Give said the little stream...

http://randomthoughtsfromthezoo.blogspot.com My friend Catey --yes, the beautiful woman in the picture below--is hosting a give-away on her blog. Ever been to the CSN website? They have amazing deals on practically everything. And Catey is one of the most positive people I have ever met. Check out her blog and join in the fun!

Some of my heros

I know, this is probably a cop-out, but I have a LOT of heros in my life. And I mean A LOT! This particular group of heros has been on my mind a lot lately. They are weeks (we hope, huh Catey?) away from having child #8. This has been a more difficult pregnancy as they realized early on that he was going to come into this life with a few challenges. They have handled this news with grace, humility, and courage. I truly love them and feel buoyed up when I read Catey's blog. Aaron served his mission in Georgia with me, and when he got home he met and quickly fell in love with Catey. I used to babysit for them before they moved to Egypt...or Eagle Mountain, I mean. I don't see them as often, but love that we keep in touch. An amazing family that I am blessed to have in my life.
(I stole this picture off the photographer's blog, so I hope that isn't illegal. )

Aaron and Catey - Malia, Taylor, Alaina, Jacob, Dallin, Lincoln, Charlotte--Samuel is on the way!

Vignettes --I looked it up, they're what I thought they were

The following are just comments I made on that I would like to remember.

Mar 13 - Made homemade whole wheat spaghetti tonight with my Dad ♥

It was the best spaghetti EVER and prompted me to buy a pasta maker. This turned out to be a fiasco since the item arrived from eBay sans crank. After 4 weeks of the seller's attempt to make it better, it resulted in a refund. So I am still on the hunt.

Mar 15 - "O, death, where is thy sting?"

Same weekend that I had the best spaghetti of my life, I woke up Monday morning with the worst case of the flu I have ever encountered. I didn't hardly move for 3 days. I was miserable to say the least. My dad says this when he camps. I think it's appropriate to be used in cases where you think you are not going to make it to the next sunrise. Thankfully, I did.

Mar 23 - Loves Trader Joe's "mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups"!!!

My wonderful sister in-law Michelle is they one I hold responsible for my new addiction to this tasty treat. She gave me some and I tried to ration it a month...I made it a week. My cousin Susie offered to get me some more a few weeks later when she went to CA. She got me three. They, too, were gone in a week. I need help.

Mar 31 - I like a little apple with my peanut butter :)

See? I don't have to have the unhealthiest form of PB. I can make my apples fattening too! Haha.

Apr 6 – Who doesn't like a good snog? Isn't that right, Harry?

I think I'll leave this one "as is":)

Apr 6 - Conflict is where the car in front of you has a NY Yankee sticker in one corner AND a University of Utah in the other. Do I like them or do I not? Thankfully, the Jazz sticker by the breaklight broke the tie. I like them, but they have poor taste in sticker placement.

I am definitely a NY Yankee fan. And a Jazz fan. Not a Ute fan.

In the past, on April 15th, I would write "I hate taxes!" on every check I wrote--including the one to the IRS. This year, I actually got a refund, so I'm not feeling the same animosity. YAY!

It was a great feeling paying off some debt and saving for my new Bosch mixer with tax refund money. Much better than seeing that amount come OUT of your checking account--convenient as it is.

Apr 18 -Hard to beat a weekend with family, picnics, and gorgeous weather. I even got my first sunburn of the season. Love it!

This was another full weekend. On the 17th we had our NCAA March Madness "Steady Boy Steady" dinner. Then Saturday, we moved our Easter picnic to this weekend. It was so great to be able to go down to the creek and roast hotdogs, roll our Easter eggs, and hang out with family. This was ONE weekend where it didn't rain...so you gotta love that!

Randomness

Other March/April events (in chronological order) --March madness. I took 2^nd this year in the Round by Round. Chow won the whole thing by less than 1.5 points. It was a fun tournament. BYU made it passed round 1—a very exciting miracle. Kansas lost in the 2^nd round. Many people—including me –had them winning the whole thing so it was no wonder my post was “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
oooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!”
The end of the tournament had me rooting for Butler since Clancy picked Duke. In my heart I thought Duke would win, but I was still hoping for the underdog.

I heard Michael Bublé was coming in concert back in November. I purposely decided to wait to purchase my tickets until the day of the concert because of our luck when Matchbox Twenty came to town. We found that they sold floor seats at GA prices. So you can imagine my disappointment when I didn't get to go, but instead chose to get my dryer fixed instead. "Mar 31 - Well, I was fiscally responsible today. Don't everybody pass out. I forfeited the Michael Bublé concert for a working dryer. I'll be honest, the sweet hum of a working appliance is pretty satisfying --Not Michael Bublé satisfying...but I digress."

