"I didn’t even know he existed a few days ago and now he’s gone forever. It’s like I found him for no reason. I had to say good-bye as soon as I said hello… Still in a sad, awful, terrible way, I’m happy I met him… What a stupid world.”

This is how Calvin felt after his little racoon friend died.
Our dog Tobi passed away on Christmas morning. We don't know what happened and it completly broke our hearts to see him go. To some pets are just pets, but to our family, our dogs are our family. We'll miss you Tobers!

My new toy

Last February I bought a treadmill. Right before Thanksgiving it decided to die. Or rather, it needed an exorcism. While I was in the middle of a workout it decided to just flip off (I'm thinking something with the power) and after I unplugged in then restarted it, it began to reset the incline, up and down, up and down, up and down. It wouldn't stop! No matter what I tried I just couldn't get it to fix. Luckily I bought it at Costco and they'll let you return almost anything. So I was able to return it and get my money back. I was waiting to purchase another one in January because I figured a lot of exercise equipment would go on sale. I was hoping to actually get an elliptical trainer instead of a treadmill, that's what I wanted in the first place but the treadmill was on sale.
A friend of mine told me about this shop that sells exercise equipment for outrageously inexpensive prices. She had actually just purchased this same elliptical for herself. I went to the store to check it out and I loved it, I also loved the price. It was originally $899, it was on sale for..... $299. How could I possibly pass up this opportunity??? So I bought it, found a way to finagle it into my room (instead of the dining room where the treadmill was because it was too big to fit anywhere else) and now I have no excuse to not use it, as it will be staring right at me anytime I'm in my room (which is almost all of my time at home!) So today was my first work-out on it. I forgot how big of a work-out you get on ellipticals!!! You know you're out of shape when after 3 minutes you are dying!! Anyway, I'm very excited about my new toy, I hope it helps me get off my tushi.

Just being silly!

When Aunt Stacie babysits all bets are off.

I can't promise they'll be clean, but don't worry, that's what bath time is for!

I made spaghetti for dinner the other night and I cut up Aiden's noodles so it would be easier to eat but little did I know it actually made it a harder to eat. This is how I found him eating it and I just thought it was hilarious, I caught it on video but of course it won't load on here!! Oh well, here are some pictures of it.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit this but I am a "blog stalker." Today I was looking at someone's blog from another persons blog from another persons blog.... I don't know them at all but guess who was in the background of one of their pictures???? ME! How crazy is that?!
I always think about it when someone is taking a picture and I know I'm in the background I try to smile and look pretty if I can, but of course in this one I didn't know I was in the picture so I look a little chubby and not very pretty, but oh well, what can you do?? At least they don't know me!
Anyway, I just forget how small the world can be sometimes. It's incredible, I think.

Olive Garden

I took my mom to dinner tonight at Olive Garden for her birthday tomorrow. We were waiting for our turn to be seated, sitting outside of the restaurant, when this man walks by and I think "Wow, that guy is TALL, I bet he plays basketball." As I look up to the sky I finally see his face, I didn't immediately recognize him, but he turned and spoke to someone he was with and all of a sudden my mom does a double take then turns to me and whisperly exclaims "it's Thurl Bailey, from the Jazz!!" I recognize him but before we had a chance to sneak a picture or anything, he was in the restaurant. Oh and he didn't have to wait either.... that's not fair!!! I looked it up on the internet, he is 6'11 tall. No wonder his legs were taller than I am! I've never seen anyone that tall before. Wow!!

Oregon

Pictures of road trip vacation on the Oregon Coast coming as soon as I get the motivation to download all of the pictures!
To summarize, it was cold and foggy the whole time but it was still gorgeous! I just wish it wasn't quite so chilly! We did see one seal, we were pretty excited about that and we also saw several lighthouses which I loved. There is just something so mysterious and romantic about lighthouses, it makes me want to cry, but then everything makes me want to cry lately. The other day when Karl Malone was put in the hall of fame, I saw his little speech on the news and when he started to cry, I just lost it. It's not like I'm such a huge fan and this was a very special moment for me or anything, I just couldn't stop myself!
Sorry, that was off topic.
Anyway, trip was fun. Almost too much driving but worth seeing everything!

