MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmm steak!

Pierce turned 1!!!!

2011-11-18T07:42:00.000-08:00

My 15th nibling celebrated his 1st birthday on November 4th, in Wichita KS. I was only able to go out for a few days, but Baa and Lissa know how to throw down a good time in a short amount of time. I LOVE spending time with them and Christmas won't come fast enough.

Why I'm not a fan of this sign...

2011-10-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

...
I've become an advocate for men lately. I just see this attitude "sneaking" into pop culture where women are making men look like morons, useless idiots. I blame Claire Huxtable. (Maybe it's been "sneaking" in for a while.) Spiritually speaking, we know they are not morons, nor do they have the corner-on-the-market of doing stupid things. They are human, just like me.

People should never have to put someone down in order to build themselves up.This goes for fat women calling skinny women the "B" word just because they are thin or guys being portrayed as useless for anything besides parallel parking. (I'm guilty of thinking that at one time.) I maintain any man is better better at grilling steaks than I will ever be.

There are a lot of deadbeat men/husbands but I see an honest collective effort of men making an effort only to be thwarted by a prideful woman looking down on them because it wasn't done how they would do it. OR not acknowledging it because it was done by a man, so how good could it have been done?

I wonder if we told men how much respect we have for their hard working and good intentions, if it wouldn't have a positive effect on society. I have incredible examples of hard workers in my family and that is an attribute I look for in a potential mate. If he's out there and doesn't think that he's worth it...breaks my heart just thinking about it.

Anyway, I'm done venting. I am not usually this sensitive, but this subject has been on my mind for a while

Hey! It's not my birthday yet!

2011-05-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

So, my 14th 1st birthday party is supposed to be on May 3rd for my darling niece Anslea McNeil Mumford. However, her mom thought it would be easier on the families to celebrate it during the weekend previous, and that suited me just fine. I love me a good party.

We met at Willow Park to see the animals.

Then went to USU's TSC to enjoy a meal indoors. It wasn't freezing outside, but chilly and this worked out perfectly. Hollie's family were also on hand to celebrate. Blake and Jane are just as cute as can be --they are Hollie's nephew and niece. I love Hollie's family--they are always fun to hang out with.

A Mumford-side family celebration followed on Sunday. I wish I could have been there, too. As I said, I love me a good party.
Here is a collage of her successful cupcake eating adventure. Video would have been better for the animated clapping and shrieks. But this will have to do.

Happy 1st Birthday, Anslea!! I love you! You are too cute!!!

If I were...

2011-04-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

a month, I'd be May.

a day of the week, I'd be Friday.

a time of day, I'd be 7:00 pm.

a sea animal, I'd be a dolphin.

a direction, I'd be south. a gemstone, I'd be a diamond.

a tree, I'd be a shade tree.

a flower, I'd be a gerber daisy.

a kind of weather, I'd be a hot.

a musical instrument, I'd be a saxophone.

a color, I'd be red.

a fruit, I'd be a cherry.

an element, I'd be oxygen.

a food, I'd be rib-eye steak.

a place, I'd be a beach.

a material, I'd be chenille.

a scent, I'd be rain.

an object, I'd be a book.

a song, I'd be "At Last".

I got this from my friend Amber. If I were a person, I would be her. Love her!

Seattle...you're my kind of town!

2011-02-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

In November, I was elected to the executive board of my professionals organization. January is our 1st meeting at the location of our next annual conference. It's a busy weekend of meetings, but we managed to find a few hours for my favorite past times..food, folks, and fun!

James and Desi are a couple of my favorite people on the planet. James works at BYU Graduate Studies and Desi at SLCC. They are so much fun! So kind! So great to hangout with!

Here we are before we take off for Seattle, the 3 amigos. The 2nd picture is me and Desi on the way back to Salt Lake. Where is James, you ask? Oh yeah, he got "bumped" up to 1st class. He didn't even get me extra cookies! The bum! Just kidding, James. His SkyMiles status got us lots of perks, so we won't complain. Now if only I could get those miles.

There were a lot of homeless on the streets of Seattle.
Sadly, they all seemed to have Tourette's. Language, people!
They were creative homeless, I'll give them that.
Here is an abandoned sign advertising Kissing Lessons. haha! So funny!

Our dear friend, Dannette, lives in Seattle and wanted to show us some of the sites.
We had to get up pretty early, "Whose idea was this!?!" (said James), but it was worth it.
She took us out to her neighborhood in Eastlake. She is an absolute DELIGHT to be with. I adore her to the moon. On and the breakfast was awesome. Highly recommend and I will be visiting this place in November.

We didn't make it to the side of Seattle that has the space needle. Not that Desi would have gone up with us if we had. So this will have to suffice for now. We'll see how it goes in November. :)

13/13 - 1st birthday's that is...

2011-01-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

When my first niece Grace was born, I made a commitment to be at every one of my niblings 1st birthday's. This promise has taken me to NYC, LA, Wisconsin, Clifton, and now Mountain Home AFB in Idaho. Cailin is my 13th nibling and she is SOOOOO stinkin' cute! Just a few weeks ago, she would cry if I even looked at her, let alone tried to hold her. (I tried not to take it personally, since she did that with everyone, but still!) I don't know if it was that she was in a familiar setting this weekend or just finally growing out of that phase, but she was adorable!!!! Alexa Jo. is the cutest big sister, too. She basically took over Cailin's doll and accessories, but Cailin didn't seem to mind.
I don't know if you do this in your house, but we love to see them make a mess with the cake. Cailin did pretty good. Here's a collage of photos I took:

Brad and Cassi are perfect hosts and me mum is a hilarious travelling companion. We went to Boise and had lunch at Cheesecake Factory and then got pedicures. Well, Brad just watched the little girls while the ladies went to have pedis. A few games of TRAINS and some awesome PhillySteak sammiches, makes for a great party. I love my family!!

