New Car and Graduation

Tonight we traded in our old Accord for a new one! Our '01 Accord had been a great asset. It was a gift from AJ's parents and helped us feel luxurious as a newly married couple. It has helped us to save tons of money as we didn't have a car payment and it has taken me to my job everyday. But the last year or so it had been struggling a little. Trouble after trouble seemed to arise and we decided after this last major fix that we wanted to move on to a more reliable car. So we traded it in and put the trade in value on a lease for a new Accord. Our new one is a misty green color. I love it!

Also, AJ officially graduated from BYU! Last week was his last final. He graduated from the Mariott School of Management (Business) with an emphasis in Marketing. I am so proud of him. He has worked tirelessly through summers, while working, doing extracurricular school competitions, etc. We are still in the "searching for a job" phase and he's had a few interviews so we are eagarly awaiting word back from them.

Wish him luck!

Service Project Report

Friday, November 21, 2007

We met at 8:00 AM at Paradigm High. In the first half of our time we sorted and boxed the food items we had previously collected from our food drive competition. This was really fun to watch. Everyone in the class took on a job with little or no prompting from me. Some sorted, some boxed, some labelled boxes. This was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience to see them all working together and filling in where help was needed. We then loaded the boxes into a parent's truck and a few students went to deliver the items to the Utah Food Bank. Meanwhile the rest of the class and I cleaned the kitchen and the Hole in the Wall. We wiped out drawers, shelves, and counters. We cleaned the fridge, swept, and mopped. We finished up the day by making and signing a Thank You card for our parent volunteer. The experience ended at 12:15 PM.

On Monday I asked the class to write about their experiences and we had a brief discussion. Many commented on the amount of food we were able to help organize and donate. They were happy to be able to help give so much (1934 pounds!) They were also pleased to be able to help with the kitchen and the Hole in the Wall and knew that because of their labors the school could start selling food items to students.

Body Worlds

Today my cousin Jodi and I went to an exhibit called Body Worlds. They take real human bodies that have been donated and preserve them with a kind of resin. We saw all different body parts: organs, nerves, veins... in different positions. It was really cool. I really like that the tone of the exhibit was that of wonder, learning, and respect.

Here is a picture of my favorite display. It shows the system of nerves alone.

Pleasure Cruise

One of AJ's buddies came over Thursday and gave us a ride in his Maserati Quattroporte sedan. I didn't get a picture because I left my camera at my cousin's and I haven't retrieved it yet. It has 400 horse power. But here is a picture of the car:

Prop 8

I know my vote won't count for California's Prop 8, but I still want my voice to be heard and I want to support the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their request to support Prop 8.

The entire text of Proposition 8 is as follows:
"Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California."

I love what the Church says:




Here are a couple links on Prop 8:
1. Video: Church Readies Members
on Proposition 8.
2. The Divine Institution of Marriage.
3. Protect Marriage.

Roommate Reunion and OWAC Results

It all started when I created a facebook account. My old roommate Julie posted on my wall to say she is student teaching nearby and another roommate April is in the area job searching. So we picked a date and afterschool we met at Julie's place.


I got there a little early and while I waited I watched some geese that where duking it out the pond infront of Jul's apt. Man some were aggressive. Some slept on the ground while others tried their hand at flamingo-style sleeping on one leg.


We had a fun time talking about the good old college days and catching up over dinner at Wingers. I think they gave me their fire sauce on my chicken strips instead of the regular sauce because my mouth was ON FIRE!



Here are a couple pictures.

OWAC Results: Well the sad news is that AJ did not go on to the finals. The good news is that one of the judges is a neighorhood friend and AJ called him up to get pointers and feedback from his presentation. AJ asked this friend if he could tell him what his team's placement was since he didn't make it. Our friend told him but we are not supposed to disclose it so I will simply say AJ's team was CLOSE to the finals.

OWAC

Every fall and winter semesters Omniture, a web analitics company, sponsers a contest challenging student teams to analyze a real company's web site and report innovative ways of improving the site to increase profits. This semester the company is Overstock.com.

AJ's team had to research the data and create a PowerPoint displaying their ideas. They submitted the PowerPoint yesterday and we just found out his team made the preliminary cut! His group will meet on Monday to present. Each of the 23 groups chosen in the preliminary will present this Friday or Monday. From them, 4 will be selected to go on to the finals and present to representatives of Overstock.com.

Not only are the top 3 teams awarded some awesome prizes but rumor has it that Omniture offers positions to some of the winners. Good luck AJ!

Check out the details of the Omniture Web Analytics Competition.

Check out Omniture.

My Turn!

It's been a long time coming but finally it's our turn now. AJ and I are officially trying to get pregnant! I am way too impatient to wait even until I am actually pregnant to announce anything like this, so here it is. I am excited!

