This was just something fun I saw on My Cousin's Blog.

Makes me giggle everytime I watch it. Check it out.

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Black Fiday...Oh the Mania!!

It's pretty self-explanatory. Me and Pat got up very early....think 2AM and drove down to Wal-Mart for it's Black Friday sale. You see, Pat's computer had taken a poo on us so I found a really nice computer on sale at Wal-Mart's Black Friday sale. So we went down there, only to discover that they had given out "tickets" to the first five people to get there for that item. It was so lame! Plus, I hadn't read anything about this ticket-thing. I think they may have wanted to avoid another repeat of the incident that they had last year. You know, where someone got trampled to death. Kinda stupid if you ask me, but that's human nature for ya. We gotsta get our merchandise.

So me and Pat decided to wait, maybe someone would leave and we'd get their ticket. Well, that's actually what happened, but to no loss to the person who left. This lady who had been waiting since 10PM the night before (Yes, these were the pros apparently) had decided to give us her ticket since we were the only other people there and her sister had found another store they could go to for the same computer and be guaranteed it. It was a freakin' miracle and blessing. Truly. Especially since we still had the rest of the semester to go and both Pat's and my computer were down for the count.

I was so depressed when I found out that my computer couldn't be revived for less than $400.00. Devastated. I wish technology didn't cost so much and last so shortly.

Anyway, so now we have a brand-spankin'-new computer and absolutely love it.

Thanksgiving

Well, me and Pat decided to stay here in Utah for Thanksgiving. Not like we had very many options, seeing as how we're so poor. But it was a pretty good Thanksgiving, as far as Thanksgivings go. My sisters' fiances came over and participated in the day's festivities. The day before, my sister-in-law Cherie and I watched Pat and his brother Ben play football. I guess "turkey-bowl" is quite the thing to do on Thanksgiving. Something, growing up in a house full of girls, I wasn't aware of. Overall, we had lots of turkey and lots of fun.

Alrighty...

So I know I mentioned in an earlier post that I had a bunch of posts I would be posting. (I just laughed to myself about how that sounded. Tee Hee.)

Anyway, I promise that I'll post them....someday.....

It's just a matter of finding the motivation. Because, I'll be honest, I DO have the time. Occasionally. However, the motivation to pull the pics off my camera, crop and/or tweak them, and then post them in a format that looks pleasing to the eye, is severely lacking.

I do hope to MAYBE knock out a few posts this weekend. MAYBE. I really do have all the posts done. They just don't have pics. So if you follow my blog, be on the look out for a whole plethora of posts to bombard your dashboard.

This Mediation Stuff's Not So Bad After All

Well, it turns out that I actually do like mediating. When I got to the Orem Court, I found out that a lady that had been in my Fundamental Mediation class last semester was also there. Her name is Virginia. So we got together and divvied up duties and started to meet the New Fundamental Mediation students that would be our pupils. They were pretty cool and so NEW! WOW. But you know what, I think my own experience as a new mediator and not knowing who my mentors were really influenced mine and Virginia's decision to be play very active roles in these new students' learning and experiences. Virginia was constantly coming up with amazing forms to use so that we weren't having to write everything on notebook paper. We each took turns giving presentations on various mediation topics. In our debriefings we took extra care to address students' and each other's concerns. And we tracked each student's progress. I think we did an amazing job as mentors and we received a lot of great feedback from our supervisor, LeeAnn, and the students.

It was kind of interesting, upon self-reflection, to realize that I am pretty good at mediation and that I enjoy the process, problems, and people. I think the tool that really helped me come into my own was a book that was assigned for the class. It's called, Fundamental Negotiation. It's an amazing case-by-case book that gives the reader/mediator a lot of confidence. I started out thinking that the parties in the mediation had the power to move the mediation forward or stop it, but realized that I was the one with the reigns. This one principle put things into an entirely different perspective and helped me to "take control" per se and be of great help to the parties. And I can do this without losing my neutrality. I learned how to be COMPLETELY objective. And trust me, this is such a hard thing to do. Especially when you get a scummy situation, that is so horrible, and realize that one party is a sleeze-ball and the other is the victim. Such a shame. But that's where I, as a mediator, step in. Unlike a judge, who might not understand what the real context of the situation is, I get to know the parties better and this definitely helps in directing them to a solution.

Please note, I don't mean to make it sound like I make the decisions for the parties or influence them to a solution that I think is best for them. That's not what I do. I help them to understand each other, the situation for what it really is, and brainstorm to create their own solutions to their problems. I've come to realize that people, when they come to his point, are so frustrated by emotions that they can't focus on the problem and possible solutions. It's also that most people think there are only two solutions, either somebody pays or somebody gets sued. When emotions get involved, people lose their creativity. That's where I step in and help them come up with solutions that work for them. A lot of times, somebody just wants an apology and thinks that litigation is what will get them that. Well, technically, it does. But it's not the judge who orders it, it's my job as a mediator to make that happen.

All in all, I would have to say that I feel this semester has been pretty productive and that I've definitely grown to have an appreciation for mediation. I really hope to do more of it in the future. I truly believe that it can change peoples' lives for the better.

^^--^^ HALLOWEEN ^^--^^

So....Halloween......

Yeah. Me and Pat dressed up. I had made our costumes this year. It didn't start out that way though. My sister Clarissa is a Theater major at SUU, so one of the classes she gets to take has something to do with making costumes. Yeah. It's pretty nifty. Anyway, she volunteered to make us whatever costumes we wanted and, of course, Pat chose Link from The Legend of Zelda. (Huge Gamer, my husband)

This would have worked out great because, as I wanted to go as a couple, I could be Zelda. YAY! She's hot. Well, I started doing some research on her costume and discovered that, to make: MONTHS! and to buy: $300+. YIKES! So I talked Pat into going as something else. That "something else" wasn't to be decided until 2 days before Halloween and it was such a simple costume. Although, it wasn't anything ordinary that inspired him.

We got Netflix recently. Not that we have ANY time to watch a lot of movies, but it's 4.99 a month so when we do have time, we can watch a dvd or two.

