tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44881068208976263312024-03-05T10:48:03.941-07:00The TheobaldsJlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-65014814466479295692013-06-11T14:09:00.000-06:002013-06-11T14:11:51.404-06:00Life with the BabeTomorrow little Jones will be two weeks old, and I can categorically say that it has been the best/hardest/longest/shortest two weeks of my life! I give him a million kisses every day.<br />
<br />
Some details from the last couple of weeks:<br />
- Breastfeeding has been really freaking hard! There was a lot of crying and a few punches thrown into the headboard of the bed. At one point I an absolutely convinced that if there had been any formula in the house, Jones would now be bottle fed. I was so ready to give up, but things have been going better so let's hope it keeps up! (Shout out to my chiropractor, Dr. John Sorenson at Advanced Care Chiropractic - his adjustments are what have done the trick in helping with breastfeeding!)<br />
- Alex is THE BEST EVER. He has been so supportive (even when I'm sobbing while breastfeeding and he has no idea what to say), so helpful, and is already the best papa I could ever imagine for our little man. It has blown me away how much more in love with him I am - I didn't even think that was possible. The few times I have become totally overwhelmed, Alex has jumped in without hesitation to help and I love that he doesn't freak out when the baby cries. He doesn't just hand him back or panic, he just snuggles with him and calms him down. Best.<br />
- The baby blues SUCKED, but I have been pretty great these last few days so I'm pretty sure they're all gone - hooray! I can only imagine what post partum depression must be like, and I am incredibly sympathetic to those who suffer with it. 10 days of baby blues was the most I could handle.<br />
- We have been asked a lot where the name came from and, honestly, I don't know! I just remember texting Alex a few months ago asking if he liked Jones and he said yes so I put it on the list! Then when he was here he just looked like Jones to me. We had a couple others in the running, but Jones just fits his cool personality. Maxwell comes from Alex's brother.<br />
- I have been so grateful to amazing friends and family for help, support and love. We are incredibly blessed!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IQxBj3qKL20RjIvCcjET5JWBRf-TgpiN9jd8mg8Z1bCvYSPHjGrpAMJ92PicmLsJgmrbsn2Xg8BFYIELKykrPGGrVrFjKyw0da1uzE5N8QkssW8FIOyvAxZnA9j_qPyNzizb1X98-IE/s1600/20130604_111958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3IQxBj3qKL20RjIvCcjET5JWBRf-TgpiN9jd8mg8Z1bCvYSPHjGrpAMJ92PicmLsJgmrbsn2Xg8BFYIELKykrPGGrVrFjKyw0da1uzE5N8QkssW8FIOyvAxZnA9j_qPyNzizb1X98-IE/s320/20130604_111958.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These little feet slay me every day. They are adorable. </td></tr>
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<br />JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-84035056258971778702013-06-11T13:50:00.001-06:002013-06-11T13:50:36.168-06:00Jones Maxwell Theobald<div style="text-align: center;">
The Birth Story of Jonesy!</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Monday night/Tuesday morning (May 28th) I woke
up at 3 am to my water breaking – a slow leak that continued for a couple of
hours. Contractions started immediately but were spaced apart and not too
intense. I tried to sleep but was too jazzed up so I couldn’t for a couple of
hours. I told Alex to go to work because my labor was still pretty mild and
didn’t want him to meaninglessly miss a day, especially since we wanted him to
take a week off after the baby came. I labored throughout the day, but was able
to take care of some things. I bought a baby swing and took Otis to the park
for a walk at the park, where I had to stop several times because the
contractions were pretty hard. Alex got home from work and in the early evening
the contractions started getting more intense and closer together. I had been
timing them for most of the day (on a handy-dandy app on my phone) and they
were now averaging under 5 minutes apart, usually closer to 3 minutes, and I
was having to breathe through them. All I wanted to eat was some tortilla soup
from Café Rio so we headed over there but on the way I realized it was a bad
idea because my contractions were becoming really uncomfortable. Alex ran in
and grabbed the food and we came home to eat. I couldn’t eat much and this is
kind of the time I have in my mind for when I thought, “ok, we’re going to have
a baby tonight”.</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the
next several hours I labored pretty hard but with my water having broken, we
wanted to wait as long as possible for the first vaginal exam due to risk of
infection. My midwife said that once she did the first exam, we had 12 hours
until the baby had to come out. I felt like I had labored pretty hard for
several hours so at 11:30 pm she checked me: baby was still high, only 3 cm,
50% effaced. That was SO disheartening and I cried at the lack of progress I
had made. I continued to labor, even more intensely, over the next several
hours. (My midwife later described this time as “brutal labor” to the doctor,
which was incredibly validating!) The contractions were so hard and I felt that
for sure I was making amazing progress: I was picturing my baby moving down, my
cervix opening. I labored backwards on the toilet for a while and that was one
of my favorite positions. If I was not on the toilet I almost always wanted to
squat through a contraction, and I felt like it helped me picture the baby
coming down and out. Alex was beyond amazing through this whole process. He
pushed on my back, supported me while I was squatting, held me and talked me
through what I needed to do. Labor was so intimate for us and we kissed often,
though we were both exhausted. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My two
sisters and sister-in-law were also there and they were an amazing support to
me. My sister-in-law has studied massage therapy and she did some fantastic
work on my back and showed Alex what to do as well. I was incredibly grateful for
her and my sisters – it was comforting to be there with women who had done this
before and knew what I was going through. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’m not
sure the exact time, but somewhere around 2 or 3 my midwife got called on
another birth - #11 for the woman, so it would be incredibly fast and she would
be back within a few hours, even though she had to drive to Cedar City. I felt
comfortable with her leaving because my sister has delivered babies before so
if it came to that, we could handle it. And secretly I hoped it would come to
that. Before she left I was checked again and I was at 4cm and 70%. I wanted
more, but let myself bask in the progress and kept a positive attitude. By now
I had been laboring for 24 hours and had gotten only a few hours of sleep
during that time, so everyone suggested we try to get some sleep. We laid down
and slept for maybe an hour. The contractions were still hard but they got a
little farther apart. When I worried they were getting too far apart I made
myself get out of bed and went to the bathtub, where they slowed even more. So
I got out and walked around the whole house, willing them to come back. But
much to my dismay, they slowed even more, and became so mild I could talk
through them. I chatted with my sister about what to do and all the while felt
incredibly calm about the decision I was about to make. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My midwife
returned and checked me again and I had made no progress at all. By this point
it was about 6 hours since the first exam and I had been in labor for about 27
hours. I was exhausted, Alex was exhausted, my body was done. I felt that if we
didn’t go to the hospital and just tried to ride it out that I would wait too
long, get too exhausted and would have to have a c-section because of the
length of time since the water had broken. I asked everyone to give Alex and me
some time to discuss our decision, and we cried together as we decided that we
needed to go to the hospital. I said to him that I was disappointed I would not
have the birth I have always dreamed of, but we were getting the baby boy we
had dreamed of, and that was what was most important. We were both incredibly
calm about it, knowing that it was the right choice for us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We got to
the hospital and went through a good hour of processing and the doctor telling
us our options and such. During which I wanted to yell: blah, blah, just give
me the Pitocin and epidural, we’ve already made our decision! I think around 7
or 8 we finally got going on the Pitocin and got the epidural. One of the worst
parts about the whole labor: the stinging from the numbing stuff for the
epidural! Gosh, that was painful. Alex was facing the anesthesiologist as he
did all his work, holding me, and I almost had to ask him to close his eyes
because his energy was so anxious as he watched all the big ol’ needles going
into me! It was a very different experience than laboring naturally at home,
where I felt nothing but peace, calm and support from him. From there we were
able to sleep for a couple of hours and I got a break from the pain. I wasn’t a
fan of not being able to move my legs, especially after being so mobile while
laboring at home. I also HATED all the stuff that was attached to me! IV, two
monitors on my tummy that were itchy, THREE plastic bracelets on my wrist
(THREE?!) and, worst of all: the dreaded blood pressure cuff. I hated that
thing so much. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The doctor
and nurse weren’t super happy with my labor pattern, but I had progressed to a
5 when they checked me first. When I woke up my sister suggested I watch the
monitor and start breathing through the contractions as if I could feel them. I
think that really helped move my labor along. Also the doctor’s last visit
before I got rocking and rolling was a catalyst because I could see the “we
might have to do a c-section if you don’t start progressing soon” in his eyes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pretty soon
I was at a 6, then 7. The nurse gave me surprised eyes when she checked me and
I was progressing so quickly, probably because my contractions were still not
super regular. By now I had started to feel the epidural wearing off, and I
pushed the button to increase the drugs a few times, but it didn’t seem to
help. And I’m glad, because that made me decide that I was getting close enough
that I wanted it to wear off. One of my
biggest concerns about epidurals has always been that they take the control
away from me because I can’t feel what my body is doing, so I’m super glad that
the epidural had worn off almost completely by the time I was pushing – it allowed
me to have some semblance of the natural birth that I wanted. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not long
after that I went through transition. Mostly what I remember is ferociously tearing
the blood pressure cuff from my arm, swearing a good few times and sobbing
uncontrollably at least twice. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
I was at a 9 (maybe he even said 9
½) and he said he would come back in a little while and check. My midwife came
to my bedside and said “you can push yourself to a 10”. So I did – I gave
little pushes with each contraction and visualized my baby coming down and my
cervix opening. I was pretty exhausted at this point, but determined to not
have a c-section, so I kept going. The nurses changed almost exactly at the
time I was ready to push, but I’m grateful because the sweet nurse who helped
me push was amazing. She was 38 weeks pregnant! Bless her heart. No one timed,
but we think it was about an hour and 15 minutes that I pushed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
THAT was a
crazy experience. I was hardly aware of any coherent thoughts during that time,
other than “I don’t think I can do this” and “I’m pretty sure I’m going to pop
my eyes out of my head”. It was pretty frustrating to push, push, push and then
have them say, “ok, keep him down on this next contraction”, which translated
in my head to “that last push didn’t do it”. I remember between contractions
just lying back on the bed and looking at my birth team around me, pleading
with them with my eyes. I don’t know what I was pleading for, but I did say out
loud to Alex at least once that I didn’t think I could do it. He assured me I
could and told me I was the strongest woman he knew. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I remember
the last several pushes before he was really close, taking the deep breath
before the push, bearing down and thinking that I wouldn’t be able to push – I
was just going to have to skip this contraction, but somehow I was pushing.
Finally the nurse called the doctor in and this is the most coherent I was during
all of pushing, because all of a sudden there were 20 freaking people in my
room, pushing stuff around and talking amongst themselves. Very clearly I
thought, “THIS is why I wanted a home birth”. Just another day on the job for
these people – only the biggest day of our lives. Alex was really affected by
it, too. He said he heard two of the nurses talking like “oh, you HAVE to tell
me where you got your hair done!” And two janitor guys coming in to move, like,
one trash can. No worries – I’m just birthing a child here, my vagina out for
everyone to see. No big deal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A few more
pushes and all of a sudden I could feel him coming out. They kept telling me
they could see the head, could see his blonde(!) hair. This part was so easy
for me – it almost seemed like the doctor was doing all the work. Maybe it was
just a huge rush of adrenaline but I don’t remember even getting the head out
being half as hard as the pushes I had done before that. Then one more little
push (I think, maybe the doctor sort of just wiggled him out – that’s kind of
what it felt like) and there was my baby boy! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such a
flood of emotions: relief, love, joy, pride! I looked up and there was Alex at
my side, and we cried together as we looked at our precious little son. He was
here, he was finally here and he was perfect. <o:p></o:p></div>
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JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-45578710087395167982012-11-25T11:00:00.001-07:002012-11-25T11:00:53.692-07:00We're going to have a baby and stuff...A few people have been asking me to do a pregnancy FAQ post, and since I haven't blogged in 6+ months I figure that is an okay place to start.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What was the reaction when you found out?</b>
Well, it was *quite* surprising. We had been off birth control for a year and a half and during that time we had "tried" off and on, I tracked ovulations and such but to no avail. The few months before we got pregnant we even began having conversations like "maybe we're just not ready... maybe we should go back on birth control". The timing was really not the best, I had just started school with 15 credits, working full time. But now that the surprise is out of the way, I am so grateful for the timing because it means I won't have to be pregnant in the St. George summer, and that is good for all parties involved.