Merry Christmas and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2011-01-02T11:43:00.001-08:00

Well, you may or may not know this, but the only camera I have owned was one that you had to advance FILM with your thumb...Yes, I know, it's been a while. But, thanks to my awesome brother and sister in-love Lissa (and new nephew Pierce) I am the proud owner of a new camera and it's DIGITAL!!! So, now i have gone hog-wild in the first few days of ownership. You're welcome!

The Niblings:

Duke's Family (above)
Random poses with commentary (below) - (Click to enlarge)

More random (more commentary) - more clicking to enlarge.

New Years Day we celebrated with our tradition of bowling. I scored a 163. Not bad for a gimp.

Hopefully having a camera will mean I do better at blogging. Cuz this is kind of like my journal. (I said kind of. :) )

Give said the little stream...

2010-10-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

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..

2010-05-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-01-03T20:01:00.001-08:00

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!

Fa-la-la-la-lah

2009-12-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

Many of you may know (of the three people who follow this blog) that I belong to a singing group that meets each week to sing songs and visit. I am convinced many of the worlds ills would be cured if it were brought to the discussion of these wise women. But I digress...
This year, we decided to put a Christmas program together because I signed us up to sing for the "EmptyNester" group in our ward. To practice this program, we also decided to have a Christmas Kick-off Concert for our family and friends. We sent out an invite -

and prepared our little hearts out.
Of course, the night before, I start to get the inklings of a sore throat...that soon turned into laryngitis. But that didn't keep me from singing. (Ironically, "How can I keep from singing?" is one of our pieces that we sing.)
My Mom, Duke, Katie June, and Millie came all the way from Idaho. Michelle came with the kids (straight from In-and-Out Burger) and Baa Haa and Lissa came up from Utah County. It was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo great to have my family there supporting me. They are awesome! ( I think Michelle took pictures of my family and I so I will try and get them for archival sake ;) )

I love these ladies! They are so much fun to be with and to sing with. It was a great way to "kick-off" the season of celebrating our Saviors birth. I am so blessed to have these friendships and am grateful for each one of them.

Free giveaway on my friend's blog

2009-12-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

http://fitmepink.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-favorite-fitness-giftswith-giveaway.html
She is so generous! Take a look and enter. She has a lot of great tips and encouragement for exercising!
Love her!

Ohhh yeah! I have a blog!!

2009-11-06T18:31:00.000-08:00

OCTOBER -
Well, this was a great month! My cousin, Cami got married on October 1st. She met Javier Talamantes while serving a mission and a few years later, they got married in the Logan Temple. It was a fun day! She didn't want her two brothers (Josh is on a mission in CA) to destroy their car with wedding shenanigans, so they left it at the temple. Well, apparently Trent and Chubbs found it anyway. Haha! So funny, they are! Javier's Dad surprised the newly-married couple with a mariachi band at the luncheon. It was awesome!

The end of the month found me travelling to Albuquerque, NM for an International Educators conference. This was my first time to ABQ and I had a great time. However, it was COLD! My flight was delayed because of the weather. That weather followed me to the southwest.

Halloween couldn't come soon enough! I was sooo excited for my costume! I decided to be Frenchie from Grease. How'd I do?

I flew in from ABQ on Friday night, and left for Newport Beach on Sunday morning. So, Halloween was my only break. It was perfect! I went to my ward/neighborhood's trunk-or-treat, then went to see Grace, Hazel, Justice, and Will's costumes. (They were darling! I love having them so close! Even Michelle and her sister's dressed up --They looked awesome!) Then I spent the rest of the night at my BFF's house talking to her sister, Bonnie. I was invited to 10 different Halloween parties, and I was exactly where I wanted to be. Like I said...PERFECT!

Where did my summer go? May!! Represent!!

2009-08-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the end of Summer 2009. I feel like once I got back from Spain and Italy, it has all been a huge blur. From graduations to births to family reunions to conferences to holidays and rodeos...it's been a VERY eventful summer.
So, we'll start with MAY.
On May 8, 2009, Maggie Luella Wilde was born to Katie Marie and Sefton. I got the call about 6 o'clock in the morning, went to work for a couple hours, then quickly went up to Preston to see my new little niece! (Isn't she adorable!!! All that hair! Just like her mama! (and possibly her Daddy, I'm not sure. Sef, I've never seen baby pictures of you! Remedy.))

Mothers Day was wonderful as we gathered as a family to bless Marc & Michelle's new little boy...Will Herr Mumford-- born January 9, 2009.

They joked that he would about be able to walk up to the circle to be blessed. This is because Marc & Michelle were moving from Los Angeles to Salt Lake and just barely moved into their new home. It was a fantastic day.

The next week I flew to AZ to see my brother Brad graduate from Arizona State University's Law School

Turns out he was sort of smart...graduated with distinction and everything! (Just kidding, Brad. I always knew you were brilliant. All my siblings are.) One thing I thought was cool was that they made a point of noting how many marriages and children were made during their 3 years at school. I love that they still celebrate those milestones when society gives a message that those things are not as important as money or a career. Speaking of children. Brad and Cassi were part of that number.

Congratulations Brad and Cassi!

My brother Marc celebrated a birthday on the 18th! (Yes, I'm still in denial.) I keep telling everyone that I used to be the oldest of 8, and now I'm in the middle. I now have 3 older brothers and a twin! (Baa Haa turned 29 on Sept 5th!)

