Keeping Up

Wow, it's been a while. Guess that's what happens when you get busy, eh?

So let's start with events in order. The Festival of Trees:

And then of course a week later I found out I was pregnant:

In January we found out Jesse had won a work trip to Fontainebleau in Miami for being so awesome at his job:

And then of course this month: pretty much life as usual. I'm cool with that. I feel like I've been to a hundred doctor appointments (even though that's not true) and am sick to death of being hounded about what everyone thinks I'm having. Boy or Girl... this kid is very welcome and very wanted. I'm extremely excited no matter what. And the rest of you better be, too!

It's been a good and busy last few months. I think the time seemed to go by so quickly (probably because I slept through most of December and January due to pregnancy tiredness) and I hope it goes by quickly till we get to Miami-Time in April... and while I'm waiting I shall endeavor to enjoy life day by day.

I've Got the Fever and I Don't Want It

Ugh, being sick is never fun. I used to think so when I was a child, but have since changed my tune. I have too much to do to be sick... and yet...

It got the better of me. Saturday I spend a MISERABLE day at work, struggling through and counting the minutes until I could go home. I'd spent all of Friday sleeping, which you'd think would be a clue that something is wrong but hey. I really like to sleep. Sunday I woke up with a fever and would alternately be too hot or too cold. Thank goodness I had Cole to wisely advise me to get a blanket when I was cold, or to take it off when I was hot. Wise 4-year-old. I spent most of the day sleeping or eating ramen noodles. Definitely a boring day.

Monday I called in to work. Normally this is something I would never do, no matter how ill, but there was no way for me to face trying to do my job when I could barely finish a sentence because I would get distracted. (the fever's fault) I could hardly remember what I'd been doing five minutes before, let alone remember how to do my job. It was another day of sleeping and ramen noodles.

Thank goodness for the restorative powers of a good nights sleep and snuggly warm blankets. And cold medicine. I woke up this morning with little to no fever AND I could breathe through my nose... mostly. Work was not the most pleasant, but at least I could really focus when I needed to. That extra day off was wonderful! I'm thankful I have a job that understands when you're sick, you're sick and please stay home rather than infect the rest of us. I haven't always had that.

I'm feeling very grateful, especially after this week, for the good health I've always enjoyed. At most I seem to get sick once a year, and the rest of the time I'll maybe get a sniffle. Thank goodness for modern medicine, too. I know there are those out there who would choose to not take advantage of the advances made in the medical field, but I am not one of those. Give me the pills!

There was an article I read online the other day about how someday, medicine would be mixed according to our genetic code, which would essentially eliminate side effects. Wouldn't that be nice? It's a LONG way off I'm sure. But it's interesting to think about. Could it really happen? Perhaps...

Hope you're all feeling well!

Potent Potables

I don't have a lot to say myself today, but there are a few quotes from other people that I really like that I think I'll share with you instead. I'm pretty smart, but I think these people are a little smarter. I loved reading their words, and I hope you will, too.

"Deep down inside children are all the same. They want two loving parents and ... a neighborhood they can play in, they want teachers they can like. I don't think children themselves have changed that much, it's the world that has changed." -Beverly Cleary

Something I read in the advice column of the paper: "I've always believed that every woman is beautiful. Every woman. If I don't see the beauty in some woman, that's MY problem, not hers. It's up to me to work harder to see the beauty, and not up to her to make herself live up to whatever my standards might be." -D.

"We don't have to be fast; we simply have to be steady and move in the right direction. We have to do the best we can, one step after another." -Joseph B. Wirthlin

"We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle." —Marilyn Monroe

A proverb I read in Readers Digest at my Grandma's house:

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again BUT... don't beat a dead horse."

Just a few gems that have come up in recent weeks that I felt like sharing. Each one in it's turn made me smile and think for a few minutes and hopefully one of them will at least get a smile out of you.

A Chair Is Still A Chair...

I can not sleep. I'd really like to, but it just seems like there is so much for me to do and no time to do it. I want to do everything in a day, get everything accomplished that I set out to do... it's a habit developed from years of skipping stairs and brushing my teeth in the shower to save time.

Why am I in such a hurry? Well, I dunno. Suppose it may have something to do with all the unpleasant things at the top of the list. This weekend was about putting the house in some semblance of order, which is satisfying at the end but a little tiring during the process.

We got the guest bedroom cleaned up AND I finally got the new bed frame spray painted (inspired by one of Lisa's blogs from a while back). Although Jesse insisted on putting the dresser in a spot I don't like, the room is clean and looks nice enough for guests. Now I guess we just need a few to test it out.