Uncle Kenny

My cousin Ali posted this link to an article about her dad. I know my parents read my blog sometimes and thought my dad might like to read the article about his big brother.

http://www.mormontimes.com/ME_index.php?linkTrack=mtEmail&id=3800

First Day of School

Thanks to everyone who remembered my first day and wished me luck. It was a really great day. I didn't get very much sleep last night, my mind was running over all the things that haven't been done yet and all the questions I still have left to ask and the problems left to solve so I was a little stressed. But the day went well.

Our first 3 days of school are spent in Jumpstart Week where we acquaint the students to Paradigm's way in an assembly followed by a series of workshops. Today we went to the student government, commonplace book, and the school policies workshops.

The student government is made up of a legislative group who are all presidents of their class and an executive branch who are like the student body president. Each Mentor class (it's like homeroom) elects a president and then brings the class's issues to congress.

The commonplace book is basically an education journal where students can record ideas and ah-ha moments as they learn. It is meant just for them and is not graded or analyzed.

School policies are self explanatory.

Then we split down into our Mentor groups. I have about 13 students who are all great. They are very participatory and willing to contribute. We discussed the assembly message and talked about how to make that Paradigm shift. This was my favorite part of the day.

Our Mentor groups meet with us each day and in class we have opportunities to work on homework, read, or pursue our educational interests. This is where class presidents discuss school business. We meet one-on-one with students and we hold discussions. It is an unstructured time to learn.

Survivor - Mays Family Edition

FRIDAY

We met up with my parents on Friday for a weekend of camping. I was excited to show AJ some fun hikes from my childhood like a slot canyon hike and a natural rock playground. We set up shop at Singletree, a campground south of Bicknell on highway 12 off of hwy 24. We caravaned with the Williams. The day was sunny and warm with few clouds. At camp we set up our tents and played Frisbee and catch. The Cardons came at dusk. We had grilled hamburgers for dinner while we waited for them to arrive.

SATURDAY

I got up early Saturday morning because of course I had to use the restroom even though I specifically made a point not to drink anything after 8pm or but apparently that wasn't a big enough sacrifice for my bladder. As I walked to the flushing toilet (thank you!) my eyes were pulled to the orange and pink sky. The sun was on its way up and was rolling out the red carpet for its grand entry. I took several pictures. It was easily one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen.

After everyone finally got up and I had told them they missed the best sunrise ever we ate and got ready for a long exciting hike. We packed lunches in preparation and drove out toward Escalante to hike the Peekaboo and Spooky slot canyons. I'm not sure what happened when we arrived but rather than eating our packed lunches (thereby foregoing the energy we needed to hike) we started on our journey.

When we reached Peekaboo we found there was a giant thigh deep pool of water at the entrance that had accumulated from earlier in the week (which my parents had to suffer through when they arrived).

We decided to bypass the entrance and hike around to the middle of the canyon and continue from there. We finished Peekaboo and found Spooky. We wormed our way around tight corners and between narrow walls.

With such spectacular hiking I was prompted to take several pictures. This upset the party behind me; they grew ever restless in the tight space with the heat and their empty stomachs. But we finally made it through. The walk back to the trail head is in a deep sandy wash. Luckily thick, hard clay had been washed down in the years between my first visit and last weekend. This clay created a hard coating on the sand and made walking much easier. Even with the path's "candy coating" the walk back was probably the hardest part of the hike. We had a steady upward path after the wash but after eternity it was over.

As we heading into Escalante to gas up we noticed foreboding clouds in the distance near our campground. We decided to eat in town rather than try to cook in camp as it looked like rain. We dined at Subway and topped our dinner off with raspberry cheesecake frozen yogurt.That night the rain poured heavily onto our tent, but we stayed warm and dry. It was fun to listen to the drops rap on the tent as they fell.

SUNDAY

We woke on Sunday to more rain. A steady drizzle really. I laid awake in my tent for a while before the rain stopped and made my morning visit to the restroom. On my way I saw a large jackrabbit who was white, with black tipped ears and tail. He scurried off too quick for me to take a picture even though I followed after him.

The Williams went into town in search of a sacrament service while the rest of us stinkies stayed in my parents' tent trailer talking about where the sites of the Book of Mormon may have taken place and other more doctrinal topics. We played a very long and fruitless game of Phase Ten. There seemed to be a bit of giddiness among the group, we were all very giggly. We laughed as we saw Monica return to her tent in a skirt and high heels. Not something you see camping often.

Later that afternoon Erika, Marcus, Olivia, AJ, and I took the half mile campground hike to see a waterfall. My parents who had done this hike earlier in the week warned us that it wasn't quite a Sunday stroll but was rather steep. It started out very gentle and I doubted my parents' warning until about halfway in. It does get steep but the falls are nice. I didn't get any pictures so I will have to steal some from Erika when she posts hers. The boys liked the falls so much that when we returned to camp they got their swimsuits and some soap and went back down the trail for a shower.

