Time to Give Thanks

Dru and I have so much to be grateful for in our lives and I just wouldn't feel right if I did not express my gratitude.

~We have a wonderful Temple Marriage that I am daily grateful for

~We have a home and food on our table

~In this rough economy we both have jobs

~We have a wonderful family

~We have two sweet dogs that bring joy into our home

~We have trials to help us grow

~We have the Gospel

~We have a living Prophet who gives us guidance

~We have a Savior who made the Ultimate Sacrifice for us

~We have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much that He sent that Savior for us

~We have Hope

~We have Faith

~We have Love

~We have so many more things that we have been blessed with

I am so grateful that the Lord sees fit to bless us so abundantly. My heart is so full and I am in awe of all of the things we have been given.

~THANK YOU~

Mean Neighbors

So I am having really big issues with some of our neighbors. A couple of weeks ago we received a notice on our door. It was from the City of Ammon saying that our neighbors had complained of barking dogs. Did I mention that the complaint was at 3:00 pm. Really? dogs bark all day in this neighborhood. Madison does love to bark, but most of the time she only does this when there is another dog outside or when she feels threatened (e.i. the neighbor kids are sticking their heads over our fence and tormenting her) or when one of our neighbors or Dru is mowing the lawn. After we received this notice we tried really hard to make sure that Maddie was not distrubing anyone. Well, tonight I have decided that I have really had it with these neighbors. Dru was on his weekly duty of dog poop pickup (garbage is Tuesdays) and he called me to the backyard. On the side of the yard where these horrible neighbors live we found almost 20 rocks in our backyard. THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN THROWING ROCKS AT MY SWEET DOGS!!!!! I am SOOOOO mad right now! I can't believe that people are so mean! I have decided that tomorrow morning I am going to call the City of Ammon and ask what can be done because I don't want anyone hurting my dogs!

Better Late than Never

Last Wednesday, Sept 23, 2009 my Druster turned 29! I just wanted to wish him a Happy Birthday and tell him how incredibly much I am in love with him. He is my best friend in the whole world and the love of my life! Thank you for being you and I hope you had a great birthday Dru!

I chose this picture because it fits Dru perfectly. He HATES his picture taken which is why there aren't many to choose from. This was taken on our honeymoon on our way to a reef to go snorkeling. I laugh everytime I see this picture because he was trying so hard to cover up!

Good Times in Tahlequah

Warning: This post has more pictures than I have ever put in any post!

This is a stop sign in Cherokee. The top are the actual characters from the Cherokee alphabet, the middle is how you say it phonetically and the bottom is obviously English. This stop sign was right outside the Restaurant of the Cherokees. We only ate there one time but I loved it. They had really yummy INDIAN FRY BREAD. I also had fried catfish there. I despise fish, but this was actually really good. I thought it tasted like chicken.

This is a statue of Sequoyah on the Northeastern University Campus. He created the Cherokee alphabet so I thought this was a very appropriate tribute to him.

This is my niece Kenna modeling our earplugs. There were 5 of us in our suite and we all snore, so earplugs were a must, at least for light sleepers like me!

This is a picture of the Cherokee Chief Chad Smith. I didn't get to meet him, but I thought he looked really nice!

This is a float from the Cherokee parade. The theme for the National Holiday this year was "Learn from All that I Observe". This was one of the best parades I have been to. Not because the floats were extravagant, but because they threw out a lot of good candy and other items including tooth brushes, pepsi, orange juice.

This is a picture of Ray, his sisters, and his stepfather. In order from left to right: Mona, Marlene, Ramona, Ray, Charlene, Coco Chanel (the little pup), and Chief (Dru's Grandpa).

This is a picture of the Cherokee Museum and Heritage Center. The museum was all about the Trail of Tears. It was very interesting and sad to see what happened to the Cherokee people. I wanted to take pictures but they were not allowed inside the museum. At the Heritage Center they had a replica of a traditional Cherokee village. It was a guided tour where we learned a lot about their traditional way of life.

