Love is an Orange

Beardy Man

2012-03-01T12:12:00.000-07:00

My husband is a man.

He likes manly things.

He eats manly things.

He wears manly things.

Right now he's sporting a very manly beard.

I don't know if it's him rebelling against BYU.

Or the fact that he's not on TV right now.

Or even if it's going to be around for very long.

But I kinda like My Man.

Whadya think?

Love much,

Beth

Watch out for my rack....

2012-02-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well now that I've got your attention,

I'd like to fill you in on the wonderful adventure I just enjoyed/endured/experienced.

For most,

I know you were tuning in to FB to see all of the posts and pictures.

They really told the story well

and so I'm just going to post them chronologically here again.

Now to introduce the expedition...

My lovely sister Andrea has been living across the country from her hubby.

They are both amazing actors and are trying to live their dreams...

ALL OF THEM...

Including family life and professional success.

Trying to do what's best for their future together,

They've lived apart temporarily.

cue the joyous reunion music

But not any more.

She and my mom were supposed to make the trek themselves.

BUT when Andrea threw out her back 4 days before take-off,

they were in need of some reinforcement.

So I joined the party.

This is on the airport tram. Hello Florida!

So they picked me up and we literally hit the road right away.

That is *after* we found a place for my bag in the car.

About 90 minutes into our drive the luggage rack flew off the top of the car.
There was a lot of wind and luckily the items blew right off the road.
NO INJURIES!!!
It was truly a blessing.

Andrea was a tough chica as she said "good-bye" to the items that we couldn't possibly fit into the car.

Xander was... well... unaffected.

The journey continued across the panhandle of Florida.
We pitched camp that night in Mobile, Alabama where our main goal
was helping the Little Man unwind.

You have no idea what 9 hours in a car can do to an 18-month-old.
Unless... of course.... you do.
In that case, I'm sure you can sympathize.

After a good night's rest, we were able to manage some smiles as we started Day 2.

We needed to make it to Houston where we were spending the night with some family friends.
That was 3 states away.
Brace yourself.

Alabama was pretty uneventful.
Mississippi was the same.
(with the exception of a slight peanut scare)
But by the time we got to Louisiana,
we HAD to get out of the car.
Lucky for us,
we were right in the middle of the
"Largest Swamp in the Western Hemisphere."
Can anyone say Par-tay?

It was Mardi Gras weekend
and this was as "WiLd" as we got.

You don't want to know what he had to do to get these babies!

Close to the end of that day
Xander had his first "meltdown."
Andrea reluctantly veered from his mostly organic diet
and was able to pacify him with some powered donuts.

Can you say baby heaven?

We paid for it later when we cleaned up his chair,
but it made for a happy baby and that was what mattered the most.
We got into Houston and Xander was so happy to have friends to run with.
We were just happy to be out of the car.

Day 3 was long.
And it felt even longer because we were in ONE STATE for the entire day.
Knowing that before hand,
we planned for a long lunch break in San Antonio.
My mom has always wanted to do the River Walk.
We've heard it is so beautiful and fun and it definitely didn't let us down.

And believe you me...
I will remember the Alamo.

And if any of you are wondering....
YES - Xander is wearing a child leash.
It's the only way to keep this little guy from running in the streets.

After our break,
We pushed our way to Van Horn, Texas where we called it a day.

Xan-man during our nightly ritual of wrestling.
It helped BOTH of us get all the wiggles out.

Now on to Day 4.
Cursed Day 4.
I should have known that Texas had it coming for us when my mom "messed with Texas"
that morning at breakfast.

Who can resist that beautiful waffle?

Let me preface it with saying the night before my mom and I had noticed the
"check tire pressure" light come on.
We figured that we'd check the tires in the morning when we gassed up.
Through divine inspiration,
my mom decided to look at the tires before we pulled out of the parking lot.
And that's when we saw it....
That dreadful FLAT TIRE.
So we did what any strong woman would do....

We took a picture.
:)

Then we unpacked the car to get to the spare.
A kind hotel maintenance man came to rescue the damsels in distress
because the Little Man we were traveling with was a little too distracted by the wide open spaces.

Can you blame the kid?
Besides the wind, it was a beautiful day outside.

After packing the car about 3 more times,
we drove very carefully on the spare to El Paso, 120 miles away,
where we replaced both of the back tires.
And
*horror*
ate at McDonald's.
Hey... It was the only place where Xan-man could run free.
And in basically no time,
(except a 5-hour delay and 2 more packing jobs later)
we were on the road again.
It had been a long day already,

and we still had a long way to go.

BUT
We made it.
To Wellton, Arizona at least.

This is Xander in what looks like a crib our hotel stole from a Russian orphanage.
But he didn't care at all.

Just when we had lost almost all hope of ever reaching San Diego,
we realized that Wellton was only 2 hours and 45 mins from our final destination.

And that put massive smiles on our faces.
Well, everyone but Xander.
He just wanted to watch "Cars" again.
And who blames him?
It's a great movie.

The last few hours were pretty uneventful.
Mom squeezed in a few more hours of beauty sleep.
Xander made it through another showing of his movie.
And Andrea and I belted out a few more show tunes.
Day 5 was a good day.
Not just because we ended our journey.
Not just because we all survived a week on the road.
Not just because Xander didn't have any meltdowns that day.

A lot had to do with this.
Reunited.
Love.
Family.
Safety.
It was a good day.
And a good trip/adventure/journey.

Thanks for letting me tag along sister.

Love much,
Beth

This Week on the Hill

2012-02-04T18:46:00.002-07:00

Hey everybody out there in the interwebs! I've decided to start a new little thing here on our blog. It might not last long depending on how well it goes but until then I guess you'll all just have to suffer through it. Three days a week I cover the Utah state legislature for KUER. I pretty much just sit in lots of committee meetings and press conferences all day. Sound fun yet? Well, if you're patient enough there are some pretty amusing things that happen. This week on the hill is my take (meant purely for entertainment and shouldn't be taken seriously meaning I will take plenty of literary license) on the comings and goings of the circus that is the law making process.

This week on the hill Utah legislators declared that they are pro-graffiti, anti-American, and not smart enough to figure out the clocks on their VCR's.

Senators declared they are pro-graffiti when they voted down SB 107. The bill would have made carrying graffiti paraphernalia (spray paint, ladders, etc.) with the intent to use a crime. But because they voted it down it means that in Utah you are still free to walk around with spray paint...or a gun for that matter...in public.

A bill limiting the hours and days you can light off fireworks has already passed in the house and is under consideration in the Senate. If passed Utahns will no longer be able to celebrate their pride in America with overpriced fireworks at 3 o'clock in the morning. They will, however, be able to celebrate their pride in America on Chinese New Years.

And finally, have you ever shown up late to something because you forget to turn your clock forward in the Spring? Well, neither have I. But apparently Rep. Jim Nielson of Bountiful has. He proposed a bill that would take Utah off of Daylight Saving time. But members of the House Judiciary Committee must all have cell phones that automatically change because they voted down the bill 7-5.

And that's what happened this week on the hill.

January Basics

2012-02-01T23:10:00.001-07:00

OK....

Who said that when I got done with school I'd have so much more time on my hands?

Oh wait...

Maybe that was me.

NEEDLESS-TO-SAY,

I haven't.

Either that or I have become extremely lazy,

Which I don't think is possible for me because my brain might explode.

I certainly have found plenty of things to keep me busy:

Brick Oven

A new job as a Nanny for a little girl with CF

Date Nights

(I love having more time with Brian)

Car Buying

We traded in my little Suzuki for a Nissan Murano.

Independent Study class

Kick-butt Cycling class

Crafts

(some tutorials coming soon!)

Packing lunches for my WORKING MAN!!!

This is first day as an official reporter for KUER.

Don't ask me how,

But Brian sits up at the legislature almost everyday

and finds something interesting to talk about.

He is loving it and has even expanded the never-ending job search to include radio positions.

Please keep praying for us!

Love much,

Beth

New Year

2012-01-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

It hasn't been the best beginning of the new year at my house.

Sickness has bewitched both the hubs and I.

Thanks to a wonderful co-worker, I was able to stay home yesterday and relax.

Which meant I spent all day on the computer/pinterest wishing I was feeling better.

Thanks to the Kleenex's and tea for keeping me company.

My parents have had a tradition for as long as I can remember concerning a new year.

We sit down within the first couple of days of the new year and

write down our goals for that year.

It's a great exercise and really helps get me focused on the upcoming year.

This year I was a little nervous because I felt like there were so many things in my life

that I couldn't control.

Which I hate.

But as I starting writing, things just kept coming.

There are so many things that I can control and that I have power over.

Most important is my attitude.

I don't have to be upset with our situation.

I don't have to take out frustrations on my husband.

I don't have to do anything I don't make up my mind to do.

And so this year I'm going to take control of my attitude.

I'm going to keep the "eternal" in mind

And make decisions based on long-term.

And you can have that in writing!

Love much,

Beth

Ode to 2011

2011-12-31T00:16:00.002-07:00

*I made a book for Brian for Christmas celebrating our "First Full Year" together.

It's kinda cheesy,
(and I don't do mushy on this blog very often)
but it was a great way to review such an eventful year.
Enjoy.

2011

I was still getting used to being your wife,

And realized quite soon that sports is your life.

You tested my patience and learned that was bad,

But learned how to cheer me up when I'm sad.

We each had our things that took us away

Which helped us remember to cherish each day.

Celebrating success and having fun with our friends;

The fun at our house just never did end.

There was that one time where we played "Mom" and "Dad."

And nobody died, for which we were glad.

We saw all the sites and the Smithsonian,

And you were so cute taking all of it in.

Our summer was full of traveling fun,

And we didn't stop until we were done.

From the Twin Falls up north to the Florida sun,

It was a nice break from our life on the run.

The trip of the year that seemed long overdue

To that magical place where dreams do come true.

Throughout the whole year in our ups and our downs

You did all you could to keep off that frown.

From rainy day dates to mad shopping sprees,

You made it a point to take care of me.

We made it a year -- the best year of my life.

I can't say enough, "I love being your wife!"

And so I give thanks to the good Lord above

For giving me someone so easy to love.

I hope as we go through these years up ahead

That we may not be filled with regret or with dread.

But this much I know and all I can say

Is I'm so glad I get to be with you each day.

I love you, Brian.

Thanks for a great 2011!

Love much,

Beth

The Worth of an Education

2011-12-30T15:45:00.002-07:00

I begin writing this with a little trepidation. I don't post much and I'm not sure any of the people who actually read this have any interest in what I have to say. Nevertheless, here I am, hands on the keyboard.

Hopefully what I end up with is coherent because at the moment I'm pretty tired. You see, I have a new job. I work in the bakery at Brick Oven which means I have the pleasure of waking up at 5 AM in the morning so that I can be into work on time at 6 AM. Once I get there I basically make all the dough for the restaurant (pizza, breadsticks, etc.). and then help out with a lot of the other food prep which can be a lot for a restaurant of this size. We do this for about four to five hours and then I come home and crash. All of this for just over minimum wage.

Now don't get me wrong. I know that a lot of people do a lot worse jobs than this at even earlier and stranger hours. I know that the previous paragraph might come off as me complaining but I didn't write it for that purpose. I'm actually really grateful that I have a job right now in this stage in between graduation and career. Most the times it's pretty fun. It's been a great blessing and I've had a lot worse jobs.

And that brings me to the major point of my post.

I sometimes wonder what the worth of an education is. Specifically, what is the worth of MY education?

Can I determine the worth by looking at how much it cost? Is it the amount of my student loans? Is it the 6 years (I started in the Summer of 2005, just minus 2 years for a mission) of my life that I spent studying?

Is that what my education is worth? How do I know?

Is it worth my future unearned salary? Is that millions? trillions? or hundreds?

Or is it worth anything at all? Does a bachelors degree in communication give me a leg up on anything? Does the economy negate a degree? Are there so many people out there with degrees that the market is saturated so much that it doesn't mean much?

Perhaps it's worth what I make it.

Honestly, I don't know. I think it's probably a mix of all of the above. I do know one thing though and my new job at BO has helped me realize this. My degree (at least theoretically) is worth me not having to work for minimum wage. It's worth being able to chose what I want to do. It's worth wearing an ID badge instead of a name tag (unless you count a lower third as a name tag). It's worth dress shoes and suits. It's worth a whole lot more too.

I'm not trying to put down those who do physical labor for their careers. Lots of people find fulfillment in all sorts of work. I'm just saying that it's not what I want to do for mine and my degree is worth at least that. It's worth a chance at doing what I'm passionate about as a career.

Looking back at the years I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to go to BYU and get a degree. I don't know where it will take me. Maybe I'm wrong about this whole post. Either way, I wouldn't have done it any other way. Whatever it's worth to me in the end I can say with a surety that it was worth everything that I gave to get it.

-Brian

Cheers

2011-12-30T00:53:00.001-07:00

A few things have me very excited this week:

1. We get to move up with our wonderful Primary class.

I'm so excited to teach these guys again.

2. Buying fabric.

I love knowing that I have projects to occupy every second of my time.

3. Planning a trip.

It's not a vacation, but it's trip none-the-less.

4. Starting the new year and planning how to lose 20 more pounds.

Can't wait.

5. AMAZING friends at work that let me vent and lift me up.

(Love ya Mama Cass!!!)

6. New Ipod... kinda.

Apparently I own a generation of Ipod that is known to spontaneously combust.

So I'm getting a replacement.

For free.

Sweet.

7. Learning a new program that manages my moneys and bills.

Everything is SO organized.

I'm in heaven.

There are so many other things in my life that are going well right now.

I'm trying to be better at noticing those more often.

What's got you smiling this week?

Love much,

Beth

Christmas

2011-12-29T01:10:00.000-07:00

Brian and I celebrated Christmas at work this year.

Ok... We were only there for Christmas Eve,

but it was still a holiday.

Santa somehow managed to squeeze in a stop by his long night,

and he reassured us that we were both good little chillins'.

We were both very tired after a long day.

And the "fa-ra-ra-ra-ra" scene from A Christmas Story kept running through my head a we ate our Eve's dinner.

Thankfully we got off early enough to be home for the traditional reading of the nativity story.

My brother-in-law filled in for my dad

(since for some reason, my parents feel like that have to visit my other siblings every once-in-a-while).

But Brock did a great job.

Luke 2 always gives me goosebumps.

Sunday morning we work up bright and early to open presents before 9 am church.

The rest of the day was spent lounging around, watching movies, and just enjoying the down time with my hubby.

Have I mention how much I love this man?