Cole's room is cleaned and organized, too. Ask me about it again at the end of the week and we'll see if it stays that way. Ha ha. We moved the extra bed out of there and he has a LOT more room to play and do his boy things. He keeps insisting he's a big boy... but I vote that he can stay little for as long as he sleeps in a race car bed.

My room... clean sheets, clean blankets, no more boxed up shoes, clothes hung and organized by color (and then sub organized by shade, WOW), pillows fluffed... it's such a nice place to be right now! I hate to mess it up with sleeping, but I suppose I have to do that at some point. I bought a bedspread and pillow cases a few years ago that I just LOVE! They're such a pretty shade of green! And it's just homey and comfortable. I like a home that's comfortable.

All this done. Yet so much left to do! The kitchen looks MUCH better (thank you Jesse, best husband ever!) but the living room and dining room are still cluttered and messy. And I can't seem to face dealing with them quite yet. But I won't think about that now, I'll think about it tomorrow. It's satisfying work, it would just be nice to have a little more time to get it all done. Home from work with a sick boy didn't free up a ton of time... although I did get the bathrooms clean other than scrubbing the tub. Not too shabby. I'll soldier on! Eventually I'm sure I'll get caught up. For a day or two, anyway...

To Be or Not...

Ah, to be young!

Ah, to be a cat!

Ah, to be me!

Eh... could be worse!

Happy September Everyone! Hope you had a wonderful Summer!

Rough 'N' Tough Time

Yeah. I really don't feel like myself this week. I don't think I did last week either. I've been happy for a while, I guess it was only a matter of time before I felt a little more down than I have lately.

We did have a fun day swimming at the creek the other day. It's hard not to feel happy when there's water, a sandy beach, and sunshine. Until you go home and you don't have the water, sandy beach, and sunshine anymore. Then you feel a little sad. I wish I'd taken pictures, but I've been very lax about remembering my camera lately. Whoops. Must be better about that. I'm very grateful for the fun moments.

When you want something so much, I guess sometimes it hurts when you don't get it. Watching other people get what you want is hard, too. I certainly know a lot of people who deserve every happiness they have! I wouldn't take it away from them for the world! But sometimes I wonder why not me too...?

Being happy for other people is typically pretty easy. It's only lately that it has started to hurt a little, but I'll keep playing through the pain. I can't think of any other alternative. When I was feeling a bit overwhelmed the other day, I had Cathy to talk to (thanks best sister ever!) and a husband to take me out for some ice cream (thanks best husband ever!). So I know that I am blessed. Does it make me ungrateful to feel a little sad sometimes? I hope not. I try to count my blessings everyday, because I certainly have a lot! I've been through a lot and am still okay. That in and of itself is worth being grateful for.

I continue to paste a smile on my face and genuinely express my happiness over my friend's and family's good fortune. And I keep reminding myself that everything I need in my life (for now) I have. Everything I need in my life later, I'll have when I need it. It's kind of tough that I don't get to decide for myself always, but I have faith and my own good fortune to be grateful for.

Meet My Parents

Happy Mothers Day and Fathers Day. I haven't had a ton of time to reflect on those days much yet this year, but since it's almost over for both of those days, just wanted to say thanks. You worked hard to get me grown up. When I needed to come back and lean on you again, you were there, too. And now that I'm standing on my own two feet again, you're still around. Thanks for all the love. Hope you've got plenty in return!!!

Some nostalgia... aka the good ole days!

This is probably my new favorite picture. Just mom and me! Funnily enough, we both look pretty much the same. Although my cheeks aren't QUITE as chubby...

Two things I'll always remember about dad: his beard and those sunglasses. I think he probably had at least a couple of pairs of those.

We Believe in Being Honest

So I had an experience yesterday... I was at Walmart buying stuff for the kitties. And while I was there, I decided to buy a big red ball for Cole to play with in the backyard. On the big red ball is the barcode, and this concerned me as I tend to have difficulty in the self checkout with just that sort of thing. While we were waiting in line, I decided I'd go ahead and get a vitamin water. I was thirsty, Cole is ALWAYS thirsty. It seemed like a good solution. So I put it in my cart.

When we got to the checkout, I rang up the kitty stuff, then very carefully rang up the big red ball. It actually worked the first time! Hooray! I paid for my stuff, and as I was walking away, the lady overseeing the self check out stopped me to make sure that the big red ball had rung up correctly. After seeing my reciept, she sent me on my way.

