Grand Opening

My friend Adri is newly employed at a brand spankin new Target that's opening in Henderson and Tuesday night they invited friends and family to their store party. It was awesome! They had a fashion show which wasn't that great but the kids were cute in it. They also had fruit and vegetable trays throughout the store. Since it's Halloween time they also had candy in the buckets of some of their Halloween decorations. I think April managed to take all of the Snickers and Almond Joys out of them! The BEST part of the party was the pharmacy bags. This lady was walking around the store with a cart full of goodies from the pharmacy section. It had a bottle of ibuprofen, Burt's Bees, Softlips, mini Vaseline lotion, and a snack size Zone bar. And even better than the bags is that she let us take more than one! I already had one in my purse and she came around and offered more and so I grabbed one thinking I'd give it to April since she wanted more. Then I found out the stinker already had 3 so I decided to be selfish. It was fun to go shopping with friends even if it was for just a little bit. If you know of one opening in your area, find out when the friends and family night is because they let anyone in anyways!

Mi Casa

I still don't have one! I submitted an offer 6 weeks ago and the seller accepted and now we've been waiting to hear back from the seller's lender if the offer is acceptable (it's a short sale.) It turns out that my offer was never received up until 10 days ago. :( I have finally been told today that they're trying to expedite the process because of some glitch that made my offer get lost. I'm so done with waiting! If you're looking for a house right now, avoid short sales at all cost. Sometimes they're more hassle than what they're worth! Here's a few pics of the house I put an offer on:

Wicked Awesome

Hillary and I went to Wicked July 3rd. I LOVED it! I took work off on Friday so we'd be able to make it on time. We ran a little bit late leaving so we had to race a little bit faster than normal. It turns out we stressed over nothing because we got to the auditorium early and were even able to fit delicious Texas Roadhouse in. The only downer of the night is a crochety old woman told us to turn off Glee that we were watching on my iPod or else she would confiscate it. It was a bit retarded. We stepped outside while we waited for the show and watched it on the steps instead.

We got to sit on the 9th row and to the side. I thought our seats were great! Glinda's character was hilarious and spunky and SO likeable. We ended up not getting home until 2 in the morning and I was exhausted and crabby. I don't have any pictures of our cultured selves, but here's one of Glinda and Elphaba that performed in Tempe. If it comes to your city, GO SEE IT!

Kansas

I have repeatedly asked my sister Chelsea to email me the pictures I took while visitng my sister in Kansas. (I left my camera there on accident.) She has failed. Royally. I have been forced to use pictures that are not from that particular trip but from others. Here's a picture of me when Chelsea picked me up. I look a little frazzled because of the rushing through the airport and then a 3 hour flight with little air conditioning flowing through the plane.

Here's Chelsea and Ryan before we go out to a restuarant that has 1 dollar bills stuck to a wall. The weather was hot and humid. I definitley have Kansas off of my list of places to live.
Their dog Thunder was actually mellow this time. It made staying there much more enjoyable. Although, he did throw up on me one morning. That made me dry heave. Bleh.

Lawrence was pretty with a lot of pretty houses that I'm sure have a million stories to tell if they could. We went to a garage sale early on Friday and I snagged a free cake stand and Chelsea got some pretty good crap too! It was a nice relaxing trip that I was glad for.

Up, Up and Away!

I'm on my way to a better (hopefully) place! I was so worried that I wouldn't get to the airport on time. My flight was at 7pm so I was walking out of work at 5:03 thinking that I was doing great. I always make the wrong decisions when it come to getting to places and today was another one of those days. I decided to go on the streets instead of going on the 15 because of the 5pm traffic and got totally lost. I'm probably going to get a fever blister over this whole ordeal. It took me 45 min to go 5 miles!
Once I got to the parking lot I was dancing because I was waiting for the shuttle after hearing the horror stories from coworkers when they had to wait 20 minutes for it to come.
I went the wrong direction to check in so I ended up having to schlepp down the entire length of the airport. I also went in the wrong security check so I had to walk instead of take the shuttle. I was so tired after lugging my 49.5 pound bag around that I started to get envious of the obese people in the wheelchairs.
Now I'm here waiting patienly for my 30 min delayed flight to get here. Let the fun begin!