Anyway, back to the story, we were watching all kinds of movies instantly online on Thursday evening, after we got home from school and discovered we didn't have to work on homework (Yay! A reprieve!) Well, one of the movies we watched was Interview With The Vampire starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise (and Antonio Banderes). So we watch this and Pat gets inspired. He decided that he would like to be a vampire as well. Boring you're thinking, right? No. Not Pat's way, at least. He decided that he should have cool makeup, to look dead but not like a ghost. And, after trying to tame his poof of curls, suggests that I put my hair extensions in his hair. All the more to look like "Sexy Brad Pitt". Yes, he fully admits that he thinks Brad Pitt is a Sexy Man in that movie.

So I put in the extensions. Yeah. My hubbs is a cross dresser. However, his bone structure (superb as it is) would never allow him to cross that threshold. He's too damn masculine. I have pics. You decide. I think he looks sufficiently sinister (and sexy).

I, on the other hand, to inspiration from Martha Stewart's Halloween magazine and decided to be the Gray Lady. It was a fairly easy costume, with the exception of all the hand stitching I had to do because I don't own a sewing machine. I now have a greater appreciation for all the seamstresses and dress makers of long ago, before sewing machines.

Anyway, we got dressed up and went trick-or-treating on Halloween and had many a good laugh. One, because we were the only adults dressed up and trick-or-treating and Two, because of all the drunk people we encountered. Who, by-the-way, made fun of us. Interesting, right?

Pat's Taking the GRE Today!!!

Everyone keep Patrick in your prayers! He's taking the GRE today. Then it'll be time to turn in those applications to the schools I mentioned. EEEEK! Big steps! The future is really close now.

Our Baby Making Project! (Yipee!)

So me and Pat are trying to have a baby. Being the thorough people we are, we had read that you should get a physical before you start trying to see if everything's working okay and what all you can do for a healthy start to your baby's life. So I went and got one...

Here comes the good part.....



I might not be able to have kids.



Yeah. I just wrote that.

PAT GOT A YOB!!

Yes! Pat got a job as a customer service representative at the BYU Independent Study Program. He has 20 steady hours and decent pay. Thanks for everyone's prayers, we're grateful.

SOC 320G: Race & Minority Relations

Okay. Please note the blog title. This class is about race and minority relations. This is definitely NOT my favorite subject. I thought that this would be a great class about how different cultures and races interact with each other. BUT NO. It's all about "White Man's Guilt". I'm so sick of having slavery and it being "my fault" shoved down my throat. It's complete bullshit. My ancestors were Irish for crying out loud! They were slaves at one point too. AND it's not like slavery was started here in America. Freakin' eh! Why don't people ever read. Slavery was going on THOUSANDS of years before America was even an accident in a Italian sailors head. GRRRRR. I mean, who do people think built the freakin' pyramids? Huh?

Most of the slaves we got from Africa heer in America were captured and sold by their OWN PEOPLE. Yeah.

I was a minority growing up also. I mean, I attended, for the most part, a very rural elementary school where most of the students were the children of migrant field workers. Where's the sympathy for me. Nowhere. Why? Because I'm White. People are such complete hypocrites!

So, I think the most racist person in my class is my professor. No, really. The first week of class he was telling us how he adopted a little baby boy.....who was Black. He couldn't just adopt any kid, he specifically wanted a Black baby and made a point of telling us this. And then he proceeded to tell us of the problems he faced with society because of this choice. (This was during the 1970s) I personally think that he knew what was going to happen to him and purposefully made himself a martyr. Ugh.

But, yeah. This is the class that is a REQUISITE for my degree. I'm grinding my teeth even as I write this blog.

Mediating (Please repeat: "It builds the resume!")

So, this semester I was looking at classes to fulfill my upper level elective credit requirements, and I realized that while Legal classes are offered, they aren't really offered....I know...you're probably scratching you head. After a lengthy discussion with my adviser, she informed me that classes are offered, but there's either nobody to teach them, or there isn't enough interest to keep the class open. I was pissed, to say the least. So I had very few options open for upper level classes. Mostly because they would require that I take the pre-requisite classes just to take them. That would just keep setting me back. I try to avoid set-backs if I can. So, of the few classes available to me, I chose to continue with the Mediation Program. Whatever. It fulfills my requirements.

SO....I really don't like mediation. Not really. BUT, I figure it builds the resume, so why not continue with it. I am currently in the Advanced Mediation class. I have to conduct a project where I monitor Fundamental Mediation students' progress, advise the Fundamental Mediation students, and overall help them with their mediation techniques. It should definitely be interesting. My professor told me there's an opening for a project at the Orem Small Claims Court. I hate court mediating. It's probably the most intimidating thing I've ever done. I'm not looking forward to it, but maybe I'll get a good partner for my project and we'll do some good work. Maybe...

Halloween Time at Wal-Mart (Good Times With Caitlin!)

Ahhhh yes...these would be pics from the wonderful 2 hours I spent at Wal-Mart, being bored and playing around. Yes....I still play around at Wal-Mart. Some things you just never grow out of. I personally think the clown pics are the funniest.

Candace's Homecoming Dance

These are just some pics of the hair and makeup I did for my sister Candace for her homecoming dance. I think I could have done something a little lighter with the eyes, but she liked it, so that's what counts.

Rocky Mountain Rendezpoo

So this past weekend I (Patrick) went out to Laramie, Wyoming to attend a job fair. It was put on by the University of Wyoming. The whole point of the things is for oil and gas companies to come and interview prospective students for internships and jobs. I was excited to have the opportunity to get an internship, so I decided to come out of my comfort zone and go to it.

On Friday the 2nd I got up early and loaded up in a van, (by loaded I mean there were 6 people in a 12 seat van), and we drove 6 hours to Laramie. The drive wasn't bad since I guess I was asleep for about 2 hours of it. Anyways we checked into our hotel and went to the university campus. This day of the "job fair" was a resume and interview workshop. The 4 hours I spent sitting and listening were pretty insightful. I was able to fix a few errors on my resume, and now it it a shining beacon of what future employers will learn about me when I am looking for a job. It was a good experience for me, and I hope I will be able to use what I learned from it in the future.

Ok, so after that we went back to our hotel and chilled, after we had dinner at Wendy's. MMMM Jr. Bacon Burger with Crispy Chicken Nuggets and a Frosty. Yum. The next day wasn't too exciting for me. Everyone else went on the field trips that were being put on by the oil companies. I had to stay behind because I had some homework I needed to do. Plus I didn't want to miss Saturday college football. It took me awhile to finish the assignment I had because I would work on it for like 10 minutes then go back to watching the game that was on at the time. Don't worry I eventually finished it.

