I'm Too Tired to Think of a Title

Sometimes I have so many random thoughts and feelings that I'd like to talk about and then I forget them all when I sit down to create a post. So I guess you'll just have to be in suspense as to what they are until I derive a better method of remembering them. Meanwhile... we've been keeping ourselves busy. On Thursday we went to Freestone with Amy and Ryan, Shawna and Jett and Kiri and Adalyn. The wind really made it quite chilly but it didn't keep Clara from crawling towards the duck pond over and over... and over again. I'm pretty sure if I let her, she would've crawled right in. I told Amy I was going to let her crawl in just so I could get a picture for a good blog entry. Ha ha.
After that Clara and I went shopping with Beka and her boys. I found some sweet deals. As I've explained to Jason, yeah, we don't really have money to buy Clara clothes, but she has to have clothes so isn't it better if I spend $2.50 on a shirt now than $10 later when it fits?

Some may wonder how I am able to work at home with Clara. Well, I just put her in a box and do what I need to! Obviously I don't really do that (first, because I would NEVER treat my child like that and second, if you know Clara, you'd know she's kind of energetic and would probably knock the box over in no time, so it'd be pointless) but we've sure had fun playing in her carseat box. Friday night I went out with some of my cousins and I'm still trying to remember if I've done that since Clara was born. We watched 27 Dresses and it was a pretty good movie. It was predictable, a bit cheesey and had a happy ending, which is exactly the kind of movie I like. I didn't expect it to be as funny as it was, though. I used a giftcard I had from so long ago, but it had EXACTLY enough left on it to buy my ticket. After the movie I was tempted to leave a hate note on the car parked next to me. Seriously, he (I'm sure it was a guy, a girls would've hit me by getting that close... ha ha, j/k) was at about a 35 degree angle so his back end was just inches from my car. It took me forever to back out and lucky for that jerk, I didn't have a pen or paper in my car. Do people really think they are the only ones in the parking lot? Other than that, I had fun and decided I need more girl's nights out. Like every weekend would be nice. Ha ha, just kidding, but maybe once a month.

Saturday we enjoyed celebrating Beka's boys' first birthday. Notice how I never say their names? Well, truth be told, it's because I can't remember which one is "en" and which one is "on". :) Beka, I'm sorry that I'm not a smart friend but I still love your little boys. They were so cute with their cakes (which by the way, were GIANT cupcakes and totally rad!). Danny tried to help them get interested in the cake, but they really were content stealing frosting from the other's cake. I think our next child's first birthday cake eating experience will be on a tarp so they can really get into their cake. Later that evening my mom watched Clara so Jason and I could go to the Temple. It was SO busy we got there at like 450pm and didn't make it to the 530 session because it was too full. Other than getting Clara home so late and making my mom watch her longer, it wasn't bad because I wasn't rushed. Normally it's a mad rush to get to our session on time. For those not familiar with an LDS Temple, go here to get some of your questions answered. I just worked and did the bulletin when I got home. I'm so boring, I know, I tell myself that often.

Besides being so tired I almost fell asleep driving to my mom's for dinner, it's been a good Sunday. Our Home Teacher came over before church. They just put their house up for sale so if anyone has been waiting their whole life to live closer to me, now's a great time! It's about a mile from my house in a great neighborhood and is totally reasonably priced. Church went well. Clara took a great nap in the morning so missing her afternoon nap didn't pose as big of a problem as last week. I only had to take her out once from Relief Society because she was cranky. The other time was because she smacked her chin on the chair but was all better once she caught sight of the drinking fountain.

Jason had a meeting tonight so I went to my mom's without him. After dinner we went to the Visitor's Center at the Temple to look at the Reflections of Christ display. I could only enjoy it to a point because Clara was pretty wiggly so I want to go back later without her. Also, they have a documentary on it that I only got to see half of. The photography was beautiful and so full of emotion. There is the difference between a good picture and a picture that you can look into the people's faces and feel what they are feeling. I can't imagine the emotions associated with recreating events in Christ's life. It's one thing to be an actor but in some of the pictures you can see in the model's faces that it was so much more than acting. I could just see that they were imagining being in that situation and the actual emotions that were present during the times depicted. What an experience that must be!