I hope your Christmas was as peaceful and relaxing as our was.

Merry Christmas and

Happy New Year!

Love much,

Beth

Oh.... and in case you needed a little extra boost to your day,

Here is my A-freakin'-DORABLE nephew singing one of our family's fav Christmas songs.

We're all a bunch of hams.

30

2011-12-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

This is a little belated.

But my very young and very beautiful sister turned 30 last week.

(Hey - I didn't say she was younger than me)

I sent her this.

I know it put a smile on her face.

And at her age,

she needs something to smile about.

Just kidding sis!

(I know I'm only 8 years behind you...)

Love much,

Beth

Slacker

2011-12-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts about Christmas is seeing people you don't see very often.

My sister and her family are in town.

Tons of friends have come home for the holidays.

And I wanted to take full advantage of it.

Because I have absolutely no control over anything else in my life right now,

I decided to throw a dinner party for some friends and TOTALLY deck it out.

Thank you Pinterest.

Why am I a slacker?

I got so caught up in the night and the talking and the cooking that I totally spaced taking any pictures.

At least I have the memories right?

So just imagine the most magical dinner table and food...

...and that's what it looked like.

I'm sure.

Love much,

Beth

CTR 7

2011-12-20T00:06:00.001-07:00

Brian and I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching our Primary class.

They have such amazing little spirits.

I have felt this huge responsibility to teach them true principles and encourage them to be their best.

They are making the important decision to be baptized.

The first of many important covenants they will make in their life.

We always come home with funny stories.

Like the time they wanted me to explain what adultery is.

Or the time that Brian had to help one of the boys zip up their pants... and felt like a total creeper.

Or that other time when I started crying and all the kids looked at me like I was an alien.

Ah.... Good times.

We taught them for the last time this Sunday.

But sometimes I think that they do more of the teaching.

In fact I KNOW that they do.

I can't wait to have my own to learn from.

Someday.

Love much,

Beth

Again

2011-12-19T11:00:00.000-07:00

Here we go again.

But it's a means to an end.

But still...

Ugh.

Not lovin' it,

Beth

LIFE

2011-12-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have 4 siblings.

2 brothers and 2 sisters.

Because of LIFE

we all live in different states right now.

It's really weird when I actually think about it.

But like I said, it's our life.

This Christmas my youngest brother is serving our church in Sacramento.

The rest of us wanted to do something special for him.

My very creative older sister came up with this idea.

"We Love You!"

We couldn't all be together for Christmas

and even though I'm not the recipient of this gift,

it's really comforting to see all these faces

and see the wonderful family I have.

I wish we could all be together during the holidays.

But here we are.

In this little jpeg.

And that will have to do for now.

Love much,

Beth

Jewelry Frame

2011-12-11T22:56:00.001-07:00

My niece turns 12 this year.

I can't believe it.

That makes me feel so old.

I was 10 when I first became an aunt.

For her birthday,

B has decided she wants to get her ears pierced.

Pierced.

That just sounds painful.

But beauty is pain, right?

I don't know if all my pain has paid off yet... but that's beside the point.

For her big NUMBER 1-2

I decided to get crafty.

Witness for yourself:

The Jewelry Frame

I had seen lots of tutorials for projects like this,

but this was my first time trying it out myself.

I really like how it turned out with the buttons and everything.

I'm also happy to announce that it didn't cost me a dime.

It is made of things that I (or my mom) had lying around the house.

Even better.

Now I want to make one for myself.

Is that wrong?

What projects have YOU been working on?

Happy crafting to all of you.

Love much,

Beth

Bring

2011-12-08T22:00:00.001-07:00

The Christmas season brings so many wonderful things.

The holiday spirit.

The joy of His birth.

The parties and celebrations.

We're ready for all of it.

Bring on the holidays.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love much,

The Grimmetts

Oh, and here is the card I designed for my mom.

So I guess it's more like....

Love much,
The Whole Walker Clan

Finals

2011-12-08T10:38:00.001-07:00

We've got to take those finals,

and then we're done.

Done.

Done driving too school way too early.

Done enjoying these majestic mountains on a daily basis.

Done climbing mountains of stairs,

traipsing across acres of beautiful campus landscapes.

Done seeking refuge in my precious Brimhall Building.

Done seeing this.

Done.

I still can't believe it.

And I can't believe I got so attached to this place.

But it change my life.

It gave me this guy.

And I'm eternally indebted to this program.

Where do I go from here?

Love much,

Beth

Changes

2011-12-03T13:33:00.001-07:00

Brian and I are on our last week of school.

I can't believe it.

Seriously.

I don't think I learned anything.

I don't feel any smarter.

I don't act any smarter.

I don't look any smarter.

Well... maybe I do on that one.

Guess who got reading glasses today?

ANYWAYS...

I feel like not much has changed.

But then I look back at where I was 4 and a half years ago.

And I realized I HAVE changed.

Now let's hope it was a good change.

Oh and one other thing?

For the FIRST TIME in our marriage,

Brian finally weighs more than me!

And that's saying something,

considering he's like a friggin' twig!

Love much,

Beth

Home

2011-11-26T10:25:00.001-07:00

The vacation is over.
Our car is packed & we seem to be going home with a lot more than we came with.
Here's hoping we make it home in one piece.
And preferably without any more sickness.

Perfect

2011-11-23T22:34:00.001-07:00

Today was my ideal vacation.
Waking up at 10.
Shopping (and purchasing) for a few hours.
One tourist stop.
(where JFK was assassinated)
Visiting DMA #5 station (Brian's dream market)
And meeting great people.
Dinner with my man at an amazing Italian restaurant.
(Thanks to UrbanSpoon)
Single dip of Braum's Peppermint ice cream.
I'm officially enjoying my vacation.
Love much,
Beth

Greater Love...

2011-11-19T10:33:00.002-07:00

...Hath no husband than this, than to clean up the car after his wife looses her lunch in it... 4 times.

So far the trip is turning out to be quite an adventure. I'm so incredibly grateful for Brian and how sweet he's been. He takes such good care of me.

In between my bouts of sickness, Brian & I were just 30 minutes behind a horrific drunk driving accident. The drunk driver killed 2 people and left 2 others in critical condition, including some children. And whats worse? This isn't the first time police have arrested this man for driving intoxicated. I really hope this idiot rots in jail for the rest of his life.

Seriously.

Love much,

Beth

Journey

2011-11-18T12:47:00.001-07:00

We haven't been to visit Brian's family in more than a year.... Before we we're married.

So today we start the trek to Texas. It's almost a 20 hour expedition and so we're breaking it up into 2 days.

At least for the drive down. We're not sure yet what we'll do on the way back.

Already we have learned that my mix of CD's reminds Brian and me of pre-mission college and freshman high school year respectively. Maybe its time for an update?

Love much,
Beth

P.S. I don't know why my phone is posting the picture upside down... Stupid phone.

M.M.R. #4

2011-11-14T11:55:00.001-07:00

Let me just start with what's buzzing in the newsroom.

What do you expect?
My newsroom is full of college girls.
But as a reader of Hunger Games myself, I have to agree.
It looks pretty good.

With Christmas on it's way,
it's time we start thinking about what to get those oh-so-picky people in our lives.
I've been thinking of putting together a "Reporter Survival Kit" for hubby
and I think these are a must for the techno-geek in my life.
Especially these touch-screen gloves.

How many times have I wished I had a pair.

I think the title of this article speaks for itself.
How to Have an Uncomfortable Conversation with a Problematic Coworker (Without Being an Asshole)
And since I've already apparently had an issue with this,
I'm definitely taking note.
You probably should too.

The job hunt continues in our house.
I found these tips from Forbes pretty helpful,
but I wonder how true they actually are?
I guess we'll see after I apply them to my current resume.

The new "hot" word in the cyber world is
The Cloud.
What is it?

A floating human transport device, of course.
OK...
Maybe that's the wrong "cloud" but this whimsical mass transit is quite entertaining.
I'd take a ride.

Finally,
I'll leave you with a funny.

Describes my recent work experience maybe a little too well.
JOKES!

Love much,
Beth

Christmas Crafting

2011-11-08T21:32:00.002-07:00

Like previously mentioned,

I don't feel like I have a lot going on in my life right now.
Therefore,
I've needed to find something else to occupy my time.

Since Christmas is coming and this family's funds are low
I've decided to get a head start on presents and *hopefully* save some money along the way.

My youngest brother is on a mission right now.
So we all decided (meaning: my mom told us) to make ornaments to go on a small Christmas tree they were sending to him.

She made these.
Makes me think "Honey, I Shrunk My Parents!"

Brian's ornament:

There is a family joke/story behind this,
but we used puzzle pieces painted green to make it look like a wreath.

And the grand finale:
Of COURSE I'm the angel on the top.
:)
He will totally appreciate the irony.

Next up, the in-laws.
(I can post pics because I've been assured by Brian that his mother never checks the blog.
If you do.... Merry Christmas Linda!)
Still feeling the need to impress my all-too-amazing-at-everything-she-does Mother-in-law,
I made this.
This is totally how Brian feels about his family now.
He feels all "picked-on" because we don't have kids that his parents want to come visit.
"It's all about the Grandkids."
Totally stole it from Pinterest.
But nobody needs to know that.
So forget what I just said.

And lastly for now...
(I can't post too obvious of pictures because I don't want to give away the gift before they get to open it.)

All these projects definitely have me in the Christmas spirit.
I'm also hoping that Christmas this year will bring relocation.
That would mean that we have jobs.
And are being adults.
And making real money.
(Options right now include Amarillo, TX and Myrtle Beach, SC.
But I'm sure there will be many more applications in the weeks to come.)

As for now,
a local radio station has started playing Christmas music.
So the inevitable Beth-wants-to-listen-to Christmas-music-6-months-out-of-the-year-and-Brian-is-a-Grinch battle begins!

Much love,
Beth

M.M.R. #3

2011-11-07T07:56:00.003-07:00

I will hopefully post about my life soon.

(It's written, just have to get the pictures on it now)
But for now,
here is your third installment of
Monday Morning Research.

First off,
I had recent need of an invoice generator.
Never done one before in my life.
But apparently free-lance work in my area of expertise is common,
so I should get used to it.
Billable.me is absolutely amazing.
Type in your info and BAM.
Invoice = Done.

Several of my friends out there are first-time-pregnant,
so I thought this might be of help to you.
I can't wait to do up a little nursery of my own.
Someday.

I thought this was funny.
And a little too true.

The Wallee has this neat little thing for iPads.
I especially love the wall mount,
which would be totally helpful while cooking the countless recipes on my Mom's iPad.

And if any of you have the same problem I do
sometimes falling asleep is a bit of a challenge.
I swear my brain goes a million different places and creates a million different "To-Do" lists.
These tips were actually really helpful for me.
Now I just have to be disciplined enough to follow them through.

That's it for today folks.
What other subscriptions should I add to my Google Reader account?
Let me know what you like!

Love much,
Beth

M.M.R. #2

2011-11-01T16:25:00.001-06:00

I may not have my BYU Broadcasting job anymore,

(don't ask for the whole story unless you have an hour to listen to me rant)
but I'm still reading the news and liking some new stuff.

So here is the second edition of Monday Morning Research:
(even though it is actually Tuesday. Don't judge me -- at least I'm posting something)

Ohio State University says that the "Freshman 15" is just a myth.
My response?
"Tell that to my hips Ohio State!"

I'm throwing a bone to all you tech nerds (or it is tech geeks) out there.
Namely: my husband.
This one is for you.

With holiday shopping coming up,
you may find yourself in need of these tips.
Santa can't read minds afterall...
(And I've learned that neither can Mr. Grimmett.... but he's learning)

FLASHBACK:
Remember this?My mom totally had one.

And lastly...I don't know what to say about this.
What do you think?

Love much,
Beth

Monday Morning Research

2011-10-24T11:53:00.004-06:00

Part of my new job includes research.

Lots and lots of research.
And since we're running a bit low on fresh, new ideas, I've decided to dedicate my Monday mornings to really scanning the news headlines, tech tweets, and most importantly...
My Google Reader.
(Seriously like the best invention ever...
even if it is like my own little echo chamber...
Sorry Chad.)

Anywho...
I've come across some fun, quarky, interesting stuff
And since I'm the only one who comes into the office in the morning and I don't have anyone to share this info with...
I'm going to share with you.
Who know?
Maybe I'll like this and make a habit of it.

First off:
Amazon's subsidiary, Soap.com, just launched a new category of products on their website:
Groceries.
It would be interesting to see how the prices compare to that of normal grocery stores considering if you buy $39 or more of food then you get free shipping.
Maybe a time saver for you busy moms out there.

Next up:
(Another Amazon story)
The Kindle Fire
It has been compared to a cheaper version of the iPad.
It's more of a media storage and entertainment device,
Without the connectivity and namesake of the iPad.
But seriously... it's only $199.
Even I could afford that.
Maybe.

And if you haven't done your reading today,
this OpEd from New York Times a few weeks ago is worth a read.
Make me grateful for a mom who knows how and taught me how to cook.
(P.S. Not eating out as much and planning my meals ahead has helped me lose 20 pounds.
And counting.)

Interested in movies....
Here are some posters for upcoming movies.
My favorite look?
(Too bad it's rated R)

Lastly,
As you prepare for the holidays and perhaps travel,
this little article gives some help.
As for us.... We're still driving those 20 wonderful, entertaining, oh-so-joyful hours to Texas.
Pray for us.

Love much,
Beth

Website

2011-10-18T22:27:00.005-06:00

No blog updates lately because...

well....
Mr. and I haven't been doing anything blog-worthy I guess.

No pictures to show.

No babies to announce.

No new jobs.
(But I do LOVE mine... let's hope I get paid for it soon... but that's another entire story.)

Brian and I are planning a trip to Texa-a-a-s-s-s for Thanksgiving so that will be fun.
(I don't know why, but that's just how I say "Texas"... I can't not say it that way)

HOWEVER...
Our idea of fun is this.
We (mostly Brian) have been working on a website for my dad for several months.
And... it's finally done.
Check it out.
Spread the word.
Read his stuff.
Let me know what you think.

Love much,
Beth

In a nutshell

2011-09-25T11:33:00.010-06:00

I'm home sick today.

But...
It makes me even more sick if I don't do anything.
So I see that as a perfect time to blog.
Since I haven't for like WEEKS.
Maybe even a month.
But who's counting right?