Sunday wasn't a big day either. Basically I walked around looking at the various booths that the companies had set up. Most of the booths had sign up sheets for interviews, but only 2 of them were accepting undergraduate interviews. The rest of the companies were only interested in graduate students. Boo. Anyways I was able to talk to some of the recruiters there and give them my resume for future use. The rest of the time I spent sitting around doing nothing. They did have a dinner that I attended, but half the food was spicy, so I couldn't eat it due to my colitis.

The next day wasn't any better. In fact I would say that it was worse. The undergrad interviewers never showed up, so my only chance at getting an interview was destroyed. So me and a couple other guys left after we found out that they hadn't shown up. We left Laramie around 9 in the morning. About 11 a.m. we came to a dead stop. Turns out two semis had collided with each other blocking the whole two lane highway. It took two hours for the mess to get cleaned up and for traffic to start moving again. To make matters worse, an hour later we hit another traffic jam. They had shut down the highway due to a "car wreck", whatever that meant. So it took us an hour to get to the exit they were forcing everyone to get off at. Then we turned around and took the detour route. Instead of being able to head west on the I-80 we had to head south on the 191, loop around through Vernal, Utah, then head west back through Heber-Provo Canyon to Provo. In the end we basically doubled our travel time, spending 11 hours on the road.

All in all the experience wasn't that great. I understand that times are tough economically, but it would have been nice to know in advance that the companies were only looking for grad students. Basically I spent 50 bucks to go to a resume/interview workshop and spend 17 hours on the road.

COMING SOON...!

Alright, so this really isn't a "post" post, but more of a "coming soon" post. I haven't had time since the beginning of school to post anything, so I will have to catch up on things. On the list of blogs to come are:

- Palmer Reunion over Labor day weekend

- Candace's Homecoming game

- Halloween time at Wal-Mart (Good times with Caitlin!)

- Clarissa's faux B-day! The big 1-9!

- Mediating (Please repeat: "It builds the resume!")

- SOC 320G: Race & Minority Relations

And hopefully I'll get those up in the next two weeks. Maybe. We'll see.

So me and Pat have been in talks about which schools he should apply to for his Master's Degree and these are the top Schools for Paleontology. Starting with Top Ranked School, University of Chicago, then the other schools he's interested in, Harvard, Berkeley, and the University of Texas.

#1
University of Chicago

#2
Harvard University

#3
University of California - Berkeley

#4
University of Texas - Houston

We're really hoping and praying for Chicago. Not because of the cold weather, which we don't like at all, but because the opportunities and benefits far outshine the other schools we've looked into.

Wish us luck! We'll hopefully be applying in December and we'd love all the blessings we can get.

Back to School!

The exclamation point at the end of the title is more sarcasm than sincerity.

Well, I haven't written anything in a while. So...August was interesting (Understatement of the Century!), but the gory details are a little to personal for me to go publicly with so I'll leave it at, Me and Pat are doing okay.

Sorry about the teaser there. Anyway, I started back to school on the 26th of August, which made for an interesting start to the semester. I have to take 18 credits this semester and 18 credits next semester to graduate by April of 2010. That means I'm taking 7 class now and I'll probably be taking 7 class next semester. It stinks. NOT only do I have to take 7 classes, I have an internship that takes up my mornings and I'm in an advanced mediation class. So that means that I am a mentor for all the beginning mediation students. Yay fun.

Well, after spending the $600 plus+++ dollars on REQUIRED text books (Yes, a rent payment.) I got crackin on my homework. Now, if you really knew me, you'd know that I'm not unlike the 4 billion or so people out there who also STRONGLY dislike homework. But, I've been revamping my study and work habits to be more productive and I've figured out that, if I can turn in most of the homework assigned on the syllabi at the beginning of the semester, then I'm home free for the next 4 months. Yipee! So, I've started reading all the books and writing all the position papers for my Race and Minority Relations class, typed all the briefs for my Laws of Evidence class, completed all the tutorials and projects for my Computer Applications class, and pretty much drafted all the assignments for my Business Management class. The only thing I have to do for the rest of the semester is mentor/mediate and turn in weekly postings, and work.

I am, however, really starting to get pissed with my American Government professor. I spent a lot of money on the damn textbook and haven't used it once. Every class period is him (A Liberal Democrat Mormon, which he makes a point of announcing every 5 minutes) on his soapbox attempting to get the class to side with his and Obama's policies. I swear to Heaven above that I might turn into the person on the grassy knoll and shoot his ass. Yeah. I'm that upset. I hate that I'm paying to have someone constantly pursuade me to think a certain way instead of doing his job and lecturing me about the founding principles of this country. GRRRR!

Anyway. Pat's doing great. We were waiting until the end of the summer to see if he could get his old job at the museum back, but no luck. So he has decided to apply to any interesting jobs that come up on the BYU job board. He is taking 5 classes this semester and is so lucky he hasn't had to purchase any books. He sucks. Yeah. So his class load isn't too bad and he is enjoying his last semester of school.

Although, this whole situation puts me in a not-so-happy state of being and I feel bad for anyone who's been around me lately. I love and am grateful that I have a job, but I only work 12 hours a week,, which is nothing AND I do it all with a full class load and outside of school obligations. I'm a machine, as my husband once reffered to me, but that doesn't mean that I don't respond to it like a human. It's been hell on me and really hard on mine and Pat's relationship, but we're working on it and hope that the year passes quickly.

Summer 2009

Alas, I have no pics, and not much of a story to tell about this summer. Seeing as how we both were unemployed for half of it, which left us with no funds for extras.

So....the good part of this oh so sad story is that all of our bills are paid and we have started accumulating a little cushion cash. I'm hoping that this whole "move-in-with-the-parents-so-we-can-save-a-bunch-of-money" plan works out. I know it's only been a month and a half, but remember that I'm also impatient.

Plus, with our student grants and loans, we have been in talks with Pat's brother, Ben, and his wife, Cherie, about taking a trip down to Las Vegas. It's super cheap, super close, and would be a nice little vacay before school really starts.

I think it'll also be neat to go down to the family reunion that the family on my mom's side has. Ahh...the Palmer Reunion. One word: Interesting. But I guess it'll be cool to see all of my family from AZ. I can't wait to hang out with my cousin Kari. She's the best. AND my mom has planned out this whole "Amazing Race" day of events which should be totally flippin' sweet!