Now hopefully I'll go to bed early tonight to catch up on my sleep that I've been desperately missing out on lately. I just need to get caught up on work and sleep and then I can get caught up on housework. Then I won't be so grumpy.

A New Goal...

I'm currently reading "Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky and although I have not read much, I'm pretty sure I have come across my favorite line and one that has inspired a new goal: "A woman should look like a heifer: sweet, trusting and generous, with a body as white as cream."

Catch Up & Update

I know it's annoying and it gets old when people say the same things over and over, but really, I have been so busy with work lately. Way too busy for my enjoyment, but I'm recognizing it as a blessing in disguise. First, the catch up... Friday night I had to frost cupcakes for the Pinewood Derby. Too bad I didn't take my camera because they were awesome. Okay, I don't know that I would've wanted to eat one (black frosting? umm...) but we attempted to make them look like tires and I think the boys loved them.

Saturday was a great day. We had a mini family reunion for my mom's family to celebrate her dad's 100th birthday (no, he's not alive still). I just love family. It is fun to get together and just look around and think how happy my grandma and grandpa are as they look at their posterity. I have such a cool extended family and love visiting with those I don't get to see that often. Our family picture... can't imagine why Clara refused to look at the camera. It's like she was looking at someone behind us.

Clara's new smile...Us with Michelle
Clara loves to be swung around. You can tell she gets dizzy just as bad as whoever is doing the spinning, but loves it anyway.

Later that night, we took Clara to my mom's so we could go out to eat to celebrate our anniversary. We went to Macaroni Grill and there was an hour wait so we decided to go somewhere else. As we were leaving, we saw Jen and Blake and I laughed because they have the same anniversary as us. What are the chances: we decided to eat at the same time, same place and on the same day, even though it wasn't the actual anniversary date, to celebrate. Unlike us, they were smart and called ahead so their wait was much shorter and they offered to have us eat with them. We had a good time visiting with them over dinner and as if the coincidences couldn't get more plentiful, we realized we enjoyed our meals compliments of gifts from sisters. Ha! We're glad they let us intrude on their romantic evening!

That night, I was up until 500am working. I know, bad me for working on Sunday, but I didn't have much of a choice. I woke up at 730am to feed Clara. Then, without me asking, Jason took Clara so I could go back to sleep. He fed her more food, played with her and a few minutes after I got up to work on the bulletin, he went and put her to sleep. I was so grateful for that extra hour and a half of sleep!

Sunday night Brenden and Nikki had us over for dinner. We'd never been to their apartment and I don't even know when the last time we hung out was. We had a good time and they didn't seem to mind Clara terrorizing their apartment. Can you blame her? It was all new stuff to get into. Mmmm and the food was good too. The only problem was every time I'm around Nikki I feel guilty for not being as good of a person as her. She's about as genuine as they come! I was up late again working (I know, shame on me twice, but with everything I had going on and with Clara during the day, I didn't have a choice).

All weekend I was mentally preparing myself for Monday because Jason went back to school. I only have to endure it for 5 1/2 months... and figured it wouldn't be so bad. Well, he went back to school yesterday and I'm already sick of it. It only took one day for me to remember how much I am looking forward to him being done. Last semester was bad, but this one might be worse, as far as how much Jason is gone. I'm thinking of starting a club for all wives of school husbands for moral support. :)

4 Years & Counting...

Today (the 10th, when I wrote this entry... and am just now adding the pictures to post it...) is our four year wedding anniversary. It was pretty much a normal day. I went to Amy's to hang out (I think we're going to start our Thursday get togethers again, and that is good) and to have a recipe exchange, ran errands with Angela, worked, cooked dinner, ate by myself and went to Enrichment with Clara. I really wanted to go to the Enrichment, so we decided to go out Saturday night instead and Jason was going to put Clara to bed while I went to Enrichment. He ended up having to stay late to get a project done (of course it was this night, not any other night of the week), so he was going to pick Clara up from Enrichment... but left so late from work I told him not to bother. He still wasn't there when it was over and I only got to listen to about 1/4 of the class because Clara was so tired and thought she needed to crawl away from me if I was sitting in the audience or into the audience if we were in the other room.

