the yearnings of my soul

I feel a great urge to nest lately. I'm not quite exactly sure why.
To put any speculations at ease, no I am not currently pregnant, however that would explain the nesting so we are back to square one, why?
Here are my symptoms:

1. I have multiple craft projects planned
   
2. I can't decide what to bake next
3. I do not like leaving my house, for anything
4. I am consuming massive amounts of soup
5. I want my dog to snuggle with me
6. I want my husband to snuggle with me
7. I want anyone to snuggle with me
   
8. I am dissatisfied with my sweatpants collection, I need more
   
9. I feel the need to improve on my decorating skills
10. I want to do all of my Christmas shopping online, see #3
11. I find myself reminiscing about those 3 months where I didn't have a job and my house was always clean
12. I wear my ugg boots like house slippers, all I need is a mumu to complete the picture
13. I gaze into the distance a lot and think deeply about my future
    
14. I'm planning out what item in my house I'm going to deep clean next (windows or baseboards?)
15. Mastercard commercials make me cry

Maybe it's the pine aroma permeating the air, maybe it's the cold weather, maybe it's the urge I feel to drink hot chocolate 15 times a day, maybe it's the twinkly lights and shiny ornaments, or the holiday tunes I have cycling all day long, maybe it's a combination of all of these things. All I know is that it's December people and the new year is almost here. Maybe I'm nesting in preparation for that.

Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color??

Elf is quite possibly one of my favorite Christmas movies
and it just happened to be on when we decorated our tree the other night
I think the finished product was quite glorious
and I took a picture to brag
even though you really can't see the details
it kind of looks like a big blob of green with lights on it
and a star stuck on top

thus I took another picture to zoom in
so you could see the pretties

with all the picture taking I do lately
I think I'm turning into a Japanese tourist
all I need is a fanny pack

I got a new laptop for work
a sexy little Mac Powerbook
the problem is I have no idea how to run it
we are not speaking the same language
I don't even know how to access my documents
I personally think it's all a conspiracy
to make me feel stupid
because I can't even run my own stupid computer

oh well, at least my Christmas tree is pretty

and my favorite color changes daily
today it's blue

the icing on my cake

These were our seats

This was the final score

Suck it Utes

My Day Off

Here's me after my "race"

sporting the ipod that somehow magically forgot to charge

and decided not to work

leaving me to run the entire 3.1 miles

listening to my own labored breathing

do you like my Rocky shirt?

But I finished!

and had a pretty good time too!!

and I managed to beat the 8 year old

Did I tell you how cold it was?

I had frozen boogers on my face by the end

that's how coldDo you like how I'm taller than pretty much everyone in Hub's family?

including Hub (who is taking the picture)

I hope you're enjoying the spandex

I sure did

I laid in bed until 10 am this morning and I haven't really managed to accomplish much

I have it in my plans to get out my Christmas Decorations

clean my house

and go to the gym

but I'm not exactly sure which of those things will actually come to fruition

I'm also in the process of uploading ALL of my pictures onto an online photo site

beacause 'tis better to have them stored somewhere safe

in case your laptop bites it

kind of like my work laptop did last week

now I'm coaxing the old HP from my college days to do my bidding

she's a reluctant participant

and only responds to a tender touch

Hope you all had a FABulous Turkey Day!

I'm going to turn on some Christmas Music...

Nervous Nellie

I signed up for my first 5k EVER and I'm running in on Thanksgiving morning. The insanity of it all...

I am as nervous as a hooker in church. I haven't "raced" in anything since my high school track days, and even that that was a 100 meter sprint, not a 3.1 mile run. Just to be sure I could do it I hit the treadmill Monday evening, 3.1 miles, and about 33 minutes later I made it. Treadmills are a whole different story than pavement and frickin' cold wind though. Pray for me people. Can someone wait at the finish line with oxygen?

In case you're interested in doing with me, my sister-in-law Laura(who's training for a half marathon!) and her family (including her 8 yr. old son who will probably put me to shame), and my MIL who's braving the cold to walk the course, come down to the Draper Park at 8 am tomorrow morning. If you come to watch me I guarantee it will be entertaining.