First off,
Brian and I are LOVING our primary calling.
We get to teach the 7- turning 8-year-olds.
And you know what that means...
BAPTISMS.
It's so fun to see the light and excitement in their eyes.
It totally encourages me to be better.
That's for sure.
I was kinda stressing about giving the perfect gift that's the right about of spiritual without stepping on parent's or grandparents toes.
So this is what I came up with.
With the help of two of my most favorite crafting tools,
I came up with this.
I love being a primary teacher.
(I actually am missing my kids today as I am writing this.)

At the beginning of this month,
Brian and I officially celebrated our 1st anniversary by hopping on a plane and heading off to the place "Where Dreams Come True."
We met our good friends, Aimee and Greg, there and invaded my wonderful sister's house.
I don't need to tell you how much fun we had.
I'll show you.
Is this not the cutest little boy?
Going without kids was so much fun.
We did what we wanted.
Ate when we wanted.
We also didn't complain when the rain came.
Because it drove away the crowds.
And cooled it down.
All I can say... AWESOME!
(Don't judge us... this was taken at the end of a very long day)

The highlight of a Disney World trip as always....
We got to see Andrea's show.
We couldn't have done this trip without her and had so much fun staying up late and talking!
Basically... I have the best sister ever.

So there you have it.
Our September in a nutshell.

Love much,
Beth

Tied....

2011-08-22T12:08:00.004-06:00

In case you didn't already know...

Brian and I are very competitive.
So it's a good thing that on our last mini-golf SHOWDOWN, we tied.
I {promise} I didn't throw the game.
But let the record show I was in the lead after the front 9.

p.s. Thanks to the nice man who let us golf for {free}.
p.p.s. Who's digging the new BLONDE BETH?

One

2011-08-13T22:43:00.003-06:00

One year ago I married my best friend.

And I've never been happier.

I know everybody says that.
And it sounds so cliche.
But it's the truth.
This man still makes my knees weak.
And he planned a wonderful little night for our first anniversary.

We went to one of our favorite Salt Lake restaurants,
And then surprised me with a room at the Anniversary Inn.
They take such care and the little details are just perfect.
It was a wonderful way to celebrate seriously the best year of my life so far!

I love you forever, Babe!

Love much,
Beth

P.S. The year-old cake was still pretty good......except for the freezer essence that flavored the frosting.

A Haney Holiday

2011-07-28T13:01:00.005-06:00

I had a realization a few weeks ago.

It was really hard for me to take.
I kept fighting it and fighting it.
It was one of the realizations that you want to ignore, but just keeps coming to the forefront of your mind.
Incessant.
Irritating.
Depressing really.

This is our last summer break.
This is the last time that for 4 months we get a little rest from the craziness that becomes our life.

And along with that,
probably our last summer in Utah as well.

And for that reason we decided we need to take advantage of as much family time as we can.
You'd think that point was a little unavoidable considering we LIVE with my family,
but this time I'm talking about Brian's family.

Brian's amazing grandpa just turned 90.
9-0.
NINETY!
Sorry... this is the only picture I have of Grandpa Haney
It's amazing really.

And to celebrate we all got together in Twin Falls, ID.
The BeAuTiFuL Twin Falls!
This was the first or second time I had met Brian's family.
The only other time I'd seen them was at our wedding ...
and well...
I was a bit distracted that day.

Needless-to-say,
It was a wonderful time to be with family and celebrate Grandpa Haney's AMAZING life!

We did his favorite things:

Played games

(first time I had played "Quiddler" and I BEAT grandpa... apparently that's quite the feat)

Ate lots of Ice Cream
Spent lots of time together as a family
Went river rafting
Went to the Twin Falls Temple

It was wonderful to say the least.
I hope next time we all get together will be as big of a party.
You GO Grandpa!!!!

Love much,
Bethie

July already?

2011-07-12T13:54:00.005-06:00

Now that July is in full swing,

I really feel like it's summer!
It might also be because July is my birthday month
(go cancerians!)
And celebrations are happening right and left.

Brian took me shopping last week.
It took a little persuasion on my part,
but he took me to the outlets in Park City.
They always have the most amazing deals.
And my new favorite stores.
(Corinne - I was thinking of you the whole time)
And we might have even found a few things for him too.

That night we hit up this elegant little place in Provo
(Thanks to the Browns for the recommendation!)
Communal.

It was a little pricey and we couldn't eat there every night,
but the food was fantastic and the atmosphere was so fun.

Then last night,
(After another round of shopping with my mom)
Brian took me to the "5 Browns" concert at Thanksgiving Point.
We had never seen them perform,
and we really wanted to see Greg before he and Aimee move to Chicago.

After bearing through the pre-show rain,
(Note: Brian's wet arm)
the clouds parted and the show went off without a hitch.
It was fantastic.
They all have so much energy while they play.
And Greg....
Well, we may be partial to him because we know him,
but his piece was a SHOW STOPPER!

Thanks for the great night, Greg!
Oh, and thanks to you too, honey!

Love much,
Beth

No Choice of their Own

2011-07-07T16:10:00.001-06:00

By Joseph Walker

Lauren and Travis chatted casually as they drove down the highway. It was past dark – a little darker than usual because of a missing street light or two. But their mood was light and the music on the CD player was upbeat. It was a great night to be young and alive.

Suddenly the calm peacefulness of the evening was shattered by a flash of humanity as something crashed into the hood of the car and flew over the windshield.

Something large.

Something human.

“What was that!” Travis shouted as Lauren pulled the car to a screeching stop.

“I don’t know!” Lauren shouted back, her voice quivering. “I didn’t see anything!”

“You stay here!” Travis said firmly as he leapt from the passenger seat and ran to see what – or who – they had hit. “Call 911!”

Travis’ mind was racing as he ran to the crumpled body laying in the middle of the road. Why hadn’t they seen the woman darting across the road? Lauren was a good, attentive driver. They weren’t doing anything crazy in the car. They weren’t texting on their phones or rocking out to the music. And since neither one of them ever drank or did drugs, there was no chemical impediment involved.

What had happened?

When Travis got to the body there was no sign of life. His Boy Scout first aid training flashed through his mind, but he didn’t know where to start. He remembered hearing that in critical situations it is sometimes better to do nothing than to do the wrong thing, so he stood over the young woman’s body and directed traffic around her until help could arrive.

Eventually an off-duty emergency medical technician came on the scene and stopped to help. He took over wtih the girl on the road was dead, and Travis rushed back to Lauren, who was beside herself with grief and anguish for what had happened.

“I didn’t see her!” Lauren sobbed. “I honestly didn’t see her!”

Travis cradled Lauren in his arms to comfort and calm her until police and paramedics arrived. Law enforcement officials immediately checked to see if drugs, alcohol, speeding or texting were involved. Travis and Lauren were cleared on all of those accounts. Sadly, the girl who was hit was not. She had both drugs and alcohol in her system. As police put together information, they determined that the girl had dashed out in a misguided attempt to cross the highway at a point where it was impossible for Lauren to see her, much less stop for her.

Clearly, it was a senseless, heart-breaking tragedy for all concerned.

I hurt for the tragic loss of life – especially one so young, with unknown potential. I hurt for the young woman’s family and friends, who must now cope with their painful loss. And I hurt for Lauren and Travis, whose thoughts and dreams will be haunted by the things they saw and experienced that night. They too are victims here, as they innocently bear burdens and anguish imposed upon them through no choice of their own.

We like to think our choices are just that: our choices – that they are nobody’s business but our own. But every day we make choices that not only have the potential to impact others, but to change lives forever. Whether it’s a choice to have one more drink, or to take an illegal drug, or to dart across an unlit highway, our choices have consequences for ourselves and others. Well used, this God-given gift of choice allows each of us the opportunity to make the world a better place in which to live. Used poorly, however, it can result in untold pain and sorrow.

And turn a good night to be young and alive into a good night to die.

No longer Independent....

2011-07-07T15:43:00.003-06:00

As the county is sobering up from an extended weekend of celebrating their freedom,

Brian and I are adjusting to loosing ours.
Kinda.
We've moved in with my parents to save some extra money before we graduate.
They are SO kind to open their house to us and we are grateful to be here with them.

Now on to the national independence day....
So we were able to celebrate the 4th of July with my family this year.
We always go to Kaysville to watch the parade, BBQ, and see the fireworks show.

I had to work so we came home after the BBQ.
But I only get to see this family once a year...
So it's always a party.
Brian and I aren't into all of the candy collecting
So we spent most of the parade watching the floats/advertisements avoid hitting all the children who were roaming the streets for every piece of candy they could pick up off the road.

And my favorite picture of the day?
Roman was just overwhelmed by the spirit of Independence!

HAPPY 4TH EVERYBODY!

Love much,
Beth

Father's Day Tribute

2011-06-19T16:21:00.004-06:00

I am admittedly a mama's boy. I always have been and I most likely always will be. If I ever have a problem or a question she is one of the first people that I call, although things have changed since I've been married, I now go to my beautiful wife first, my mom is still high on the list. All of that is probably due to the fact that until I was 6 I was able to spend every morning with her as she did her errands. She also spent a considerable amount of time as room mother once I was in school. She means the world to me.

But with that said, the older I get the more I appreciate what my Dad has been and done for me. From the time I was very young he was always there for me, even if not vocally. You see, my Dad and I were never buddy buddy like some kids are with their dads (at least how some Father/Son relationships seemed to me) but that's not the kind of guy he is...and in reality, it's not the type of kid I was. I never lacked a Dad when I needed him the most. His opinion always meant so much to me...so much in fact that for most of my childhood I had a shaved head and when I say shaved head I mean SHAVED head. According to my Dad the football players at the high school all shaved their heads and so because my dad wanted me to be a football player so did I.

In fact, I'm probably where I am right now because of my Dad. Sports were something we always had in common and that definitely rubbed off on me. It was with my Dad that I'd sit and watch Cowboys games in the early 90's as they rattled off championship after championship. It was with my Dad that I'd go down to the old Arlington stadium to watch Nolan Ryan pitch. It was my Dad who took me to the church and taught me the principles of basketball and how to actually use the backboard. He wanted me to excel so much and was ALWAYS at my games more so than even my mom (she always had some Relief Society thing to go to). My Dad is my biggest fan and I can't thank him enough for that.

My Mom was always at the forefront of my attention and I only wish I would have noticed my Dad's contribution earlier. Thankfully, I still am pretty young and can make up for all the times he sacrificed for me like the multiple times he hopped into one of my many cars, with and without air conditioning, in the middle of Summer to drive to and from Utah. On this Father's day I wish to honor him for that; For being the best Dad a kid could ever have. He did everything a good father is supposed to do. And now, as I'm closer to being a Father than I ever have been in my life (and no, she's not pregnant), I know that if I'm as good a dad as my own that everything will turn out just fine.

And for the first Father's day ever I'm blessed to have not just one great Dad but two. Our relationship is still just beginning but I couldn't have asked for a better father-in-law than the one that I have. He's just one more great example of what a good Father is supposed to be.

With that said, I want to wish both of my Father's and Father's everywhere a happy Father's day. I can't imagine a world without you (and wouldn't want to anyway).

I'm a Mormon

2011-06-08T21:46:00.006-06:00

So to prove that I'm not a complete waste as a contributor to this blog I thought that I would update you all with a little bit of what I've been up to over the last...well, I won't try and quantify how long it's been since the last time I posted something.

There's been a lot but I'll stick to one of the things that has been the most enjoyable to work on. About a month ago, like usual, Beth volunteered me to do a project for her dad who just so happens to be the Young Men's President of their ward. You see, every year they have a tradition of doing a little dinner for all of the graduating seniors where they give their parents the opportunity to say a few words about their son or daughter. That sounds lovely doesn't it? Well Beth's dad and his Bishop had a slightly different idea in mind for this year's dinner. That's where I come in.

You may or may not have seen one of the church's latest publicity campaigns entitled, "I'm a Mormon". Well, it's quite the intriguing little campaign that follows around ever day "normal" people, all of whom are a little more than normal if you ask me, that do a variety of things but all of one thing in common, they're all Mormons. I explain this to you because this is exactly what I had been enlisted to do for the Seniors in the Hillcrest 1st Ward in American Fork.

Overall it was a really fun experience. I followed around Beth's dad as he interviewed all of the Seniors. It was surprisingly really fun being there and learning all of their stories. I had never met any of them but after each 45 minute interview I felt like I had known them for years. I think that mostly had to do with how well my father-in-law did at interviewing them and making them feel comfortably with a camera shoved in their face and a stranger (me) behind it. They all opened up and, although different, each had a compelling story about how their membership in the church has affected their lives.

In the end, and after hours of work sitting at my computer editing, all of the projects turned out brilliantly and the best part is that they all seemed to like it. I think that's pretty impressive seeing how amusing a bunch of 18-year-olds is not the easiest thing in the world to do. Anyway, I guess it's time to stop talking about the project and just show you what it was and let you be the judge.

Enjoy!

I hope you liked them. Feel free to let me know what you think.

Gimme Some...

2011-05-29T23:56:00.006-06:00

So in my goals for the summer

I've decided to start a new blog in which I showcase some of my talents.
But since that is still under construction, I thought I'd showcase it here.

I grew up in a house with a very talented mother/chef/woman.
One of our traditions includes sitting around the table making/cutting/decorating sugar cookies.

Now, since I'm starting a new blog and I want to think of you all as family
I'm sharing a VERY SECRET family recipe.

Aunt Neala's Sugar Cookies
(along with tips for the newest of new bakers)

2 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening
1 Tbs white vinegar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp alt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs baking soda
5 cups flour

I like to save time by gathering all the ingredients at once.
This also cuts back on the repetitious refrigerator door opening.
Start by beating the sugar and shortening until combined and fluffy.
Tip Time: Line your measuring cup with plastic wrap for an easy shortening clean-up.
Add eggs, vinegar, salt and vanilla.
I also like to add a bit of almond extract as well for a little extra taste.
Beat these until combined.
Sift flour and baking soda together in a separate bowl.
Tip Time: I don't have a sifter, so I use a smaller measuring cup and just pour the flour into the correct measuring cup. This adds the appropriate amount of air and fluffiness to the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients... SLOWLY!
I usually add about 1/3 at a time.
Portion the dough off into 3 sections.
Roll out and cut.
Tip Time: For softer cookies, roll to about 1/3 inch thickness.
MAKE SURE all your cookies are the same thickness or they will bake differently.
Bake for 8-10 minutes @ 350.
Cool.
Tip Time: Seriously, these babies are best on day 3.
So I wrap them with a slice of bread to keep them soft and wait a while to frost.
Frost and ENJOY!
Now this spring sunshine is going to cheer up a friend in need!

Make 'em and tell me what you think!