When I got home, Jason had bought me a gift that he was SO excited to give me: a new battery for my camera. If only it were the right size to fit my camera... :) The poor guy was oh so disapointed. Then, I stopped working at 1100pm so we could watch a movie together. I love that we can be doing nothing, but if we're together, it's enjoyable. We have a perfect marriage, so what else can I say? Ha ha, just kidding. The past four years haven't been perfect, but overall, they've been good. I enjoy having Jason to share the ups and downs of life with and look forward to the next year of marriage.

Dating...

Married... (who knew my face looked so fat when I got married?)

In love...And now...He LOVES LOVES LOVES Clara. He loves to play with her, teaches her and makes her laugh. I get mad when Jason neglects to show me he cares or loves me, but I don't think he wants to see how mad I'd get if he did that with Clara. He's a really fun dad.

I'm not and never have been afraid of him. I know this sounds weird, but the other night I was thinking about how awful that'd be to have a husband you're afraid of and you dread to see if they had a bad day at work or something else was bothering them.

We've been able to laugh endlessly about very bad circumstances we've come across (i.e. our current financial situation). Sure, there are still plenty of tears but I can't imagine how much worse it'd be if we didn't laugh together about the ironies and humor of it all.

Jason works very hard and enjoys doing so. During school he has a lot on his plate, but has managed to be successful.

He lets me have total control over our budget. :)

He likes and eats most vegetables. Again, another weird one but I hate it when people, especially adults, don't think they have to eat their vegetables because they are adults. Not only is it not healthy, but it's a bad example to kids.

He thinks I'm the world's greatest cook. I went say my theory of why this is, but, he loves almost everything I cook so it makes my job easy.

His testimony is strong enough that I've never once worried about him becoming inactive or doing things he shouldn't. I find comfort in not having to worry about that because I am pretty sure I couldn't deal with it.

And just because I'm obnoxious and like to talk about our dating story, here's a little survey that I've created from various posts I've seen:

What is his name? Jason

How long have you been together? It's been five and a half years since we first met... that makes me feel old.

Who eats more? Usually Jason, but when I was first nursing, I could certainly keep up with him. Who said I love you first? Jason... and continued to say it many times until I felt emotionally stable enough to reciprocate

Who is taller? Jason, thank goodness

Who sings better? Probably me

Who is smarter? Jason thinks he is. Anything I say, even if I'm just reading a headline, he disagrees with and tells me how it really is. I wish I knew when we were dating he knew everything. So, I'll leave this one up in the air.

Whose temper is worst? Mine for sure, unless it involves sports or politicians.

Who does the laundry? The maid/nanny... who also cleans up all of his messes, grocery shops, cooks, etc. Until the maid has a breakdown, then Jason helps for a little bit and then waits for the next epidsode.
Who does the dishes? Similar to the laundray, 99% me, unless I throw a fit, then he helps momentarily

Who pays the bills? Me

Who mows the lawn? My dad... twice a year...

Who cooks dinner? Me. Jason said he'd cook once a week if I bought him the grill I did. That lasted a whole two weeks.

Who drives when you are together? Jason

Who is more stubborn? Normally, it's me, but lately, Jason knows everything and if people don't agree with him, they are WRONG because he's always right.

Who is the first to admit that they are wrong? Since I'm never wrong and Jason never admits when he's wrong, this is another one we'll have to leave up in the air! Actually, when we were dating, Jason always was first and I never was. In the four years we've been married, I think he's done it maybe twice.

Who kissed who first? Jason tried for weeks and then finally got what he deserved.

Who asked who out? I needed a date and my friend set us up on a blind date.

Who proposed? Um, I don't think I would have ever proposed to someone.

Who has more friends? I talk to everyone, Jason rarely says a word, so me.

Who wears the pants in the family? Me and I wear a glove on my iron hand.