I will be completely honest and say that the first week+ after finding out was mostly shock, but I remember one morning looking in the mirror and thinking "I'm finally going to be a mom" and remembering all the times we had wanted it so badly. And of course I cried. I do that a lot nowadays.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Dominant emotions thus far?</b>
Like I mentioned - shock. Then bliss... relief that there is "nothing wrong" with my body... excitement. I still see couples out with their kids and think "holy crap, that is going to be us soon." So I'd say another dominant emotion is "holy crap".<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Symptoms?</b>
I had no symptoms that I thought to be pregnancy before one of my friends finally said I should test, just to be sure. It was not uncommon for me to be late - I even skipped a cycle all together a few months before. The first thing I noticed was my boobs got HUGE, swollen and even hot to the touch. I had no nausea until about week 10, and that lasted for about 5 weeks. I still haven't thrown up, although sometimes I think it might have made me feel better.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Any cravings?</b>
The only one I can think of as a "craving" would be lime. I loved me some cherry limeaids from Sonic for a few weeks. Other than that it was either "honey, go to Wendy's right now because a baked potato sounds like the *only* thing I can eat!" or I would go to eat something and it tasted like the <i>best. food. ever.</i> Happened with a sandwich first. I kept asking Alex "is this not the best sandwich you have ever had?!" He thought I was a little crazy.<br />
<br />
<b>Weight gain?</b>
Actually down 5+ pounds since my first 8-week visit. Pregnancy diet is the best because you never ever want to eat. My belly looks a lot bigger to me, but I haven't gained any weight. I can't wait to pop because I feel like I just look fat right now.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Movement?</b>
None yet. But it's only 4" right now, today I am 16 weeks.<br />
<br />
<b>Boy or girl?</b>
I truly don't care, but Alex is really hoping for/convinced it is a boy. He says they are easier. However, we have WAY more girl names than boy names on our list, so if it is a boy we will be in trouble. We will find out in about a month.<br />
<br />
<b>How does Alex feel about all this?</b>
He couldn't be happier. He was made to be a dad, and he will be so amazing. He has taken such good care of me, I couldn't ask for a better person to accompany me on this journey.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Things I've enjoyed the most so far?</b>
There is a human being growing inside of me. I have felt that the baby's spirit does not dwell in the womb through the whole pregnancy, but I have definitely felt it when it has been there. The only way I can describe it is a glowing feeling. The first time I felt it was when we were watching Walking Dead (haha! Sorry, baby, for that to be the first thing you were exposed to, but let's face it: zombies are awesome. We will teach you.)<br />
<br />
<b>Things we are looking forward to?</b>
A peaceful, natural home birth. Big cheeks to kiss and sometimes pinch. Waiting to see if he/she has Alex's dimples (please, oh please!)<br />
<br />
<br />JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-87651578644843699542012-04-01T00:02:00.002-06:002012-04-01T00:17:28.853-06:00"Empire Records, Open Til Midnight..."This last week flew by in a blur of crazy. <br />Monday night we went over to Alex's parents house to help out his dad who is working on a new album! Phil is an incredibly talented musician and I really can't wait to hear all the songs, because the few I did hear rocked my socks off. And the new album will be featuring a bit of yours truly and all the other kids. Just some back-up stuff, but still! I had a ton of fun and it was super nice of Phil to involve us in his pure awesomeness. I'll let you know when the album is done!<br /><br />Tuesday we had a super yummy dinner with our groovy friends, the Telfords. We sure think they are great, and their little boy is adorable. <br /><br />Wednesday I watched 4 episodes of Vampire Diaries. And I liked it. <br /><br />Thursday I had girls night with my homies and then went and purchased flowers for my backyard. <br /><br />Friday was about the epic-est night I've had in quite a while. I spent pretty much all week preparing and planning. It's what we like to call "Incest Fest", and I know you're jealous. <br />Every Friday before conference my family gets together and has what we used to call "Adult Night", seeing as how we leave all the kiddos at home and have some fun night with just the adults. Well, every time we said something like "I'm so excited for Adult Night!", it sounded creepily like we were going to be shooting a porno, so we just bagged it all and went with "Incest Fest". Much better. <br />Annnnnnyway... it was my turn to host and I am pretty sure it rocked. We had an awesome dinner of baked penne, pizza factory breadsticks, baked asparagus and brussel sprouts and a strawberry lassi drink. <br />Then we played a series of Minute To Win It games, and I think more than one person in my family peed their pants. I should have sent out an "I'm sorry we're going to be so loud tonight" note to all my neighbors before hand. It was an absolute blast. <br /><br />Needless to say I was quite exhausted come this morning, as I just could not sleep last week (and it doesn't look like I'll be kicking that anytime soon since it's 12:15 and I'm wide awake). I was up until 1:30 and 2:00 every day last week. Yuck. <br />BUT - thank goodness I had made plans with my mother-in-law to come over - I was able to get my tush in my backyard and plant some flowers! Gosh, I hope they do well and I don't kill them. I'll post pictures later. They are not much to look at right now... hope they get bigger! <br /><br />Here's hoping I can get some sleep tonight.JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-71206787134388501332012-03-25T20:22:00.007-06:002012-03-25T20:51:29.565-06:00Spring is in the Air!I looooooooove spring! And I am NOT the type of person who adds vowels to words unless she reaaaaaly means it. <br />The weather has been gorgeous here and I cannot get enough of all the blossoms on the trees and the freshly planted flowers. Daffodils are the cutest little "happy" flower. <br /><br />On that note, I did work my freakin tush off on Saturday. I felt like a zombie by the end of the day. We worked for hours in the backyard (p.s. I HATE flag stone. If ever you are thinking "flag stone would look nice here" - you are wrong, mister. Dead wrong. It is impossible to keep looking nice). I think we are all ready to plant pretty flowers this Saturday and I am so excited for that. <br />We got our fire pit / thingy in! Hurrah!! We've been trying to do it for months. It was so easy, really didn't take much time at all. <br />Don't mind the ugly, un-cared for flagstone. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncfjZF4Ln-UGYUEmHx_zNMXZQqkg8RjPxi1Z-CpJhCNXeozesTs6O0rJy34dFCW8L1C0tZXmCtn_FW3Q_ttrQQRKgXnEtoJFEIknHjad-7k3pENuhBf6ZbeDF9uwHZi_lU2IfjKOD66o/s1600/P1011366.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncfjZF4Ln-UGYUEmHx_zNMXZQqkg8RjPxi1Z-CpJhCNXeozesTs6O0rJy34dFCW8L1C0tZXmCtn_FW3Q_ttrQQRKgXnEtoJFEIknHjad-7k3pENuhBf6ZbeDF9uwHZi_lU2IfjKOD66o/s400/P1011366.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724027263237337922" /></a><br />We are going to have s'mores this weekend! Pictures to come of my soon-to-be-planted flowers up in those terraced spots behind the fire thingy. <br /><br />Also, we saw Hunger Games over the weekend. It rocked my flippin socks off. I really thought they did an amazing job with it and I loved all the characters - especially Caesar. I pretty much love Stanley Tucci always. <br /><br />Last weekend Alex's parents took us and the rest of his family to Zion for a night and we had a blast. It was beautiful on Friday and we hiked Observation Point. I am blown away by that place's beauty every single time I go. We don't usually make pricey purchases, but there is an art gallery up there that we really adore and the owner is super nice. You can see his work <a href="http://www.davidjwest.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=0&p=0">here</a>.<br />We fell in love with this gorgeous vase and had to take it home. It is probably the most expensive accessory I have in my whole house :D It is so unique and I don't regret one penny of it. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHUDv1Kqq7vinBOSodgKDXscRJAeS7Ni_ZdZESRlDg28xCMJzQScvktsIJegWjUkw18IjgF7LiMPhyphenhyphen8LJnwU5PK2BT0X5C-osGkOK-M_UEeXkF_YNPk6QdTavyVMEsi0zKVDLb4sGH_E/s1600/P1011370.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHUDv1Kqq7vinBOSodgKDXscRJAeS7Ni_ZdZESRlDg28xCMJzQScvktsIJegWjUkw18IjgF7LiMPhyphenhyphen8LJnwU5PK2BT0X5C-osGkOK-M_UEeXkF_YNPk6QdTavyVMEsi0zKVDLb4sGH_E/s400/P1011370.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724029280922094178" /></a><br /><br />I love decorating for spring - it is my second favorite, next to Halloween. I still have a few things to put up, but here is what I have so far:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zgXpP3fyqc3GPXr3o9Ja2FI-_yIZ2GL2tTKKExD3Xbya_uwpa3ICW8m4tH0owptNjWvAZJDOifsFc4IKgI8OcNwAE4RAa94bz8grwuzCcsO3pY-GrxgvB7unGyG92TFeoTX4rMf5UBM/s1600/P1011373.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zgXpP3fyqc3GPXr3o9Ja2FI-_yIZ2GL2tTKKExD3Xbya_uwpa3ICW8m4tH0owptNjWvAZJDOifsFc4IKgI8OcNwAE4RAa94bz8grwuzCcsO3pY-GrxgvB7unGyG92TFeoTX4rMf5UBM/s400/P1011373.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724028558290013506" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJf9IHc9xtHNHZCJX4o9bzNS0K8HDMcvCkU0CN_MSnEzKCbr-UL6marHx0KCOAtLgwwtezqUyz3a8fawc10vrVk-H4HgP2-a69Gxi1p7Ami3AxgQwiZEkdZm0WXNNT-IWTjMvBjSpqHk/s1600/P1011372.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJf9IHc9xtHNHZCJX4o9bzNS0K8HDMcvCkU0CN_MSnEzKCbr-UL6marHx0KCOAtLgwwtezqUyz3a8fawc10vrVk-H4HgP2-a69Gxi1p7Ami3AxgQwiZEkdZm0WXNNT-IWTjMvBjSpqHk/s400/P1011372.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724029737222470498" /></a><br /><br />My living room is slowly coming along, and with the recent purchase of this rug I finally feel like the colors are coming together. I am in love with it. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p63lYMvwOIbXbWBBe507l-8CqdzgJKWzV_XJRc1TjQgyoOjaJb3a02YT3UvvECT-Qy1l7awnChC3CpmugR4nPKn51wF9MVHHJ-H_RyK6KQuBjsg3cQ9c3AprEnjVOO4bIW51wT5zgMM/s1600/P1011371.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2p63lYMvwOIbXbWBBe507l-8CqdzgJKWzV_XJRc1TjQgyoOjaJb3a02YT3UvvECT-Qy1l7awnChC3CpmugR4nPKn51wF9MVHHJ-H_RyK6KQuBjsg3cQ9c3AprEnjVOO4bIW51wT5zgMM/s400/P1011371.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5724027281038738690" /></a><br /><br />Guess what? I didn't get a killer bruise. No bruise at all. I would say my life is a total waste, but I am currently eating swirly gummy bears, and that somehow makes it all better. Bless you, gummy bears. You are my reason for living.JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-49988580543562304132012-03-21T22:18:00.003-06:002012-03-21T22:40:16.506-06:00HappeningsI feel like such a loser always doing "what's been happening lately" posts... do you hate reading them? I just don't know what else to blog about, and I'm feeling bloggy tonight. Maybe it's the menstruation that's got me in the pensive mood (tmi? I don't care, my few readers are most likely girly friends)... (also, side note... I literally had to Google pensive because I kept trying to spell it pensieve like from Harry Potter. Yikes. Thank you, spell check.)