Well, then...

I know, I need to start blogging again. My sisters have gotten on my case lately, and I understand, because I do the same thing to them when they don't post anything new!


It's just that life is pretty busy without being interesting, and whenever something cool or fun happens, I NEVER remember to take pictures! And who like to read about the super awesome cupcakes I made to the ward Valentines party, and then never know that they looked like?? Lame.

So, I have decided that until I have big news to tell everyone, or until I actually take some pictures with my awesome iPhone 4s, I doubt I will be posting anything anytime soon. Bleh.

But I will tell you the fun/funny thing I did to Curtis' facebook today! OK I just realized it's pretty lame. I figured out his email and password and FINALLY switched his profile to the timeline. Now it's easier to read and it look cooler, like a blog!

Yeah, really lame. lol
Oh! I just remembered, I have some cute pictures and videos of Lawson playing in his soccer game! But I'll have to do that later, when I can find my USB cord and download the pictures :) be patient with me, I am just getting back in the swing of things!! Oh, and I also have documentation of me and Curtis at the Kats Korner, actually having fun!! Now I just wish he'd admit he had fun and come again :(

New Beginnings

No, this is not a post about a Young Women's event.

I just got off the phone with my  academic adviser from University of Phoenix--and I'm switching from Elementary Education to Business Marketing!! I know, it's a big change, but I never felt completely happy with my first choice. It was always only a back-up plan that took waaay more work than I wanted to put into a back-up plan.

I have been asking myself what I was doing in Education since I really just want to own my own business. And I've just started one! Go Chocolate Yums! But I need more knowledge to keep this delicious brain-child going, and not let it fade away like so many of my other dreams. I've got to pounce on this opportunity. Everyone who has tried my products have loved them, and I think I've got a pretty good vision for it. Plus, I've got the passion and the determination.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be a part-time teacher; but I've been in many classrooms and had so many jobs with children that I just want to do my own thing with my own kids now. And one of the many perks about being my own boss is that I can make my own hours, choose who I want to work with, and I get to choose the next step. No more dealing with over-protective parents, no more other-kids boogers on my clothes; when I babysit I want to babysit my own nieces and nephews! Mine are way cuter that some stranger's kids any day haha

It was a bit of a surprise to my adviser; we were supposed to go over my class schedule for the rest of my Education program and sign me up for life. I just couldn't do it. And there was no more "well I might want to look into other programs," it was I choose Education or Business.

I hope Curtis doesn't freak out. I just need to show him how much I really need to do this, for me.

Soooo...

Lots of things have happened this past week. Wednesday night I had my first ever catering gig--success!! It was for the Tempe studio's grand opening : )

 I attended and sang at two funerals; Thursday was Mary Ann Noorda's service...Mom, me and all us girls sang I Need Thee Every Hour and I Know That My Redeemer Lives. It was a really beautiful service. Saturday I had the opportunity of singing for someone I never knew; but hearing all his family and friends memories was really something. I was really nervous for some reason, and I barely made it through the beautiful arrangement of I Know My Redeemer Lives.

I think it was either Friday or Saturday that Curtis' dad had to go into the hospital. He had been having shortness of breath for a while, and it turned out he had congestive heart failure! Luckily they were able to treat him well and he's home now, a little worse for the wear but much better than he was on Saturday. I wish there was more I could do for him : (

And Curtis is probably getting his motorcycle soon--turns out we can save a lot of money on gas with a bike. Then we'll be selling my car, paying off his faster, and then we would be able to get me a new car for a baby sooner! I'm still nervous about him riding a bike all over town, but all the guys in the fam have a bike. It was only a matter of time!

And So It Strikes Again!

Oh no. Here it is again. The baby hunger. I blame Whitney and Brittany, because they just got to have their babies and have posted pictures of their little miracles all over facebook. And I have been drinking them in all week! *sigh*...I guess it's still my own fault then.

Plus, Lauren came over today with Lindy and Lawson (happy birthday Lobby!!) and for about 45 minutes my house was alive with little children's voices and pattering feet, laughing and occasional screaming, pots and pans clanking (they were cooking a delicious dinner for us), and when they left I just felt so empty.