That night we had mesquite grilled chicken breast and tinfoil dinners with beef, potatoes, and carrots. We huddled around the fire until the last of the wood grew dark and rain began to fall. You would have thought the rain was acid by our speedy reaction to it (that's for you Erika). We went to bed with a light drizzle.

I woke up in the middle of the night...again. This time I realized there was another reason for my consciousness when I saw our blue tent flash bright and then a harsh bang shook the ground. Lightening and thunder invaded our campsite with such intensity I clung to AJ. (I am now a little embarrassed about how frightened I was, my excuse is my grogginess.) When the storm subsided I dashed to the bathroom. As I listened to the Coyotes yapping and singing in the distance, I kept telling myself, "Just keep walking!" I ran all the way back to the tent. I laid there with AJ and all of a sudden we heard this loud whooshing sound. It sounded like rushing water but it was wind. With the wind cooing me to sleep I drifted off.

I was started awake again by shaking, not the ground this time, but the tent. The tent was quivering in the wind. The cooing had become rushing. And it came again and again with increasing intensity. Like an ocean wave tearing toward the shoreline I could hear it crashing against the trees until it reached our little tent.

And of course again I had to use the restroom, but this time I was more afraid. If I went by myself, what if I was blown away? What if the coyotes are closer now? If I ask AJ to go with me, what if our tent blows away? I finally just asked AJ to go with me, he was already awake anyway. We ventured out and on the way back we noticed the stars were out and bright.We paused to name a couple constellations.

MONDAY

Back in the tent, the wind still whirled and bowed our tent. AJ couldn't sleep so he sat outside holding our tent and checking on the Williams and Cardons. Earlier in the morning My parents' tent trailer awning came crashing onto the trailer's roof. I was able to sleep and awoke with the morning light to find a cloudy sky and little wind. AJ jumped in the tent to sleep while I climbed out to see if my parents were awake. We spent the morning in the trailer until it was time to clean up and take down camp.

Then we went our separate ways. :(

I LOVE Paradigm!

I thought I would give everyone a school update. First, I LOVE my school. We started out on Monday, August 18th at a retreat up at Heber Valley Camp. It was beautiful, wildlife frolicked everywhere! I saw beaver and chipmunks and deer, etc. We did all kinds of things like canoeing, challenge courses, seminars, and LOTS of chatting and getting to know each other. We were reminded several times to use this time to get to know the other Mentors (Teachers). I never thought I had so much conversation stuck inside me. I guess when you get around others who are as passionate (or more!) about something as you are that's what happens.

The retreat was fun and we spent the last two days of the week back at the school with more seminars. Originally, we were going to start school on September 2nd but our new building is not finished yet so they moved the date back to September 8th. I am excited to have more time to plan, but a little disappointed to not be able to jump into my new classroom yet. I'll have to change my countdown.

I have to tell everyone about Paradigm High School because the school blows me away. We are focused on several things that make us unique (These are just a few):

1. We believe no one can teach anyone else. Mentors or teachers can inspire and invite, but only students can teach themselves.

2. We believe that the Mentor can only teach what she (or he) is. The principles and truths I believe in can ferventaly inspire but trying to teach things I don't believe in makes little impact. Mentors need to teach by example and show a love of learning and work hard to learn along side their students.

3. A person can make a difference. People can make difference when unified.

4. Supportive parents make a HUGE impact.

5. Servant Leaders - Learning to take leading roles in life to serve others. Owning and becoming responsible for your actions and your education.

I just wanted to share with everyone what I am coming to feel strongly about. An education like what Paradigm offers will change our communities, and if allowed to spread, our larger society as well. If you are interested to learn more I suggest reading a couple books: "A Thomas Jefferson Education" and "Anatomy of Peace".

Also I added a link on the right to my class portal thing. You can read my syllabi and course outlines. Let me know if you have any suggestions or fun ideas that would improve my classes.

Forks Hike

Last Wednesday AJ and I went on a hike to Stewart Falls which is up by Sundance with a group of people from his work. Because of the heavy snow this last winter the foliage had flourished. We had just missed a light mountain down pour and the we enjoyed the smell of wet earth and dewy plants as we moved down the path. Everything was green. The trail was tight in some places, the ferns and hovering tree branches seemed to hug us as we walked. I suddenly felt like I was in the Forks forest from Twilight. Perhaps a huge russet colored wolf would come bounding by... When I read I become so involved in the story. It was fun to imagine I was in the story.

Me and AJ at the Falls

I don't know this girl, I just pulled this picture from the web, but this is a lot like our trail looked.

This is a picture of Forks I pull from the web. Ok so my hike doesn't really look like this because the moss is so dominant but it is my imagination so I can picture what I want even if it isn't accurate. ;)

Kiln!

I finally got my kiln Friday night! Thanks to our home teacher, his neighbor, and AJ! Thanks AJ, for all you do to support me!

We found when we measured our apt doorway that the kiln would not fit through the frame. We are keeping it in our parking lot under a leafy tree covered in the heavy plastic our mattresses came in. I hope it will be safe!

