Welcome to the Parkin-Lot!

Time Out, Halloween, and Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T10:44:00.001-08:00

This year I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Time Out for Women here in Reno. Time Out is a conference that is put together by the church bookstore, Deseret Book. They compile a wonderful program full of LDS and non-member speakers and musicians in an attempt to enrich and inspire women all over the country. This year's theme was "Choose to Become." You may ask, choose to become...what? That's the point. Choose to become whatever you want! For me, the messages in the conference and the Spirit spoke to me to tell me that what I need to choose to become is...a mother. Whether I have kids or not, I can choose to be a mom. I also want to choose to be a...runner...but that is a whole other story. It scares me just a bit.

I went to the conference with some of my favorite people. I just love my girlfriends and we have so much fun when we get together! It meant so much to me to be there with these beautiful ladies.

April, Abby, Brooke, Jamilynn, and Leta Kaye

Here is a cute picture of my favorite little puppy Ginger after she got her hair cut!

Such a diva!

For Halloween this year I was a bumble bee. My nephew Desmond came over to our house to trick-or-treat, and we snapped this picture of the two of us:

Darth Desmond does not look happy!

For Thanksgiving this year, we went to Fallon to visit my grandparents. I love them so much!

Abby, Grandma, and Grandpa

Alan, Abby, Grandma, and Grandpa

All Hallows' Eve 2011

2011-10-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

Alan and I had our annual pumpkin carving party on Saturday. It was a lot of fun, as usual. I just love Halloween and I love carving pumpkins. Couple that with my love of being with friends and it was a great day! After the carving, we all got to head on over to our ward Harvest Party and Trunk-or-Treat.

Russ, Leta-Kaye, and TJ gutting their pumpkins.

April stopped by for a quick photo opportunity.

Jamilynn carving her pumpkin.

My beautiful Shawni-bug!

My pumpkin all finished!

Leta-Kaye brought these delicious specimins, Oreo eyeball truffles. Yum!

TJ made his pumpkin into a Death Star. So creative!

Jamilynn's pumpkin: To infinity and beyond!

Jeromy's pumpkin, the grim reaper.

My pumpkin, the headless horseman.

TJ's Death Star took first place! He was a good husband
and chose socks as his prize to give to Jamilynn :o)

My little funny face.

Shawni with the pumpkin that she and Alan made.

Jeromy with his pumpkin.

Ginger loves Halloween, too!

My Copper pumpkin.

As a Pre-K teacher, it's basically
required that I get a costume

Jeromy went as a dead cowboy.

Shawni, Desmond Vadar, the Bumble Bee, and Jamilynn

Summer Happenings

2011-10-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

We were pretty busy this summer between moving and me looking for a job, but we did find some time to have fun! Jeromy's parents came to visit, so we spent some time being tourists again. We went to the Donner Museum and Donner Pass as well as Lake Tahoe.

Jeromy and me being silly on a walk at Donner Pass

Such a cute little guy!

At Donner Lake

Alan at Lake Tahoe

We also had the wonderful opportunity to go to Seattle and attend our niece's baptism. I cannot believe she is eight! I don't have any pictures of the baptism (eh hem...Carrie...could you send them to me, please?) but I did take some other pictures. Alan and I drove so we went to the Oregon Zoo on our way up. We also all went to the Temple together for Corrinda's Endowment, which was a very special occasion. It was wonderful to be with Alan's family again. I miss being close to them.

I saw a polar bear for the first time at the Oregon Zoo!

I love elephants :o)

Our beautiful nieces!

We got to visit the Space Needle!

From the top of the Space Needle

The Parkin Family at the Seattle Temple.
It was so nice to have us all together again.

My Beautiful Sisters. I love these ladies!

We stopped at Joe's Crab Shack on the way home.
It was on the water near Portland.

Let's Get Crackin'!

New House, New Job

2011-10-02T01:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since I posted! Our summer has been crazy busy and pretty stressful, but we made it through to the other side. There have been a lot of changes for us lately, and we are happy to be looking forward to new and exciting avenues in our lives.

This summer I worked at a security company for about a month as a dispatcher, but it had terrible hours and I was very unhappy there. Then, out of the blue I received a job offer at The Goddard School teaching pre-kindergarten. I have worked in daycare facilities before and didn't enjoy it, so I was a little leery of the position. However, it has truly been an answer to my prayers. I am so happy with my new job. I have my difficult days, but most days I'm just so happy to be teaching. I love the kids and my co-teacher as well as the structure and curriculum that Goddard provides. It's wonderful.

We are also settling nicely into our new house. We love the extra space and the freedom of no longer living at the storage units. I know I promised you all pictures of the inside, so here they are. We just decorated for Halloween :o)

Living Room

The Entryway

Dining Room

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

Goals Again

2011-07-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

The last time I updated my goals was April! So, here are the last six goals that I am updating:

5.Prepare for Primary lessons prayerfully and ahead of time
I am trying my best to do this, but it is difficult now that I have moved. I am not working at an office where I have time in the day to prepare my lessons. Now I have to MAKE time for it, and two Sundays this month I completely forgot until Saturday night! I'm doing alright, though.

6.Obtain my teacher's license
Finally! I even have it framed, yet it is sitting on the shelf in my closet...Too bad I don't really want to teach anymore.

7. Work out three times each week
Lately my workouts have been...never. I've been pretty stressed with looking for a job, but I am recommitting myself as of...next week?

8.Lose at least 20 pounds
So far I've lost 35 pounds! At one point, I had lost 40, but that darn stress and not working out really got to me. But, 35 is really awesome! Only 28 more pounds to go this year!

9.Do my Visiting Teaching each month
Um, so, maybe not. But at least I'm a good friend (I hope) to those sisters I am supposed to be Visiting Teaching.

10.Scrapbook at least 12 layouts (24 pages)
Still only five layouts so far.

11.Learn to use my sewing machine
I am getting better and better at this. I was asked to sew some sashes for bridesmaid dresses, which was pretty exciting. They didn't look too shabby, if I do say so myself. And, just today I altered the rest of my dress pants. I'm looking sharp!

Let's hope my goals can all be improved upon by my next update :o)

Movin' On Up

2011-06-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Alan and I are moving! We will be leaving the storage facility (and our jobs there) and moving on to greener pastures. We originally wanted to move to our house in Fernley, but after Alan got a job here in Reno as a patrol officer, we decided it was going to cost too much in gas and time to live there. So, we looked for a house to rent here in Reno.

We wanted to break even with the rent we receive from our house in Fernley, and it was a little difficult to do since houses here in Reno rent at a higher price than small-town Fernley. In the beginning, we looked North of the Reno area and even found a house in Stead. We accepted it and told all our friends we would be moving there. Still, something just didn't seem right and we decided not to take it.

That very day, we found a house that we love. It was the perfect price, the perfect area, and the perfect layout for us. It had a dog run, a beautiful view, a huge master bedroom, and a great living and dining area. If we got it, we would even be able to stay in our Ward at church. There were two other interested parties, but we were prepared with letters of recommendation, paycheck stubs, and even pictures of our dogs. I am so thankful to a loving Father in Heaven who listens to our prayers, answers us with the Spirit, and guides us to what we need most. We got the keys this week and have been furiously painting and preparing the house. We hope to be completely moved in by next week.

Now, Alan will continue to work nights as a patrol officer and he will go to school in the Fall for wild land firefighting. I know, he changes his mind a lot, but this is his dream; his real dream. He never thought he would be able to become a wild land firefighter because of his weight, so he never pursued it. After he lost so much weight in the Biggest Loser competition this past Winter, he has a new resolve to follow his dream. I'll be a Summer widow because he'll be gone a lot fighting fires, but I'm so excited for him. As for me, I am going to substitute teach and hopefully start making babies!

Here are some pictures of the house and the backyard.

