tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49438139381459883452024-03-05T07:35:39.527-07:00The Gillespie CrewMaggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-2112503745064429312011-01-09T15:48:00.002-07:002011-01-09T15:58:31.255-07:00Catch upIt's easy to get out of the groove of blogging regularly when you miss a week or month because there is then the dreaded task of playing catch up. I still <span style="font-weight:bold;">have</span> a lot of things to tell you all, but a summary version will have to do. Here it goes:<br /><br />The last thing you heard from me really was that I was trying to figure out how to work out dinners at home. I feel like I've really nailed it down...well it's improved at least. I took lots of pictures during the fall. Uploading them and making them look nice on this blog is one of the most frustrating experiences so I'm looking into setting up a photobucket account or something that I can link to this page. You can also see pictures on my facebook. <br /><br />Tomorrow is the first day of Spring semester for me. I'm taking 20 credits, that is assuming that I've been accepted into the music minor program. Joel found a steal of a deal on a bike and so now he has a great bike to ride to and from work. He's excited about it. Joel is also conducting a youth barbershop chorus that he is taking to competition at the end of this month in Las Vegas. Joey is doing great. He's tackling the first grade. He's such a smart kid. We get to see him twice a week usually and wish we could see him more often. We're fixing to move closer to him in the coming months so we can see him more often. There's never enough time to do the things he wants to do with us!<br /><br />So, 20 credits this semester plus full time work means that I will really struggle keeping our blog updated. I will try to update every other week or so. But please forgive me if I don't! <br /><br />Love, <br />Maggie and familyMaggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-79384101259304683032010-11-03T11:29:00.002-06:002010-11-03T12:59:33.350-06:00In my kitchen...Slowly but surely I'm getting this "wife" thing down. The weekends have become my time to cook, clean, homemake, and run errands. I love it so much. The hardest part is not sleeping in too late. For a couple of months now we've had Joey every Friday night, so he wakes us up bright and early on Saturday mornings.<br /><br />In the last two weeks I've made:<br /><br />Broccoli Mozzarella Quiche<br />Creamy Asparagus Soup<br />Shepherds Pie<br />Lasagna Roll Ups<br />Sloppy Joe's<br />Roast and Potatoes<br />French Peasant Bread<br />Coffee Cake<br />Pot Pie Noodle Casserole - Joey dubbed it's official name to be "Worm Casserole"<br />Ham Fried Rice<br />Halloween Sugar Cookies<br /><br />I've made a few more things than that, but I can't remember what they are. I've been taking pictures of my culinary experiments. I'll try to get better about blogging them. Also - I've committed to switching over to wheat flour for everything. I even made my sugar cookies with wheat flour. They look a little odd, but I think the health benefits will be great...especially since my kids won't know any difference. As I get into a rotating cycle of recipes and make them more and more, I'm going to try and tweak them to be as healthy as possible. I REALLY want to try and make my own fiber bars. They've become a part of my everyday, and if I could figure out how to make them from scratch, it'd probably save us some money.<br /><br />I really enjoy being in the kitchen and the more I do it, the less I dread the task of thinking up ideas for dinner each night. Also, the more I work with spices and veggies and meats, the more comfortable I feel trying out new recipes or cooking without a recipe. There are definitely some basic things to know when cooking that have really helped me:<br /><br />-Don't be afraid of garlic or pepper<br />-Chicken broth/stock makes EVERYTHING better <br />-Saute veggies in olive oil with any spices you desire before adding to soups (unless you're making soup from leftover roast) <br />-When in doubt make rice and then figure out what to add from there<br />-Buy 5 lbs of ground beef at costco - brown beef and freeze in family portions for quick meals like tacos, shepherds pie, sloppy joes<br /><br />I can't think of anymore tips right now, but I'll post them as I think of them. <br /><br />Bon Apetite!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-73816656405167337062010-10-15T14:31:00.000-06:002010-10-15T14:34:53.664-06:00Week in ReviewSo my meal planning didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped due to a combination of laziness, moodiness, and schedule changes. I did however make a delicious meal last night...I honestly can't believe it turned out so good. I'm going to make it again soon and post a picture. <br /><br />I could actually get into the cooking thing if I can just figure out how to pair the right spices with the right foods...<br /><br />Another weekend is here with another chance to prepare some of the ingredients ahead of time and look up more savory recipes. I need to be careful not to waste too much time browing the internet for recipes, and spend more of that time experimenting in my kitchen!