I guess that while my summer didn't amount to much, the next few months should hold some very cool and enjoyable events in them.

Temple Work

So I had the opportunity to go to the Provo Temple today with the sisters of my ward. It was so nice to get to know and talk with them. To be honest, I haven't been back to the Temple since I got married, except for my brother-in-laws wedding, and even then, I was only in the sealing room. I know, I'm lame. I feel pretty lame. Anyway, enough pity party.

I had a really good time and loved being with wonderful women. I don't know about you, but I always get nervous when I go to the Temple because I'm so afraid I'll mess up and completely bungle something so important. And then I go and realize how much I psych myself out. It's laughable, really.

So I went and did initiatories today. It was exactly what I needed right now in my life. To be reminded of my role in Heavenly Father's grand plan. To remind me that, while my husband is the Patriarch of our family, I am the Matriarch. Him Priest, me Priestess. And that without one another, we wouldn't be able to achieve much of anything. Kinda moot, ya know? I always say that God has a quirky sense of humor. TRULY!

I also was reminded that I'm a good person and am blessed for being able to carry out a good work. To be able to enter into Heavenly Father's house and do his holy work. That I'm worthy of his love.

I'm always reminded of the many ways Heavenly Father blesses my life.

My 5 Things...

This was actually pretty difficult to do. It's this faulty memory of mine. Gall!


5 Things I was doing 5 years ago

So I was 18....

1. Graduating from college.
2. Moving to Utah.
3. Hiding in the back.
4. Learning to play indoor soccer.

5. Being a nursery teacher.

5 Things on my To Do list

1. Graduate!!!

2. Lose weight.
3. Make oodles of money.

4. Have 3.5 babies.

5. Get my wisdom teeth pulled. :(

5 Things that I would do with a Million dollars

1. Pay off student loans!!!!

2. Buy some clothes and shoes.

3. Buy a house.

4. Buy a NEW car.
5. SAVE.

5 Places I have lived

1. Arizona
2. California

3. Utah

4. All over Arizona

5. Okay, so it's REALLY the 90-million places I've lived.

5 things I hope to be doing in 5 years

When I'm 28...

1. Making lots of money.

2. Having my 3.5 babies.

3. Owning my own home.
4. Being married to a Dino-Digger.

5. Living my Life!!

Fourth Of July!!!

Friday, my family all went to see Transformers, and since me and Pat had seen it when it came out, we went and did our own thing. We decided to take some baked beans, juice, and potato wedges and corn dogs down to the creek by my parents' house. Just chill. We get everything together and buy the wedges and corn dogs and get to the creek. Well, after eating the beans and wedges we start on the corn dogs...

*Now, if you knew Pat, you'd know that he LOVES corn dogs, especially the ones we buy at the local gas station. It's a definite splurge. So he's like a little kid who waits until the end of the week to use his allowance to buy his favorite treat. Yeah.

So....I take a bite of one corn dog and it's a Jalepeno corndog. I know most people, especially those of you from Arizona, would just shrug and keep eating it....Like I did. However, my husband has ulcerative colitis. He can't have anything spicy, like peppers, or it will set off a colitis episode and put him in the hospital or possibly kill him. Yeah. Pretty serious stuff.

Well, he took a cautious bite of another corndog and it was jalepeno too. I thought that maybe the other 2 (There were 4 total.) were regular. I bit into those and they were also jalepeno. It was a major bummer and sucked because they were in regular packages. Pat's hopes for a corndog were dashed. Yup.

So we decided to go back to the station and swap them for regular ones only to discover that they didn't have any. We just got our money back and drove home. Talk about a ruined outing. We ended up just watching movies all night.

This 4th of July we didn't do anything SPECTACULAR because it rained. And it was all clear on Friday and Satur-DAY. Then the rain clouds rolled in and it came down hard. Yeah. No fireworks.

We did cook some bbq pork chops with mashed potatoes and corn. It was really good. We played games all day and relaxed. By-the-way, my sister Candace is in ALL of the pictures. It's on purpose. You know how there's always that 1 person who's in all of the photos,all-be-it inadvertently? Yeah, we had fun.

Oh, and then we beat up my sister Clarissa. Just for the hell of it. *Tee hee*

LAKERS KICKED THE MAGIC'S TRASH!

Yes. That's right. NBA Finals were last Sunday and the Los Angeles Lakers won. Booyah! It was a pretty good five games. The Orlando Magic put up a good fight, but I think Kobe Bryant wanted that trophy more than they did.

Pat's brother Dustin was in town with a couple of friends. We were already over at Ben and Cherie's for the fourth game of the Finals and they came over to watch the game with us. Pat got to have a boys day on Saturday while I helped my mom with a garage sale she was having. Much fun to be had by all. Sunday, we all got together again to eat dinner and watch the fifth game of the Finals. It was awesome!

So yeah. I have become an official LA Lakers fan. Yup. And if you knew me, you'd know that I'm not a big sports WATCHER, I'm more of a PLAYER. Or a CHEERLEADER. Whichever suits at the time.

Yet MORE Softball...

So I keep playing softball. And for God only knows what reason, because I am still fathoming why I do.

Me and Pat joined Brenden and Cherie yesterday for a game of softball. We have been going down to the field on Thursdays now to join a ward that plays at that time. It was pretty fun, until I batted and, whilst running to first base, rolled my ankle in a dip in the ground. Yeah. Fun. And then gave up batting to pitch, which netted me a softball right back at me in the shin. Nice.

I think I might too great of a pitcher for my own good, because most of the pitches that I threw came right back at me. I had to dodge most of them. It sucked.

Pat's Beard Attempt

Did I ever tell you about the time Patrick decided to grow a beard?

This was about a two weeks ago. So it wasn't actually too long ago.

He didn't actually decide to grow it out, I made him. Ha Ha. He was doing his field camp thing and all the other guys in his class were growing their beards out. So I told him to do it just to get it out of his system. He doesn't like shaving very much. Probably on account of the fact that his beard hairs are so coarse that when he shaves, he gets razor burn. He even uses an electric shaver because a razor would chop his face up.

So he started growing a beard. I think he made it two weeks before he hacked it off. I say hacked because it was so thick and coarse that it was like kissing splinters every time I kissed him. I couldn't even kiss him when it got to it's longest. Well, after about two weeks of growing it out, he decided to hack it off because he wanted to keep kissing me and his beard was even irritating himself.