Curtis and I are planning on getting me a kid-safe car soon, but then that means we need to spend a little time paying it off so we can at least afford to get pregnant. So, general time-line: prego next year sometime. It can't come soon enough.
I am glad that Curtis didn't listen to my crazy hormone-influenced baby-having rants a few months back. If we had had a baby when I wanted to, we wouldn't have been able to get this house; so glad we got the house first. Oddly enough, he's been more mature about starting a family than I have. I know, surprising, huh?? haha

I have a feeling I'm gonna be an emotional wreck when we actually bring a baby home--he's going to have his work cut out for him! I wonder if he gets some Paternity leave time from work... I sure hope so.

P.S. Don't watch Insidious right before bed. In fact, it might be better just to never watch that movie. Ever.

Chocolate Yums

The new face of Meg n' Mal's Cookies: Chocolate Yums!
Slogan: Specialty gourmet desserts with one thing in common: Chocolate.
Menu: The Original Chocolate Yum
                         2 chocolate cookies with cream cheese frosting in the middle
Chocolate Chip Cookie (Yum)
                      With or w/out pecans
Oatmeal Cookie (Yum)
                    Build your own! Raisins, pecans, Chocolate chips
Marni's Chocolate Brownie Cookie (Yum  Delicious!)
                 Fudge brownie with an Oreo middle, Original or Mint
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie
                Try it with pecans!
Chocolate No-Bake Yums
                That's right, a No-bake cookie.
Banana Nut Muffin (Christine's Bread Recipe--Yum!)
              With chocolate drizzled on top, of course

Working on a Coconut Cream dessert just for Brenda : )

By the way, I landed my first catering gig at the Open House of my dad's Tempe photography studio, Duke Photography!!!! I can't tell you how excited I am

Also, I'm getting closer to being on the menu of Randy Walter's restaurant Pittsburgh Willy's at Merchant Square! All that's left to do is find a suitable display case for  the counter : D Any day now!!

Random thought: popcorn kind of sizzles when you sprinkle water on it. Fun.

Meg n' Mal's Cookies

It's official; Megan and I are starting a real business!! Our husbands don't think we can do it, so of course we're twice as determined now. Is that unhealthy?
Anyways, we're selling my amazing homemade oreo cookies--2 devils food cookies with cream cheese frosting in the middle....mmmmmmm.... mouthwatering!!
We're even going to set up a website that we can sell them thru and ship overnight to those who live far away!
I'm super stoked. I've always wanted to start a business, and now here's another dream that is coming true!


I've already been selling these cookies for a month and a half at school and I've seen a pretty good profit-except I've had to spend  it all on gas lol but soon we'll be making enough to save money! I know, right?! Newlyweds actually having money to save!

Modern Mormon Men: Mumford & Sons

Modern Mormon Men: Mumford & Sons: "by Seattle Jon ( bio ) Every time Mumford & Sons' The Cave comes on in the car, I crank it up and sing loudly off-tune."

Love this Blog, and now I love this song!

I just wanted to see my cool new signature on my blog. Oh! and I'm going to get a whole new font for my blog! I'm excited : ) how did I eveer get this addicted??

Cookies

I can't sleep. Maybe it's because I'm worried about money or because I took a whole bunch of stuff to get rid of my 'lady pains' and they made me really hyper. Anyways, I got a really good idea to help tide us over till I graduate from CGCC beginning of May and can get a real job

Cookies!

I've done it before-- I sold these amazing homemade oreo-type cookies (2 chocolate cookies with cream cheese frosting in the middle) that area absolutely addicting in Junior high and I made pretty good money. I figure college students have just as bad a sweet tooth now. It was either cookies or 10 minute back massages for $5 in the green room.

I feel bad for Curtis--he get stressed out a lot by money and then he gets grumpy and upset that I don't seem as worried as he is. I worry just as much, if not more, that he does; but I have a very different way of showing it.

For example: when we got into bed he started griping about how I won't have a real job and every idea I had he found a flaw in--I would never last at University of Phoenix because I'm too sensitive and would cry every time someone yelled at me on the phone (which is only a slight possibility!), or I'll never be able to find a new family to nanny for.

So I said, "I've never been a waitress before," and he's like "No. Way."

I couldn't help it! : ]

Naw, in reality Curtis has comforted and tickled and teased my worries and tears away many, many times since we've been married, and I couldn't ask for a better life. But my goodness he makes me jealous; that man can fall asleep faster than anyone I know!!

Spring!

