Visualize

Back to the Domain

2010-10-13T21:07:00.001-06:00

After some thought I made a decision to move the site back to my domain ... but now I am using a different database to update the site which has a rss feed. You just have to link to http://www.lovinorange.com and it will work.

Hope to see you there!

Misty Comes to Town

2010-10-12T09:33:00.004-06:00

This weekend Misty came to town because some of her friends wanted to throw her a baby shower in anticipation of the newest addition to the family. So Friday night Mom and I drove down to Lehi to spend some time with her.

Misty opening up the present I gave her.

Mom made Misty two beautiful blankets... a white one for the blessing and this beautiful pink one with the ribbon.

Mom handmade this gorgeous dress. It is going to look beautiful on her!

With the three muskateers! Elinor, Faith & Bethany!

L-R: Ali, Barbara, Misty, Brigitta, Diane, Betsy, Christy & Katherine

Mom with Misty

Then on Sunday I went down to the Fox family home and had dinner with the gang and Misty and Misty's brother Charles. After dinner the kids pulled out their hat collection ...
The Mad Hatters!

To see the rest of the pictures from the shower go here.

Sunday Evening with the Barkers

2010-10-12T09:27:00.005-06:00

Last week the Barkers were kind enough to invite me over for Sunday dinner after Conference. Of course I had my camera with me and was able to take some fun pics. As you can tell Tristan was the hit of the night!

Amanda had some fun surprising Jake with a smudge of makeup on his face and had so much fun doing it she had to complete the look! Doesn't he look pretty!?!? ;o)

Really, Really Great News!

2010-10-02T22:01:00.001-06:00

News I have been wanting to hear for a very long time was announced this morning! Indiana is finally getting a temple in the city of Indianapolis! Congratulations to the people in that area!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

A Name and A Blessing

2010-09-26T15:29:00.004-06:00

This morning Mom and I attended the blessing of my newest nephew George Russell. This is an important event for new babies in our faith, it is when they are blessed and their name is written on the records of the church.

Mom made his cute little blessing outfit and I think he looked dashing in it. Such a handsome little man!

To see more pictures from this special day and closer up pics of George in his outfit go to my gallery!

New Adventure

2010-09-23T12:06:00.003-06:00

So I have been trying some new things lately and the most recent addition is making announcements. I have had a lot of good feedback so I have added them to my site. I do baby announcements, wedding announcements, and christmas or holiday cards.

To see the full set of samples go to my photography blog ... ALI MAE PHOTOGRAPHY.

Delicious Joy

2010-09-23T11:23:00.002-06:00

One of the true joys of this life is …

Yep. Chocolately goodness in the form of the Great Wall of Chocolate from PF Chang. Thanks to my mother we were able to enjoy this after our meal last night. Six layers of chocolate cake topped with chocolate frosting and chocolate chips and served over a raspberry sauce along with some fresh fruit. Oh YUM!

A Saturday Wedding

2010-09-19T22:19:00.004-06:00

Well we thought it might never happen but one of the Barker boys got married! ;o)

All joking aside I was priviledged to get to spend Saturday night with the Barker family as they celebrated in the wedding of Jake and his new bride Amanda. It was an intimate gathering of family and friends as these two started their lives together.

Jake & Amanda

Sharing their first dance

The proud parents - Bart & Patti

Mrs. Police Officer

Me & the Boys - Phil, Jake, Allison, Ben & Matt (btw - I love these pictures!)

With the entire Barker siblings (along with the newest addition to the clan)

Ben, Ammon & Ali

Phil & I ... I love you Spudbutt!

with the Groom - don't you love his uniform!.

Mr & Mrs Barker

Finishing the night off with bubbles!

I am so happy for the two of you! Jake you are a good man and I am excited for this new adventure in your life. Thank you for letting me share this special night with the two of you and your families!

(to see the rest of the pics go here

Late Night

2010-09-19T22:00:00.007-06:00

Friday night was a fun late night with Betsy and the gang. Clark & Abe had gone camping and so it was the girls and the little guys. So we had Papa Murphy's pizza and some delicious root beer (2 whole bottles!) The girls had some friends over to watch a movie and play with so that left Betsy and I to chat and laugh over the antics of Cannon & enjoy the peaceful company of George.

This is me holding George. Isn't he handsome?!?!? (not that I am biased or anything!)

Cannon loves having his picture taken and man is he photogenic!

How I love this little man!

I tried to lean in closer to Cannon and so he decided to lean too!

This is George, I just love being around this sweet little guy. I am so glad he is part of the family.

I just realized that I didn't get any pics of Betsy & the girls. I always love spending time with them because I always walk away with a smile on my face and feeling so loved. I can't imagine having this amazing family as part of my life.

So Betsy we can we do it again? ;o)

(to see the rest of the pics go here

Open or Not

2010-09-12T15:44:00.003-06:00

I wish I could begin to put into words what is going on with me, but honestly how open should we be on here or on facebook? So instead I guess I will just write a post on what I am grateful for.

A working computer which keeps me from getting too bored.
A job that helps pay my bills.
The fact that my favorite shows can be bought on dvd to be watched whenever you want.
Cold Vanilla Coke.
Mt Dew Slurpees from 7Eleven.
Talents and developing new ones.
Loving puppies ... Louie & Ollie.
Happy family members.
Warm blankets.
My scentsy burner which makes my bedroom smell good.
Pictures.

Life Can Be So Daily

2010-08-25T16:09:00.002-06:00

Don't you love talking on the phone with a friend and they say, "How are things in your life?" And your mind just goes blank. Hmmm ... what do you tell them. Well good ....

Do you really want to know what I did with my day? Well here goes ...

Woke up forty five minutes after my alarm clock went off.
Went to work.
Sat in a cubicle and glued shut over 1,000 envelopes.
Argued with a dumb woman from a company in New York City.
Ate a ham sandwich for lunch. Finished off my pudding.
Talked to the help desk [AGAIN} because another application is missing from my computer.

That is it so far.

The day will continue as follows:

Take the bus home after work.
Stop at the library and pick up the DVD that is currently on hold.
Watch said DVD and play on my computer.
Attempt to uncover my desk and find some papers I need.
Go to bed way too late.

Yep ... my life is exciting.

Happy Birthday Takara!

2010-08-08T21:11:00.007-06:00

Yesterday was Takara's 3rd birthdays so today we all got together to celebrate. We had a bbq of hamburgers and hot dogs and finished off with cake and pies. It was such a fun time.

I headed outside to participate in the fun with the munchkins. Here are the three Foxy Ladies, Elinor, Faith & Bethany.

Cannon is playing Peek-A-Boo with me while playing on the slide.

Inside Brigham played with his ball while ...

Takara enjoyed holding her new little sister. Too bad Emi had decided she was hungry and wasn't enjoying it as much as Takara.

I loved holding both little bundles ... George & Emi are both little sweeties and I am totally in love with them!

Emi enjoyed some time with daddy after getting fed.

Now it was time for Takara's "Shoe Cake". Takara has a fascination with shoes so we should have been surprised by her choice of the cake with the ballet shoes on it. Plus it is in her favorite color of pink.

Takara had so much fun opening her presents.

But as fun as the presents were she was loving her card from Barbara that sang music. When she opened it and it started to play she said, "I heard that." She just sat there opening it and closing it listening to the music and laughing. She loved it.

I also loved spending time with my other peeps. Here is Miss Elinor. I can't believe how big she is getting. You should see how long her legs are ... and isn't she cute with all those missing teeth!

And here is me and the Can-Man. This little man is a bundle of energy and the older he gets the more fun he is. He is talking up a storm but he misses the beginning of each word, so instead of fun he says "Un" ... super cute! Love this guy!

I am glad that Takara had a fun birthday! Thanks for letting us share your special day with you!

Newborn Photography

2010-08-07T19:58:00.003-06:00

One of the things I am really trying to work on is my photography and lately I have been doing newborn baby photoshoots. Well this weekend I did two new shoots with three beautiful babes.

I have added some of the pictures to my photo blog.

One Leg On A Three-Legged Stool

2010-08-06T12:42:00.000-06:00

"Hope is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances. It pierces the darkness with a brilliant dawn. It encourages and inspires us to place our trust in the loving care of an eternal Heavenly Father, who has prepared a way for those who seek for eternal truth in a world of relativism, confusion, and of fear."