Where did you meet your husband? I distinctly remember the first time I saw Jason. He was my blind date as part of a "lab" for the "Eternal Marriage" class I was taking at Institute. I wanted to get married but hated anything having to do with the male species unless I was related so I took this class and made my friend Carli take it with me. I asked a friend from my HS days to go with me but he was busy so Carli was going to just get her little brother and his friends to go with us. Instead, she decided Jason could go with me. I knew his little brother from junior high, but had never met him and figured he'd just be another let down (I know, I'm so mean) like the last 15 guys I'd gone out with. When I walked into Carli's house and saw him sitting on the couch and realized he was good looking, I was quite embarrassed that I'd already asked Carli for a wet rag to get the deoderant off my shirt not realizing he was there.
What was the first thing you said to your husband? Hi or something and then I quickly showed myself into the bedroom so I could clean my shirt.
Where was your first date? We had dinner at the Institute building followed by a little presentation. We went back to Carli's and I continued to think, oh great, another one of these mutes (up to this point he hadn't said much)... But then Jason suggested we go to Neilson's and he paid for me, so I was impressed since technically I had asked him out. Then we went back to Carli's and talked in my car for a few hours. He told me to call him and I apologized but told him I didn't call boys. Like the smart kid he is, he got my number to call me.
Where was your first kiss? After MANY rejections, I gave in to Jason's lips in his truck on the way home from his family reunion in 2002.
Did you have a long engagement/courtship? Our first date was July 11, 2002, we got engaged the first weekend in August 2003 and were married January 10, 2004... longer than most Mormons but I wouldn't have done it sooner (not because I don't enjoy being married, just because of school, planning, avoiding getting frazzled, etc.)

Where did you get engaged? The Wedge in Scottsdale. Before you laugh like some people do, it was not in the South part where people bike, skateboard and roller blade. It was in the North part by a pond with ducks and geese. My ever so considerate father told me he had lunch with my future husband when I got home that day, even though Jason specifically asked him not to say anything. Anyway, I totally knew it was happening and Jason was extremely nervous. We had the most bizarre conversation about the difference between ducks and geese and I think it was more awkward for both of us than any other point in our entire relationship, including our first date, first kiss, etc. Then, he acted like we were going to leave and I was completely confused as to why I still didn't have a ring on my finger... so I turned to walk to the car and he grabbed my hand and when I turned back around, he was on his knee, still totally nervous.
How was the honeymoon? Perfect, and then it went downhill from there. Ha ha, just kidding. We went to San Francisco and had a wonderful time. Neither of us had been there and since we didn't have a lot of time or money, it accomodated both nicely. We ate some great food, saw lots of things that excited me (the Muirwood Forest, historical sites, etc.) and Jason still talks about how much he enjoyed visiting Alcatraz.

Flying By

I can't believe tomorrow is Thursday (I wrote this last night but am now just uploading the pictures). I feel like I'm missing out on life as it flies by when I'm busy... so busy I lose track of time and have a hard time remembering what went on in the days before. I've been up too late working and last night I figured, hmm, it's already past one in the morning, who cares if I stay up until two? I have LOTS going on at work because of the usual stuff, cleaning up people's messes and of course, all of the year-end fun has begun. Other than that, life has been low key.

On Sunday Clara had her last official ride in her old car seat. (A little grumpy now that we've switched to 12:30 church so she doesn't get an afternoon nap)...and certainly doesn't seem to be as excited as I for her new one. I'm working on fattening her up so she meets the weight requirement to face forward. If it doesn't happen soon, I'll cheat, especially if she's close. The seat fits, but it is SO tall I can't see her when I'm sitting in the front. We'll both enjoy having her turn around I'm sure.