The end of the month took me to Los Angeles for a week. I just got a new position in February and I had my first professionals conference. IT WAS HUGE!!! The event was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown LA. Being a rookie, I made some mistakes. I should have come in on Tuesday instead of Saturday. The LA Marathon was ran on Memorial Day, so there were 20000 runners right at my hotel. Thankfully, they had a pool and I just stayed put the whole day. I did get to walk around the city a bit. It was a lot of fun. Some of my colleagues, Dr. Settle and Dr. Flores (Enoc) were there too. Enoc and I were on a committee together and we always have fun when we go to these conferences. Because they had a car, I went out to an outlet mall with them. The first one we went to, we thought we were going to be hacked to bits. Outside the building, all these high end vehicles...inside the building...yeah, it could have been any number of country's underground. Korean, Italian, Russian. They were all represented. We got out alive.
So May was awesome! Love it!

I've got Tiffany wrapped around my finger!

2009-08-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

So, you may or may not recall the tragedy last winter of me losing my favorite ring. It was a ring my brother and sister in-law bought for me while they were in New York. Next to my New York Yankee's hat...the best souvenir of that town that I could ask for! (And I didn't even have to ask.) I cried for days after it got lost in that wicked snowstorm, and am still saddened that even after the thaw I didn't find it--and I looked!

Well, I decided to purchase a new one. I have gone back and forth on this because the sentimental value alone made that ring priceless. But I reasoned that if replacing the ring brought the same feeling and joy and reminded me of my brother and sister in-law instead of the losing of the first ring, then I should go for it.

So, I did it.

Snow??? What snow??

Alle Fine! (The end) (of my trip, I mean)

2009-06-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well, you probably wondered if I would ever get here, huh? Alas, it is a sad day when a trip of a lifetime starts to come to a close. But two weeks later, my ankles, knee, and pocketbook were a little worse for wear. That carpal tunnel in my wrist started to come back with my "charge it! charge it!"--haha, just kidding. I had been saving for over a year, so I did really good.

So we woke up Friday morning, after making the decision to "splurge" a little and take the fast train to Roma from Firenze. Sara took us to the train station after a tearful goodbyes. (Ok, so the photos don't show tears (I'm not a pretty cry-er), but trust me, there were tears. Sara told me not to cry, but I couldn't help it. And neither could she.)

We arrived in Roma 1 hour 40 minutes later. A drive would have taken 4 hours with traffic, and the slow train would have been nearly 2 1/2 more hours. Definitely worth the extra euros! And kind of cool, too! Mama Luciani warned us of gypsies at the train station, but we didn't have to worry about such adventures. Brad is a formidable discourage-er of all things gypsy. And with Alexa Jo. winning the hearts of Italians everywhere we went, we figured we wouldn't be a target. (Just a note, it costs €.80 to use the bathroom at the train station.) We also figured we should just buy our tickets to the airport the next morning so we didn't have to worry about it. We found out later from our "tour guide" Daniela, that our accommodations that the Luciani's had found for us were less than 3 blocks from a closer train station. Live and learn, huh?

So we find a cab that will take us and alllllll our luggage, she wasn't the nicest driver, and every time poor Alexa Jo. would scream, she would jump. (Apparently Alexa didn't win her heart.) We made it to our flat and Daniela was waiting for us. Now, I don't have a picture of Daniela because he basically kidnapped Brad and took him alllll over the city while Cassi, Alexa and I stayed back at the flat. When he returned, we were STARVING! So we commenced our eating and touring of the beautiful city of Rome. Their subway system is the best I've ever ridden on, very easy to navigate and hop on and off of.
We first saw the Colosseum:

Everywhere we went, Alexa would use her sounds to identify a dog or a kitty, or in this case..a horse ([naaaaay])

Then we went to Trevi Fountain. This place was PACKED, so I didn't even get to go throw a penny and make a wish. (Next trip! ;)

Then we were told by Daniela that we HAD to see Spagna. I kept saying it wrong, had no idea what it was, but it was beautiful...and PACKED. People kept going to the same things we wanted to see! It was annoying! haha, just kidding. But, we did have gelato here:

On our way to St Peter's Square, I found a shop named after me....AND we matched!

Here are some pictures from St Peters Basilica and the square:

Our last stop was the Piazza de Popolo. You may recognize it from Angels & Demons, the movie (or the book if you read the one with picture:))
In this plaza, a man tried to give Alexa a rose and he had to have his hand smacked! What a dirty trick! To give a kid a treat and then expect the parents to give you money for it. So naughty!
We walked home, got packed and ready for the train ride to the airport.

WARNING! International flights from the Rome airport is CHAOSand you should allow AT LEAST 3 hours! You stand in at least 20 lines just to get to your gate. Thankfully, I had nice people and the ticketing agent at Delta even told me we were going to be the same age this year. I told him I was in denial and still told everyone that I was "29" - he said, "well, you look it." And winked. He invited me back to Rome (he was American, so it wasn't just Italian hospitality) and he would take me out. So nice!!

The flight home was brutal-long. But not nearly as bad as Brad and Cassi's flight with Alexa. They flew from Rome to Pennsylvania and weather delayed them there and in Chicago for another 24 hours. They were so happy to reach Salt Lake, and grateful to an employee at the Philly airport who got their luggage squared away and gave them some water and blankets to bunk down for the looooooong night. See RyanAir? You don't have to be rude to be a successful airline!!!