Click here for more information, I love the slogan

"run with an attitude of gratitude"

I'll just be grateful when it's overand I'm still alive

Hey, guess what? In anticipation of tomorrow's festivities (the eating, not the run/walking), I baked my first pie EVER, homemade crust and everything. It was a test run, and it was awesome. I almost busted with pride at my own domesticity. Hub even thought it was great and he considers himself to be a connoisseur of pumpkin pie. I sent it to work with him so I wouldn't eat the rest of it by myself. I'm smart like that.

Hope you all have a fabulous Turkey day. And pray for me tomorrow, but seriously.

what you wish you didn't know

Here's to Sarah K.

in case you had any burning interest in my deep, dark secrets I will let you in on a select few right now...

1. I am a terrible listener. It's true. It's not that I don't care about you or that I'm not interested in your story or what you did on the weekend, I'm just a bad listener. I'll catch about the first 30 seconds, and after that I'm a lot like J.D. on Scrubs, long lost in my day dreams. If you are near and dear to me (Kari) you are fully aware of this and keep your stories short and sweet. This applies to phone conversations, church talks, seminars, webinars, lectures, prayers, you get the idea. MSN and Gchat are about the only thing that hold my focus for an extended amount of time. If you and I are face to face and you find yourself in a situation where this information would be relevant: keep asking me questions and maintain eye contact, it's the only way.

2. I don't craft. I don't even know how to sew. I'm not sure if divulging this information will result in me having to relinquish my membership in the Church or not, so I'm taking a real risk here. I want to learn though, I really do, I even said as much to my mother last week! I would love nothing more than to be able to whip up a Halloween costume out of my imagination, but for now it's just not possible. Hub sews like the wind, and yet he refuses to teach me. Something about a lack of patience and yadda, yadda, yadda. Where is the love?

3. Math scares the crap out of me. I'm like a deer in the headlights when it comes to anything number related. I get performance anxiety everytime I have to calculate a tip on my receipt. If you say the name of "Mr. Koch", my high school math teacher, I instantly break out into a cold sweat, in fact, my palms are heating up even as I type the words. He was a very angry man. In fact, he once accused me of cheating and sent me to the principle's office because I blanked when he asked me a simple multiplication problem. Putting me on the spot never works, I will go blank every time even to this day. I'd never in my life been called to the principle's office and was deeply ashamed, I still am. I cried because I was so angry and swore at my principal. Did I mention I graduated second in my class (there were 37 people but hey, 2nd isn't bad), I was pretty much the only Mormon girl, I had the reputation of being the "goody goody", and having a teacher accuse me of cheating was asinine?? He was such an A-Hole (Mr. Koch, not the principal).

4. I wish I would have taken more risks in college. And I kind of wish I would have graduated with a different degree. Not that I don't like being a Certified Recreational Therapist, it can be a pretty cool job (when I actually do it, seeing as what I do now is in no way related to the aforementioned degree). But if I had my way (and a lot of money and time, as well as an increased attention span, see #1), I would have a degree in English, History, and Sports Medicine too. Maybe they need to create a degree just for me, in RecEngliHistoroSportsEdicine. Then maybe I would be happy. I also have a strong urge to go back and get a Master's Degree, but I am no where near close to deciding what in, so I keep putting it off. And I'm kind of afraid of taking the GMAT, mostly because of the math portion. See #3.

5. We remained "just good friends" for a long time because I wouldn't look at Hub as anything more due to the simple fact that he was shorter than me. Good thing he had me pegged from the beginning, even told his mother so, and goodness knows I'm a sucker for persistance. It doesn't matter when it really counts anyway, *wink wink nudge nudge!

6. I read at lightening speed. I read so fast that I don't absorb a lot of it and have to go back through and re-read what I just read in order to get all of the details. I can finish a good 350 page novel in about 2.5 hours or less. It only took me 5.5 hours to plow through the last Harry Potter, stopping only for food and potty breaks.

7. If you start talking about a topic that I know little or nothing about, I will continue to act like I do until the conversation is either over, or my true identity as a total poser is revealed. There is nothing I hate more in the world than feeling uninformed or less smart than someone else.

8. I think texting is one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century. It's just so darn handy. If you want to get a hold of me for any reason at all, by far the easiest way is to text me. It's also more likely that I'll respond if you send a text. Because I'm weird like that. I realize this method of communication is far less personal then a phone call or a face to face visit, but I can't help it. I love to text.