On Monday I had my meeting for work at 1:00, which normally isn't a problem because Clara rarely sleeps past Noon. Well, as life seems to go, she just kept sleeping and sleeping. Even when I went into her room, she just kept sleeping. She's normally a very light sleeper, but I guess on Monday she really needed her nap. I took a picture and that woke her up. She opened her eyes, saw me and got really excited. Oh, my sweet baby.
Yesterday, Clara and I went to visit Angela for a little bit. Then last night I felt oh so domestic as I cut this lovely romaine from my garden for our dinner salad. It's the first thing we've eaten from it, though it's been ready for a while. I'm quite fascinated that I can walk into my backyard to get something to eat for dinner. Neato would be a great way to describe it.
Clara has a few new tricks. When I say smile, she loves to squint her eyes and smile her heart out, if only for a split second. She has decided there isn't a thing in our home more entertaining than the laundry basket of clothes. The first day she found it, she pulled about half of the clothes out, then climbed in. Now, everytime she sees it, she climbs in and just loves sitting and snuggling with the clothes. Sorry, I couldn't resist the sucession of pictures or all of the different expressions she gave while taking pictures. I'm pretty sure the last picture makes me laugh every time I look at it.

She will blow her nose most of the time we put kleenex by it. She signs please, more, eat and finished (sometimes better than others) and mimicks what Jason says ALL the time. My favorite so far is "tkcle, tckle" and yes, it sounds like she omits the 'i'. It cracks us up, but I don't think anyone but us have heard it so people think we are making it up. Just wait, you'll see. Clara loves to walk around, but only if she's holding onto something or pushing something. She's been standing for longer (a minute is long to me) lately but still seems so disinterested in walking.

Today I met Beka at her parent's house to play. Clara was very "soft" with the boys and was essentially petting their heads like a dog. One of them stole her toy and she was like moving her hands in very quick, small motions by his arm trying to get it back. I love watching kids interact. Scouts also resumed today and those boys make me laugh. I have to admit I'm kind of dreading this upcoming year because we are getting EIGHT new Scouts. I know, shame on me for having a bad attitude.

During dinner, Clara "lost" one of her green beans. See it anywhere? It stayed there forever, we laughed. Oh, and just when I thought she'd eaten so well tonight, I took her tray off. Hmmm...

Weight

Tomorrow Scouts resumes (I've enjoyed 3 weeks off) and I am in charge of the activity. The requirement we are working on is all about nutrition and cooking. I was on the mypyramid.gov website and wanted to see how much I should be eating and this is the notice I received upon inputting my information...

Please Note:
The weight you entered is below the healthy range for your height. This may increase your risk for health problems. Some people with a very lean body build or young adults who are still growing may not be at a higher risk. Check with your health care provider to see if you should try to gain weight. If you have recently lost weight, have health problems, or have difficulties with eating, speak with your health care provider.

It then gives me two options: a plan for my current weight or a plan to gradually work toward a healthier weight. I love how weight is such a false indicator of degree of health these days. There are people that are a little bit heavier than the norm that are healthier than those right on track just as there are those that are under that are healthier as well. I'm pretty sure they should ask me what I eat, how active I am, how much I sleep and how I feel. Wouldn't the answers to those questions paint a MUCH more accurate pictures of one's health?

Talents

Last week I called my parent's house. My dad answered and we had the following conversation:
Dad: What's up chaquita?
Me: Nothing, what's up with you?
Dad: Get it, chaquita, like banana, Anna banana.
Me: Yup, I get it... (I then procede to sing the Chaquita banana song)
Dad: That's like me singing the Oscar Meyer weaner song... (he then proceded to sing BOTH versions of the song to me).
He then got my mom after saying a few sarcastic things.

Lately I've been thinking about how happy I am my dad is my dad. At the wedding we went to, the dad and daughter had taken dance lessons and danced a few different ways. My dad has four daughters that have been married and I don't think he's danced with one of them at their weddings and I highly doubt he'd take dancing lessons even if someone paid him. I was thinking about this at the wedding and that everyone has different talents when I remembered our conversation and I had to laugh. My dad might not be a dancer, but he can be pretty goofy which I've always liked. Instead of being into the fine arts, he's equipped with a very logical brain jam-packed with anything I want to know. His playfulness defintely makes up for not being the dancing type!

To Thee I Wed...

