Great Minds Think Alike?

Can I just say... I love Jules!

Julie antd I worked at Arkona together for several years before I decided to change jobs. I have to admit, Julie is on a VERY short list of what I miss about Arkona. Thankfully, she and I still go to lunch every now and then!

Not too long ago, we met for lunch at a sandwich shop that we both love at South Towne Mall. We had a pretty good laugh at what each other was wearing...

I promise! This was an unintentional act! We did NOT plan to be "twinsies" (even down to the same color of dress slacks) that day! But it was pretty interesting to see people casting unusual stares our direction the whole time!

My embarassing "claim to fame"

So, I'm a little late in posting this. It was from Martin Luther King Day. This is my claim to fame!

I have never been in the newspaper. Sadly, I must admit, that I've always sort of wanted to have my shining moment in a local paper. I was in the May 2003 Ensign (I was singing at General Conference with the BYU choirs) but I was in the bottom corner of the photo.

Now my dream has come true! I made it in the Provo newspaper....and now I realize not only is it not that big of a deal to be in the paper but in my case...it's kind of embarassing!

The company I work for has a tradition of spending Martin Luther King Jr Day doing service in the community. (It is one of the things that made me very excited to work for FirstWest.) This year we sorted food at a local center. I remember someone calling my name and telling me to smile as I was heaving a huge basket of canned food out of a bin. I did what I was told and saw the flash of a camera. I didn't think much of it and continued working.

It wasn't until that weekend when I received a text from a fellow coworker that I was the "star of the classifieds" that I guessed what had happened to that picture of me. I can only be greatful that I don't know too many people in Orem/Provo so I didn't have to worry too much about people recognizing my ugly mug as they perused their morning paper. But seeing as it is still fun to be in the paper, regardless of what you look like, I figured I would post it for everyone else to see!

Employees Serve the Community on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
PROVO, Utah (Jan. 19, 2009)—Keeping with their annual tradition, the employees of FirstWest Benefit Solutions in Orem and SLC spent their Martin Luther King Jr. Day volunteering service to the community.
This year, FirstWest worked with Community Action Services and Food Bank to sort donated food. FirstWest employees were given the opportunity to volunteer their services on Monday. Working together, close to 30 employees sorted 69,000 lbs of food for Community Action.
“We are always so excited to see local businesses getting involved and volunteering,” said Erica Hone, communications director of Community Action Services and Food Bank. “It is so great to have partners like FirstWest Benefit Solutions to make our work possible and our community a better place.”
This is the fourth year that FirstWest employees volunteered their service as a way to recognize human rights and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Management at FirstWest encourages its employees to take the opportunity to serve the community. The day of service gives the employees the opportunity to serve the community as well as themselves.
“Our goal is to help the community be a better place,” said Dave Jackson, managing partner at
FirstWest. “Serving not only helps the community, but makes us better employees as we work side‐byside in a setting other than the office. “
FirstWest aspires to reach out to make sure everyone’s basic needs are met. “The groups we search out are those that serve the least fortunate,” Jackson said. “Food is a basic necessity, so helping the Food Bank is a great way to reach out.”
Community Action Services and Food Bank, the second largest food bank in Utah, distributes more than 2.3 million lbs of food annually, helping thousands of families and local organizations. The opportunity to give service is abundant with many hundreds of volunteers needed to help at the food bank warehouse each year.
“We’ll continue to have our day of service each Martin Luther King Jr. Day,” Jackson said. “It is important for organizations to reach out and do what they can to make Utah a better place.”

Reasons I love Emily

Here is a list of reasons why I love Emily. I refuse to list an exact number because it is 3:35am and I can not plan that far ahead. I am also very aware just how cheesy and nauseating (did i spell that right) this list will probably come across but tough cookies. Sometimes I just think that she needs to know some of the reasons why I love her. Disclaimer -This list does not include everything I love about her.

1)She has a great butt. Seriously. Awesome butt.
2) She has a smile and laugh that makes my day better.
3) She has the ability to make the bed feel perfect when I get home at 4am from work and cuddle up next to her.
4) She is a great cook who is constantly trying new dishes (this is a plus and minus).
5) She is amazing with kids, which is great, since I act like one. Poop!
6) I have never seen her sleep in any other position other than an extreme fetal position. Never.
7) She thinks the snooze button is amazing even though it isn't.
8) She has watched Harry Potter with me more times than we care to admit. Granted, we have probably slept through Harry Potter more times that we care to admit also.
9) She is my favorite person to watch a Jazz game with. If you have never experienced it, you gotta try it. It even carries over to Church ball, she is a menace in the stands.
10) She has a creative flair that I will never be able to replicate.
11) Her lips are always perfect.
12) She thinks reading 6 WHOLE books in a year is good.
13) She works harder than anybody I have ever met, including my dad.
14) She constantly makes bets with me even though she constantly loses those same bets.
15) She makes me feel complete.
16) She has grown tolerant of video games.
17) She understands me better than I understand myself.
18) She hides her BYU heritage 99% of the time.
19) She can do 15 push ups (that was one of the few bets she won).
20) She always gets on my case about hanging up the keys when she has 90 pairs of shoes laying around. Those things are sharp.
21) She has a drive that inspires me.
22) She always forgives me.
23) She hogs the water in the shower.
24) She doesn't let me think I am right about something when I am not.
25) She thinks she is right about everything when she is not.
26) She looks adorable when she goes everywhere wrapped in a blanket.
27) She is my sweetheart, pure and simple.

This list is far from complete but I am about to get off work and gotta post this. Also, I wanted to post something so that I would move to the top of Jon and Bri's blog update list.

Bathrooms sure cost a lot for being so darn small!

Clint is graciously chipping away at my 'honey do' list. We are currently remodeling the master bathroom.

Let's back up a little bit to understand WHY I want to remodel this tiny but expensive room.

When Clint and I were looking for houses, one of his number one priorities was having his own bathroom. He was sooo tired of sharing a bathroom with me. I didn't think I was such a pain to share with but, hey! If that's what he wants, I'm not going to complain about having my own bathroom too. So we bought a house with THREE full bathrooms. Problem solved???

I don't think so!

I gave Clint the master bathroom and I took the bathroom right outside the hall. But probably not even three months later, Clint started showering in MY bathroom. Then suddenly his clothes are being left on the floor of my bathroom most mornings. Then my kleenex and q-tips are disappearing much faster than normal! What is this??? Before I knew it, my dear (bless his heart) husband had taken over all three bathrooms!

So when I demanded to know why he was infiltrating my private domain, he blamed it on the tub in his bathroom not working very well.

Solution!!!

"Let's remodel the bathroom all together," I say. Was Clint happy about this idea??? Absolutely not! But after begging him relentlessly for a few weeks he gave in.

The "Before" Shots

You can't really see it in this picture but the floor is a horrible pink laminate paper that was pasted on. That's right. I said 'paper!' It's not even real linoleum.

So on New Years day we began the demolition of the whole bathroom. Then we tiled the floor with help from my dad. (This was our first tiling project ever!)

We used to have this old medicine cabinet in the wall and I figured if we are really going to bring this bathroom up to date we should get rid of that thing. I started seeing these pictures of bathrooms with cute little "niches" in the wall. I figured, "How hard could it really be?" Uh... it's pretty hard when you don't have a clue how to remodel.

So....here we are....procrastinating the completion of the niche. Because neither of us know what exactly to do.

But since I haven't posted anything in a while I thought I would at least let you see the "semi-stalled" project right now.

I'll keep everyone updated as the project comes along!