Hope is defined in the dictionary as the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. Yet I feel there is so much to this word. The word itself gives me hope. It causes a peace of mind the knowledge that with faith things will be better.

Hope has become the word that defines my life at this time. I am constantly trying to have hope and to have faith in a Father in Heaven who knows us each individually. Because of this I am constantly trying to study and read about it so that I can better develop the attribute of hope. I came across a talk given by James E. Faust where he said exactly what I was thinking in regards to this attribute, "Everybody in this life has their challenges and difficulties. That is part of our mortal test. The reason for some of these trials cannot be readily understood except on the basis of faith and hope because there is often a larger purpose which we do not always understand. Peace comes through hope."

My life is not currently where I had seen. If someone had asked me ten years ago where I envisioned my life at this time I would never have said any of the things I am currently doing. Did I see myself still living at home? Did I see myself still being single? Did I see myself not having graduated college? No. I did not envision any of those things, but do I regret any of those things in my life? With much thought I can honestly answer no, because every experience that has happened has helped mold me into the person that I currently am. This person is rough around the edges and still has much to learn but yet by exercising faith and endurance I have been able to better myself into a stronger individual.

President Dieter F Uchtdorf defined hope as, "Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at the time."

May each of us try to establish hope in our lives that through hope and faith and love we may be able to develop stronger relationships with a Heavenly Father who is constantly aware of each of us. That through hope a ray of sunshine and peace may help us stabilize our lives no matter where we may be led along the path.

Hello Emi & George!

2010-08-01T14:11:00.003-06:00

I already love the two newest additions to the clan!

Emi Alene was born on Thursday afternoon to Dev & Brigitta. (Don't you just love her chubby cheeks?!)

And George Russell was born on Friday, July 30, 2010 to Abe & Betsy. (He has such thick dark hair!)

I absolutely adore these two amazing blessings! There are more pictures from my visits in the gallery.

I Run To You

2010-07-31T07:23:00.005-06:00

Last night my friend Cindy and I attended the Lady Antebellum & Tim McGraw concert up at USANA Amphitheater. I love both of these performers so I was super excited to win tickets.

Here we are before the concert. It was super hot out.

Here is Lady Antebellum. This is my first time seeing them in concert and they were amazing! I love them!

And as always ... Tim McGraw. I figured out that this was my sixth time seeing him in concert. He never disappoints.

We ended up sitting next to our friend Michelle and her friends. It was a good time!

A New Photo Shoot

2010-07-27T13:03:00.004-06:00

I have added a new photoshoot of Peter & Laura's family pictures to my photography blog. Go to Ali Mae Photography to check them out.

A Girl Named Kaylee

2010-07-27T11:16:00.006-06:00

This is my girl Kaylee. I am a bit homesick for this beautiful little lady so I hope you will humor me as I share a little bit about why I love this lady so much.

During my time in Virginia Kaylee loved to sing songs, especially the primary song, "I Love to See The Temple." One morning while we were getting ready for the day I took this video of her singing and playing wth me.

And I love the way she says, "I Need Help."

I love how much she loves her daddy. Because Laura works full-time, Kaylee spends a lot of time with Peter which has made her a definite "Daddy's Girl". If Peter isn't around she always asks, "Where is Daddy?" One day I babysat for a few hours so Peter & Laura could have some time together. When she woke up she went around the house saying, "Daddy ... where are you?"

She loves Elmo. During our road trips she has a little dvd player she watches. She puts on her headphones and becomes ingrossed in whatever she is watching. She mostly wanted to watch Elmo's World. She would get so involved that she would start talking to the dvd player. Super cute!

When we were at the Yankee Candle Village there is a clock tower in the center of it that every hour would open up and tell stories like from a book. Well after it had closed she would stand in front of it and yell at it. "Open up book!" She really wanted to hear the story again.

We stopped at a mall to have dinner and they were having a mini-fair in the parking lot. Kaylee ended up dancing with the Red Robin mascot. She was super cute! Here is a video of her getting her groove on!

Kaylee called me her friend. Well one night I made a comment to Kaylee that she was my friend. And she said, "No, I am your girl." Yes indeed, she sure is!

This next one is from after I left, and Laura shared it in her email to me and it made my heart melt. I guess that on the day that I left Virginia to fly home it was pouring down rain. Kaylee said, "Mommy, Mommy, look outside is sad that Allison went on airplane".

Yes, I miss that cute little lady! I love you Kaylee!

Vacation: Day Eight

2010-07-24T16:54:00.006-06:00

Today is my last day in Virginia. So we decided to make it a quieter day.

We started the day at the Washington DC Temple grounds. The temple is closed right now for cleaning but we took time to go through the Visitor Center.

Peter shows Kaylee pictures of the Savior.

Kaylee and I pose outside of the house inside the Visitor Center.

I pose by the reflecting pool for a picture.

Kaylee joins me.

and then I took a picture with Laura.

The main reason we were at the grounds was so that we could take Peter, Laura & Kaylee's family pictures.

I'll just post one for now ... aren't they a cute little family.

Right now Peter & Laura are on a date and I am spending the afternoon with Miss Kaylee. We have watched Elmo's World and are enjoying our time together.

Tomorrow morning I head back home to Utah and back to reality. My trip has been such a great experience. I had such a good time and enjoyed being with my peeps in Virginia. Love you Peter, Laura & Kaylee! Thanks for having me!

Vacation: Day Seven

2010-07-24T15:59:00.008-06:00

Friday started at Virginia Beach. It was super hot and the waves felt so nice. I haven't been to the ocean in years and Kaylee was so excited to be at the beach.

Laura & Kaylee head out to the water.

Kaylee found that the water was a bit cold.

Peter & Laura help Kaylee stay out of the way of the waves.

Kaylee kept talking about going down the BIG slide.

Peter helps Kaylee build a sand castle.

Back out in the water.

Peter, Kaylee & Laura

Such a cute little family!

Laura and I sat on the edge of the water and let the waves lap over our legs.

Occassionally the waves caught us by surprise!

Kaylee loved the sand.

After the beach Laura, Kaylee & I decided to go back in to Williamsburg and go to the Yankee Candle Village. They had every scent of candle you could imagine!

We dipped our own candles in the colored wax.

Kaylee had fun in the toy area. Here she was a princess.

And then Laura & Kaylee posed as Gingerbread people in the Christmas section of the village.

Kaylee loved that it snowed there!

It was a really fun adventure for everyone. We finished the night at Friendly's and then headed back to Falls Church.

Vacation: Day Six

2010-07-24T15:40:00.002-06:00

Thursday we decided to take a road trip to Colonial Williamsburg. This is somewhere I have wanted to go for a long time.

Kaylee is ready to go!

Uh oh! Kaylee was caught!

The rest of us wanted to join in on the fun!

Here is Laura & I.

The Cannon family with the cannons.

Kaylee & Aunt Ali taking a rest.

Smile for the camera!

Twins! Laura & Ali

Kaylee at the horse corral.

Climbing the spider tree.

There was a fife & drum march down the center of the town.

After we left Colonial Williamsburg we stopped at a mall for dinner and we discovered that they were having a fun carnival type thing in the parking lot so we headed out for it.

Kaylee loved dancing with the Red Robin mascot. It was so cute to watch!

Kaylee went down the slide.

But our favorite was the face painting. Kaylee wanted to be a kitty ... a green kitty.

Everytime she saw herself in a mirror she would say, "Meow!"

I had decorative orange eyes done.

Laura had a "black widow" look.

After we finished up there we went to Laura's sister Becky's house to spend the night. Her family was a lot of fun.

Their youngest daughter is right around Kaylee's age and Emily & Kaylee are good friends. They wanted me to take their picture together.

Vacation: Day Six (a morning with Kaylee)

2010-07-24T15:28:00.000-06:00

On Thursday morning we had a little time to hang out before we headed towards our first stop of the day so Kaylee and I decided to make cookies together to take on our road trip. Laura suggested we make my all-time favorite kind, white chocolate chip.

Before we even got started Kaylee was in the cookie mood. She pulled out some cookies that were in the kitchen and started munching on them!

Kaylee was a big help!

But we had to keep an eye on the batter because otherwise there wouldn't have been any batter left to make cookies with!

After we finished making the cookies we went upstairs to get ready. We ended up hanging around and taking a few pictures.

I love this picture of the two of us!