Plane? Superman? UFO?

Last night my brother Ellis comes running in the house exclaiming that there are UFO's flying around outside and we have to come out and see. I was a little skeptical, as I usually am about these things, so I was surprised to see that there indeed was something flying out in the sky that was unidentifiable. What could it be???
There were 9 of us outside standing with our faces up looking carefully at the dark night watching for more sightings of this "thing" when all of a sudden, it appears. It's getting closer, closer, closer, bigger, bigger, bigger and then suddenly it was right over our heads, what in the world???? It was a FLOCK OF BIRDS!!! I bust out laughing, I laughed SO hard, so, so hard! My brother's were, I think, disappointed it wasn't anything extraterrestrial (Don't tell them, but I was a little bummed too!) But it made for a fantastic ending of the night.

Leaving today.
Going on a trip,
See you next fall!

Okay, so that was lame, but I'm lame so it is alright. :)

I would like to take back my previous post.

So as you have read my previous post you know that somehow in my sleep I pulled my blanket out of my hope chest sometime in the night a few nights ago.

I have to say that not having it around for a month has made it less wonderful to me. It will still hold a place close to my heart, but it's not really that soft and not as comforting as it used to be. So back into the hope chest it will go and I'm thinking it'll stay there for good now.

sometimes "going cold turkey" doesn't work.

This morning I woke up and in the process of making my bed I find a surprise all tangled up with my covers. You might ask what it is? Well, I'll tell you. It was my blanket-the baby blanket that I officially removed from my life a month ago.... well that didn't happen for very long. Funny thing is, I don't have a clue as to how it got out of my hope chest which is buried under some boxes and removed from it and from it's protective plastic. Huh? Oh well. Now I have to start all over again trying to wean myself from it again. This time instead of "cold turkey" I'm going "warm soy burger"
Wish me luck!!

I'm lazy I know.

Today I was at the grocery store walking around the produce department looking for some things to make dinner tonight. I realized that they have pre-sliced and/or pre-shredded lettuce, pre-cut carrots, apples, salads ready to eat, there is even pre-sliced and pre-shredded cheese out there too. I had to buy an onion for dinner and as most people do, I HATE cutting onions (almost as much as I hate cutting raw chicken) so I couldn't help but wonder..... why hasn't anyone chopped up some onions and set them out for purchase? I would buy them up in a heartbeat. I realize how lazy this may make me sound to be but it sure would make cooking in the kitchen so much easier! So to all you inventors (or whatever you would call this) I beg you to sell chopped onions!!!

Fun fact about me #4

I love the song "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John. It makes me want to just get up dance a little diddy. Oh, and it's an amazing song for the yell-singing that I love so much. I wonder what I look like from other cars? I guess I'll never know. It's better that way I'm sure!

Every day on my way home from work I drive past this little cornfield. Everyday I see it grow a little bit more and it makes me so happy. I know it's silly to be happy from something as little as that, but it reminds me of the miracle of life. Whether it be a tiny blade of grass, a gigantic tree or a perfect little baby, I'm amazed everyday by this and each time I drive by this field I smile and say a little prayer of thanks for such a beautiful place and life we are all given.

Fun fact about me #3

Don't worry. The fun facts will probably keep coming at you for awhile. Maybe they're not so much fun as interesting tangents that I think about.

Anyway.

I have texture issues. There are certain things I cannot look at for fear I may vomit.

Here is a list of some of the things that I cannot look at without retching:

Porous mushrooms
Gravel
Sponges
Certain kinds of metal
Fish scales
Peeling skin
Tapioca pudding

I have found myself on multiple occasions where I unexpectedly encounter one or more of the aforementioned items and it hits me like a brick and I must avert my eyes quickly or bad things happen.
This information is just so you know. No particular reason for you to ever know this, but that's why it's a fact about me.
:)

Fun fact about me #2

I can NOT stand to wear socks when I sleep at night. My feet feel claustrophobic and it makes me anxious. I can't handle it.
Though I hate wearing socks to sleep at night, I particularly enjoy wearing socks if I take a nap. I don't know why. I just feel more comfy taking a nap with my socks on.
Hmmmmm..... Interesting, I know.