Front of the house

Jeromy and Alan enjoying the front yard

Backyard

Alan enjoying the view from the backyard

Backyard view

Family, Friends, and Food

2011-05-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day this year, Alan and I made dinner for my Mom and David. We had chicken cordon bleu, green bean casserole, corn on the cob, rolls, and sopapilla cheesecake. It was delicious! After, we walked off our dinner at the Sparks Marina. We took along the camera, and had a great time.

Baby geese celebrating Mother's Day too!

Happy Mother's Day!

Mom, Abby, Jeromy, and David

Hello!

Shadow People

Yesterday was Shawni's Birthday, so we went out to get our nails done (no one ever give ME a pedicure!) and to Famous Dave's. Just so you'll know, Famous Dave's has THE BEST barbecue. Ever. In the entire world. It's delicious!

A cat necklace!

Best. Ribs. Ever.

Heaven in a basket!

Abby and Shawni and a sundae!

Winner at a Losing Game

2011-05-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

On January 18, 2011, I started a Biggest Loser Competition. My goal for the year was to lose 20 pounds, and I thought that a little friendly competition would help me to start this goal. At most, I thought I would lose the full 20 pounds by May 3rd, a mere 15 weeks away. I was excited when my family and friends were so willing to support my efforts and joined the competition.

I stepped on the scale that first day with dread. I was heavier than I had ever been in my entire life, and I was devastated at the number I saw.

I surpassed my 20 pound goal by week 8, and kept going strong. By the end of the competition, on May 3rd, I had lost exactly 35 pounds, 13.4% of my body weight.

Can you believe that even with losing so much, I ended up in third place? First place went to none other than my dear husband Alan. I didn't take a picture of his first weight, but he began at 316.4 pounds. The following picture was his final weigh-in, 61 pounds down. That's nearly 20% of his body weight!

Here are some pictures of us before we started the competition:

Christmas 2010

July 2010

And here we are, after losing 35 and 61 pounds:

May 2011

My mom and David also joined my competition. David was in the lead for a long time, and mom not far behind, but they had to drop out of the competition when they lost more than their goal weight. Here they are before the competition:

Fall 2010

And here they are, after Mom lost 20 and David lost 35 pounds!

April 2011

Congratulations to everyone who lost weight! I am so appreciative of all the love, support, and encouragement that I received during this competition. I could not have been so successful without everyone's help.

I still want to lose another 28 pounds before the year is over, so I am going to be starting another competition in July. Let me know if you are interested in joining!

Be sure to check out all the before and after pictures on my Facebook!

Ace-Ball!

2011-04-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

We have a Triple-A baseball team here in town, called the Reno Aces. You know, like Ace of Spades, cause all we do is gamble...

Anyway, Alan, Jeromy, and I just love going to the games. It's cheap entertainment and it's tons of fun. We went last week, and took some pictures.

Aces up to bat!

It was freezing!

Alan and Jeromy

In other news, my good friend Brooke is moving to Elko this weekend. Jamilynn and I are really going to miss her, and we wish her luck. Since we all looked so pretty on Easter Sunday, we took a picture.

Jamilynn, Brooke, and Abby

Girlfriends

2011-04-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

I just love these girls so much! We had a little get-together, and (even though the other girls didn't want their pictures taken because apparently I was supposed to inform them a camera was going to be there so they could wear makeup) I wanted to get a group picture. I still think they all look beautiful! We all seem to be moving on, though. Brooke is moving to Elko at the end of the month, April will be going wherever her husband gets a job, and Alan and I will be moving to Fernley in October. I'll miss my girls!

April, Leta-Kay, Brooke, Abby, and Jamilynn

Update on Goals

2011-04-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

So, I know I missed updating on my goals in March, but I have been thinking a lot about them lately and I have come to the conclusion that some of my goals are just too personal to discuss on a public blog. Things like praying, attending the temple, reading my scriptures, and fasting are between myself and Heavenly Father. I am still trying to do all those things, but I almost feel like it's not okay to brag about it. So, I'm going to skip most of the spiritual updates, other than to tell you that they are blessing my life in so many ways. I am so grateful to a loving Father in Heaven who continues to help me with these things, and for the growing relationship I have with Him because of my attempts to live a more spiritual life.

As for the rest of my goals, I feel fine sharing them with you, but I think I'll only do updates every other month. Here they are:

5.Prepare for Primary lessons prayerfully and ahead of time

I love teaching Primary so much! It is such a blessing to have these wonderful children in my life, and to be able to teach them each Sunday. I am continuing to plan my lessons ahead of time, and it really helps.

6.Obtain my teacher's license

Not yet, but only because of financial reasons. There is hope on the horizon, however, because my wonderful husband got a job last week. Yay! We are hoping to spend his first paycheck on this.

7. Work out three times each week

I slacked a little in March, but I'm back on track and doing great! My workout of choice is hiking! Now that Alan has a job I might have to go alone or just with Jeromy, but that's okay.

8.Lose at least 20 pounds

So far I've lost 30 pounds! Take that, 20 pounds! My new yearly goal is 60 pounds, so I'm halfway there :o)

9.Do my Visiting Teaching each month

Some sisters are easier to visit than others, because I am good friends with them. March was okay, and April is only halfway done. I need to improve on this.

10.Scrapbook at least 12 layouts (24 pages)

I'm finally working on this, and I've got 5 layouts done so far. I am caught up to about 2007.

11.Learn to use my sewing machine

I actually did some sewing today! I bought a dress last Fall on clearance and wanted to use it as my Easter dress this year, but I needed to alter the bust because I lost too much weight. If I lose much more, I'll have to alter the entire dress. I also altered my UNR hoodie, which previously swallowed me whole!

Spring Brings Hope Eternal

2011-04-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know that's not the correct quote, but I love Spring so much! Along with Spring comes hope, renewal, and life. Even though it has been snowing and/or sleeting the past few days, we did have a few days of wonderful Spring weather, and I have high hopes that it will be returning this week. I took a few pictures of what Spring has brought to me this year.

Hiking. Alan and I just love hiking. It's so strange that all this splendor has been in our own backyard and we never explored it before.

Abby and Jeromy on top of the world!

Our beloved Reno

A Man and his Dog

Jeromy, Abby, and David going back down

We climbed to the very top!
It doesn't look that steep from the picture, but it's torture!

Spending time outside. With the warm weather comes barbecues, playing with the dogs in the front yard, and eating on the deck!

Yum!

Jeromy playing with Copper

Ginger wishing she could have a hamburger too.

Alan and Jeromy enjoying the food and warmer weather

It's sandal season! And I did my toes myself!
My feet are so white from winter!

Alan Turns Twenty-Nine

2011-03-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Alan! His birthday is actually today, but we celebrated it last night by going to Ruby River steakhouse with Mom and David, and then some dessert!

Alan and I have really been wanting to go see Fiddler on the Roof when it comes in April, and we were originally planning on getting super great seats with super expensive tickets. As the time of the ticket sales grew nearer, however, we realized we wouldn't be able to go. We just didn't have the money. However, my mom and David were willing to help out on that front. For Alan's birthday surprise, we got the cheapest tickets we could find; they paid for one ticket and I paid for the other.

Since I didn't really have anything to wrap, mom helped me to make a homemade card for him. This is what it looked like:

On the inside, I had four panels with a poem that I had written. I used words and names from songs in Fiddler on the Roof. Alan said he knew what it was as soon as he read Sunrise to Sunset.

The night was just perfect! We had a great meal at Ruby River:

And then we went to MmmmmmYogurt for some dessert:

Alan always accidentally closes his eyes in pictures!

So many yummy toppings!

So Happy Birthday to the best husband a girl could ever ask for!

What's that you say? Alan looks like he's lost weight? Why, yes he has! Thanks to our Biggest Loser competition, my good-looking husband has lost 38 pounds and I've lost 20 in only eight weeks. We still have seven weeks to go, so look forward to seeing less of us in the future!

From the Inside Out

2011-03-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

Lying in bed last night, I couldn't sleep. I knew I had to write in my journal, and now on my blog, all that I was feeling. After five weeks in the Biggest Loser competition that I started, I have lost 12 pounds. The weekly weigh-in is today, and I know I've lost at least two more pounds.