Vacation: Day Five (a little extra fun)

2010-07-21T21:10:00.011-06:00

Vacation: Day Five

2010-07-21T20:41:00.005-06:00

Today was our quiet day, which basically means we needed a day to sleep in and recuperate from going non-stop the past two days. So in the morning Laura and I took Kaylee to a store called Unique Boutique (a second hand store) and then to Target. Then afterwards we returned home, changed our clothes and decided to head back out to Washington DC to hit a couple places we had missed on Monday. This time though we had Peter as our chauffeur which really sped things up.

Our first stop was the Capitol.

While we waited outside to go in we had a nice Boy Scout leader take our picture together. Behind us is the Library of Congress.

This is in the tunnel from the Capitol to the Library of Congress which ended up being our second stop of the day.

The building was super impressive. The marble staircases and statues were absolutely gorgeous. Here is Laura with the bust of Thomas Jefferson.

And here I am on the fancy staircase in the grand hall.

Next we went to Ford Theater which is where President Abraham Lincoln was shot. I had no idea this was in Washington D.C. so this was a fun stop because it was totally unexpected.

They still show performances there a couple times of year.

Afterwards we drove back towards Falls Church and had dinner at one of Peter & Laura's favorite restaraunts called Glory Days with Laura's brother John. Their bacon cheese fries were delicious as was the hamburger I ordered.

Afterwards we went to Wagman's where John gave me a tour. Wagman's is a grocery store like you could never imagine. It has all the standard items that you would carry in Smith's or Safeway but then they also have extensive specialty areas for their bakery, meats, produce, international foods etc. You can't even begin to understand from this description. It is amazing. So if you ever come across one. Go try it out.

Vacation: Day Four

2010-07-20T20:13:00.010-06:00

Today Peter, Laura, Kaylee and I hopped in the car and headed up north towards Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where Boyd's Bear Country is.

This is Kaylee getting ready for the day. I thought this was such a good picture of her. Don't you love the new overalls I got her!?!?

Boyd's Bear Country is a large barn with four stories of fun. Each floor is full of bears and other fun adventures. There are Holiday bears, bears dressed in costumes as Firemen, lady bugs, birthday hats, bears decorated in costumes from the Civil War (even an Abe Lincoln bear). There is even a place where you can build your own Boyd's Bear and dress it up.

There were lots of places for us to take pictures! This was taken of me and Kaylee by the entrance with a HUGE stuffed bear!

Laura, Peter & Kaylee had fun playing with the Sesame Street puppets.

Our next stop found us at Friendly's. Friendly's is a family friendly restaurant that serves my favorite ice cream sundae because their peanut butter sauce is the best.

See! it's gooooooooood stuff!

Kaylee had a lot of fun playing on and around and under the table.

Next we drove up north a little further to Hershey, Pennsylvania. We went to Chocolate World and enjoyed a tour on how they made chocolate. Kaylee enjoyed this so much she made us do it twice.

Afterwards we had fun looking around the shops.

We even were able to meet the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Don't I look thrilled!?!? ;o)

On the way home we made one more stop at Roy Rogers. This is one of those places that Laura enjoys eating at. And when that girl gets a craving you just have to stop and take care of it.

It was a fun day and it was so much fun to see how excited Kaylee got over the Bear Store and the Chocolate store. Besides who can go wrong with Bears and Chocolate? Not me!

Vacation: Day Three

2010-07-19T19:38:00.013-06:00

Today was an amazing yet exhausting day. Laura and I took the Metro into the heart of Washington D.C. Our first stop was the National Archives where we were able to see the original Declaraction of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. I especially enjoyed being able to see the original signature of my ancestor Roger Sherman.

Next we headed to the Smithsonian's National Art Gallery to see a special display of artwork by the famous painter Norman Rockwell that belong to the personal collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. The paintings are amazing. I loved the detail he used in his paintings and the emotions evoked of what America was all about.

Next Laura and I went to Chinatown and had dinner. The menu included Sauteed Frog with Chives. I decided to stay safe and ordered the Pepper Chicken.

We decided to jump on the metro and then walked to the Jefferson Memorial. This was an adventure because the map we had wasn't the best and it took us a few detours to find the right way to get there. This was a neat experience for me as I have never been there before.

It was so hot that Laura needed to rest while we were there!

Next we went to the FDR Memorial where I had my picture taken with Eleanor Roosevelt's statue.

After more of a walk and some frozen lemonade we made it to the Lincoln Memorial. Personally I feel he was one of the greatest contributors to our history that made it possible for us to live in such a great nation.

This is the view from the Lincoln Memorial.

Next we visited the World War 2 Memorial and had to show some love to Utah!

Next we visited a couple of the Smithsonian Museum's before catching the Metro home. Laura and I were utterly exhausted and extremely sweaty! We both had to take refreshing showers after we got home and get some clean and dry clothing. Laura has already hit the hey and I am heading there myself. Even though I am exhausted it was an amazing day and I am so grateful for the experiences I had.

Vacation: Day Two

2010-07-19T06:28:00.004-06:00

Today was a quiet day. We attended church in the Annandale Ward. I had made Kaylee a new dress to wear which matched the skirt I was wearing. Kaylee loved it.

Laura is in charge of the Nursery Music, so we were able to sing with the younger children. I was the Nursery Leader for 18 months prior to my mission and it was one of my favorite callings so being in with the children was a lot of fun for me.

After church I decided to take a nap as I was absolutely exhausted. I almost fell asleep during Relief Society. Kaylee decided to come and wake me up and I decided that it is not a bad way to awake.

That night Peter, Laura & I watched the movie The Ultimate Gift. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy.

It was a nice day.

Vacation: Day One

2010-07-18T18:01:00.012-06:00

I am officially on vacation. I arrived at BWI last night and the first eventful experience of my trip was that my luggage hadn't made it on to my flight. So I went over to the baggage claim desk to find out what could be done. They said that it would come on the next flight at 11:00 pm. Unfortunately because Peter & Laura live outside of their driving area they offered to FedEx my suitcase to me, but it wouldn't arrive at their house until Tuesday. I was unhappy with this because who wants to go naked for three days. They told me I could come back and pick it up and they would give me a $100 voucher for a future trip. Laura and I discussed this and decided this would be the best solution. So Peter, Laura, Kaylee and I decided to get some dinner in Baltimore and then come back. We drove down by the water and made a stop at the Hard Rock Cafe so I could purchase a city pin for my collection. Then we had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, which happens to be one of my all time favorite restaraunts. The food is just as good as in Salt Lake but we happened to look out over the bay while eating dinner. It was beautiful.

After dinner we managed to get my luggage back and then headed back to Falls Church to head to bed.

At the Baltimore Hard Rock Cafe.

Laura, Kaylee & Peter with the cannon.

Kaylee with the cow outside of Ben & Jerrys.

DC or Bust!

2010-07-16T16:06:00.002-06:00

Less than 24 hours to go ... Virginia here I come! See you soon Cannon clan!

To Realize

2010-07-14T11:03:00.000-06:00

To realize
The value of a sister/brother
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to a premature baby..

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one-second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have.
You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:
LOSE ONE.

Remember....

Hold on tight to the ones you love!

Spaghetti & Birthday Wishes

2010-07-13T10:58:00.008-06:00

Last night I spent time with one of my all-time favorite people. If you know Stephanie, you will understand what I am talking about. She is absolutely amazing and you just can’t help but love her.

We had dinner with her family at the Old Spaghetti Factory. We all had a good time talking and catching up and just spending time together. Stephanie opened up a few of her gifts and then we went around the table and shared the things we love most about Stephanie. Her nephew said she was nice, her niece said she was pretty; others shared other thoughts about her kindness and thoughtfulness. She is all of these.

Here are some pictures from dinner:

John with Daniel & Spencer having fun while waiting for our food.

Lindsey making faces at Daniel across the table.

Everyone sang to Stephanie before she blew out the candle on her ice cream.

Me with the fabulous Lindsey.

This is Miss Eliza. She is such a little sweetie and the newest addition to the Brinton family.

Spencer, Daniel & Andrew ready to head home.

Me and the birthday girl (don’t you love her bow? It came off the present I gave her)

Steph, I hope you had an amazing birthday! I love you and am glad you were able to have a great day!

Free Falling

2010-07-13T10:57:00.001-06:00

"No matter how hard you fight it, you fall. And it's scary as hell. Except if there is an upside to free falling it's the chance you give your friends to catch you."