I am so grateful to Brad and Cassi and Alexa Jo. for being such awesome travelling companions. We had THE BEST time and I know they loved their short stay in Barcelona. To Sara and Giuseppe..THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! I cannot say it enough how much we loved being with you. Next time, in CLIFTON! (cheers[clink]) xoxo

My Trip to Europe - part "due" (pronounced do-A) (That's Italian for "two")

2009-06-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Gosh - I've been a big slacker. I know I am not too good at this blogging thing, and I HAVE been out of town quite a bit with various job conferences and family commitments. But still - I've been home from my trip for almost 6 weeks. This is ridunkolous. :) (I overheard that word the other day and thought it was funny.)

So, on to my trip. I think I left with "Oh yeah, we hate RyanAir" - I really would prefer if no one ever rode that sham of an airline again. But, now I know that if someone (the RyanAir check-in attendant) with a Spanish accent says "fifty" they probably are really saying "fifteen". A minor difference when you are talking about peas or even pennies. But, when the conversation is about kilograms and meeting the airline's luggage weight requirements--things could quickly become problematic. She thought we understood, we thought she understood, we thought WE understood, it was a big mess that she only half helped us out of by reducing our huge overage charge from nearly 400 Euros. We could either pay it, or we couldn't fly - they wouldn't even return our luggage to us (to throw stuff away and have it re-weighed) unless we paid it. They held our luggage HOSTAGE! TERRORISTS!!

Anyway - we flew to Pisa and thus began a wonderful week in the gorgeous land of Tuscany. I will never, ever tire of this view and the million others like it:

(I think if you click on it, you can see it better. I think?)

So, in Pisa, we got to see the Leaning Tower. *Note to all those who decide to travel to Europe. As Americans, we may not be accustomed to walking most of the time. We walk for exercise, a romantic stroll, etc - rarely do we walk to get to work or to the market, etc. So when a European states that it is a [fill in the blank] minute walk, you are safe to double it. And that's if you are bookin' it. Here is a picture of our clan - me, Cassi, Brad, and Alexa Jo. She is still calling me "Bfff" at this time, we're trying to get her to call me Aunt Moff. Baby steps.

Of course, I had to have my picture doing this:

and it was really heavy - I almost didn't make it. Ha ha.

Sara and Giuseppe were our AMAZING hosts in Florence. This is Sara, her mother, me, and Giuseppe.Sara came to our home as an exchange student in high school back when we were seniors and we have stayed in touch this entire time. We have commented on how easy it is to converse with each other in spite of sporadic correspondence. I think that is the mark of true friendship and I love that she is a part of my family. She FINALLY (haha - that's for you, Sara) married Giuseppe 3 years ago July and they have a beautiful daughter, Vittoria who will soon be 2. She and Alexa Jo. became fast friends. This is is their first meeting:

While in Florence we went to the cities of Siena and Monteriggioni. These are both medieval towns that are so well preserved and just gorgeous. We visited several museums (I even got a picture of "the David" - yes, that's illegal, and one reason I have not posted it yet. I'm waiting for the statue of limitations to finish. HAHA - get it? STATUE of limitations! Hahaha - I kill me!)
and parks (Boboli Gardens is a must see - absolutely beautiful!) and ate like kings! Kings I tell you, Kings!

Sara is a wonderful cook. And Giuseppe could compete in the U.S. for his grilling skills. The meat there is making my mouth water even 6 weeks later. We LOVED the gelato and decided our favorite place was right off the bridge "Ponte alle Grazie". I found some wonderful souvenirs there and off the "Ponte Vecchio" or Old Bridge. Does gaining weight count as a "souvenir"? I say yes.

Sara ordered pizza for us one night, and I had no idea that it meant a pizza EACH. I looked at mine, looked at everyone else in amazement. By the way - when you order pepperoni pizza in Italy - it will only have ONE piece of pepperoni on it. Or if you get one with pepperoni and olives..yep, you guessed it, one piece of each. Anyway - the pizza is sooooooo delicious and you can see why they call it "amore" when it hits your eye ;) I'm in love!

We were walking down one of the bazillion streets (see picture -it's a big city) when I heard an accordion --a sound that will always remind me of Italy. I tracked this sound down and asked the man if I could get a picture of him (see below). Then Brad paid him a Euro. That was nice. :)

I had the best time in Florence! Brad got to drive, and he did AMAZING! They make 5 lanes out of 3 - genius, I tell ya! Thanks to Sara and Giuseppe for their generosity and their patience. We couldn't have asked for a better trip and better hosts. We are truly blessed.This man looked like he needed it more than the men who were standing in front of the Colloseum in Rome. They were charging at least 5 Euro, their reasoning? Because there are 3 of them. Ugh! Capitalists! jk We took a free picture in front of the Colloseum. But that is for Part 3...stay tuned.

My Trip To Europe - Part 1 (Spain)

2009-05-06T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, many of you know I recently took a trip of a lifetime to Europe. I spent about a week in Barcelona and a week in Italy. WE HAD SOOOOO MUCH FUN!!! Who is the "we" you might be asking? My brother Brad and his wife Cassi and little girl Alexa Jo. have been living in Spain for the past few months while Brad attended his final semester of law school in a study abroad program. So I stayed with them in Barcelona and then we flew to Italy and stayed with some very dear friends in Italy for another week. Then we flew home. :( Sad, huh? Obviously some of the highlights were seeing the beautiful sites of these wonderful, friendly countries. I have so many memories that I'm sure it's going to take a few entries to talk about them all. So, on that note, I will start.
I arrived in Barcelona in the morning and Brad came and got me at the airport. They have become quite efficient at getting around on the bus, so me and all my bags got a few dirty looks from people who were probably thinking "why didn't you just rent a car?" But it was awesome to take the bus ride and see some of the city. Brad started telling me about the city: 1-There hasn't been bull fights in Barcelona in quite some time. They keep trying to bring it back, but as you can imagine, there is a lot of controversy. 2 - Antoni Gaudi is one of their most famous residents, who lived back in the late 1800's and early 1900's. His influence is everywhere in the city - a lot of art deco. 3 - Catalan is the language that is spoken in Barcelona. (Incidently, Barcelona and most "c's" are said with a lisp so it's like "Bar-the-lona".)