So, lying awake, I thought to myself, I can do this. I can lose 63 pounds and be at my current goal of 198 pounds, which would bring my BMI from obese to overweight. Then, I thought, I can do even more than that. Who is to stop me from going all the way? What is standing in my way of reaching the very number that I've been chasing most of my young adult life: 170 pounds?

On NBC's The Biggest Loser, they often interview contestants and have them tell why they gained weight in the first place. They can usually pinpoint one single event in their lives, such as a car accident or the loss of a spouse. This acknowledgement is key to their weight loss. If they are unable to move past these issues, they will never be able to change their bodies.

All my life I have been heavier than most of my peers, but I never considered myself to be fat. I carried my weight well and was confident in how I looked. When I was seventeen years old, tragedy struck my life. I went through what no other woman should ever have to endure, but unfortunately many do. However, I buried that pain deep in my mind and refused to confront it. It wasn't until I married my husband four years later that I came face to face with the demons from my past. I had to fight them head-on, and I lost. My fears would always find me, whether in the nightmares that woke me in the middle of the night or the painful memories that seemingly came from nowhere. I gained thirty pounds within the first six months of marriage. As the numbers on my scale slowly crept up, so did my dress size, and I refused to acknowledge the pain in my heart that was leading to my food addiction. When life felt like it was crumbling around me, suffocating me, food was always there to comfort me.

I didn't get the courage to fight my monsters for another four years. In the April 2008 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Elder Scott changed my life. In his talk, he promised that complete and utter healing could come through the atonement of Jesus Christ. There was nowhere else to run, and nowhere else to hide. There was only One sufficient to heal, only One sufficient to save. After much prayer, fasting, and professional counseling, I found exactly what Elder Scott had promised: complete healing.

However, in the summer that followed, I was faced with a different kind of pain: infertility. We began official fertility treatments after trying to get pregnant for nearly two years. Each negative pregnancy test only resulted in heartache, pain, bitterness, and the turn to food for comfort. I denied the changes in my body, and refused to consult my weight on the scale.

Eventually, I did heal from the pain of infertility. I only accomplished this through the help of my Savior, wonderful friends and family, and a therapeutic blog. The damage, however, had already been done. When Alan and I married nearly six years ago, I weighed a comfortable 190 pounds. At my peak, before the Biggest Loser competition, I weighted 263 pounds.

In the past, I have lost weight. I have started fad diets or gotten temporarily excited about an exercise routine. Whatever weight I lost, though, was often added back two fold because my heart was broken, and my body couldn't be fixed until I fixed the pain inside.

Today, with the bitterness of infertility and the demons faced by a helpless seventeen-year old girl finally out of the way, I can focus on me. My heart is healed and now my body needs to heal from the years of abuse I gave it. I did this to myself, but fortunately I know how to fix it.

I can do this.

I am beautiful.

I am worth it.

February Progress

2011-02-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

February is almost over, so that means another update on how my eleven goals for 2011 are going. At the beginning of the month, I had a hard time keeping track, but I was able to catch up. Here is how I did:

1.Pray Daily
I am still doing pretty well on this. When I forget, Alan is usually there to remind me. I have only missed three days this month.

2.Read scriptures three times a week
I'm starting to do better on my scripture reading this month than last month, but I still have a lot of work to do with this goal.

3.Attend the Temple once a month
Somehow this month got away from me really fast. Maybe it's the 28 days, or maybe it's that I'm lazy. We didn't make it to the Temple this month, so March might have to have two visits.

4.Fast once a month, on the appropriate fast Sunday
Ummmmm.....no.

5.Prepare for Primary lessons prayerfully and ahead of time
Yep, but it helped that I only taught twice this month.

6.Obtain my teacher's license
Not yet, and now I'm waffling. Why get a teacher's license if I don't want to teach? Okay, fine! I'll get one!

7. Work out three times each week
Oh yea! I'm a machine! Usually I work out five or six times a week. Alan took my elliptical out so now I'm alternating between that and the videos.

8.Lose at least 20 pounds
Shoot! I'm going to pass this up! I've already lost 12 pounds in the last five weeks thanks to the Biggest Loser Competition that I started. I'm currently in eighth place, but that's okay. I don't have to win to be a loser!

9.Do my Visiting Teaching each month
100% home visits by the end of the first week! I really love Visiting Teaching, and I love the sisters I get to visit each month. I feel that I'm getting closer and closer to them each time.

10.Scrapbook at least 12 layouts (24 pages)
Ack! None.

11.Learn to use my sewing machine
Thanks to the help of my friend Chanika, I completed my first sewing project. At the beginning of the year, Alan set up a craft/computer table for me in the living room. I keep my sewing machine and scrapbook stuff on and under the table. The only catch, he said, was that I had to make a curtain to go around the table so that it didn't look so junky with all my craft stuff under the table. I finally did it!

Green is my favorite color!

Go me on my goals! I think I'm doing pretty well :o)

The Bear Went Over the Mountain

2011-02-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

Lately our favorite pastime has been hiking. Alan, Jeromy, and I started a few weeks ago and I was hooked after our first hike! I absolutely love being out in nature, pushing my body until I think my calves and thighs can't handle the climb anymore. Taking advantage of the unseasonably beautiful weather, we went for a hike last weekend with Shawni and her brother Hunter. Jamilynn and T.J. joined us, too, but had to head back home before pictures were taken. It was a ton of fun, and the view was magnificent!

Shawni and I after we finally reached the top!

We almost made it to the snow!

Shawni and Jeromy

Alan and Abby

Shawni's brother Hunter

Alan, Abby, Jeromy, and Shawni

Just look at that view!

As I'm climbing up the steep hills, it makes me think of a song we used to sing when I was a kid where a bear climbs a mountain, sees another mountain, and climbs it too. What do you think he saw when he got the other side? Another mountain! And what do you think he did? He climbed that mountain too! The mountains just never seem to end, in the song, and while hiking. There are always more mountains to explore.

Heart Day

2011-02-15T14:57:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day this year, I cooked Alan a cute little breakfast that included eggs in a basket and Canadian bacon. To make the eggs in a basket, I used my heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut out a heart from a slice of bread, then put both sections of the bread in a frying pan. You then add an egg to the middle of the slice of bread. I cut the Canadian bacon into heart shapes as well. It was adorable, and only 290 calories!

The breakfast I set up for Alan

Heart-shaped breakfast

Alan was in charge of dinner and wanted it to be a surprise so he sent me to Wal-Mart to "look around" while he cooked. Big mistake. I love wasting time at Wal-Mart, and I ended up buying Alan a Valentine's present. I got him a watch that calculates his heart rate, speed, steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned. It does other things but I can't remember what. He took me to get some new hiking boots on Saturday for my gift. How cute is it that we both gave each other healthy living presents?

Anyway, when I got home from the store I was soooo surprised and happy to find FONDUE! I love fondue! He had sirloin, pork, and chicken with a vegetable broth with a side of Asian peanut salad. It was very tasty.

Alan's Fondue Feast

Me eating fondue and salad

Alan eating fondue

I was even more surprised to find that we were having dessert fondue as well! We used Ghiradelli milk chocolate and dipped shortcake, rice crispy treats, apples, strawberries, and pretzels. I loved it!

Chocolate!

Apples, strawberries, rice crispies, and shortcake

Oh so good!

Alan making a chocolate-covered strawberry shortcake

It was a very wonderful Valentine's Day! We even got some exercise in by doing Bob's Biggest Loser workout video. We did the full 55 minutes, and we definitely needed it after all that chocolate!

January Progress

2011-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

According to Mr. Google, 97% of people who make New Year's resolutions abandon them within 30 days. Well, it hasn't been 30 days yet, but I think I'm doing really well. I said I would blog about my 11 yearly goals at the end of each month to let you know how my progress is going. Here is how January went:

1.Pray Daily
I have done really well on this one! I have only missed three days this month, and that was in the beginning. I've even gotten my husband in on it. It's amazing the difference prayer can make in my life.