I wheeled everything out to the parking lot and started to unload things into the trunk. When I'd gotten everything out, I realized I hadn't remembered to ring up my vitamin water! But there it was in my cart. Cole was buckled in his car seat, the big red ball was stashed next to him, the kitty things were in the trunk... it seemed like such a hassle to go back in and wait in line and ring up my silly drink. I hesitated, then got in the car. I was ready to open it, but a persisting thought kept coming to my mind. How could I drink it knowing it was stolen?

Stealing is something I've struggled with for most of my life. I've often wondered if I have a touch of kleptomania or something. It seems like such a silly thing, but I think about stealing things everytime I go into a store. Fortunately, I had parents who taught me about being honest. AND after seeing a girl I knew in high school get escorted out of the store I was working in for stealing a pack of cigarettes and some nail polish (which probably wouldn't have cost her more than $5), I had seen the consequences and wasn't willing to risk getting arrested and fined just for some free stuff. I don't know why this is something I still think about. I haven't stolen anything from a store or even tried since I was about 5 or 6. Even at that time, I can remember going out of the store with my Mom, Cathy, Christopher and my Aunt Debbie. I had grabbed some candy or gum on the way out and we'd made it to the door before Aunt Debbie saw what I had in my hand. She took me back in the store and we put it back, all the while explaining that if we don't pay for something, we can't take it out of the store.

Well, I drove to the other entrance and parked near the front. I took my vitamin water, got Cole out of his carseat, and went inside. All the while he kept asking me why we had to go back in the store, so I explained to him that we forgot to pay for our drink and we didn't want to take something that wasn't ours. We hopped in an express checkout, I paid for the $1.07 drink with a twenty, and we walked back out of the store.

What a relief that was. I didn't have that little voice telling me I was drinking a stolen drink. I won't have to remember ten years from now that I had done something wrong. I could enjoy my Power-C drink and share it with Cole knowing I had done the right thing. Maybe it's all in my head, but I'm pretty sure it tasted better, too. Someday, hopefully he'll remember that small lesson, even though he's only almost 4... I know I will remember. And I'm grateful for that little voice that kept saying to me, "How can you drink that when you know it's stolen?" And even more grateful I was able to silence it.

Better to fail with honor, than to succeed by fraud. ~Sophocles

Whistle While You Work

Ah, work. We've been blessed with it. I'm grateful that I can work and am lucky enough to not have been affected by the decline in the economy too much. There are frustrating days, certainly. That's to be expected. Weeks even. But I'm glad that I've had a few good days, too.

Lenders don't like my job, even though I do for the most part. I guess technically working for a temp agency and merely being contracted to work for HP doesn't seem all that sound. I hear them. I understand their worry. And so, in the interest of getting a home loan and an actual home I own rather than rent I'm on the job hunt again. Wish me luck.

What I find frustrating is the application process. Filling out endless forms, attaching a resume, making appointments to interview, trying to give the best and honest answers to the interview questions, and hoping against hope that they'll deem me fit to hire. Takes a toll on the self esteem.

What I find rewarding is knowing that I'm working for my family's good, to help my husband and Cole. I work hard for all of us, and that keeps me working hard even though I'd rather be in my home working there. I'd love to throw out the old "The Prophet says women should be in the home" card... but I'd be omitting the last two words to get my own way. "Where possible." Yeah, right now it's just not possible. But someday it will be, and I'll be glad for that day. Until then, remembering what I'm working for helps.

I don't like changing jobs. But I really feel that in this case it's a good thing, to be hired directly by a company. And maybe with a little nudge by my mother-in-law (Thanks Tess!) it might be a bit easier than most job applications. Good word from a VP in the company never hurts. :) And I certainly plan to work hard and do my best to deserve the good word.

Wish me luck. And in the mean time I'll keep grinding away, working hard as always, and looking forward to the first real vacation I'll have had in THREE years. The end of this month can't come fast enough!

Wax On, Wax Off

Ten Lessons Learned From The Karate Kid:

10. When picking up your date at the country club, don't wear white pants if you plan to go spy on her in the kitchen. Spaghetti stains are notoriously hard to remove.

9. Sticking up to the school bully is not fun and can often times hurt. But it's always worth it in the end.

8. You're the best, around! Nothin's gonna keep you down.

7. Put it in second, and when it's time to pop it, POP IT!

6. A Shower is the best Halloween costume ever invented. Not only can you hide from bullies, but you are also afforded a little privacy to dance with that special someone away from the harsh and critical eyes of the high school populus.

