A Few Thoughts

• I feel as though I've had nothing to blog about
• I then realized, I do, but I just don't consider them "fun" thoughts or worthy of blogging, but here they are anyway.
• Exercise. I don't like it. Every day I get up and ask myself "When am I going to exercise today?" And many time instead of just doing it, I spend that time figuring out an excuse not to do it. I need to figure out how to make it a daily routine, like brushing my teeth. I don't necessarily enjoy brushing my teeth, but it's okay and it has to be done.
• Did any of you watch LOST last night? I thought those explanatory subtitles were hilarious.
• I am highly convinced Ryder is going through a growth spurt. He sleeps quite a bit and he is looking like a string bean.
• So our Relief Society is doing this "Feel Great in 8" program (don't let the 8 confuse you for the year. It's there because the program is only 8 weeks long). It comprises of exercise, eating good foods and other things that promote healthy living. It's based on a point system and teams. I've done it one day and have found it very motivating. I'm even eating
• oatmeal. My first bowl of plain old oatmeal from the cylinder container with milk and some sugar and honey. Not bad, however 1 cup oatmeal is A LOT of oatmeal. Let me know if you know of other great/healthy ways to eat oatmeal.
• I finally decided I'm going to cut my hair. Short. This is a big deal and pretty much deserves its own post a little later on.
• I'm going to slowly start redecorating my room. Some decluttering and organization is in order first.
• I really need to call the Phillips Electronics because our remote to our DVD player doesn't work and you wouldn't think it, but it's causing us a lot of problems. I'm thinkin' if they have any marketing sense at all they'll send us a new remote free of charge and hassle.
• Speaking of good customer service, did I tell you I got my Comcast bill lowered $30 the other day. Yeah, just because I called and told them that price was no longer working for me.
• Another cool thing I did that day...fixed my vacuum. I still feel pretty cool about the whole thing. Why it was broken in the first place? Too much of my hair got caught in the brush so the belt couldn't rotate. (Another reason for me wanting to cut my hair.)
• This blog has turned into an throw-up of thoughts. I must stop now before I divulge any more personal information. Because as you can see, I live a rather fascinating life.

We Thank Thee, Oh God, for a Prophet...

VIDEO
ARTICLE

I feel like my heart is broken. It's hard to love someone so much and feel so close to them only to find out about their passing from a forwarded email. I'm sure many of you can relate. For fellow members close to my age, President Hinckley is who we have known as our prophet for practically all of our mature lives. I love this photo of him. It captures so many elements of who he was and the memory of him I'll have in my heart forever. After sobbing over his loss, I was overwhelmed with excitement and joy because I remembered that he's with Sister Hinckley now! What a happy hour it must be in the heavens right now. I love him and I will miss him and his gentle, yet strong direction that was commonly accompanied with his delightful sense of humor. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

I know and testify that President Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet of God and I feel priviledged to have lived under his guidance for the past 12 years. I hope one day, it will be face to face that I can thank him for all he has done for me.

Iconic America

So I was watching Oprah the other day (shocking, I know) and its theme was Iconic America--major things that make the great U.S.A. what it is today. While watching this show I was reminded of my personal claim to Iconic America and felt it appropriate to share something I and many other women in my family are rather proud of. Are you ready? (drum roll please....) We're related to THE Marilyn Monroe. I know what you're thinking: "Yeah right, and I'm related to Elvis". But it's true. So I don't have the pedigree chart to prove it, but we're related distantly right up through my mom's paternal side (maiden name, Mortensen). For those of you who know Marilyn well, are you making the connection?

In fact, I'm so proud of this I decided to share this fact with my A.P. U.S. History class in High School. My teacher, Coach Webb, was going on about the 50's and certain icons that defined that particular decade. To illustrate his point he began reading an article about Miss Monroe. It was in the middle of him reading this article my beaming pride shot my hand up in the air where I had to share with the entire class that I was related to Marilyn Monroe. I was surprised by the harsh response.

Coach Webb: [Throwing his head back] "Oh, you are not!"
Me: Yes, I am.
Coach Webb: "If you can prove it, I'll give you 400 extra credit points."
Me: [Butterflies in my tummy while wondering what I had gotten myself in to]
Coach Webb: "If you're related to Marilyn Monroe, like you say you are, tell me what her real name is."
Me: [Pure elation] NORMA JEAN MORTENSEN!


Not knowing her real name himself, and just getting the information from the article he's reading, he was so sure I was wrong and replied, "You're wrong! It's [looking at the article] Norma Jean Mortensen."

(Oprah, that was one of my "Ah ha!" moments.)

He starts laughing and for fun, later in class actually printed out our class's grades with my 400 extra credit points. It like gave me a 120% A or something. Naturally, it wouldn't have been fair for me to get an A just because of my social status so he had to change it back. But it was a great moment for sure. Coach Webb was actually one of my favorite teachers. He was funny and I remember A.P. U.S. History to be one of my most favorites classes in high school.

This is one of my favorite photos of her. She looks real and I can see the family resemblance the best in this one...mom, aunt lancy, I'm talkin' to you!).

"Goodbye Norma Jean, Though we never knew you at all..."