2.Read scriptures three times a week
Eh, not so much. I need a lot of work on this one. Two weeks I only studied them once, and so far this week I have only done once. However, I did have one week where I met my goal. I think I need to set aside time in my day to study, instead of hoping it will pop up for me.

3.Attend the Temple once a month
Alan and I were able to attend the temple this past Tuesday, in fact. We took some family names and it was wonderful!

4.Fast once a month, on the appropriate fast Sunday
Since I started these goals after the fast Sunday for January had passed, we fasted when we went to the Temple on Tuesday.

5.Prepare for Primary lessons prayerfully and ahead of time
This one I am definitely doing and I'm loving it! What a difference my preparation makes! I have been finding so many neat ideas online for my lessons and being ready in advance makes my Saturday nights so much more relaxing.

6.Obtain my teacher's license
Not yet, but I've still got 11 months to go!

7.Work out three times each week
With the help of my friend Jamilynn, I have been successful in this goal. If Jamilynn is unavailable to work out with me, I work out with Alan and Jeromy. They make me run...

8.Lose at least 20 pounds
I am well on my way to this, thanks to the Biggest Loser competition I started with my friends and family. After one week of competition, I have lost 5 pounds already! I'm only in 6th place in the competition, so I've gotta step it up!

9.Do my Visiting Teaching each month
I have done 75% of my Visiting Teaching. We have one sister who will not answer our phone calls. But, I am going to send her a letter.

10.Scrapbook at least 12 layouts (24 pages)
I haven't scrapbooked anything this month! I'll have to double up later. Jamilynn, when do you want to scrapbook?

11.Learn to use my sewing machine
I watched the instructional DVD that came with my machine. I learned how to thread the needle and program which stitch I want to use. I even tested some of the stitches out on some scraps of fabric. I also have several friends who have volunteered to come over and help me learn to sew.

Well, there you have it. All in all, I'd say I've had a great month. Here's to February being even better!

Family Pictures

2011-01-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas holiday, my brother brought his awesome new camera. Since we had all the family together for the first time in...6 years?...we took family pictures. Here are some of the best of the best.

The Whole Family

The Parkins

The Leonards

The Laneys

The Whitleys

All the Girls

Adrian, Amber, Mom, and Abby

Gus, Adrian, Mom, Amber, and Abby

Being Silly

Charlie Turns Three

2011-01-18T14:28:00.000-08:00

My beautiful niece Charlie had her 3rd Birthday while Amber and her family were here for Christmas. Charlie is so cute! She is stubborn, smart, funny, and brave. I love my little Charlie-Belle so much!

Charlie being silly!

Mom made the cake, and I decorated it!

Who's the fairest of them all?

Make a wish!

Alan and I got Charlie this little Bambi and she LOVES it!

Granny with Michael and Charlie

The Birthday Princess and Amber

Sightseeing With My Sister

2011-01-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

When Amber's family came up for Christmas, Alan and I took the opportunity to take them sightseeing. We went to Lake Tahoe and Virginia City. Here are some pictures!

Charlie loved to eat the snow!

Amber and I at Lake Tahoe

Alan and Me

The don't get much snow in Texas,
and Michael loved it here!

Amber at Emerald Bay

Me at Emerald Bay

Aunt Abby and Charlie at Virginia City

Charlie, Amber, Michael, and Michael II on the mine tour

Heart Tree

2011-01-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

Look what I made in honor of Valentine's Day!

I bought two of these pink buckets a few Valentine's Days ago but never did anything with them. Then, I told Jamilynn that if she helped me make them into heart trees she could keep one for herself. So, we did it today and they turned out sooooo cute, don't you think? Love is in the air!

Biggest Loser 2011

2011-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Since one of my 2011 goals is to lose at least 20 pounds, I started a Biggest Loser competition. Anyone can join, even if you are an out of town competitor. Click here to find out more about the competition and to read the rules. The competition starts January 18th, so let me know if you want to join by the 17th via Email, Facebook, text, or commenting on my blog. Thank you and good luck!

Christmas Day

2011-01-04T15:23:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Christmas with my sister's and brother's families coming to visit! Here are some pictures of Christmas morning!

My brother Adrian with his Stitch mug

I'm so excited for my sewing machine!

Jeromy loving his new Twilight movies

My niece Charlie with her ZhuZhu Pet

My sister-in-law Laura opening scrapbook paper

Alan finally gets a Wolf Pack hoodie!

A cute necklace from Alan

My puppies get a stocking too!

A Crop-a-dile from Alan's parents!

The best present, from my favorite Santa!

Go Colts! #18!

Showing some sibling love

Alan gets geared up!

Adrian and Laura

Amber enjoying some food

My nephew Michael loves presents!

Mom gets a new camera!

Eleven goals for '11

2011-01-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

I don't usually do New Year's resolutions because I do so poorly on them.

But, this year I decided on not one, but eleven goals I want to accomplish, in honor of 2011. Some of these goals are long-term and ongoing. Others are single one-time goals. For all of them, I will need the help and support of those close to me. I will also need to hold myself accountable to someone, so I have decided to be accountable to you: the blogging world in general. I already have reminders set on my phone, and at the end of each month I will revisit my goals and blog about how well I did in the previous month.

So, here they are, in no particular order:

Pray Daily
Read scriptures three times a week
Attend the Temple once a month
Fast once a month, on the appropriate fast Sunday
Prepare for Primary lessons prayerfully and ahead of time
Obtain my teacher's license
Work out three times each week
Lose at least 20 pounds
Do my Visiting Teaching each month
Scrapbook at least 12 layouts (24 pages)
Learn to use my sewing machine

So, there they are. I would appreciate any help and support that my wonderful friends and family can give. I'll keep you updated on my progress!

December Happenings

2010-12-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Eight days until Christmas,

and this is what my puppies woke up to this morning:

Jeromy has quit smoking! He is on day 6 I believe.

Here he is six days ago, throwing away his last cigarette.

We are so proud of him!

And here's the two cutest girls ever!

Thanksgiving at Grandma's

2010-12-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year, we headed over to Pocatello to see Grandma. For some reason, she isn't in any of the pictures. Strange. But, we did get a lot of pictures with our favorite cousins! We spent most of the time with them doing Black Friday shopping, going sledding, and making gingerbread houses. What a blast!

My first time sledding!

Alan getting ready to sled

Hailey, Lindsey, and Abby

Caleb, Alan, Hailey, and Lindsey

I really loved sledding!

Lindsey, Caleb, and Trevor

The gingerbread competition!
In this corner: Alan and Trevor!

And in this corner: Lindsey and Abby!

And finally: Caleb and Hailey!

Alan and Trevor's house

Lindsey and Abby's house

Caleb and Hailey's house

Finished products!

Hawaii 5-0

2010-11-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

My mom turned 50 this year! For such an important birthday, we decided to throw her a surprise party. Since she turned 50, and her dream this year is to go to Hawaii, we threw a Hawaii 5-0 party. Since we needed decorations that were Hawaiian themed, we have been planning this party since the summer!

It was very hard to keep it a secret from her, what with so many people involved. I had to think of something to throw her off the scent a bit, so I planned what was supposed to be a fake girl's pedicure party for the night of her birthday night. That was a no go, though, because she didn't want to have a party without her husband there.

So, we had to actually had to have the pedicure party on the night of the surprise party. It was a nice distraction for her though. I did pedicures for Jamilynn, Mom, and Sunny at my house while everyone else helped set up for the party at her house.

She was so surprised! I can't believe we actually pulled it off! The best part was this: when she walked in, there was a HUGE present wrapped in her living room. Out popped my brother Adrian and his wife Laura. They flew down from Washington for her party. Mom was so excited! We got it on video, but it takes forever to load. Just trust me, it was awesome!

Thank you to everyone who helped make Mom's 50th birthday a very special day indeed!

The cute invite I made!