<br /><br />Cheers!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-42457783410248604602010-10-08T12:51:00.002-06:002010-10-08T13:09:52.077-06:00Finally FALL!Today is Friday, it's offically fall weather,<em></em>and<em></em>, next week is my fall break from school. Even better, today I have nothing to do at work because we are implementing a major upgrate to our operating system. <br /><br />So today I've been working on something I've been putting off for a while: planning a dinner menu. With the crazy schedule Joel and I have going right now, it's really tough to get something made AT HOME for dinner. We end up getting fast food which is neither friendly to our waistline or our wallets. I put together a 2 week menu, starting Sunday. Probably 80% of the meals I have planned are using recipes that are totally new to me. Some of the things we'll be dining on are: chicken pot pie, roast, sloppy joes, french dip sandwhiches, chicken and rice casserole, and tuna casserole...just to name a few (from scratch by the way). There are many more recipes that I want to try out, but thought it would be best to only plan for two weeks out, and then go from there. <br /><br />Sunday's we will stick to having either a pot roast or roast chicken, so that I don't have to deal with it all day. I will, however, be preparing all of the little things that I can to prepare my kitchen for that week. I will brown beef and put them in freezer bags, cook up chicken for my casserole and pot pie, candy nuts for salad toppings, etc. I'm hoping that with good planning we can reduce our grocery bill and save myself time and unneeded stress.<br /><br />I feel pretty strongly about my role as a wife (and even step mom). I'm a full time student working full time...and it's easy to get caught up in the things <em></em>I<em></em> need to do. It makes me so happy when I make time to be a homemaker and a chef for my family. I know that school is important. I also know that I'm not quitting and that I <em></em>will<em></em> finish. Whether I continue to go full time or decide to cut back to 1/2 or 3/4 time, I will keep chugging along and finish it up in the next 1-2 years. There are so many more important things than school, and I know that it's my responsibility to work my role as a wife around school. It can be done, and I'm going to do it. <br /><br />That said, wish me luck! I'm picking Joey up tonight. He and I are going to go grocery shopping together while Joel is at work and then tomorrow we're getting family pictures taken!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-9831684942644708882010-09-30T21:57:00.004-06:002010-09-30T22:04:29.593-06:00Congratulations to The Elements!Last weekend Joel led his quartet in the Rocky Mountain District Convention and won! <br /><br />Friday night about 25 quartets performed and only 10 made it through to the next round. Saturday night they gave it their all, careful not to over-think the performance. They decided to just go out there and do what they've been doing. The audience and the judges absolutely loved them. After they were announced as the new District Champions they performed again in the "Show of Champions" and then headed to the AfterGlow at the Marriot hotel where they received nearly 2 hours of evaluation/coaching from the judges. It was a huge success for these guys, and a true blessing and opportunity to participate in the convention!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcuxPe5_W5dO8DeqghwKs019ivn9UnCGRTpHZbuYB8eW8jPmkiD2j-A41IjqngJhxsdYrBPlNLWewfmA3x0H1JfVka9tgcpwVVkxKUBC16Eqi60CkAUt7W0hcGua87M16gWOomSwYO24/s1600/RMD+Competition+2010+007.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/AVvXsEhlcuxPe5_W5dO8DeqghwKs019ivn9UnCGRTpHZbuYB8eW8jPmkiD2j-A41IjqngJhxsdYrBPlNLWewfmA3x0H1JfVka9tgcpwVVkxKUBC16Eqi60CkAUt7W0hcGua87M16gWOomSwYO24/s400/RMD+Competition+2010+007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522922225703808354" /></a>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-91027442680837071782010-09-19T20:40:00.007-06:002010-09-19T21:06:54.030-06:00Last SUMMER 2010 Post<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCwIgsMPsRgcPuSDa2ijqDfxngwmeMz38PppQorF_JXnZsMClU9DvIRoGYKIFQPkkzVPWZ7RBUFVEeOVaweR0cWW75nZ8A6_z1_3k9fysYrlg_S83z3gTyXOpOq7yYIfmW3TpJApDgrU/s1600/Summer+2010+021.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/AVvXsEjDCwIgsMPsRgcPuSDa2ijqDfxngwmeMz38PppQorF_JXnZsMClU9DvIRoGYKIFQPkkzVPWZ7RBUFVEeOVaweR0cWW75nZ8A6_z1_3k9fysYrlg_S83z3gTyXOpOq7yYIfmW3TpJApDgrU/s320/Summer+2010+021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518821901439877282" /></a><br />Well, the official last day of Summer is September 21st! I've been meaning to put up a few pictures of our recent happenings...