Middle School Memories

While Phil was studying for his GMAT last night, I ended up sitting with him and just for fun seeing if I could answer some practice questions. Well, we began reminiscing about school days, favorite teachers, classes, yada yada, and I just happened upon this middle school memory that left me lying on my back laughing out loud for five minutes straight. Now, Phil didn't really see what was so funny, (he just sat there staring at me while I was laughing so hard) so it's okay if you don't really find this story funny either.

First, we must go back to Mrs. Lee's seventh grade math class at Alice C. Harris Intermediate School (why they couldn't make the school's name shorter than that, I'll never know). Mrs. Lee loved me. I knew I was one of her favorites and I loved her right back for that. You must understand, even in seventh grade, I took my education very seriously, which is why when I got one of my tests back with a bad score I was left feeling very distraught. Feeling my face get warm, I told myself to hold it together and that everything would be okay. I would just stay after class, talk to Mrs. Lee and get things figured out. Well, "after class" finally came and she came over to my desk to see what I needed. As I began asking, "Mrs. Lee, I was just wondering why I got this score on my test?" I felt that all too familiar knot in my throat. As she started to kindly explain the mistakes I had made, the tears began flowing freely. Feeling rather embarrassed, I knew I needed to pull myself together fast. Mrs. Lee was also concerned and said "Oh don't cry. Here, let me grab you a tissue". However, during her comforting words I had already sprung to action. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my Franklin day planner where I knew I had a singular Kleenex tissue from one of those pocket packs neatly tucked away for emergencies such as this. Mrs. Lee smiled (I'm guessing fighting the urge to laugh) and said, "Oh look, you already got one. You're so prepared."

Oh, I'm still laughing. What seventh grader not only carries around a Franklin Covey day planner (my mom gave me her old one. Thanks mom!) let alone puts a singular, emergency tissue in the credit card compartment? Me. That's who. I guess a 12-yr-old needs to fill those wallet compartments with something.

2007 Christmas Glimpse

Ryder's First Christmas

{w/Dad}

{opening a present}


All of with our Christmas Bootie

The Amazing Race: In Training

First of all, I was happy to see TK and Rachel win. There were things I liked about all three final teams, but TK and Rachel kept their cool and treated each other great the entire time and I thought they were quite deserving of the million dollars.

On a more personal note, I think anyone who watches this show has thoroughly thought through who they would take as their partner and why. Autumn and I have discussed how well-suited we'd be for each other and have a fabulous time doing the first round (because we'd be the first ones off). I also think my dad would be a top candidate because he is a good traveler and when you find yourself in a tight spot, who better to be with than dad? (You can see I've had some experience with that :D ) But of course, Phil is the top choice. I think half of the fun of watching this show is talking about our strategy and how we'd do it if we were there and how we SO wouldn't argue when we got stressed ;).

Well, it just so happens, Phil and I got a little practice yesterday. We made a very quick trip to Las Vegas to see Phil's best friend, Todd get married. Let me begin by saying Phil and I aren't "arriving late to the airport" type of people. We are the type of people that arrive two hours early. However, (and this is what I believe started this whole downward spiral) we have figured out we can get to the airport a hour and a half early. It gives us time to get in, check our luggage, grab a bite to eat and before we know it, we're boarding. Perfect system for traveling with a baby. Well, mix in a little foolishness + a busy airport and this is what happens:

Flight leaves at 11:40 a.m.

9:55 a.m. We arrive at the car rental return. Only about a mile away and either one of us never having been to Vegas decide to cruise the strip before we return the car. Pure foolishness. But it only knocks about 10 minutes off. Oh and we had to return it full of gas.

10:15 a.m. Return rental car and catch the shuttle to the airport.

10:35 a.m. Arrive at airport. I'm not a fan of how the LVS airport is set up. We find luggage check-in and HuGE line.

10:55 a.m. Get thru line and arrive at counter where we are informed our one suitcase might not make it on our flight because we didn't check it 45 minutes before the flight left. We look at each other and do that math, look at counter lady who says, "Well the computer is like one minute off, so it will probably get on." She then proceeds to hand us boarding pass substitute thingys because apparently if you're over 45 minutes late you have to get your actual boarding pass at the gate. It's at this point fear strikes Phil and I's souls. Without saying anything to each other we start running towards security. Yes, little Ryder is in tow, thankfully in the stroller.

11:06 a.m. We can't find the security checkpoint! Oh, wait, no, it's only that we can't see it because the line goes all the way back to the Belagio.

11:07 a.m. I start praying profusely in Sin City.

11:20 a.m. The line moved pretty fast and we get to security. The guard starts coloring my "boarding pass" and marking it with capital "S's" and yells "Supervisor". Another guard slowly saunters over to me and escorts me to Secondary Screening. Of course. Phil and Ryder cutely follow, but the officer informs me they can't go through the line because of the stroller. I bravely tell them to leave me and go in another line. (This was very traumatic for me and I hope this scenario stays limited to airport scenes and nothing more.) I go thru the blow machine and another machine and then they let me know I had to get my bag inspected. As they begin to pull out my personal belongings, I see Ryder and Phil waiting for me and tell them to go to the gate and get the stroller checked.