Happy Birthday Gavin!

Instead of releasing balloons for Gavin in honor of his 1st birthday, like his family did, Erika, Livvy, and I released (or rather blew) bubbles! Happy Birthday Gavin! We love you and miss you!

Family Reunion

Saturday we had our annual Bridges Reunion. But we started off the festivities at my aunt Teena's home with a double shower! We have two cousins getting married. The shower was a blast. I always love to see the gifts that everyone gets.





Saturday we stopped by Walmart so I could get a new phone. My old one was growing quiet and the battery life was waning. Thanks everyone for your patience with me while I made my phone selection, perhaps it brought back unpleasant memories of choosing toothbrushes... I didn't get an iPhone, I just got a maroon Motorola V9 Ravr.

We spent the day in the park watching Livvy enjoy rides for the first time and enjoying the new rides ourselves for the first time. I have to say Wicked took my breath away as I was propelled up and then shoved down. The swings made sick, I am embarrassed to report. I never get motion sickness and I rarely get nauseous but I was so close to puking on that. We spent a the afternoon at Lagoona Beach. I waded through the water in my bare feet and shorts and the water felt good! We had a great dinner and a program to honor my grandparents as their 80th birthdays are approaching.

On Sunday we had a small gathering with our immediate family at Monica and Jon's new place (which is bigger and way cute, BTW). Monica made great lasagna which some even dared to call better than Mom's (Mom called it that, she's allow to). And it did rival Mom's. So now whenever I am homesick, I will come to your place, Monica, and you can make Mom's lasagna for me! ;) After dinner we played Rock Band and HS Musical Sing Along on the Wii. Fun times!

Ragnar Run, Rock Band, and Camping

Ok, I am behind on my blog! Time to catch up a little...

On 6/20 - 6/21 AJ and Marcus ran in the Ragnar Wasatch Back Relay. AJ ran a total of 19.5 miles. There are ten runners and each runner has 3 legs so there are 30 legs total. They run continuously without stopping through the night. There were tales of water fights, ambushes, and more. I am so proud of AJ for doing that! He is much braver than me.

Erika and I stayed home with Livvy while the boys ran. We were able to attend a family sealing which had a very special spirit during the ceremony. We went swimming and all sorts of things.




On 6/22 Rock Band was released for the Wii and AJ's long wait was over. He loves music and loves the drums in particular. What a fun way let out that music jitter bug of his! He excells at the game!

On 7/4-7/6 AJ and I went down to Snow Canyon near St. George, UT. We camped. When I told my dad our plans he laughed at me and provided a one word explanation: HOT! And he was right! To escape the heat we hit up the outlet mall and then went to "Get Smart" with Steve Carrell.

On Saturday we did some light hiking and then visited with my grandparents who live nearby. That night we went to dinner and then to "Les Miserables" at the out door Tuacahn theatre with my cousins Lindsay and Jason.

We drove home Sunday and we were exhausted, the sun can be so draining. We did not go home without meeting some little animal friends. One night, I saw a bunny with short stubby ears. It let me inch close to 6 feet from it before growing uneasy. I also saw these strange little burrowing creatures that looked like fat white chipmunks. AJ saw a slender orange fox right outside our tent one morning.

My Last Day

Today was my last day at Mstar. You thought I was done on July 18th! I tricked you. My replacement, Scott, was going out of town for a couple weeks and got back the Monday after my old last day. I extended my stay by a week to train him.

I have learned many things from my experience at Mstar from professional to personal to spiritual. My understanding of what it means to, "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in," has become more contrete and my resultion to do that has been made more firm.

I Quit!

In mid April I got a call from Celia at Paradigm High School. She was looking for someone she interviewed with last year who brought in a lot of ceramic pieces. I told her that, "I think that was me!"

Celia was looking for an art teacher for this next school year. She had remembered me a year later among all the other interviewees from this year and last (a high complement, she repeatedly told me, and I took it as that).

I interviewed with her the day I left for Arizona in late April. I was very much at ease. I arrived early and was impressed with the student body as they passed by me sitting in the lobby. Nearly every student looked me in the eye and some said hello. Students even held open doors for me as I lugged heavy boxes of art work. When crossing the street a driving student paused to let me cross. This experience is a stark contrast to an interview I had at a high school the summer of 2006. Students wouldn't so much make eye contact.

As I interviewed with the school officials I felt I was in my element. I was at a school that empowers teachers and students to teach and learn what excites them. The philosophy of the school is so in sync with my own. I felt like I had to keep lifting my jaw from off the ground, I was in amazement.

I heard nothing the week I was out of town. I was a little discouraged by that. AJ and I returned home on a Monday. I got a call Tuesday from Paradigm, "We would like to offer you the job!" I had the week to think it over and on Monday, May 5, 2008 I happily accepted the position.