<br /><br />Now... where was I? Yes, menstruating pensiveness. <br /><br />I don't know what I'm being pensive about. I just know that is the mood I am in. So pretend that my voice is all pensive-y, and I will try to stop using the word pensive. I've always liked that word. Even before Harry Potter skewed it in my brain. <br /><br />Today I was a ninja at work - in a skirt - and no one even saw. I saved four 10' glass lamps from falling over by performing a graceful leap that sent my right chin colliding in to the base of an 18" thick steel base. I chipped my bright pink toenail polish and I limped for three hours. I BETTER have an awesome bruise. Is that not the worst, when you get a killer wound and then there is this dinky bruise?! I hate that. <br /><br />Midterms are over with and afterwards I immediately felt the lethargy and apathy kick in. Literally the next day. I am now grateful that I can't take any classes during the summer. <br /><br />We got our puppy groomed for the first time yesterday. When I got home I was pretty sure we were going to have to change his name - Joey? Steven? Bob? He looks SO different. But SO cute. I love him. Milestone for today: he scratched on the door until I let him out so he could poop. I was giddy with excitement. <br /><br />In a few weeks I will be awarded 3 weeks paid vacation time from work. What do I do??? I really want to do a trip back east - New York, Washington, D.C., maybe church history. But I feel this dread coming over me that it will all just be wasted on sick days and leaving early on Fridays. Blech. <br /><br />The last several weeks have been frustrating as we have tried to finish project after project to no avail. Alex was sick last week so we couldn't get anything done over spring break. My kitchen is STILL not finished, and now we are trying to get the backyard done before it gets flippin hot. The failures of the last few weeks have fueled my stubborn determination: this Saturday I will work all. day. long. Who's with me!?!? (please?)JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-37928268228834823852012-02-01T12:48:00.001-07:002012-02-01T16:42:23.458-07:00ExtraordinaryYesterday my boss handed me a questionnaire for me to fill out and the first question perplexed me. I skipped it and filled out the easy ones - favorite candy, favorite movie, etc. All throughout the day I kept coming back to the question in my mind, trying to answer it and coming up short. <br />It was this: "What is your greatest recognition moment?" Basically, "what is your most extraordinary moment?"<br />I kept thinking to myself, "well, I've never done anything that great. What do I have to be proud of? I've lived in little ol' St. George most my life, got married and settled down, work full time. I never even backpacked across Europe like I always dreamed of."<br />So I was driving around, zoning, like you do (missed my turn, like I do), and my brain all of a sudden was flooded with extraordinariness! Now, before you start thinking this is quite the vainglorious blog entry, let me express the reason for it. As I started to list my cool accomplishements I realized that I'm posititve everyone has this type of list, you just don't see it! My cool-things list has just become a part of my past, and I don't realize how flippin awesome each thing is! How extraordinary they each are! <br />So, since you may be thinking "chya right, Jaylyn. You're not even that cool.", here is my evidence:<br /><br />I jumped out of plane. <br />I have performed in front of hundreds of people, singing and acting, including a performance in Carnegie Hall!<br />I hiked Havasupai, and came out alive. <br />I learned how to drive a motorcycle, and one time I tipped over while I was out cruising and I PICKED.UP.A.MOTORCYCLE. True story.<br />I have hiked Angel's Landing (this is one of those that did not seem cool to me at all, but how many people worldwide can say this!?)<br />I witnessed the miracle of birth.<br />I helped organize and participated in an event to feed hundreds of needy people in our community. <br />I have loved deeply and had my heart broken. <br />I repelled from mountains and jumped from 50-foot cliffs in to cold water. <br />I bought a house. <br />I left the only home and family I had ever known and moved across the world to a place where I didn't know one person or the language. <br /><br />I regularly sing at the top of my lungs, dance like a total crazy person, and I love my friends and family fiercely. <br /><br />I feel like this is just the beginning of a freakin rad list that I will continue to compile throughout my life. I would highly recommend that you 5 people (love ya, by the way) who read my blog do this. It makes you feel like a rock star. I'll end with my favorite quote, which I know I've shared before but I'm pretty sure it can't be over-shared. <br /><br /><blockquote>“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”</blockquote><br /><br />You were BORN to be magnificent! And every one of you IS A ROCKSTAR!! The question is: do you see it?!JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-86235053149580821012012-01-29T22:35:00.002-07:002012-01-29T22:50:19.037-07:00Lately...Quick update on what is new with us:<br />-We are both going back to school, finally having pinned down which degrees we want to pursue. Alex is going for his bachelor's in psychology, and mine will be a computer technology degree with an emphasis in visual technology (basically graphic design).<br />-The holidays were wonderful - lots of time with family and friends. Alex participated in a Biggest Loser competition at my work so he did not enjoy any holiday food. I was awestruck at his restraint as he sat back and watched while we all gorged, and he happily sipped on his lemon/pepper water. Yuck. But he won the competition by losing 32 pounds. I am so proud! (P.S. who knew he had 30 lbs to lose?! When he told me that was his goal I was pretty sure he would have shrunk to mere bones by losing that much).<br />-We did get a new puppy. We are both sad and relieved to still think of Norman every day. In no way is Otis the "replacement", just a little brother. Having a brand new puppy is crazy and we find ourselves wanting to punch stuff sometimes, but then he looks up at us with his little teddy bear face and we melt. Until he pees on the floor...again.<br />-We still are teaching the 12-13 year olds at church, and they are so wonderful. We love being the cool teachers, and really all it takes is Alex making Yoda jokes and bringing treats every week. I wish it was that easy to make everyone in life like you. <br />-Work is great for both of us. Alex was awarded "Employee of the Month" for January at Rise, and it is no surprise. Everyone loves him at both of his jobs and he continues to excel in his line of work. I love the signage/marketing business and I think I will be in it for quite a while. I am excited to be pursuing a degree that can only help me advance at my current job, but also leave the opportunity to work from home, if possible, in the future. <br />-The house is slowly coming along, one room at a time. The kitchen is almost completed - the goal was this weekend, but that's not going to happen. It will be 80%, but I'm still excited about it. We'll get it to look how we want... by the time we are ready to buy a new house.<br />-Life is good, great, grand, and wonderful. We couldn't ask for better people in our lives, better jobs, or happier times together. <br /><br />Until next time! Which will hopefully not be another 3 months...JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-35961990999726965362012-01-29T22:12:00.005-07:002012-01-29T22:35:32.580-07:00Norman D. TheobaldOn December 27th, 2011 we said goodbye to our furry bestie, Norman. We only had Norman for a short while, but he had become more a part of our family than I even thought possible. We adopted him from a family where he had obviously been abused and it took him a while to trust us, but that made us love him more. And I do believe it made him love us more when he did learn to trust us. He was the best dog ever. He was fun, snuggly, loyal, well-trained, unbelievably smart, and endearingly neurotic. We were constantly amazed at how intuitive he was and always grateful for his incredible behavior. We couldn't understand how anyone could ever even be angry with him. <br />Although my heart still aches for him, I am so glad that he got to be with a family who loved him unconditionally. We expressed our love and gratitude for him every day and I'm so glad for that. <br /><br />We love you, Norman. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bUlHZY25PcQbLbM1e6606BBEu3gaDubB4X4zKqDR_t8yCRn-8ZaylTDYCP25aMm7Lju0RtiroIPiwi4f0kHsio6vWPG8lP5pusRD65bEqHdor8JfX4auMaZJmfHAaDbbQ7i1vfyfmpY/s1600/PA091236.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bUlHZY25PcQbLbM1e6606BBEu3gaDubB4X4zKqDR_t8yCRn-8ZaylTDYCP25aMm7Lju0RtiroIPiwi4f0kHsio6vWPG8lP5pusRD65bEqHdor8JfX4auMaZJmfHAaDbbQ7i1vfyfmpY/s200/PA091236.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703293538940388850"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2ezoZjxCuvUMswL5VHiFApzQhTdJ9Uw3i1HZ1KOcyAW_AEUTpP8ypNK6B7VsUOPAEeEw6Bp6vfzbgj-DoTiK-Eu3mY8MdxwLTGjvNf9x_9vK8SFb_pjmIVqKmFHm8acech9yAe5a044/s1600/P8251215.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2ezoZjxCuvUMswL5VHiFApzQhTdJ9Uw3i1HZ1KOcyAW_AEUTpP8ypNK6B7VsUOPAEeEw6Bp6vfzbgj-DoTiK-Eu3mY8MdxwLTGjvNf9x_9vK8SFb_pjmIVqKmFHm8acech9yAe5a044/s200/P8251215.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703293529511872466"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDK5A_wc97K78ANYFg9fGTPqvEgGe3PzVQFjmzhsm7vARr_nAPnTVAlxQPumlnSBAeEFrDeJ92qg07YKghuch6MRVrQzJyVV4Z0oz-X2lyjFWciTGdGx_MOj1-uoe8O8ieT1kLzmon70/s1600/P5050921.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDK5A_wc97K78ANYFg9fGTPqvEgGe3PzVQFjmzhsm7vARr_nAPnTVAlxQPumlnSBAeEFrDeJ92qg07YKghuch6MRVrQzJyVV4Z0oz-X2lyjFWciTGdGx_MOj1-uoe8O8ieT1kLzmon70/s200/P5050921.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703293525284149314"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaQLYjIAgkMFJLTdaQTVxsIvvZTQVE1NZ7o9lfVCMKpnUztNT1GRRsRUH0q8AuMQVyHJ4pjcfihyhzLwIrV-9Q1a1bEvxrRbhYpUmUAQst_z2VXRHvlMMTsqjFk-5LBepBnCT26aYpR0/s1600/P4100896.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaQLYjIAgkMFJLTdaQTVxsIvvZTQVE1NZ7o9lfVCMKpnUztNT1GRRsRUH0q8AuMQVyHJ4pjcfihyhzLwIrV-9Q1a1bEvxrRbhYpUmUAQst_z2VXRHvlMMTsqjFk-5LBepBnCT26aYpR0/s200/P4100896.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703293521379541682"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfj0qXznDlt3YIos9zaNLykN85KjKp3cG6VjozE6BW96sNVRhB_w82gdiGGmYigWPeR7i7TpCJYn76AmrUXsRM4ac5IcaWRQoU8d_ZUCkybzQsaQd0miuOl2vcggjk8AqqegkN5BOtq0w/s1600/norman+copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfj0qXznDlt3YIos9zaNLykN85KjKp3cG6VjozE6BW96sNVRhB_w82gdiGGmYigWPeR7i7TpCJYn76AmrUXsRM4ac5IcaWRQoU8d_ZUCkybzQsaQd0miuOl2vcggjk8AqqegkN5BOtq0w/s400/norman+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703291066363062450"></a>JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-74818205759543499362012-01-29T22:00:00.003-07:002012-01-29T22:12:13.335-07:00I'm BackRecently I was scolded for not updating my blog, so here you go. I will not try to re-cap the last 3 months because... well, I have a really terrible memory and probably can't even remember most of it. <br />But pictures are always fun, so these are for you. The company I work for took all the employees AND their families on a cruise a few weeks ago. (Yes, you do work at the wrong place. I have the best job ever.) It was a blast and a fun little mini-vacation for Alex and me. I really am in love with vacations that just sneak up on me and require no planning on my part. And the love-odometer multiplies by a gajillion when it's free. In fact, I think we made money on the trip because I got paid for the week on top of it. (Yes, your bosses are nowhere close to as cool as mine.) <br /><br />Catalina Island - of course we go to the playground.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdFjohmHeY0hllOV4F8-FREo-fLGirZB3UDkm01uOIM7L4Xs1Rjv5f-F3u3st3irHKPAepfPr3WsBCsPlU1BJC_nzJhY4n5PvwMNLKUYEEmbGg9bti91VboPVJOlqDkMbMw1QMZuvdhY/s1600/P1091268.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtdFjohmHeY0hllOV4F8-FREo-fLGirZB3UDkm01uOIM7L4Xs1Rjv5f-F3u3st3irHKPAepfPr3WsBCsPlU1BJC_nzJhY4n5PvwMNLKUYEEmbGg9bti91VboPVJOlqDkMbMw1QMZuvdhY/s400/P1091268.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703286495947161746" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbHpcYqrfH-CwXLDPOPjeMkY7v7x0xzZ6mrj9k10ioncZtRJjhyphenhyphenOs6zPD7Vl1qqsaM0Q-8GwiQgedWgLO4mBOkDug9gtGxVQXRNhyiWSntWOVxRYkZRaaNBDIBj6ChMljOVg4W1yopSY/s1600/P1091266.