This weekend had a few rough patches. It started all well and good. I had the house to myself since Mom & Grandpa had gone camping and I decided to try and spend some of my free time with my friends. I made plans to go to the movies on Saturday with one of my friends and then made dinner plans with one of my other friends.

On my way back towards home I decided to make a stop at Hobby Lobby to get some beads to finish a few projects I had been working on. When I came out of the store I got into my car and it wouldn’t start. There was absolutely no noise at all. No clicking, no nothing. So I sat there trying to decide what to do. Keep in mind that I mentioned that both my mom and my grandpa were out of town, so I didn’t even know who to call. So I called Brigitta. Brig is the closest thing I have to family and I knew she would be willing to help if she could. Brig came down and tried to help me jump the car but unfortunately the car didn’t respond to the jump. Brig offered to let me stay at her house until she could drive me back towards home (I was about a half an hour from home and she had a meeting she needed to attend). I had made dinner plans with my friend Ben so I gave him a call to let him know I wouldn’t be making it and he offered to come and get me.

Well to finish the car story, I had to get a tow truck to come and get it on Sunday morning and take it to the car place. Well basically the problem ended up being that there was a dead cell in the battery which killed the battery. So I had to get a new battery put into the car. So now I am a bit broke but my battery is under warranty.

Yes this situation wasn’t fun, but it could have been so much worse and I am so grateful to have such amazing friends and family. (I also have a great mom who drove me down to get the car towed and back to pick up my car when it was fixed.) We have these awful situations that are stressful but I am grateful for the reminder of all the good that I have in my life.

Cherry Limeaids & Millions of Memories

2010-07-06T11:10:00.001-06:00

Katie and I first met about seven years ago during a new member meeting at the University 26th ward. We found out that both of us loved the movie Cold Comfort Farm and The Very Thought of You, which might not seem like a big deal but considering that most people have never heard of either it just seemed like we clicked.

Over the years Katie and I have spent hours watching movies, listening to music (she has introduced me to so many fun artists), sharing craft skills, cooking and inventing recipes, laughing and talking about boys, and just enjoying a great friendship.

Some of my favorite memories of Kate include photography explorations through the Salt Lake City Cemetery, Gardner Village, Thanksgiving Point and more, cutting up magazines and making boxes with the pictures, playing Animal Crossing on the shag rug, making cherry limeades and peaches & cream during the hot summer, going to temple square to see the lights at Christmas, a late night run to Village Inn after being hurt by a dumb boy, surviving the heat on hikes in Moab, fighting/teasing over John Krasinski, playing on playgrounds and doing side walk chalk drawings, and so much more.

One of the things I love the most about Katie is that I know that she is always there. We don’t always agree on everything and are so different in many ways but those differences seem to strengthen our friendship. She is a great listening ear and gives great advice. She makes me laugh and I enjoy our conversations a lot.

Plus she has given me one of my all-time favorite nicknames, Calberta!

Thank you for seven years of wonderful memories and an even better friendship. Love you Kit Kat!

Camping!

2010-07-05T16:27:00.009-06:00

I spent this past weekend up at Willard Bay with my mom and grandpa. We enjoyed camping, fishing (well mom & grandpa did), cooking on a fire, witnessing a forest fire almost get started, playing with escaped dogs, floating out on the lake and more. Over all it was a fun time. Here are some pictures.

This is me out on the boat. It didn't exactly turn out, but it was the only one we had. I mean I know I am pale and all, but this is a bit more than normal! ;o)

Here is mom on the boat. The water was beautiful and so relaxing.

Grandpa and mom went fishing a couple of times. Here is grandpa catching a catfish.

Here is the Box Elder County Fire Department coming for a visit when another camp site started a fire on accident. The fire spread quickly but thanks to some smart neighbors and a few borrowed hoses it was under control quickly. The camp host said that we weren't allowed to have any more neighborhood weinee roasts!

Here is mom with Louie & Ollie. The dogs enjoy camping and had a really good times.

Here is me before my bike ride. This was a birthday present from mom and we brought it along and so this morning I took a ride by the beach and enjoyed the beautiful morning.

I had a good time but am glad to be home to my own bed and a warm shower! Hope everyone had a fun and relaxing fourth of July!

Happy Birthday America!

Good Times, Sunshine and Summertime

2010-07-01T12:59:00.003-06:00

I am so grateful that it is finally summertime! This year it felt like we didn’t even have the chance to enjoy spring because the winter was so long, so I am even more grateful that summer is finally here!

Here is a list of the things I love about summer!

The smell of fresh cut grass.
The feeling of the warm wind.
All of the holidays … nothing like a day off.
The opportunity to go camping.
Swimming! Lots and lots of swimming!
Fireworks!
Sitting outside reading a book.
Fresh strawberries.
Sandals!
Cherry Limeaide
Watching munchkins run in sprinklers.
The sun is shining when I leave for work and when I come home.

I am sure there are a lot more reasons, but these are the first ones that come to mind! And this year I am glad summer is finally here because that means my vacation is even closer!

Sixteen days and counting! Yay!

Total Eclipse

2010-06-30T09:13:00.008-06:00

As many of my friends know, I love Twilight. It wasn't something I expected to like, but it was quite a pleasant surprise. I have read all of the four books (five with the new Novella) and out of all of the books Eclipse is in my favorite, so when the movie came out I had to see it as soon as possible. I had tickets to an 8:35 screening last night and I was super excited.

Before the show my friend Cindy invited me to join some of the women from my old ward. When I arrived at Lisa's house I had no idea that they had thrown together a little pre-screening Eclipse party.

Lisa had put together (with the help of the others) a table of goodies all themed around Twilight. There was Eclipse gum, chocolate covered strawberries, bloody drink, cupcakes, cheesecake and more. It was so fun.

When we arrived at the theater we got drinks in collectors cups and participated in the raffle that was going on in the theater. Unfortunately I didn't win anything but we did have our picture taken with Edward. (Yes we are crazy!) ;o)

Now on to the movie ... this is my favorite story and I have been anticipating the movie for a while now. I can honestly say that it lived up to all of my expectations and then some. In my opinion this is the best of the films so far and is definitely worth seeing. If anyone wants to go, I would totally be willing to go again. Just give me a call.

The ABCs of Ali - Take Four

2010-06-28T14:59:00.001-06:00

S – SCRAPBOOKER: I am definitely enjoy taking pictures and therefore I like to find fun ways to store my photography. I almost always put my pictures on my online photo gallery but I am also an avid scrapbooker. I love using my love of pictures and my flair for creativity to make beautiful keepsakes.

T – TELEVISION: Okay this is a bad habit that I just love! I love curling up on the couch with a blanket and watching my favorite shows. I own all of my favorite shows on DVD from Alias to Gilmore Girls to The Office and now Glee. This is my new addiction and every Tuesday night you will find me glued to Fox 13.

U – UNIQUE – I have always been a little bit different. I used to try and blend in more yet it never worked, but as I have gotten older and more comfortable in my skin I appreciate that I am me and value the things that make me different.

V – VAMPIRES: Yes it is true I am a Twilight Junkie. I have read the entire series four or five times. I saw the first movie in the theater six times. I have met a few members of the cast when they have come into town. My scrapbook room isn’t just a scrapbook room. It’s a Scrap & Vamp room. The walls are covered with Twilight posters and pictures. I know, it’s a sickness.

W – WORLD: I love to travel. Being raised as an army brat I had the opportunity to live all over the United States and in Germany. Through that experience I have traveled to many countries. I love learning about cultures and traditions and seeing the many beautiful and amazing places that are out there.

X – XEROPHILOUS – I live in a desert, but honestly I have learned that I can be happy anywhere you put me. It’s all a matter of putting your mind to it.

Y – YIKKITY YAK: Yes, I am a talker. I would be lying to deny it.

Z – ZESTY – Sometimes too much so!

Guys Come and Go But Girlfriends Stay Forever

2010-06-22T14:51:00.012-06:00

At church this week our Sunday School lesson was based on Friendship and what a good friend is. So I am starting a new series on this blog that I will occasionally post. I want to address the people who have been a part of my life through out the years and how their lives have added to mine.

Deciding who to start with was extremely easy. I have had one friend through the years who is the type of friend who you don’t get to see or talk to very often but the distance doesn’t seem to tamper with our friendship. We always catch up right where we were.