I told him that if he ever thought about growing it out again, he would have to expect that I wouldn't be kissing him very much. I don't think he like that. So we have the beard growing experience out of the way. YAY!

I got the job!

Okay. This post is a week late, but I GOT THE JOB! YAY ME!

I interviewed with the law firm I mentioned earlier and they called me back that afternoon and said they wanted me to start immediately. YES! So I've been working there for a week now and LOVE it. It's noticeably different than the law firm I interned at. The lawyer I work for understands better how to use a Paralegal. Which is so nice. I think it has something to do with the fact that she's from California.

Anyway, she knows how and what to delegate to me and I love constantly being busy. I told her in the interview that I hate not having anything to do because I would feel like I'm just wasting time and I'd end up feeling unproductive.

I'm gonna start studying to get my Notary Public license, which will be an awesome add to my resume and a huge help in a law firm where affidavits (Personal Testimonies) are always being drafted.

In all, I like working here (and it's only the first week!) and I can't wait to see where this job will take me.

Softball....it hurts.

Me and Pat have been getting together with his brother to play softball these past couple of months. It's been so fun. We usually have our friends, Bryce and Blake there as well as Ben's wife's family. Occasionally we are joined by some ward softball teams and play with them.

I love softball. I used to be really good at it too. But all the years of inactivity and bad diets have left me to feel how out of shape I am. The first time I played, I was the catcher. I did over 270 squats, and I felt every single one of them for a whole week after that game. I couldn't bend my legs, they shook when I walked, and even had to lever myself down to go to the bathroom. It was a painful insight. Then I didn't play for a couple of games because I actually wanted to be able to walk.

So I decided to play this past Saturday. Not so good. I had just painted my nails, but they needed an extra player, so I decided to play. Barefoot. HUGE MISTAKE. The dirt had little pebbles in it and was constantly shifting under my feet. I walked away from that game with bruised feet, strained thigh muscles, and my forearms hurt for some odd reason.

It currently hurts to walk...again. I'm definitely wearing shoes next time. But I can't wait, because, as much as I'm in pain, it feels good to be active and feeling that burn again. I know, I know. I sound masochistic. I'm not. I promise.

Job Interview!

I finally have a job interview! There aren't a lot of jobs anywhere close to us here in Utah, so I've been stuck at home doing nothing so that we can conserve money. BO-RING! I hope I never have to be in this position again. EVER.

Anyway, I got an email about a paralegal position a couple of blocks from our apartment. So I sent my resume and a cover letter. I heard back from the hiring attorney 10 minutes later. It was so awesome! So I have an interview set for tomorrow. I really hope I get this job. We need some sort of income.

Wish me luck!

Our First Year

Well....we made it. Not like I didn't think wouldn't. It's been hectic, frustrating, beautiful, exciting, boring, and all together fun. I am so grateful to have married the man I did. Even after a year, we are still adjusting to each others' personalities and quirks. But we've stuck it out and will continue to work with, and love, each other. We are sealed to each other for an eternity after all.

We celebrated Saturday night with Pat's brother Brenden and his wife Cherie at the California Pizza Kitchen. We had gotten a gift card to there as a wedding gift but had never used it. So we decided to go out and enjoy something new. Plus, with the our current financial situation, it's been a LONG WHILE since we've been out. It used to be our weekend "thing". The restaurant was cool. We definitely enjoyed being out with Ben and Cherie. We always have fun with them.

Sunday, we went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things I hadn't been able to get the day before for a surprise picnic I had planned. I got some food from the deli counter, corndogs and popcorn chicken, and also some loaves of French bread. I was so happy to see that the bread was only 50 cents a loaf. They're usually $1.50/each. So I grabbed 3. We love bread, Pat and I. After we got home, we walked down to the duck pond that we love so much. It was such a nice, peaceful day. It had just rained but it wasn't muggy or anything. It was perfect. When we first got there and broke out the bread, all the ducks from the pond swarmed around us. Greedy little buggers! It was the funniest thing and we got them to feed from our hands. We went through the whole loaf in about 10-15 minutes, but it was worth it.

Then we went over to a bench and ate the lunch we had brought. Yums! We sat and talked and then decided to walk around the pond. There were so many little baby ducklings and they were too adorable. They had so much energy and curiosity. Whenever the little ones would come close to us the mama would quack and they'd come swimming back. I asked Pat if we could have duckies when we buy a house. He giggled. I figure since we're both allergic to cats and dogs and animals with fur, maybe we could have ducks instead. But I told him we'd have to have a big pond as well. He laughed that time.

We just held hands and stood there, admiring the cute little creatures and then walked home. We received a lot of "Happy Anniversaries" from both our parents when we got home.

*Just a Note* My Parents should never take up singing together. They're hilarious and horrendous all at the same time. Me and Pat had a good long laugh after hearing them.

Well, that was our anniversary. Nothing too fancy, but it has a lot of meaning to us and that's what we like best. Plus, we got to relax and enjoy one another's company, which is something we don't get to do very often these days.

Vissa's Gradiation 2009

So today my sister Clarissa graduated, with honors, from high school. One to go for my parents. Yay! She starts at SUU (Southern Utah University) in August. She's working this summer as a lifeguard at the Payson Public Pool, which is really neat. I am so happy for her. She wants to get her Bachelor's Degree in Theater and then go to NYU (New York University), I think, and get her Master's Degree in Theater. That should be exciting. If she doesn't do that I believe she plans to attend Law School. A long road lies ahead of her, but it'll definitely be full of adventure. Which is so Clarissa anyway. I love her and am proud of all that she has accomplished and will accomplish. Here's to seeing her one day on the big screen.

This video is good stuff!

Okay. I think this commercial is hilarious. Just a random posting. Had to let everyone know.

Baby Samantha Jade

Here's to my sister and brother -in-laws. They just had their first baby, little baby girl Samantha Jade. Yay for Aleece and Scott.

"I'm not an idolater, but I totally worship Mr. Clean."

Just a short blip blog...I've been cleaning the apartment a little bit at a time so that there won't be so much to clean when we move. I went to the store and bought some of those Magic Eraser sponges by Mr. Clean. I had never used them before and was shocked at how well they actually worked. I definitely love the sponges with the Febreeze side, they make everything smell so nice.

So, yeah....I totally love Mr. Clean. Those sponges kick trash!