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbHpcYqrfH-CwXLDPOPjeMkY7v7x0xzZ6mrj9k10ioncZtRJjhyphenhyphenOs6zPD7Vl1qqsaM0Q-8GwiQgedWgLO4mBOkDug9gtGxVQXRNhyiWSntWOVxRYkZRaaNBDIBj6ChMljOVg4W1yopSY/s400/P1091266.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703286488760068114" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gFX9aLFbkFzer7RbmIfBnTeCsPmAAx-WIDKvJwaSgPkA9NFn6L-8538imPTy73udetKhsI-z7X-MAMvK8lCAbHMAhFMLeC2oEQt6o-2U52O7kxsof1SI3nhJ3Olx5hVrBqRdYZTsD7k/s1600/P1101272.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gFX9aLFbkFzer7RbmIfBnTeCsPmAAx-WIDKvJwaSgPkA9NFn6L-8538imPTy73udetKhsI-z7X-MAMvK8lCAbHMAhFMLeC2oEQt6o-2U52O7kxsof1SI3nhJ3Olx5hVrBqRdYZTsD7k/s400/P1101272.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703286486437955426" /></a><br /><br />Ensenada... the famous "blowhole". Really, it's not all that exciting, but kind of a cool phenomenon to witness (once). We were way more excited about the plateful of delectable tacos. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWC-hJ9o9wh1MOtKs7d4Z6Bw6qgRGSbV03Y_HTcI4K328d3rtZegkxN3-G2A1C7V5V_PZoDkQmpzHj_3WrzOZxyOclmbG0OmUKUCiahR7sj9tb26IFU1s3fGD54c78SBh2x9E87Rq2-Eo/s1600/P1111286.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWC-hJ9o9wh1MOtKs7d4Z6Bw6qgRGSbV03Y_HTcI4K328d3rtZegkxN3-G2A1C7V5V_PZoDkQmpzHj_3WrzOZxyOclmbG0OmUKUCiahR7sj9tb26IFU1s3fGD54c78SBh2x9E87Rq2-Eo/s400/P1111286.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703286476675531554" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZcfAHkf19V3fHHdJtEB58Z8l4WxyXRsFzEM42kQGWLTFjHeqPz6NZU6ts2SS207oPuSrTGEcsaZm2XpPhTmfDEn2-9pdBrADWyhFMkIvlq7ey9mghFvfyb_3N3kIBmBUV4ew78zp7y8/s1600/P1111292.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZcfAHkf19V3fHHdJtEB58Z8l4WxyXRsFzEM42kQGWLTFjHeqPz6NZU6ts2SS207oPuSrTGEcsaZm2XpPhTmfDEn2-9pdBrADWyhFMkIvlq7ey9mghFvfyb_3N3kIBmBUV4ew78zp7y8/s400/P1111292.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703286473874270290" /></a><br /><br />I am so grateful to work for awesome people who take care of their employees. And I know I said I wouldn't re-cap, but now that I'm writing I'm being flooded with things I'd like to tell you about. So I probably will.JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-35837297856139816972011-10-30T16:05:00.001-06:002011-10-30T16:18:38.282-06:00Bathroom is DONE!!After 11 long months of procrastination and busy-ness at least one room in our house is done! All I can say is that having a deadline makes all the difference. Enjoy!!<br /><br />BEFORE<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjolpX7yTqTzb-rIexihVpTjBh1d8Ysr5Bag0BC4EYqUziS1RI_37R5-GG5HZYxF1BD4NggclJL-66W9PBgDrdvCfXiArJNsns7cg_UYYOHIG9IWWAMApg3eDEStdLx1xd62UxaOb9jY/s1600/PC070605.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTjolpX7yTqTzb-rIexihVpTjBh1d8Ysr5Bag0BC4EYqUziS1RI_37R5-GG5HZYxF1BD4NggclJL-66W9PBgDrdvCfXiArJNsns7cg_UYYOHIG9IWWAMApg3eDEStdLx1xd62UxaOb9jY/s320/PC070605.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669411723380405634" /></a><br /><br />AFTER<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPSKZtnzit2o-B3Yj5QHO_XigSthv5wh94NINmbAobhaAGbNC2Mq7KzfbgNBl7QVDHc-K5QE4b7H5jVzXIgVZRD-yhwogDxfg90FCmD8s7B4czilpEvXttt_WJdDOiDEmbPtvIWQrs5g/s1600/PA301254.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPSKZtnzit2o-B3Yj5QHO_XigSthv5wh94NINmbAobhaAGbNC2Mq7KzfbgNBl7QVDHc-K5QE4b7H5jVzXIgVZRD-yhwogDxfg90FCmD8s7B4czilpEvXttt_WJdDOiDEmbPtvIWQrs5g/s400/PA301254.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412199660063042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZgLRW9PZRZK-hnTq9AYQ64044AjNGKcoMmk2o1hHuqJ5YsDRmM5re0RlzB73RglMNuZO5Y2sSC3nCBv7YCjjAVxNOmgqSREUBzgrzXdt-ZEebN4dH_SBOQSEcyiBF1Aec9OqxiRqp8M/s1600/PA301247.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZgLRW9PZRZK-hnTq9AYQ64044AjNGKcoMmk2o1hHuqJ5YsDRmM5re0RlzB73RglMNuZO5Y2sSC3nCBv7YCjjAVxNOmgqSREUBzgrzXdt-ZEebN4dH_SBOQSEcyiBF1Aec9OqxiRqp8M/s400/PA301247.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412589732962642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkfUU49VPmKyVgHKi_e4WceQA5wHmUAUYs0ifwppFnEhSfKG93CrBT1TalIGuf3LAlNxvhd71s1OIJ1SPwlAqGV6-tsry1OjQ2_rEYnC_Wdj3xp-qH_MnMJt54ANHoutTLQoHGkzUVa4/s1600/PA301248.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkfUU49VPmKyVgHKi_e4WceQA5wHmUAUYs0ifwppFnEhSfKG93CrBT1TalIGuf3LAlNxvhd71s1OIJ1SPwlAqGV6-tsry1OjQ2_rEYnC_Wdj3xp-qH_MnMJt54ANHoutTLQoHGkzUVa4/s400/PA301248.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412206589435906" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG0bk-ajZjbA3Ts09BRF4uF07L5I6srM_8kIsokPnqrclE5KG2w1dCr_OGOOjedX1i7wRq1AmpSqunJDJXDoM4C2D060TWzXTGvQzWR8ZOSavj1uN7DNZBqjQR2dvt7dhMduY06FdRGM/s1600/PA301251.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG0bk-ajZjbA3Ts09BRF4uF07L5I6srM_8kIsokPnqrclE5KG2w1dCr_OGOOjedX1i7wRq1AmpSqunJDJXDoM4C2D060TWzXTGvQzWR8ZOSavj1uN7DNZBqjQR2dvt7dhMduY06FdRGM/s400/PA301251.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412205427987954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3yZH2mRWyJKz7qObG6PMTQPoiY8FBYO6XK-wniYfNd8W3rHsUJdLNra7XZlspsPDrNdIvmDSo_PsA-uyXm3GJTbiy-5TmFdyC8cnckgiA0XhsOq1oBWeQEJBCEAv3LRtNcH0Dp4mtFM/s1600/PA301246.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3yZH2mRWyJKz7qObG6PMTQPoiY8FBYO6XK-wniYfNd8W3rHsUJdLNra7XZlspsPDrNdIvmDSo_PsA-uyXm3GJTbiy-5TmFdyC8cnckgiA0XhsOq1oBWeQEJBCEAv3LRtNcH0Dp4mtFM/s400/PA301246.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669412596260536130" /></a><br /><br />One of the best parts about this project, aside from the fact that I am in love with it, is that the whole thing cost about $125! WOOT! I wish I could do all the rooms in my house for that much.JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-20977368276022835772011-08-23T15:18:00.002-06:002011-08-23T15:31:00.244-06:00RandomiesToday my alarm went off and I didn't feel well. So I decided to treat myself with a day off work. Slept in until 10:30, had some food, and then went.... what do I do now??? I am so unimaginative when it comes to days off. Most of the time I just end up going to work in the afternoon because I get bored. Not today! Sticking it out this time. I have watched an episode of Prison Break, played with my dog, crafted, moseyed around the house and looked for interesting things on the internet. I know you're jealous.
<br />
<br />I am Mtn Dew sober for almost two whole days. It feels good, peeps. Yesterday was a killer, but today has been better. Possibly simply because I slept for 12+ hours so didn't need the caffeine. Pray for me tomorrow.
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<br />I really need to stop reading feminist slash so-called "blind obedient Mormon" literature. It just really gets my blood boiling. But then I just feel grateful that I don't have those challenges of faith in my life. But mostly my blood boils.
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<br />On a related note, I am super bummed the temple is closed this week and next. We've been going often lately and when it is closed I sort of feel a void.
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<br />On a completely unrelated note - I hate it when people say "unrelentless". Or cannot possibly spell the word "definitely". Or just don't take the time to use spell check when they are posting something for everyone to see.
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<br />We had a delightful evening with Alex's grandma last night which included a 5-course "supper" :) and Indiana Jones.
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<br />The End.
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<br />JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-9853853934761544492011-08-13T14:45:00.004-06:002011-08-14T21:53:04.449-06:00More Musings on FaithI feel like I'm getting closer to understanding what this whole faith thing is all about :) Thank you so much for all your comments, I loved them all! But I CAN'T stop thinking about blind obedience vs faith. It's all I could think of in the temple on Friday, and all I thought about all day in church. And I keep bugging everyone I know to talk to me about it, because, well... I'm a girl and that's how we figure things out!
<br />
<br />I think the thing that has been agitating me the most is that I, for the life of me, cannot understand what people view as blind obedience. I keep running circles in my head when I think about it. It goes something like this:
<br /><blockquote>"Ok, so blind obedience means that we just obey, not really knowing why. BUT - I know in my experience that even when I start out obeying a law/principle without having a testimony of it, once I start living it, it's quite impossible for me to avoid gaining a testimony of it. So, it may be blind obedience in the beginning, but it turns into something else.."</blockquote>
<br />OR
<br /><blockquote>"Blind obedience means that we just accept things without questioning them or studying it out. BUT - how does that coincide with having a "child-like" faith? Should people be condemned (or called a B.O.ite) simply because they don't NEED to study things out? 1 Cor 12:8-10 lists "gifts of the spirit" - one of which is faith. I think all of us know at least one person who "just knows" things. Their gift of the spirit is faith. They don't need to study it out, they don't need to figure it out logically to know of a surety that it is true. That's just simple and pure faith, right? Not blind obedience..."</blockquote>
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<br />So - does blind obedience even exist?? Because of the simple act of OBEYING, is that not a show of FAITH?
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<br />The latest conclusion that I have come to is that blind obedience has simply to do with intention. If you really and truly, down to your core, do something JUST because you are told. You have no intention of receiving a blessing from it, you do not ever take the time to see how it is helping you in your life, you never even give the act a second thought past just doing it. This has been hard for me to think about, because I've never known anyone in my life who acts like this.
<br />However, this cannot be the basis of judgement for being blindly obedient, because no other person on the planet has the ability to know your intentions besides you.
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<br />*sigh* I'm feeling pretty good about this conclusion, feeling finally a little peace about understanding at least what people mean by blind obedience (even if I don't agree with the unjust label), and then I pick up page 1 of Lectures on Faith:
<br /><blockquote>"If men were to...turn their thoughts and reflections to the operations of their own minds, they would readily discover that <span style="font-weight:bold;">it is FAITH, AND FAITH ONLY, which is the moving cause of ALL action in them.</span>"</blockquote>
<br />Whoa.
<br />Tell me what this says to you. Please. Because to me it says that ANYTIME we are EVER moved to action, it is because of faith. Therefore, blind obedience does not exist. (?) Do you interpret it differently? I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts! I am learning so much about this topic, and about myself, and I really appreciate you helping me :)
<br />JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-36795767605502961482011-08-11T22:47:00.005-06:002011-08-11T23:22:57.568-06:00Red Velvet CupcakesI. Love. Baking.
<br />Even after a super long day when I'm really tired, I have so much fun baking. I don't know if this will be interesting to anyone, at all, BUT I had fun doing it so I wanted to share this recipe and the photos I took while making these awesome cupcakes!
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Red Velvet Cupcakes</span>
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<br />2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour - sift it before you measure it.
<br />1 teaspoon baking powder
<br />1 teaspoon salt
<br />2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
<br />2 oz. red food coloring (two bottles) (this is a lot of coloring, but it’s worth it! The color is gorgeous!!)