<br /><br />On Labor Day we took Joey to the Dinosaur Museum (compliments of Nicole - she gave us tickets for Joey's birthday back in May)! Joey was so excited to be at the museum that he practically ran through the dang thing begging us to come look at this and come look at that. We got a couple good pictures of us on our trip. The last is my favorite. Joey had been there before and remembered the GIANT shark and kept telling me "You're gonna be SO freaked out! You gotta come see this!" When we finally made it into the room with the GIANT shark exhibit, Joey ended up crying and running into the next room. We tried getting a picture...it was great.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhpK7rLMMU-5AXsYZu3aPRZIiq9jvVkYAi1gv88XJR536WFoOdaCz6FjIUo9_6h1vqSrlpz2O0B9VhAcKVpht585GRdQp9BrMk3Bk0pcGXWhidt1VnMm27i_FrOGgp_Aw3ScK76XV9zY/s1600/Summer+2010+020.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/AVvXsEgjhpK7rLMMU-5AXsYZu3aPRZIiq9jvVkYAi1gv88XJR536WFoOdaCz6FjIUo9_6h1vqSrlpz2O0B9VhAcKVpht585GRdQp9BrMk3Bk0pcGXWhidt1VnMm27i_FrOGgp_Aw3ScK76XV9zY/s200/Summer+2010+020.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518822200841423874" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdN1kJGaI3dRMXbyVfk8LCLY9WR9ifLW6Isy_8v0KtkZIxDWczkRnbA-BLZg5QGmDPWYGvN-llATpcd5-0Hs_uowL8Wy0DwdNxXKFzYnJpz3QeeObese1JIW28v70p-00_aVESsbwEwk0/s1600/Summer+2010+023.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/AVvXsEhdN1kJGaI3dRMXbyVfk8LCLY9WR9ifLW6Isy_8v0KtkZIxDWczkRnbA-BLZg5QGmDPWYGvN-llATpcd5-0Hs_uowL8Wy0DwdNxXKFzYnJpz3QeeObese1JIW28v70p-00_aVESsbwEwk0/s200/Summer+2010+023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518822477139362914" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg32o5RYD89i6njAWVnYDal5j_nQuWbs5BvLLvKB922STzQuyC2OxDSSc4VBEvc8qYM1Sb2lFBNZW_Vzc6cck1XjjkdQh6bT9zQZJp2OtYc74H2J1SUuGkSHRlYUqVsW4mL5L_vZCrLbE/s1600/Summer+2010+025.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/AVvXsEhg32o5RYD89i6njAWVnYDal5j_nQuWbs5BvLLvKB922STzQuyC2OxDSSc4VBEvc8qYM1Sb2lFBNZW_Vzc6cck1XjjkdQh6bT9zQZJp2OtYc74H2J1SUuGkSHRlYUqVsW4mL5L_vZCrLbE/s200/Summer+2010+025.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518822772731234354" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhENeF649w39wgS2QubIYa3xc3nS3TXCTJx4C6bvoZdh8DgNi0vh2WsMUGdUvC2gxr0HsKJ9jW-BOwy0XpkzzNj3h9ItoROh7izu08gnu9ULnUCBhxNL89sSB36vripmO6Rq37C32nOiww/s1600/Summer+2010+028.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/AVvXsEhENeF649w39wgS2QubIYa3xc3nS3TXCTJx4C6bvoZdh8DgNi0vh2WsMUGdUvC2gxr0HsKJ9jW-BOwy0XpkzzNj3h9ItoROh7izu08gnu9ULnUCBhxNL89sSB36vripmO6Rq37C32nOiww/s320/Summer+2010+028.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518822991068551266" /></a><br />Our next outing was this last Friday. We went to the Salt Lake County Fair. This was the first fair I've ever been to, at least that I remember. Based on Friday's experience, it's not my cup of tea...but I'm willing to give it another go next year...I was not successful in remembering to take pictures but here are a few...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JbfJkbrSIjDGSebmOD-O3_pwUEhpost-Xer5C7gkmOKStvw6RxRn6yLvQQzg5HHhPeS1jDVHibj1Yw29Ro2nsG44opHLx1tul8hzv_FATsrO0ThUTmto5FCFbQmmzpA-Mmg40BpGGEs/s1600/Summer+2010+039.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/AVvXsEj7JbfJkbrSIjDGSebmOD-O3_pwUEhpost-Xer5C7gkmOKStvw6RxRn6yLvQQzg5HHhPeS1jDVHibj1Yw29Ro2nsG44opHLx1tul8hzv_FATsrO0ThUTmto5FCFbQmmzpA-Mmg40BpGGEs/s320/Summer+2010+039.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518824166198405522" /></a><br />First thing's first: Joey had to get his ice cream cone :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAZVC_FphMUP98WuJCZz6mr9ZGHwzeXX1s-AQpgyYLcjTkA0zBySTBJRSSpz38nev4gVVZvV7a0xD10E7TdkWS43Vvj-cNGMWsYqFIYoBzBuZBSI4KFeYRkiALmLz4JkeBnpF0IQWjRw/s1600/Summer+2010+040.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/AVvXsEinAZVC_FphMUP98WuJCZz6mr9ZGHwzeXX1s-AQpgyYLcjTkA0zBySTBJRSSpz38nev4gVVZvV7a0xD10E7TdkWS43Vvj-cNGMWsYqFIYoBzBuZBSI4KFeYRkiALmLz4JkeBnpF0IQWjRw/s320/Summer+2010+040.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518824564045184994" /></a><br />We HAD to get a picture of this cool race car!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK57fzHtzgh8DdkP3hf1shnabYVFdpVrvmwwNZxSvm16AMeZO2NpAR4JQvCC1CIK4MOOI6bwabO8dun0m5HJljgBhB9FVTVf0pLVIzz_BkEgrLGMy9fEp0z8QcIKHBBkNroVbAgPmoelk/s1600/Summer+2010+041.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/AVvXsEhK57fzHtzgh8DdkP3hf1shnabYVFdpVrvmwwNZxSvm16AMeZO2NpAR4JQvCC1CIK4MOOI6bwabO8dun0m5HJljgBhB9FVTVf0pLVIzz_BkEgrLGMy9fEp0z8QcIKHBBkNroVbAgPmoelk/s320/Summer+2010+041.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518824924126869346" /></a><br />Pettin' the goat!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicozIf7yiFj_JKqItPJA29GQQjCGSiExgzcNQUOOlzP3oIbWcqZyuOuasihD4NjC7yLjorkWiGsvkCKdFm1BMlW66KwAcBQrGQ5vBZuZaf54X3H8YzrSx07Yz82v3GM9P-FFfV1k0VYWo/s1600/Summer+2010+043.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/AVvXsEicozIf7yiFj_JKqItPJA29GQQjCGSiExgzcNQUOOlzP3oIbWcqZyuOuasihD4NjC7yLjorkWiGsvkCKdFm1BMlW66KwAcBQrGQ5vBZuZaf54X3H8YzrSx07Yz82v3GM9P-FFfV1k0VYWo/s320/Summer+2010+043.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518825273220314066" /></a><br />Run little piggies (you can't see them)!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg93zCTbXSxUclXhGorWWnrgxub3qyzAfwlFjnhCRHXXPir0FYCrZLcenidPQOtStTWO5Zw_2jhRX5Au26iWAzSWp5gvUPb3vNYvjPGlSgda-b29zQ9bTrowwlpMheYxwywyXrd5RBZVY/s1600/Summer+2010+044.