This is a picture of our tour guide. I will never forget this woman because she hated my husband's guts. For those of you who know Dru well you know that he can be quite stubborn when he does not want to do something. This poor woman tried to get Dru to participate and when he refused her love for him was nonexistent. It was so funny!

This man was making arrowheads and he demonstrated his bow and arrow skills for us. He missed the first time but he did much better than I could have ever done.

One of my favorite activities was the Pow Wow we went to. We didn't stay for the whole thing because it was really long, but I enjoyed watching all of the dances and seeing all of the costumes. I did not realize that a Pow Wow is like a giant dance competition. I was so excited when I found out because I love dancing and I have a feeling this will be one of the only dance competitions I will ever get Dru to watch!

This picture is part of what is called Grand Entry. It is where all of the dancers parade around in their costumes. It is the best part. I was very impressed that the first part of Grand Entry included the American Flag and the National Anthem. Many of the festivities began the same way. These people have been greatly persecuted and pushed out of their original homes, but they are incredibly patriotic! Sorry it's not a very good picture. I had a couple of videos but they would not load.

We were able to see Ft. Gibson Cemetery. For those of you who don't know it is a military cemetery and I was amazed at how big it is. Ray's dad is buried there so it was a really neat experience to be able to visit his grave.

This is a picture of us at Lake Tenkiller. It is very beautiful there and there is a huge man made dam that is very impressive. It was really nice to stick our feet in and cool off a little. Oklahoma was so HOT and HUMID!!! I definitely appreciate Idaho weather.

This is where we spent a lot of our time, Del Rancho Restaurant. We ate at this restaurant 3 or 4 times on our vacation. We had many good laughs there. The first thing I learned about Dru's family is that they love to laugh. The first evening I laughed so hard that my face hurt. Each day after that was the same. They are amazing people and I enjoyed getting to know them better. I hope that we can see them soon.

TAHLEQUAH

Dru and I spent a long weekend in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, home of Cherokee Nation. We went down for the Cherokee National Holiday which is celebrated over Labor Day weekend. We flew out of Jackson Hole with Dru's dad, sister Heather, and her daughter Kenna. While there we were able enjoy the company of Dru's four aunts, an uncle, 2 cousins, a great aunt and her family, as well as Dru's Grandpa.

It was fun getting to know these family members and enjoying their company. Dru had not seen many of them for 10 years!

This is a picture of most of us at some property that Ray and his sisters inherited. I will post more later with many more pictures of some of the things we did and more about the people we saw!!!

8 Things Tag

K Chels This One's For YOU!

8 Things I did Yesterday:
1: went to spinning class
2:worked a 10 hour day
3: ate some Fiesta Ole
4:talked to Dru
5:played with my puppies
6:read a few chapters in a book
7:folded a load of laundry
8: went to sleep

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1:my sister having her baby/meeting my niece (Friday at the latest)
2:being done with work for the week
3:the weekend!
4:going to sleep tonight (if you can't tell I'm really tired)
5:Powercut on Thursday
6:going to Oklahoma next week!!!!
7: New Grey's Anatomy
8: being a mom

8 Favorite Shows:
Grey's Anatomy
Friends
Law and Order SVU and CI
Drop Dead Diva
Private Practice
Real World/Road Rules Challenges
Sadly Reality TV Shows on VH1, MTV, A&E and E! (including the Hills, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, the First 48, etc)

8 Favorite Resturants:
Johnny Carinos
Fiesta Ole
5 Guys Burgers and Fries
Outback
Canton/Hong Kong
Wendy's
Garcias/Jalisco's
Pizza Hut

Time Flies

On August 4th, Dru and I celebrated our 2 year Wedding Anniversary. We have been through a lot in the last two years, but I wouldn't trade any of that time because we have grown so much and I feel that our experiences have only made our marriage stronger. I love Dru very much and am so excited that I get to spend eternity with him! Happy Anniversary Druster!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Yes that's right, today I turned the big 25. I must say that I am having a great birthday! Last night Dru took me to dinner at my favorite resturant, Johnny Carinos, then to the movie (it was a chick flick, poor Dru). It was a great date night. He gave me a gift certificate for a day at the spa including a facial, manicure, pedicure, and massage. My husband knows me well and I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful generous man. Today my mom took me to lunch at my other favorite place, Fiesta Ole, and gave me some more awesome gifts. Thanks Mom! In a few hours we are headed off to my parents cabin for the weekend. It has to be one of my most favorite places because we can get away from everything. So, I am having a great birthday and I'm so thankful to my wonderful family for helping to make it that way.