Love much,
Beth

New Graves

2011-05-25T22:46:00.001-06:00

BY JOSEPH WALKER
To me, it was all about popularity.

That’s sort of the way my mind worked back in the days of the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Brothers Gibb. I liked to listen to popular music. I liked to watch popular TV shows. I liked to wear my hair the way the popular guys wore it. I wanted attention from the popular girls.

It was all about being popular, and the way I saw it, the more flowers on a grave on Memorial Day, the more popular the dearly departed person must have been. And if they were popular, then they must have been cool – or at the very least, groovy – and therefore worthy of significant time and floral attention.

Which meant that Grandma Walker was, sadly, uncool. Or at least, not very popular. She usually had three or four bouquets around her headstone – nice, but not . . . you know . . . groovy.

That surprised me a little. I didn’t have a lot of memories of my Grandma Walker, but the memories I had were pleasant and sweet. She was tiny, I remember that. And she always wore her hair back in a bun. And she was always smiling. She was a wonderful grandma, as far as I could remember.

But, evidently, not cool.

Who knew?

One Memorial Day we were visiting the cemetery when I noticed a grave not far from Grandma’s grave that was literally covered with flowers. I had never seen such a display. I was sure it was the grave of a movie star or a former president or a Mousketeer or something – the person underneath so many flowers had to be supremely popular.

I wandered over to check out the headstone, but there wasn’t one. Obviously, whoever this was, it was someone of such immense popularity that the grave didn’t even need a headstone. I was embarrassed that I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure how to find out without revealing my own ignorance. So I asked someone who already knew I was ignorant: Mom.

“Well, I can’t actually tell you who is buried there,” she said. “But I’m pretty sure it isn’t anyone famous. People who are famous don’t get buried here.”

“Then why are there so many flowers?” I asked. “There aren’t any other graves in this cemetery with that many flowers.”

She stopped arranging the lilacs and chrysanthemums she was preparing for Uncle Max’s grave and looked at me gently.

“That’s a new grave,” she said. “Whoever is buried there probably died in the last week or so. All of those flowers you see there are left over from the funeral.”

The thought sort of spooked me. Mom could see it in my eyes, so she put her arm around my shoulder and tried to explain.

“New graves are special,” she said. “They tell us that someone recently made the trip home to God. And they tell us where there is new sorrow for people who have recently lost someone they love. So you can’t do any running and playing around here today. There’s a new grave, and we need to be quiet and respectful.”

Mom’s words are echoing in my mind as I prepare for Memorial Day this year. While I visit her grave to pay my respects to her this weekend, I’ll also be thinking of dozens of new graves in Joplin, Mo., and elsewhere, and the new sorrow those graves represent. And I’ll offer a prayer for God’s comfort and peace for all who are visiting new graves this Memorial Day.

Quietly and respectfully.

Voting....

2011-05-22T17:33:00.004-06:00

Alright....

This girl needs a change.

So... I'm counting on my faithful followers.

My WONDERFUL stylist,
aka twin
aka sister
Is moving soon so I need to make a decision about my upcoming hair appointments.

Short?
Long?
Red?
Blonde?
Sorry for the random pictures... Some are super old :)

OK folks...

Help me out!

READY...
Set...
VOTE!

Love much,
Beth

Losing...

2011-05-22T17:24:00.002-06:00

I know I haven't blogged in a while
And this post isn't about much...

Just that I've lost 6 pounds.

Amazing what eating healthy can do... right?

Summer Lovin'

2011-05-11T10:13:00.005-06:00

I can check off item #1 from my summer list.

Brian and I had a great time babysitting.
We also ended up not killing any of the kids which is a plus.

We got in about midnight so all the kiddos were in bed.
Tommy (10 months) greeted Brian in the morning like this.
Tommy is the sweetest little boy you will ever meet.
He seriously is so loving and doesn't care who is holding him.
As long as he gets fed.
He DEFINITELY likes his food.
Kinda like Brian.
No wonder they got along so well.

The first day we were there, we went with the whole family to Busch Gardens.
Becky (11) and JJ (9)
Brian became the hero at Busch Gardens when he won this GIANT dinosaur during a shooting game.
Which both my dad and brother lost.
So basically after $60... we got this dinosaur for FREE!!!
Don't you love arcade games?

After a wonderful Easter weekend, Brian and I hit up downtown DC.
My brother Joe flew us out a little early so that we could do some touring before we tended the little ones.
The first museum Brian wanted to hit?
National Air and Space Museum.
Brian wanted to read everything and take in all the facts.
Seriously?
I thought his brain was going to explode.

We went through a tour of the Capitol.
We tried several downtown cupcakeries.
We visited basically every museum.
And our favorite?
Well of course...
The Newseum.
Seriously it was awesome!
They have pieces of the Berlin Wall.
And other historic events that were covered and/or influenced by news outlets.
Plus they have this awesome view of downtown.

So after we played, it was time to knuckle down and become parents.
For 3 days.

On day, after getting the 3 oldest girls off to school we took the two boisterous ones to a nearby museum.
Full of boy things.
And as Dallin (2) would say it was was full of "air-pwanes and rockets and miss-os."
LOVE HIM!
And might I say this two are the cutest!
He looks like a Dad already, right?
:)

It was a busy couple of days... THAT'S FOR SURE.
It was a great experience and it was fun to let Brian bond with my nieces and nephews that he doesn't get to see very often.

And what did I learn about tending 5 kids?

I could probably handle one.
Maybe.

But...
Now it's back to the grind of things.
Work. Reading. Blogging.

Love much,
Beth

Looking Forward

2011-04-18T23:19:00.004-06:00

Brian and I have had so much fun these last couple months.

We both were the busiest we've ever been before.
But we've also accomplished more than we have ever accomplished.

And to carry on with that tradition...
Here are our plans for this summer:

1. Friday we leave on a trip to DC to babysit these guys for a few days. This means we'll also be spending Easter in DC with my parents
(who are currently vacationing back East)
and my uncles who live in MD/VA.
Some how I have to figure out how to pack 3 dozen orange rolls in my carry-on without turning them into tortillas.
(Joe's request.... how can I say "no" to him?)

2. Create a website for my write of a father.
When we bought our new computer we bought the adobe web design package with plans of doing this.... We'll see how it goes.

3. Complete P90X's 90-day challenge.
We've started this 2 times before and we always get too busy to work-out for an hour each day or we get just plain old burnt-out.
I have 30 lbs. to loose and Brian would like to gain about that much.
We started today... and so far so good.
Thanks to my wonderful calorie counting app that helps me keep track of everything.
Have I mentioned how much I love technology?

4. Save enough money to buy Final Cut for my nerd of a husband.
He spends all his "free" time playing with computer and video programs and he absolutely loves it.
This picture is one he took on his mission and the edited and photoshopped to make it look like a small scale village.
Amazing stuff right?

5. Move...
Not far away... but we'll talk more on this later.

6. Celebrate our 1 year anniversary in Florida.
My sister Andrea is working for Disney down there and we want to go see her and my adorable nephew.
Plus free Disneyworld Trip?
How do you turn that down?

7. Launch a new blog.
I'm not going to get into any of the nitty-gritty right now because I'm still working out the kinks.
But thanks to Corinne for helping me come up with this wonderful idea.

8. Help with the creation of a new KBYU sports show.
This one is mostly just Brian.
(We'll vote later on names.... got any suggestions for a Utah High School Football Show?)

9. Get Brian a smart phone.
I feel bad for the kid... really I do.

10. Read *5* books off of the "Classics" list.
But it's hard to spend the money on the good books when I find interesting no-name books at Big Lots for $0.50.
It's a rough life I lead.... really.... it is.

Well that's the end of the list for us.
I'm sure we'll find plenty of other things to keep us busy as well.
But for tonight, sitting and cuddling and watching a movie with my husband and low-calorie popcorn sounds like heaven.
And I'm off.

Love much,
Beth

"Schools out....

2011-04-17T16:26:00.002-06:00

... for summer!"

But before we start into the sunny summer,
we got together to celebrate the success of the wonderful program Brian and I are in!
I mentioned the awards Brian and I were receiving.
Last week we got them!
I was probably more excited for Brian and his achievements than I was for myself.
Funny what love does to you, right?

The next day we went to an SPJ conference in Salt Lake. It was hosted by the University of Utah and I must say.... we are so much better than them. I don't get into this argument very often, but seriously? We blew everyone out of the water with our appearance, awards, and experience.Brian won second place for a sports story that he did a year ago. YAY!
I'm so proud of my husband and the great talent he has.

To celebrate the last day of classes and Spring Break for my niece,
my sister Amy and I took Sami to the Provo Beach Resort.
It was a lot of fun and I recommend it for a good date night experience.
Well guys, this beautiful weather has got me itching for some summer fun.
Stay tuned for a list of the many things WE want to accomplish this summer.

Love much,
Beth

Nar-lins

2011-04-04T22:24:00.003-06:00

So... if you guys haven't realized this by now....

my life is pretty lame.

Which is probably why I haven't posted in like a week.

BUT
Brian's life is fun.
He got to go cover BYU in the Sweet Sixteen.
Lucky Duck.

Since I couldn't go because I had to be the "responsible one" and stay to work, I made him promise to take lots of pictures.

I guess his idea of "lots of pictures" is 5.

So here they are.

Boys: Be jealous.

Ya.... That's Jimmer behind him!
This is the Press Room... Oh, the MADDNESS!
This is where they set-up for the remote shoot!
It's surreal to see that big "Y" on the tournament screen.

What a wonderful season to be a part of... certainly the best in many, many years!

Sharing

2011-03-24T14:48:00.004-06:00

Brian and I are pretty good at sharing.

See... we even share our awards!
Brian is will receive his scholarship at this luncheon.
And yours truly is getting a Society of Professional Journalists award given to an outstanding journalism student.

It's so fun to be able to share this moment together.
And be happy for each other.
YAY for sharing!
YAY for cash money's!!!

Love much,
Beth

ValueSpeak

2011-03-23T11:39:00.001-06:00

IT GETS WORSE – AND BETTER

By Joseph Walker

My colleague, Sharie, was tired. You could see it in her eyes, on her face and in the way she walked. She was weary. Worn down. Exhausted. Drained.

No question about it: a classic case of NPSS. You know: New Parent Shock Syndrome.

“Long night with the baby?” I asked.

She nodded. “I think he’s teething,” she said.

I understood. I had been there myself. Five times, in fact (well, OK – six; but I don’t remember much about the first time because I was the one doing the teething). So I tried to say something encouraging. Something compassionate. Something soothing.

“Well, brace yourself,” I said. “It gets worse.”

This was not what Sharie wanted to hear. Her eyes started to glaze over, and I thought I could detect a slight shudder. So of course, I continued.

“Yeah, teething is tough,” I acknowledged. “But wait until potty training. And the first day of school. And puppy love. And the raging hormones of adolescence.” I paused as one small tear trickled down her cheek.

“Yeah,” I continued with wizened sagacity, “it gets a whole lot worse.”

She looked at me curiously. “If it’s so tough,” she said, “why are you smiling?”

I wasn’t aware that a smile had betrayed the memories that were flooding my mind as I spoke, and I tried to wipe it away. But then I thought about our youngest, Jon, “anointing” his big brother, Joe, as only a potty-training 3-year-old can do the first time Joe tried to help the little guy do his

duty, and once again I felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

“Well, OK,” I said, chuckling, “I guess potty training isn’t so bad. At least it doesn’t seem so bad now that I look back on it.”

“But what about the first day of school?” Sharie wanted to know.

“Well, the thing about the first day of school is . . .” I stopped to remember how I anguished over our eldest daughter AmyJo’s first day of school, and whether or not she was ready for bullies, dodge ball and cutting up her own meat when she ate school lunch (the answers, it turns out, were “yes,” “yes,” and “who cares about cutting meat when you’ve got perfectly good fingers that can rip and tear?”). “Well,” I said with a bemused sigh, “I guess school isn’t that traumatic, now that I think about it.”

“And puppy love?”

“Now puppy love is really, really . . .” Suddenly I remembered Andrea’s written response to the third-grade boy who asked her to be his girlfriend (“I like you, Nick,” she wrote, “but I’m not ready for this.”). And the time Beth pretty much clocked the 5-year-old neighbor who tried to give her her first kiss. “. . . well, that’s actually really fun,” I had to admit.

“And adolescence?”

By now even I could see the trend that was developing. I shrugged and smiled.

“Adolescence has its moments,” I said. “But it also has . . . well, other moments, too. It’s just that for some reason, when you’re going through it, the bad moments seem REALLY bad. But then time passes, and when you look back at it from a distance, the things you remember are the good times, and the bad stuff doesn’t seem so bad. Or so important.”

Sharie nodded, and a slight, tired smile brought new life to her face. “I’m sure you’re right,” she said. “It’s just hard to remember at 3 o’clock in the morning with a fussy baby in your arms. But I guess from your perspective you can even look back on teething with fondness.”

I thought about that for a second.

“Nope,” I said. “Sorry.”

Hey, there are some things that even time and perspective can’t improve.

###

What the Homemaker?

2011-03-22T22:27:00.003-06:00

When did I become an adult?
When did I start doing these things that I grew up watching my mom do?
What am I talking about?

Well my day went a little something like this.

I woke up bright and early to get ready for work.
I got ready.
As we're rushing out the door I remembered I have to take dinner to a sister in my ward tonight.
I throw stuff together to fix when I get home.
I go to work.

I get home from work.
Throw the stuff in the oven and do the dishes from the mess I just made.
Run the food to the sister and chat with her for a minute.

Rush home to start dinner for my guests and me.
Get dinner cooking and wash the dishes I made from making dinner.

Start on the cookies that I owe to people in my ward:
1: Our landlords son who fixed our heater
2: The wonderful lady who accompanied Brian and I this last Sunday during our song.

Finish the cookies.
Breathe for a minute while I lick the beaters.
Set the table for dinner.
Take dinner out of the oven.
Put cookies in the oven.
Eat dinner.
Rotate the different trays of cookies in and out of the oven while trying to eat my dinner before it gets cold.

Finish dinner.
Stow away leftovers.
THANK my guests for cleaning up the dinner dishes and help dry.

Finish frosting cookies.
Sit down and blogstalk about other creative, crafty, cheap things I can make for my house.

Ignore homework.

Blog.

See what I mean?
Busy... yes.
Fulfilling.... Double Yes!
I know I have said this before but the events of these past few days and conversations I have had with friends have made me realize how GRATEFUL I am that I had a mom who taught me how to manage a household and plan out meals wisely.
Oh and who was the BEST example of CHARITY anyone can ask for.