5. Just because someone else hasn't said you've had enough, doesn't mean you haven't had enough.

4. Not everything in life can be learned from a book, but you can at least get started with one.

3. The little quiet guy gets the last laugh.

2. Man who catch fly with chopstick, capable of anything. Man who catch fly on first try, have beginners luck.

1. It may not seem like training, but it IS training. You'll see it for what it is eventually and you'll definitely be able to use it.

It Feels Sooooooo Good!

Some sort-of Good Deeds this past while:

Let a woman pull out of a parking lot when there was some seriously heavy traffic on the road.

Held the door for someone at work who was also coming in from the rain.

Helped a little old lady figure out how to work her printer and get new ink cartridges.

Let a little old lady ramble on about her life while processing her order since she sounded kinda lonely and seemed to want to talk.

Babysat for my sister-in-law when she was in a bind with daycare.

Slowed down to let a maniac in a truck pass me, since he was apparently in a hurry and I wasn't really, figured it was better than getting in a wreck trying to NOT let him pass me, right?

Waited for someone else to back out of their space in the parking lot before I backed out of my space.

Got up to pass the clipboard to a lady in Relief Society, rather than just leaning and thusly making her lean, too.

Gave someone my hymnbook to use when they didn't have one, and then just used my pocket one instead.

Recorded some movies on the DVR that I thought Jesse and Cole might want to watch later.

That's just a few things, I guess. I don't post them to brag about how great I am, but hopefully to inspire you to do a few nice things this week. I've been working on being a more polite, considerate, and just all-around NICER person. And those little things I did made me feel so warm and happy! They're not much, sure, but hopefully they meant something to someone else. I know I appreciate when someone helps me out. Our RS President probably doesn't know this, but when she gave me a hug on Sunday and told me she was glad I was at church that day, it really made me feel so much better about being there! I've been a little lonely lately and feeling left out at church. I haven't gotten to know anyone very well, and now working in the evenings I can't really go to any activities and get to know anyone either. But that hug made me feel welcome and cared for, which is what I really needed. I guess it's inspired me to do a little more and a little better where I can. I feel like my opportunities to serve are rather limited right now, but I guess it doesn't matter where I serve, just as long as I take the opportunities I'm presented with. And hopefully it will make a difference to someone, even if it is just me.

There She Goes Again, Sunshine

An Open Letter to Sunshine and Good Weather:

Come back! I miss you terribly.

I know that Rain is good and all, but Rain is just so gloomy. At night I suppose Rain isn't so bad. In fact the drops falling on the concrete outside can be rather soothing at night when I'm tucked under three blankets and the soft glow of a 60-watt bulb. As I drift off to sleep Rain soothes me. Come morning, when I must be up and about, Rain is frustrating. Rain limits my outdoor activities, keeps me prisoner in the house, and prevents Sunshine from peeking playfully through the Clouds and smiling at me.

Sunshine lets me be free; lets me run for exercise and enjoyment. Good Weather improves my mood at work and seems to make the day more enjoyable. I can explore the city without a jacket with Sunshine and Good Weather. Walking and exploring the shops, stopping for a bagel or perhaps a chocolate at the corner cafe... these are things that are harder to enjoy with Rain.

Please return as you are able, Sunshine! If you bring Good Weather with you that would be wonderful as well. I need you to visit again soon. Although you were here recently, it feels as though even one day without you in my life is lonely. Your companionship is very much missed. Come back to me! Bring your rays of light and warmth again to shine on me and warm my heart.

With deepest love and appreciation,

Rachel

2010... Starting in February

Now that January is over, I can get past my first-of-the-year slump and get going on a few things. I'm not one for resolutions, but I do like to set some goals.

First, I am going to get more exercise. Running had a rocky start. The first week was fine, the second week I was sick. This week promises to be better. Despite the yucky weather, it's nice to get outside and fill my lungs with fresh air.

Second, I am going to be more grateful for what I actually have, and not worry so much about what I don't. I still want things, I want my life to progress. But what I need to remember is that timeframes that *I* set aren't always going to be set in stone. I am going to be happier to have what I have, and remember that I have a lot.

Third, I am going to finish my school as early as possible and get a job that I actually enjoy. Currently it's not terrible, but I would still prefer to just do my work and not get hassled about it. My only goal is to not be hassled.