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/AVvXsEjg93zCTbXSxUclXhGorWWnrgxub3qyzAfwlFjnhCRHXXPir0FYCrZLcenidPQOtStTWO5Zw_2jhRX5Au26iWAzSWp5gvUPb3vNYvjPGlSgda-b29zQ9bTrowwlpMheYxwywyXrd5RBZVY/s320/Summer+2010+044.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518825519383733906" /></a><br />Joey riding the blue helicopter.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5iuub-kT2GOaRHTcu-rcYooDj0l_hMMVF5CmEHN9BWOePu9Z9_3fY5d57lgd39Vfu5BKZKbagvgOj60pxjT9W5n1zBUwyJdX8jwdsfcaGlRA1Kin4Y75JzES5IefcJM0H_Pd0ETV1Nc/s1600/Summer+2010+047.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/AVvXsEgu5iuub-kT2GOaRHTcu-rcYooDj0l_hMMVF5CmEHN9BWOePu9Z9_3fY5d57lgd39Vfu5BKZKbagvgOj60pxjT9W5n1zBUwyJdX8jwdsfcaGlRA1Kin4Y75JzES5IefcJM0H_Pd0ETV1Nc/s320/Summer+2010+047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518825915997139826" /></a><br />Joey FLYING through the playhouse.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGysdHLVo5Q2a8fl-6HHJ6um-0IlrGytUCF-5JNDv_XIgv-iOfQSD5_oo_So7E6r0YBjtcMEQGGHCzdaVG2-bbjvB731841kyF2sDWsGCKFJvTqvg1WEDCYOxf8WaClVSTy4QMRvTL8k/s1600/Summer+2010+049.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/AVvXsEhXGysdHLVo5Q2a8fl-6HHJ6um-0IlrGytUCF-5JNDv_XIgv-iOfQSD5_oo_So7E6r0YBjtcMEQGGHCzdaVG2-bbjvB731841kyF2sDWsGCKFJvTqvg1WEDCYOxf8WaClVSTy4QMRvTL8k/s320/Summer+2010+049.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518826142975836466" /></a>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-52329807181569522492010-08-31T13:31:00.002-06:002010-08-31T13:54:02.434-06:00September??Fall is fast approaching...and we are very excited! This week is a big week with college football kicking off. Joel is excited...and I'm getting nervous.<br /><br />In review...<br /><br />Joey started soccer earlier this month and started the first grade last week. He has played 3 games and his team, the Seattle Mariners (I hope that's right) has won 2 of them (I'm pretty sure <em>that's</em> right). He's definitely learning from his teammates and his skills are building and growing every week. Joel and I took Joey to the field behind the school by our house and played soccer with him for a while. It looks like Joey might end up being a goalie. He was doing a pretty great job at diving and sliding every which way to ensure the ball didn't make it past the goal. We were impressed. We ended up racing each other and here's what we learned. Joel is twice as fast a runner as I am, and Joey is barely slower than I am. I'm also convinced that by Joey's 12th birthday he'll be able to beat me at arm wrestling. We shall see... So far, Joey likes his teacher and is having fun at school. He is a busy kid!<br /><br />Joel is working hard with his quartet, rehearsing twice a week for the next 4 weeks, to prepare for district competition in Layton. It's definitely a sacrifice having him gone so much, but it's worth it. He's also working very hard in his job. He admires the values that Kimpton Hotels has and the way in which they train their staff and management, so he is hoping for more opportunities with the company. His interest in moving up the ladder has instilled a sense of pride and ownership in his everyday at work, which definitely helps make work more enjoyable. After a couple less enjoyable jobs, I'm happy to see Joel smiling when he comes home from work. With his work schedule and quartet rehearsal and my job and classes, there isn't much time for us to be together. It's wonderful that he is able to sing with his quartet and enjoy using his talents. His quartet is extremely talented and have excellent chances of going places...so I support Joel the best I can, although I occasionally and regrettedly whine because I miss him so much. <br /><br />As for me, I started classes last week and so far it looks like it will be a manageable semester. At the end of each semester I am so exhausted that I want to cut back on my course load or extend my expected graduation, but I realize if I can keep chugging along, I can finish in 4 more semesters! I just have to take it one semester at a time and then evaluate at the end of each semester. Next week I will start singing with Deseret Chamber Singers again, which I am really looking forward to. I have really missed singing on a regular basis. It is a wonderful outlet for me to express myself and recharge. We all really need something like this in our lives. I'm grateful to know people so I can be a part of what I love! Regarding my weight loss, it's coming off slowly...or at least has been up until this week. I haven't been following Jillian's program exactly, but I have found an ever evolving routine that works for me. I was successful in exercising 5 days a week for 2 weeks in a row, then the next two weeks were less successful, but still better than before. This week I am back on the wagon and have gone to the gym twice already this week. I recently realized that regular exercise has a dramatic effect on my moods. Another reason to keep at it!<br /><br />That's the latest. I'll post pictures of Joey's next soccer game soon. Remembering my camera is tough, but remembering to actually takes pictures is tougher!Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-15222560828143273022010-08-17T12:56:00.003-06:002010-08-18T12:15:03.285-06:00sChOoL!Two years ago I decided I was finally ready for school. I began my college career in the summer of 2005 at the University of Utah. I moved up from St. George shortly after graduation. The first 3 years were bumpy. Only 2 out of the 6 semesters I attended during that time did I actually pass. The others I received failing grades or completely withdrew from my classes.<br /><br />After a trying experience in November 2007, I ended up withdrawing, yet again, from all of my classes. I did not return for spring semester in 2008, and instead found my job in the Financial Aid Office after working as a temp for the UofU for several months. As I found my place in the professional field, I also found a genuine desire to receive an education.<br /><br />As I began the process of getting things ready to return to school in the fall, I discovered that because of my poor academic performance I would not be allowed to return unless I met their requirements. Because I was admitted on the condition that I complete 2 science and 1 language class within the first 30 attempted hours and failed to meet that condition, I had to attend another college and then transfer the missing classes in order to be re-admitted.<br /><br />Words cannot describe the turmoil I felt. Mustering the courage to return to school was enough of a challenge, but now having to go to Salt Lake Community College was even worse. It was a blow to my ego. Plain and simple. I struggled with the situation for several weeks, and finally swallowed my pride and began the process of getting admitted to SLCC. I fibbed to my family and friends about why I was going to SLCC rather than the U. I made up all sorts of excuses. I was so embarassed about having been kicked out of the U.<br /><br />My first semester as a student at SLCC was in the fall of 2008. Since my GPA was so low, I wasn't eligible for federal aid, so I made monthly tuition payments. This was a humbling experience. I didn't miss a day of class and the effort I made was exponentially greater than if someone else had been making those payments. Seeing that money leave my account every month ensured my dedication to school.<br /><br />I completed the 3 classes necessary for my re-admittance to the U and began taking classes again in the summer of 2008. My GPA at that time was a 1.67. I was still horrified to tell people the truth about my academic failure. Taking 2 classes, summer semester back at the U was a success. For the following fall semester I bumped my course load up to 3 classes, feeling confident I would succeed. The semester went well and even continued that way as I left the home I made with my boyfriend and stayed with a friend for a month as I figured out what to do with my relationship. I broke up with him near the end of October and moved into my own apartment in November. Within days of moving in I got terribly sick, and remained that way for the better part of the winter. With my poor health and freshly ended relationship, I found it increasingly difficult to focus on school, let alone work 40 hours a week. I completed one of the three classes and took incompletes in the other two. In my early years at the U, this would have been cause for withdrawing from my classes. This time, however, I powered through and made it happen. I finished the two classes from fall just before summer semester bagan, and ambitiously enrolled in 4 classes for summer. Pushing through this hard time in my life and finishing my classes made me feel confident that I could do anything.<br /><br />I ended up getting married in March. I inherited a wonderful step son and a husband who absolutely adores me. Somehow that equated to mental chaos, making it a complete nightmare to somehow pull through my insane 12 credit (and 40 hour work week) summer semester. But, yet again, I managed to make it to the end of the semester with passing grades...better yet, two A's, and A-, and a B.<br /><br />In the year I have been back at the U, I have raised my GPA from a 1.67 to a 2.57.<br /><br /><br />"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity" Albert EinsteinMaggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-44249426588381323482010-07-09T22:07:00.007-06:002010-07-09T22:12:07.229-06:00Mini Golfing for Mini Men<div style="text-align: center;">Joel took Joey and his cousin, Collin, miniature golfing this week and then to Cafe Zupas.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx5c7b1Wupl9FiKsu2S5szTPGuVOwstD9SknoaswVtGUWa3UKX8wGtj9vZuh2sREwVTm9_E6bP02fPwwvMPnWZVU7F94YAsPALcGmW7sv-A-HEIaUcB8C9eIFxkTwncSjMcrsnKOPaFU/s1600/July+2009+043.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixx5c7b1Wupl9FiKsu2S5szTPGuVOwstD9SknoaswVtGUWa3UKX8wGtj9vZuh2sREwVTm9_E6bP02fPwwvMPnWZVU7F94YAsPALcGmW7sv-A-HEIaUcB8C9eIFxkTwncSjMcrsnKOPaFU/s200/July+2009+043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492125056211029842" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVUAQ0scbJqIHmhHscEZ-yoloi49uFC6IipJvKvFUL4whmDRUYJ0QscNP6EVqsiPkPrZnojIpiucnPZKe_Qfc39fgewdMO7G_UoZVqIqS969-Zflq0IIO3TbBadCrIBTmy8ev0oApAX0/s1600/July+2009+042.