Just call me MOM....

... well.... not literally....

:)

Love much,
Beth

Taylor Tribute

2011-03-13T21:30:00.000-06:00

Our major is full of absolutely wonderful people.

The problem?
They all seem to be leaving us behind in Utah.
The latest one to leave?

The Jake Taylor.

Never heard of him?
Well... You're very lucky that you are my friend and are reading this right now because SOMEDAY this guy is going to be famous.
I'm telling you.
It's true.
See for yourself.

Jake got a job in Pocatello.
And he's going to rock it there.
Watch out Idaho!

Luckily he's not going to be all alone.
I know of at least 2 other BYU Alum that are working at that station.
And even one person who is applying to work up there as well.
So it will definitely be a party.

Speaking of parties....
We couldn't let Jake leave without celebrating him.
And all his favorite things.

Ice Cream.
Us.Batman.Dr. Horrible's Sing-along blog.

And some really good conversations.

Warning: This next part may only mean something to those who were there.
Mark: I wonder if we could all sit in a room together and never say a word.
Beth: I don't think some of us could sit in a room by ourselves and not say anything.
(Brian and Mark raise their hands.)

Jake: I HAD TOO MUCH FIBER!

Kika: Hair! Stickshift! Hair! Stickshift! Hair!

Jake: You know? Bananas is a hard word. You have to count the "ana's." Banas. Dang it! Banananas. Dang it!

Mark: Wait.... you guys are married? I thought you were testing some new honor code pilot program?

Needless to say... Jake... We are going to miss you.
We wish you the best and can't wait to "like" your KIFI fan page.
And one last shout-out.
Never want to forget this.

It's more funny if you have seen the original PSA. Which we CONSTANTLY see during our newscast commercial breaks.

WE LOVE YOU JAKE TAYLOR!

Love much,
Beth

A pay off

2011-03-11T00:40:00.008-07:00

A very good one.

Where do I start?

I started working in a new department at work.
It's not necessarily a better job, but just something new.
And I love learning new things.

Brian and I have spent a lot more time together this week because our both our schedules were somewhat light.
(Which means we both only worked about 30 hours so far)
And we still aren't sick of each other.
That's good, right?

I found a new TV series on Netflix that I love.

I finalized my internship for this summer.
I will be working with KUTV 2 doing all sorts of fun things here in Salt Lake.
Brian is still searching for his... but we're thinking he'll be in Dallas for a couple months.

Brian found out he got a scholarship for Fall Semester.
Which means we may be to put food on our table without having to sell our kidneys.
And you... you out there... you know who you are.
THANK YOU for the part you played in all of this.
I don't think we'll ever be able to tell you thank you enough.
For everything you've done.

It's so nice to see all of our hard work, long hours, and stressful weeks finally paying off.
And BOY is it a good feeling to know that we are going to be so prepared when we go out into the work force.
I love that our major is hands-on and that good things happen to those who work hard.

I love that I married such a hard worker.
And that I was raised to work for what I want.

P.S. Remember this?
Ya... guess what I got in the mail today?
I know... My sister-in-law is amazing.

Love much,
Beth

Ash Wednesday

2011-03-09T09:08:00.004-07:00

I'm bossy.

I will be the first to admit it.

I have attitude like out the waa-zoo and sometimes can't contain it.

And my wonderful husband will be the last to admit it... simply because he knows better.

He is more care-free and doesn't get uptight like I do.

But this post isn't about confession.... it's about improvement.

Last night Brian reminded me that today is the first day of lent.

Ash Wendesday.

Simply put: giving up something to be more God-like.

I always thought people who gave up chocolate or sugar or Dr. Pepper for lent were crazy.

Who would subject themselves to that?

I mean... if you couldn't keep your new year's resolution, what makes you think you can keep this goal?

ANYWAYS....

I suggested to Brian that we each give up something for lent.

I was thinking something silly like eating-out or something that would cut back on money expenses.

Brian's response:

Beth, lent isn't superficial.... It's about giving up a vice and working to improve yourself.

Beth:

OK then.... what vice would you like to give up?

Brian:

I don't have any I need to work on.

Beth:

*rolls her eyes"

(Yes.... he's still learning...)

This got me thinking though.

If I could choose one vice to get rid of, what would it be?

What holds me back the most?

What's ruining my relationship with my husband?

Yup....

I'm too bossy.

I try to control everything.

I try to manage everyone.

And I hate not knowing what's going on.

I want to be less bossy.

I want to be less competitive.

I want to be more loving and understanding to my employees and students.

I want to be someone that people can turn to and know they'll be understood, not judged.

I don't want to be the manager or producer that everyone is afriad of becuase I'm so "intimidating."

I want to do stuff for myself rather that continually asking for "favors" from my husband.

Do not fear; I'm not giving up who I am.

I just want to lighten up who I am.

Just a bit.

Love much,

Beth

The Cougar Faithful

2011-02-28T16:55:00.005-07:00

For those of you who haven't noticed yet....SPORTS are a pretty big deal in our home.
The first and last website Brian looks at every day is ESPN.com.
(Specifically the Dallas/Fort Worth page)
He talks about sports constantly, he reads about sports constantly, and he writes about sports constantly.
Even in term papers.
Ask Brother Curtis.
He will confirm this point.

BUT
Brian is very good at prioritizing.
He doesn't let his sport addiction get in the way of church.
Or me.
For the most part.

I'm used to sports.
I never actually played them... but I'm a big fan of, well, being a fan.
I love the emotion and energy that exists in any sports arena or playing field.
It's also fun to yell at the refs from your couch, knowing they can't hear you, but thinking it may change the outcome of the game anyway.
So...
REALLY.... I don't mind.

We were having an interesting conversation the other day though.
BYU teams are very clear in their Sunday Play beliefs.
We DO NOT play on Sundays.
Ever.
The NCAA tournament recognizes this fact and makes sure that BYU is never scheduled for a Sunday game.

But there is one thing they forgot to schedule around this year.

General Conference.

If BYU makes it all the way to the Final Four... some of the games are on Conference Saturday.

Probably during Priesthood.

And Brian would go to Houston to cover the games for our department.

And possibly miss conference sessions.

But conference sessions are re-printed, right?

Women never listen to the Priesthood meeting, but are able to read about it later.

Can men play by the same rules?

On the other side, there is this wonderful new invention called DVR.

Guys can record the game, got to Priesthood, then come home and yell at the TV without knowing any different.

However, if your family is similar to mine...

The boys have said that if BYU is in the Final Four.... they're going to Houston to watch.

Which means they catch the sessions later.

I mean, some areas of the world don't get the sessions til a week or two late.

Justifications?

Maybe.

But how "Cougar Faithful" are we?

And what does "Cougar Faithful" even mean?

Just some thoughts for you and your man.

Love much,

Beth

Girlies

2011-02-27T11:43:00.005-07:00

I don't usually get along with girls well.

I can count on one had how many really close girl-friends I've ever had.
But I definitely lucked-out when I picked my major.
There are so many wonderful, talented, beautiful people that I've come to love.

Brian is out of town for the SDSU game and one of my closest girl-friends has a husband that travels a lot for work as well.
So we decided it was time for some good, solid girl time.

My home-making self went crazy!
Cheese fondue and all the fixings.
Chocolate fountain (borrowed from Mom and Dad) and all the dippings.
Oreo cheesecakes.
Home-made cookies.
Mocktails.
Now.... I didn't make everything, but let me tell you, it was quite the spread.It really was a blast to get together with other passionate, driven, energetic women
Attention all other broadcast girls: You were invited.... You missed out....

BUT
We've decided to make a tradition of this.
Brian's out of town next month for the NCAA tourney.
Who's in?

Love much,
Beth

Valuespeak

2011-02-23T07:53:00.003-07:00

A LITTLE ACT OF KINDNESS

It was a dark and stormy night.

No, really – it was. Dark and cold, with a mid-winter snow storm swirling about, blanketing the world with its oppressively heavy wetness.

And not just outside. Inside my soul it was dark and stormy, too. It had been one of those days – you know what I mean? Nothing terribly tragic, just lots of hassle and frustration. Long, boring, unproductive meetings at work. Starter problems with the car. Bills. Children of various ages, with various problems and struggles. A nagging cold.

You know – dark stuff. Stormy stuff. Inside, and out.

As tough as the day had been for the inner me, it was the “out” part that was really bugging me as I made my way down the snow-covered street to the church, where I had a meeting. I’ve lived in snow country most of my life, but I’ve never developed much affection for what I consider to be a white, fluffy annoyance. Maybe it’s because I don’t ski; I could never understand why anyone would want to go out and intentionally get cold and wet. I think I inherited this attitude from my Mom, who used to say that the best place to be during a Rocky Mountain snowstorm is indoors.

In San Diego.

My meeting at the church went reasonably well. I almost forgot about the slush that was running down my leg and into my sock as a result of the spill I took on the un-shoveled sidewalk that led from the parking lot into the church. I was getting ready to go home when I heard the unmistakable sound of spirited teenage boys coming into the building.

“Hey, guys – what’s going on?”

They weren’t expecting to see me, and they were trying to hide something behind them. “Uh . . . nothin’,” the smallest of the four teenagers said. “We’re just . . . uh . . . coming in to . . . uh . . . get a drink of water.”

“Yeah,” another boy said. “We need some water.”

“We’re thirsty,” added a third.

“Uh-huh,” I said. “I can see where you’d get thirsty out there in that hot, dry weather.”

The boys laughed nervously. I would have laughed, too, but I wasn’t really in a laughing mood. “Come on in and get a drink,” I said. “I’m locking up, and I need to get going.”

“Well, we need to go, too,” said the shortest boy. “We can get water at my house.”

“Yeah,” said one of the other boys. “You’ve got really good water.”

The boys all turned and ran toward the street as fast the ice, snow and the snow shovels (snow shovels?) they were carrying would allow. I could hear them laughing and speaking loudly to each other as I clicked off the lights in the church and pulled the locked door shut behind me.

As I walked out to my car I noticed that something was different in the parking lot. The sidewalk had been scraped clean of snow and ice, and a thin layer of rock salt had been spread across the cement. I smiled as a mathematical equation formed in my non-mathematical mind: boys plus shovels plus clean walks equals a mid-winter service project.

No wonder they were thirsty, I thought as I smiled a refreshing, heart-felt smile.

When I got to where my car was parked I had to stop and laugh out loud. One of the boys had shoveled a path all the way from the sidewalk to the door of my car. He had even cleared away a little spot for me to stand while I unlocked my car and climbed in. Suddenly, my day didn’t seem nearly so dreary, and the night didn’t seem nearly so cold.

It was just a little act of kindness, requiring no more than a few minutes worth of shoveling. But somehow it was enough to make a difference for me.

Even on a dark and stormy night.

Converted

2011-02-22T23:11:00.004-07:00

Last week was a long week.
Work was crazy. School was stressful. And it seemed like bad news waited at every corner.
This took a huge toll on my already stressful life.
And Brian really noticed.

(That poor guy gets it the worst when I have a bad week. Sorry BABE!)

Anyways.... I came home from work Thursday night in tears.
I can handle stress. I feel like I THRIVE on it.
But Thursday night...I broke.
A *JERK* came up to me and lectured me for 3 minutes about how ridiculously small the salad plates are.
Same complaint. Same response. Nothing I can do about it. Nothing new.
But this man would not back down.
He began to rip into me. I felt degrated. I felt dishonest. I felt like a failure.
And I don't EVER feel that way.
I braved through the rest of the conversation, trying to do everything I could to make this guy happy.
Then I ran to the manager's office, closed the door, and fell apart.
I didn't know what was happening. It wasn't like me at all.
But I put on a brave face and *tried* to make it through the rest of the night.
Not very successfully I might add.
When I got home, Brian suggested that maybe I was just completely exhausted and needed to go to sleep.
I thought maybe he was just being insensitive and didn't want to deal with me anymore.
But it turns out he was right.

And I slept for a long time.

I skipped my 2 classes Friday morning and so all I had to do was be on campus at 10 to start directing the show.
And the show went pretty well... which added to my good mood.
Then a bit of shopping and running errands with my hubby.
So nice.
Until I got more disappointing news.... which made me break down again.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME?!?!?!?
I have NEVER been the girl that cries at the drop of a dime. I'm tough. I can handle a lot of things.
So what was wrong?
I didn't know. But I didn't have much time to figure it out because I worked all Friday night.
SO, fighting back the tears, I went to work, promising myself to not think about anything but the customers and doing my job correctly.
It was a good, busy shift and time passed quickly.
Soon it was time for me to go, so I headed out to my car and found this.....

I love that I married a "writer." His ability to express himself through words is SO attractive!

I couldn't believe it... my husband was the most thoughtful person in the world.He knows me so well and knew exactly what would make me feel better.
In the note he left he wrote, "PS- There is a surprise waiting at home."
SURPRISE?
He'd planned surprises before so I thought it was a nice bubble bath or homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese (My fav!)
I was NOT expecting this.....

BYU threw in the printer for free.... who knew?

I still can't believe it!
We've been planning and saving for one of these for a while, but had decided that we'd wait til the end of the semester and look at money again before we bought.
So... I was COMPLETELY shocked.
And in love.
All at the same time.
But in my *fragile* and emotional state, do you know what sent me over and made me break down?

Socks.
New black work socks.
My other ones were so worn out and had HUGE holes in the heels. And my sweet husband bought me new ones.
Cheesey.... I know.

I love that he loves me.... even in my nasty funny work clothes

So last week ended up not being so bad after all.
And I am "totally, completely, relentlessly in love" with my Mac.
Er... Our Mac.
Love much,
Beth

PS - Who can tell me the movie that the quote 4 lines up is from?

Valuespeak

2011-02-17T08:21:00.002-07:00

MINING FOR INTERPERSONAL GOLD

George was my best friend in elementary school.

Which is not to say I didn’t have other friends. I did. I grew up with a great bunch of guys: Albert, Ron and Don (yeah, they were twins), Dean and Kenny, to name just five. We tended to do things as a group (did someone say “pack”?) whenever we could – riding bikes, playing basketball and football, building forts in empty lots, sledding and stealing . . . er, borrowing raspberries from Grandma Hayes’ raspberry bushes.

But when we couldn’t get the guys all together, George and I always managed to find a way to hang out. We climbed the fruit trees in his yard. We teased his little sister Patty and my big sister Kathy. We played army. We played one-on-one football (I was the huge one that he couldn’t bring down; he was the speedy one that I couldn’t catch). We spied on Gayle.