<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
<br />1 1/2 cups sugar
<br />2 eggs, at room temperature
<br />2 teaspoon vanilla extract
<br />1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
<br />1 teaspoon white vinegar
<br />1 teaspoon baking soda
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<br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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<br />Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside. (I love this part :) Put the cocoa in the bowl first, and watch how cool it is when you pour the coloring over it!)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56MadSAARk8kUVfPtb3sQ_eHp0IImW_-9D3ZrRZ3OtnBbvrtnB-_8_8Pgeguu4vHTlaeEBDmskC1ZYLejTRAF6FBpofe_6FSnUtdrcQ-8JISSsm3xSP3S3y2bNQI0pb2yDRpErgRMzKs/s1600/P8111186.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56MadSAARk8kUVfPtb3sQ_eHp0IImW_-9D3ZrRZ3OtnBbvrtnB-_8_8Pgeguu4vHTlaeEBDmskC1ZYLejTRAF6FBpofe_6FSnUtdrcQ-8JISSsm3xSP3S3y2bNQI0pb2yDRpErgRMzKs/s320/P8111186.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639829685883394802" /></a>
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<br />In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about two minutes. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtNwiOyZFnJwP2DsM6PEEamtF-t5wk7Tm1K7sVbcWXUZ3_2txnaTdEki8hLdo0q7TzsFSvq50nrGsrtto4GusHbJ1pMonWbrjHnFIvsGngb6xJv_PqVev1bkpTyMGdBvBqBfcJntQx38/s1600/P8111189.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNtNwiOyZFnJwP2DsM6PEEamtF-t5wk7Tm1K7sVbcWXUZ3_2txnaTdEki8hLdo0q7TzsFSvq50nrGsrtto4GusHbJ1pMonWbrjHnFIvsGngb6xJv_PqVev1bkpTyMGdBvBqBfcJntQx38/s320/P8111189.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639829687814719874" /></a>
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<br />Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla (my Mexican vanilla! This souvenir is alone worth the trip!) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimdb0E151d6OJkWaf9rVqdJyq2cBGLyLUY5KwORE_567znqjBKUyK4ciZCI7Skj0k667APM2w8gTTBU4DJAwPOWFFUFGq9bbDVi1u1KtcD6WBUzHh47Ud9J7Z21MN3_cpuZrEiBBsS2M/s1600/P8111190.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimdb0E151d6OJkWaf9rVqdJyq2cBGLyLUY5KwORE_567znqjBKUyK4ciZCI7Skj0k667APM2w8gTTBU4DJAwPOWFFUFGq9bbDVi1u1KtcD6WBUzHh47Ud9J7Z21MN3_cpuZrEiBBsS2M/s320/P8111190.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639829692928272162" /></a>and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_CbMnGko9JyCVErO6XPt8p5aS1zzcjZCqO2buRuPjl-BhJVVn89GMFFgKGy6Ta6DXAcUmuCjSvIjdLY1JjHmhgxIi1w-V5eKKzaNs3Ad6hIItS4LKc7MtmAnF6NeYLN9ddfcee8wXLY/s1600/P8111191.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_CbMnGko9JyCVErO6XPt8p5aS1zzcjZCqO2buRuPjl-BhJVVn89GMFFgKGy6Ta6DXAcUmuCjSvIjdLY1JjHmhgxIi1w-V5eKKzaNs3Ad6hIItS4LKc7MtmAnF6NeYLN9ddfcee8wXLY/s320/P8111191.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639829692236971042" /></a>Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgZxZ6dhYeoTN0o41jeTVzwtqJRrRaljdYkIt-dciPhN1zMYfJNn_I3U2VUXoC3OSQ7AnVf0TAIBAeAJlkm_Ye4bXBt7Z20Y2khoa6O0qXmkq5-qAG7RNyPjbORZdxElkyeAJAGDyne8/s1600/P8111192.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgZxZ6dhYeoTN0o41jeTVzwtqJRrRaljdYkIt-dciPhN1zMYfJNn_I3U2VUXoC3OSQ7AnVf0TAIBAeAJlkm_Ye4bXBt7Z20Y2khoa6O0qXmkq5-qAG7RNyPjbORZdxElkyeAJAGDyne8/s320/P8111192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639829698940256354" /></a>
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<br />In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Be careful - it will fizz up. (I tried to get a good picture of the fizz - it didn't work. Also, I used WAY too gigantic of a bowl for this. Don't be dumb like me.)
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0_jEDb5eDZr1KTa4V2l0wsphBG36JsaY-dvLSW2w97JrCzbppgC3f7GUpN3ELo6aTR05DFOJQqWIttPD-vcEkyeb7kELJYUXv1uFv-gXIi5yNbgeQMUaVnKMRwmZwcOAtJ_LGb7WeAo/s1600/P8111194.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH0_jEDb5eDZr1KTa4V2l0wsphBG36JsaY-dvLSW2w97JrCzbppgC3f7GUpN3ELo6aTR05DFOJQqWIttPD-vcEkyeb7kELJYUXv1uFv-gXIi5yNbgeQMUaVnKMRwmZwcOAtJ_LGb7WeAo/s320/P8111194.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639831380596366834" /></a>
<br />Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 3/4 full).
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcK05Wu1TCet_-thDW_esaFSzLhaN108LNgISv84s4t7NdINyiV3ZCPYGsNSvW4eUCxSAa_C_VCb11MeX3vuy2E4vxRFY31-6WJ8Q6yyWndKCvcCkUKSeyswMYLnz0wt3mfCaIdIleAY/s1600/P8111196.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcK05Wu1TCet_-thDW_esaFSzLhaN108LNgISv84s4t7NdINyiV3ZCPYGsNSvW4eUCxSAa_C_VCb11MeX3vuy2E4vxRFY31-6WJ8Q6yyWndKCvcCkUKSeyswMYLnz0wt3mfCaIdIleAY/s320/P8111196.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639831385638945698" /></a> Place muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. (I like to clean up my kitchen during the baking. RESIST the temptation to sit down! Because there is nothing as awesome as fresh baked goods AND a clean kitchen, at the same time!)
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFD66w8h1XkkzKJb1seIpW3Ex3O49PnYY-veg17hOCtmR3CQ4S0K_tOaR5F18yUhJcEAoaR2ladBoRSzhmqt1NuNl_bxmCw27ZSE1QBaIwAnr_UO2rgD6sbUqhaZ8NFJ-XKIuGBN9ZJY/s1600/P8111197.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFD66w8h1XkkzKJb1seIpW3Ex3O49PnYY-veg17hOCtmR3CQ4S0K_tOaR5F18yUhJcEAoaR2ladBoRSzhmqt1NuNl_bxmCw27ZSE1QBaIwAnr_UO2rgD6sbUqhaZ8NFJ-XKIuGBN9ZJY/s320/P8111197.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639831387311527778" /></a>Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Check early and don't overbake. (Mine only took 18-19 minutes)
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<br />Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with cream cheese icing - recipe below.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cream Cheese Frosting</span>
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<br />16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
<br />1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract
<br />2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
<br />pinch of salt
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<br />With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until light and fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth)
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<br />There you go, hope you love the recipe like I do - it's one of my favorites.
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<br />Random tidbit from the day: our super duper cute dog, Norman LOVES scratches/rubs. Sometimes when you won't rub him, he'll go down to your feet and push himself up against them to get you to scratch him with your feet. Today he went down by my foot, stood underneath it and for several seconds moved his butt back and forth, scratching himself on it. I died. I am basically in love with that dog.
<br />Also - best music from the 2-hour kitchen dance party: Ke$ha, Will Smith and Da Dip by...who knows? Also, Linda Eder once things started to slow down. If you've never heard her, prepare for an awesomeness comparable to a kick in the face. An awesome kick. (You can skip to 2:00 if you don't want to listen to the whole song. And you will still be kicked.) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWP7l0OTXJI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWP7l0OTXJI</a>JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-29543648594506967942011-08-07T21:55:00.002-06:002011-08-07T22:26:18.225-06:00Blindness - Good or Bad?Several months ago I read someone accusing Mormons of being "blindly obedient" (which I will sometimes refer to as b.o. - just because I think it's funny), and this was not meant as compliment. I've read many publications and opinions that share this sentiment; people see Mormons as people who don't ever question anything and just go along with what they're told, not knowing why. <br />I can't stop thinking about this, mulling it over in my little brain over and over. <br />So here is the $25k question:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What is the difference between blind obedience and faith?</span><br />Is there a difference? <br /><br />When I think of "blind" faith, I think of Adam when he was cast out of the Garden of Eden. He built an altar and offered sacrifices, and when he was asked why he humbly said, "I know not, save the Lord commanded me." Would this be considered by these same people as b.o.?<br />Because isn't this essentially what we do, as Latter-day Saints, on a daily basis?<br />Why do we visit/home teach? <br />Why is it so important to keep the Word of Wisdom? <br />Why do we have family home evening?<br />Sure, there are the Sunday School answers to these questions, but if someone really grilled me about the reasons, and they weren't satisfied with my SS answers, I would say to them: because the Lord commands it. And that is good enough for me.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">So does that make me a b.o-ite?</span> Hehe :)<br /><br />For me, the difference between b.o. and faith is that I know I will be blessed for keeping the commandments, no matter what that command is. If I'm commanded to not wear the color red for the rest of my life, I would KNOW that by following this commandment I would be blessed. I would KNOW that God expects it of me for my own benefit, and for my greater good. And without knowing WHY, in any shape or form, God asked it of me, I would know that it is because He loves me and wants the best for me. Is THIS what people see as b.o.? So what is their definition of faith? <br /><br />I'd really love your input on this. <br />Have you ever been accused of being blindly obedient? If so, how did you respond?<br />How do you think faith is different than blind obedience?JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-84987010242842172212011-08-07T21:31:00.007-06:002011-08-07T21:49:21.559-06:00KITCHEN REMODEL = SUCKINGYeah, it's been a long time since I've blogged, and I have no excuse other than I feel like I never have interesting to blog about. So I'm just going to pretend like we're still friends and you still want to read my blog sometimes. Yay!<br />So, as you can tell from the aforementioned kitchen remodeling, I'm a little frustrated. When I was envisioning all my home decor, I was really feeling retro-y. THIS is what I was going for in my kitchen. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtAxVvZ2Vgksm-Zx3SqQZiqplAox6W_I12V1chyDrBwmC2kDMK3cIpv7ZgOIMpRAUzwaUaXWrT8w1kdnsqMHcucbkSuzuC-b-1GCK-U4JJ0DWrdl1CPvozhzTJPiG1Pmji1erY-NFu5I/s1600/Red-and-Turquoise-for-Retro-Modern-Kitchen-Design-with-Colors-Scheme.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 236px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtAxVvZ2Vgksm-Zx3SqQZiqplAox6W_I12V1chyDrBwmC2kDMK3cIpv7ZgOIMpRAUzwaUaXWrT8w1kdnsqMHcucbkSuzuC-b-1GCK-U4JJ0DWrdl1CPvozhzTJPiG1Pmji1erY-NFu5I/s320/Red-and-Turquoise-for-Retro-Modern-Kitchen-Design-with-Colors-Scheme.