Emily lived in the apartment above mine during our freshman year at Snow College. She was dating Matt who was a good friend of mine and we would often chat out on the outside steps at the end of the day as Matt would drop her off at home.

The beginning of our sophomore year found Emily living above my apartment again. Matt was getting ready to leave for his mission and Emily invited me to drive up to Provo from Ephraim with her so she didn’t have to go say goodbye by herself. That event was the true beginning of our friendship.

Matt is long gone but Emily and I have stayed friends through out the years. I sat at the book at her wedding, visited her in the hospital when she gave birth to her first child, visited her when her young family was living in northern Indiana and spent countless hours talking on the phone.

Here are some of my favorite memories of Emily. Every time I hear the song, “This Kiss” by Faith Hill I think of Emily. There was a year when every time Emily and I would be in a car together that song would come on and we would sing with it. I can’t listen to that song to this day without having her come to mind. And to think of it the same applies to any song by John Denver.

I remember the countless hours of singing with her and her Legacy #10 roomies into hairbrushes and curling irons. Or getting ready for dances and concerts. Institute graduation was especially nice and I have a beautiful picture of the two of us and our dear friend Corrine in front of the tute that I kept framed in my bedroom.

I think Emily’s favorite story to tell about us is a bit more embarrassing for me, but it does make me laugh. While at college I talked Emily into taking a computer class with me. While I quite enjoyed the class it was not one of Emily’s favorites but the fact that we took it together made it a bit more enjoyable. Everyone morning I would normally meet Emily at her apartment and we would walk to the bus stop and take the bus to West Campus for the class. One morning I was feeling quite under the weather and had decided to skip classes and stay in bed. Emily talked me into going with her since she didn’t want to go by herself. I decided to go and ended up quickly regretting it. The bus ride upset my stomach so much that I ended up sitting in the hall way the entire time. We took the bus back when it was over which sent me over the top and I threw up at every tree we passed on the way back to our apartments. While I was getting sick Emily would stand at a distance and yell out, "I am so sorry!"

But the thing that makes me especially grateful to have Emily as a friend is the little things and the life lessons I have learned from her. Emily loves the smell of things and I remember sitting at her bridal shower as she smelled the various cleaning products and laundry soaps. Plus she used to always use Herbal Essence hair spray because it smelled good even though the spray didn’t hold as well. Emily is a talented performer with a beautiful singing voice. I remember listening to her practice for her voice lessons each week. Little did her teacher know that she usually liked to put off practicing until the hour before each lesson! ;o)

Hickenlooper, if you are reading this I want to say thank you. Thank you for teaching me what it means to have a loyal friend. Thanks for being the type of person I can always count on when life gets hard. Thanks for sending the beautiful flowers when I found out I was having to leave my job at East High. You have no idea what those meant to me. Thank you for always forgiving me for my many imperfections and for the many hours of laughing and crying that we have shared through the years. I know it has been over four years since we have seen each other but I know when we are blessed with the opportunity to get together we will give each other a big hug and it will seem like it was just yesterday.

I love you.

A Season for Birthdays

2010-06-21T10:03:00.003-06:00

The last little while has been a season for Birthdays.

Our friend Chris turned 50 and so we went down to Alpine to spend the day with their family and enjoy a delicious bbq.

Then came my birthday. This year it fell on a Sunday so I did most of my celebrating on Saturday. In the morning my friend Katie and I made Nutter Butter truffles ... yum yum yummy! After which I went to visit the Fox Family and then Mom and Grandpa and I went to dinner at TGI Fridays. Then that night my friend Ben came over and we watched Pushing Daisies episodes.

Sunday morning mom made my favorite breakfast of homemade waffles and I was able to eat it on the special Birthday plate.

The rest of the day consisted of phone calls from close friends and a fun visit from my friend Phil. Then we enjoyed these delicious ice cream cupcakes from Cold Stone.

One week later was mom's birthday. This year it was a special birthday as mom turned sixty! We had dinner at Archibald's Restaurant at Gardner Village.

We invited a bunch of mom's friends, some we have known for over 25 years.

In anticipation of this special day I contacted a bunch of my mom's friends from through out the years all the way back to high school and through her army years. They wrote letters to her and I put them in a book with pictures to document her amazing life.

It was a fun couple of weeks! Happy Birthday everyone!

The Beauty of Life

2010-06-20T21:12:00.005-06:00

The beauty of a new life is a wonderful thing. My best friend from college and her wonderful husband welcomed their fourth child, Karly Mae earlier this month. Her sister Melissa was in town and documented the entire event and shared the pictures on her photography blog. It is a beautiful work of art and I encourage everyone to read it. Melissa is an amazing photographer who inspires me and I think you will enjoy the pictures she took.

Congrats Em & Jeff! And btw - I love that middle name!

The ABCs of Ali - Take Three

2010-06-04T08:58:00.001-06:00

M – MT DEW: I love it. Ever since I was in high school I have gone through stages of utter addiction with it. One of my friends introduced me to freezing it and drinking it slushie! That just sent me into the next stage of obsession! I even have a lip balm that looks like a Mt Dew can and is a bright green color. It’s awesome!

N – NIECES & NEPHEWS: I love my munchkins. They are the best group of individuals that I have the opportunity to be around. They teach me every time I am with them and help make me a better person. I love you Clark, Bethany, Elinor, Faith, Takara, Kaylee, Cannon & Brigham!

O – ORANGE: It’s my favorite color. I love how it is so bright and happy and in my personal opinion it just makes everything better. My kitchen is orange, my post it’s at work are orange, I have orange pens and baskets and whatever I can get my hands on in the beautiful color of orange.

P – PHOTOGRAPHY: I am a photographer. Since a young age I have had a fascination with taking pictures and documenting my life through images. I remember carrying around a small 110 camera and taking pictures on field trips and when mom and I would travel.

Q – QUOTES: I love finding and collecting quotes. I love surrounding myself with the great thoughts of others and being inspired by them. My current favorite quote is "Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain."

R – RECIPES: I love cooking and trying new recipes. I love seeing how it turns out and coming up with ideas to make the recipe my own. Some of my favorites are Chicken Pineapple Curry, White Chili and Cherry Cheesecake Ring.

The ABCs of Ali - Take Two

2010-06-03T11:39:00.003-06:00

G – GIRAFFES: I love these long beautiful creatures. I have been collecting giraffes for a few years and have such a fun and interesting collection. I have stuffed ones and a beautiful hand carved one I bought in Jamaica, ones friends have brought back from trips, a giraffe printed purse, giraffe picture frames and more.

H – HABITUAL: When I go to a restaurant I like to order the same thing almost every time. When I go to Applebee’s I always get the Oriental Chicken Salad (with grilled chicken), at TGI Fridays I like the Jack Daniel’s Chicken Strips, and at the Spaghetti Factory I get the Ravioli and Spaghetti with Mizithara cheese (you get the picture). Recently I have had to try and break this habit as I am trying to eat healthier and it is amazing how many great foods I have been able to try. But all this has done is given me new favorites! ;o) I like what I like.

I – INTERNET: I am addicted to spending time on the computer and playing on the internet. I like to design websites, read news and entertainment sites and just surf the web when I have spare time.

J – JOY: I like finding the joy in life and all that is good, especially in the small things. It is amazing how happy a new pad of post-its, a fun new pen, drinking cherry limeade, playing with my dogs and so many other things can make me.

K – KNOWLEDGEABLE: (my co-worker gave me this because I couldn’t come up with anything for K!) I love to learn and am grateful for the knowledge that I have. My co-workers come to me for help whenever they are struggling with computer related things. I love spending time on the computer and playing with it and trying to make it do what I want it to.

L – LAUGH: I sound like a machine gun when I laugh (or at least that is what I am told on a regular basis!) My friends have been known to drop to the floor and take cover when they hear it. I love finding the joy in life and with that comes the loud sound that escapes from my mouth!

The ABCs of Ali - Take One

2010-06-02T10:25:00.003-06:00

A – ALI: Yep this is me. My full name is Allison Mae and I love it. My middle name is after my grandmother’s middle name and I feel it is beautiful. I never had a nickname until my last year of High School because my mom has never really liked nicknames but Ali has stuck and I love it.