Good and sensible goals. And I'm going to continue to explore Boise and take advantage of the opportunites around town. I've been fortunate to have a wide range of experiences in many different places. While I'm here, I'll continue to widen my range with good experiences. There are still many places I haven't been in town, and Jesse, too. It's fun to find a new place to go or something to do here. Kind of like discovering a secret. When we have guests, it'll be nice to take them somewhere interesting and let them share that, too. A few weeks ago Jesse and I explored a duck park we hadn't been to before, and had a fantastic Sunday afternoon walk with Cole. It was brisk, but sunny outside and it'll be a place we'll definitely go back to. We happened to be driving by and decided to stop because it looked nice and woodsy. Good decision.

So hopefully as I try to keep up with my goals I'll have some more updates for you. And hopefully they'll be interesting.

Christmas in December

Nothing like Christmas to really make you appreciate your family. The week of Thanksgiving, we bought our Christmas Tree and got it decorated and I thought about the day after Thanksgiving, which is usually when we used to decorate the tree at home. Even if we had to work that day, someone would just save the ornaments that were ours, and we'd put them on later. So it was fun to let Cole hang up his first ornament that was just his! He put on a few of mine, too, but I didn't mind sharing. I just rearranged them a bit later. We couldn't have ALL the ornaments at the bottom! Some of them were given to me by my parents, but I remember a Christmas in West Valley and getting bears with knit caps from Aunt Suzanne and Uncle Brian. At least I'm pretty sure they gave them to us... :) And then there are the wooden block bears we made at the Godfrey Family reunion one year. I guess I made mine a little wrong, but then again I've always had a different artistic view than the instructions say I should have. Each one reminds me of some Christmas moment with my family at various points in my life. I like those reminders.

I baked some Christmas cookies, too, and remembered the cookie tube things my mom had to squirt out the dough (not squirt exactly, but I don't know what else to say) into various cookie designs. I remember the Cathedral Window cookies and how I always liked the butterscotch better than the chocolate. Mom knew this, and there was always two butterscotch to one chocolate since I wasn't the only one with that preference! I remember her buying the sugar cookies from the store with designs already colored into the dough, and getting the red-filled oreo cookies. They looked weird but always tasted good!

We hung up lights in the house, and I remembered how the house was always decorated inside and out. I put out the santa and snowman pillows, and Cathy has the same ones I do somewhere. I've hung up my stocking with care, and picture the other matching stockings, cross-stitched with care by my mom that the rest of us have, too! (well, maybe not everyone, but we can't expect my mom to whip those out THAT fast!) The apartment is festive and I'm going to hate taking it all down!

There are presents under the tree in various papers with bows, some without, some with tags, green paper and red, plaid, and even a little bit of blue! I remember my Dad handing out the presents one by one, and hoarding his presents in a pile because he was too interested in watching the rest of us open things up and exclaim over the wonderful things we'd been given. "It's just what I always wanted, a Christmas de-light!" And then finally we'd make HIM open up a few. And then we got to see HIM get excited about his gifts which was fun for US.

The first year I spent away from my family was last year. I spent it with a friend and although the people were different, somehow it felt just about the same. This year, I get to have it with a new family, and I'm excited to see their exclamations of delight with their presents! I always like to search for that elusive PERFECT present for my family... it seems like I can only find one or two things per year that are just right! This year I think it's for Cathy's family and Jesse. I'm pretty sure I struck present GOLD for both of them. I guess we'll see. It makes me happy to know they're so happy. For some reason this season, in spite of a few troubles, I feel fair to bursting with joy and happiness. I hope you are, too! And may all your Christmases this year be as merry as I feel right now! Cuz if they are, you can bet they'll be great!

It Ain't Easy Street, But I Live Here

As many of you know, I hated my job. It was frustrating, I dreaded getting out of bed to go there, and wasn't really getting anywhere there. There were definitely other struggles as well. Nothing is more frustrating than stagnation, in my opinion. So I went to work. I applied for 10 jobs one day, 10 jobs another day, and kept applying as I found jobs that interested me. It was a little exhausting, but I felt like it was worth it. After a few interviews over the phone, a few personal interviews, and even turning down a job that sounded EXACTLY like my current job, a miracle happened.

I got a new job! In this economy even.

Yeah, hard work and a lot of faith pay off. You can bet I fasted and prayed a LOT during the times I was applying. Granted, we would still be okay even if I didn't get a new one. And I would have worked somewhere, anywhere, and I didn't care much where. But it's nice that I was looked out for. I got a better job, one I'll enjoy a lot more, one I can be successful at, and one that pays more than my old job! I am very blessed.