In fact, Gayle was the only thing we ever fought about. Gayle was my on-again, off-again girlfriend (we liked each other in 3^rd, 5^th and 7^th grades, so it was on, off, on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again, to be technically correct). George kind of liked her, too – but it was awkward for him, because they were sort of relatives (I never really understood HOW they were related – just that they were). So he wasn’t supposed to like her – it was against the commandments or the Beatitudes or something – but he kind of did. And it was upsetting to him when I told him about playing kissing games with Gayle in her back yard.

Yes, Gayle – I told George. I know I told you that I didn’t, but I did.

There. I feel better getting that off my chest, even though it took me 48 years to do it.

The thing is, I told George pretty much everything back then. That’s just the way it was with us. We’d sit up there in one of his trees, or we’d lie on our backs in his backyard (which was way better than my backyard) and look up at the clouds, and we’d talk. We talked about everything, and we knew everything about each other. He knew about that “men’s” magazine I had stolen a few . . . well, OK, maybe a dozen . . . peeks at. I knew about the homework assignment he had cheated on. And we schemed together about how to get Kathy to marry one of his older brothers – Vic or Dave, it didn’t really matter to us. We just wanted to be family.

You know – sort of like him and Gayle were. Whatever that meant.

At one point in our friendship our moms got together and decided we were seeing way too much of each other. As I recall, this came around the time that we started inviting each other over for dinner every day. George’s family had their big meal at lunchtime, and we had our big meal in the evening. So every day for about a week we ate two big meals a day. We were in heaven – but our moms had had enough. We couldn’t see each other or talk on the phone for a week. It was hard – we both went through a sort of withdrawal. But at the end of the week everything was the same as it was, only we were both down to one big meal per day.

Eventually junior high put the distance between us that our mothers couldn’t. We were still friends, but we started hanging with different groups (in other words, I was a band nerd and George wasn’t – end of story). We still said “hi” in the halls and we talked at church and stuff, but it was never really the same. We drifted further apart in high school, and have only bumped into each other occasionally after that. Still, it was sobering when Gayle sent me an e-mail yesterday to let me know that George had died. Even though I haven’t seen him in years, I felt an emptiness and a sadness that I never would have anticipated. Evidently the bonds forged while playing in fruit trees and lying on your back looking at clouds are strong.

And today I find myself wishing I had made an effort to communicate with George or to go to dinner with him or something. You know what I mean? I’m not riddled with guilt or angst or anything like that – I’d just like to spend some time with an old, dear friend. Only now I can’t.

Maybe there’s a George in your life, too. I know – our lives are all busy, and we have so much to do with work and family and current relationships that we have little time to go searching for friends in our past. I understand that. But if it’s true, as the poet Joseph Parry wrote, that we should “make new friends, but keep the old; those are silver; these are gold” . . . well, maybe we should try to find some time now and then to mine for a little interpersonal gold.

Which reminds me . . . I wonder what Albert is up to these days?

A Love Day

2011-02-15T11:14:00.004-07:00

February 14.

One year ago.

The first time he told me he loved me.

Sounds so cliche right?

It was perfect.

And so was Valentine's Day this year.

Well.... besides the huge Art History test we had to take.

Our teacher was FULL of love.... right?

NOT!

We both did well on our tests and then went home and worked out.

Which was good because we worked up quite the appetite.

THANKFULLY....

Brian made reservations at our favorite restaurant.We love this place.

And nobody knows about it.

Which makes it even better.

Thanks to the love of my life for a wonderful evening!

Love much,

Beth

Reunion...

2011-02-15T10:32:00.004-07:00

I really didn't know what to expect.

I'd only met them once.

If that.

But these guys were Brian's best friends in high school.

And they hadn't gotten together in probably 5 years.

So they invited themselves over to my house for a bit of a reunion.

And so we gathered... and talked... and most importantly....

... we ate!
Thanks to a wonderful, amzing cook in my parents' ward for the food.

Well, she didn't MAKE it

but she gave me the recipe book to make it happen.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Pancetta, Leeks, and Thyme

AMAZING!!!

Here are the 4 amigos

It was so fun to see them together and hear all of their funny stories.

Here are *3* of them with their one, true loves.

Thanks everybody for coming over and helping with the food.

Let's not wait another 4 years to get together again.

Love much,

Beth

I want to be Jimmered!

2011-02-11T23:29:00.003-07:00

Made my night...
Hope it makes yours too...

Coco and Cocoa

2011-02-10T20:58:00.006-07:00

So I have some pretty talented in-laws.

My mother-in-law does catering.
(Well... DID catering... she's in the process of "retiring" but is in such high demand she's finding it hard to keep saying "no.")
My brother-in-law is a carpenter.
Or something.
I don't know if that's what he actually likes to be called.
He is AMAZING at making furniture out of basically nothing... and he's currently going to school to improve his talents.Well his wife is awesome as well. She knits and crochets and sews all sorts of different things.
And today I happened upon these.
Aren't they adorable? Cute little owls....
Maybe it's all this cold weather we've been experiencing, but I think I can't survive without one of these anymore.
Anybody else what one?
Click here.
Now I just need to come up with my own talent so I can fit into this family better.

Love much,
Beth

Playing Catch Up....

2011-02-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

SO.... I know that I haven't been the best blogger this year. I'm super busy!

But you don't want excuses....

you want pictures!

So this post will be loaded with them.....

Hold on tight, here we go....

Like I've mentioned in an earlier post, all of my brothers and sisters came out to for Jon's "Farewell."

And we took advantage of having everyone here.

Can you say "PAR-TAY?"

The girls - minus Amy.... she came later.

And the boys.... I've never thought this before, but they all look like they could be related.... right?

The "Farewell" was awesome.

My parents decided to throw a party for Jon and his friends the Saturday before his "farewell" talk.

It ended up being a blast. They could all talk and laugh and eat and be dramatic and nobody was "shushing" them in the chapel.

I highly recommend this route for any upcoming missionaries.

Next up....

My man's 24th Birthday!

Brian's favorite cake = Red Velvet

My experience BAKING a Red Velvet cake = 0

Thanks to the wonderful Natalie Tripp, I got a hold of an awesome recipe.

But it was challenging making a cake form scratch.


This is everything for the cake... minus the cocoa. Who knew Red Velvet needed cocoa? Thanks to my wonderful neighbor who lent some to this girl in DIRE need.

All 3 layers cooling... PERFECTO!

The finished product... after a few slices were very much enjoyed.. I'm pretty proud of my first attempt.

One very happy Birthday Boy!

Last but not least....

My handsome little brother with the strongest spirit and testimony one could as for left us. He's now out on the greatest adventure he's ever been on.

Funny how I never appreciated him when he was here... and now I wish I could just sit down and talk with him some more.

The whole crew at Tucano's before we say good-bye. We'll all look a little different next time he's in a picture with us.

Wonderful parents... wonderful brother.... wonderful picture.

Well.... as you can see, we've been pretty busy.

I'm getting weekly letter from Jon and have posted them on his blog.

So you can all keep updated on his shenanigans.

Love much,

Beth

Connections...

2011-01-26T12:21:00.004-07:00

I hope to post some of my own exciting adventures soon, but for now.... here are a couple of updates from the other writers in my family.
Jon went into the MTC one week ago today. I still can't believe he's gone. It probably won't hit me for a couple weeks. BUT it has hit him that he's leaving. Click HERE for his latest Missionary Moments.

Also.... ValueSpeak: This one will really make you think about what you expect out of life.

HOTLINES, M&Ms AND INSTANT GRATIFICATION

Joseph Walker

In my real world job (as opposed to the world of newsprint and electronic signals in which we meet each week to share thoughts, experiences and ideas), I close roads.

Well, OK, technically I don’t actually close the roads. I just tell people that the engineers and construction workers with whom I’m employed are going to close the roads. Of course, we also build new roads and repair old roads. But nothing captures the imagination of the traveling public quite like telling them that we’re going to close a road that they frequently use.

Oh yes. Their responses to that news can be VERY imaginative. Trust me on this. I’m the one they call on the construction hotline to be . . . you know . . . imaginative with.

Like yesterday. A major reconstruction project on a state road required that we close two of the three access roads to a big subdivision. It wasn’t something we wanted to do – we recognized that it would make things awkward for folks in that area for a few months. But because of the nature of the work we needed to do – I won’t go into it here because, frankly, I don’t understand it myself – we didn’t really have a choice.

But the lady who called me at 6:30 in the morning didn’t see it that way.

“Of course you have a choice,” she said. “There’s always a choice. But you just take the easiest way, and you don’t care how much you inconvenience the people who pay your salaries.”

I tried to explain how these closures would enable us to get more work done faster than we could do it otherwise, which would allow us to make the bigger, wider, more efficient

highway available to her and to other motorists that much sooner – perhaps as soon as April.

“I don’t care about April!” she said. “I care about right now! And right now you are making my life miserable!”

I’ve been doing this long enough that I don’t take comments like that personally. She wasn’t really saying that I am, individually and specifically, making her life miserable – only my wife Anita knows me well enough to be able to make that claim. But as I hung up the phone, her words resonated in my ears: “I don’t care about April! I care about right now!”

In my mind I went back in time about 10 years to a group of Sunday School children I was teaching. The lesson was the Old Testament story of Jacob, and how he worked for seven years to be married to Rachel, only to be tricked by her father into marrying his elder daughter Leah. So Jacob worked another seven years to be married to Rachel, too.

Let’s set the “Big Love”-ish implications of the story aside – the point I was trying to make to the children was how important it was to be willing to sacrifice today for what we really want in the future. So by way of illustration, I offered them a choice: a handful of M&Ms today, or a big family-sized bag of M&Ms next Sunday?

“Can we have both?” then-9-year-old Brady asked.

“Nope,” I said. “You have to make a choice. A little now, or a LOT later.”

They weighed the decision carefully. Every one of them wanted that big bag of M&Ms, but they also wanted the M&Ms that were right there in front of them, beckoning them with their candy-coated chocolatey goodness. Eventually they all chose to have a handful of M&Ms that Sunday – and I saved a ton of money.

Of course, I didn’t really expect that I would have to buy many of those big bags of M&Ms because . . . well, that’s sort of the way it is with 9-year-olds. They’re all about immediate gratification. But as we get older we learn the wisdom of delayed gratification, and the value of sacrificing what we want right now for what will give us the most benefit, pleasure or fulfillment later. At least, I THOUGHT we learned that as we get older.

Then I answered the hotline.

Value Speaking

2011-01-12T08:58:00.003-07:00

WHEN THE RIGHT THING TURNS OUT WRONG

Joseph Walker

To tell you the truth, I don’t remember all of the reasons why Ernesto came to live withus. As I recall, my brother, who was living in Chile at the time, told us Ernesto needed a place tostay in the United States. Inviting him to stay with us seemed like the right thing to do.

And for a while, things worked out really well. Ernesto was a gracious guest. It was funteaching him American customs and helping him expand his English vocabulary and grammar.He had a pleasant personality, and his Latin good looks and charm were . . . well . . . charming.

Then the teasing started.

At first, it was occasional and playful. But gradually it became his way ofcommunicating with my sister and I, and it became hurtful. Kathy was going through a gawky,insecure stage, and Ernesto was relentless in pointing out what he thought were personality andfigure flaws. I, on the other hand, was a chunky child, and was painfully aware of how muchlarger I was than the other kids my age. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had started into the firststages of bulimia. I would skip lunch at school because I was embarrassed to eat in front ofpeople, and then I would take my lunch money to 7-11 to buy as much junk food as I could get.

It wasn’t much of a diet, especially since all of those empty calories only made meheavier. To their everlasting credit, my friends didn’t say much about my weight, and even whena thoughtless comment slipped out I tended to laugh it off. But Ernesto wouldn’t let it go.

“Hey, Gordo,” he would say, replacing my name with the Spanish word for fat. “Whenare you going to start sleeping with the rest of the pigs?” Then he would grab the layer of fataround my middle and pinch — hard — until I started to cry, as much from the humiliation asfrom the pain.

“Pobre cito,” he would say in mock sympathy. “Pobre bebé gordito.”

My parents asked him to stop teasing us — several times, as I recall. But he didn’t stop;he was just more careful about when he did it. Dad asked us to try to be forgiving.

“Maybe this is how people show affection in Chile,” he reasoned. “We just need to bepatient until he understands that hurting people isn’t acceptable here.”

But Ernesto saw our attempts at tolerance as weakness, which prompted him to press hisadvantage, threatening to make things even worse for us if we told Mom or Dad.

One night when I was taking a bath Mom inadvertently walked in on me. For the firsttime she saw the purplish bruises on my sides.

“How did you do that?” she asked.

“That’s where Ernesto pinches me,” I said.

By the time I got home from school the next day Ernesto was gone, and I don’t rememberever seeing him again. It was some time before I asked my Dad about what happened.

“Well,” he said carefully, “things just didn’t work out.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I guess it wasn’t such a good idea to have him come and live with us.”

“No,” Dad said, “it was a good idea. It was the right thing to do. It just didn’t work out.Maybe it was his fault; maybe it was ours. Probably we all could have handled things better.”

Then he taught me an important lesson: “Sometimes we do the right thing and it turns outwrong,” he said. “Maybe somebody makes a mistake or handles something poorly, or maybethings just don’t work out like we thought they should. That doesn’t mean it was wrong. It justmeans that you tried to do what’s right, and you did the best you could.”

And that’s the right thing to do — no matter how it turns out.

Valuespeak

2011-01-07T22:11:00.003-07:00

My dad is so smart.... I think I'll keep sharing his wisdom with all of you!

PLANNING TO CHANGE PLANS

By: Joseph Walker

You’ll have to excuse me if I’m a little pensive today. Bryan is leaving, and we’re all feeling a little blue around here.

You probably don’t know Bryan, but you might be lucky enough to know someone just like him. He’s been the heart and soul of the office for years, combining exemplary professional skills and integrity with a genuinely sweet nature and gentle disposition. In terms of clout, he could swing an awfully big bat if he wanted to, but he’s never been all that interested in such things. He just wants to do his job, and to do it superbly well. Beyond that, he’s big on reflecting light and allowing others to shine.

Like me, for instance. When the time came to fill my position, Bryan could have chosen to hire someone a lot younger and a lot less demanding than me. But instead of taking the easy and most logical path, he decided to go with the old guy, and has been among my most constant supporters. He even tries to make me look better by editing my press releases, sparing readers from an assortment of misplaced modifiers, dangling participles and literary delusions.

But now he’s moving on. He has a new assignment that will take him to our organization’s state headquarters. And while we’re all pleased that it’s something Bryan is excited about, that doesn’t make it any easier to say goodbye to a dear friend and trusted colleague.