David, Mom, Laura, Adrian, Abby, and Alan

Shawni and Abby

Abby and Jamilynn

Steve and Sunny

Jeromy and Shawni

Enjoying great food and decorations!

Adrian and Laura gave mom this picture collage

And since my birthday was the day before, Adrian and
Laura gave me some of Adrian's framed photography.

Happy Surprisey Birthday!

I gave mom some pre-made scrapbook
pages for her future trip to Hawaii.

My Grandpa Tom and Grandma Theresa even came!

We had the coolest decorations.

Luau!

We're silly :o)

But not as silly as Adrian!

Mom with Gus and Ike

Gus: The Luau King

Shawni with Gus

My Beauty-ful Birthday

2010-11-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

For my birthday this year, Alan bought me tickets to see Beauty and the Beast at the Performing Arts Center here in Reno. We went the weekend before my birthday, and iVt was such an amazing production! We both really loved it.

The stage, before the play began

Alan and me waiting for the play to start

Such a great play!

For my actual birthday, Alan had to work, so I went out with a few bof my favorite beauties! We ate a Johnny Carino's, and although the service was pitiful, we had a great time anyway.

Jamilynn, Desmond, and Abby

Mom with Desmond

Shawni with some yummy cheesecake!

Leta-Kaye

Jenn and Mom, with a tiny spoon.

Abby and Shawni

Autumn: Could There Be Anything Better?

2010-11-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

My favorite of favorite seasons is Autumn. I love, love, love all the colors on the trees and I enjoy the cool, crip weather. I love it when the sun is midly warm during the day, but there is still a slight chill to the air. I love snuggling up under my covers with my puppies when it reaches near-freezing temperatures at night. I also love taking pictures of Autumn Splendor. Here are some Alan and I took a few days ago while strolling along in Caughlin Ranch (our favorite pictures spot).

Ginger's Transformation

2010-11-09T10:38:00.000-08:00

Ginger finally got a haircut. She was looking like a scruffy stray.

Here she is before the haircut:

And here she is afterwords:

Isn't she so cute with that little bow in her hair?

And here's Copper, cause he's just awesome:

The Pumpkin Massacre

2010-10-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Listen, dear children, and you will hear

of a slaughter that happens every year.

On a spooky night near Halloween

creatures are gathered for something obscene.

Monsters arrive and bring a gourd

to slice and to mangle with a sword.

The pumpkins ne’er do stand a chance

as the zombies and goblins cackle and dance.

I warn you, this sight is unlike any other

hosted by a ghost and her witch of a mother.

If you dare to come, then bring a treat

these horrible demons need something to eat.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

The bewitching hour of six

The Whitley’s Haunted Mansion

This was the wording on my invitation for this year's pumpkin carving party. I wrote it myself :o) Here are the pictures...and there are a ton of them...

Mom and I made these soda labels. This was her favorite :o)

Pumpkin Juice...How cute!

Alan carving his pumpkin

Pumpkin Love :o)

Shawni, Abby, Brooke, and Jamilynn

Third Place: Alan's Ghost in the Graveyard

Mine! I call it "Rabid Zombie Cat"

Second Place: Jeromy's Skulls

Mom and David's Fire-eating Cat

First Place: T.J.'s Yoda

Everyone with their pumpkins

Mom being cute!

Jeromy and his "Skully"

Shawni and Abby

Sorry if your picture didn't show up here...Blogspot was being really weird and randomly turning pictures sideways. Thanks to everyone who came! It was a blast!

Random Pictures

2010-10-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some random pictures from shopping in Folsom, CA, going to Kaylee's cheerleading, and Copper:

Jeromy in the only car he can afford...

Alan and me in Folsom, CA

Shawni and Jeromy...so cute!

Jeromy and Shawni by the "waterfall"

Kaylee and the Fernley Vaqueros. Go team!

Supporting the team

Copper protecting his ball, even in his sleep

Camping, Take Three!

2010-10-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Are you tired of camping pictures? Well, we're not tired of camping, yet, so you'll just having to endure them!

Last weekend we joined our friends Cory and Jenn at Frenchman's Lake for more camping. They have a camper, though, and it was so nice not having to sleep in a tent! We had a blast, as usual. The weather was very nice and we went for several great drives through the country.

Our resident chipmunk: Theadore! He was really fat :o)

The Egan family

According to Jen, these are "Quakin' Aspens."
I asked why, and Alan said the leaves sound like an earthquake!

Alan and me enjoying the view

Eating in the camper

Goodbye until next time, Frenchman's!

Family Temple Work

2010-10-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

"When our hearts turn to our ancestors, something changes inside us. We feel part of something greater than ourselves. Our inborn yearnings for family connections are fulfilled when we are linked to our ancestors through sacred ordinances of the temple...This is joyful work...While temple and family history work has the power to bless those beyond the veil, it has an equal power to bless the living. It has a refining influence on those who are engaged in it. They are literally helping to exalt their families."

~Elder Russell M. Nelson, May 2010

Thank you to Sister Lee, who helped me in my family history preparation, the fruits of which are to be realized tonight. Alan and I are doing my ancestors' temple work for the first time. I am blessed beyond words.

Camping

2010-10-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Alan and I decided that the time for camping was running short, so we took a little trip up to Frenchman's Lake near Chilcoot, California and camped for the night with Jeromy and Shawni. We took Ginger and Copper with us. It was a little warm, actually, but we had fun.

Ginger got so sleepy camping!

Shawni looking cute as always.

Copper wishing he could run free.

Ginger wants to go home.

Then, we decided that we wanted to camp some more. So, we took off the following weekend for three days and four nights. This time we left Ginger at home with Grandma and Gus. The forecast was not too cooperative: It rained, and rained, and rained. Then, the sun came out and we had a lot of fun. It was cooler, which is my idea of perfect camping weather!

Copper and I are so excited to camp again!

This was the forecast for the entire time: RAIN!

Alan and me relaxing by the fire

Shawni: cold but cute!

It was so cold!

Shawni and Jeromy drinking...er...sodas...

Alan cooking up some yummy food!
And Jeromy falling over in the background...

We had so much fun!

Mum-ery Lane

2010-10-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was the UNR Homecoming game.

We won, woot! UNR is now 6-0 and ranked #19.

But, today I am going to talk about something different. It came to my attention on Saturday that people here in Reno, and in most parts of the country, have no idea what Homecoming Mums are. Alan said that he had never heard of them until he moved to Texas his Sophomore year of high school, and he thought they were very strange.

So, for the uneducated, here it is:

Mums are a type of corsage worn at Homecoming games in the South, where Football is religion and Homecoming is the Easter Sunday of football games. Named for the chrysanthemum flower that dominates the center of the corsage, mums are traditionally given by boyfriends, but can be given by mothers, fathers, aunts, or friends as well. Anybody who is anybody gets a mum on Homecoming. The bigger the mum, the more you are loved. It's a status symbol; A way to show that you are a top of the line kinda girl. They are worn on the left chest, with a chrysanthemum in the center and an assortment of ribbons, bells, beads, threads, and stuffed animals flowing down. Some reach all the way to the ground. For the guys, girls can give them smaller mums to be worn around the forearm. They can be bought at craft fairs, but are mainly purchased at flower shops, where they can be customized with a girl's name, the school, and the year. Some can cost over a hundred dollars a piece. If you can't afford to buy one, it can be made. Every store that carries craft supplies, including Wal-Mart, will have everything you need for a do-it-yourself mum in the local school colors. My mom made them for my sister and me, and they were beautiful! I only wish I had pictures, or had saved my mums from years past.

All schools should get in on this awesome tradition.

Here are some strangers, apparently from Plano, Texas:

2010 Reno Air Races

2010-09-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

Alan loves the Reno Air Races. I mean, loves. He looks forward to the week in September when he gets to leave me all alone so he can go watch airplanes race around and do tricks. I don't get it, but it makes him happy. This year he went four days. On one of the days, he and Jeromy were able to get pit passes so they could be right up next to the planes. I think he took some really great pictures! Okay, so maybe it is cool, but only a little bit.