A couple weeks later, I had a chance to go to Alabama to spend some time with Cassi and the two cuties while Brad was receiving training and accommodations from the Pentagon in DC. I had SOO MUCH FUN on this trip! Alexa Jo. is one funny little girl. Cassi is such a great Mom, too. One of the best things I learned from Alexa Jo. is when you ask her "Why are you so cute?" and she responds in her darling voice "Because my Papi is cute." I guess Cassi taught her this. When Brad learned of this he looked at Cassi and said "Cute? Couldn't you teach her I was 'ruggedly handsome'?" Sooo funny! Apr 10th's status read: "Alabama rocks! Friendly people, beautiful weather, authentic BBQ, fried green tomatoes, Montgomery Zoo, and hot Krispe Kremes---It is quite possible I am too full!"

My brother Baa Haa graduated on April 25th with his MPA from BYU. It was an awesome day!! My parents came down from Idaho, as well as Lincoln with Field and Abram, and Brad and Cassi with the two cuties. They packed up their moving van that same night and we had a delicious dinner at Baa and Lissa's with Ben and Ashley, and Marianne. That kicked off a busy weekend with Cailin being blessed up in Cassi's home ward in Garland and then Baa leaving for Wichita. They hit a snowstorm for a lot of their trip. (See!?? I told you this weather was lame!!) I was worried as I would talk to him and so after I hung up, I got down on my knees and prayed. Probably not the first thing most people do, but I went and put this on my FB: "We can't ask for bump-free, no-bugs-on-the-windshield, a-tank-of-gas-lasting-700-miles, travels...but we can ask for safe travels...and that brings a lot of peace of mind." I really did feel peace that they would be ok. I will miss them terribly. It's been awesome to have them so close.

March and April --In like a lion, out like a ....lion

I've been able to go through the next few months and find "trends" in my FB posts. I’ll break it up, since it’s very long...

Weather - As the caption of this blog post states, the weather influenced a lot of my facebook status. It rained, and rained, then we had a few good days, then it would rain or worse…SNOW! On April 29^th I was glad for a warm house. This weather has been so frustrating! (That “trend” has not stopped even at this writing date of May 29^th. But more on that later:))

TV
I was watching TV one night and I usually skip through the commercials, but on caught my eye on supporting your Vet. I had a blonde moment (no offense to blondes) and put this on my FB status: Mar 16 – “FYI, SupportYourVet.org is a website to support our wonderful Veterans of our Armed Forces, not support of your veterinarian. Sorry Linc. I feel so foolish.”

There's a show on TV that makes me laugh. It is about a community college and a study group that has gotten close to each other. It kind of reminds me of my awesome group in grad school and the various dynamics that each relationship has. Now there's not a lot of comparison to the actual character, but that's why I like to watch it. One episode caught me a little off guard, when a guy I thought was a wimpy, geeky, nerd --but in a pool competition, he had deltoids and laterals and triceps...after having watched that part ten times I wrote on FB "Wow Joel McHale/Jeff Winger. Who knew?"

And finally on my TV trend, on Apr 22^nd I wrote “Loves it when I see places I've been on TV shows I watch. Makes me feel so cool. :)” This after I had been watching House Hunters International and they were in the exact area of Barcelona where my brother Brad and Cassi lived. And then again on In Plain Sight when they were filming in Old Town in Albuquerque…the same place I stayed when I was down there for a conference last year. This is a perk of travelling, since it’s rare anyone is filming in Cottonwood Heights, UT.

BABIES!
Babies were another trend that I commented on a few times during these couple of months. My friends Coralie and Justin Stokes had their 2^nd baby, a girl on March 10^th. They named her Bailey. That is a cute name.
My new niece was born on May 3^rd. We didn’t know the gender and I’ll be honest…that made it even more exciting when Linc called and told me it was a girl!!! I was so happy, I cried. She’s soooo cute!!! And her name (after a nearly a month of deliberation is Anslea McNeil Mumford. I LOVE the name and am so happy she has arrived safely. Her two older brothers are all ready to protect “Lil Sis”.

January...start the year off fine...February, you're my little Valentine..

Well, I haven't blogged in MONTHS! So, in an effort to catch up on what's going on in my life (journal style), I have decided to back-track a bit--shout out to my facebook for the assistance in remembering what has happened the last few months.

January 20th -my niece Cailin Celine Mumford was born. Her arrival was a huge relief as Cassi had been struggling with kidney stones and had been hospitalized a few days before Cailin was born. And Cailin actually had to stay in NICU for a bit for her oxygen levels and eating levels to be ok. We are so happy she's here!!!
I got to meet her on February 6th - I wrote on FB "My new niece is a BEAUTY!! She looks like a little mini-Alexa Jo. (her sister). Loved spending time with them today. :) Good times!"