Fun Lil' Snippett

So last week I went to the dentist and 90 min later I am walking out without my teeth cleaned and with the news that my next visit is going to cost 2 thousand dollars. I need a deep cleaning and that alone is a thousand. They also came across as a used car place because they tried to upsell me. I had no idea dentists do that! Anyways, I was distraught because I really don't think my teeth are that bad. Luckily Hillary talked to her dentist friend and he said I could probably treat myself at home. I bought the biggest bottle of Listerine Walmart had and the toothpick/floss things and I've been using them religiously. A few days ago I'm getting ready for bed and am swishing the stinging moushwash around my chops and think, "I could wash my face while I'm doing the mouthwash." So I get my hands all soapy and put a hand on each cheek. Without even thinking I push in and the Listerine goes shooting out of my mouth. Good times.

GLEE

I love love love this show! Here's the preview for it. My favorite part is 3 minutes 28 seconds in.

I'm a sucker for a guy that can sing. I can't wait for fall!

So Hungry

I don't know how anorexic girls do it. I had lunch at 11:30, a banana at 1 and was ready to die of starvation by 6. The hunger was so distracting that I left work at 7 instead of 8 tonight just so I could get food. So kudos to you anorexics.

Gayness Awareness

New show on NBC: I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! This show is the reason why reality shows have a bad wrap.

Things that I like

1. The fact that our internet has been fixed and I can blog and download tv like a regular person again!
2. I'm done with training at work so now I can goof off like the rest of them.
3. The treadmill at the gym-I can hook up my ipod and use their touch screen to navigate. It's classy.

You know what bothers me?

People that sign up for blogs and do one entry and then never post again. THAT'S how I ended up with such a lame name for mine. All of the ones I wanted were taken by girls back in '05. I think blogger should delete them after inactivity. I'm sure it would clear up their servers. I have the best ideas.

Fooled Again!

I went to WalMart tonight to finally put something in the fridge. I've been eating fast food for the past week and a half and just can't take anymore! I've been choosing the semi healthy stuff, but still, it's gotten old. WalMart has strawberries on sale for $1.50 a pound and I thought it was such a great deal, I bought 3! I was so proud of myself I even almost called Hillary to tell her about it. I came home and started cutting them up and noticed the ad for Smiths where they have them for $1.25! DANG IT! Anyways, here's a picture of how ginormous they are

The Farewell

Waaaay late in posting these! Here's some pics of that weekend. It was a fast trip for Kay and I. We drove down on Friday night and left Sunday around 3pm. Here's pictures from that weekend.

I'm sure you can all guess what happened in these next four!

Decisions Decisions

On Friday a coworker of mine got promoted from her current job (processor) to a new manager type job that has left an opening in the area. The promise of this job has been what's kept me with Wells Fargo and putting up with evil manager in Bountiful for so long. Apparently the job is mine if I want it and I'd make quite a bit more money if I stayed, but I feel like I received an answer about moving to Vegas and felt like I should go. It's frustrating that all of this has occurred because if it had happened just a few weeks earlier, I wouldn't have even applied for the job in Vegas and would be content to stay here. I guess there's no decision to be made. I'm moving still and becoming an underwriter will pay off in the long run, but it'd just be nice to not have to wait 3 or 4 years for the kind of money I could be making now.

Give Me Them Bright Lights, Long Nights

It's officially official! I got a call from a Wells Fargo recruiter yesterday offering me a job in Las Vegas! Luckily my managers Brad and Wade were awesome and recommended me for the position, otherwise I had an even smaller percentage of getting this job. I already work for Wells so I can skip most paperwork and will be moving in two weeks. TWO WEEKS! I've already started putting my furniture up for sale on craigslist and am getting calmly anxious about the whole moving thing. I've done it so many times that I've realized how sick I am of moving entire households so I'm giving away/selling things that I absolutely don't want/need. Anyone is welcome to come over and just pick something up and ask if they can have it-I'll probably say yes!