Life has a way of throwing these curve balls at us. Just when we start to get comfortable with a person, a place or a situation, something comes along to alter the mix. A terrific neighbor moves away. Someone in the family graduates. A special friend marries someone we don’t get along with very well. The family’s principal bread-winner is laid off.

Our ability to cope with change and disruption determines, to a great degree, our happiness in life. But how do we do that? Philosophers have considered the question for centuries, and their responses have been varied. According to the writer of the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes, comfort can be found in remembering that “to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Kahlil Gibran urged his listeners to “let today embrace the past with remembrance, and the future with longing.” A friend of mine who works for the government likes to remind fellow bureaucrats that “survivability depends upon adaptability.”

And then there’s Chris, the California surf-rat, who once told me that the answer to life’s pressurized vicissitudes can be summed up in four words: “Go with the flow.”

“It’s like surfing,” Chris explained. “I mean, it’s not like you can organize the ocean. Waves just happen. You ride ‘em where they take you, you get off, you paddle back out there and you catch the next one. Sure, you’re always hoping for the perfect wave where you can get, like, you know, totally tubular. But until that happens, you just take ‘em the way they come.”

I think Chris was saying that life is a series of events – both good and bad – that just . . . happen. No matter how deft your organizational skills, there will always be life-influencing factors over which you have no control. The truly successful person expects the unexpected and is prepared to make adjustments should the need arise – as it almost always does. Which doesn’t mean you don’t keep trying to catch that perfect wave. It just means that when things come up that aren’t in your plan, you face them and deal with them – and then you move on.

Of course, some bumps along the road of life are a little tougher to take than others. A rained-out picnic, for example, is easier to cope with than the sudden death of a loved one. But the principle is the same. “Change, indeed, is painful, yet ever needful,” said philosopher Thomas Carlyle. “And if memory have its force and worth, so also has hope.”

We’re going to miss Bryan when he’s gone – just like you’ll miss that graduate, that neighbor or that newly married fried. But rather than dwell on the sadness of our parting, we’ll focus instead on our hopes for a brighter future – for him and for us.

And then we’ll do everything we can to make that future happen – until our plans change.

Again.

Goals

2011-01-07T21:57:00.000-07:00

My family has always been really good about setting goals. We would always sit down the first Monday of the year and set out at least 3 goals for the year. I tried to do the same with Brian and I and... well... the papers are still lying blank on the coffee table. I'm trying to think about what exactly I want to work on. I mean, there are so many things I can be better at.

But this post isn't about new goals. This is about a completed goal. A goal that my family accomplished today after 19 years of working at it. A goal that is the most important I have ever set. A goal that I will set with my young children and work at for ... well... as many years as it takes. Shortly after the last child was born, my Dad figured out the math to when Jon would be going on his mission. He also figured by that time I would either be married or turning in my own papers, SO my whole family would be able to *potentially* be able to be in the temple together by the year 2010. My dad got a picture of the Salt Lake Temple and wrote with a sharpie on the glass: 2010. We were a few days late, but today my parents and every one of their children where able to be together in the temple.

Words cannot express how we all felt today. Since my little brother is leaving on his mission, this is the last time this will happen for AT LEAST 2 years. But what a wonderful experience. The temple truly brings families together.

Testing the Test

2010-12-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

For next semester, I have the job of running a daily current events quiz for the department. Over the break, Brian and I have been playing with different ways of testing lots of different classes with the same quiz. For now, just enter your name and something silly in the ID box. But if you can help us out with this, that'd be great! Thanks!

Testing the Test » Quiz School

CoogTube

2010-12-29T20:46:00.002-07:00

Beth has been posting a lot recently and I figure that it's about time that I write a post. She already covered Christmas and our recent follies so I won't talk about that other than to say that I loved spending time with Beth's family for Christmas. I certainly missed being with my family but if I couldn't be with them I can't think of any other family that I'd want to spend Christmas with. I love my in-laws and am so blessed to be a part of their family.

Anyway, life has been pretty exciting for me lately. I just recently worked my last day at the Comprehensive Clinic in the A/V room where I've worked for the last year and then some. It was a very good job but I can't help but feel a little relieved to finally be done. No worries though, I left because I now have a new job that is a lot closer to what I want to do after college. Starting this upcoming semester (well, a week ago actually) I will be the Sports Director for ElevenNEWS and CoogTube. On top of that I have been chosen to be one of the main Anchors for our all Sports show, CoogTube, every friday. I am really excited. I have already started doing lots of cool things and can't wait to get everything organized. I have some big plans and hopefully at least a few of them I'll see through.

One of the things that I have been asked to do is create a new opening title sequence. Our previous one is football based and winter semester is all about Basketball. So, I've started putting a few things together but don't have everything I need to finish it yet. So, while messing around with ideas I got a little distracted and made a couple of Promo's for the show.

and

So yeah, I'm a big nerd. But I'm really excited for this coming semester if you can't tell. I'm sure it's going to be awesome.

The end...

2010-12-28T21:45:00.000-07:00

... of 2010. I can't believe everything that has happened this year. One spectacular writer summed up the year like this:

ANOTHER UNWRITTEN STORY

By: Joseph Walker

So I’m sitting here at year’s end, looking at the blank computer screen in front of me and wishing it would magically fill with well-chosen words, when this old guy walks in behind me.

At least, I THINK an old guy walked in behind me. Sometimes when I’m writing this column late at night, the line between concentration and sleep gets very, very thin. (I know – NOT a big surprise. You probably have the same problem when you’re reading it. Am I right?)

“Don’t do that!” the Old Guy exclaims.

“Don’t do what?” I ask, more than a little startled.

“That!” he says, pointing to the word “So” on the computer monitor – the only word I had written at that point.

I assumed my elderly guest was computer illiterate and thought I was working some kind of magic on the screen (fat chance, huh?). So I tried to explain it in basic terms: “It all started back in the 1400s with a man named Gutenberg – perhaps you knew him?”

“There’s no need for condescension, young man,” the Old Guy said testily. “I’ve been dealing with computers and word processors my whole life.”

Yeah, right, I thought – as long as you count an abacus as a computer.

“If you’re so savvy,” I said, “why were you trying to stop me from writing – unless, of course, you’ve read my stuff, in which case I completely understand . . .”

“I couldn’t care less what you write,” he snapped. “It’s that screen I’m worried about.”

I looked carefully at my monitor. “Is it going to explode or something?” I asked.

“Heavens no,” he said. “It’s just that it’s so beautiful I didn’t want you to ruin it.”

“But it’s blank,” I said.

“Yes, it is,” he replied. “And isn’t that the most wonderful thing you’ve ever seen?”

This was getting pretty strange – even for me. So I asked him: “Who are you?”

“You don’t recognize me? Come on – take a good, close look.”

I had to admit that there was something about him that seemed familiar, from the deep creases on his forehead to the mud caked on his slippers. I just couldn’t place him.

“Here, let me help you,” he said. “See these lines on my forehead? They’re worry wrinkles. I got this one from worrying about the earthquake in Haiti, this one from worrying about the Chilean miners and this one from worrying about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. These lines on my arms aren’t wrinkles – they’re scars. I got this one in Iraq, this one in Afghanistan and this big, ugly one here working security at a Justin Bieber concert.”

“And what about that bandage around your knee?” I wanted to know.

“World Cup injury. Ugly incident involving a vuvuzela. I don’t want to talk about it.”

It started to make sense: the Tiger Woods cap, the Lebron James Miami Heat jersey and those cute little “Tangled” slippers he was wearing. I even recognized the thick mud on his slippers. After all, it hasn’t been THAT long since Election Day.

“You’re 2010, aren’t you?”

“In the flesh,” he said. “For now, anyway.”

That explained his appearance. But it didn’t explain his obsession with my monitor.

“It’s just that empty screens remind me of the good old day: Jan. 1, 2010,” he explained. “My whole life was ahead of me. I was an unwritten story, a blank page, an empty computer screen – pick your favorite metaphor. I was unknown and exciting and filled with potential.

“But now my story is written. It’s over. Done. Finis. And I’m outta here. Not that I mind or anything – it goes with the gig. But whenever I see a blank screen I get a little crazy because I don’t think people realize what a wonderful gift they receive every New Year’s Day. It’s another blank screen. Another empty page. Another unwritten story. Each January is a chance to begin again – only you get to try to do it better.”

“But sooner or later we’ve got to start writing on that screen,” I reminded him. “And eventually, we’re all going to make some mistakes.”

“Some more than others,” he said, glaring at me knowingly. Then his expression softened. “That’s OK as long as you learn from each mistake and take advantage of the opportunity for growth through change and improvement. Otherwise you’ll just keep writing the same old story year after year. And if you ask me, that’s a waste of good, clean paper.”

He started to leave, but first he reached out and deleted the letter “S” on my monitor.

“Or,” he added before hurrying away, “good, blank computer screens.”

###

\I hope your year was a GREAT as ours... Here's to another good one!

Firsts

2010-12-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of "firsts" during Christmas this year. The obvious one... Brian and I had our first Christmas together. And not just as a married couple. I mean, this time last year and I didn't even know he existed. But I'm so grateful for everything that's happened this past year that has led us together forever.

My sister came up from California with her family. It was so fun to have almost everyone of my siblings here this year. It's so fun to have kids around at Christmas because they get oh-so excited about everything.


He's so cute! I love having him here. And BOY does he like being the center of attention!

Of course, we participated in our traditional Christmas Eve talent show. Brian and I put together a slideshow of the big events from the past year. Jon & Sami played silent night on the guitar. And then Mom whipped out that traditional chimes and we plunked out a couple of tunes.

We sure had a great Christmas! I hope you all had a very MeRrY cHrIsTmAs!!! We love you all and look forward to another great year!

Christmas Craze

2010-12-23T10:50:00.002-07:00

Well, it was a good, hard push to the end. But we made it. Our first semester as a married couple. We both had full schedules and ended up having so much fun along the way. I can't imagine now what I would have done without Brian. He helps me so much with everything I'm doing (whether he volunteers himself or I do.)

We had a little gift exchange party at our house on the last day of finales. I cooked lots of treats & Brian washed LOTS of dishes.. seriously. I used every kitchen machine w own. But it turned out great! We think/hope everyone else had fun too. Brian has been playing with this new camera for our news show along with some fun programs he's learned this semester. Here are some clips from the evening.

I'm so grateful for such great friends!

P.S. Brian also went out and got some shots of the Provo Tabernacle fire. What a sad day for Utah history!

Let it SNOW!

2010-12-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

Brian and I set up Christmas a few weeks ago. It's amazing the feeling a few lights and a little tree can bring. Oh and when I say little.... I really mean little. I bought this "Charlie Brown" tree a few years ago and it is the perfect size for our little house. I LOVE it! I was able to scrounge up some pennies to buy a few more things to decorate with. PLUS... I made these adorable stockings. I'm quite proud with how they turned out. I even hand-stitched our names on them! MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

P.S. We got about a foot of snow at our house a couple of days ago. It was just the thing to get us in the holiday spirit!

Curtain Call

2010-12-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

End of the semester means end of shows. It's a very bitter-sweet thing for me. I hate waking up early and EP-ing means 5:30 mornings for me. But once I get to work, I can't get enough. The adrenaline kicks in and I'm hooked. It's especially fun towards the end of the semester when more people know what they're actually doing. I'm submitting some of my work for "Gracies" which are national awards for female journalists. They'll be submitted in February.... wish me luck!

Anyways, I get to work with some amazing people. I've learned so much more as a leader than I ever did as a student. I think that's pretty funny. Here are some pictures of the awesome crews I got to work with. Look closely... these people are going to be famous someday.

CoogTube crew: Thank you for putting up with my directing. It was my first semester, but it was yours as well. So it was GREAT learning together!

Tuesday: We BUSTED IT OUT! Who ever said you can't build a show with only 2 reporters? Well we sure showed them. Thank you for teaching me all the tricks of filling up 27 minutes of times.

Thursday: I probably learned the most from you. You tried my patience, but you all worked so hard! Thank you for teaching me how to understand people and handle stressful situations tactfully.

What I Do

2010-12-08T14:10:00.006-07:00

I feel like Beth has contributed a lot more to this blog than I have and that just doesn't sit right with me. So, here I go, I'm going to contribute to this blog.

This semester was supposed to be easy and laid back but it turned into the busiest semester of my life. I'm just glad that for me it is more or less over. I only have on exam to take and almost all of my classes are over. But it wasn't really classes that kept me busy. I spent soooo much time in the newsroom helping people out and working on some of my own projects. It became a second home. Almost a first home, I think I spent more time in there than I did in my own home. But, it was all a very good experience. One of those experiences included being the Thursday Sports Anchor. It was a ton of fun and I learned a whole lot. Here's one of my shows that I did.

So, that is What I Do. And I hope to be doing it for a very long time. It is one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done.

Time to slow down....

2010-12-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

In the craziness of school and work, finals and stress... I find myself forgetting about the Christmas season... and everything else that's really important for that matter. I rush from one thing to another, barely able to keep my head above water. I have 3 more days of class and by Friday next week I will be DONE with my finals. It's such a great feeling, but basically all I can think about right now.

Until I did my homework this morning.

I'm taking an LDS Marriage and Family class. For the most part, I just read over the assigned articles, feel somewhat good about my life and then go on with things. But for some reason, this morning was different. We were assigned to read an article from President Hinckley called "Bring up a Child in the Way He Should Go." Two paragraphs into the article and suddenly, nothing else mattered.

"We have critics both within and without. Although they are vocal and have access to the media, they are relatively few in number. If we were entirely without criticism, we would be concerned. Our responsibility is not to please the world but, rather, do the will of the Lord, and from the beginning the divine will so often has been contrary to the ways of the world."

I'm so engrossed in worldly things and news that sometimes I can really feel myself get bogged down. I get so insecure about myself. I feel like I'm not doing anything worthwhile. And I look at everyone else in my program and wish I was as dedicated or "well of" or PRETTY as them.

But I know I am. I know I do well at whatever it is that I do. I know who I am and I know that I'm loved. But the world has different standards for me. When I get so engulfed in the world around me and every-day life, I really lose my eternal perspective. And that's something I'm definitely not willing to give up.

Not without a fight. So bring it on.

This is my sister Andrea...

2010-12-05T10:17:00.001-07:00

She is beautiful. She is one of the most talented people I know. And I love her so much.