I read this article about overcoming resentment online the other day, and it talked a lot about being more grateful. I have been feeling a little resentful lately. It's been the hardest thing for me to overcome since my divorce, to be honest. Fortunately, I have great friends who help me see clearly (thanks!) and tools at my disposal to guide me in the right direction for overcoming the difficulties I do have. I don't want to resent the successes and happiness of other people, I want to be happy for them and with them. So every day, I've tried to think about what I do have, and how lucky I am to have it.

Here's a quick overview: I have an amazing husband who loves me and does all he can everyday to make me happy, I have THE best family on the earth, from my parents and siblings to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I can't think of a single family member that I don't like (well, maybe a few of them sometimes but certainly not often!) which is amazing in this world, I have the best friends anyone could ask for (the few, the proud), and a ton of material things that make my life more comfortable and easy. I can work, I can play, I enjoy almost offensive good health, I have paper and pencils to draw with, books to read, and of course a loving Heavenly Father. It could be a lot worse.

So as I think about these things and actually take the time to see the struggles of the happy people I sometimes resent, I realize what my dad always used to say and which I always used to hate: Life isn't fair. It should be, but it's not. It doesn't bother me as much as I used to. It's nice. I like to be able to be happy for the other people in my life, instead of resenting their happiness and worrying about what I don't have. Eh, maybe you already know this and good for you! Just wanted to pass along something that's helped me, and to share with you my new mantra:

"We don't have to be fast; we simply have to be steady and move in the right direction. We have to do the best we can, one step after another." - Joseph B. Wirthlin

So I'll slow down and enjoy my ride. The air is cool, I've got a warm sweater and a bunch of mugs in my cabinet waiting for hot cocoa.

The Week in Pictures

So what did I do this week? Well besides continuing to look for a new job, I did manage to squeeze in a little bit of fun. Here's a quick look:

It's always nice to take a quick jaunt over to the park to rid my fridge of stale bread... and the ducks were happy too!

A few days later...

Cole was given his first cooking lesson. I asked him if he wanted to help me making lunch and he said, "Ummmm. YES!" Nuff said. Mac N Cheese... a nice basic starter for the young chef. I recommend heavy supervision.
He was great at stirring... and look at that smile!

Obviously a short fry, he needed a little help to reach things...

He got the hang of it pretty quickly though. And did a mean job with the whisk!

Not the most flattering picture, but at least I didn't get any hair in the macaroni! Always a good thing. And we were having fun!

Of course the best part is always eating what you make!

Later that week...

We were fortunate to get tickets to the Boise State Football game on Saturday night. We left Cole at home with Aunt Ariana (it was too COLD!) and drove downtown into the BSU madness. People almost bleed blue and orange around here, so be careful and wear your t-shirts! And look at that awesome giant helmet! I TOLD Jesse the football players were going to run through it but never dreamed there would be a fog machine! BSU trying for a touchdown... they didn't get one until the 2nd quarter. And look how close they got!!! It was very sad. And the fans weren't happy either. Trust me. I could tell.

A picture of the arena. I must say, I DO love the blue turf. Kinda cool.

Taken right before it got cold, but after we'd had a few of those mini-doughnuts they have with cinnamon and sugar... Mmmmm. You gotta love concession food.

It was a full and fun week. I kind wish we hadn't skipped over the 70 and 60 degree weather and went straight into the 50's, but it has been fun to pull out some sweaters to wear to work. And of course the knee-high stripey socks! I gotta keep snuggly. Hope you are too!

Day-Tripping Boise

So I've made it a goal to more fully explore Boise... and I'm dragging Jesse, Cole, and anyone else who's in town with me. So if you come to visit be prepared! Our latest trip was up to Table Rock, which is only a short 15 min drive from my house. It's been especially cool lately, which made it pretty fun.

Here are some pictures as proof:

This is Boise from the edge of Table Rock... it's a pretty view and even prettier on a sunny day. The breeze felt fantastic!!! I'm glad we went on a cool day.

The three of us all together... it was hard to get it framed right. Obviously.

Jesse and Cole. They had a lot of fun climbing the big rocks!

Me and Cole. I had a lot of fun climbing the big rocks too!

The one thing I don't like at Table Rock is all the graffiti. It was hard to find a spot that didn't have any, but at least right here there wasn't a lot. I don't know how they'd clean it all up, but I know I'd help out! It's such a beautiful area!

There's still a lot to come... I'll keep you updated as we adventure through town. And hey. Anytime you're in the area, let me know. I'll be MORE than happy to drag you along too!!!