We picniced at the beach, shopped off the Ramblas, drank fresh fruit drinks, visited Casa Mila, had dinner with Caterina at an Irish Pub, moved to a new apartment, and visited Sagrada Familia (see below).

We got rained on in Park Guell (yes, "someone" had an umbrella in their backpack, but we didn't realize it soon enough-haha). We got to see the rainbow off the Magic Fountains (also see below)

The walk home had Miss Alexa Jo. in top form with her spontaneous push-ups on the side walk. I was dying laughing. She would walk a few steps, then drop and give us 2-3 pushups. Then walk a little more and drop and give us 2-3 more. Everyone thought it was hilarious. After it had happened about 5 times, I told Brad that he should join her. He tried his darndest to encourage her to keep walking, but alas, she had to drop one more time (see below).

Our last day in Barcelona, we happened on to an Earth Day fair. It was the perfect way to spend the last day in the city. We had a delicious crepe, some thai food, and couldn't find a garbage to save our life. The train ride to Girona was fun, we made it to the airport and got to Pisa very late. I'll talk more about that in my next blog...and oh yeah---we HATE ryanair. :)

Wowza - That's Customer Service!

2009-03-17T15:53:00.001-07:00

Has anyone seen the stupid DirectTV commercial where there is a bank robbery taking place and two "bank patrons" are laying on the ground and one (played by the great Gus on "Psych") whips out his phone just in case they aren't going to get out in time for him to record his show. UGH! I HATE IT!!!
So, I left such feedback with DirectTV saying that I think they could come up with a better scenario than a bank robbery in these times. I just thought it was lame. A couple days later, I got a generic response thanking me for my comments. I thought that was the end of it -I said my peace and went on.
Today when I came home, there was a package on my steps. I was puzzled by this, because I wasn't expecting anything. As I brought it in, I saw a note from DirectTV stating they appreciated me sharing my thoughts. "That was really nice of you, so here's a portable DVD player we really hope you'll enjoy."
Huh? When? WHAT????!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? That's pretty cool - I will send them a thank you for the thank you!

Oh! And HAPPY ST PATRICKS DAY!!!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" Ghandi

2009-03-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well, where to start? I was reading online last week. Brian Williams of the NBC Nightly News said viewers were complaining.."isn't there any GOOD going on in the world?" (This topic has potential for many tangents, so I will "stay on target!") Brian Williams then asked for viewers to send in the "Good News"--Random or Regular Acts of Kindness in this cruel economy. Williams said that within minutes 100's of stories started coming in, and within hours--1000's. I was curious to see what kinds of stories people would be sending in, so tonight I watched. He called it "Making a Difference" --not all stories will get camera time--they told of one lady from our own Mapleton, Utah who said her neighbor owns a dry cleaning store and has offered free suit dry cleaning for people going in for a job interview. So great!

Then there is a small cafe in Denver that is serving homecooked lunches...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/29604041#29604041...and you can pay if you can, but if you can't, you can work for it (sweep, wash dishes, etc) and eat anyway. The menu has no prices and people of all walks come in there to eat. They rely on donations, slipped into envelopes and then into a locked box. (I'm assuming to make it less awkward for those who aren't able to pay.) Amazing story!

It would be fantastic if they could devote an entire day of reporting to this good news. Sometimes I wonder, what comes first the chicken (media) or the egg (depressing news) or is the chicken the bad news and the egg the media? UGH! Anyway, I think that it would be a fun experiment to see, because if you are like me, it does my heart good to hear of these amazing people throughout the world who are doing a little bit to improve their part of the world. They are being the change...It certainly makes a difference to me.

With stories like these, I think it might stave off the very same depression that is now being linked to heart disease in women. Yep! That was the story minutes before the good news minute. Ironic, huh?

Please don't stop the music...music...music!

2009-02-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Ok - So I got tagged again on facebook. I was under the impression that if you didn't have a lot of bloggers reading your blog you would be safe from tagging. Loves...this is not the case. They get you anyway they can! So, this one was fun, you had to go into your iTunes (or the like) put it on random shuffle and then answer the following questions with the song titles. Some songs don't make sense with the question, but NO CHEATING!
IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?