The Jelly Belly Plane!

The Canadian Snow Birds.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

2010-09-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Alan decided that he wanted nothing more than to go to the Nevada football game. So, I gave in (as if it took him much convincing!) and we got to see Nevada beat down Colorado State.

Jeromy at the game

Alan and me ready to cheer on the Pack!

Go Wolf Pack!

Jeromy and me at the game

The biggest fans!

Go! Fight! Win!

Saluting the flag before the game

That's good for another Wolf Pack:
FIRST DOWN! Aaaaoooo!

Jeromy thinking he's cool...

We just love football!

In other football news, this was opening weekend for NFL football. That means Fantasy Football started up. My team's name is Victorious Secret, and Alan is the Doughboyz. This week, Alan and I are facing off. He currently has nearly 150 points, and I have only 125. However, I do have two players playing tonight, a QB and a WR. We'll see how it goes. The sad thing is, the two of us have the top two scores of our entire league. The closest person to us has 103 points. Why did I have to play him first? Lame!

Let Them Eat Meat

2010-09-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Every year at the beginning of September, we get to experience one of the greatest festivities of our time: The Best in the West Rib Cookoff. We have gone twice already this week, and I really want to go again! The first night was Thursday, and we went with Jamilynn and T.J., who tipped me off that Memphis Barbecue had fried pickles this year. Soooo yummy! Next, we met up with Cory and Jen and their two kids on Saturday night. Both times we were joined by Jeromy and his new girlfriend Shawni, who is just adorable! We had a blast eating ribs, barbecue sandwiches, fried zucchini, huge onion rings, ice cream, and sno cones!

Jeromy and Shawni enjoying some ribs

That is the biggest rib I've ever seen!

Could there be anything better than fried pickles?
I submit that there cannot!

Jamilynn and TJ showing off their ribs!

Jeromy and Shawni on the second night

Shawni and me waiting in line for ice cream

Kaylee with some Cheer-tastic hair!

Jen and I cannot wait for ice cream!

Alan loves his barbecue sandwich!

Cory eating ribs

Hot August Nights

2010-08-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last week was Hot August Nights here in Reno. It is a week-long classic car show that takes place all over the city, and people come from miles and miles around to show off their cars.

We really loved it!

My favorite type of car: The Bel Air

Alan loves the burnt oranges; they remind him of Texas

Jeromy was in "Car Heaven"

I love this picture of Mom and me, and the car, too!

Can it get any better than a pink Ford truck?
Yes, it can, apparently, when you add me beside it!

This was Jeromy's favorite car

Alan inside an camper-trailer

Mom and David beside the "Hell-Camino"

Alan's favorite car: an orange Bel Air

There are no words.

Our Nieces

2010-08-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

Alan and I just love our nieces, Isabella and Josephine. They are so adorable, and so much fun! We had a great time with them in Pocatello. Here are some of the pictures.

Playing in the sand

Josephine

Josephine with Kobe

So cute!

Playing with Bubbles

JoJo loves her Uncle Alan

Bubble Princess

Aunt Abby and Josephine

Parkin Family Pictures

2010-08-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

When visiting Pocatello, it was the first time Alan's whole family had been together in five years. We took advantage of the opportunity, and took family pictures.

The whole Parkin family, plus one dog!

Carrie, Corri, Mom, Dad, and Alan

Alan and I with Uncle Rick and Aunt Mary Beth

The McMichael Family

Dad, Carrie, and Josephine

Grandma and Grandpa with Josephine and Isabella

Visions of Grandma's House

2010-08-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

Over our Fourth of July trip to Grandma Parkin's house,

I took pictures to remind us of the beauty and

happiness we see and feel at Grandma's.

One of my favorite subjects was the flowers

just over the fence from her yard.

Another thing that was much-loved by me was

the homey feel of the old shed and swing set.

My favorite pasttime at Grandma's is playing croquet.

Alan said he remembers playing with this very

same croquet set when he was very young.

Last but not least, the best place in the world to sit and talk: Grandma's front porch.

Family History

2010-08-06T14:31:00.000-07:00

Now that I am no longer in school, and I actually have time, I am finally doing my family history work. Mom gave me two really great resources for her side of the family:

Memories of a Grand Mother, an oral history by my great-grandmother Vera Pounds Gross, as written by Caroll Annette Gustin. Vera Pounds is the my grandmother's mother. This book has helped me go back to the fifth generation, or my great-great-grandparents.

Robert W. Welch, a history of the Welch family as compiled by Mary Franklin Dunn. Robert W. Welch was born in 1819, and he is my great-great-great grandfather on the Crow side of my family. This book has helped me to go all the way back eight generations, to my fifth-great grandparents.

I found a really great story in the Welch family history. Robert Welch, from Tennessee, married Mary Ann Nelson. Mary Ann's brother Andrew Nelson fought and died at the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. Because of this, his family and descendants were awarded grants of land in Rusk County, Texas, including Mary Ann and Robert Welch. This is what brought my ancestors from Tennessee to Texas. They settled in what is now known as Welch Springs.

Fourth of July

2010-07-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our Fourth of July fun in Pocatello.

JoJo just loves the sparklers!

Unlce Alan and Isabella

Getting ready to watch the fireworks!

JoJo: The All-American Sweetheart

Fountain of Fire!

Shashone Falls

2010-07-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Alan and I went to Idaho over the Fourth of July and the following week. On the drive up there, we stopped at Shashone Falls on the Snake River near Twin Falls, Idaho. They call it "The Niagra of the West." It was absolutely beautiful! The water was only at medium level, if you can believe it.

Sun-Bathing

2010-06-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

Ginger is over eight months old now, and she is getting so big! I took her to get a summer haircut and she loved it! It took of all of her darker fur, so now she is a blond.

She apparently loves bathing in the sun on one of the big rocks in our yard. Can I just say that my puppy is the cutest ever?

Ride 'Em, Cowboy!

2010-06-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Jeromy got some rodeo tickets through his work and took us all to the Rodeo. His brother Donald was in town again this year working a stand. We had a fun time.

Jeromy said that the only thing he likes is the bull-riding. So, he and I walked around for a while to see his brother and then he bought a cowboy hat, which was really funny. After he had a little too much to drink, he wanted to ride the bull, too!

Anniversary

2010-05-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Five and a half years ago, Alan proposed to me. On that day, he came to my mom's house in the country and brought me flowers with a note asking me to join him for a dinner out. He then left my house, saying he was going to play basketball but that he would be back to pick me up for dinner, and that I should dress nice. He picked me up at seven and on the drive back into town he suddenly said that he had left his wallet in his basketball shorts and we would need to stop by his parents' house to pick it up. I came inside with him and found a candlelight dinner set up in the living room. The menu included chicken cordon bleu, asparagus, garlic bread, and sparkling grape juice. He wanted to dance with me to our song, "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain, but had left the CD in his parents' car, so we danced to the love songs channel on the TV. He brought me dessert, pineapple upside-down cake, and the ring was in my piece of cake. When he dropped to his knees to propose, "I'll Be" serendipitously came on the radio. I said yes, and we danced together once again.

For our five-year anniversary, I wanted to make it special, but we didn't have the money for a trip or even a hotel room. With a lot of help from my family, though, I created the perfect anniversary by re-living the night Alan proposed. I brought him flowers at work with a card asking him to accompany me on a night out.

When he got home, I was dressed up and told him he needed to do the same. When we got into the truck, I had inconspicuously placed a suitcase in the back to make him think we were going somewhere to spend the night. While I drove, my mom, David, and Matthew came to our house and set up a candlelight dinner with chicken cordon bleu, asparagus, garlic bread, sparkling grape juice, and pineapple upside-down cake.