And Dance By the Light of the Moon

Well, its a marvelous night for a moondance

With the stars up above in your eyes

A fantabulous night to make romance

'neath the cover of october skies

And all the leaves on the trees are falling

To the sound of the breezes that blow

And Im trying to please to the calling

Of your heart-strings that play soft and low

And all the nights magic seems to whisper and hush

And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush

Can I just have one a more moondance with you, my love

Can I just make some more romance with a-you, my love

One more moondance with you in the moonlight

On a magic night

La, la, la, la in the moonlight

On a magic night

Cant I just have one more dance with you my love?

Romance? Hah!

So I was flipping through my channel guide. You never know what weird movies are going to be on (My Faraway Bride comes painfully to mind) and I stumbled on a movie that contains one of the WORST movie kisses in all history. At least in my opinion. It got me thinking about this list I made long ago... so I give you a list of movies to watch and the moments to fast forward to... and challenge you to disagree with me. These kisses are awful!

Kindergarten Cop: So there this moment when Arnold Schwarzenegger has just saved Penelope Ann Miller's movie child from falling off a light tower. She's understandably upset and he chooses this moment, in her moment of fear and need, to kiss her. You can tell that Ms. Miller is horribly repusled and there isn't the slightest bit of chemistry in this moment. He, making the grand gesture, grabs her and kisses her forcefully. I would say passionately, but clearly this kiss is primarily one sided, in spite of the fact that she is clutching at him desperately; desperately trying to get away from the looks of it. I remember even as a teenager thinking that it looked uncomfortable. It's true. Horrible and completely unromantic. Go Arnold.


The Truth About Cats and Dogs: You know I loves me the Janeane Garafolo. She's dry, witty, and eternally pessimistic. Enter cute curly-haired guy. He's one of those movie guys that a fuss was made over, but you never really saw him in anything else. So he's spent the ENTIRE movie lusting after Uma Thurman and is clearly attracted to her. In the end, he finds out that it's just her outer beauty that he's loved and clearly, should instead be with Janeane. While I applaud this choice, it certainly doesn't look like the relationship will last. Why? Well he's sent her some roller skates. She puts them on and is dragged off by his dog. Yes. Romantic. She's taken to a park bench to meet the guy, and after some conversating, they kiss. They kiss like two 12-year-olds who've made a pact to try this kissing thing out, that is. It's very studied and forced. And in spite of their smiles... yeah. He'll start dating the cute girl at the bar and she'll settle for the sound guy from her radio show. The real Truth.


Maid of Honor: The leading lady in this film gets engaged while she is knowingly in love with her dirtbag best friend. While away he "realizes" he's always loved her and never known it. Blah. So he of course busts up her wedding to the poor schmuck in Scotland she got impetuously engaged to and declares his love in the middle of the ceremony. Granted he does eventually get punched out, and rightly so, but for the bride to kiss a man other than her bethrothed by grabbing him and licking his esophogus in front of the whole wedding party is kind of gross. Engagement breaking notwithstanding... ICK. May I remind you of the church-tongue rule clearly established by The Wedding Singer? Let's be appropriate please... even if it IS clearly an inappropriate moment.


Some Kind of Wonderful: No one could ever correctly say that I was the biggest fan of Lea Thompson. But the kiss between Eric Stoltz and her character in this movie couldn't be more painful to me. I love a good 80's teen film and this movie is no exception. But to watch him kiss Amanda Jones... it's that studied "this is how it looks when it's really passionate" moves they're employing... makes me uncomfortable and NOT in a good way. She did better kissing her "son" in Back to the Future to give you my honest opinion. Ick.


Newsies: Who doesn't love boys dancing around, singing songs, and throwing in a pelvic thrust anywhere they can? I know I would not be included in that group! You go through the movie, there's catchy songs, handsome Christian Bale, that kid from Big... and then there's the obligatory girl. Yeah, she's fine. Her singing voice was dubbed, but she was pretty and probably fit into her costume. Yay casting agents! So she kisses Jack at the end at his most triumphant moment. They've beaten the big paper guys and the GOVERNOR is there to give him a ride. Be he can't leave without a kiss... a horrible, awkward, almost missed her lips kiss. She's initially a bit put off, but then remembers she's supposed to like it. Oops! Not in time to save the moment, I'm sorry to say.


I made a list once of all the movies with uncomfortable kisses and horrible romantic moments once... if you're looking for more pain and suffering I can try to dig it up and make some recommendations to you if you really want. This is a good starter list to get you going. So some evening when you're depressed, put on my first selection and be grateful you're not Ms. Miller. I know I am!