February 1 brings a big deadline at work. So I was putting in lots of hours and on Feb 2 I listed my status as "I'm finally home! Huge accident Orem NB I-15 tonight. It must be too much to ask to have a smooth ride home when leaving the office at 9 o'clock PM. After that selfish thought...I hope no one was seriously injured. Although given the amount of cars in that accident..that is unlikely too."
Note to self - don't use Redbox Free First Monday code in February, since it's a busy time of year and I must have forgotten to take a redbox movie back, because on Feb 3 I wrote "[Missy] Hates it when the "Redbox free code Monday" becomes the "You owe a $1.07 Wednesday"!"

February brings Valentines Day. I received flowers from someone named Tim. I only knew one guy named Tim, who said he wanted to marry me, so I assumed they were from him. However, he denied sending them, and so I have no idea who sent them to me. The note said "Nothing compares to your beauty, cutie." (something he would totally say, too) Anyway...thanks to whoever really did send them. Actually, they came via mail, and the company sent two. So I hope they didn't get charged twice.

May 15th -Editors note...Tim is no longer in the picture....and I'm ok with that.

On Feb 12, my FB status stated "Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him...wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on. One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky his is to have you.... The one who turns to his friends and says, 'that's her"...." --I know this guy is not a myth, as some of my friends are married to this kind of man...but he sure seems to be elusive.

My dad is this kind of man..and he turned 60 Feb 16th. My mom planned a surprise birthday party for him and he was SOOOO shocked! It was fun to see him walk in the door and have a genuine "WHAT IS THIS!!!?!?!?!?" look on his face. I love you Dad!

My cousin Melanie married a good guy on Feb 20th in the Logan temple. She looked beautiful and I need to remind her to send me a picture so I can put it in here. But for now...this will have to do:

My friend Amy's 40th birthday was Feb 25th. Her friends planned a fun surprise birthday party for the 27th and I was tasked with getting her there. I had a TON of anxiety about this! haha - I didn't want to mess it up! So her niece Fumiko helped me and we had a fantastic night. That day was soooo much fun because I went to a BYU basketball game with Baa, Lissa, and Marianne. (Aiden and Camden Waite joined us for the game too!) BYU lost, but we always have the best time when we are together. My FB status..."80 points are great! They give us chocolate cake! Then I had chocolate cake at Amy's Surprise birthday party! THEN AGAIN at her house! And no, I'm not chocolate caked out at all. :) Great
day! (Even if BYU did lose.) (The 80 points was from the game, if BYU got 80 points, Magleby's Fresh gave away free chocolate cake...and they have AMAZING chocolate cake.)

I was gone nearly every weekend in February. I love my family!!

Christmas of Love--and Happy New Year!!

Well, it's no surprise that this time of year is my very favorite. There is little I don't like about Christmas. I love the gift giving, the sounds, the smells, the lights --there is a crispness in the air that while cold, puts a smile on my face. This holiday season I decided to simplify and stick with the plan. It started with getting my tree in the mountains (thanks to the help of my brothers Linc and Duke). We went as a family and found some really beautiful trees. I loved this activity. And even got my Christmas card photo out of it!

My "Things I learned in 2009" are a little small, so I will put them here:
*International Admissions --an awesome place to work.
*Spain & Italy are BEAUTIFUL!*29 Mumfords - a lot of fun (even with the stomach flu!)
*Albuquerque gets snow and Newport Beach is lovely.
*Exercise - not as over-rated as I hoped.
*Christmas tree hunting is better with proper footwear.
*I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and pray you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love, Me

Of course, I learned a lot more than that.
I love the young women in my ward. I love the girls I sing with and the women I serve with in Young Womens. I learned that vitamin B12 is kind of a big deal. I learned how to make divinity with my cousin Valayne. (It was awesome! I am now saving for a Bosch. :) ) It's been a very good year.

For Christmas, Hollie suggested we get my parents new pictures of my Goff grandparents. I contacted my Aunt Cindy and she was a huge help in getting this project done for us. I didn't know my grandparents too well, as they died before I was old enough to remember much. I know they lived frugally and worked very hard. This photo was taken at my Uncle Mike and Aunt Cindy's wedding. And here is my mom holding the finished product. She cried--in a good way.

I was able to stay up in Idaho and spend more time with my family this break. It was really great!! I was able to play with my nieces and nephews and I worked on scanning 100's of photos from my mission to finally make my mission scrapbook. I'm excited to get working on putting that together.
My friend Bonnie and her daughter Ava decided to come up to Idaho for New Years. She called it their "adventure". It was great to have her there - I hope they had a great time. We had a lot of family and friends ring in 2010 with us! We have a tradition in my family to go bowling on New Years Day. Our dear friend Del Ray opens the alley for us and we bowl our hearts out. I actually bowled a 135 this year (only had one game in me) and I almost beat my Dad! (He must have been having a bad game, cuz he usually has higher scores than that.) Anyway - here's a few pics from the "adventure! Not a bad way to start a great year, not a bad way at all!