This is the time when Mom and I would go out to the garden in our scruffies and plant all the beautiful, colorful springy flowers we got from Lowes. I miss that! I can't wait till I can plant those cute little flowers in my own garden--but by the time i get to do that I'll probably be planting hardy summer flowers. Oh well! I still like those too : )

I can just feel like cool dirt between my toes and working its way into my fingernails. I hate wearing shoes and gloves in the garden--I feel like you lose a lot of the connection when you wear them. That must be the hippie from Mom coming out in me ; ) You should see the peasant tops she made!! This is kind of what one looks like

 

Now I really want to go get them and wear them!!

Now I want to go to anthropology and buy those cute bowls... OK this post is making me want to spend money that will be very scarce soon seeing as I won't have a job after next week.

Yeah, I knew this was coming. Jill finally got a new job which will allow her to be home much earlier and spend more time with Sof and Lena. I'm soooo happy about that--they really really miss her--but that means there's not much point in me  coming for 3 hours on monday and tuesday and 1 hour on tuesday and thursday...my school schedule is very limiting right now. 

But come May 13th, I will no longer be going to school on a campus ever, ever again!! (Hopefully.)

I'll be going to University of Phoenix for Elementary Education and it will be online only!! If I take 2 classes at a time (they only last 5 weeks) I can be finished with my Bachelors in 2 years, go into an extern-ship at a school for 3 months and be able to Substitute at a CTA school (yay!) for a couple of days a week if that will be enough for us : )

I'n not sure if this will happen before or after the extern-ship & job, but then it'll only take a year to get my Masters degree! yaaay for continuing education!

Curtis is trying  to bribe me out of a baby with a trip to Germany next year to visit Birte and Nora; but I feel like although that would be the most amazing trip ever, I'm not sure if it's right to put off starting a family for--I'm pretty sure we'll be mostly ready for a kid by then : p

 this is Birte and Nicolas : ) I'm tyring to get a picture of Nora up but Facebook is being dumb.

I wish Curtis was just a little bit baby hungry! But perhaps I'm baby hungry enough for the both of us...

We're going on a group date with Megan & Andy and this other couple-I've only met the husband since he's in choir with me-who's pregnant. 5 months and it's a girl. I am so jealous, I'm afraid I'll literally turn green when I meet her!

Did I mention I keep hanging up stuff in our apartment and Curtis keeps getting mad at me for putting more holes in the wall? I just can't help it! He won't hang up the adorable coat hanger I got, just for him from anthropology, by the front door. Though even then I'm not sure he would use it. I sure would : ]

 love that man : )

 the in-laws!

 lindy having a blast at my b-day

 that's Meg!

 Brett entertaining us

 sweet Smelly!!

 Scooty Scooty shake your booty ; )

 Postie : )

 I love these pics of me and Stash!

 Mase and Brett entranced by the Maze-ball. All the grown-up guys liked it too lol

 Mason's Hangurber cake : p

 Mom is amazing : )

So I basically suck at giving Curtis presents. He always gets me these amazing gifts and I can never top or even match them!! But i think I've found a pretty good one for his Birthday this coming Sunday. Just in case he meanders onto this post I won't say what it is!! : ]

Nothing New...Except my iPod Touch!

Yes, I finally have a cool toy!! I'll put some pictures up so you can see how awesomely fun it is : ) And I'm no longer a teenager! How cool is that??

That's about the only new thing, though. We still haven't got the house, I'm not pregnant, and I'm still sick. My doc thinks it's allergies-I also could have mold in the apartment. Great stuff huh?

A couple days ago I went on a small junk-food binge because I just couldn't stay away from it any longer. So, naturally, I've regressed and my cough has gotten a bit worse. I told Curtis not to let me eat any more nerds or swiss rolls but it turned out the only way for me to stop was to eat them. All. well, Curtis helped with the swiss rolls. Darn you Wonka and little Debbie snacks!!

I miss Grandma a lot. Not as much as Grandpa--even though he's doing pretty well. He just needs to stay busy and that's what the family has been helping him with. That means hard wood floor in his living room and hallway. : ) I haven't seen it yet but i love the wood-floor look and he likes it a lot.

