1986

I'm it!

Tagged by my sweet sister Julie!

Joys
1. Good news!
2. My family & friends
3. Being inspired to do better

Fears
1. Losing a loved one
2. Falling~I am not a fan of roller skates
3. Stepping on a scale

Goals
1. Have more fun!
2. Read more with Julia
3. Cook dinner more often

Obsessions
1. Chap stick~I have 17!
2. Keeping my hands clean
3. Julia says...Lotion.

Surprises
1. I was afraid of dogs till I was 23 years old. Including my neighbors poodle!
What cured my fear? My husband came home with a Rottweiler puppy.
2. When I was young, I always dreamed of having 4 darling daughters.
3. Julia thinks that I am the best mom in the whole world, sometimes that surprises me!

Our two new additions!

Julz & Safire are Julia's new pets. She has wanted them for so long and offered to purchase them with her own money. Today I finally made the time to take her to Petco. Julia loves them so much, I think it is so adorable. Check out her blog to see more pics!

Looking Back & Moving Forward

Today is the first day of 3rd grade!

August 2002...Julia is 2 years old

I like the stickers that she put on her legs.

Learning & Discovering...

"What a beautiful flower," Julia said.

"I want to keep this flower forever."

Oh Julia, you bring me so much joy.
I love you so much sweetheart.

CLASSIC! I love her cute little attitude.




This is about as daring as she gets!

Julia & Me at Stone Mountain in Georgia.

Warner Robbins AFB

Julia loved this machine gun.

Daddy & Julia having a great time in a Go Kart.

Perfect Love

This is the next picture that I am going to add to my collection from culturalhall.com
They are being sold at Costco right now for a great price. I think it is a sweet reminder to become more like Christ...to love unconditionally as he did.

Day off...productive & rewarding!

Today I took the day off work to do some things for myself, & spend time with Julia. We woke up early & had breakfast together. At 8 a.m. we went to see the dentist for our 6 month checkup. The dentist told Julia that she had beautiful teeth...not one problem. I am proud of Julia, she takes good care of her teeth.
We ran some errands & then we went to The Pizza Factory for lunch. When we came home it was time to POWER clean.
Julia + Karilyn= Power! We worked together to get everything done.
List of things to do:

• Dishes
• Dust & vacuum
  
• Change the sheets
• 2 loads of laundry
• Wash the blinds
  
• Paint my old dresser
  
• Clean the bathroom

Julia was so pleasant & helpful with every task. At 6:00 we took a break & had dinner together. At 6:30 we went to Westmore for "Back to School Night". Julia is really excited to learn cursive this year...she has beautiful penmanship. I am excited that she will learn key boarding...she can post her own blogs!
When we got home I thought of one more thing I needed help with. I called, "Julia will you come here please?" She quickly obeyed! When we were done I said "I appreciate your willingness to help me all day today." We hugged & Julia said "I love you, you are the best mom in the world."
WOW! I will never get tired of hearing that. Thank you Julia for making me feel so good.

Westmore Elementary Trivia:
Did you know that Westmore opened its doors in September of 1951?
What are the colors for the Westmore Wildcats?
Blue & white...the same as BYU!
Did you know any famous students from Westmore?
Kurt Bestor-Composer for LDS music.
Val Oveson-Former Utah Lt. Govenor.
Gary Herbert-Present Utah Lt. Govenor, & Andrea's uncle.
Shauna Rohbock-Olympian in 2002 winter olympics in SLC on the bobsled team, took the bronze metal.
Nicholas Arrhenius-Olympian throwing the discus in Bejing 2008, I grew up living next to him.
I think I was born to be a Wildcat. In 1954, my dad started Kindergarden at Westmore. In 1981, I started Kindergarden at Westmore. In 2005, Julia started Kindergarden & is currently a 3rd grader at Westmore. My mom is going on her 10th year of teaching at Westmore. Thank you mom for the great trivia!

Procastination

Facts of my life...

I was tagged & asked to reveal my innermost self.
I am to reveal 1o random facts about me.
All of these shall be factual.
Fact: I love to get a pedicure. Soft moisturized feet
topped off with pretty toenails make me feel so good.


Fact: When I concentrate, my lips pucker up & stick out...pretty far. Andrea teased me in beauty school about my "concentration lips." She could always tell when I was into the haircut...my lips gave it away every time! Thankfully, Andrea would break my concentration & always make me smile.


Fact: I would rather have a root beer float than chocolate any day. It is so cold & yummy!


Fact: I love polka dots! I like to decorate hand written notes with dots on every letter of every word. If I have given you a note, then you know what I mean.
Also, when I write I like to use dot dot dot.
Personally...I find it very effective!


Fact: I secretly want a dog someday.
A cute, little, easy to maintain dog.
Maybe a black pug!


Fact: I enjoy blogging! I said I would never do it, because I knew it was very time consuming. So here I am doing what I enjoy, and I am not feeling guilty about it. I love getting to know my friends & family better, & staying connected.
I have learned once again to Never say Never.


Fact: When I wash my hands I prefer to use liquid soap & paper towels. I wash my hands often, including before I unload the dishwasher, floss my teeth, wash my face, or apply makeup. I use disposable gloves when I touch raw chicken, clean the bathroom, do the laundry, change a diaper (I don't do much of that anymore), or apply lotion to my feet. I like to wear socks to keep my feet clean. If I bathe, I always take a shower afterward. I can count on 1 hand how many times Julia has taken a bath. When she was a baby, I held her in the shower with me.
No wet floors, no drowning, & no sore knees or aching back for me!
At this point you are thinking "freak" or "yes, of course". If you think I am a freak, you will probably never understand me because you like to live in the "wild" side, & that is okay. I am not afraid of getting sick...I just like feeling clean. I think it was a trait that I was born with.


Fact: I love being missed by those I love,
it makes me feel indispensable.
Fact: I feel blessed to have a daughter who shares the same love language I do because it makes it easier for both of us to feel & be loved. For those of you that do not know me, I love physical touch. Julia & I love to hug, snuggle, hold hands, & give each other back rubs. In church she used to sit on my lap, but since she has grown, that is no longer comfortable. Now she leans against me or puts her head in my lap so I can play with her hair. I love it!


Fact: I have loved Oprah since I was a teenager. I used to dream of being her hairdresser one day. She does so much good in the world. She educates people on so many levels & topics. Oprah helps people, all the while still showing that she is a "real" person...still figuring life out. She had inspired millions to do & be better, including myself. I think the world is a better place because she is in it.

All right my lovelies...
Consider yourself tagged!
Teresa ~ My adorable aunt who is getting a little dirty
this week at girls camp.
Julie ~ The best 2nd grade teacher I have ever known!
Andrea ~ My best friend who needs a good excuse to
post something new! I love you.
April, Julie, & Jocelyn~ Let's see which
smart & sassy sister will finish this first!
Marilyn~The woman I admire most!

I am so excited!

Prison Break starts next month & I can hardly wait! I have been watching it since the first season. I secretly have a little crush on Micheal Schofeild! Watching his brain in action drives me crazy!

Spice Girl

You Are Garlic

Of all the spice types, you are the most universally loved. You get long with pretty much everyone, and you leave a lasting impression. You adapt yourself well to situations. You can fit in or stand out, depending on what you're called on to do.

What Spice Are You?

I took this quiz & I now understand my entire personality so much better.
Seriously, this test is based on 5 questions!
I love these kind of things nonetheless.