The hardest part is leaving all the friends that I've made. I had to start from scratch when I came here and felt so relieved when Jenny talked to me and decided to let me be her friend. For the first time I feel so involved in my ward and have a group of friends that I don't have to question what they really think about me and I know we'll still be friends even after I throw a volleyball at them because my team is losing and they're winning. (true story, I'm a brat when I lose.) They've all helped me come out of my shell since moving here.

Anyways, I'm excited for this new job and the move and the professional progression I've been able to make.

Eat your heart out Bakerella!

For those of you who know who Bakerella is, know how awesome she is! I was making normal, boring cupcakes for Tim's (coworker) bday and saw this idea on the back of a cake mix box. How cute are they!?! The best part was frosting them. I melted down a tub of frosting, dipped the bottoms in, let it sit and then added a little more and fluffed them up a bit. I'm not one to toot my own horn (yes I am) but I can't wait to show these off tomorrow!

Here, there and everywhere!

I don't like blogs without pictures. Half the time, if you don't have a picture, I won't read the entry. With my feelings as such, I don't like blogging without adding pictures of my own. This one won't have any though.
I've been to AZ 3 times in a month! I went for a week vacation, then turned around the very next weekend and went for Kenny and Stuart's farewell and THEN came a third time for a job interview.
There's not much else new so I'll post pictures of randoms later.

Randoms

For FHE tonight we wrote 4 things about ourselves and then the Bellamy's picked one, wrote it on the board and people had to guess what fact was about which person out of our 6 person group. That was fun but the best part was the cookies! They had frosting and sprinkles for us to decorate our cookies with. Here's what Megan and I did with ours. Very 8th grade. Very us.

Here's some pics of yesterday. Kayleigh and I were invited to Aunt Lorie's house by G-ma Green to watch the SuperBowl and have snacks. Here's what's left of the spread.

And here's the fans in their supporting colors.

Life is Good

Sunday was Fast Sunday and I kinda wanted to bear my testimony but I ended up not doing it. I feel like I talk a lot anyways and people are probably tired of hearing me. So here's a tidbit...
I know this is weird but I was watching The Office as I got ready for church and it was an episode where they had to lose weight for a contest and Andy said "This is the hardest thing I've ever done...I haven't had a very hard life." And I hear that as I am getting ready in the dress I'm wearing so that I can match my new purse that I was able to buy. I haven't had a very hard life either. I have had a few emotional struggles but that's nothing compared to even my good friends. My parents did a good job raising me. I know that they had struggles years ago, but while it was happening, I never knew. I always had a place to come home to and I never went to bed hungry (unless I was being punished.) There's so many people struggling right now and I have a secure job and even if I were to lose that one, I know my company would help me get placed somewhere else. Even though I may complain about the little things that happen, there's never been big things for me to worry about. I don't know what I did in the pre-existence to be so blessed, but whatever it was, I'm glad for the life I've been given.

Another thing I'm grateful for is the friends that I have. As people were going up to the stand I kept thinking, "Oh I love Nicole, or, Tasha is great." Even though we're not the kind that hang out all the time, I know that if I needed anything the people in my ward are there for me, not just because they feel obligated, but because they care. I've had a few Sundays when all it took was Megan or Jenny asking if I was ok and me just bursting into tears and they would sit and talk me through everything. I have always had great friends that have seen me through things when my family is so far away. I'm grateful for these blessings that have been given to me throughout my life and I hope that I can stay worthy to keep receiving them.

Pretty Things

I went shopping this Saturday. I felt like I deserved it. I haven't been shopping in a long time and I really wanted a new purse. I went to TJ Maxx to see if they had any new Guess purses in and they did! Here is what I found:

This one is by Nine West and was only $7. I took it to church and got 3 compliments.

I consider that a good buy :) It looks better in real life.

On a side note- How hilarious was The Office on Sunday?!

Kevin, I couldn't decide between a fat joke or a dumb joke. ROASTED!

Ode to the Iron

BEST. PRESENT. EVER.

This gift from the 'rents came on Christmas morn

The wrapping paper was quickly torn.

It's the exact thing I dreamed of!