So since the beginning of May I have had this news but was unable to share it with anyone in the office. I wanted very much to be able to give my notice myself and not have anyone hear it through the grape vine before the time was right. I wanted to wait until now before giving my notice for various reasons but mostly because I wasn't ready to leave until mid July.

School FAQ
1. Paradigm is a charter school. http://www.paradigmhigh.com/
2. Paradigm is located at about 11700 S. and Bangerter
3. I am not sure yet exactly what I will be teaching but I would like to teach Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, and Painting
4. The school year starts in mid August.
5. Yes, I am EXCITED!!!

Have another question for me? Ask it in the comments and I will answer it.

Time til the News... 0000 : 00 : 00 : 00 : 000

Dear Tim C,

I wish to notify you of my resignation from my position as Residential Order Processor at Mstar, effective Friday, July 18, 2008.

I have accepted a most desired position as Art Instructor for Paradigm High School. This is the opportunity I have sought for since the conclusion of my art and education studies at Brigham Young University - Idaho.

Thank you for my time at Mstar. I have grown both personally and professionally. During my remaining time, I am happy to be involved in the selection and training of my replacement. Please let me know how I may be of service to help make this a smooth transition.

Kind regards,
Jessica Wilcox

TV: The Final Saga...

Our TV is here! AJ called the repair shop Tuesday and they reported our TV is in! Apparently, it's been in since Friday, but the "Exchange People" have been out on vacation. For Shame!

When the shop rep went to take the TV out of the box she discovered it was put in upside down (the box can only be opened on one end), this was first time she's ever seen that. When she righted the TV she heard a rattle inside.

I got a call 10 minutes before leaving work to pick up the TV on Tuesday from AJ. He told me of the rattle and that the repair shop wanted to test the TV before releasing it to be sure the rattle wasn't fatal. I was crushed! All my patience already gone, I didn't know if I could put up with another "indefinite" testing period.

But happily, when AJ called on Wednesday they said it was set to go! So we picked that baby up and played Wii and watched movies last night!

I will include a picture of our new beauty soon! Stay tuned Viewers...

Mom's Visit

Every year Mom does a Sisters' Retreat with her sisters. This year she came to visit her girls afterward! We had a next generation Sisters' Retreat...sort of.

Friday, June 6th we had a BBQ at my place with the whole gang minus Dad. That night Marcus, Erika, and Olivia slept over. We played the Wii and talked!

Saturday, June 7th we got up early to run a stake 5k race. Everyone ran/walked it but Erika and Livvy. Our neighbors Lindsay and Dallin walked and ran with us too. That morning was rainy and wet so we all thought it a great idea to warm up in Kneaders with a little breakfast.

We cleaned up and the girls + Johnny got together to visit UVU's Da Vinci exhibit while the guys went to the movie "21". The Da Vinci exhibit was really cool with interactive replicas of his ingenious inventions. We then went to the mall where we all found knee long shorts with cargo pockets, a must have this season. (Just kidding, I don't know if it is a must have, but I know I had been looking for some.)

That night we went to Brick Oven and then met back at Monica's apartment. My cousin and her husband and three daughters came to visit. She recently adopted little twin girls and they are cute! We got to play with them and Livvy wasn't sure about not being in the lime light but warmed up to her little second cousins (?) quickly.

After Erika and Marcus left Monica and Mom and I settled in for a little TV. We found a Celine Dion concert on PBS! So we jammed out to some good Celine music while AJ and Johnny played Xbox in the next room.

Thanks for coming Mom! We had so much Fun!

Daddy!

My Dad is the biggest hero! He is the strongest, smartest, best Dad ever. That's what I thought when I was a little girl and I still do.

Walking home on that bright sunny Father's Day this last Sunday, AJ and I talked about Dads. "When I was little," I began, "I thought my Dad was the strongest man ever!"

"And now you know that's pretty much not true," AJ laughed

"No... it is still true," I said, in my I'm-still-not-ready-to-admit-any-imperfections-in-my-Dad voice. I know logically that for one AJ is probably stronger than my Dad, but I still can't bring myself to that reality confrontation. He is still superman to me.

These are some of the things I love about my Dad:
He dad pulls me back to reality when I freak out.
He has sent my to my room for being "excessively happy".
He noticed me when I felt forgotten.
He is always ready to listen and has time for me when I need advice.
He always included me and my sisters on big family decisions like moving.
He debates with me (I have an intrinsic need to argue).
He gave me a priesthood blessing any time I needed one.

Jewel - Perfectly Clear

Jewel's newest album came out yesterday! As an avid Jewel fan I have been a loyal follower since the first single, "You Were Meant For Me" back in 1997(?). I have all of her albums except 0304 which I thought of as a "Sell Out" album but I am thinking of buying anyway just to make my collection complete.

Thank you Jewel for producing creative, entertaining, and different music!