Aren't weddings joyous occassions? Last night we went to the wedding of Jason's good friend from school. They got married at the Manor and then had a lovely dinner and reception there. I love that place and secretly wish I still worked there (if you haven't noticed, there's a lot of things I secrectly wish I still did...). The wedding was nice and I really like listening to the things that are said. It never hurts to be reminded of the imporatance of marriage. Both the bride and groom are very religious so they gave a lot of spiritual advice which I also enjoyed hearing. It's interesting how a lot of times it doesn't matter what your religious background is, you can find some common points in the guidance given. I was grateful knowing that my marriage is eternal because I wouldn't be content with my marriage ending at death. There was a little wait between the ceremony and the dinner so we left with another couple to go look at some houses. All that really did was make me wish I could buy a bigger house. One reason I love weddings is the amount of detail and thought that goes into creating a wonderful atmosphere. Nothing is overlooked and even the place settings are so intricate for being such a small part of the whole scheme of things. We got lucky and were seated at a table with another young couple (along with Jason's other friend from school and his wife). The girl we were with was actually the bride's hair stylist. She was totally nice and not that it's a surprise if you know me, but we visited most of the time (two hours). Her husband was a riot and just danced his little heart out without caring at all what anyone thought, even as we sat laughing at the table nearby. Perhaps someday our paths will cross again.
Speaking of dancing, the pastor was CRAZY! He danced more than anyone I'd ever seen at a wedding and was nothing shy of entertaining. He did backflips, back handsprings and did one of the best Micheal Jackson impressions I've EVER seen. The people sitting by us live in the same neighborhood as him and they say he's always like that. I think I'm going to invited him to my next party. Ha ha. I also LOVED the cake. I couldn't have the cake I wanted so I always notice the cakes. It didn't taste all that great, but I sure enjoyed the look of it.
What a special day for a beautiful couple. We got a good laugh at how young the groom looks, but really, he's 23 or 24, which isn't that young. I had lots of fun and am looking forward to the next one, maybe later this year! Now you ask, where was Clara during this fun? We took her to my mom's so she could watch her until Angela got off work. Then, Angela picked her up from my mom's and brought her to our house so her and Clint could babysit and put her down for the night. Thank you so much! It is so awesome to be able to enjoy a night with Jason and know Clara is in good hands. Don't worry Angela, I will pay you back someday when you have kids. :)When we got back, we talked with Angela and Clint and ended up playing a new game I bought called Pop5. It's by the Cranium makers and is very similar, but a little bit quicker. Now all of you can look forward to your opportunity to play with us. :)

My Opinion

If you are offended by other's opinions, please, read no further. Last night I watched a bit of coverage on the Iowa Caucus. First, why did they have to make that word sound so much like carcass? That's really the first word I associate caucus with each time I hear it. Anyway, so I heard bits and pieces of the top three Democratic candidates' speeches along with the top two Republican's. I follow politics enough to participate in a conversation regarding such and so that I feel educated when it comes time to vote. I don't normally follow different things super close, but I think this is going to be an interesting election. It already has been interesting. I think by this time next year our country will have a president that is a first: either the first female, the first Black or the first Mormon president. How can the campaign get more exciting than that?

Anyone that knows me knows I don't think we should ever have a female president. Maybe there are females out there that are more manly, but I am a firm believer that women more typically follow their heart and that's a good thing so that when men use ONLY their brain and show emotion, the result is a pleasant neutral world. I don't want an emotional Commander in Chief because quite frankly, emotional decisions can't be beneficial when dealing with the USA (wars, health care, taxes, etc.).

With that said, here is my opinion of five of the presidential candidates, in order of probably least liked to most liked:

H. Clinton: are you serious? Last night she said something in her little speech that is still bothering me this morning. She said something to the effect that you should vote for her if your a Democrat, an Independent or a Republican who's seent the light. That just irritated me thinking that there are people out there that will vote for a candidate JUST because of their party affiliation when in fact they should elect someone that you feel will run the country in a way you'd be happy with, someone that isn't afraid to be unpopular for making a right decision and someone that will lay a foundation for a better future. The most important thing shouldn't be whether they are Republican or Democrat or one of the independent parties. She sounds like a man and I'd be afraid to be near her when she gets mad. Plus, someone should tell her having Mr. Bill stand next to her during her public appearances isn't helping her chances.