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAVUAQ0scbJqIHmhHscEZ-yoloi49uFC6IipJvKvFUL4whmDRUYJ0QscNP6EVqsiPkPrZnojIpiucnPZKe_Qfc39fgewdMO7G_UoZVqIqS969-Zflq0IIO3TbBadCrIBTmy8ev0oApAX0/s200/July+2009+042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492124912365260802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Pjex9LZnzc4DkYDig2yN6Pn5N983kUDH3RM9xczJbH5Nz5-VxBQjBF1KQKdov2Kvwg67nk9i5QttWAR51gBiz86NoYFbYuluZXtocM122qGxzQHTDnh6IN-3TTjsYOFZFhnqZ7S9hJM/s1600/July+2009+045.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Pjex9LZnzc4DkYDig2yN6Pn5N983kUDH3RM9xczJbH5Nz5-VxBQjBF1KQKdov2Kvwg67nk9i5QttWAR51gBiz86NoYFbYuluZXtocM122qGxzQHTDnh6IN-3TTjsYOFZFhnqZ7S9hJM/s200/July+2009+045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492125207356395058" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8PxvDZFd2iMfOfIiQtIAIIV2gopW5RRX2aBqk6-H3elbeNV13FfARuahEzivMERSCaEjP0o-sjwCbO4Pp1D3idDJDXmdfpTCWUA_tMdFw6C2CzwCG0cPeAeXQ6CYJHtAu6SZ3q5AtoM/s1600/July+2009+046.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8PxvDZFd2iMfOfIiQtIAIIV2gopW5RRX2aBqk6-H3elbeNV13FfARuahEzivMERSCaEjP0o-sjwCbO4Pp1D3idDJDXmdfpTCWUA_tMdFw6C2CzwCG0cPeAeXQ6CYJHtAu6SZ3q5AtoM/s200/July+2009+046.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492125430681050946" border="0" /></a></div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-23173135622507536612010-07-09T21:45:00.011-06:002010-07-09T22:06:22.371-06:00LAGOON!<div style="text-align: center;">Our day at lagoon was a grand ol' time. It was just what we needed after being pulled over on I-15 on our way up.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0L3WbTlBPkRqoyADtDHWwgWf3e_ruk2qSUh6fBOGsLVHEzpWA-uLeee_gxTeJlApVfg25TJQawDKUbf_jt-7TpMYpCUgi-8ozZin9V-5JJHSu5T8lmF-rSaQtEFPG1J8iHp0SRrWWHrY/s1600/July+2009+006.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0L3WbTlBPkRqoyADtDHWwgWf3e_ruk2qSUh6fBOGsLVHEzpWA-uLeee_gxTeJlApVfg25TJQawDKUbf_jt-7TpMYpCUgi-8ozZin9V-5JJHSu5T8lmF-rSaQtEFPG1J8iHp0SRrWWHrY/s320/July+2009+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492119316505113458" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivy3yWCSkGXRh1KGoxBDxgHhusETo7R84S3CLlFmAYFIz-nQ6SK2DNOhIp8oA5OygZp9_CHSf6PnxHxbb2flHAGl-NDu952Oci7ktRvwcOIECBri-_v1H7UjpoMXv8wqrmpWqOdxYI9yQ/s1600/July+2009+002.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivy3yWCSkGXRh1KGoxBDxgHhusETo7R84S3CLlFmAYFIz-nQ6SK2DNOhIp8oA5OygZp9_CHSf6PnxHxbb2flHAGl-NDu952Oci7ktRvwcOIECBri-_v1H7UjpoMXv8wqrmpWqOdxYI9yQ/s320/July+2009+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492119082926738018" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The ride we're on here is apparently less "kiddie" looking that it appears to be. The centrifugal force made it so I was a sardine on the end of the seat. Joel thought I understood what I was getting myself into when he called dibs on the inside seat. It took me a good 20 minutes to forgive him after this.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQl2s_JS9U4kDY5MnFFNmWcszzofrm-bRaTZ50hYVatxC178z2Zy_2xKi1H9IGtYe9HL5X0joXFRAvgAd_m-7X8novkFm-I_HH5fe2G4qDfVfIuUwrdB7tn3HiJ4mdBBImWNMTvbHqhgI/s1600/July+2009+009.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQl2s_JS9U4kDY5MnFFNmWcszzofrm-bRaTZ50hYVatxC178z2Zy_2xKi1H9IGtYe9HL5X0joXFRAvgAd_m-7X8novkFm-I_HH5fe2G4qDfVfIuUwrdB7tn3HiJ4mdBBImWNMTvbHqhgI/s320/July+2009+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492120487885485154" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx67prbmqWgAM0rMXTEcEKLDSNqsTMcPVaWNok6FXSUGlhj0v6ApJU-i5ouby1VvYw-2RRO5XrfG8myUAvSk2QzemqVEdFczJu1xfWn-krgRT4hy1X-E0rL7NFaQ56e5SOHQsfnUVeCt8/s1600/July+2009+008.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx67prbmqWgAM0rMXTEcEKLDSNqsTMcPVaWNok6FXSUGlhj0v6ApJU-i5ouby1VvYw-2RRO5XrfG8myUAvSk2QzemqVEdFczJu1xfWn-krgRT4hy1X-E0rL7NFaQ56e5SOHQsfnUVeCt8/s320/July+2009+008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492120892088143122" border="0" /></a>...and of course Joel had to shoot hoops. He won me a stuffed animal but we ended up giving it the a ride operator because he got mad at me for trying to bring it on the ride.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynURd-S89ZUOU3gbjHk0Nj02hzInpuoWMGxMJqVkiFR3QrBgfiH4eTRM8sBCtC58rW6-dgyX68sIbX6e8YUaHz4ymzaRU9BJfzDHnJYKC8I85yXGriGrPZh0hhEw63JJf79_HttkIEyM/s1600/July+2009+018.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynURd-S89ZUOU3gbjHk0Nj02hzInpuoWMGxMJqVkiFR3QrBgfiH4eTRM8sBCtC58rW6-dgyX68sIbX6e8YUaHz4ymzaRU9BJfzDHnJYKC8I85yXGriGrPZh0hhEw63JJf79_HttkIEyM/s320/July+2009+018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492121390675177346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHa9hCq8yYHV_sakdwNoxUe1pAwtB-m5uAhEMqLHPSO4a9nS4R7BvN13IWhmu6CMoovTDltfdKG-zCBRuvHuYoRMXGAaplt9hfJAz1pMro8czPUm2gA_TLGG9TRvy9vcG2Fb3tvWv_eo/s1600/July+2009+021.