May 3

Today we played some of the games they have on Minute to Win it for Family Home Evening. In the games we had to stack three golf balls on top of each other and have them stand on their own. Nobody successfully completed that task. We had to get pennies out of pantyhose in a weird way, stack index cards and blow cards off the top of the bottle. Charlie and Dad were successful at the last one. It was fun, if we had more of the stuff we could play more. But most of the stuff needed for the games is household items.

May 2

Today we made Mom's birthday dinner. We had Chinese takeout, homemade. Orange chicken, lettuce wraps, crab wontons and fried rice. It was pretty good and took us about 2 hours to make. It was fun with my three sous-chefs and directing all that was happening in the kitchen. The highlight of it was Kali getting sick in the middle of cooking.

For Mother's Day next week we are going to stick with something easy. Just spaghetti and meatballs.

May 1

Today, we went 4 wheeling with Chris's parents. It is my first accomplished thing off my 25 before 25 list. It was way fun. Chris drove for most of the day. Whenever I drove I was too anxious about it and my heart just got work up. I think I have decided that if I die, it will probably be because my heart overreacted to something. (If because I am not going to die.)

Glenda told us to expected to get really muddy. So we got some rubber boots and old clothes and headed out. The river we went to wasn't as high as it normally is so the mud wasn't all over the place but Chris's dad found a good hole and drove through it while I rode in the passenger seat. And yes, I got muddy. Then I drove with Chris in the passenger seat trying to get him as muddy as I was.

Later in the day I drove and went though a mud pit and got stuck pretty good. And then Chris's parents needed to wash some of the mud out of there Razor and went in the river. Glenda drove it out a bit far and flooded the engine. That is when Chris and I left.

It was a fun day. Glenda says we'll go again when it is colder and wetter outside. I guess that is supposed to be better.

April 30

Today is Chris's graduation day. We had planned to go to Utah, but the decided not to and use the money to take a trip someone more exciting within the next year. Well, I didn't want him to miss the graduation experience, so I threw him a surprise graduation party/dinner with our families with the help of his stepmom and Megan.

It was fun and hot. Everyone was sweating. Everyone did so good keeping a secret. But on Friday I wanted the car to do some last minute shopping for the party. I had already told him I would help him do some real estate stuff so I used that as an excuse to leave without him. But my mistake was just saying I had some errands to run. He started to get suspicious and had himself convinced that I was throwing him a party. But then I came back home and Megan came to get get him to distract him while I decorated.

Megan and I started making plans about what we would do later that night (after I was done making dinner for someone, wink wink.) Then he got depressed when he realized that he wasn't really getting a party so he goes "I thought you were throwing me a party" with the saddest face ever. To which I smiled and Megan says "You are such a bad liar." I think I would have been able to recover. But I did convince him that we were throwing him a party but it wasn't until next week.

I thought for sure he saw through it, but I guess not. It was a fun party and his family was glad to be a part of his graduation. We even had him put on a cap and gown (from high school) and walk across the garage to get his diploma.

April 29

Sammie came today. She did not cooperate with me for this picture but it is her own problem she got an unflattering shot. At least she was a lot faster getting off the plane although it was 2 hours late.

We went to Rancho Grande. Because that is where we go when we want Mexican food. Because their Queso is like liquid crack.

Now that she is here I am going to get her to run with me. Because she is going to have to if she wants Kali to follow her around again.

April 28

Today is Mom's birthday. We took her to Chili's to eat. Apparently we really like that place. My face looks tanner in this picture. I haven't really noticed it until now and of course the tan stops at my neck.

In honor of Mom's birthday, this is what she has taught me.

1. "Save some for you father."
2. Have charity and compassion
3. Serve, Serve, Serve
4. Do your visiting teaching
5. I get my worrying from her
6. Picture what you want and go for it
7. Stay busy and in a hurry
8. Stand up Straight
9. Don't wear more than 1 necklace at a time.
10. Be early
11. Always answer the phone in the middle of the night
12. Sometimes, there are more important things than chores.
13. Don't tell anyone her age
14. Would you want someone else problems?
15. It's not too late to start a new hobby or learn something
16. Pick up kids on time
17. Alka-Seltzar cures everything

April 27

Charleah is here and with her my fake engagement ring. Mine was a bit too big and once at work before we got married I snagged it on a box and it kind of bent. So that night Chris and I got a fake on at Walmart while we got mine fixed. Which ended up being the week of the wedding, but we are procrastinators like that. The day of our wedding I switched rings again and gave the pink one to Charleah who wears it now and then. You can't wear it too often or it turns your finger green.

April 26

In an effort to use food storage and learn how to make yeast-less bread, we did that for Family Home Evening. We ground the wheat ourselves using a hand grinder and then an electric one (which was very messy as you can see by the flour in the air).

We made two types of bread. One was very moist and the other very hard. And the verdict: it was the nastiest bread in the world. It tasted so bad and I had to force the little bit I had down. Maybe if we add something like chocolate chips or applesauce or fruit to it it'll taste better.

April 25

This is a picture reenactment. Chris made some mac and cheese today. I told him to make sure that he put in some extra cheese because that is the best way to make it. Well he did and that was all the cheese he put. I walked up and I was like "Are you forgetting something?" And he says "I know, it looks weird." That is because he forgot the cheese packets. Hopefully when he cooks for our future kids he doesn't make them eat cheese-less mac and cheese when I'm not there.

April 24

Today was our ward's chili cook-off. I made some chili and Dad made his famous chili which has won before. This year his won most different chili. I should have stuck with my normal chili, but I tried on that I have only cooked once before almost 3 years ago. Next year.

There was a category for the hottest chili and there were some hot ones. The worst didn't seem hot when you first put it in your mouth and them BAM! it hit you as you were swallowing. Chris's face is after tasting that one. It was a fun night.

April 23

Look who decided to show up. Not only was she a day late, but we had to drive around the airport for 25 minutes waiting for her to come out. But she is here finally. We went running and did a core workout, ate at Rancho Grande and Chili's all in one day. And took a long nap that made us sick. But we still went running. It is kind of annoying running with Kali and Charleah because Kali has to prove that she is faster than everyone so she pulls on the leash a lot.

April 22

Flashback day. Charleah was supposed to come into town this day but she didn't. So my planned picture didn't happen.

This picture was taken when Sammie came to visit us in 2006 when Charleah and I lived together. We went to the photo booth in the mall and snapped away. In the second picture we are doing our gangsta faces. We are hard core.

April 21

Picture soon to come, but my phone is not cooperating.

This is a gift basket I made for Secretary's at Chris's real estate office. Chris has decided that my new business adventure should be making gift baskets. I found this awesome site for cheap cheap cricut vinyl in lots of colors. It is fun; it is just the marketing of myself that is not so good.

April 20

A long time ago, Glenda got me a subscription to this magazine for my birthday. It has been over a year but it is still coming. Glenda said she didn't renew the subscription. But it is still coming and they got my address change which I didn't send them. So creepy. I am being stalked by a magazine, but at least it is a good one.

April 19

I got business cards for my seemingly fake business. But it isn't fake because it has a name and a website and business cards and an etsy shop. Just not any sales since last Christmas. But that's okay. We'll see where time takes it. I know I have some good ideas and products, I just am not one to step out and sell myself or my products. That is why I have Chris.