Amy's Wedding. 08.21.09

Amy was my boss at Utah Mountain Title, before I moved here. So I went to Utah for her wedding, which was awesome! I LOVED my job...UMT is the best, and I loved all my co-workers. We had so much fun seeing eachother again. Although, I think I was the only one having sober fun :)
The UTM crew!

The happy couple. Gorgeous.

It was really nice to have all four sisters together for the weekend. I was missing these peeps.
But the BEST part of going to Utah, and what I had been looking forward to for 5 months, was meeting THIS little (big) guy :)
This is J.D. Walton. My friend Brook's chubby-legged sweetheart. My heart has been aching to meet meet him and kiss him and smell him and love him. (check. check. check. check.) He is the cutest!

It was so good to see my Brooky again, but it really was sad to watch them leave... Brook is one of those friends that know you so well, that no matter how long it has been, or how your lives have changed... You just pick up where you left off. Brook has seen me at my worst, and at my best and has always been there for me. I feel a little homesick when I look at these pictures. I miss you Brook! And J.D., my love... don't grow up too much before I get to see you again.
This was last night. I just love these two pictures :) Kodak moment.

The end.

While I was getting my nails done last night I was watching the news and saw this picture pop on the screen. It was a clip from the Today show. You may have already seen this picture. ..Husband and wife, Jackson and Melissa Brandts, had timed their camera to shoot a family picture of themselves at Banff National Park in Canada when this little squirrel popped up right in front of their camera. What an amazing shot! I thought it was the coolest picture ever, so I had to share it with peeps who perhaps have not yet seen it :)

Heading to Utah, my hiz-ome, on Thursday for a much-anticipated, & much needed visit.

Dear Utah, I am excited to see you. I know I abandoned you, I am sorry.

Signed, Sorry in Seattle

In conclusion... Some photos of things I miss...

Yesterday I found this recipe online, one of my favorite baking sites! They looked like something that would be really quite simple for William to help with so I decided to stop at the grocery store on the way to the boys house and pick up what we needed to make them.

Will is really quite helpful in the kitchen, and enjoys to help me bake, so it was really fun. I will admit, I am a perfectionist. I have a hard time when people want to help me do things, fearing that it won't turn out exactly as I imagined it in my head. So when I met Will, not having had many little ones in my life prior, it took me a while to stop constantly saying "Here, I'll do this part for you". This project, I decided I would let him completely take the reins, that's what makes baking so fun anyway...Creativity!

I showed him how to do the first one and then gave him a tray of pie crust circles, and he was off! I was so impressed with how well he did all on his own. He kept saying things like "Wisa, on this next step I am going to just press the dough really gentle"


Scooping a little chocolate chip cookie dough into the center of each pie crust circle.Almost done! Such focus!

Folding over each top and pressing "gentwy" with a fork to seal
Applying egg white & sugar to the tops
Once we popped these babies in the oven, Will and I turned on the oven light and sat by the oven to watch our pie cookies progress and munch on the leftover cookie dough... so by the time they were done and out of the oven, neither of us really wanted any more sweets. I did try one, and I'll admit, they weren't the yummiest treat I've ever tasted. I think next time I'll need less pie...I couldn't really taste the cookie. But it didn't matter, we had a great time making them... Will was beaming with pride and insisted that we put them in a tupperware right away to give to him Momma on Sunday. He was so excited to tell her that he had made them all on his own. Perodically throughout the baking process he'd say "My Mommy is going to WOVE these cookes I am making her because I made them all by myself"

Fun times :)

For those of you who did not know this already, In addition to my current job as an Administrative Assistant, I recently began a second job a few nights a week working in a group home for people with developmental disabilities. This is something I did for a few years in Utah and loved, so I was excited to find this new job.

A couple days a week I work 6-3 at my first job and then go straight to the group home where I work 4-10. Yesterday was one of these days. In addition to my busy work schedule for the day, my back has been KILLING me the past few days. And on top of that, some other things popped up yesterday that helped to add unwelcome stress to a normally stress-free gal... therefore transforming me into a miserable, whining loser of a woman. My night job, as I knew from past experience, does well to help me forget any issues I may be having in my own life. It's just that kind of work. But I was exhausted yesterday.