"You can't get something from nothing"

Alrighty. So...things are going O.K. for me and Pat. Except for the fact that I ended my internship and don't have a job and Pat has a six-week field camp class and can't work. I am currently sick with a cold (This year I have been sick so often it makes me angry!) and have to get my wisdom teeth pulled. So we are both jobless and still have bills to pay. What fun for us. AND I just found out yesterday that my great grandmother died.

However, to put a positive spin on things, Me and Pat got all As and Bs this semester and our landlord is the greatest guy ever. I really hope in the future that we have landlords that are as cool as ours.

This summer we had planned on going down to visit with Pat's fam in Cali for a week, but I'm not so sure we'll be able to afford it. I hate this we-don't have-the-money phase. I wasn't able to attend my cousins wedding, I won't be able to attend my great grandmother's funeral, and we both won't be able to see Pat's family for another 7 months...maybe.

I so badly want to be done with this phase of my life but know that I can't get the things I want in the future if I don't work hard and earn them now. It's all about give and take. As my husband says, "You can't get something from nothing." I loe my husband but I hate philosophizers. ;-)

Kid Fun 2

What do you think about my little new baby Gallagher the 7?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

Kid Fun 1

What do you think about my little new baby Gallagher the 4?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

Another Year

Okay. I have decided to push back my graduation date until April of 2010. Another year. Ugh. I just don't have the finances to go for the summer. It stinks. On the bright side, I'll get more work experience this way. But I have such a huge load of classes that I still need to take. It makes me wonder what the hell I've been doing this past year. Sitting on my ass apparently. Whatev.

So I had a complete breakdown. Went ballistic and kept crying and all that good stuff. I think it was due. I've never had one before anyway. Pat is so sweet and just grins and bears it. An then tells me, "It's because you can't control the future. Before we got married you didn't have to worry about anything but working. Now you have to worry about me, work, school, and life in general and you can't control any of those things." My dad had said to me a few months ago, "If YOU did everything YOU could, then there's nothing to worry about. YOU can only control what YOU do and as long as YOU do everything YOU possibly can, you'll be fine. Relax. "

So...I've taken the metaphorical "chill pill" and tried not to worry about the things I can't control. It's so hard, cuz if you really knew me, I like to have everything planned out and organized. And you can't really plan or organize the future.

Spring Downer

So. Do you remember that FABULOUS weather I was talking about earlier? Where I talked about the daffodils and sunshine and spring? Well, this is what I woke up to 2 days later.....
I know. You're thinking...."It doesn't look like anything." Right? Well this is what it looks like AFTER all that white mist (Clouds) lifts.....
Yes. There was a big huge mountain behind that white blob. And it was covered in snow. I was grinding my teeth when I woke up and saw that. And all while I was sick too. It sucked. AND...the poor daffodils right outside my door were all buried in snow. I think I'll post pics of them later.

Pat keeps asking me if winter is over yet and I just keep tellin' him that it snows her clear until the end of April. So yay us. It is beautiful though isn't it?

My Hunnybump

What is his name? Patrick

How long have you been together? As of April 7, 2009.....10 months

How long did you date? 3 months

How old is he? 24

Who eats more? Sometimes I feel like I do, but he snacks all day.

Who said I love you first? He did....technically. It was more in the form of, "What would you do if I told you I loved you?" I think this was about a month and a half into dating.

Who is taller? He is... by 3/4 of an inch.

Who can sing better? He can. Definitely. But he keeps telling me that I have a beautiful voice....so.....????

Who is smarter? Hmmmm....it's a tie. But sometimes I say some pretty retarded things. Of course, sometimes he DOES some pretty retarded things.

Who does the laundry? I do. But he'll help me sometimes if I have to do something else.

Who pays the bills? We both do. I just make more money right now.

Who sleeps on the right side? He does. I like to cuddle and made him switch for a night to see what would happen. He hasn't slept on the left side since.

Who mows the lawn? We live in an apartment. The maintenance guys I guess.

Who cooks dinner? We help each other out most of the time.

Who drives? Me. Occasionally I don't feel like driving so I make him, but I can't stand his California driving.

Who is more stubborn? Me.

Who kissed who first? I kissed him. It was his first time too.

Who asked who out first? I did. It was more to hang out than date. He asked me on our first date.

Who proposed? Well. I'd like to think I did first. I told him a month before he actually proposed that I loved him, he was the one, and that he'd better propose because I wasn't going to. Then he proposed.

Who has more friends? Friends? What friends? We are full time students. We barely have time for each other.

Who is more sensitive? Tie. But I'm more emotional.

Who has more siblings? Him. We both have 3 siblings-him 3 brothers, me 3 sisters. But he has step and adopted siblings.

Who wears the pants? He does. But we pretty much decide everything together.

Sick=No Fun

So I've been sick for the past 3 days. Vomiting, headaches, nausea, etc. I thought I was pregnant for a second. Not that I don't use birth control, but you never know...Anyway, I took a pregnancy test and no baby. So I think I may have the flu. Which blows. Royally. I was stuck home on Wednesday vomiting and couldn't go to work. Then yesterday I had this headache that hurt so bad and wouldn't go away. I finally begged Pat to take me to the store to get Excedrin. I don't usually take anything stronger than Midol and I couldn't see very well so he had to drive. Today, I'm dealing with a sinus infection and nausea...again. Yay me.

I had this epiphany yesterday too. I have decided not to put off going to law school. I have been working as a paralegal for a few months now and have come to realize that, even with all of my knowledge and a Bachelor's Degree, I would still and forever just be a glorified secretary/assistant. I am not going to school to be a secretary for the rest of my life. I honestly thought I could be happy. I love the law and logic and form but I can't take not having control and authority. I have come to learn that I have inherited the trait that makes me want to be my own boss from my parents. My dad is an entepreneur and my mother is a lawyer. I'm not saying I have a problem with others' authority over me, I can be a team player. I've just decided that I have to have my own authority. So I have decided to go to law school next year.

My mom says the hardest part is getting in, but once you're in it's all about "just passing". My motto with school is basically that. "As long as I pass." Now I just have to worry about getting a REALLY good score on my LSAT and raising my GPA a little bit higher. I am looking into classes for the LSAT I plan to take in June. Yikes! I so don't know how I'll manage that with all the classes I'm taking this summer and it's freakin' expensive. Then comes the applying to law schools phase. Which costs an arm and a leg as well. Then there's the wait. I really am going to hope, pray, and fast that I get into BYU. The only catch to all of MY plans are Pat's plans. I still don't know what school he plans to go to for his Master's. He'll graduate this December, like me, and then start on his Master's Degree next year too.