My mom called me halfway through to tell me that I had "forgotten something." I acted upset that we had to turn around. I asked my mom to call the imaginary place to ask if they would push our reservation back. I played it off so well that Alan thought I was going to cry and tried to cheer me up all the way back home. When we got there, I asked Alan to come in with me and grab the camera too. My mom met us at the door, all dressed up, and welcomed us to "A & A Hideaway." I told her we had a reservation for two, and she showed us to our table in the living room with our menus.

Matthew dressed up like a waiter and served us our food and drink.

When they left, we ate a delicious dinner and danced to "I'll Be."

To continue off the night, I asked Alan if he would like to go to a movie. He said yes, and I told him he had to buy me popcorn. I then brought out all this, and we had our own movie theater experience at home.

After the movie, I told him we were spending the night somewhere, and I led him to our bedroom where mom, Matthew, and David had put a new comforter set on the bed and sprinkled it with rose petals.

We saved money, and it was an even more memorable anniversary than if we had gone overnight somewhere.

Five Years

2010-05-20T09:58:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today, this was happening:

I would do it all over again, and I wouldn't change a thing!

I love you, Alan!

Twenty-Ate!

2010-05-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

Alan's birthday was back in March, and he turned twenty-eight! I really wanted to get him something great, but didn't have the funds. Some of his wonderful friends and family pitched in and we all got him an awesome grill! He just loves it! Thanks to: Mom, David, and Matthew, Mom and Dad, Danielle and Khyl, Jamilynn and TJ, and Cory and Jenn! It really meant a lot to him (and to me!) that you helped out on his gift!

Alan grilling his first steak. It was delicious!

Jeromy tried his hand at some Kabobs.

Yuuuummmmy!

Looks like we enjoyed them!

Jeromy and Lake Tahoe

2010-05-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ever mentioned this, but Alan's cousin Jeromy moved in with us in January. He needed a change of scenery and we offered for him to live with us. It has been really nice having him here, and he has a great job now. Back in March (I think...) we took Jeromy to Lake Tahoe for the first time. It was beautiful! It was perfect weather and there was still snow on the ground. We had lots of fun climbing out onto the huge rocks that are by the shore. Here are some pictures of our day trip.

The End

2010-05-14T16:43:00.001-07:00

Well, today was my last day of student teaching. It was really a great experience. I just adore the kiddos and my lead teacher was fantastic. Today was a wonderful day! Several of the kids got me gifts (so cute!). Mrs. Dalton got me the best darn cake ever, and she compiled a book for me that the kids had created called "Advice for a New Teacher." Each student wrote advice for me and a little letter. I was also given lots of notes, pictures, and tons of hugs! I will really miss teaching them!

Now, it's back to storage management. Alan graciously took over my post for the past few months, but now it's time for him to go to school. He will be enrolling for the summer and the fall soon. I'll be back to work with mom come Monday. It'll be soooo nice not to have to take work home with me every night! Grading until 9 pm is no fun at all. I finally will have time to play with friends!

Spring Break

2010-04-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

I just finished my four weeks of full control, which basically took COMPLETE control of my life! I stayed at school until 5:30, got home in time to eat supper and then grade papers until 9:30. Then, lights out and up in the morning to start all over again! It was pretty crazy, and I'm hoping that when I become a real teacher, I will find ways to cut time here and there.

Well, now I'm on a much-needed Spring Break. Alan and I went to Sacramento yesterday. We shopped at some outlet stores and pretty much just drove around. We stumbled upon the Sacramento Temple, which is beautiful. Of course, I did not bring my camera. Other than that, we have been cleaning, running errands, and working on the house. Alan put new wood laminate floors in the hallway. He is almost finished and it looks great.

I took Ginger to get spayed today. She's pretty sore and either walks around like she's drunk or sleeps. She should recover soon, though.

Hmm...that's it.

Student Teaching

2010-02-27T17:30:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy I haven't been able to blog in a while! Student teaching has been a lot of work, a lot of stress, and a lot of fun! I just finished my sixth week, with ten more to go. I am in control of about three-quarters of the day right now and will be taking full-control in two weeks. We have to get the state tests out of the way first! I am in a fifth grade classroom with 33 students. That seemed like a lot at first, but now it's not such a big deal. The kids are soooo funny and they make me laugh every day. It's a little tough teaching fifth grade subjects (I might flunk on Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?) I can't remember the last time I studied things like "cell biology" or "The American Revolution," and now I have to teach it! I'm really loving it, though, and I'm so glad I chose this as my future profession. Wish me luck in my next ten weeks!

I Say "Twenty-Ten"

2010-01-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Alan and I had a small group of friends over for New Year's Eve. We ate fondue, played the Wii, and watched the fireworks.

The Fondue Fountain from my Dad and Donna...yummm!

Me with Jennefer and Jamilynn.

Alan playing Guitar Hero.

The fireworks/Reno at night. I love the effect of moving your camera quickly as you take the picture!

Happy 2010!

Alan and me watching the fireworks.

This was the result of staying up past two in the morning and having waaaay too much sugar!

Matthew thought Jennefer and I were pretty silly!

On This Very Christmas Day

2009-12-28T15:17:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year! On Christmas morning my family came over for a big breakfast and then we all opened presents. I just love Christmas!

Mom always gives her grand-dogs something for Christmas :o)

Matthew, Mom, and David

Mom and Dad got me the Twilight series. I have not read them yet, but I think I will wait until after Student Teaching is over!

Go Longhorns!

Dad and Donna got us a fondue fountain. We can't wait to have fondue night!

Alan and Me on Christmas Day

I made aprons for all the girls in our families. Mom just loved hers. Thank you Danielle for the help with sewing :o)

Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

My family has a tradition of going to Red Lobster on Christmas Eve, so Alan and I went with Mom, David, Matthew, and Darrell this year. It was yummy!

Matthew (left) is David's son and Darrell (right) is my cousin on Mom's side.

After dinner we went to look at Christmas lights. This house down in South Reno was amazing! They have their lights set to music.

Then we went to Hidden Valley to check out other houses.

Is this a cow or a hippo?

Check out what we found in someone's front lawn. There were tons of them, coming in to nibble on the grass.

Gift Exchange

2009-12-19T09:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Alan and I hosted a Christmas Gift Exchange party. We had a lot of fun, good food, and great presents! Thank you to everyone who came!

Danielle and her sister Katrina. I stole Katrina's handtowels but she was glad because she got the cute BELIEVE blocks I brought.

Everyone wanted to hold Ginger. She was the best part of the party!

Everyone with their gifts.

And They Call it Puppy Love...

2009-12-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

Alan says I need to stop posting pictures of our dogs or people are going to think we are obsessed. I wouldn't take pictures if they would stop being so darn cute! Okay, okay...I'm obsessed. But aren't they just so adorable sleeping together?

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-14T11:13:00.001-08:00

It snowed this week! Here is Ginger in the snow. She was too tiny for a foot of snow!

Ginger and Me...she's hoping I'll take her inside soon.

Snow on our porch furniture.

Copper trying to keep the snow out of his eyes.

Ginger plowing through the snow.

Snow-covered trees.

Ginger stuck in my footprint.

Over ten inches the second day...we got a lot more later!

Alan plowed snow all week!

Grad Party!

2009-12-07T16:15:00.001-08:00

After graduation on Saturday, my friend Jamilynn and my sister Sheila threw Danielle and me a graduation party! Thank you so much to the both of you and to Jamilynn's mom for letting us use her house! We had a great time!

Jamilynn, Kaylynn, Me, Mom, and Kendall

The Graduates: Danielle and Abby

Thank you for coming Jennefer!

I just love Jamilynn! Thank you for my party :o)

And my poor sister was so sick but did her best to help out. Thanks, Sheila!

Me, Chanika, and Danielle

The Neahusans came! I see six people in this picture: can you spot the two in the bellies?

Class of 2009

2009-12-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

I graduated!!!

Finally!

Graduation was Saturday, December 5, 2009 at the Lawlor Events Center on the University of Nevada, Reno Campus. I received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and graduated with distinction. My husband, mom, and cousin came to see me walk across the stage. For the past two years I have been taking all of my classes with my good friend Danielle, so we stuck together for graduation. Here are some pictures!