I'm eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and soon I will watch Dollhouse. I can't believe there's only 2 seasons!! : (

V-Day and the Sniffles

SO! I was going to write about our amazing surprise dinner at Fogo de Chou with Megan and Andy, but I think that's about all the energy I have for it. I'm sick, for the 100th time. Except it got pretty bad after I kept trying to keep up with everything. Yesterday was all trying to sleep through my fever and breathing through my snotty nose. Yuck, right?? 


I just need to take this whole week off to let myself recover already!! But it's totally gonna suck to go back to school and get caught up. 


But some good news--we might be able to just rent the house before we buy it so we can at least get in it!! The catch is that we still might not get it and then we'd have to move out. But hey, then we might find an even better house! : ) I'm determined to stay optimistic on this whole thing.


Ok, here comes a headache. Nap time!

Get Your Own Grab Button!

If you knew Beverly Curtis or have any kind feelings toward the Curtis family, here is a great way to spread the message about the Medical Relief Fund if you have your own blog!

1. First, visit the blog: beverlycurtisrelief.blogspot.com or just click on the button I have on the right hand sidebar. You'll see Beverly's picture and a text box below it: copy that.

2. In a separate tab, go to your blog dashboard and click on design; then "add a gadget". Make sure you click on HTML/Javascript when the window pops up!

3.  Paste the code you got from the blog into the window and click save. You should be good to go! If something goes wrong, just let me know and we'll walk through it together : )

Thank you so much for helping us out in this tough time. If you don't have a blog, you can just put it up on your status or something on facebook!

Grandma Curtis

Today was Grandma's funeral. I saw her body for the last time; but surprisingly, I didn't feel sad! I felt what can only be described as peace. Peace that she left her earthly body behind that had given her so many struggles and blessings, Peace that she wasn't really gone. That definitely is the only way my sisters and I were able to get through our song--she wasn't really gone. I think that if she could talk to me now, she would say she enjoyed her funeral, and she would probably say that she didn't deserve all the wonderful things her sons said about her today. But of course, everything shared at the pulpit today was the absolute truth.

My Mom and Aunt made these wonderful little memory books for the family, with small messages from everyone inside. On the front is a picture of Grandma when she was about 20; she is so beautiful!! And what gets me is that she's wearing no make-up. None!

I's glad I had little Lindy to hold for most of the service. She was a stinker by her standards, and still pretty dang good. Everyone comments on how good of a baby she is. Yesterday Dad told me that whenever the grief got to him bad, his antidote was to just look at one of our sweet babies and he would feel immediately better. I think that Grandma would agree; she was almost always holding a baby it seems! In half of the pictures on the slideshow Brother Bill made for us, she's holding someones baby : )

I sure miss her, but it's getting better day by day. Sometimes it just hits me that she won't hold one of my babies and I can't help but cry. But then I can almost see her with one of my future children on her lap, just waiting to send them down to me and Curtis wrapped in her love.

Sofia and Elena showing off their butterfly wings--I love their identical expressions! Elena tries to copy Sofia as closely as possible

Fun and Not-so-fun

My dear friend Abbie Lamb linked this to me and I think a bit of Q & A would be fun today! It's been a rough week already--my sweet Grandma Curtis passed away this past Friday just past 7 pm. Almost all of the family was there--she seemed at peace to go and although we were all very, very sad, we knew she was finally out of pain and hugging her father, who died when she was 5, and hugging baby Kate too as well as her other family members who got there before her.

Grandpa said he won't be far behind, but I hope he waits a bit!!

I keep imagining Grandma with my future kids, and hearing her tell me she's gonna be there to send them down to me... it's a small comfort to me right now.

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The "Life Is Good" Award

Here are the rules of accepting the award:

1. First, thank and link back to the person that gave the award.

2. Answer the 10 survey questions. - Please see below!

3. Pass the award along to other bloggers whom you think are fantastic.

4. Contact the bloggers you have chosen to let them know about the award.

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1. If you blog anonymously, are you happy doing this? If you aren't anonymous, do you wish you started out anonymously, so that you could be anonymous now?

I like being 'me' on here--I blog to keep up with family so it would be kind of a moot point to blog anonymously.

2. Describe an incident that shows your inner stubborn side.

The fact that I will absolutley not admit that I am wrong, even when I am. (Abbie we are the same lol) 

3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?

I'm always surprised when I see myself in the mirror--in my head I look different, depending on my mood haha

But when I really look at myself in the mirror I first see all of my faults, then I have to remind myself of all the wonderful things I see, like my mom's green eyes--my favorite feature : ) and my Dad's eyebrows and nose and ears too, my mom's cheeks. 