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638325681513233186" /></a><br /><br />But it turned out looking more like a bad piece of Anasazi Indian art. I really just hate it, more and more by the day. I really despise the thought of having to paint the whole wall again - even though I didn't even do it in the first place (thanks, In-Laws). Just, painting is hard work and it takes forever. But it will be worth it to have a kitchen that doesn't make me cringe whenever I walk in to it. <br />So - now, what color? I've been agonizing over it for weeks. I'm torn between trying a really light turquoise like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7XPb1B9TTc6FMkoPYXP-b4Vbl2DZuQGyc-GGD62WieNt1rGh_RT2A5_C-3Su21ix-pUe1-MnT4av8RmXCu0YefCvplQMF8zSxm2MPQmn3floy42yrTo6C0yMUDMj7OknCH2dI-Vltg8/s1600/Red+and+Turquoise+Kitchen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 276px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7XPb1B9TTc6FMkoPYXP-b4Vbl2DZuQGyc-GGD62WieNt1rGh_RT2A5_C-3Su21ix-pUe1-MnT4av8RmXCu0YefCvplQMF8zSxm2MPQmn3floy42yrTo6C0yMUDMj7OknCH2dI-Vltg8/s320/Red+and+Turquoise+Kitchen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638325678195172978" /></a><br /><br />OR<br />a light green like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobORhRQERvWt0MbkoXPEHRef6g6A2aUMKh-9WmdK47bcIj_umGRWp8xvhaWGEu1T8DSL0plLvGG9MHxKw9UDsDOVcEIp-bEUSJ_W_GLuqcBe2WEf5XEaOqRZr3gQiMM_F75-3QRlNK8c/s1600/Red+and+Green+Kitchen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 189px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgobORhRQERvWt0MbkoXPEHRef6g6A2aUMKh-9WmdK47bcIj_umGRWp8xvhaWGEu1T8DSL0plLvGG9MHxKw9UDsDOVcEIp-bEUSJ_W_GLuqcBe2WEf5XEaOqRZr3gQiMM_F75-3QRlNK8c/s320/Red+and+Green+Kitchen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638325677756130690" /></a><br /><br />I'm really leaning towards the green, because I feel like I can do a lot more "vintage" accessories, and it seems like there is so much more freedom that way. With the turquoise I feel it's a lot more retro, and I think that's part of the reason it doesn't work in my kitchen - it really clashes with my wood floors. <br />I'm jazzed about going vintage, because I can put anything up on the walls, and it goes. Old frames, keys, mason jars for lights, random junk I find at garage sales. I just think it will be a lot more versatile. <br />So, what do you think? Thanks for any input :)JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-84966401205600737142011-05-31T16:55:00.001-06:002011-05-31T16:55:29.148-06:00RAW!In January Alex and I did a “raw” diet for a week and we really liked it so we wanted to try it again. <br />Today is day three and it has been quite the adventure so far. <br /><br />Day one:<br />Morning went well but it was all downhill after that. I got SO hungry during church and when I got home I was just pissed. I shouldn’t be this hungry!! I don’t really remember the steps that I took to get to this point, but before I knew what I was doing I had cold leftover steak in my bare hands and it was half-eaten. It was not amusing at all in the moment, but I get a good chuckle out of it now, thinking what I must have looked like: crazed cave woman, mumbling about the ridiculousness of being starved. That night we had family dinner and I was proud of myself for just having a salad... and then my brother walked in with banana splits. Seriously?! Splits are one of my favorite things on the planet. I sat there looking at everyone and getting more and more angry that I couldn’t have any!! So.. yes, I had some. And, yes, it was delicious and made me very happy. <br />Raw status of the day: 50%<br /><br />Day two:<br />Most of the day went very well. We were starved for a good part of it, but where we really hit the wall this day was wanting to get out and do something on our day off, and all we could think of was food! When we want to go out and have some fun, we go get pretzels.. go get Orange Peel.. go get dessert. Isn’t it crazy how much our lives revolve around food?! We did well for most of the day, but we gave in and went to Winger’s for dinner. I restrained myself and did not get the asphalt pie, which I see as a huge feat. <br />Highlight of the day: eating cherry tomatoes and strawberries straight from the ground at the greenhouse.<br />Raw status of the day: 70%<br /><br />Day three:<br />So far, my hunger has been a lot better. It helps to be at work and not sit around and think about food all day. I’m drinking a lot more water, which helps as well. The worst part has been the caffeine headache. It’s been going strong for about 3 hours now. Only seems to be getting worse. The day is more than half over and I am 100% raw so far! Girls night tonight, let’s hope I can stay strong!!JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-6838736269710083182011-05-09T13:19:00.005-06:002011-05-09T13:28:02.972-06:00Lots of Happenings Lately...Holy cow, so much has happened in the last few weeks and I simply have not had time to blog about it all! So we’ll play a little catch-up today. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapzyA9mm1wUyeg6jE6M0pkvaVIr5_hNz2fJIl4bxr9hy79490WTRVj8i5Qr__a41cNjVZz7MCK5_TLLl4awfk9ZwNWXO5LC-BGPxa8KNnxA1bOVQ7Gx33jMAJG-uPSYetnLTvgCUUleE/s1600/Gma.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 120px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapzyA9mm1wUyeg6jE6M0pkvaVIr5_hNz2fJIl4bxr9hy79490WTRVj8i5Qr__a41cNjVZz7MCK5_TLLl4awfk9ZwNWXO5LC-BGPxa8KNnxA1bOVQ7Gx33jMAJG-uPSYetnLTvgCUUleE/s200/Gma.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604798570413262466" /></a><br />Easter Sunday we found out that my sweet, sweet Grandma Palmer left this earth to be with her eternal companion again. We were planning on going up north that weekend anyway for wedding stuff, so we went one day earlier to attend her funeral. It was a wonderful memorial and it was so fun to see so much of my family. I was SO moved by the amazing legacy this woman left. She has over 80 grandchildren, over 65 great grandchildren and even a few great-great grandchildren! And she has touched every single on of their lives with her sweet spirit. I was especially moved to be part of a choir that sang a song in her memory, as she was the one who instilled in so many of us a love of music. <br /><br />The rest of the weekend was filled with lots of fun family and friends time. We love getting to spend time with our super fun friends, Jake and Kelli Brandon. Jake was Alex’s MTC companion and Alex has some crazy stories about their experiences together. <br /><br />The main event of the weekend was attending the temple with Alex’s family as his sister attended the temple for the first time. We had never been to the Salt Lake temple before and it was awesome! Definitely different than the other temples we’ve been to, and that’s cool! <br /><br />Then this last week was just a whirlwind! I feel like it went by so fast and I was exhausted the whole time! We made a goal to finish our freaking cabinets that have been 5+ months in the making by Wednesday, when I was hosting Bunco. So we were planning on doing a big chunk of it on Monday but then my family wanted to have a preparedness meeting so we couldn’t do it that night. So we literally screwed in the last door as the doorbell rang for the first of the bunco girls on Wednesday. But we finished!!! HUZZAH!! I love how they turned out, but I’m not so sure about how they look with the blue wall.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyF6RS1F9reBb4QgVEUGBB7D8k1SsKSSoKnSIcmOQ6psa1gSP_X6sxxtI1QaQijtWzdOJ1DuRRG-QVaJFvNNx00cNUdlV6jl7wrBoAyVffsjAHLDxH6mu_45tNqMnpFYgo5OhQGTps_8/s1600/PC200617.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyF6RS1F9reBb4QgVEUGBB7D8k1SsKSSoKnSIcmOQ6psa1gSP_X6sxxtI1QaQijtWzdOJ1DuRRG-QVaJFvNNx00cNUdlV6jl7wrBoAyVffsjAHLDxH6mu_45tNqMnpFYgo5OhQGTps_8/s200/PC200617.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604799896416341874" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1EjGmdRzfR4da5WpWIma1mk1Ybh0v48cXG0MSGa1zrHS_r_t5FieD8vIf4S2cH8XHu0C8XIz1bnv1mOLy3F_e-D4DpVd6yrzLVrD0Sa-Fv0wXSqICldrzI83mU6YtVoFcC2J5fNOCbw/s1600/PC200618.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1EjGmdRzfR4da5WpWIma1mk1Ybh0v48cXG0MSGa1zrHS_r_t5FieD8vIf4S2cH8XHu0C8XIz1bnv1mOLy3F_e-D4DpVd6yrzLVrD0Sa-Fv0wXSqICldrzI83mU6YtVoFcC2J5fNOCbw/s200/PC200618.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604799268805008274" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLjYYphlLBsBF47DK5CdPf_dF_YU0NafwedwNbXFzqvXFr5MLkeJvxT9XSgkgldTj3coskASMLlfCfvspxBR_Tt3fiwsgwr_uXsYkN2g_7Croq3ri1tR1Cpp0q62fndKEDluj2d0YVVE/s1600/P5040913.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLjYYphlLBsBF47DK5CdPf_dF_YU0NafwedwNbXFzqvXFr5MLkeJvxT9XSgkgldTj3coskASMLlfCfvspxBR_Tt3fiwsgwr_uXsYkN2g_7Croq3ri1tR1Cpp0q62fndKEDluj2d0YVVE/s200/P5040913.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604799290269243890" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifHca8c_HIsVvSw7KgkEAckCf7Z8O8JOs4bKoh6tkmQvkWs_ma6QxswjXh_kYxxehJw4LNi7aFvQ475zxOGm8Jk7ycRR7IZgDiltxNlhXejLDJGoWDeFUZyqjmZmQbUX1cP3hedpqTs8/s1600/P5040915.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifHca8c_HIsVvSw7KgkEAckCf7Z8O8JOs4bKoh6tkmQvkWs_ma6QxswjXh_kYxxehJw4LNi7aFvQ475zxOGm8Jk7ycRR7IZgDiltxNlhXejLDJGoWDeFUZyqjmZmQbUX1cP3hedpqTs8/s200/P5040915.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604799288876036850" /></a><br /><br />My original thought was a bright turquoise with a bright red, but the turquoise turned out more blue than I planned and the red turned out darker than I expected, so now it just looks Mexican-y. And that is NOT what I was going for. I’m seriously considering re-painting the wall, cuz there is NO way we are re-doing the cabinets!! Any comments/suggestions would be mucho appreciated! <br /><br />In addition to all that, I had the opportunity to do Alex’s sister’s wedding book so every spare moment last week was spent doing that. I’m really pleased with how it turned out and I will try to get some pictures up here of some of my favorite pages. Poll # 2 of the post: do you think a wedding book is something that people would pay someone to do? I’m considering starting a little business with it because I sure love doing it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s basically a collection of scrapbook pages that you use as your guest registry instead of the boring old “write your name”. It’s super fun and Alex and I still look through ours all the time. <br /><br />Then this last weekend was filled to the brim with wedding! It was all absolutely gorgeous, due to my amazing mother-in-law. I sure love attending sealings and remembering how blessed we are to have the covenants we do and the wonderful blessings that come with them. The church is true, everyone! Just in case you were wondering :)<br /><br />Don't forget to comment with your thoughts on the blue wall and the wedding book idea! THANKS!!JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-21860406553949934232011-04-22T09:28:00.002-06:002011-04-22T09:48:54.593-06:00I Heart AntibioticsI am having a love affair with my antibiotics. <br /><br />On Tuesday I woke up with a little swollen tonsil but just started repeating positive affirmations to ward off a cold like I usually do. It kept persisting through the day and that night I was having trouble sleeping because it had gotten so bad. Finally I woke clear up and thought to myself: “self, I think we have strep throat”. You see, I know what this feels like because I had strep throat almost exactly a year ago! Ugh.<br /><br />I woke up, went and looked at my tonsils and knew immediately. If you’ve ever seen tonsils with strep, you know there’s no mistaking. It looks like this: (look away, faint of heart.. and faint of butt... Props if you know what that is from.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAlCvJzDhkBwhZxaQGR-sleaQ3c8mur0dQLv2d_ORs4hnoThwwBDkR76f8NH0fFWY84HxSbOGJP_8rR6RPD4ZbLb2rRU8hU1gP9tP5uzvXOg300Di2wx_Uxj6f0HRdt7td4GLFLcr5bo/s1600/strep-throat-picure.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 99px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAlCvJzDhkBwhZxaQGR-sleaQ3c8mur0dQLv2d_ORs4hnoThwwBDkR76f8NH0fFWY84HxSbOGJP_8rR6RPD4ZbLb2rRU8hU1gP9tP5uzvXOg300Di2wx_Uxj6f0HRdt7td4GLFLcr5bo/s200/strep-throat-picure.