I feel so bummed out because I was really looking forward to getting a job, working, and having kids and now, I just don't see that happening for a couple more years. It's extremely hard to know this because I have no patience. I'm not lying. NONE. At all. To make matters worse, we're in a YOUNG family ward where everyone is constantly having a baby or getting pregnant or buying a house AND all of the aforementioned. I hate waiting. Remember, NOT PATIENT. I told Pat that it's like having a truffle in my hand and not being able to eat it. It's something I want really bad, have the ability to get/have, and yet can't. It pisses me off.

Yoga with my Hubby

Right...so, this past Saturday me and Pat did yoga. Pat for the first time...EVER, and me for the first time in 6 years. I decided to start again because I LOVE yoga. Not pilates and not the stringent/super-aerobic kind. I do the Vinyasa flow series. It focuses more on poses and is slow and calming. The dvd that I have, Yoga Conditioning For Weight Loss, has four different people on the screen at different difficulties of all the poses so you can go from beginner to advanced.

It was so sad to do it and watch the advanced chick and think, "I used to be able to do that."Tear:( Pat, because he's amazing and is always so supportive, decided to be my yoga buddy. Talk a bout a couples activity. We had fun and felt pretty good afterward. I started doing yoga again because I'm also going on a diet. I have decided to do the Nutrisystem diet again. I did it in October and lost 15lbs...without exercise. It was AWESOME! So I have decide to finally lose the 80 extra pounds I've been carrying around for the past 5 years. Yeah. I weigh 230. My mom is always asking me why I tell people how much I weigh. You know, I figure I look fat so why play games with people and insult their intelligence? I'm okay with who I am on the inside and that's top on my list. Being okay with myself physically is icing on the cake. I suppose I also feel that, with me being only 23 and all, I shouldn't be like this. I'm young for crying out loud. I want to look it. Seriously, I get people all the time guessing I'm thirty+. It is kinda irritating.

So this is my goal. To lose 80lbs by September. I can't stand to be this weight much longer. I'll post pics when I take them of the "BEGINNING". I think I'll keep track of it all on a seperate blog. Maybe. I hear one blog is hard enough to maintain. We'll see. Here's to my babe. I love you you nudie man!

Spring!

You know, it's always a great sign that the end is in sight when you walk out of your door and there are daffodils blooming. The end of winter that is.

I am so ready to be done with winter right now. No more worrying if my truck will start, scraping my windows, warming my truck up a half hour before I leave ANYWHERE, DRIVING WITH RETARDED UTAH PEOPLE!!!, etc...This list could go on. I'm so happy to see the daffodils blooming. They're so vibrant and happy. I think the yellow has a little something to do with this. BUT...it also means warm weather is so close. I so want to see a temperature high of 80. I might actually break a sweat.

It also means, unfortunately, that I have to watch all the lovely spring and summer days go by without relishing them and golfing. So sad. Oh well, that's what school does to a person. I can't wait until I'm done.

Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying their spring wherever they are.

GOLFING!!!

Yesterday, I had scheduled a tee time to go golfing at the golf course right next to my office building. Our firm, well whole building really, gets to golf there for free. Everything is for free. Which is music to my ears being a starving student and all. So me and Pat had a tee time for 3:20P. It was such a nice day out too. We get there and Pat rents a set of clubs because he golfs left handed. He's ambidextrous. Then we were off to the first whole. Pat couldn't figure out how to use his drivers. I tried to give him instruction. After about 10 minutes, another group comes along and asks if they can play through. We said sure. We waited about 15 minutes for them to make the green and then Pat tried again. Another ten minutes passed and another group came by and asked to play through. Again, we said sure. It continued like this until 4 groups had passed us. It made me want to hurry and really frustrated Pat, especially since it was his first time. We eventually made it to the third hole only to be approached by a group of 4 high school aged boys who asked if they could play through as well. I think that was the breaking point for Pat. After that he tried his hardest to hit his balls and with him being a lefty, it was a little difficult to give him instruction. But I did try. We stayed on the last groups butt the entire time. We enjoyed the scenery and the slopes. There was one hole that took us down the side of a mountain. It was pretty neat and I was so glad we had a cart. Anyway, we eventually made it to hole 8, after skipping hole 7 and had to wait for the 4th group that had passed us to tee off. They took forever. I think the drive to be done and go home was definitely a motivating factor. So we waited and then teed off. About half way down the fairway the high school boys drove up and notified us that we had skipped hole 7. We kindly informed them back that we knew, we were sucking, and that we were fine with that. They chuckled and went back to the tees. We got really good towards the end and were very proud of ourselves for making through all nine holes. We got home after that and were so dead tired. We just laughed, ate dinner, and laid down. That was pretty much the highlight of my afternoon. Yep.

Boredom

My Spring Break is this week. However, BYU doesn't have a Spring Break, so my husband can't get off school to do anything with me. I am basically working and coming home and doing nothing. Well, me and him do play the occasional game of Skip Bo, but nothing too exciting.Last night, I was actually so bored that I persuaded Pat to let me straighten his hair. He was so cute and willing. He even let me put some straightening creme in his hair. So I straightened half of his head and we both decided that 1) he looked really weird and 2) he wouldn't look good with straight hair. After I was done straightening his hair he was so typically male and himself when he asked in a very worried/serious tone, "Will it go back to normal or is my hair going to stay this way?" I had to laugh at him. I couldn't help it. I love love love this guy. I told him that his hair would return to its normal curliness when he got it wet again and he immediately jumped in the shower to wet his hair. As I was watching him stand there in the water with his head dunked in the shower's stream for like 5 minutes, he asks, "Is it okay now?" I can't believe the man I married. Always so concerned with how he looks. Jeesh! ;)! He is so freakin' adorable.
What do you think???

Missing Out

So...I really wanted to attend my ward's Relief Society Birthday Celebration last night. I had been planning to attend for 3 weeks and knew that I would be able to go because I didn't have my regularly scheduled class and had started spring break. I got home from work yesterday and Pat didn't say or do anything that he usually does. I didn't hear from him all night. Nothing. He just sat on our bed and played on his computer. I even went up to him and asked why he was ignoring me. He said he wasn't and he didn't realize that he was. I waited for him to say anything else and he didn't. For like 5 minutes.

