Pics that make me happy...

I should say "some" pictures that make me happy - bc there are definitely more than this! I really love photography - I should probably take a class someday for fun. Anyway, these a few pictures I've taken over the years that just... make me happy! I love how something so simple can be so beautiful.

No better way to spend a morning...

Thanks to Mandy (our friend and dental hygienist), I get the have the cleanest teeth on the block

(at least for a little while after she has cleaned them).

Check out the awesome Flouride action --

Pina Colada Flavored!

An affair to remember

Valentines day... a day of love. A few days before I spent a day with Hill making these delightful creations...

...on Vday Matt and I ate chips and salsa while watching Premonition (I know, I know, GREAT Vday movie... ha) as an appetizer before dinner. When I called to get a reservation earlier in the week the lady at Sundance informed me that they had been booked for two weeks but that they happened to have a cancellation a few minutes before I called - eureka, it was meant to be! So, I had to settle with an 8:15 appointment. Here is where the story begins..

She mentioned it would be a "limited menu" for the evening and I thought, no problem, we'll have three or four of their most amazing dishes to choose from. When we arrived at the restaurant the waiter handed us a menu and walked away. Matt and I stared at it in confusion... do we pick from this list? How does this work? Where are the prices? Neither one of us wanted to look like the dummy, so we continued to play along like we knew what was happening! The waiter returns and explains, "Well, I see you have the menu for the evening, you may follow along as we go." We were about to eat ALL of it!

Item one and two caused Matt to gag (for those who don't know my husband well, he has the most sensitive gag reflex of any person I've ever known!). Several times we had to look around the room to try to see how other people were eating things (do I pick it up? do I use a fork? a spoon?). I googled several of the menu items when I got home to figure out what we had eaten. Over the course of the evening we used 5 forks, 4 knives, and 3 spoons. WHEW! Needless to say, we've made a pact to never tell how much the meal ended up being (we started making bets quietly as we neared the end of the 2 hour eating extravaganza... neither one of us got close)... However, in spite of the cost, it was possibly one of the most memorable/comical meal experiences we will most likely ever have!

Bon Appetit!

Sundancing

SUNDANCE

Ski rental: $10. Lift Ticket: $17. A day on the slopes with friends (and no injuries): Priceless.

Atticus is the BIG O-N-E!

It is hard to believe that it was just over a year ago that Hill was pregnant, working over-time trying to save the admissions office, and being diagnosed with toxemia. This cute little fella was worth it.

This ones for Mom

We went to see Brad Paisley in concert a few weeks ago in Salt Lake. Chuck Wilks (Stealing Cinderella) and Rodney Atkins (These are my people, etc) opened for him and it was a really good show. Even if you aren't a huge fan of Brad's you can still enjoy his concert bc he is such an entertainer -- if you get bored, its your own fault!
Anyway, a while back I was talking to my Mom on the phone and she mentioned she had been educated at work about the latest popular country songs (shes not a regular country listener). She was quite disgusted by the fact that there was a song out there about wanting to "check someone for ticks". Being from TN, checking yourself or being checked by someone for ticks is a reality and not a pleasant experience - not to mention my Mom's phobia for spiders or any creature resembling a spider.

This ones for you Mom:

Better Late Than Never

I kept thinking I wouldn't use this topic on the blog, but I came to the realization that this might be the closest thing I've got to having a "voice in society". You've got to start somewhere.

I'll cut to the chase: it is time to be educated voters!

I recognize that I have not always been in this category. I always cared to some extent, coming from parents who respect their right to vote and consequently have voted in every election for as long as I can remember (I remember thinking the "I Voted" stickers they had were cool). This year, however, I have become heavily steeped in the presidential campaign! This came about for several reasons... partly because of a challenge by a coworker, partly because of the diverse candidacy, probably partly because I've had some extra time lately :), and a few other reasons.

They say that "with knowledge comes power... great responsibility". Well, in my present case, it also brings great outrage! The more I learn and study, the more outraged I become at what "facts" the media and candidates present! And even more depressing is the fact that if it was me of several years ago listening, I wouldn't know any better to contradict/question much of what is being said.

So, here is my plight: go find out the facts! I'm not saying to go read your favorite far-right or far-left columnist and run with what he/she says. I'm saying read it all - the good, the bad, the ugly about each candidate. Know their mistakes, their triumphs. Media is so absolutely horrendously biased - DO NOT trust everything the TV preaches to you! Get all the facts.

Uncle Sam wants YOU to be a smart voter :)