Breaking News: TV Update

Thank you for tuning in. When our TV adventure left off we found that the standard definition inputs and audio were out. AJ and I took the TV to a repair shop whose clerk said we would get a call in 24-48 hours with the results of the initial trouble shooting.

AJ got the call yesterday. The repairman reported that the part needed to fix the standard definition inputs was on "indefinite back order" due to "unrest in China". The repairman already had 6 TVs like ours waiting for that part for as long as 6 months. Our audio part was also "hard to get" but obtainable.

Let's think through this a minute...Is it absurd to assume that RCA has only one avenue for purchasing a necessary part? Either RCA's TV production and repair are at a complete stand still or this repair shop does not have alternate vendors.

So I came up with three ideal solutions:
1. RCA can obtain and ship the needed part to the repair shop.
2. RCA can fix just the audio and then credit us for the amount necessary to purchase HD devices (DVD player, HDMI cables...).
3. RCA can replace the TV.


After a culmination of 3 hours on the phone with RCA today AJ called me with, "I have great news!" It turns out an RCA rep gave the "OK" to replace our TV! So if RCA can follow through they with have a couple of very happy and loyal customers. Thank you RCA!

Clearance! (Almost as Good as Free)

My Mom called Friday with a long list of family news! There are many new life events in store for my cousins. Congratulations to everyone! AJ and I are very excited for you all. (I am being vague on purpose. I don't know whose news is "official" yet and whose isn't. I don't want to be a spoiler!)

But what my Mom didn't know is that we had our own piece of news...

It all started Friday night. AJ asked me earlier in the week if I wanted to go to the ward's Fathers and Sons campout with him, a very thoughtful gesture. However, seeing as how I am neither a father nor a son I declined, while laughing. So AJ asked our neighbor friend to join him.

I decided to sleep over at Erika's since AJ would be gone Friday night. Erika and I watched an informative show on the History of the Axe and Man vs Wild while Marcus played WOW. The next day we ran to Walmart to pick up some groceries...a seemingly routine visit.

Placed directly in front of us as we entered the store were 4 TVs. No one thinks much of these things, it looked like some kind of special clearance but I wasn't really in the market for a TV. I kept my eyes open for a good deal but "good deal" was never much better than $700 for the kind of TV I sought. Not this time...

As we passed by I saw:
42", 720p, LCD, HDTV, RCA....$400

Whaaaaa? a few steps later I thought I better call AJ. It took only two words from him, "Get it," and some internal struggle on my part, "Do we really need a TV?" before the decision was final.

Too good to be true? Well, yes it was. We took it home and tested it. There is no sound and the VID 1 and VID 2 imputs don't work.

But again I ask, "Too good to be true"? No, not really, since we bought it Saturday it is under warranty and repairs are free! So $400 and a repair center visit later we'll have a TV that retails for $1000!

(Pictures to come tonight, whoops I mean later this week. I forgot to take a picture before AJ and I brought it to the repair shop tonight!)

A Couple Funny Pictures

I used to go to Erika's when Livvy was first born when I was upset. I would rock her in her room with the lights dimly blurring into the room from the hallway. I don't know what it was but holding Olivia always made me feel better. Spending time with her still calms me and gives me a sense of well being. I love to spend time with her and I like to see how Erika interacts with her. Erika is such a gentle and patient mom.

Anyway, setting aside the Kodak moment, we hung out a few weekends ago, May 10th, and Erika mentioned something about Livvy playing the piano and having fun. I remembered I have a 7 octave keyboard that I cannot seem to D.I. It isn't "good enough" for anyone to play because it isn't full size, but I am endeared to it, so I've been saving it for just such an occasion.

Turns out it is "good enough" after all.

These were some ear muffs that I put on her. She didn't like it at first but then she would bring them over for me to put on her and right after I put them on she would wave her hands to tell me she was all done. Silly Baby!

Mom Jeans (A Late Mother's Day Tribute)

In tribute to all the things I love about my mom:
1. Acting excited about the things that I'm excited for.
2. Taking care of me when I'm sick.
3. Listening (while I blab on and on).
4. Giving good advice.
5. And lastly, those great jeans! ;) Not sure what I mean? Why, just play the video...

I love you Mom! And I love to make fun of you (in a loving way)!

Happy Birthday AJ

AJ was born yesterday + 24 years. He makes me keep track of how old he is now that we're married because we're just a couple weeks apart in age. Shortly after AJ was born he got pneumonia and had to stay in the hospital for 10 days. I am glad he was able to recover from his illness because he has been a blessing in my life. (I wanted to post a picture of him as a little boy but our computer that is hooked to our scanner is broken right now.)

Yesterday was awful for me...work stuff...so I was happy to get to come home to celebrate AJ's birthday. I made lasagna. I'm married to good old Garfield the cat, red hair and all. You know I've never understood why they call it red hair when it is really quite clearly orange.