I immediately fell in love.

Though I have burns a plenty,

fifteen, maybe twenty,

This iron rocks!

It gives me such pretty locks.

Though Jilbere make this tool no more

I will always love and adore

this gift of gifts, this electric machine

this spiral iron of my dreams.

(ok, retardedness over)

I got this for Christmas and I have used it at least 3 times a week since. The first few weeks I got burned a lot because I can't see the back of my head and I can't do the whole "look in the mirror and move your hand the right direction" thing very well. My hair actually stays curled the entire day! It doesn't look so hot in the morning, but who cares! I shower every morning so it makes no diff to me. I liked it so much I started calling around to see if Sally's has any left so I have a back up in case this one dies. (They discontinued this brand, dang economy!) It literally can take minutes to put a wave in my hair. True spiraling takes longer but way cute too.

Thanks Mom and Dad! You're the best parents I've ever had!

Picture of the waves. Aren't I clever to take it by a mirror so you can see the back? I think so.

Overboard

I have a problem. My head is hanging in shame as I type. I bought WAAAAYY too many ornaments after Christmas. I wanted to make ornament wreaths for everyone and my mom had mentioned she wanted one with design and not just some boring solid color one. Can I just say that KMart always has the greatest ornaments. The great thing about shopping this year is that people that shop at KMart usually don't buy ornaments after Christmas because, let's be honest, it's not a great thing to spend your money. Here's a pic of the majority of what I bought. I know....I'm retarded, but it was on sale!

Things I've Made

I have to brag about the pancake I made Jackson-boy. When I was in Kingman I asked him what kind of pancake he wanted. I was expecting him to say dinosaur (Hill has a cookie cutter to cheat with) but no, he said he wanted a lion. Im sure if I didn't say what it was, it'd be harder to tell, but still, pretty good, eh?

I've also made new friends. This is Adam. He doesn't like getting his picture taken.

Me on New Years Eve. On our way to Dees' from a YSA thing. Dees' was packed so we 86'd it. New friend Barry Blake. I call him Blakester. I don't know why. I think he just seems like a guy that needs a nickname and that's all I could come up with. You all wish you had my wit. And apparently Adam has decided he wants to be in the pic.

Ornament wreaths. I know it's blurry but this is the best pic shape-wise.

One for Hillary. I saw the bulbs at Target and couldn't pass them up! I'm jealous of the designs on hers. She doesn't know I made it for her but even if she doesn't like it, I'm making her take it. It doesn't match anything I have!

A Red Fat Man Was Here

Christmas Eve:

This is ALWAYS playing at our house on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. All time favorite.

Mom wrapping gifts. She locked herself in her room for the majority of the night. Ah memories.

Me at 2AM because I refuse to throw in the towel. Plus my bed was in the Living Room and I couldn't sleep until everything was done.

Christmas Day:

We stopped having Santa come a long time ago. I must say, I prefer having younger kids in the house on Christmas morning. They wake up as early as I do and I'm sure it would help get the show on the road. I love Christmas morning! I went to bed around 2:30 and was the first up at 7. Stuart came in the living room shortly after that so we sat and watched TV. Then Jereminah Pagina called and asked for help in moving one of Hill's gifts into the house. It was this awesome custom desk that he had a local guy build for her. It turns out that he didn't need Stu's help after all because they tried getting it through the front door and it was too big so they took it apart and brought it in in pieces.

After the desk move, we went back home to find everyone (finally) awake. They still took their dear sweet time getting into the living room to open gifts. Hillary and Co. arrived before we even started! It's not that I'm excited to open my gifts, I was just excited to see everyone open the gifts that I got them. I gave Mom (Darcy) a pair of way cute black Mudd flats, Dad (Ken) a BYU jacket, and Ryan a weird lookin movie called Surf Ninjas.

All in all I think I did a good job on the gifts. After presents we had our traditional breakfast casserole and then had a lazy day. I thought it was great. We didn't have a big dinner to cook because we had it the night before so there was nothing to do but relax. Here's some pics of the loads of fun we had.

How Jack eats a doughnut while no one is watching