Fourth of July Weekend

I know I haven't been posting very much, but I am so horrible at taking pictures that I feel bad just writing all of the time. Today I decided that I don't really care and that I am going to post anyway.

Dru and I have had quite an eventful week. Over the weekend we were able to celebrate my very FAVORITE holiday, INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!!!! We partook of many of the festivities that Idaho Falls has to offer. We enjoyed the parade, well I enjoyed it, Dru endured. Then we played a great game of miniature golf at the Riot Zone with my parents, Lindsey and Rob, and Robbie. Dru won the game! Even though I didn't win, I impressed myself because I had a tie score with my dad and I even got a hole in one! That evening we went to the annual Grimaud Family BBQ and the watched the Freedom Celebration down at the River with the Ingram side of the family. We had a great time.

I am so grateful for the country that we live in and for the brave men and women who work so hard to protect the freedoms that we old so dear. God bless America!

Yesterday we were able to spend the day in Lake Town, Utah (Bear Lake) with Dru's sister Heather and her family. Although we did not get to do much boating (way too windy) it was nice to spend time with them and enjoy their company.

We are enjoying the summer weather (FINALLY!!!) and are looking forward to other small getaways throughout the summer.

Dru's DIYing it again!!!

Dru recently renovated our guest bathroom. I know what you're thinking, our house is only 2 years old, but the original blue/grey paint color never did go well with the tile/cabinets/countertops. We finally settled on a chocolate brown paint and a new tile backsplash. We also purchased a new shower curtain, rugs, and towels. We still need to add a couple of decorations, but I think it turned out quite well. I am so glad that I have such a talented handy husband who did all of the tile, painting, and beadboard in our bathroom.

Here's the backsplash!

Another view

Growing Up

I'm having a really hard time because my baby brother is getting ready to graduate from high school when I want him to stay a little kid forever. I can only imagine what my mom is going through. She loves us girls alot, but he is her baby and her only boy so I know this is killing her. Anyway, my talented aunt Terri took his senior pictures and I just wanted to brag and show everyone how big of a babe my little Rob is! We are so proud of him for the man he is becoming even though I am sad that he is already 18 and that we only have 9 or 10 months left to enjoy him until he goes on his mission. Love you Lobster!!!

Jellystone here we come!!!

A few weeks ago Dru and I bought our season pass to Yellowstone National Park. We love it there. We go up there at least twice a summer. We had never gone in April before so were a little hesitant because most of the park was still closed and it was snowing like crazy. Much to my surprise it was AMAZING!!!! The park was beautiful and there was no one there. Best of all we saw lots of animals. We saw this cute little black bear that just sat at the side of the road for almost 30 minutes trying to find some food.

We saw a couple of coyotes, some elk and buffalo (of course), and my very first GRIZZLY bear!

We actually saw him twice.

The first time we saw him he was off in the distance eating something, and the second time he was right on the side of the road. It was so much fun to see those animals. The buffalo were not used to sharing the road with cars so they made it very difficult to get around. One charged at our car and then veered off, while another one kicked at us as we drove by. We were lucky that they did not do any damage to our car or us, but it was quite an adventure. We feel so blessed to be able to stay at my parent's cabin in Island Park so that we are a little closer to Yellowstone. We have so much fun there and it is quickly becoming a tradition for Dru and I. Sorry the pictures aren't very clear, it was snowing really hard.