AJ had a money themed birthday. I made him a money blanket and gave him a $50 bill that was altered to look like a Rock Band bill. Rock Band was announced to be coming to the Wii June 22 and since then AJ will occasionally give me the current count down. We have an "allowance" we can spend every month on whatever we want. He has been saving his for about 6 months to get Rock Band. You never met a more determined person. So I gave him some money to put toward it.



I wanted to do a little tribute to him so I will describe him with the letters of his name:

A - Advisor. He helps me make decisions.
N - Negotiator. He meets me in the middle.
D - Determined. He looks until he finds what he is looking for.
R - Resourceful. He knows what he wants and goes after it.
E - Even Tempered. I have never seen him yell at anyone.
W - Wacky. He likes to go against the grain to shake things up.

J - Just what I always wanted! (That's for you Mom and Dad)
A - Advocate. He sticks up for me.
M - MAN. He is a man. He has courage to do the right thing.
E - Enthusiastic. So much energy!
S - Spiritual. He LEARNS the gospel and then he LIVES it.

W - Worthy. He is a worthy priesthood holder.
I - Intensity. He had excitement for learning and life.
L - Listener. He is willing to listen.
C - Cuddly. He can never have enough hugs or back tickles.
O - Open. He doesn't conceal things from me.
X - Xylophone? Example (Does that count?)

Half News!

I have great news! Unfortunately, I cannot share this news yet because of circumstances that I cannot explain right now. No...I am not pregnant.

Just stop guessing because I will post the news in approximately two months. I know that is a long time to wait! But I have added a countdown to my side bar. Feel free to gaze longingly at the slowly descending numbers, I know I will.

Arizona Trip!

Let me start off by saying this is long, detailed, and sort of boring. But the primary purpose of my blog is to keep a record of my goings on, not to entertain. Although, I do try to make it fun sometimes. So, I have a bunch of pictures. I love so much to be home. I love to hear my Dad talk about his life and experiences get his advice on this or that. I love to talk with my Mom about whatever is going on at the present and reflect on the past. There is something so fulfilling to me to be with my parents and they are some of my most favorite people. They are people I look up to and admire and hope I can one day be like. I have been looking forward to a trip like this for so long and my memories seem to fade so quick I wanted to make sure I could remember it. So this entry is really more for me than for blog viewers. But if you're up to it...Enjoy!


Tuesday 4/22

We took a trip to Mesa! AJ and I drove down on Tuesday. The drive was great we had several engaging and exciting conversations for about half the drive (the whole drive is about 10 hours). I love talking to AJ he always has interesting points of view! The rest of the drive was spent jamming out to old school music. We relived the glory days of Britney Spears and N'Sync and we sang along to the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. This was probably my favorite road trip to AZ thus far of our 5 or so trips.

But the thing that made this trip so special is that we finally caught HWY 40 in Flagstaff at the right spot instead of driving through the whole town! This was our first success among all our trips and it was all AJ! Good job Love!

When we got home my Mom had made a delicious grilled chicken meal for us! Peas, rice, strawberries, fresh squeezed lemonade. This is why we came!! Well, one of the reasons. Then like so often happens in the Mays home we sat around and talked! One of my favorite memories! My Dad told us stories from his mischievous youth. I love his stories! He has such a great story telling ability too, draws you right in. You get so excited to hear more.

When it began to be late we turned in for the night. You may think the story ends here, but I have to tell you about the great feeling of the room. The window was open all night and the fan drew in the cool night air. The temperature was perfect and I slept great!


Wednesday 4/23

This morning my mom, AJ, and me went walking (for exercise) around the block. It was fun to go all together. I took a picture of it! I have been working on editing the family videos AJ and I have captured from last year. I chronicled the Olivia moments and it was fun to show my Mom. It is amazing how much she's changed over the course of a year.


That afternoon we all watched "August Rush" a movie I'd been wanting to see for a while. It portrays music in a really fun way. I think we had some pizza that night and then played a game of Sorry. I won!

Thursday 4/24

Today we went walking again but this time for 1 hr and 20 mins instead of just 40 mins. After the walk and breakfast we went swimming at a neighbor's house.

While my mom went to work around noon, AJ and I went up to Scottsdale to visit the Aston Martin dealerships. A rep at the first one we visited told us my husband's favorite car, the DBS (the car in the newest James Bond movie, "Casino Royal"), would be display for a special debut at the other dealership from 7-9 pm tonight.

After looking around we decided to head home. On our way home we speculated about how someone would get a job with Aston Martin (AJ's dream). We had a little more time than we thought so we stopped by the second dealership on the way home. As we walked in AJ noticed that one of the two display cars was the DBS! It was only 3 pm and we had happened upon the newest model of Aston Martin on the debut day! (Cool thing #1).