Rachel Getting/Got Married

Yes, it's true. We had the wedding. It's funny because I never thought it would happen again for me, and even when I got engaged July seemed SO far away! And yet... I'm a married woman again. So far it's much better and much more like I always thought it should be, too.

So I woke up the morning of my wedding, having spend the night on a double air matress in my living room (Delanie on the couch, Nathan on a smaller air matress on the other side of the living room) before anyone else was up. It didn't feel like any special morning, other than Mark and Tabitha were in town. Which they usually aren't. So since I was first up, I rolled out of bed and went upstairs to shower. I figured as the Bride I should be first in anyway. So once I was cleaned up a bit, I woke everyone else up so we could go have some breakfast.

Our plan was to go to Elmer's, but for some reason about three weeks prior they had changed their name to Jerry's. Sorry to those who drove halfway down Fairview before I got a hold of you and let you know about the name change, by the way. The menu was exactly the same as when it was Elmer's and tasted about the same too. Yummy french toast, delcious bacon that was neither overcooked nor undercooked. Mmmm. Afterwards, since it was a Saturday, we all went downtown to the Farmer's Market to wander a bit. After all, the wedding wasn't until 3 and it wasn't even noon yet! And you know, even after having had breakfast, all the food and fresh produce smelled so good that it made me hungry anyway. A trip to the chocolate shop got me a white chocolate-lemon-lavendar bar (no nuts) which is my favorite. And then the wedding stuff began.

I had a wedding disaster. The day before we'd hit on the brilliant idea that we needed to float down the Boise River as a fantastic voyage before the nuptials. It WAS a brilliant idea. The day was hot, the river was cold, and we had a TON of fun. However, when I sunscreened my shins, I apparently did not do it well enough. I even used the SPF 50... and yet I still sunburned the top of my shins. No where else was I red, and of course this would have made for some lovely lovely pictures. I tried aloe vera, which helped, but did not decrease the redness enough to make my legs look even halfway normal. So we went off to Dillards and I ended up wearing thigh-highs to hide the sunburns. And they did a fantastic job! I was hot, but my legs looked like they were ALL one color!

So I wore my hair to the side, which was good because I ended up burning the side of my neck with a curling iron. You couldn't tell. So THEN I ended up being about 5 minutes late getting to the church (get me to the church on time!). I felt terrible. Until I realized that my parents weren't there either. They ended up being 20 minutes late. Sigh. Rough start. BUT good ending. Jesse and I got married. And in fact, he was so excited to get married, he said "I do" a little bit too quickly. It made everyone laugh. I knew how he felt though. I was very excited to say "I do" too.

We had a fantastic wedding photographer. She did such a good job and told everyone where to stand, when she couldn't see someone, and they were GOOD pictures! I can't wait to get them. It was nice knowing that they were being done by a professional and that odds of getting a good one weren't about one in three like with the rest of us and our digitals. I will post a few when I get 'em.

Lag time: about two hours. Watched Roadhouse at home. Don't know about anyone else.

The dinner was at 6, and fortunately no one was late for the food. Ha ha. We went to Asiago's, which was great. They'd put up some rope lighting and dried flowers for us, and closed off the blinds so that we were in our own little room. Very romantic. I'm not sure if anyone got any pictures though... oh well I suppose. But what was nice: I didn't have to set up anything, didn't have to clean everything, and I could just relax and let the dinner happen. What wasn't nice: the price. Granted it wasn't as much as I thought, but it's was more than I hoped it would be. Thank goodness I'm a saver and planned for a little extra just in case. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, for which I was glad. And *I* enjoyed it. Which was even better. It was a nice stress-free wedding day. So simple and easy... everyone should do it!

The honeymoon was spend at the Anneversary Inn in Boise. We booked the Hollywood Romance room, which mainly got its appeal from the pop machine. The giant sunken tub was pretty darn cool, too. They sent us a snack at about 9pm, then we got breakfast in the morning, had our pick of TONS of movies, and were all around catered to. Ah... if only that were life! And I MUST learn how to bake ham and cheese croissants... those were FANtastic!

It doesn't really feel any different to be married than it did when we were dating. A few exceptions of course, but it still feels comfortable, happy, and just plain GOOD. I imagine we'll have our issues. All couples do. But it's a much nicer start than the first time, and we have the same goals. We're working together to get to the same destinations and it's nice to be with someone who works WITH me and not constantly AGAINST me like last time. I love my husband very much! And can't wait until he really gets to meet everyone!