B – BOOKS: I am an avid reader. I love disappearing in a good book and escaping in the characters lives. I enjoy classics like the works of Jane Austen to modern stories like those of Harry Potter or the Twilight Series. I enjoy fiction from Jason F. Wright and Nicholas Sparks. Plus LDS fiction from authors like Anita Stansfield and Jennie Hansen.

C – CHRIST: My faith in my Savior Jesus Christ is the center of my life. I am constantly trying to strengthen my relationship with Him and try to be more like Him. It is what makes me the woman that I am. It helps me try to be better.

D – DRAMATIC: Yes I will admit it but not just in personality. I love the theater and musicals a lot. I actually did Drama in High School and would love to one day audition for a community production.

E – EXPERIEMENTING: I like trying new things and seeing what I am capable off. I like trying to be better at whatever I can try. This is how I have learned to do web design, photography and singing. Who knows what I might try next!

F – FAMILY & FRIENDS: My peeps! These two groups of people go together because in many ways they are the same. I was born to a small biological family, but over the years I have found family through my closest friends. I am edified by the amazing people who walk this path called life with me. They make me laugh, keep me sane, listen to my rants and are all around the most amazing individuals a girl could have!

30 Second Love Story

2010-05-04T10:26:00.001-06:00

This video was emailed to me by my co-worker and it reminded my of my Riley and I wanted to share it with anyone else that has experienced this type of love!

An Amazing Man

2010-05-03T11:58:00.005-06:00

I am the proud daughter of a United States Army retiree. Because of this I have the priviledge of being aquainted with some of the finest men and women. This weekend I had the opportunity to attend the retirement of our good friend Chris and to honor the amazing man that he is.

Mom and I met Chris & Cathy when we were stationed at Fort Ord, California about twenty year ago. Chris was assigned as our home teacher and I must say he is the best Home Teacher we have ever had. Chris also ended up being my Seminary Teacher at one point. I baby sat their kids and our families have stayed in touch through all of the years and moves.

I am grateful for the friendship that we have with Chris and his family and for the amazing example that he is to me.

To see all of the pictures from the event go here

Also during the ceremony the color guard did a presentation of the flag and the following poem was read and I thought it very touching and wanted to share.

I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.

When I am flown with my fellow banners,
my head is a little higher,
my colors a little truer.

I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am honored - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected -- and I am feared.

I have fought in every battle of every war for more then 200 years. I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox. I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy, Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon Vietnam.
Know me,
I was there.

I led my troops, I was dirty, battle worn and tired,
but my soldiers cheered me, And I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries I have helped set free. It does not hurt, for I am invincible.

I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled on the streets of my country. And when it's by those whom I've served in battle -- it hurts.
But I shall overcome -- for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.
I have borne silent witness to all
of America's finest hours.

But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldiers,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.

MY NAME IS OLD GLORY

Dear God - Long may I wave.

Two New Blogs

2010-04-19T23:17:00.002-06:00

I have added two new blogs as part of this blog. The first is to feature my photography. It is called Ali Mae Photography. Go check it out @ http://alimaephoto.blogspot.com

The second addition is one where I can share one of my other hobbies, my recipes. Go check it out @ http://alitherecipegal.blogspot.com.

The Great Love Stories

2010-04-19T12:40:00.000-06:00

I am a great lover of books and film. I love being caught up in the storylines and seeing life through the eyes of each character. One theme that is almost always constant in every story is that of love. We have all heard of the great love stories of Romeo & Juliet, Darcy & Elizabeth, Edward & Bella and many more. These fictional romances are beautiful but each of us walks the path and crosses the way of true and beautiful romances every day.

To me the great love stories are those of Glen & Joyce, Abe & Betsy, Dev & Brigitta, Greg & Sally, Chris & Cathy, Jeff & Emily, Lindsey & Stephanie, Bart & Patti, and many more (there are just too many to name). I am blessed to walk amongst what I consider some of the greatest love stories of our day. Love isn’t just about romance and passion and adventure. It is about consideration and respect for your partner. It is about the peace of being in each other’s company. It is about sharing in the joy of the birth of a child and watching that child grow. It is about establishing traditions in your home that bring you all together in prayer. It is about holding each other up through the trials of life such as the loss of a job or the loss of a child. It is about finding your spouse at the end of a day of work to embrace and share a quiet moment before continuing on in your responsibilities. It is about finding time together doing the simple things of life like going to the grocery story to buy cereal. It is about sitting together and holding hands during sacrament meeting. It is about attending the temple together and feeling the reminder of the covenants shared. It is about sharing this life together and working toward the ability to have it forever.

I am not foolish to believe that I truly know what love is as I have not been blessed to experience what it is like to be in love, but I am grateful for the examples that I have been able to witness and learn from.

Children Wanted

2010-04-14T12:04:00.005-06:00

I am offering a couple of free sittings for someone who wants some pictures of their child or children. I am doing some updating of my photography portfolio and need some new shots.

In exchange for letting me take pictures of your little person I will send you three of the digital proofs to use for your needs.

Feel free to contact me by email if you are interested or leave a comment below.

Worn With Great Joy

2010-04-13T21:10:00.003-06:00

Thorough out the thirty something years I have been on this earth I have been a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin, a friend, a student, a neighbor, but there is one title that I wear with great pride and an immense amount of joy, and that is Aunt.

To eight munchkins I am Aunt Ali. Nothing fills my heart with greater joy than the time I am able to spend in their presence and feel of their spirit.

It has been the most amazing experience over the past eleven years to see each one of these beautiful individuals join our family and grow and develop into the people that they are.

The oldest of the bunch is Clark. Clark has always had a great love of animals and insects. When he was young he would take my hand and lead me outside to help him explore under rocks to find bugs to add to his collection. He enjoys science and exploring. He is creative and adventurous. I remember many times going over to visit and he has created a whole costume out of cardboard and aluminum foil. Plus you would be amazed at what he can do with scotch tape. One thing that Clark and I have in common is a love of books. I remember his mom telling me about how she had told him that he couldn’t read the newest book in a series until he finished another one that he had to read for school. Well he snuck the new book into his room and would read it before bed each night.

Next comes Bethany. Bethany is all girl. She is a gifted and talented dancer. I remember attending one of her very first recitals and she was dressed as a little wooden soldier in a Christmas performance. She plays the violin and enjoys bringing joy to all of those around her. She loves eating pizza and anything that has sugar in it. ;o) I love her enthusiasm for life.

Elinor is a tender hearted soul. She is a quick learner and loves doing math which she tells me is her favorite subject. She also enjoys using the computer especially to play games. She gives great hugs! This makes her Aunt Ali feel very loved. She was a fun and mischievous toddler. I lived with her family for a short while when she was about two years old. She used to sneak up to my room and have me read to her or play dress up with her. If you couldn’t find Elinor all you had to do is go look in Ali’s room. Her current hobbies include softball and playing the piano.

Faith is our sweet little girl. I swear she never seems to get older. When Faith was younger it took her a while to warm up to me, in fact she used to always call me Barbara, which is my mom’s name. I finally broke the ice with one of my special dates. We went to McDonald’s for ice cream and bought her a pair of Dora flip flops. Those were her special shoes. We then stopped at the grocery store to pick up treats for everyone. Faith knew exactly what everyone liked. She could tell me everyone’s favorite candy and her dad’s favorite kind of cereal. I was amazed at how she knew so much about her family at the age of three. Now we are good friends and I absolutely adore her.

Takara is as her name states, a treasure. She has a beautiful laugh and smile but also a stubborn streak. She knows what she likes and let’s you know it. She loves to dance and to wear dresses and put on fun shoes. She loves watching movies especially if it is her current favorite which could be anything from Horton Hears A Who to Mulan. She loves finding new purses out of her mom’s bags and carrying them around the house with her pink plastic cell phone. Her favorite food is macaroni and cheese and anything having to do with macaroni and cheese.

Kaylee is a little fire ball. That girl has spirit! I am not sure how her mom & dad keep up with her. My favorite memory of her is from a day when I was babysitting her so her dad could go to work. She was sitting in the back seat of my car and I turned the radio on and the song, “Single Ladies” by Beyonce came on. I was singing along and Kaylee started clapping and trying to sing too. I replayed the song and she did it again. While we were at my apartment I put it on again and she would start dancing to it. I found out later that I had created a monster. Her family was at a party at a outside park and a neighboring group had music playing and as soon as “Single Ladies” came on Kaylee took off and started dancing to it. I miss that girl!