4. What is your favourite summer cold drink?

for sure Water! Curtis doesn't understand my love for water lol of course, he's addicted to Dr. Pepper.

5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?

get a pedicure. there's something about someone else messing with my feet that is very relaxing haha

6. Is there something that you still want to accomplish in your life?

Get into a house and have some kids!! And I've always wanted to open a pre-school in my house; just a few kids. That way I could still earn money but be at home with my kids and teach--my favorites! 

 

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the shy person, or always ditching

I was either the nice girl or the brat to the boys in my classes that weren't serious enough for me lol I was called sassy a number of times. I think I really missed out on some fun in high school because I could be so judgmental!

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment in your life, what would you see?

When Curtis and I entered the Temple for the first time together.

9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog, or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people and events?

It depends on what aspect of my life I'm blogging about. If it's about some funny awkward thing that happened to me, I'm painfully honest. And I usually am very opinionated, so I also like to blog about other people/events that I feel strongly about. 

10. If you had the choice to sit down and read a book or talk on the phone, which would you choose and why?

It depends on who's on the other line! But usually I take a book and snuggle in the corner of the couch or my striped chair for a few hours.

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Now the lovely bloggers I would like to pass this award on to are:

Ashleigh

Lauren

Tricia

Stacy

Ashley

Mi Amigos Turkey Trot!

OK! I totally forgot to post about my first race ever- the Mi Amigos 10k!! It was crazy hard- I had just started to get this nasty cold that I STILL have, and the first 2 miles were killer (a 10k is 6.4 miles, can you believe it??). I was getting cramp after cramp and my throat was killing me! I started out with Lauren but i told her that there was no way I was going to keep up with her (she's training for her triathlon now and after that she's going to run her second marathon!!) and I waved her on ahead. I pushed on, with many walking breaks of course, and around mile 3 my wonderful cousin Dani came up behind me and gave me a  'hello' pat on the fanny just like she said she would if by chance we saw each other there! I was so happy to see her, and we had an awesome last half of the race. I didn't know how helpful it was to run with someone!! We were able to stay at a good jogging pace almost the whole race! But when we saw that finish line we both just started bookin it-- I wanted to get there as fast as I could!! Dani's husband, two little girls and some more family and Lauren were there cheering us on. It felt so good to finish that race!! I even met my goal, which was to finish in under 1:30! Yeah I know, that's slow, but I was not gonna make myself sick trying to keep up with Lauren and Trisha, who both finished around 42 minutes lol I have to work up to that!!

But some way more exciting news: Curtis and I are waiting to be pre-approved for a house we found in Mesa! It's a shortsale that belongs to our 2nd counselor in our Bishopric; they lived there for 12 years and love it, but needed to upgrade and I guess they couldn't keep up with the payments after they had to strip it out and re-do all the wiring and tile when it got mold a couple years back. But now it is newly tiled and carpeted, with a new bathroom and WASHER AND DRYER that comes with the house!!! YES!!! I cannot tell you how happy having my own, very nice and brand new, washer & dryer set IN THE HOUSE will make me!!

Oh and I will have pictures up of my very creative (if I say so myself) and very cheap Christmas decorating soon!!

Lindy-Hop

Here are just a few pictures of Lindy post-bath that i just love!

some overdue pictures of my girls I nanny and their cute hairstyles i find online

sofia with long hair

now her short hair! she rocks any style : )

elena being mischevious as usual

fun with clipies!

oh and Splash Mountain pics lol

alex made Ian ride in front for some reason and it took him a while to recover haha

Yay!

Fake Running

Soooo instead of running that 5k, i was just in the Mindy Gledhill music video. I didn't get the memo that if you opted into the video there was a big chance you weren't gonna have time to run! But it was still way fun during the takes : ) I got to meet Stephanie Nielson and her 2 girls, and of course Mindy! And I made a lot of new friends too : ) here are some pictures i snapped while waiting between takes

Mindy & Me!

Stephanie's girls are so cute!

Waiting....

Accidental pic of the main guy that looks really cool actually...

Mindy's Shoes

Stephanie & Me! She is so incredibley nice!

oh and this is my narly bruise!! I ran into the coffee table at

Mike & Jeanne's house trying to beat up Curtis : ]