So there ya go, 8 things about me you probably wish you didn't know. And now I'm going to go eat pie.

party on Wayne

Geez, are you glad the birthday frenzy has finally ended? I am. I think I hyped myself out on that one just a leetle too much. And I promise to stop talking about it sometime in the near future, just not quite yet. Birthdays are so great. I don't think I'll ever be one of those people who doesn't like it when that day of the year rolls around no matter how many candles are on the cake, it's my day to be a kid again and I WILL take advantage of it. It's my perogative (thanks Britney) Plus, I have a real gem of a husband who made sure my day was special, and people who love me enough to indulge my overblown birthday-itis.

To those people I say this:

I love you

and you know who you are

kisses

Here's a little sampling of the festivities:

Oh yeah... the brown dress is MINE

Hub picked these out all on his own

I look borderline amazing in them

I picked up a pair of red suede shoes, compliments of the in-laws

(ahthankyou Azucar for the suggestion)

not one, but TWO packages in the mail

and dinner at my favorito greek restauraunt

you's jealous?

not to mention I only worked until noon and took the afternoon off to go shopping

truly I DO lead the charmed life, and yes, I am aware of it

I'd like to thank my mother for giving birth to me and making all of this excessive celebration and gift giving possible, you're the best mom

Do I look older?

26 looks good on me...

this morning the best work girlfriends on earth accompanied me to breakfast

where I broke my sugar fast and gorged on stuffed french toast

all while gossiping about tv shows and people we don't like

I love them

Stef managed to get us all in the frame in this awesome shot

she's a real champ

and has a daughter named Alice

even more reason to love her

(she's the one in glasses)

Click on over to Kari's Spot

HERE

if you'd like to read up on the birthday girl

it's gonna be a good day...

loves to you all!

100!!! (2 days ago)

Here's me, one step behind as usual.

2 posts ago was my 100th post

ever

and so, in keeping with the celebratory theme of this week

today we will recognize that monumental occasion

of me, posting 100 times about myself

and wasting hundreds of minutes doing it

fantastique!!

(click here if you'd like to re-live the moment)

tomorrow is my big day

I think I might have hyped myself out just a little

because for some reason I'm not as excited as I previously was

maybe I'm having my mid to late twenties life crisis

quick, someone pump some birthday CPR back into me

maybe it's because Hub is all stressed out at work

and me being overexcited about aging

is probably stressing him out even more

I don't like it when he is stressed

he comes home late

types around on his computer

gives me sad-eye looks

vents about the things bothering him

types some more

feels guilt for not giving me attention

types some more

brushes his teeth

says prayers

and falls asleep instantly

Me, on the other hand

I toss and turn

wondering how to make him less stressed

and in turn stress about it myself

it's a vicious cycle

I need a magic genie to wish away all of this silly stress

stress about jobs

stress about families

stress about having a family of our own

stress about buying a house

stress about church callings

stress about finances

stupid stress

you drive me crazy

He's 1

From this:

To this:
A birthday present for both you and me would be if you stopped shedding on my ottoman.
I don't get mad
and you don't get yelled at
win/win

other than that thanks for being such a good dog

The Art of Relaxation

I leave you for the weekend with this:

in the hopes that you all do the same

here's to sitting around and doing nothing

Happy Friday everyone

Auntie

See that lady in red with the awesome hair?

That's my Aunt Karma

and she is one of a kind

(this picture was taken when we were coming out of the temple after our sealing, note the extensive camera useage)

Aunt Karma eclectic, eccentric, gregarious and my crazy

Great Aunt

she is a collector of antiques

a lover of peacock feathers

a gifter of books

a creator of artwork

a natural red head

and I love all of that stuff about her

as a child I was fascinated by her peacock feather sculptures

(she has a whole family of dinosaurs made entirely out of peacock feathers)

all of the "floral" arrangements for my parent's wedding were peacock feathers

the bridal bouquet, the boutonniere's, the corsage's

(it was the 70's)

not to mention there's an entire stuffed peacock residing on a branch in her living room

today I get to go spend some time with her

since I think she's moving down to be closer to my mom

(connie is the designated caretaker of everyone)

she needs help sorting through her treasures

i'm wondering what i'll come home with...

keep your fingers crossed that it's not the stuffed peacock

You Can Do It!!!

