Tag. You're IT.

Sixth picture of my sixth album. Camping up Logan Canyon.

This is the reason I get out of bed every morning

what a cheese.

I read a book!

No, I am not dyslexic or anything, and I can read.

But I haven't been able to sit down and a read a fiction book from cover to cover since high school. The combination of not having any time during college (taking 18 credits a semester, doing both Michael's and my laundry (at a laundromat), preparing both our lunches, and cooking dinner almost every night) and that fact that all you do in college is read kind of turned me off to wanting to read in my spare time. I have about 3 books I have started time and time again, but have not finished them.

I am also not really all that hyped about Stephenie Meyer (or Harry Potter, etc.). When you hear these names more than people you actually know...it gets quite annoying. Anyway, I have to confess that I got so bored in Wyoming that I broke down and read The Host by Stephenie Meyer.

And I actually finished it this week! The verdict: it was good. Not amazing or life changing, but good for passing the time. And if you're the philosophical type, it makes you really think about what makes us human, and what would be ethical if something were to come bodysnatch us.

I think we live on the wrong side of the tracks...

Michael and I are cheap. There's no way around that fact. I fully admit that we take full advantage of DI, Savers, and now, Salvation Army, but we do have taste (or atleast I hope so). We scavenge for the good, tags still on, name brand stuff--so quit your "ew"ing.

I have never felt uncomfortable in such stores (although sometimes I feel a little overdressed and clean), except for today. I found some new lucky brand jeans for $4! Beat that Down East Outfitters. I wanted to try them on to see if they would fit. I searched all four corners of the store to find a sign for fitting rooms. Nothing. Well, should I just buy the pants in hopes that they fit? But then if they don't fit, I just wasted my precious $4. What kind of store does not have dressing rooms? Even thrift stores have dressing rooms.

In the middle of my internal conversation, Michael comes over with his pair of jeans he found. As I ask him about the lack of fitting rooms, my eyes wander to a 3 by 4 foot area in the font corner that was surrounded by old nasty drapes/shower curtains pinned together with hangers and clothes pins. That is the dressing room?!?!

You've got to be kidding me.

I used Michael as my guard, as this "dressing room" was next to the men's section, the curtains we rather shear, and how the crap do you knock to know if someone's in there? I tried on the pants and stepped in a wet spot (I didn't even want to know what it was...).

After humbling myself to such a dressing room, getting my sock sopping wet, and hoping some dirty old man couldn't sneak a peak, I came out with a nice pair of pants. What would you do for nice pants?

My Dearest Michael

I found these books while packing up to move. The "do-it-yourself handyman encyclopedia" and the "how it works science and invention encyclopedia". This does not surprise me at all, but made me laugh so hard! These are like Michael's life guidebooks; they explain him inside and out.

He admitted these were one of the first books he actually read...or attempted to read and just looked at the pictures. I should've also taken a picture of one of Michael's first "inventions"--a popscicle splitter...you know, for the conjoined kind. He hasn't changed much since then, just dreams bigger. =)

I am thinking this genius inventor/DIY thing runs in your genes. These were once Brian's (Michael's brother's) books--and Brian's son (hopefully I heard this story right, Gayle) used to read the vaccuum manual. Hmm...maybe one of our kids will "inherit the gene".

So I do a little shoplifting...

So, as you know Michael and I bought new couches (pictures soon I promise...I just want to get everything put away before I take pictures). We also wanted a coffee table and something a little sturdier to put the TV on. Something inexpensive and can also be used as something else later on if we ever get the chance to build our own stuff back in Wyoming (which is way cheaper for our taste in furniture. We can't bring ourselves to pay for vanier covered chipboard when we have relatives with a cabinet shop).

Someone suggested IKEA. Why didn't I think of that? Well, after getting lost in the store, trying not to get distracted by such cute furniture, and making mental notes of how I could do curtains, we picked out these guys.

A side table (which we are currently using as a coffee table) and a coffee table (that is holding up our TV). We found the DIY sets, plopped them in our cart, and checked out. To Do List: get TV stand...CHECK.

But too bad I had to go make a fool of myself at IKEA today to bring back the second side table we picked up on accident and didn't ring up at the self checkout. oops.

Greetings from Portland, Oregon!

We made it here safe and sound! And it's been raining ever since! It really doesn't bother me, except for the bad hair (thanks Sis. Layton for the heads up!).

We've been settling in the last couple of days, unpacking, hanging out with the neighbors, and even bought new couches! We've had this one green love seat (which I really like), but we couldn't find another couch to match it. We desperately needed more seating...it was always awkward when home teachers would come over--we'd pull out our office chairs or table chairs so everyone would have place to sit. Anywho, pictures will be coming soon.
Our couches are very similar to this set...just imagine it in couch and loveseat form.

I am really liking Portland so far. Our neighbors, who are also LDS and starting chiropractic school, are really nice. Several of them helped us move in and others even came knocking on our door to meet us and introduce themselves! I was impressed. Not even in Wyview, where everyone in the complex is in your ward, would people introduce themselves. They seem like nice people.

I have also been tagged, so here it goes!

10 YEARS AGO I...
1. was a huge trouble maker
2. thought every boy I liked could possibly be my future husband (thank goodness they aren't!)
3. spent more time on the phone than doing my homework
4. never matched my socks because I thought it was a waste of time
5. was first chair for flute in band (this matches so well with #1, huh?)

FIVE THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST FOR TODAY/TOMORROW...
1. unpack more boxes
2. job hunt
3. switch over the power to our name
4. feed Penny
5. feed Michael

FIVE SNACKS THAT I ENJOY...
1. grapes
2. cheese (NOT nasty cheese or cheese product)
3. Dove chocolate
4. Avacado sandwiches (toast, avacado, garlic, salt)
5. smoothies

FIVE THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE A MILLIONAIRE...
1. Buy a house (too predictable, huh?) with an awesome kitchen
2. Pay off our student loans we just took out (woohoo, we made it until post-bachelor's to take these out...) and pay for the rest of Michael's schooling
3. Visit Romanian orphanages for an extended period of time/change someone's life
4. Buy some llamas and sheep, of course...who wouldn't?
5. Go to culinary school

FIVE PLACES I HAVE LIVED...
1. Woodbridge, VA
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. Provo, UT
5. Thayne, WY

FIVE JOBS I HAVE HAD
1. Custodial for KBYU (seriously one of the funnest jobs I've had)
2. Jello's wedding photographer
3. Dad's "secretary"
4. Home builder (...doing random stuff on that house we built and sold in Thayne)
5. Invitation/Announcement designer

I tag you.