You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon) – “I can call you Betty, and Betty when you call me, you can call me Al”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?Dancing Queen (ABBA) –haha how funny!
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?This Love (Maroon 5) – “This Love has taken it’s toll on me!” Amen to that!
HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?Love Is Blue-Instrumental (Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra) – lame
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?One Moment More (Mindy Smith) – A freebie from iTunes – not a bad song
WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?You Won’t Be Mine (Matchbox Twenty) – Please tell me this isn’t my fate
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?The Stroll (The Diamonds) – An Oldie -very sassy, very COOL song - perfect!
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?Devil in Disguise (Elvis Presley) – YIKES!
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?Fields of Gold (Sting) – hmmmm – I do daydream a LOT!
WHAT IS 2 + 2?Concerto for flute, harp & orchestra in C major, K. 299 (K. 297c): II: Andantino (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart) – hmmmm…maybe there are 2 flutes and 2 harps in the orchestra?WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) – I have a brother named Lucas that we call Duke, and he IS one of my best friends!
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?She Says (Howie Day) – I do have a LOT of funny stories! I say so!
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?Mmm Mmm Mmm (Crash Test Dummies) – I wonder if that means Hmmm? I don’t know? Or it STARTS with an “M”?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?The Best Is Yet to Come (Frank Sinatra) – Yeah, that hopefully sums it up nice and tight.
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?Holiday (Green Day) – Probably because by the time I get my wedding they will declare a freakin’ national HOLIDAY! HAHAHA!
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?Hey Julie (Fountains of Wayne)—hmm, don’t they know my name is Missy?
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?You Can’t Stop the Beat (Soundtrack of Hairspray) – “You can try to stop my dancin’ feet, but I just cannot stand still!” – I DO LOVE TO DANCE!WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?Operator (Jim Croce) – I’ve been using the operator a lot lately, helping me place international calls. So many numbers!
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?Libiamo Ne’lieti Calici (Luciano Pavorotti) – I guess it’s a secret to me too. I don’t speak Italian…Sara?
WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?Sweet Lullabyes (Enya) – Yeah, sleep would be amazing right now.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?All I Want For Christmas Is You (Mariah Carey) – What perfect gifts all my friends are! (I know, I usually have my Christmas music ‘unchecked’ by now so it won’t play in the rotation.)
WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?Stranger in My House (Tamia) –Great song!

The dreaded tag!

2009-01-28T18:59:00.000-08:00

Do you remember in Grade School when you played tag at recess and you would say "tag! not it!" cuz you didn't want to be tagged? Well, I was tagged...
25 random things by me --– In no particular order.
-I love my family like nobody’s business. Any of them who read this might disagree, but we really have little dysfunction, if we have any at all. Sure we botch up communication like all families, but we work it out in good time and focus on the good things. All my siblings married amazing spouses and my nieces and nephews are my pride and joy. I LOVE family gatherings- they are noisy but cozy.
– My Mom and Dad are incredible parents. Talk about unconditional love. I can barely type this sentence and not start bawling in gratitude for all they have done for me. Seriously, if I only had one wish in my whole life that I wish would come true, it would be that children everywhere could have as great of parents as I do and to have as great of childhood as I did. I know there are a lot of great parents out there, everyone deserves that.
– My feet always seem to be cold. Annoying. – I love Kentucky Fried Chicken. It’s a guilty pleasure. Admittedly I have many of those…Cheap Totinos pizzas, ice cream sundaes, nachos, bugles, peanut butter M&M’s, ok, you get the point…too many!
– I hate ketchup. I can’t stand even the sight, smell, or suggestion of it. I will throw-up on command if I see it or smell it. Revolting stuff!
– I love fresh sheets. I wish I had a close-line where I could dry them outside (in the summer I mean) because that is the ultimate fresh smell, but alas, Snuggle fabric softener and dryer sheets do a pretty good job. The key…don’t bring the day’s grime to bed…shower first.
– I love to sleep in. Weekends, holidays, and vacations are the best when I can sleep in. This year, church moved to 11:00 –YEAH!!!!
– I shower a lot. In the morning, after working out, before bed, before a date, etc. I think it stems from when I worked on the farm and had to be ready for softball in 10 minutes. I would get in trouble if I used all the hot water, so I learned to be quick. I like to be clean.
– I love foreign film. My favorite movie of all time is Life Is Beautiful. I know many people are bothered by subtitles, but they don’t bother me and after a few minutes I can’t even tell they are there. Chariots of Fire is also in my top 5 of best films of all time—foreign or otherwise.
– I get “sad” over silly things. Like the discontinuance of the flavored soda “Lemon Drop” from Jones Soda Co. I had to drink sparkling pink lemonade this past New Years. Or the first time JAG was cancelled. Oh the inhumanity!
– 25?? Ugh, this is taking forever!
– I hate most commercials. I say most, because there are a few ad campaigns that I am in love with. The Mac vs. PC is genius, Hillshire Farms “go meat!”, and the last few SuperBowls have had some good ones.
– I get a lot of my music off television shows. If I hear a song I like, I am relentless in finding out who sings it and getting my hands on a copy of it. Some of my latest Brandie Carlile’s “Have You Ever” or Beth Rowley’s “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground”. Good tunes, man.
– I have to wear sunglasses outside. Ironically, I read the importance of protecting my eyes as I was waiting to get lasik eye surgery, so the fact that I’ve needed them a little more since then is double bonus. Thankfully I look good in them. I have about 7 pairs for different outfits and when I temporarily lose a pair. Eddie Bauer lasted the longest.
– I love Sonicare toothbrushes. I have been using them for 7 years now and really feel they are the reason I get better checkups. I am on my 3rd, they keep improving the features, so I have to upgrade :)
– I have fantastic friends. I moved around a lot as a kid, so making friends was never very hard for me, but I have been so blessed to have so many good influences in my life. From the “5 musketeers” in high school, my college roommates, my mission, to now, I’ve been surrounded by talent, goodness, and wisdom. They are soooooooo patient with me.
– I love it when my biceps are feeling tone –even when I look at them and they aren’t. Actually, I like it when any muscle is feeling tone. This usually happens the day after a good work out where I lifted weights. Light reps, and plenty of them. My trainers are often amazed at the capacity I have for heavy weights. I tell them my dad didn’t give me these thighs for nothing. :)
– I have a high heat tolerance. I love to lay in the sun. I can do it in the dead of summer when it’s blazin hot outside. I don’t usually turn on my AC until August, because it’s not really hot to me. Yes, I ask myself this all the time…What am I doing living in Utah?? haha
– I love Clifton, Idaho—or all of the Cache Valley for that matter. This place totally played a role in my perfect childhood. The people there are so genuine and humble and good. They root for you, even when you go away to college. When you come back, it’s like going home. I love everything from Papa Jay’s (yummmmy jerky) to Davis Lodge to Buck’s Peak to Twin Lakes. I have sooo many great memories of those places and the people I was with. Can’t wait for President’s Day when I get to go “home”.
– I hate budgeting. I am not good at it. I once gave my sister all control over my bills and finances because I was not making good fiduciary decisions. That was not too long ago, and while I’m doing better, to quote my nephew Max “Well, I don’t like it.”
– I love Cascade/Dawn tablets for the dishwasher. I will never use anything different as long as I am getting these results.
– I love KSL. I think it’s because I was raised with this channel and remember watching BYU football games as a little kid with the “Voice of the Cougars…Paul James”. I actually cried when Dick Norse retired last year.
– I hate RC Willey. I’m pretty sure they are connected with the mob somehow. They have junk furniture and even junkier customer service. If you don’t look like you can afford it, they don’t even give you the time of day. I hate all places like that, actually, RC Willey just happens to be at the top of the list. I will never buy another piece of furniture from them.
– I love shoes. I could spend hours in a shoe store and spend thousands if I had it. There are a lot of great compliments, but “Great shoes! Is one of my favorites.”
– I miss my Grandma. Please don’t take this to mean I don’t miss other loved ones who have passed. I do, terribly. But my Grandma was one of my best friends and there are days I wish I could just call her and tell her about my day. She used to whisper in my ear as I hugged her “Stay in Clifton” because she wanted me closer. I know there are a lot of people who feel this way about her. She made you feel like you were the favorite. She was wise and funny and soo generous. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