Next is Cannon. This one is Mr. Rough and Tumble. He is very active and his favorite thing to do is to play with balls. He also enjoys playing peek a boo. He always makes me laugh when I spend time with him.

The youngest of the clan is Mr. Brigham. Brigham likes to roar at things and has such a mellow and sweet personality. He is so smiley and happy and is a great addition to the family.

And by the end of the summer of 2010 there will be two more ... aren't I lucky? I love being Aunt Ali!

Finding Your True Potential

2010-04-12T11:16:00.001-06:00

Your successes highlight your gifts; your disappointments help you learn your limitations and identify areas to work on. These important lessons directly affect who you are in God’s plan and play a major role in helping you determine your true identity.
-Robert C Oaks

Lately I have been thinking hard about who I am. Who is Allison? Am I a good person? What makes me the person that I am? What would I like to work on to better myself and make myself more like the person I want to be? What parts of myself am I not focusing on like I should and therefore letting my potential pass me by?

Sometimes I wish I had taken the time to ask these questions back when I was fifteen and still attending high school. I feel that I allowed my potential in my education to be wasted in many ways as I didn’t apply myself like I should have. I wish I could have seen the bigger picture and done something about it then rather than looking back and having regrets. It is like the quote from the life of President Henry B. Eyring, "When you find who you are, you will be sorry you didn’t try harder."

I can not change the past, but I can decide what I do with my future. I can start today and make a difference.

I have been trying to figure out what talents I have and improve upon them. One of the things I have always enjoyed doing is taking pictures. I used to do quite a bit of photography but since I haven’t spent much time doing it lately I have allowed my skills to become rusty. I have decided to do something about it. I have been researching online and trying to learn some new things. I did a photo shoot yesterday and I have another one scheduled for tomorrow. The one tomorrow is focused on an area of portraits I have never done before so I am a bit nervous but also really excited.

Some of the changes I want to make are not just based on skills and abilities. I want to also become a better person. I want to have people feel good when they are in my presence. I want to find the good in the world around me and share it with whomever I come in contact with. I have been trying not to say unkind things about others and when I become frustrated I try to take a deep breath and find ways to improve the situation or step aside and look at it from a different angle. I am trying to become a better friend, a better daughter, a better person.

I hope to take the advice of Elder Richard G. Scott, "When you push against the boundaries of experience into the twilight of the unknown, the Lord will strengthen you. The beauty of your eternal soul will begin to unfold."

May the Lord guide me in this quest and may I have patience with myself as I strive to find my true potential and become just a little bit better.

Syracuse Fan

2010-04-05T12:13:00.005-06:00

My family are die-hard Syracuse fans. And when we heard that they would be here for the NCAA tournament we had to get tickets. So after my mom did major searching on ebay, craigslist, etc we managed to get tickets. They were up in the rafters, but WHO CARES! We were going to be there and get to see our team play live! Yipee!

We got all dressed up in our orange gear and headed to the arena. We had so much fun except for the fact that unfortunately Butler beat us, but hey, there is always next year!

To see all of the pictures go here.

Utah's Junior Miss 2010

2010-04-05T12:01:00.001-06:00

I have been volunteering for the past four years with a program called Utah’s Junior Miss. This program is a scholarship program that helps Senior High School Girl’s earn money to attend college. I first became involved with this program through a family that I am close friends with. Their daughter Stephanie was Utah’s Junior Miss 2006 and their daughter Lindsey was America & Utah’s Junior Miss 2008. I have volunteered on the committee as the Publicity & Finance chairs and I am currently the Internet Specialist and one of the Ticket Coordinators.

The program this year was held during the week of March 9 – 13th. This year was a lot of fun and I enjoyed getting to know the girls and spend time with them. Ashley Bracey was Utah’s Junior Miss 2009 and was a fabulous representative. She and I have become friends and I am constantly humbled by her beautiful heart and positive attitude. And she is just one of the great examples that I have come across through this program.

I have posted pictures from this year’s program in the gallery:

03.10 - The Spaghetti Factory
03.12 - Program Night #1
03.13 - Program Night #2

Also since I am now in charge of internet related things I have started a blog to keep people up to date on the happenings of the program and the Junior Misses. If you want to check it out go to: http://utahsjuniormiss.blogspot.com

Easter Morning

2010-04-04T09:38:00.000-06:00

As I arise on this Easter morning and prepare myself to watch General Conference, I think of the sacrafice of our Savior Jesus Christ and the love He feels for each of us. I found this video from the living apostles that share their testimonies of our Savior.

I would like to add my testimony to theirs. He lives! He Loves us. He came to this earth to give us the opportunity to over come sin and death so that we could return to His and our father's presence. May each of us remember on this Easter Sunday the love and life of our Savior and what He did for us all those years ago so we could return to Him.

Happy Easter.

You Found Me

2010-04-03T15:50:00.005-06:00

So you have found me! I told you I was working on something. Since I am not able to update my regular site from anyone but my home computer I decided to transfer part of the site to this blog so that I could update from work on my breaks, my ipod, and anywhere I am able to get online.

Plus one perk is now I am RSS ready ... it never quite worked correctly the other way!

I have a bunch of updates to add, so stay tuned!

P.S. Until then feel free to go to the gallery and see all the new pics I have added.

NOT DEAD

2010-03-22T21:29:00.003-06:00

I have had a few comments on my lack of updating lately. Yes, am still alive. No, I am not shutting down this site ... quite the opposite actually. HaloScan closed off their site for comments and so I am working on something different so I have been spending my spare time doing behind the scenes kind of stuff. It is taking a lot of work, but it if goes the way I want it to it will be worth it!

Not much going on here. This weekend was spent in the form of Basketball. March Madness & Utah Jazz. My team ... the Syracuse Orangemen are one of the number one seeds in the NCAA tournament and so I have been routing them on along with filling out my brackets. They beat Gonzaga on Sunday and are now headed here to play Butler on Thursday. If anyone has tickets that they want to donate to the crazy Syracuse fan who has never seen them play live fund ... that would be great! ;o) I would seriously love to get my picture taken with Otto the Orange!

Saturday night my friend Phil and I went to see the Utah Jazz play the New Orleans Hornets. The Jazz won and it was a good time.

OFFICIALLY AN ADULT

2010-01-23T21:32:00.002-07:00

I came to a realization this morning that I am an adult.

You would think that hitting thirty would have done it, but no. The fact that I am no longer in school ... nope. I guess the truth hit when I realized how comfortable I have become with myself recently. I am not saying that I am perfect at this but recently I have spent a lot of time alone and I enjoy that time in away I have never done before. I enjoy spending time baking in my kitchen and trying new recipes. I enjoy entertaining for close friends. I enjoy tryinig new talents like sewing. I like decorating my apartment and making it perfect.

I enjoy being an adult.

Now does this mean that the kid is gone ... heck no! There is still an overgrown five year old inside. ;o)

BREAKING OUT THE KITCHENAID

2010-01-12T21:34:00.002-07:00

Lately I have been trying to develop my talents a bit and luckily for Christmas I was given tools to help in this endeavor. Goal #1: To Become a Better Cook/Baker. I was given this beautiful orange Kitchen Aid mixer and then I bought an attachment and decided to try my hand at making home made pasta. It wasn't really too hard.

First you have to make the pasta dough.

Then you stick the pasta dough through the press. You can make six different shapes. I made the spiral kind for my first try.

See how it comes out so pretty!

Then you cook the noodles and add some yummy sauce and you have a yummy meal.

It is even better when you can cook it in these awesome Orange (notice a theme?) Rachel Ray pans that my mom got me for Christmas. My kitchen is seriously stylin'!

My noodles were awfully tasty if I do say so myself! And tonight I made homemade curry and garlic naan bread. I am really getting better at this. They say that practice makes perfect. What should I make next?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-25T21:40:00.003-07:00

This has truly been a wonderful holiday! Every year Christmas Eve is always the start of the holiday in our home. This year was no exception. We started the festivities at Betsy & Abe's for dinner. Betsy made a delicious ham dinner. One of the traditions in their home is that every place has a Christmas cracker. Abe served his mission to England and that is a tradition over there. I ended up with the only orange crown! How crazy is that! The kids enjoyed the little toys that were in them.

Faith didn't want to leave my side! She told me she wasn't letting me go!

Abe & Faith were our Christmas elves!