So I walked out of the room and proceeded to clean the apartment. It didn't take very long. Kept me occupied for an hour or so. I felt a little hungry so I made a Homestyle Bake. They're so easy and taste really good. Plus, they only take about a half hour to bake. Perfect. I went and picked out a book to read. Which is always a little hard to do because I've read so many books but can't remember all of the titles. It kinda sucks when I get about 10 to 20 pages into the book and realize I've read it before. So I picked one I hadn't read, thank goodness, and timed my Bake with how many pages I read. I generally read about 50 to 60 pages in 30 mins....so I just read to about 60 pages. It was perfect timing. I served myself, as Pat was still busy on his computer, and let it cool for a bit and went back to reading my book. I ended up eating and reading....by myself. It wasn't until later that Pat emerged from our bedroom, ate, thanked me for cleaning the kitchen, and stood next to me.....silent. It's a little irritating sometimes. He asked me what my book was about and I HAD to explain it to him.

***Just a Note***My husband is a rare gem. He actually read the WHOLE Twilight series with me. I wanted to know what all the fuss was and told him I wanted to buy them. But I never got around to it. So we were at the Gateway mall in SLC and were walking around in Barnes and Noble and saw the series. He bought the first two books, but told me that they were my Christmas present and that I couldn't read them. Jerk. I was able to pursuade him to let me read them by telling him that he could read them with me. He agreed, because he was interested in them too and thought it would be a great couple's activity for us. Of course, he's never seen me in action. I mean reading. I read REALLY fast. Actually, I kinda do this thing where I'll re-read every page to try to get a better visual in my head. You'd think it would take me twice as long, but it doesn't. Yeah. I read THAT fast. I can totally believe and testify that the more books you read, the faster you read. Truly. Anyway, I jumped a book ahead of him while we were reading the series, but we still enjoyed them together. It was kind of nice to discuss what I was reading with someone of the opposite sex.

So, back to my day....ever since the whole "Twillight" experience, he has wanted to know what the books I read are about, and I can't help but want to discuss them with him. He learns so much, I learn so much, and we both enjoy the experience. So I told him what my book was about. Even though I was pissed at him. We talked for about 15 or 20 mins. It's always these little things that help remind me why I married the guy. I love him. A lot. We eventually went back to the bedroom and, well, you know....did what married people do. Although, as I've read in many marriage magazines, we are an EXTREMELY healthy couple. This based on how often during a month we have intimate relations.

***Side Note***This reminds me of the first issue of The Nest that we got. I had subscribed to The Knot when I was getting married and after, I received a complimentary copy of The Nest. Which is for married couples. Me and Pat were VERY active our first, oh, 6 months. It talked about a healthy couple having intimate relations about 5 times a month. Me and Pat read this and burst out laughing. He looked at his watch and said, very candidly, "We filled our monthly quota....and it's not even 5:00 yet." Just a funny thought. (Sorry if it's an overshare, but I'm sure you can remember when you were first married too.)

Well, that was my day yesterday. It wan't until I was at work this morning that I remembered about the Relief Society thing. I was so angry. Because of school, I haven't been able to do anything in our ward. I was so looking forward to doing something. For once. It was kind of a damper on my day today. Plus, I also forgot about the corned beef and cabbage that I wanted to make. We went out to dinner with my parents tonight and my mom was talking about the corned beef and cabbage she had yesterday. I just gave her a look and she laughed at me and said it was really good. She sucks. Ah well, maybe some other time.

The Month of March...

My dad and sister Candace's b-days were on the 1st and 2nd of March. Me and Pat went and spent the weekend with my family and partied. Like we usually do. We had lots of tournaments on the Wii and had some really good pork ribs. It was very fun. I still can't believe my youngest sister is 17. I feel so old.

I forgot to mention that I finally got the job with the law firm I wanted to intern at, in February. It's really great and everyone is so nice. They have a lawyer for every different kind of law. I really hope that I can stay on with them after graduation. Plus, if I have a baby, they're really cool about letting people work from home. It's totally flippin' sweet. I absolutely love my supervisor too. I'll have to get the whole firm together to take a group picture that I can post on here.

I'm looking forward to St. Patty's Day tomorrow. I think I would like to try my hand at cooking corned beef and cabbage. Just for the hell of it. Plus, Pat keeps asking me what I'm gonna do for him. I was like, "It's not like it's your birthday." and he simply replies, "If we were Catholic, it would be." He's such a smart ass. I love him to pieces.

The Month of February...

Ummm.....let's see. My sister Cait's b-day was on the 2nd. She turned 20. Very exciting for her. Valentine's day was pretty good. Me and Pat took each other out to breakfast at Denny's (his favorite). It was blizzarding out, so we couldn't really do anything outdoors. We just went home and chilled.

I had a major scare with appendicitis on the 19th. I went to the emergency room because my lower abdomen hurt. I had consulted with my mom, who is my unofficial doctor, and she said I probably just had a UTI and that they'd give me some antibiotics for it. So I get there and they have me do a urine test. That comes back negative, so my doctor tells me that it might be a yeast infection and that she'll have to swab me. GREAT!! I hadn't taken a shower and had never let anyone but my husband see me down there. And it was 9 in the morning. It wasn't too bad but the poking around she did hurt like a bitch. So she said that it might be an ovarian cyst that ruptured or it could be appendicitis. She then had me do blood tests. My results came back and, because my white blood cell count was so high, She thought I definitely had appendicitis and sent me over to the hospital to have a CT scan.

Now, if you know me, I absolutely HATE surgery. Of any kind. If I can see what's going on, I'm fine. It's when I can't see that I freak out.

So, I have the CT scan done. It was so horrible. On the plus side, the doctors were really nice. When the results came back it was determined that I didn't have appendicitis. A few ovarian cysts, but nothing major. So I went back to my doctor and she said that we'd have to start back at base 1. Fantastic. So she prescribed me some antibiotics for a UTI and I went home. The next day I felt substantially better. I gues it was just a UTI after all. All that, and it was so simple in the end. Go figure.

Just a pic of the bruises left on my arms after the many attempts to put in an IV needle. Both arms had bruises. They hurt so bad and didn't go away for, like, 2 weeks.