Sweet and Innocent

Picture Tag

1.Go to your documents/pictures

2. Go to your 6th file

3. Go to your 6th picture

4. Post it, and blog about it

5. Tag 6 people to do the same

6. Name your picture

This is a picture of our puppy Maddie on one of our visits to her before we took her home. She appears to be so sweet and innocent. The couple we bought her from originally named her Dora the Explorer and always told us how curious and mischievious she was. We did not believe them because everytime we came to visit she did this (snuggled with us and slept). We obviously should have listened! Despite her naughty behaviors we sure do love Maddie and Marley!

I'm going to tag: Britt Barrett, Brooke Floyd, Chel Gambles, Jenn Barbo, Liz Curtis, and Ronda Ingram

What a day/Feather Fun!!!!!

So I have had the most incredible day today and I would like to share it with all of you. Disclaimer: I am on medication that makes me crazy. Insane even. You must keep this in mind while reading this post because it magnifies every situation 100x.
First of all, I must say that everyone and thing relating to my job today decided to gang up on me and make my life difficult. Obviously due to the nature of my work I would be breaking confidentiality if I went into further detail, so you are just going to have to take my word for it.
Second, I received a call from Dru on his lunch break along with a picture message to show me what the dogs had done to our house. More on that later.
Third, I went to fill up my gas tank today and one of the employees was absolutely certain that I still owed the store $10 even though I paid at the pump. Needless to say, I was very frustrated because I knew I had paid for my gas. It turned out that I was right and had indeed paid for my entire tank, but it was not until my client informed me that I realized I was yelling at the poor man. How embarassing!!!
Back to my sweet adorable puppies! It turns out that my dogs decided to play tug-o-war with one of my throw pillows and since a picture is worth a thousand words I won't say more.

I have cleaned up the feather mess after emptying the vac. 3 times. While cleaning Maddie and Marley both jumped in the feathers and pounced on the vacuum (never know how to spell that word) barking the entire time. I swear they were mad at me for taking away their fun and were telling me off.
I have obviously had a rough day and you will be glad to know that I will be taking the rest of the night off before I start again tomorrow, but I must point out the bright side of everything today. Maddie and Marley had a blast with those dang feathers! Mind you I was only able to recognize this with the help of my dear friend Chels!

Last week we decided that we were going to keep Marley, so yesterday we signed the adoption papers and now we officially have 2 dogs! The deciding factor in this was when Josh and Lindsie dog sat for us (Thanks again Josh and Lindsie!) and Marley hung out under their coffee table most of the weekend. We knew that Marley had been through so much in her life and she was loved and comfortable with us, so uprooting her was not a good idea. We are having so much fun with the both of them and they love eachother as well. Maddie has definetly loved having someone home with her all of the time and she does not destroy our house as much!

Last Wednesday (11th) my baby brother turned 18. This has been a hard thing for me especially since my baby sister turned 21 last month. It is a constant reminder that I'm getting old! Life seems to be moving faster and faster and sometimes I just want it to slow down. At any rate I am so grateful for both of my siblings and for the wonderful people that they are turning into.

Valentine's, Life and Basketball

Dru and I had a great Valentine's Celebration, we actually did not Celebrate on Valentine's Day, but a few days before. Dru took me out to eat at the Outback. We rarely eat there, but it is so yummy. I love it. I enjoyed going on a date together to a nice resturant since it is not something we do often. As for actual Valentine's Day we brought home some Wendy's and watch some of the All-Star events for the NBA. My sister and her husband were in town so they came over to our house to watch the festivities with us. It was actually a really good time and I loved being able to spend time with Linds and Rob. We don't get to do that much.

As for other news, Marley is adapting well to our family. She has quite the little personality. Her and Maddie are definetly two peas in the same pod. They love to play together and it is nice that they have eachother while Dru and I are at work all day. My parents' new house is finally finished and they get to move in sometime next week. We are so excited for them!

Last, Hillcrest Basketball has been doing extremely well in District Tournament and after their big win against Blackfoot they are now advancing to the final round (they won by 12). We are so proud of this team, especially Rob, for all of their hard work this season. Last year they struggled so much and it is nice to see them winning and enjoying themselves. We told Robbie no pressure but that Dru and I have both gotten time off to watch him at State! I believe their regular season record was 16-4 (the highest of Coach Baldwin's Hillcrest career) and in the District Tournament they are 2-0. (don't quote me on those numbers) We are so proud of you Lobster! You are the best little brother in the world and we love you!!! Linds you are the best sis in the world too!