Fun fact about me #1

I like my PB&J to be slightly smushed. Like when you were a kid and you had a PB&J sandwich for lunch packed in your lunch box and it came out all squished. I love that. I love it so much that now I smush mine up before serving it to myself.

Stadium of Fire 7.3.10

We went to the Stadium of Fire last night. It was the first time I've ever gone and it was so fun. I've always watched the fireworks from outside the stadium but this time I got to see them up close and they were AMAZING! So much better from the inside!!! Carrie Underwood was the headliner performer. We all love her. We voted for her when she was on American Idol like crazy. And since then, we've just loved her! So it was such a treat to be able to see her live. My dad wanted to go so badly, in fact he was the one who so excitedly suggested we go, but morning of the show, he came down with the stomach flu :( I felt so bad. Poor guy. We were able to find someone to take his ticket, my cousin Emilee came, and we had a lot of fun! Since Dad wasn't able to come, we made sure to take LOTS of pictures and videos!

Stadium of Fire Dancers

Lou Diamond Philips hosted the show



Carrie Underwood sang the national anthem and then the Air Force Blue Angels flew over. I LOVE the flyby every year. I don't really know why, but it's always a favorite thing of mine from the holiday.




The Osmond 2nd Generation performed a song or two. They're so cute!!!



Carrie Underwood performing. She is so amazing! There were a couple of times I got a little teary when she sang some of her songs!

The fireworks! .

What a great night! Happy Birthday to my Country! On my old Bishop's (Dave Williams) facebook status a few days ago he wrote:

On this Independence Day, let us remember the sacrifices that have been made for our freedom. Let us also remember that America is not defined by the politicians who run it, but the people who love it. These patriotic quotes remind us that patriotism in America does not mean following blindly, but rather it means holding to the ideals that gave birth to this great nation.

I really loved this and wanted to share it with you. Happy Independence day to everyone. I hope it's a great one for you.

Handsome Men's Club

My good friend introduced me to this clip from youtube. It's so funny! It goes along well with my previous post! Enjoy!

P.S. Thanks Misty!

The List #1

So the girls at work and I have been compiling our "lists" over the last few weeks. Really what it comes out to be are guys I think are dreamy. Since I'm not in a relationship currently I don't need a free pass, but if I needed one.... these would be the guys!

I've made a few lists. The first one is My Top Ten T.V. Characters.
So here they are in no particular order.

Ross Geller (Friends)
He doesn't mean to be but he is so funny. Sweet too!



Special Agent Seeley Booth (Bones)
He's a really good shot and looks hot in a suit!



Dexter (Dexter)
I realize he's a serial killer, but he only gets the bad guys so he's like a vigilante and that's not that bad. It's like thinking Batman is hot!



Damon Salvator (Vampire Diaries)
What else can I say, he's a "bad guy" vampire.....



Dr. Mark (McSteamy) Sloan (Grey's Anatomy)
It's something about his eyes.... even though on the outside you might think he's superficial, he really just wants to fall in love and be happy...



Dr. Jack Hodgins (Bones)
Even though he's "the bug guy" he's just so sweet. I could just eat him right up! (not too bad to look at either :)



Mike Delfino (Desperate Houswives)
He's strong and a romantic. I love it!



Luke Danes (Gilmore Girls)
There's just something about him and his grumpy self that is irresistible.



Eric Delko (CSI:Miami)
Protective, sweet, carries a gun,helps solve crimes in less than an hour, of Latin decent..... need I say more?



And last but not least....

Jim Halpert (the Office)
Awww..... Jim.



So what it all comes down to is that I watch WAY too many shows! Just so you know... I DVR most of them, I don't just watch TV all the time!

Goodbye, my friend.

Today is my 28th birthday.

I still sleep with my baby blanket.