Thank you to my wonderful husband who supported me throughout my college career. He dried my tears and cheered me on when I thought I couldn't make it.

Thank you, Mom, for always expecting the best of me and encouraging me to finish college. Thank you also for your help these past two years with work and school. I love you!

My support team!

I made it!

All that hard work in the trash! Actually, this paper is worth nothing because it's fake. They will mail me my real one in a few weeks when final grades are posted!

Ahhh, the College of Education. I have walked through these doors many times.

And thank you Danielle for sticking with me through all the papers, projects, lessons, and artifacts. We did it together!

Last but not least, my puppy Ginger.

We'll call her a graduation gift :o)

Copper and Ginger

2009-12-04T16:55:00.000-08:00

Alan and I have a little niece who saw our last post and thought that since we have a new puppy, that must mean that we couldn't still have Copper. She's too cute! Actually, Copper and Ginger are getting along just great. Ginger likes to play a lot and Copper is a bit past the puppy stage, so she annoys him sometimes. He is very patient with her, though. They are so cute together!

And Then There Were Four

2009-11-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

We accidentally added a new member to our family. Alan was helping a few of his old coworkers move on Wednesday and they informed him that they were trying to get rid of the last puppy in a litter. They were Miniature Schnoxies, which are a cross between Dachshunds and Schnauzers. I told Alan I didn't think we needed a new puppy, but to go ahead and take her and we would find a home for her. Well, she got to us on Friday and she wasn't with us for more than an hour before we decided to keep her. She's just too darned cute! She is six weeks old and we named her Ginger. She and Copper and getting along just great, and Copper is being very patient with her.

So Very Thankful

2009-11-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Thanksgiving this year! My cousin Darrell flew in from St. George, Utah and my brother Adrian was here from the Seattle area. My best friend Jamilynn and her husband T.J. joined us, as well as my sister Sheila and her whole family. We also had a great family friend named Ray, but he left before we started taking pictures. Mom hosted Thanksgiving this year, and we had such a blast!

Adrian and Me. I hadn't seen my brother for nearly three years!

Mom, Adrian, and Me

Everyone! Jamilynn, TJ, Sheila, JJ, Adrian, Mom, David, Alan, Me, Kathleen, Becka, Beth, and Darrell. Whew!

I think the girls had a serious crush on my cousin Darrell. I mean, come on. He has a guitar.

Sheila and Me

Jamilynn, my best friend!

Mom's Birthday Surprise

2009-11-20T09:11:00.001-08:00

Mom's Birthday was this past Sunday, but David is in Texas right now so he wasn't able to be there with her. She was a little sad about that, so Sheila and I tried to make her Birthday extra special. I told her I was going to take her out to eat at Red Lobster, and that it was just going to be the two of us. However, Sheila and Mom's new best friend Sunny were going to already be there. Well, Mom decided at the last minute she wanted to go to the Olive Garden, which created quite a fiasco trying to let everyone know without telling Mom what was going on. She came over to my house after work and we did pedicures, and I stalled until seven o'clock, which was the only time Sunny would be able to go. Mom was VERY hungry by the time we got there. Sheila and Sunny had the table decorated beautifully with flowers, gifts, and balloons. Mom's face was priceless when she saw them there and she was so happy! We had a great time!

Introducing...Mom's new best friend Sunny!

Mom and Sunny are just too cute together!

Best Friends

Sheila and Me

Me, Sheila, Mom, and Sunny at the Olive Garden

Quarter of a Century

2009-11-20T08:48:00.001-08:00

I turned 25 on November 12th. My friends met me for some yummy Mexican food at one of my favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants. We had a really great time! Afterwords some of us went back to mom's house for some birthday pie! Thanks to Mom, Alan, Cory and Jenn, Jamilynn and T.J., Sheila and J.J., and Danielle and Khyl for making my birthday so special!

Sheila got me these beautiful pearls!

Jamilynn and T.J. got me this cute bracelet.

Cory and Jenn got me this beautifully bound set of Wicked and Son of a Witch, as well as a Walter Wick book, The Night Before Christmas.

Alan wasn't supposed to get me anything, but he surprised me with this adorable penguin necklace!

Alan also got me flowers. I like to do the color accent on them, so here are some with the green accented and then the pink.

Sheila, Me, Jamilynn, and Mom at Mom's house for pie.

We're so silly :o)

Thanks again everyone! You really made my birthday special!

Dad and Donna Visit

2009-11-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Dad and Donna came to Reno this past week to visit. We had a great time! It was a wonderful excuse for me to get to see my Grandparents in Fallon. I didn't take many pictures, but here is one of Alan and me with Dad and Donna.

Fall, Photo Fun, Family, and Friends

2009-11-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Alan and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and lovely Fall colors. We went to Caughlin Ranch near our house and took pictures. Jamilynn was nice enough to come along with us as well. It was just gorgeous outside, and we had fun.

Kathleen's Baptism

2009-11-02T16:38:00.001-08:00

A couple weeks ago, my adopted niece Kathleen got baptized. She is so adorable! She even asked me to give the talk on the Holy Ghost, which was such an honor! Always the teacher, I did an object lesson with a box full of items that represent the Holy Ghost. For example: a dove to represent that the Holy Ghost gives you peace, a best friends necklace because He can be your constant companion, a flashlight because He can light your path, and even earphones to show that the Holy Ghost can send you special messages, but they are for you only, and you have to be "tuned in" to hear them. Anyway, here are a few pictures!

The whole family: J.J. and Sheila with their girls Becka, Kathleen, and Beth

Kathleen with her Aunt Abby

Carving Pumpkins with Mom

2009-10-29T13:43:00.000-07:00

Since Mom was not able to make it to the carving party this year, Alan and I carved with her on another night. Here are our pumpkins!

My Vampire Pumpkin

Mom's cute bat pumpkin

Alan's Ghost Pumpkin

Mom and Me - We are so cute!

All three jack-o-lanterns

All of us with our pumpkins!

The Gourd Adored

2009-10-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

This year my pumpkin carving party was a huge success! Mom was supposed to host it with me, but she couldn't be there. She still let me use her house, though, and David was very patient with so many people there! We had a really great turnout, and some wonderful spooky treats! Thank you everyone for coming, and here are the pictures!

Jenn eating the tasty pumpkin guts!

Cory and Jenn both had HUGE pumpkins!

Yummmm!

This is Steve and Sunny, my mom and David's new best friends!

Jamilynn and TJ hard at work!

This was Danielle's first time to carve with a pattern,

and she did great!

David's Pumpkin

Alan's Pumpkin

My Pumpkin

Cory and Jenn's Pumpkins

TJ and Jamilynn's Pumpkin,

one of the winners of the Adored Gourd Sword Award!

Danielle's Pumpkin on the left, and Khyl's on the right.

Khyl also tied for first place!

Steve and Sunny's Pumpkins...Sunny didn't carve her pumpkin,

but scraped the skin off instead for a very cool effect.

The whole gang!

Thank you everyone that came! This was the best carving party yet!

Kristin's Wedding

2009-10-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend Kristin got married this past Tuesday! Alan and I drove up to Bountiful, Utah on Monday night, then the wedding, luncheon, and reception were on Tuesday, and then we drove back home at three o'clock on Wednesday morning because we both needed to be in town for class. It was a quick trip, but I am so grateful we were able to go. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful! Kristin was gorgeous, and it is obvious that her and James are completely in love! They were soooo cute! Here are some pictures I took!

The Bride and Groom with Kristin's Parents

Kristin and James

So cute!

Hooray! She married me!

Kissy-kissy!

In front of the Bountiful Temple

Kristin and Me in our classic pose

I got to see the Bennetts! They were my misisonaries when I was investigating the church. I love them soooo much!

Alan and Me at the Reception

Kristin about to shove the cake into James' face!

Kristin's sister Becca - She's so grown up and so beautiful!

Forever Friends

The First Dance

James looking for the garter :o)