I probably have about 2000 more random things about me...But to quote the movie Babe "That'll do pig...That'll do."

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

2009-01-21T09:18:00.000-08:00

I'll admit my bias up front. I love classic trends --not so much into the trendy, flash-in-the-pan type fashion, however. So that may explain why I'm cringing at the information found on this website: http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/makeup-skin-care-hair/staticslideshowlucky.aspx?cp-documentid=16638103&gt1=32002 Entitled "The Next Big Things of '09". It's an article on what are the upcoming fashion trends for this year. Sufficeth to say...I am not amused.
Exhibit 1:

Yes, this is supposedly going to be the "it" thing to wear. Mechanics all over the world are rejoicing that Gisele will be sporting what they wear everyday. (This is not meant to bash on mechanics and their attire --it's very functional for them as they use it for coveralls.)
The website says that the fashion experts had some doubts, but "Style it a bit loosely (legs and arms cuffed a little) and cinch it at the waist. Add low heels or ankle boots to contrast with the loose pant legs, and open the collar to expose your collarbone. A cuff bracelet finishes it off with a touch of softness." uhhhhhh, NOPE! Still doesn't work for me!

Exhibit 2:

This is supposed to pay an updated homage to the flapper-era. If I were the flapper-era....I would be really, really mad! This "dress" retails for $239. I say your money would be better spent on a roundtrip ticket to reality. 1 point for creative, 10 points for ugly. UGLY WINS!

Not all the fashion items were this bad, but I think it's a good thing I'm not buying clothes as much this year (it's a weight loss year --just using what's in my closet, for the most part.) Like I said, I'm thankful for the classic trends that never seem to go out of style. Oh yeah, I'll turn those heads yet. ;)

Let the haze begin...And I don't ski :(

2009-01-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

Ick! It's like we live in Los Angeles (no offense, Marc) --Every year our air quality goes from "OK" to "Toxic" (slight exaggeration) and January seems to be the month that we are affected the most. I'm already not a big fan of January. I hate that Christmas is over and that winter is still here. The mountains are the only place to escape this pea-soup junk...and I don't ski.
So, in an effort to look on the positive, I will list things I like about January.
1) We observe Martin Luther King Jr Day. FKA Human or Civil Rights Day. Of course this is a day off from work for me, but I love that we pay tribute to this man and others who have stayed the cause of human rights in our nation.
2) The gyms are busy. Granted, this is also a source of my frustration. I have a bike and an eliptical glider and a treadmill that I really like, along with 200 other people it seems. But it does my heart good to see so many taking their health seriously. (I wish that could be considered cardio. :)) I know, I know, I need to hope this is still an issue in November. But I don't think it will even make it to February. haha
3)There are a lot of birthdays in my family this month. Brad, Mur, Melynn, Sachi, Hollie, Sara, Lissa, and Mackiah--HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you all!

There's a lot of excitement with the Inauguration happening tomorrow. President-elect Obama will drop the "elect" from his title as he is sworn in on the steps of the Capitol. He has a bit of a mess on his hands...from stabalizing the economy to fixing the broken BCS...it's not going to be an easy go. He's got a lot of people to please and having served as presidents of many different organziations..it's not possible to please everyone. I am reminded that he can't do it alone. I have to do my part to make our country better. I do not agree with all his policies and ideas, but I will pledge my support him and that office. Best wishes President Obama...my prayers are with you! :)

To Resolve or not to resolve...that is the question

2009-01-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

Sooooo, it's that time of year again. The New Year. A time when you can reflect on the past year and make the same mistakes...I mean, improve, make changes, be a better person. Many critics say that resolutions just make one discouraged and don't really change much of anything. I look at last years list and considering the obstacles 2008 presented, I did pretty good. I had financial, spiritual, mental, professional, and health goals. And it looks like this year I will have the same. :)

I already started off this year better as I didn't start it off saying "2008 will be my year of health"...well, if that means "I will be spending more time at the doctor" then alas, that was my year of health. :(

So, no declarations, no shout outs, no tempting The Fates. Just a pledge to myself that I will make my world a better place by increasing my random acts of kindness, I will make me better by saving, exercising, reading, and improving relationships/friendships. I will cook more and eat out less and recycle more. I will dance like no one is watching and sing like no one is listening. This does not mean that I won't buy impulsively, go to a movie instead of the gym, opt for TV over a book, and grab takeout on the way home from work..but I will do it less than I did this year, and that's where you have to start.