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598430433816489602" /></a><br /><br />So... don’t tell my doctor, but I had a few of the antibiotics left over from last time and I took one of those in the middle of the night and first thing in the morning. Strep is probably the worst sickness/pain that I’ve ever had. It is so sucky I can’t even describe it. Can’t swallow without it hurting my entire body, feel like I’m going to hurl and having nightmares about how intensely painful that would be on my throat, aches all over, fever. Worst. Ever. I am SO – SO glad I had the old antibiotics because I started feeling better by that afternoon, right around the time I had gotten my new prescription filled. So I would’ve been insanely miserable for another 12 ish hours had I not had the old antibiotics. Yay for cheating on stuff! <br /><br />Moving on from that epic story about sickies, life is grand now! I feel almost 100% better today and I am in love with antibiotics. Can you imagine getting strep or something like it in the early 19th century? If it would’ve happened to me I think there would have been two options:<br />a – I would have died.<br />2 – I would have killed myself because of the pain.<br />Either way I would’ve died. <br /><br />Today I am full of gratitude for the modern medicine that I do believe in (which is, to be truthful, a slim category). It is a lovely day out and I’m glad I get to enjoy it and the awesome weekend that lies ahead!JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-29319290277018826002011-04-12T18:06:00.003-06:002011-04-12T18:20:48.142-06:00We Got a Puppy!We have been wanting a puppy for a long time but they are sooo expensive and we couldn't justify spending several hundred dollars for the breed we wanted. So last week I was just looking around on Craigslist and found this little guy! He is a Maltese.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeb-INcfo-YzaLitH6i2MVcWdv7i78BggRSt6qwcrM-AJxStGFX2h89IrzEzL794SQlrqu4Lk-zQlJx0JY0k52PDJ52Km9NmxIM6l9jK6Vc08nHT52XCHQqhG_BbZPONKDmUjmRJqhdmo/s1600/P4100896.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeb-INcfo-YzaLitH6i2MVcWdv7i78BggRSt6qwcrM-AJxStGFX2h89IrzEzL794SQlrqu4Lk-zQlJx0JY0k52PDJ52Km9NmxIM6l9jK6Vc08nHT52XCHQqhG_BbZPONKDmUjmRJqhdmo/s200/P4100896.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594854969150209778" /></a><br /><br />I e-mailed the lady to see if he was still available and the more I found out about him, the more perfect for us he sounded. <br />We got him Sunday night and we've been loving getting to know him! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4Wv3pIb4oEensyKXpYpE7HwH6G4sRU9LRs3lcvb-8B1bEkLGaFghkRpGSROmgwHDA2ej4kasqYBZZWtAMqPBdccnJVo4mPVYI1Q5v4L0LPk9UWky9MlC8IASEQGGhVcZcBbuXPY8Ixg/s1600/P4120897.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4Wv3pIb4oEensyKXpYpE7HwH6G4sRU9LRs3lcvb-8B1bEkLGaFghkRpGSROmgwHDA2ej4kasqYBZZWtAMqPBdccnJVo4mPVYI1Q5v4L0LPk9UWky9MlC8IASEQGGhVcZcBbuXPY8Ixg/s200/P4120897.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594854965574812578" /></a><br />Sometimes he tries to eat our faces...<br />Just kidding :) He was just yawning.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIvdPHgs7tIpaNr1lnmt9-bN3Tpz04UjH8yZ9kXijJvW7PhNNZl7nBqaupw_TNwwo79nqkWXd4qhkn0kiP5ZeG47NvpjTMx8uWPPZ5ey4Um3COsVRkWVShOnrCg24kUtUZds7JiEg21Y/s1600/P4120906.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijIvdPHgs7tIpaNr1lnmt9-bN3Tpz04UjH8yZ9kXijJvW7PhNNZl7nBqaupw_TNwwo79nqkWXd4qhkn0kiP5ZeG47NvpjTMx8uWPPZ5ey4Um3COsVRkWVShOnrCg24kUtUZds7JiEg21Y/s200/P4120906.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594854961615848338" /></a><br /><br />He is super cute and loves to cuddle and be rubbed. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CyNYuuzud6A-I82oQZiWkM1YMJ7sKxfN819zqkNbz9sbNLaFmv9RLyFEmTS-0cxfYu92VrgKqMNjGdU4sPxTlHkFmpvbNuZjZc0OO9XN_Gmz4qTOkZpLDhsGbmNfHnZjr1YLWma-a5s/s1600/P4120904.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CyNYuuzud6A-I82oQZiWkM1YMJ7sKxfN819zqkNbz9sbNLaFmv9RLyFEmTS-0cxfYu92VrgKqMNjGdU4sPxTlHkFmpvbNuZjZc0OO9XN_Gmz4qTOkZpLDhsGbmNfHnZjr1YLWma-a5s/s200/P4120904.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594855793038137634" /></a><br /><br />We are so glad he is part of our family!<br />We still haven't decided on a name... <br />First he was Archibald, and then he was Fred. And then he was Winston. I still like Winston but Alex doesn't. We're also tossing around Nigel, Gunther and Terrance. <br />Hopefully we decide soon! I'm sure he's getting quite confused as to why we are calling him all these different names.JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-48444948180529737162011-04-06T17:30:00.004-06:002011-04-06T17:55:16.170-06:00Hmm... maybe I should blogWowsers, it's been a while, eh?<br />Well, work was INSANE for a few weeks before we took our vacation, so that's my excuse for then. I was working 10, 11, 12 hour days and some Saturdays. I love being busy, but it got exhausting really fast. My husband is amazing for supporting me through times like that. Actually, just always. He almost always does the dishes AND the laundry.<br />*Sigh* I am so lucky.<br />Some highlights from March: (that I only remember because of the scheduler in my phone)<br />-My nephew CJ's baptism. He's getting so big!<br />-Seeing Al's little bro in a Shakespeare play at school. He was awesome and the show was so, so funny. (I'm totally trying to mask the fact that I cannot remember the name of the play... loser).<br />-Getting my nails done at A Seron Style on Bluff Street. I love them and I got a great price. I haven't had my nails done in forever and it was fun to feel girly! I also got some SUPER cute decals put on them from a company that we work with at Rainbow. Check out her amazing product at www.sheekee.com<a href="http://sheekee.com/"></a><br />-GOING ON A CRUISE!! <br />Our week-long vacation could not have come at a better time for us, especially with how my work was going. I was beyond stressed and was more than ready to get away. <br />Here are just a few highlights from the amazing week with our friends, Seth and Jamie Price.<br /><br />Best. Tacos. Ever.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo_XNAzeiXFEXWdOBtmLmA1nHG9Lq5ktcJdhvfjN4O6gHEFjwrp4DrWLQ5ZMjdnbSohRoDOmztrWZtYZnPpVt0lZE16Jy3mdwYsHRje4oOEn7U2tERE8rcFZiVbWD2vDMW1ZwCTulY4U/s1600/P3220777.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo_XNAzeiXFEXWdOBtmLmA1nHG9Lq5ktcJdhvfjN4O6gHEFjwrp4DrWLQ5ZMjdnbSohRoDOmztrWZtYZnPpVt0lZE16Jy3mdwYsHRje4oOEn7U2tERE8rcFZiVbWD2vDMW1ZwCTulY4U/s200/P3220777.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592621106756818194" /></a> <br /><br />Freaking awesome sand... thing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDbfNsgtlGfBLoii6yJx3qWkmbLw3EYyL51YDuqpYlZKG7Pys9Lo4rNHQT9en7YGEoEXBLFTIZ5woWGaESqdWfJlZQvbbPgVYTOCkGOvgFIu4WLMZP7hJMblfgFHjRY65RhJyrd-0tiI/s1600/P3220771.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDbfNsgtlGfBLoii6yJx3qWkmbLw3EYyL51YDuqpYlZKG7Pys9Lo4rNHQT9en7YGEoEXBLFTIZ5woWGaESqdWfJlZQvbbPgVYTOCkGOvgFIu4WLMZP7hJMblfgFHjRY65RhJyrd-0tiI/s200/P3220771.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592621095309350850" /></a><br /><br />All the dessert I want?? Yes, please!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj7TK73tpUidfbLfPDxxDAMk1Ez2_dKcr5mQ4Y0z0WLf4DFm_RB1ML_YzpHwADL0bJGJToFz5nyvkhiqZ7TB00XkSoDe-SMtxLh1m8jtWESCyP8vtcLKLJ62knXE9Z4Z3dxw4pm4gGXs/s1600/P3210762.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj7TK73tpUidfbLfPDxxDAMk1Ez2_dKcr5mQ4Y0z0WLf4DFm_RB1ML_YzpHwADL0bJGJToFz5nyvkhiqZ7TB00XkSoDe-SMtxLh1m8jtWESCyP8vtcLKLJ62knXE9Z4Z3dxw4pm4gGXs/s200/P3210762.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592621090370838722" /></a><br /><br />Am I really excited about free ice cream all day, with sprinkles?! Yes, I am.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUc54-dAWJ4l9AzH6bcdNvgDuOehx4PtdReSjhFiD941XAEJP0z2GyPkhq1JHHoBwG0KcXDS9Xl0LmB9x0miYiSemlsWiW7IxYOHl8h3WWeU_7DCJaSNBa9bPe_5hcsFjp6LM5wvaoPM/s1600/P3200739.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUc54-dAWJ4l9AzH6bcdNvgDuOehx4PtdReSjhFiD941XAEJP0z2GyPkhq1JHHoBwG0KcXDS9Xl0LmB9x0miYiSemlsWiW7IxYOHl8h3WWeU_7DCJaSNBa9bPe_5hcsFjp6LM5wvaoPM/s200/P3200739.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592621083578231394" /></a><br /><br />He is totally putting out the vibe.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhcALlw7brXcu9-owwZaIFDoq7ucTv6AEFO_k0-tV31Tg2_m4kfKSfTbH0Xqh4_6BNVZhqbcRFmohmEUDFv4Sx7GPURwFxAw6_wTDF0igw8l9fCvYEUgaxZvbnkDKkB_4gQPG5ZNq8WE/s1600/P3190731.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhcALlw7brXcu9-owwZaIFDoq7ucTv6AEFO_k0-tV31Tg2_m4kfKSfTbH0Xqh4_6BNVZhqbcRFmohmEUDFv4Sx7GPURwFxAw6_wTDF0igw8l9fCvYEUgaxZvbnkDKkB_4gQPG5ZNq8WE/s200/P3190731.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592621080832023394" /></a><br /><br />Lots of this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRT7KLvpjwpwmbKO1gwGNCiEBJj1wuUkwatgNl7tuqAhCON2etpFNasujkFmXIVP01ZEhsZIojx0a2XiAob1wI-bmUmnvTImfyZKLGFWWjSi2ZlGMPVcdV0niEWX_Rm8yxXAs_3ePzoHs/s1600/P3230828.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRT7KLvpjwpwmbKO1gwGNCiEBJj1wuUkwatgNl7tuqAhCON2etpFNasujkFmXIVP01ZEhsZIojx0a2XiAob1wI-bmUmnvTImfyZKLGFWWjSi2ZlGMPVcdV0niEWX_Rm8yxXAs_3ePzoHs/s200/P3230828.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592622422428258226" /></a><br /><br />Puerto Vallarta<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrt7q4dGC79J30ldhz0iBqO0c6RBURYko4HouKjUpMIZ70wEumz8zdDx8dEE9JIPhjJCdvMVhZUgL0CW4tJQcp4m4QMRED4op6iphRCqMIrcdAmzql05pUwIOQ7H0z488wFPh6GE69Po/s1600/P3220782.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrt7q4dGC79J30ldhz0iBqO0c6RBURYko4HouKjUpMIZ70wEumz8zdDx8dEE9JIPhjJCdvMVhZUgL0CW4tJQcp4m4QMRED4op6iphRCqMIrcdAmzql05pUwIOQ7H0z488wFPh6GE69Po/s200/P3220782.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592622428758378626" /></a><br /><br />Legit elotes! YUM!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKD4XE6vuPetTjmzN_BP0u4WWG8rmEQdH7KLpQXhmpmoZvghYf9rVhXfj1Yt8OQ-yy46Va3IK9vpulm0shMpZwTowdnsJGMKatykvWCicSjfQyGWoN5QFMm1yS2iKcASngTLRuB1eS7vc/s1600/P3230813.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKD4XE6vuPetTjmzN_BP0u4WWG8rmEQdH7KLpQXhmpmoZvghYf9rVhXfj1Yt8OQ-yy46Va3IK9vpulm0shMpZwTowdnsJGMKatykvWCicSjfQyGWoN5QFMm1yS2iKcASngTLRuB1eS7vc/s200/P3230813.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592622413717338098" /></a><br /><br />So that is our awesome vacation in a nutshell. I'm still not quite back in the groove of regular life after that.<br /><br />Conference was amazing and I continue to be humbled by and so grateful for my membership in this true church. I have many new resolves to be better in several areas! <br />...Including blogging more often :)JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-64395198694032865642011-02-09T10:19:00.002-07:002011-02-09T10:24:53.142-07:00I enjoy being a girl. . .Womanhood has been on my mind a lot lately. I heard a sad story about a woman who felt like God did not love her as much, just because she is a woman. I couldn't believe how foreign this was to me, and I wanted to document how lucky I feel because of that. So here are some random thoughts on being a woman. <br /><br />- I have always known that I am a daughter of God and that He loves and cherishes me so much. Never have I felt like I was not as respected or revered because I am a woman. My mother taught me young that men have their place in the church, and so do women. Both share equally important responsibilities. <br />- I have never been offended by a man opening the door for me. I see this as a sign of respect and I truly believe that this is the way Heavenly Father would have His sons treat His cherished daughters.