You have to read the title of this post in the voice of the guy from "Waterboy". Or else it's not funny and just motivational. I prefer funny AND motivational.

I'm now 3 days sans sugar. My protien shake at the gym was about as close as I got. And I sucked that down so fast you would have thought it was a liter of crack. When I got home from the gym last night, there was a trail of mini candybars leading up to my door. Like I'm Gretel or something. Thanks for the support honey.

I even had a dream about it last night. In it I went to a party at my neighbor's house (I don't even like my neighbors) and they had all sorts of deliciousness. I dreamed that I partook of a peanut butter cup oozing caramel and covered in nuts or something like that. And then I felt guilty. I woke up feeling guilty! And now I'm over it.

Only 9 days left.

I can do it!!!

my own personal Everest

If you know me, you know I like food. No actually, I love food, especially the dessert genre, like the kind that's guaranteed to add an extra dimple on my thighs, as if there weren't enough there already...

Yesterday, Hub and I spent the day at my mom and dad's house. Anytime we go there, I know that I should pack sweatpants to change into because I'm going to over-eat to that point. The point where I can't button my pants and have to sit up straight because if I slump at all, even a little, the contents of my stomach are going to make a 2nd appearance. It's serious business.

Yesterday also happened to be my breaking point. Let me paint you a picture:

My mom (aka Betty Crocker) always has stuff to snack on, there's little jars brimming with candies and treats, she always has cookies or cakes or some other calorie laden delight set out on the counter, just begging me to partake (over, and over, and over again), the pantries are stuffed to the max with other treats, there's every kind of soda you could imagine, it's a wonderland for people like me. She does this because my dad is a habitual snacker, he always needs something to munch on. And because she's the perpetual hostess, which I love about her. She keeps our favorite stuff (DP for me and Hub) on hand, even though she doesn't eat hardly any of it herself, especially not DP (she's a Fresca lady). I love my mom.

Yesterday was no exception. Everywhere I turned there was something to put in my mouth. And I did. At the end of the day, when it was time to go home, I felt like Violet Beauregard from Willy Wonka who had to be rolled out of the factory, a sad, overstuffed blueberry.

Hub, can you go get the forklift? You're going to need some help hoisting me into the car. Maybe we should just hook up a trailer and tow me home...

I'm not a person who engages in fad diets, or has self control for that matter (I like to eat brownies with a fork straight from the pan, when I go to buffets, like the one at the Roof in SLC, I get a plate full of just dessert and sample every variety offered, on top of eating my meal. Help.). But I decided that maybe I would give a little self-restriction a try.

Here is the experiment: I'm going to try to go without any sort of dessert or processed sugar until my birthday. Yes, I realize this is only 11 days, but do you realize how huge this is for me? 11 days can last a lifetime...

Today I had my first test, the Thanksgiving Point Deli stocked full of tarts, cheesecake and other treasures. I simply ordered my salad and ran to hide in the bathroom until it came (okay not really, but I thought about it). Willpower Kalli, willpower.

I'll keep you updated on how it goes. I won't lie, I'm nervous. I think I'm already going through withdrawls. If you find me convulsing anywhere, just quick, feed me a donut.

Gus Wayne

Because we've turned into those people who force their pet into a costume...

I present:

Gus Wayne

Handsome, yes

Hero, yes

and when danger is near...

Bat Dog to the rescue!!

Post Sugar-Rush Recovery

I won't lie, I'm glad it's over, but it was reasonably fun while it lasted
I highly doubt the Devil ever planned on being this cute, or bald

Sweetcheeks playing the role of Beazlebub

I present to you (L-R)

Ginny Weasley, a Black Eyed P (moi), Kim Possible, and the Cat Lady

I thought I was so clever

too clever for my own good apparently

since I had to keep explaining my costume

all day And just because it's funny...
No I didn't win the $1500, but then again I wasn't really trying.
I didn't have it in me, the effort, it just wasn't there.

But you should have SEEN some of the stuff these people came up with.

There was a transformer (all hand crafted) who folded up into a car when he kneeled down, and then unfolded into Bumblebee, it was crazy

A homeade Spongebob costume that looked SO REAL

I half expected to see Squidward around the corner

And a fortune teller complete with booth and recording that was pretty elaborate

(she won BTW)

but hey, who had stripey tights?

me