2008-12-30T21:48:00.000-08:00

2008 by the numbers
*2 First birthdays celebrated - Mitchell and Alexa Jo.
*10150 SkyMiles earned from trips to Maui, Orlando, Portland, and Phoenix
*3 new in-laws: one boy and two girls
*2155 Petitions reviewed -gotta love job security
*210 Hymns led in Relief Society - in Sept 1 new calling as YW Laurel Advisor
*$4.82 per gallon of gas in August --I took the train and bus most of the summer and entire month of August
$1.35 per gallon of gas Dec 30th - bus? what bus?

Millions of laughs and memories. Countless blessings and miracles. One stronger testimony in our Savior. I pray for continued prosperity for all in 2009!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
xo Moff

Let it Snow!

2008-12-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

Well well well, it seems that winter is upon us. For the second time this week, it has taken me an hour and a half to get to work. I leave 15-20 minutes early and still arrive 15-20 minutes late. So rude! I know it is my choice to live in Salt Lake and work in Ut County, so I'm not complaining, per se. It would have taken me a long time to get to any job I had, unless it was working from home.
This morning, like Tuesday, the drive was just slow, not so much scary. I am very thankful for a good car--Mitsubishi Outlander (AWD) with amazing studded tires! (Thanks Dax!!!) They are like glue on the road, it's incredible.
Well, Saturday, I witnessed one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Not all the events in this story, I know, but no one was hurt, except perhaps the ego of the C.H. policeman. I was coming out of the church parking lot only to discover that someone had ran off the road, mowed down the stair rails by the church and narrowly missed hitting the church before turning the car around. I came upon the mishap just as the occupants were exiting the car, unharmed. (I'm sure hearts were pounding, though.) I grabbed my phone to dial 911 to report the incident and turned my car around to see if I could help. As I did so, a Cottonwood Heights patrol car was coming down the road. He just happened on the accident, so he pulled over, and flipped his lights on and I told dispatch that someone was there to help, so we hung up and I turned around in the church parking lot.
As I was coming out of the parking lot, all of the sudden I see the patrol car slowly moving down the road...without a driver. Not even three seconds later, I see the policeman running as fast as he can (in slick cowboy boots) after his car..which is gaining some momentum and heading into on-coming traffic. He's waving his arms all over the place, trying not to fall on his behind, and trying to catch up to the car. He finally did so, jumped into the car, and pulled the emergency brake seconds before crashing into the cement wall. He quickly pulled his car out of that lane and off to the other (correct) side of the road, and put his head down.
I was laughing and laughing (only after I realized everyone was ok) and laughed some more. The joke was on me, though. I looked down at my hand to discover that my favorite ring had come off my hand. (It's somewhere in the church parking lot, I'm sure. I had just removed 6 inches of snow off my hands, which shrink in cold, and my ring was flung off.) I looked for an hour. Called my mom bawling, and looked some more.
I know it's just a ring, but that ring meant a lot to me, and it was beautiful, and it made my manly hand more beautiful. It's a sign....I'm not meant to be married. I lose rings :(
So, I keep repeating "Funny Cottonwood Heights cop!" to remind me of the funny thing that happened on the way home from the church.

Facebook won :(

2008-10-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sooo, my brother got married a couple weeks ago and finally came in to my office to see me after the nuptials and ensuing honeymoon hulabaloo calmed down. He didn't just come into my office, though - he came in dangling a proverbial carrot. The "carrot" were pictures of the wedding that were posted on his facebook account. And the only way I could see them was if I added him as a friend to see them. Rude, huh?
Now,,,I had a facebook account, but no photo, I had two friends, and I NEVER login.
Well, that has changed, as I now have 29+ friends!!! YEAH ME! My photo is a picture of the post-it-note mosaic my co-workers did for Boss's Day. I know what "wall-to-wall" means and what "tagged in a photo" means (although I still don't know how to do it). I will maintain that this will not become my obsession. The novelty is already wearing off. I don't update my status...mostly because employers can see that and be all "7 minutes ago, so-and-so wrote that they hated being at work." Yeah...that wouldn't fly with me.
So, now I blog AND have a facebook account. (Does it count as official "blogging" if I only do it bi-monthly?)

Maiden Voyage

2008-10-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Well - Here I am. I have succumbed to the pressure. No more..."Missy you should totally blog!" or "What's going on in your life, do you blog?" I just couldn't take it anymore. I have never been one to use the word "bored", it wasn't allowed growing up and there is always something to be done. But after laying sick in bed for 3 days, I am bored, and I have to do something about it.
Blogging is scary. Putting things out there on that big ole WWW that all different kinds of people have access to. These are people I may or may not know...(I'm told I can make people subscribe later on, but let's be honest...I'm not exactly Oprah.)
So, the title..."MMMMMMmmmmmmm steak!" - it incorporates a lot about me; my initials, my love for meat, amongst other things. There is a bunch of Hillshire Farms commercials on right now that I love the very end when all the actors raise their hands in triumph and shout "Go Meat!" Makes me want to fry up a kilbasa or call Outback (yes, I have them on speed dial).