Marley's Story

I love animals, especially dogs. This is definetly something I got from my Grandpa Bob. When you own a pet it is part of the family, equal to any human. That being said, I went to the pound with a little client and came across a little pup who touched my heart. Marley is a pure bred boxer who was picked up by animal control about a week and a half ago. She was found so malnourished that most of her little bones are visible. She was curled up in a little ball in the corner and at first I thought she was probably an agressive dog. Something about her piqued my interest so I asked about her at the front desk. One of the officers told me that she was not violent, just scared and unresponsive but that I could take her out into the play yard and see what I thought. They also told me that she did not have much time left and that if someone did not take her she would be put down on Monday morning. They were amazed that someone had not taken her already because she is a purebred and quite a nice looking dog. She is black with a white chest and paws. Usually I am saddened by these type of things, but am able to distance myself since we have such a sweet boxer at home that has a good life, but as it came time to leave I started crying. I knew we could not take another dog so I tried to keep under control, but as the afternoon wore on I found myself unable to control the emotion I felt seeing this dog that had been treated so badly on the verge of losing her life. I just kept thinking that she would make a really good pet for some little boy and she would never get the chance unless I did something about it. I asked many people I knew if they were interested in her, but did not get the feedback I was looking for. Finally, I called Dru in tears well aware that he would never agree to what I was going to ask him, but for some reason I asked him if we could take her in as a foster dog. Dru reluctantly said that we could so I made all of the arrangements and she was able to come home with me last night. At first she was very scared, but she is warming up to us more and more. She is still a little unsure of Maddie, but we were able to get both of them running around in the backyard together chasing a ball. It has been so fun to see the changes this little girl has made so quickly. I have high hopes for this puppy with a sweet demeanor despite all of the struggles she has had in her life. She has a rough road ahead of her because of all of the obvious abuse that she has endured, but I know that she will make a great dog for someone one day soon. We are so excited to have Marley with our family until she can find the perfect one of her own!

Jason Wolfe Story

For Christmas my cousin bought me The Sound of Rain by Anita Stansfield. I am such a huge fan of her books and I must say that I was not disappointed by this one. It is a three part book about the journey of Jason Wolfe, a musician who meets many hard times in his life. I fell in love with the characters and cannot wait for part three to come out next week. Did I mention that it is a love story? What can I say I'm a sucker for romance.

Update

I haven't posted for a while and although there is really nothing exciting to post about I thought I would update everyone on our lives. The last month I have felt like I am going 100 miles an hour. Since Lindsie and Josh had Lola I was nominated by my boss to work with two of her clients until she comes back to work. One of my other clients is going through a very hard time and needs extra time with me as well. I am sure I'm going to love the extra hours on my pay check, but by the end of the day I am so mentally exhausted that I don't even want to think. Despite this, I do love my job and the change that I get to see in children's lives when they learn new skills.

Dru is enjoying his job at Westmark, although he is looking forward to a promotion (hopefully sometime in the near future). Until then he will continue to put in his time.

Dru and I also got to move up in the Primary to the CTR6 class. (We taught CTR 5 last year). We get to enjoy some of our kids from last year, plus 4 more very energetic ones. Our class is very active so we have all of them there almost every week. So far it has been a fun experience but we are very drained after church each week. Sometimes I wonder if they learn anything from us because they are so busy, but then they surprise me and answer our questions perfectly. Even though they take a lot of energy I love our little Primary class.

Needless to say we are in need of a getaway!!!

Happy New Year!!! 2009 Baby!

I must say that I am so very excited to say goodbye to the year 2008 and start fresh. 2008 was definetly a year of trials for Dru and I. Despite all of the heartache we have learned to rely on one another so much and I feel that our marriage is much stronger. I am so grateful for him and for his love and support through very difficult times. I am very grateful for fresh starts and for the hope that they bring!! Yay for 2009!!!