11:30 a.m. Finally, wiped down and through! I hit the ground running. I realize about 20 ft later I am running toward a glass window amid a large standing group who are waiting to catch a tram that unfortunately goes to my gate. "Noooo!" I think in my head.

11:35 a.m. Running, running. toward Gate C-9. I meet up with Phil who is finishing getting our gear checked and our boarding passes confirmed. I have never been so grateful that I had been running the last couple of weeks (Thanks Elizabeth!). We board in front of the rest of the stragglers because we're "family" and got the last two seats on the plane together. Whew!

Ryder slept with me for an hour on the plane. Watching his parents go thru so much drama really wore him out. At one point while we were running together I noted to Phil to just pretend we're on the Amazing Race. After that, I'm pretty certain we're ready to rock and go win a million dollars.

I mean, seriously, don't we look that part? (Do you think they'd notice the baby?)

Current Winners


Future Winners

My Space, Facebook and the Like

It seems as though every time I turn on the television I hear another news story or talk show topic on the detrimental effects of these social web sites. I, personally, have never taken part in My Space, but I do have a Facebook account that I'm really bad at updating. (I've never been great at keeping in touch with people.) However, I think another reason I don't use it very often is because it lacks that whole exciting, socializing aspect that only comes with being single. Unfortunately, with that aspect I speak of, it seems as though youth are very eager to gain attention by posting what seems to be everything about themselves, practicing absolutely no caution toward predators or in some cases future employers or universities. I've heard of everything from a teenage girl being driven to suicide from a mean girl's mother through My Space, to a substitute teacher getting fired twice for publishing crude and p*rn*graphic music videos on his page. Even Phil said when they're recruiting, they check out candidates' Facebook pages for further information and in some cases, left unimpressed. It pretty much comes down to young people feeling violated for unexpected visitors invading what they call their "personal" information. My problem is there is nothing personal about posting all of your information on the World Wide Web (hence the name). Anyhow, I bring this up, because I'm not quite sure as a parent, what stance I am going to take on these types of things with my children. A large part of me wants to not allow accounts with such sites at all, and another part of me wants me to wisely steer them in a direction that they make the right decision on their own. Part of me even wonders if it's going to be an issue that will eventually find a place in conference and fireside talks. After talking to a cute 17-year-old girl in my ward, she told me she chose not to have a My Space account and explained that there is no need for everyone to know "all that about me". I should probably have a chat with her mom. Wait... are blogs considered "and the Like" ???

Introducing.....(drum roll please)...

PUTTER WALL No. 24!

This is my new blog! I have wanted to post a lot about interior design and decorating and I figured this was the best way to do it. I would love nothing more for than you to take a look. And if you have any interest at all in design or all things creative, please take a look see and let me know what you think!

www.putterwall.blogspot.com

A Winter Look

Here's a little change in design to switch it up. I really wanted to go with Spring colors, but I felt it was a little too early for that. In other news, I think I'm going to make a new blog (gasp). Not a replacement, but an addition, rather. The specifics are still brewing in my head, but I would gear Jazzy's Jive more toward life updates, family, photos, and embarassing/random moments. My "addition" if you will would be about interior design. But more on that later because, well, it's 3 a.m.

Holiday Recap and New Year Ideas

Besides feeling the need to get all my New Year resolutions done in the first week of the New Year it has been incredibly difficult for me to find the time to blog this last week. And since I love to blog, this made me a little sad, so instead of doing finances and stuff for Primary (like I should be doing while Ryder is taking a nap) I'm blogging instead :)

So the holidays were wonderful. We spent 10 fun days in Utah with my family over Christmas where we were able to visit with family and friends, relax, play and eat delicious food. Then, after we flew home to WA we drove up to Phil's parents the same day and did Christmas all over again! After a weekend there we made our way home again (jig-adee-jig) for one final day of vacation to recoup before Phil had to go back to work.

I then began to start out my new year like a whirling dervish; cleaning and organizing cupboards, trying to learn how to sew (p.s. Santa brought be a sewing machine for Christmas. p.p.s. Sewing is really hard), working on my cross-stitch and finding some sort of jumper for R, which is currently inhabiting my small living room. All of this left me very...tired. So I'm trying to balance out things a little more and come to the realization that I have a whole year to get these things done (well some of them). So with that said, here is something I thought was cool:
Did ya'all watch Oprah yesterday? Then you've heard about Bitten. For those of you who didn't, it's a fashion line created by Sarah Jessica Parker that provides apparel items all under $20 in sizes from 1-22. SJP's fashion philosophy behind the line is that any woman despite age, class, or size should be able to purchase well-made fashionable clothes. Woohoo for me and my low clothes budget! I first heard about this on Project Runway and then, of course, yesterday on Oprah. I really want to buys some stuff and try it out. However, because of the high demand, Bitten clothes are sold exclusively at Steve & Berry stores only, no shopping online. So if any of you try it out or have tried it out, let me know what you think.

I also think the Starburry Shoes was a really cool thing too. Apparently athletic shoes are a pretty big deal.