After my 16 hour work day I headed back to my aunts to spend the night with my cousin & braid her hair. On my way I called B to say goodnight...No answer...hmmm...Very rarey does that happen. His son was at Grandmas for the night, so I figured B had fallen into a deep slumber already...Which is exactly what I was planning to do very soon.

Once I got to my aunts, I walked through the front door armed with Cheetos & soda and ready to braid. As I yelled out to my cousin "WHY IS THE DOOR UNLOCKED!?" ...my sweet B came around the corner. After I screamed from the shock of a man being there... I realized it was my man:) My man who planned with my cousin earlier that day to be there when I got there, parking his car around the corner so I would not know he was inside. To surprise me with flowers on my stressful day. And hold me and give me a kiss that I desperately needed. It was so sweet and totally made my day, and all it's stresses melt away. I love you Brett!

Life is good.

I had been obsessing over these Pie Pops I saw here. So on Friday, I made them. I really don't even particularly like pie, these were just so cute! Mine obviously did not turn out as cute as Luxirare or Bakerella... But they were super easy to make and fun also. I didn't have a round cookie cutter, so I used the bottom of my Diet Coke can :) ...See? I recycle. Reduce, Reuse Recycle! Gold Star to moi.

I loved making them, so on Sunday I brought more pie crust over to my Aunts, and my Cousin and I made more of them. This time we used actual cookie cutters, well kind of.

So there we were... Up until the wee hours of the morn, listening to rap and bakin pie... Who doesn't do that?

I was about to leave one job, on the way to my second job.
My back hurt.
I went for the medicine cabinet.
I popped two Tylenol.
I looked down at the bottle to screw on the cap...
...I had just accidentally taken two Tylenol PM.
It's 3pm.

Lisa, what were you thinking?

Goodnight.

Last night, B & I were running errands. On the way out of his neighborhood we spotted three little ones, waving their arms fiercely. "Stop here!" I was immediately whisked back to my childhood. I sold everything on my moms street corner: Lemonade, Kool Aid, Otter Pops, Leaves, Boondoggle creations, Potpourri (aka my moms best flowers + my moms best perfume + the screen from my bedroom window as a drying mat = GROUNDED) Anyway, you get the idea... I sold stuff. And it always meant so much to me when somebody would stop and show an interest in my little "business".

We stopped.

I got out a dollar from my purse, just as a small girl, about 7 years old, approached my car, with a SNAKE! Um... What? No lemonade? Where AM I?

The small girl explained that we could pet the snake for free, but that "holding" privileges cost a quarter. I reached out and pet the small creature, all the while wishing William were there to witness this. (Will thinks I am a HUGE wimp, I knew he would not believe this without witnessing it for himself)

I then proceeded to tell the girl that instead of the quarter, I would pay her $1.00 if I didn't have to hold her little pal. She excitedly agreed. Phew!

By this time, the cutest, nerdiest little 7 year-old(ish) boy had also approached my car window. Seeing that I had just handed his small, -much braver than I- friend $1.00, he assumed I was buying 4 of the "Pet Rocks" also on display for sale.

Why this option was not disclosed to me earlier on, I know not. I chooooose option #2!

He handed me two, & B two of these hand-painted creations, still wet from being painted only moments before, and said "Each rock is our own design" He was A-DORABLE. I wanted to keep him.

He then informed us both that we were in luck because the rocks were "buy two, get a third free!" hahaha. We told him we really didn't need three each, and that he should keep them for other customers, to which he replied "Oh, yes, you are right, we should save some for other customers...We wouldn't want to run out!" Peeking around him and seeing about 20 freshly painted rocks on his table, I wasn't incredibly hopeful, and almost asked for the third ones. But my hands were already plenty blue from the paint job on my two. :)

Please stop for little ones! Please! It made their day yesterday, and mine. :)