There was a gal off to the corner working that AJ spotted and asked her to tell us about the car. She was English and had a great accent and while I was interested in the content of the conversation I found myself distracted by the way she talked. It turned out she was the Marketing Manager for the region. (Cool thing #2). AJ's dream is to do marketing in the auto business and more particularly for the cars he loves: Aston Martin, Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari... This Marketing Manager, Francesca, talked with us for a good 20 minutes or so about the DBS and the company and was kind enough to give AJ her business card. We also asked her how she got her job as a matter of curiosity formed by our talk on the drive there. (She worked with Ford and then moved to AM.)

After the car dealerships we met my parents at the Mesa, AZ temple and did some sealings for AJ's family names. That was fun to do that with them. I haven't done that with them since my own marriage. There was a little old couple that participated. They faithfully come every week. Then we had hamburgers at home for dinner.

Friday 4/25

Today we again started the day walking. I had a hard time waking up and after walking I wasn't sure I wanted to be up for the day so I took a 2 hour nap after breakfast and woke up in time for lunch. Hmm, I sound like a certain niece...

AJ visited with Kwon, a high school friend, while my mom and I went to JoAnn's Fabric and picked out some fun fabrics for some cozy quilts my mom is working on. While we were there something caught my eye and sparked an idea. You'll see the result of that spark in a couple weeks so look for it. Don't be fooled this was a serious trip. It took us a good two hours or more to pick out the fabrics we wanted for 3 cozy quilts. I just like to see all the store has to offer before I can begin formulating possible combinations.

For dinner we had Matta's, a Mexican restaurant. I had a bean and cheese burrito with shredded beef. You would thing that would be more popular but there is no such thing. You have to order that combo special. I think they should make a name for it. How about encharrito?

This evening AJ and I spent time with Aaron and Becky Helvig. Aaron and AJ have been friends since he moved to AZ in 1998 (?). We all drove east on Brown until we reached Spook Hill, a hill with a spiraling upward path leading to the top. We looked at pictures of the Aston Martin DBS and last week's episode of The Office. The night air was cool and there was a slight breeze that was refreshing.

After Spook Hill we came back to my parents' home to show Aaron and Becky some Wii games like Mario Kart, Smooth Moves, and Trauma Center: New Blood. It is always so fun to introduce the Wii to new spectators as they are unfamiliar with the unique remote. We had a fun time demonstrating the operating table in Trauma Center and the loony games of Smooth Moves.

Saturday 4/26

AJ, my dad, and I started the day by watching the last half of Cribs on MTV. It was a special on the top 10 most expensive homes. This started another discussion about money. This topic has often come up between AJ and my dad as they are both interested in investments and personal money management and my dad has insight and experience to share.

Today we skipped the morning walk only to make it up at the Arizona Mills Outlet Mall. My mom and I went with a couple missions in mind: to make a return and to find walking shoes. We made the return in Eddie Bauer and I happened to find a nice zip up sweater. Perhaps I am the only one buying a sweater in late April in AZ. You may think it will go unused for several months, but as I am my mother's daughter, I will certainly put it to use. Also, my mom bought some sweaters so I wasn't the only one.

We made a couple stops along the way but eventually made our way to the Nike store where I walked right up to a box of shoes as though I would know right were to look in the wrong size section, picked it out, and my mom tried them only to find they were perfect. That ended a short and strange shoe shopping experience.

AJ spent the afternoon watching a Diamond Backs game with my dad and spending time with some old friends from high school.

For dinner we had breakfast omelets and we played Mario Kart on the Wii. AJ unlocked some new players and cars and we tried them out. My dad joined in some races.

Sunday 4/27

I woke up early at 7:30 am and got up to read an article on memory from the National Geographic on the family room couch. I got tired and fell asleep. I woke up to the sound of my Mom peeling potatoes. She is making a roast and mashed potato dinner for our May birthdays.

Church was great. My Mom taught Sunday school. She teaches the teacher development class. She does a great job, I always like to watch her do her thing. I have to force myself to not respond immediately after she asks for participation. I sort of act obnoxious when I am in her class. I think it is because I want to answer her questions and interact like we do when we have a one on one conversation. Whatever it is, I look like a teacher's pet or something.

After church we called Erika and Marcus to wish them a happy anniversary. They've been married 4 years! Wow!

We had the roast dinner my Mom prepared and it was delicious. After dinner we had my parent's home teachers come over and that was actually pretty fun to chat with them. I used to not like it when they came as a kid because it seemed to be all grown up talk and I was always bored. But this was fun. It felt like catching up with some good neighbors.

Later we played a round of Bowling on the Wii. These pictures are for you Erika, since you always laugh when I talk about Mom and Dad playing the Wii. This was our last Wii play since it won't work after we got home. We have to look into repair.

Monday 4/28

The trip home was ok. It seemed really slow and never ending. Our car started shifting funny while we were driving around Mesa and we found after talking with some car mechanics that it is probably a transmission problem that to repair will cost a lot of money. But it is more of a chronic issue that gets worse over time and it seemed we were in the early stages so we added vacation insurance and took the trip home. There were no problems luckily. We'll have to get the car in to be serviced ASAP.