I love that little blanket.

My blanket is barely hanging on.

It must be retired. Today is the day.

My blanket has been with me for 28 years. I can only think of three times when I didn't have it. The first is when I was 5 or 6 and Mom decided that I was too old to be sleeping with my blanket so she tried to take it away, well I found it later and that was that.
The second time was when I was in 6th grade, my friends made fun of me for having my blanket. It was so soft, I just had to hold it in my hands and have that lovely softness there as a comfort! So I hid it in the back of my closet trying to wean myself off, but I ended up in the back of the closet every night so I could hold it before bed. I remember falling asleep many a times in the closet. I finally just gave up.
The last attempt was when I moved away from home and went to college. It lasted about 3 months, I couldn't handle it. It was too much!!!
It's been there when I cried myself to sleep or when I was sick, it was always there. I even took it on vacations and sleepovers. I would just hide it inside of my pillowcase and nobody was the wiser.
Though I hate it. It's time for my blanket to be retired. I took some last pictures with it, fluffed it for the last time and then put it in an airtight bag and went into my hope chest. However, I have to have something soft to sleep with, so I had to find a replacement. It will never actually replace my blanket but it'll do. On my way to Target tonight, I got teary just thinking about it. I'm so ridiculous!!! I'm sure I looked like an idiot walking down the baby isle feeling every blanket to find the best one. I finally found one that will do.... I guess we'll see!

Here are some pics from the begining to the end.

Oh, I'd really love it if nobody made fun of me for my silly hair. You'll know it when you see it. I didn't have a choice. Mom cut my hair :)

I was about six weeks old in these two pictures.




I had wrapped baby Tony up in my blanket and rocked him to sleep. If you look close at my hands you'll notice that I'm plucking at the blanket like I have always have. It's softer that way!



Here it is now. IT'S SEE THROUGH!!!




This is the new one. I hope it's good!

Funny, Funny, Funny

A few months ago, during American Idol season, I was watching the Ellen Degeneres show and she was jokingly offeneded by the fact that on DVR discription of the show it lists all of the judges names but hers.... this is what it looked like:

Then a day or two later I noticed that something had changed..... take a close look. It's kind of small.


Ha, Ha, Ha! I just had to laugh. Some times when you complain, things do go your way! Gotta love Ellen!

A little over a week ago one of the girls I work with asked me if I was going to the Real Salt Lake Soccer game that was a few nights later. I was a bit confused because I'm not really a soccer fan. Not that I don't like soccer, just that I don't really know much about it, so I was perplexed by the question. She gave me this incredulous look and said "Stace, David Cook will be there!"
"WHAT?!!!"
How did I not know this? I had to jump online and find some tickets, now to find someone to go with me, after texting several people realizing nobody was available to go with me, I started getting nervous.... I had to go! Thankfully, my mom was able to finagle a way to get someone to work her late shift so she could go with me. She saved me from having to go by myself! I didn't realize 'til we got there how big the game was. We were playing against the LA Galaxy who we beat at the championships last year, so it was a huge deal. (p.s. David Beckam plays for that team however he was not there that night, I think it was because of the world cup) It was a sold out game, so we were lucky to get tickets. Thanks to the annoying guy behind us and the nice lady next to us, Mom and I figured out the basics of the game. It was so much fun. I would love to go to another game, even if David Cook wasn't there. Of course if David Cook was there... well that wouldn't hurt!

It was an amazing game, we won. The National Anthem (sung by David Cook of course) was awesome. I always get a little teary when I hear the National Anthem but because I heart David so much, it just made it that much better! Then post game, he came back out and had a concert. So much fun! It was such a great night!!

Thanks Heather for telling me about the game!
Thanks Mom for coming with me!
Thanks Real Salt Lake for playing a great game!
Thanks David Cook for making my day!

Oh and there was a decent size thunderstorm that came through. They had to stop the game for a bit to wait for it to pass but it just made for a great picture. Here are some fun ones from the night.....

This was the guy who scored the one and only winning point!

Here's a video I took. It's not the best quality video but I don't care :)