<br />- I have always loved the idea that Heavenly Father does not mention Heavenly Mother because He cherishes her so much that He does not want her subject to the disrespect He knew He and His son would receive. (That was a lot of pronouns. . . .) <br />- Ever since I was young I have been excited to be a wife and mother, with all it's cliches. I imagine myself being the "cool" mom that makes snacks for her teenage boy and his friends when they come over. I want to be a soccer mom. I want to do my kids' laundry and be home for them whenever they need me. I will feel so blessed if this is possible for our family. <br />- I love being unique, special and having "womanly" abilities and instincts. I love being able to multi-task!<br />- I have always felt an awe and respect for the women of the church from it's leaders.<br />- I know with all of my heart that God respects and trusts me so much because He is willing to let me raise His children. What else could illustrate this so thoroughly? I also recognize that this ability/responsibility is very comparable to holding the priesthood, and never once in my life have I wanted to hold that priesthood because I see motherhood as my role to fulfill. <br />- I am totally guilty of asking for help from a man when I could probably do it myself, but I love being the woman and allowing the man to be the man. Have you seen the look on their face when you let them lift something heavy for you? It's adorable. <br />- I don't know if I'm just really lucky, or if I view the world through different eyes than some women, but I have never felt disrespected or looked down upon because I am a woman. Don't get me wrong, I have definitely felt those things, and more, but I haven't felt that it is a direct result of being female. <br /><br />I feel truly blessed to be a woman in this day and age and hope to become the powerful woman that God would have me be. Not person, but <strong>woman</strong>. I have unique abilities because I am a woman, and I know that God expects me to use those to rise to my full potential. <br />I scanned through a few talks from the general authorities on womanhood, and felt such love from them and my Heavenly Father, and this quote solidified everything I have ever felt about the power of women:<br /><br />“Without the devotion and absolute testimony of the living God in the hearts of our mothers, this Church would die.” - Heber J. GrantJlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-38097372763243889562011-01-28T10:13:00.002-07:002011-01-28T10:20:25.138-07:00Yes, try it again... only, without the "oops"Sum up of the last week in 7 words:<br /><br />Monday: Talking, talking, talking with Dew and friends. <br />Tuesday: Celebrating memories with balloons, music and food.<br />Wednesday: Realizing I'm not ready to be mommy.<br />Thursday: Independence Day rocks and coughing up lungs.<br />Friday: Really, Aunt Linda? You suck really bad.<br /><br />Some insights from this week:<br /><br />The hangover from NyQuil is worth it if it means I got a <strong><em>few hours</em></strong> of sleep.<br /><br />I love using music to <strong><em>soothe</em></strong> people's souls.<br /><br />Aliens are bad and scary, but we'll be okay if we have <strong><em>Will Smith</em></strong> on our side.<br /><br />No matter how tired I am I can <strong><em>argue</em></strong> politics like it's nobody's business. And I always love it. <br /><br />Life is short. Really short for some people. And really long for others, but really it's all about the people who surround you. I'm so glad to be <strong><em>surrounded by people I love and who love me. </em></strong><br /><br />Spitter scags are <strong><em>the</em></strong> worst. <br /><br />I make a <strong><em>killer</em></strong> stroganoff. <br /><br />I'm <em><strong>excited for the weekend!</strong></em> <br /><br />The end.JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-30913586237162295492011-01-25T08:54:00.003-07:002011-01-25T09:22:35.008-07:00Disney Advocates Dysfunctional FamiliesFirst of all, let me say that pillow talk is one of my favorite parts about being married. <br />This is how our pillow talk went last night.<br />Me: "Don't they kill the mom in Dumbo?" <br />Al: "Yeah."<br />Me: "Ugh. That's why I don't like it. Bambi, too."<br />.....moments of silence.<br />Me: "Dude, there are tons of Disney movies that have single parents, dysfunction, adoption, etc." (I didn't really say etc... does anyone ever really say that? But it makes my point.)<br />We then proceeded to spend the next 10 minutes spouting off all the Disney movies we could think of. Check this out. <br /><br />Pinnochio - single dad<br />Dumbo - single mom, killed<br />Bambi - mom killed, dad was not in his life for childhood<br />Cinderella - lives with stepmom and crazy stepsisters<br />Peter Pan - orphan<br />Jungle Book - orphan<br />The Aristocats - abandoned, orphans<br />The Rescuers and Rescuers Down Under - boy is an orphan<br />Fox and the Hound - orphan<br />The Brave Little Toaster - abandoned by "master"<br />Oliver & Company - orphan<br />The Little Mermaid - single dad<br />Beauty and the Beast - single dad (plus, he's crazy)<br />Alladin - orphan boy and single dad for Jasmine<br />Jungle Book - orphan<br />Pocahontas - single dad (at least I think there is no mention of mom)<br />Toy Story - single mom<br />James and the Giant Peach - orphan, parents eaten by rhinoceri!<br />Tarzan - orphan<br />Lilo & Stitch - orphan<br />The Santa clause - divorced<br />Finding Nemo - single dad<br />Chicken Little - single dad<br />Meet the Robinsons - orphan<br />Ice Age - little boy is orphan<br />Up - single mom<br /><br />I do not consider myself to be a Disney expert, and may not know some of these stories entirely, so correct any misconceptions that I have. And this is by no means a full list of Disney movies, but mostly what I've seen. There were a small handful that I had seen that had traditional families - Hercules (although he gets adopted), Mary Poppins (though there is dysfunction in the home in the beginning), The Incredibles. Those are really some of the only ones I could find.<br />Just some food for thought. <br />Maybe Disney is the reason the divorce rate is so high. Subliminal messages, my friends. They are powerful. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_On0PwV9Kot1mHeckEClKLgNVyGxrdl1Upn9YRt0TdNAm1oyXzn1rPmB630apG5AV4Va_dk-fodqDo5uDvqydVKgbsRd8XYOpEewtBhFvs3-22d_1fBktSvuViI5TK58yRa_irdeMjY/s1600/6a0120a873ef36970b01310f3db871970c-800wi.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 281px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_On0PwV9Kot1mHeckEClKLgNVyGxrdl1Upn9YRt0TdNAm1oyXzn1rPmB630apG5AV4Va_dk-fodqDo5uDvqydVKgbsRd8XYOpEewtBhFvs3-22d_1fBktSvuViI5TK58yRa_irdeMjY/s320/6a0120a873ef36970b01310f3db871970c-800wi.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566159267771184018" /></a><br /><br /><br />P.S. I hope no one takes me seriously on this, I don't want fiery comments about being a Disney-hater! I just thought it was really funny to find SO many movies with the non-traditional family! Even a lot of the older ones, too, when it was so much more the norm. Maybe Walt was an orphan...JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4488106820897626331.post-69692785051811948352011-01-23T20:34:00.005-07:002011-01-23T21:02:59.099-07:00Anniversary Weekend in BrianheadAlex and I really wanted to do something fun/really cheap for our anniversary this year and we ended up getting hooked up with a free room at the Cedar Breaks Lodge in Brianhead for the weekend! Woot! <br /><br />So Thursday night we hung out with our besties, the Telfords, and I started feeling really weird/nauseated/sicky/headachey, so I went to bed early, especially after Alex told me I had a fever. BOO. I was trying SO hard to fight it off because I didn't want our weekend to be ruined. So the next morning I was totally raunchy because I felt awful, but knew I had to go to work because I already told them I was leaving early and I KNEW that if I called in sick they would just think I wanted to leave early for vacation. Nobody wants that. So I went in and sickied all over them. I had a fever and sinus congestion all day. I left around lunch time and Alex and I started to get stuff ready for our trip. He was really tired and I was so sick and we both wondered if we should go but we knew we'd regret it if we didn't.<br /><br />So... I passed out for the whole trip up, mentally punching Alex's throat whenever the car lurched enough to wake me. He was so sweet to drive the whole way and let me sleep. But he still deserved some throat punches. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_X5pKIlXKJsgCP2ZHz0Fms2hRKCTjaCGNFelTRbCZT9ES7o08k3CglhMurMKVmY4cqayv8kE774QEvmD11BKuWHN0rJGDV4r68GjIYtrA5K6uo-JZhZHvJ-b9mD1w6d-cg4reYBRcj_A/s1600/Cedar+Breaks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_X5pKIlXKJsgCP2ZHz0Fms2hRKCTjaCGNFelTRbCZT9ES7o08k3CglhMurMKVmY4cqayv8kE774QEvmD11BKuWHN0rJGDV4r68GjIYtrA5K6uo-JZhZHvJ-b9mD1w6d-cg4reYBRcj_A/s320/Cedar+Breaks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565597018417523346" /></a><br />Then we got to the lodge (no, we didn't take ANY pictures. FAIL.) and I passed out again and started feeling SO much worse. On top of the sinus pressure/headache/intense body aches, stiffness and pains/sore throat/stuffy nose I started to feel really sick to my stomach. Ugh. When I woke up after tossing and miserably groaning for an hour or two Alex gave me a blessing and I was able to fall back asleep and felt so much better after waking. Yay for the priesthood! I was even hungry, so we went to the on-site cafe, which we loved! It was so yummy and not even over-priced at all. I have much love for people who don't over-price things just because they can.<br /><br />So I got a salad.<br /><br />Bad. Choice.<br /><br />I felt totally fine going to bed and then the middle of the night the "oh my gosh, I might die or maybe just throw up my intestines" feeling came back again. Kept me awake and whimpering for an hour, then I went and threw up. Salad. SICK. But then I was able to sleep - yay!<br /><br />So that's the really long account of the sucky first, very non-romantic, night of our weekend. I was weak for the rest of the time and still had a sore throat and stuffy nose but felt much better. I would like to tell you of fun adventures and awesome things we did, but we seriously did nothing all day Saturday. Nothing. We watched TV (it was Nazi day on the History Channel!), played games, read books, slept on and off, took baths and showers (the bathtub had jets!) and looked out the window at the icicles, waiting for them to fall and seriously injure someone below. Not as a sick, sadistic wish, but that maybe we might have a millisecond to yell "SIR! Look out, a 3 foot icicle is about to strike your head from above!" But really it would just come out "Bleahhhahhhaaaaaaaa!" If you can name which comedian I am referencing your "I'm a rockstar" meter will rise by 10 points. Post a comment and I will notify the winner of their current standing on said meter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbxu4__kxWL5mLlLkFytxrVyAm3NdnWRDcbhXWp9i_UStF2ZEkZz8i5exLrvr8pRF400bNMyBZagDG-AUi4J1RNHfQuNCK__bFx8xRpNBwvX7YT5Z1iJabQYk-kgRFIvWg8MUlqNmiRI/s1600/icicle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbxu4__kxWL5mLlLkFytxrVyAm3NdnWRDcbhXWp9i_UStF2ZEkZz8i5exLrvr8pRF400bNMyBZagDG-AUi4J1RNHfQuNCK__bFx8xRpNBwvX7YT5Z1iJabQYk-kgRFIvWg8MUlqNmiRI/s320/icicle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5565597664722293554" /></a><br />(Side note: I got this from a news story titled "Falling Icicles Kill And Injure Record Numbers In St. Petersburg". See, this shiz is real. <br /><br />Then we came home today and played video games and forgot what time was. <br /><br />All in all, a pretty rockin weekend.JlynTheohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02571299492941222298noreply@blogger.com3