J. Edwards: good looking or not, this man is certainly trying to appeal to ONLY those that are in favor of government sponsored health insurance. He sat there and told story after story about unfortunate situations where individuals didn't have health insurance and suffered because of it. This seems to be his ONLY thing and to be honest, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy. If you are really truly poor, there is already government assistance to help you. If you are only kind of poor (like Jason and I :)), you can get insurance for pretty cheap. It won't be great, but it also won't bankrupt you if you have a medical emergency. Furthermore, I would be so bold as to say a lot of these people that "can't afford" insurance spend money on one of the following: cigarettes, alcohol, sattelite/cable, etc. I'm not saying everyone in this situation is at fault, but I would say there are definitely those that choose not to be able to afford insurance. Oh, and I would love to ask this man how he became so wealthy. I do believe it was suing the pants off of doctors and other's in the medical field... and we all know what that does to insurance premiums!

B. Obama: I actually don't know enough about this guy to complain too much. He just seems very inexperienced. He seems to try to appeal to the touchy feelies out there. He also doesn't seem to be realistic. He has hope for a perfect world... don't we all?

M. Huckabee: If I was voting based on names, this guy might win. Huckabee, that's a cool last name. Anyway, he also seemed like a fairly decent candidate. His voice sounds an awful lot like Romney's and he just spoke to the people at his speech, not really preaching his platforms like some of the other's. He also didn't seem genuine. He said some good things, but I felt like he was saying them to appease his listeners (I guess that means he's a true politician, right?).

M. Romney: I really do think this man is brilliant. I also didn't hear much of what he said last night, but every time I hear him speak I believe what he says. He seems genuine and so calm. I have much confidence in him and let me just say again, I think he's brilliant.

Happy New Year!

I feel so excited about a fresh new year ahead of me. New Year's Eve day was so fun only because I called Karen and convinced her she really needed to not be working but spending the day with me. I feel so influential when people listen to me. :) She came over, we went to Costco and then we visited and she helped me dip pretzels. Good friends are priceless, I just need to find out how to get her to move closer. At night, we headed over to Amy's to celebrate the approaching New Year. I had been looking forward to the food for some time. Having appetizers available to eat at any time all night long is such a treat for me. I love to eat and junk food is obviously the best. We played Mafia and Shout Out and visited. We took Clara and after crying for only five minutes or so, she went to sleep just fine in Ryan's crib. It was fun being able to just visit with mostly jadults. Amy has the perfect party house. I'm a little jealous but glad she lets me come to the parties!

This morning Clara slept in until 830, so that was nice since I went to bed after 200. We went to some friend's house for steak and eggs so the guys could watch football. We left a little before Noon so I could feed Clara and because she missed her morning nap so she was a wee bit cranky. I really don't get the concept of steak and eggs for breakfast. I think some guy invented it and the only reason you eat it with eggs is so you can say it's a breakfast food.

I really have a good feeling about 2008. It is a new, fresh beginning and I feel like I get to start out with a clean slate. I love setting goals and love working to achieve them. This year I'd like to accomplish the following:

1. Memorize 52 scriptures (one a week)

2. Cook dinner every night

3. Clean the house every day

4. Never get mad at Jason

5. Never get upset or frustrated with Clara

6. Stick to my budget exactly

7. Say only nice things about others

8. Stop complaining

9. Do all my work on time and stop procrastinating

10. Don't think bad thoughts about anyone

As you can see, by the end of the year, I plan on being pretty much perfect! Ha ha, just kidding. I have yet to assemble my realistic goals (I don't think there is a single goal above that I could stick to completely) and once I do, I don't know that I will share them with all of you (although now it is quite obvious what my weaknesses are). My goals are always very specific, individual and of course, something I believe I can accomplish. Setting goals that are unattainable leaves me feeling depressed when I realize how far I was from accomplishing my goal.

Here's hoping to a wonderful and relaxing new year for everyone!