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHa9hCq8yYHV_sakdwNoxUe1pAwtB-m5uAhEMqLHPSO4a9nS4R7BvN13IWhmu6CMoovTDltfdKG-zCBRuvHuYoRMXGAaplt9hfJAz1pMro8czPUm2gA_TLGG9TRvy9vcG2Fb3tvWv_eo/s320/July+2009+021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492121666643172226" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Joel got the surprise of a lifetime when he decided to go stand in the middle of the fountain and look down. Luck would have it that the water turned on <span style="font-style: italic;">right</span> as he got there. Water went straight up his nose. Poor guy.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtYmZ2WiFy4XVoNfQ7NMyxdluhJ0xE288HykcdFQKC1Ogt2G1a4uFvoVJYLeB1nXWfFqk16NeRpHVvudQhqyEPBQRcFRuo1KVwY1VQfIje_5CRUlVAxnyX8kb0aQ9s2fTZpXd7NLAMYw/s1600/July+2009+026.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNtYmZ2WiFy4XVoNfQ7NMyxdluhJ0xE288HykcdFQKC1Ogt2G1a4uFvoVJYLeB1nXWfFqk16NeRpHVvudQhqyEPBQRcFRuo1KVwY1VQfIje_5CRUlVAxnyX8kb0aQ9s2fTZpXd7NLAMYw/s320/July+2009+026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492122213395280290" border="0" /></a>I can't remember the name of this scary ride but I snapped a cool shot of it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Y2T7fKFhWg16lGuilpqPDE_YssPV2lN3R4XwCOfWVhRBDbCkRO2fXUtg_M6hbt792sXDLKrT1u5uF-JA2dFUjLPHg2mU9gsQJgUSdIDzHjh0fzhjhc02yn-vbuzwM8a6pVXo5nJOIzQ/s1600/July+2009+041.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Y2T7fKFhWg16lGuilpqPDE_YssPV2lN3R4XwCOfWVhRBDbCkRO2fXUtg_M6hbt792sXDLKrT1u5uF-JA2dFUjLPHg2mU9gsQJgUSdIDzHjh0fzhjhc02yn-vbuzwM8a6pVXo5nJOIzQ/s320/July+2009+041.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492122926744787730" border="0" /></a>After we ate our mandatory Dippin Dots, Joel had a go at the hammer thingy. He got it up to 94 on his second try...right after a 300 pound Tongan guy finally made it up to 96 after 6 tries. :)<br /></div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-20411941239400650692010-07-09T16:05:00.005-06:002010-07-09T16:29:31.298-06:00Losing it With Jillian Michael's<div align="center">Some might call me crazy for doing this, but two days ago I signed up on Jillian's website. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I'm committed to sticking with it...at least through the end of my free month of membership. My weight loss program is as follows:<br /><br />1270 calories per day<br /><br />4 days a week - circuit training<br />2 days a week - rest<br />1 day a week - cardio only<br /><br />Yesterday was my first day. Sticking to the 1270 calories is easy for two reasons. Being allowed to eat foods that I wasn't allowed to eat when I followed The ZONE is wonderful. I now can enjoy reasonable amounts of whole grain bread, pasta, and an occasional potato or carrot! Staying at 1270 calories a day is made easier when you're working your tail off to lose weight as well. Granted it's only been 1 day, I feel like this is a legitimate claim. I want to keep with my low calorie diet because my workouts will pay off faster.<br /><br />I have done many weight loss programs in my short life, and have consistently failed to exercise in addition to restricting my calorie intake. I would imagine how great it would be if I would double up on diet <em>and </em>exercise. I'm looking forward to achieving the health that I want for my life.<br /><br />Until now I always wanted to lose weight to be more attractive and feel sexier. Now I want to lose weight and get fit for <em>so </em>many more reasons that my appearance. I want to lose weight and get fit for the following reasons:<br /></div><p align="center">I want good health</p><p align="center">I want to be strong</p><p align="center">I want children</p><p align="center">I want to live to see my grandchildren</p><p align="center">I want to run</p><p align="center">I want hike</p><p align="center">I want to sleep well</p><p align="center">I want strong bones</p><p align="center">I want to garden</p><p align="center">I want healthy pregnancies</p><p align="center">I want to recover from illness quickly</p><p align="center">I WANT TO LIVE</p><p align="center">I feel pretty convicted to stick with this lifestyle and am confident that I have a strong support system and a wonderful husband to motivate me when I struggle to keep going. Looking forward to posting my before and after pictures at the end of the year. I'll keep you posted on my progress in the mean time. </p>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-86856512852994542522010-06-23T20:43:00.002-06:002010-06-23T20:46:15.771-06:00COOKIESI'm really looking forward to becoming famous for these amazing cookies...they're my ultimate pride and joy these days. See for yourself.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fpZrxepWz8Xp6uTznsDhXZwwpNP7holBy2FQRRv5Hu5ZYHU_IKPmZpJtt8VNFqy_OkmGxEb-KB-RHVgCzUoP4b5lxSHrjiuNlF15g1aOtvsY0K0Ovg5DX1L668q35YYEgPGnvPDxHjw/s1600/346.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fpZrxepWz8Xp6uTznsDhXZwwpNP7holBy2FQRRv5Hu5ZYHU_IKPmZpJtt8VNFqy_OkmGxEb-KB-RHVgCzUoP4b5lxSHrjiuNlF15g1aOtvsY0K0Ovg5DX1L668q35YYEgPGnvPDxHjw/s320/346.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486165821593669186" border="0" /></a><br />And, they taste as good as they look! Look at me all domestic, baking and blogging.Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-86169796259531163452010-06-23T12:45:00.003-06:002010-06-23T20:31:10.126-06:00Nearly 3 months later, and Joel has finally landed the Hotel Monaco job. The morning after our wedding, we jumped in the car so Joel could interview with the manager at the Hotel Monaco. Before moving back to Utah to get married, he was working at the Hotel Monaco in Seattle and hoped to make a smooth transfer to the Salt Lake hotel.<br /><br />The managers there took their time in getting back to him, and finally did last week. His first day was yesterday, working 3pm-11pm. This morning he told me how excited he was to be working there. I can tell he is happy in his job...finally! I know how crappy it is to hate your place of employment. Been there, done that. I'm so glad that he happy.<br /><br /><br />On a side note, my full time school attempt this summer is kicking my butt. Interesting how just one extra class is giving me "drop-out" thoughts. Don't worry, I won't quit. I'll make it through the semester somehow. But believe me, I will NOT be doing this again. An extra two semesters is worth my daily sanity.<br /><br />On Monday, Joel's brother, Dennis, and his wife, Kristen, and their 10 month old, Liam, came over for dinner. Joey was with us that night as well. What started out as a disastrous evening (I ruined my first batch of cookie dough) ended up simply marvelous! Joey helped me make the cookies and we had a good time hanging out and enjoying good food.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnud6vplRU9-zovD4RxX4t0-B3L22NKXUncWzKtB9of-A-BhTDIYcLlKHeZRjQoCg6RaFSIKSSUSYt2va9lJpcOfMbvRpiIcGDLHTBYzJ7UzUIhCK-q16Uh5ooBE2OPXyH37rpBvRiJ4/s1600/397.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnud6vplRU9-zovD4RxX4t0-B3L22NKXUncWzKtB9of-A-BhTDIYcLlKHeZRjQoCg6RaFSIKSSUSYt2va9lJpcOfMbvRpiIcGDLHTBYzJ7UzUIhCK-q16Uh5ooBE2OPXyH37rpBvRiJ4/s320/397.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486161923156596482" border="0" /></a>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4943813938145988345.post-49664856071989114972010-06-15T09:51:00.000-06:002010-06-15T10:36:50.125-06:00Welcome!Holy cow...I can't believe I'm starting a family blog. I can't believe I have a family to blog about! It's been almost 3 months since Joel and I got married. It's been one crazy ride ever since we met, but it keeps getting better and better everyday. To introduce you better to how our lives ended up collaborating here is the "Our Story" page from our wedding website.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">First of all, yes. We know it's fast. Thank you for your concern. But, when it's right, it's right, and well. . .it's right.</div><div align="center"><br />Maggie and I met while singing in the Deseret Chamber Singers just four short months ago. Our first date was intended to be nothing more than an attempt on both sides to have some fun without having to worry about all the "hassle" of a relationship. . .maybe trying to find someone to have fun with without the guy having to buy flowers or the girl pretending to be interested in sports. After all, I was a divorced, unemployed father of one, and she was newly single, looking to stay that way for a while. Instead, we ended up spending almost every day together.<br />That approach to dating did one thing, though. . .we got to know each other pretty fast. Neither of us seemed interested in impressing the other. I made no attempt to hide my love of movies and television, not to mention the frightening reality of my BYU sports fanaticism, and she felt comfortable telling me when I had hung around too long and needed to leave.</div><div align="center"><br />The problem with getting to know Maggie was, she was exactly what I was hoping to find, although I wasn't looking. </div><div align="center"><br />We hoped that my move to Seattle would provide us a good opportunity to spend some time apart, since we were both aware that we were getting much more involved than we cared to admit. Instead, we spent (spend) hours each day talking on the phone, texting (I know. . .) and chatting on facebook (I REALLY know. . .)</div><div align="center"><br />Long story short (too late) I spent a week in Salt Lake, she spent a week in Seattle, and we knew all we needed to know. I knew that I would be lucky if I could have her all my life, and she seemed to think that I was going to make a lot of money, must have figured I was due.<br />So here we are. We are so grateful for the support of family and friends, amid what must seem to most a whirlwind engagement/wedding, to say the least. </div><div align="center"><br />And hopefully, when you get a chance to see us together, you will see how happy we make each other, and be confident that we have made a great decision. . .I know I am.</div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">We got married March 25, 2010 and had the most beautiful wedding I could have imagined, given my 3 week window to plan. I've never made a better decision in my life. I am so happy to have started my life with Joel and my awesome step son, Joey!</div><div align="left"></div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10058242401929351432noreply@blogger.com0