This is Andrea's new little family. Well... one person in the picture is new. Adam and Andrea were married almost 6 years ago and they've had a really hard time trying to get this new bundle of joy here. But they finally did it! Alexander Keith Daveline was born August 30th, 2010. He is the happiest little boy you will ever meet.

When I think of "joy" this is the image that pops into my head :)

The day after Thanksgiving, Brian and I and my parents drove down to San Diego to play with Xander.... oh and to be there for his blessing. It was so fun. AND WARM!

Is San Diego a reasonable market to start in? Because Brian and I decided we're moving here once we graduate.

Dad served his mission in San Diego. We actually found one of the apartments he lived in... but now here's here with his eternal companion.... which we assume he likes much better than his mission companion.

He is going to be the cutest daddy some day :)

There are so many fun shops and restaurants here. It was nice to walk around and not have to wear coats... just enjoy the cool air!

I want one!!! :)

We didn't want to come back... especially to the cold, wet, horrible snowstorm here in Utah. But we did. We ended up staying the night in a hotel in Cedar City because they storm was so bad. It was an adventure... that's for sure. But thanks Andrea for having such an adorable famliy and thanks for being so amazing! I love you!

My brave warrior

2010-12-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have a HOUSE to live in right off the bat. We knew that while taking care of a house meant more responsibility... but these past couple of weeks, we've had more responsibility than we've wanted... MICE!!!

I hate them.... I don't hate many things, but I can honestly say I HATE these mice. We first discovered them the weekend Brian's parents came to town. Ya... such a good impression for the in-laws, but I couldn't do anything about it. I felt helpless. They were in my walls, they were eating my oatmeal and my cooking brushes! So Brian's parents helped us start the hunt. First we cleaned out all the cupboards and re-washed all the dishes.

Then we went and bought traps. That was a big enough adventure. Do we spend more money and get the contain and kill? Or do we buy the cheap little ones and have to see the dead mouse.... Well, we bought a little of everything. Normally you set a trap with peanut butter or something else smelly, but we obvioulsy couldn't use that, so we used what they seemed to be eating.... oatmeal and honey.

Brian set the trap right by the hole they were coming out of and.....

TA-DA!!! My brave husband caught one!!!

Now... this saga has not ended. We've caught a total of 3 mice so far and have 2 more traps set up. Just last night I saw mice droppings all over some of my drawers. The worst part is that they are all in my kitchen. We've had to re-sanitize everything at least twice now.... I sure hope they go away soon!

Remember when we got married?

2010-11-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

Due to the very busy life of me and my photographer, this post is a little late... but I thought it might be a good idea to post some of my favorite pictures from the best day of my life!

Happy 2 months!

2010-11-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

I know… I’ve almost been married from 3 months, but I can’t let any more time go by without mentioning the great trip Brian and I took to St. George a couple of weekends ago around our 2 months anniversary. One of our newsroom friends won tickets to a show at Tuacahn. It was a great excuse for some newsroom friends to get away. We just went down for a weekend, but it was GREAT! It was sunny and warm and none of us had to worry about school…. except for the fact that when we all get together we can’t talk about anything but the newsroom…. but I claim that’s due to the fact that we all love what we do so much.

Some of the best people I've ever met

They were going crazy climbing all over the place

We're just so silly!

Anyways…. the wonderful Natalie Tripp had only one 4 tickets to the show so Brian and I decided to go to the temple that night instead of the show. It was a wonderful experience inside one of the oldest and most interesting temples ever. It was so beautiful and I loved being there with Brian.

We spent most of the rest of the time just relaxing, swimming and golfing thanks to Lauren Christensen’s amazing generousity… her parents let us stay at their vacation house down there. FANTASTIC!

Brian and I left a little later on Sunday morning and took a detour home. I had gone to this beautiful overlook called Cedar Breaks several years before and I knew Brian would love it because he likes nature and pretty things like that…. I was right… he liked it.

Plus we got to stop and get these pictures…. priceless… need I say more?

Happy LATE 2 months!

LIVE.....

2010-11-02T19:16:00.000-06:00

Here we are.... at the Utah Republican headquarters on Election Night 2010. The Election class I'm in has me stationed as the ONLY FIELD PRODUCER as this event. My lovely husband is assisting me with camera work and we have the ability AS A UNIVERSITY to go live from this event. I'm so excited. The rush. The adrenaline. And since we're producing for the KBYU/Utah Colleges Exit Poll... The SECRETS! Oh I have so much I want to say right now.... but got to go! I've got Republicans to talk to. WATCH US TONIGHT on KBYU channel 11 where you'll see our wonderful, amazing, spectacular coverage of this exciting race!

Guest Blogger

2010-10-15T17:28:00.003-06:00

Hi all, this is a guest blogger popping in, only because Brian and Beth left themselves signed in on a newsroom computer (such a newbie move for such a veteran news couple). But if they were here, they would tell you that Natalie Tripp is possibly THE coolest person that they have ever known and that you should all come see her in BYU's production of Romeo and Juliet, because watching her do the weather on the ElevenNEWS at noon is not enough Natalie in your life. Also, you can check out her blog at ntripp.blogspot.com to read about Beth and Brian's latest adventure down south because let's face it- in the newsroom, we're all so incredibly good looking that it just gets overwhelming and we all need to escape the stress of being so amazing.

Love you all!
Natalie aka the next big thing

This is me being incredibly good looking, and yes boys I am single ;)

So little time....

2010-10-07T09:58:00.000-06:00

WHEW!!! Work, school and more work has made us so busy. I can't believe everything that we've been doing. I don't believe that there really are 24 hours in the day. Anyways.... I don't think ya'll want to read me venting about my life.... oh wait.... isn't this blog about me? Oh, ok... well then I'll vent away.

It's a darn good thing that Brian and I are in the same major or we literally would not see each other. ElevenNews consumes our life!

We both love it though. Ya'll should make sure to watch KBYU channel 11 on Thursdays and noon to see Brian's handsome face anchor the sports. He also got to anchor our all new, all sports show that takes place of our Friday newscast. I'm the technical director on Friday so I'm the one the changes all the cameras and implents all of the graphic and video elements into the show.... DON'T WORRY! I don't have to make or edit them, I just make sure they appear at the right time throughout the show. It's a blast and so intense... I live for the adrenaline.

I've also been involved in a production for the Marriott School of Management. I work closely with the graduate finance students to produce and daily 5-minute webcast called Morning Market Call in which they interview professionals and other students about things concerning the economy and finance spectrum. Here is an example of one of the shows we did last week. (Thanks to Brian for creating the AMAZING intro and tag video. Recognize the voice at the end?)

It is a very great opportunity for me and I'm learning alot.... and so is Brian. He is such a great help with everything and loves learning how to do stuff along side me. OH.... I almost forgot the most important part... go ahead and hit up MMC by visiting their website. And the best part?

I get to meet cool, famous people and let them take pictures with me... oh ya... be jealous!

My supervisor job at Brick Oven is great. I love being in charge (shocker) and Brian loves the meal card from which we get free food.

So pretty much life is awesome. I guess having limited time with my honey makes me appreciate more the times that I am with him. He takes such great care of me and I love how he is learning about all my different health issues and learning how to manage them. Life is crazy? Yes.... but Life is Good!

Love/Hate

2010-09-22T10:39:00.003-06:00

Last night while driving I had an epiphany of sorts. I say of sorts because usually an epiphany concerns subject matter that is a little deeper than the thought I had last night but I still had an interesting thought. The thought was for a funny idea I had that is to make a list of things that I love but that sometimes have very unappealing qualities. Hence, Love/Hate.

I love roundabouts. They make life so much easier and make traffic flow on smaller side streets much more efficient. No more stopping at a stop sign even when there isn't a car anywhere to be seen. They are everything I like about modern science: Smooth, economical, efficient. It might only cut off 5 seconds of my daily commute but it's the little things that make life what it is. It's amazing.

I hate roundabouts when people don't know how to use them. You pull up, you yield to the oncoming traffic and then they stop to let you in. Could there be anything more annoying. You sit there and you do the little dance. We all know what I'm talking about. The one where you're like, me, no you, no me, no you each creeping an inch further at a time (always at the same time causing even more confusion). And not only is it annoying it is also quite dangerous. It also stops the flow of traffic and then I think to myself, why can't they just put in a stop sign.

From Mrs. Grimmett…. :)

2010-09-08T00:41:00.002-06:00

Wow…. It has been quite a long time hasn't it? Oh so much has happened since the last time I posted. I'm so sorry about the neglect, but come on…. Ya'll can understand I've been a little busy right? Ok… well, as long as I'm here I might as well re-cap what has been happening lately.

I guess I'll just start where I left off. Brian and I hopped on a plane down to Texas on July 28^th. We tried to catch a morning flight, but since we were on standby we didn't get anything until about 5. We were ok though because all that mattered was that we got out there. I spent most of Thursday with the girls in his family. It was nice to spend time getting to know them since it will probably be a while until we're able to see them again. Brian showed me around the Dallas/Fort Worth area on Friday and that night, since his ENTIRE FAMILY was able to be there we took a couple quick family photos. The kids were so funny. With that many it was REALLY hard to get them all to sit still. This was the best shot I could get… good thing I wasn't the photographer.

My parents got to Dallas safely and Saturday we had a wonderfiul reception! Brian's mom is like super-woman and she put the whole thing on herself. She made all the food, did the decorating, and organized the whole event. I wish I would have taken pictures, but I was a little busy talking to the 10,000 people that showed up! Oh my goodness.... It was so cool to feel all the support from these people I had never met. What an amazing night.

I wish the trip would have ended better than it did. Brian and I were unable to catch a flight home on Sunday and everything was booked for a while and so we ended up driving up to Utah which was TOTALLY unexpected and kinda a pain, but it made for quite the adventure.

Wedding plans wrapped up quite nicely the week up to THE DAY. Our plan was to have everything done by the time all of my siblings got up to Utah so that we could just enjoy the time with them. So when the Saturday before the wedding rolled around, we were basically done. My oldest brother Joe joined us on Saturday and we spent the day with his family at a really fun park in Salt Lake. Its that park that has the Ferris Wheel from the movie "Charlie." It was a lot of fun and was good time for Brian to bond with my family that he had never met before.

After that I couldn't really tell you what happened. I know we went to church on Sunday. I know I went to my sister's baby shower. And I know I met Brian's grandparents and spent a wonderful lunch with them…. But you know, other than that, those last couple days are just a haze.

WEDDING DAY:
I'm probably just baised, but I seemed to have the most perfect wedding. The ceremony wasn't until 1 and so I had plenty of time in the morning to get ready and take my time. The sealing was just beautiful. A family friend performed it and he did such a great job. I bawled…. So did my mom…. So did Brian's mom…. So did Brian. It was wonderful.

(I wish I had wedding pictures back already, but you'll just have to imagine the most perfect day ever and that's what it was like.)

I won't go into much detail about the rest of the day but just know it was amazing. We ate great food, danced to fun music, and talked with so many wonderful family members. Thanks again to everyone for your support!!

Brian and I spent the next couple of days just relaxing and enjoying being with each other. We ate at some super delicious restaurants in Salt Lake and Park City. Brian got to experience Lagoon for the first time. He also was a first-time Alpine Slider as well. It was a blast and I'm already wishing we could go back to just hanging out with each other constantly without having the real world crushing down on us.

I'm so grateful that we got married a couple weeks before school started. Even though work started back up for us pretty quicikly, we both had lots of time to settle in to our house. It's adorable and I love being here with Brian.

I'm so grateful that I had a mom that did such a great job of teaching me how to run a household. I am FAR from perfecting that skill, but I actually have found that I LIKE cleaning my house and getting it looking good. I love when I have time to make dinner for my honey and that I can do that without burning the house down…. So…. THANKS MOM!

So here we are now. Life is back to normal and school has started as well. Labor day was nice because neither of us had to work. We got up in the morning and went to hike the "Y" with my sister Amy and her family. It was a lot of fun and I'm so grateful for my understand husband who lets me rest when my asthma can't take it anymore. He's the best.

Well, folks…. I think that's about it. Phew… I'm glad I got all of that out. Now let's see if I can pump out a post once a week now that school has started. :)

I'm super old now....

2010-07-25T22:33:00.000-06:00

I turned 21 this year. Truth be told, it kinda snuck up on me. I didn't even request it off work at first because I've had so many other events and things going on I just kinda forgot. Luckily I was talking to my boss one day and he made me request it off.... THANKS PAUL... And I'm so glad that I did! Friday night my honey took me out for a wonderful date. We went to the Mo Tab pioneer concert and had such a great time. We love music like that and there was such a great spirit there.

Afterwards we went to this wonderful authentic Italian pizzeria. It was AMAZING! I am so excited for Brian to take me to Italy to get even more authentic pizza. OH and we WILL go eventually.

Saturday morning Brian came over to make me the greatest present in the world....... HOMEMADE CHEESECAKE!!!

Oh my goodness... it was so amazing. We drizzled a little carmel over it and it was basically heaven.

Later Saturday, my mom and I went to do a little shopping and then met Brian in Salt Lake for dinner at my favorite restuarant. Then Sunday was really relaxed with just my family and a wonderful homemade dinner. It was such a relaxing weekend. Thanks to all who contributed.... and a SPECIAL thanks to the love of my life for making me the happiest woman on the planet. Here's to a couple of GREAT weeks!

Love is an Orange

Beardy Man

Watch out for my rack....

This Week on the Hill

January Basics

New Year

Ode to 2011

The Worth of an Education

Cheers

Christmas

30

Slacker

CTR 7

Again

LIFE

Jewelry Frame

Bring

Finals

Changes

Home

Perfect

Greater Love...

Journey

M.M.R. #4

Christmas Crafting

M.M.R. #3

M.M.R. #2

Monday Morning Research

Website

In a nutshell

Tied....

One

A Haney Holiday

July already?

No Choice of their Own

No longer Independent....

Father's Day Tribute

I'm a Mormon

Gimme Some...

New Graves

Voting....

Losing...

Summer Lovin'

Looking Forward

"Schools out....

Nar-lins

Sharing

ValueSpeak

What the Homemaker?

Taylor Tribute

A pay off

Ash Wednesday

The Cougar Faithful

Girlies

Valuespeak

Converted

Valuespeak

A *Love* Day

Reunion...

I want to be Jimmered!

Coco and Cocoa

Playing Catch Up....

Connections...

Value Speaking

Valuespeak

Goals

Testing the Test

CoogTube

The end...

Firsts

Christmas Craze

Let it SNOW!

Curtain Call

What I Do

Time to slow down....

This is my sister Andrea...

My brave warrior

Remember when we got married?

Happy 2 months!

LIVE.....

A Love Day