After dinner Abe read some Christmas stories to everyone. We started out with I Believe in Santa and ended with Cajun Night Before Christmas. That one had everyone laughing! Abe had the accent down!

One of the things that made this holiday so very great was being surrounded by my loved ones, especially my amazing nieces & nephews.

Next we sang Christmas songs as Betsy played the piano. Then we enjoyed a delicious dessert of Santa's Favorite Cheesecake that Brig made. It was delicious!

After leaving the Fox home we headed down to spend the evening with the Lamoureux family. We exchanged gifts then played the game "Things". This had everyone in stitches as we laughed at the creative responses.

Then we hung around and posed for photos by the fireplace.

Today was a quiet day at home where we opened presents and had a wonderful dinner. Then Mom, Grandpa & I went to the movies to see the film "The Blind Side". I totally recommend it if you haven't seen it!

The full collection of pics from Christmas Eve are found here.

THE NINTH ANNUAL CANNON FAMILY PARTY

2009-12-20T21:46:00.004-07:00

Each of us has a family. Some of these families come in the traditional way. Others are the products of blended families. My family is the product of love and experience. I am blessed to have been given two sisters, two brothers, two sisters-in-law, two brothers-in-law and eight wonderful nieces and nephews by way of the Cannon family.

Every year the Cannon's and the Sherman's gather together for a night of delicious food, gifts galore, and to share love and friendship. This is the ninth year that our family has come together to share in the holiday season together.

Originally the party consisted of a sit down dinner but as our family has grown space became more limited and so we introduced a fiest of appetizers and treats. We have mini hot dogs (everyone's favorite!), pizza fondue, water chesnuts, veggies, chips & dip, nachos, crackers and yummy chapolte sauce, fudge, egg nog cookies, gingerbread and delicious punch.

The kids love getting together with their cousins. Faith made sure that Brigham was watched over.

Elinor & Bethany are two of Aunt Ali's favorite girls. They spoil her with hugs and gave her fun gifts. They picked out my giant giraffe that is now lovingly named George.

One of our traditions is that everyone gets an ornament. Faith is modeling her newest addition which features her name.

The gifts are everyone's favorites. As soon as you are old enough to open your own you quickly learn what fun gifts Grandma Barbara picks out for you!

This year everyone got a Webkinz stuffed toy ... including Aunt Ali. Clark got a gecko, Elinor a cow, Faith a pig, Bethany a leopard, Takara a elephant and Aunt Ali a giraffe.

Each toy is specifically chosen with the recipent in mind. You couldn't have found a better gift for Cannon than his ball. He didn't want to let it out of his sight!

Abe got this lovely new sweater vest made especially for him. He had to model it for us!

Barbara was especially surprised by her fabulous gift of five sets of Utah Jazz tickets. The perfect gift for the die hard Jazz fan! (Maybe if I am good she will take me with her!)

The Fox clan all had matching outfits ... even for the girl's dolls. Everyone looked gorgeous!

Faith and Takara especially loved their matching babies!

This was definitely the best night of the year so far. But as much fun as it was there was definitely a few faces missing. Matt, Misty, Peter, Laura & Kaylee were all missed as this year is the first time we haven't all been together. We love you guys and hope that you all have a Merry Christmas in your new homes!

To see exactly how much fun was had you can go see the rest of the pictures here.

A DAY FOR A CORPORATE TRUST SPECIALIST

2009-12-17T20:12:00.001-07:00

So I have been a slacker lately about writing on here. Well today was a fun day at work and so I decided it would be "take your camera to work day". I took pictures through out the day and decided to share what I do at my job. I work at a bank and am a Corporate Trust Specialist. This week is mostly like any other, but we have a few extra fun things going on that make it more fun than usual. We had Treat Days and Secret Santa (or for some people it is called Not So Secret Santa).

Cindy got some Polar Bear books from her Secret Santa and then we spent the afternoon playing with what Kassie got ... a S'More Maker!

Yum! Yum! Good!

This is my friend Raylyn. She is a great listening ear and always makes me smile when we talk. Raylyn keeps me sane!

Every day Kassie and I go down to the vault. We file things, pull bonds for the administrators, and read in new issues.

When we go down to the vault we often run in to other friends in the building. Rulon (left) works in Property Management and Louis (right) is one of the maintenance guys.

Everyday I take the bus to and from work. Jamie & Sandy are two of my "bus friends". (Can you tell how much they wanted to have their picture taken?!?)

So that is my life at the bank. I enjoy what I do and work with some great people. To see more of the results of "take your camera to work day" go here.

THE SNOW WHITE BALLET

2009-12-17T20:10:00.002-07:00

My three year old niece had her very first dance recital a week ago. She was a bunny in the Snow White Ballet that her dance show put on. She was pretty proud of her costume and did such a great job. Check out her performance:

If you want to see pictures go here.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER BONDING TIME

2009-11-08T12:28:00.001-07:00

I spent the day today with my mom. She made us waffles for breakfast and then we watched a movie together. Then we decided that we wanted to do some baking and ended up making sugar cookies. It is a little late for Halloween and a bit early for Christmas so we made winter ones in the shapes of mittens and snowflakes. My mom is a great baker and it is always fun to share this talent with her. But I must admit I enjoyed eating them just as much! ;o)

If you want to see pictures from our adventure go here.

CANNON THE CRUISER

2009-11-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

Cannon is a 17 month old bundle of mischief and one dang cute little munchkin. This picture is the look he gives when you ask him to, "Say Cheese!" He looks right at the camera and gives this huge grin! I just want to kiss him all over!

HALLOWEEN 2009

2009-11-01T11:30:00.002-07:00

Halloween is one of those holidays that is meant for children and as you get older it looses some of it's spark. Well this year it was so much fun as I spent it with Betsy & Abe's family. Their family always comes up with a theme and dresses up for the holiday.

This year's theme was Star Trek. What you may not know is that Abe was a total Trekky in his youth and two of the costumes used where his as a boy! Clark was Captain Kirk & Elinor was Spock. How fun! This year was Cannon's first year trick or treating. Betsy & I took him to a few doors and as the lady gave him a treat and put it in his pumpkin he looked down at it and was shocked that someone was just giving him treats. He was super cute!

Betsy & I were the candy hander outters. I have to say I was shocked at how many older kids go trick or treating. We were tough cookies as we demanded that all the kids had to say "Trick or Treat" in order to get some candy.

The kids received quiet a stash of goodies. One of their family traditions that I thought was great was the bartering and trading that goes on after the kids get home. The kids trade off the candy they do not enjoy as much as the other candy.

This was a fun night! And I was grateful to share it with this fun family!

This is me (as a lovely witch) and the fun munchkins! To go see all the pictures of our fun night go here.

HOME SICK IN BED

2009-10-29T12:47:00.001-06:00

Today I decided to not go to work and get some rest to try to beat whatever bug that has been plaguing me for the past few weeks. Nothing better than curling up in a warm blanket, flannel pjs and watching a movie.

CUTE MUNCHKIN

2009-10-28T13:02:00.000-06:00

Recently I have been able to spend time with Takara and let me tell you what a cute little bug she is! She loves animals and the movies Mulan & Horton Hears a Who. She has her own mind and gives the best hugs. She loves cheese and fruit snacks and I am so glad to get to be around her.

I have taken some pictures of her in our time together.

08.29 - Day at Hogle Zoo
09.26 - Babysitting Takara & Brigham
10.09 - Gardner Village
10.24 - Babysitting Takara

COLD WEATHER

2009-09-30T13:08:00.000-06:00

The cold weather has hit and as much as I hate being cold all the time I am excited to pull out my fall and winter clothing. I love wearing my sweaters and wearing my socks. I actually hate wearing socks and shoes in general but if I have to wear them, the crazier the better!

NEW LAYOUT

2009-09-26T13:09:00.000-06:00

I figured it was time for a new layout. The picture of the Utah Capitol is one I took last week when I went "shooting" with my friend Ben. I loved it so much I had to find a way to use it and I am very pleased with the result.

GOODBYES SUCK!

2009-08-25T13:10:00.000-06:00

I hate saying goodbye. Actually that sentence is an understatement. I love the people in my life and long term goodbyes with the people I love the most are excruciating. The goodbye that came this weekend was one of the hardest I have faced in a long time. This time it was with one of “my people” (thanks Betsy – I love that term).

These were not just friends this time it was family. Peter & Laura are relocating to Virginia now that Laura has finished school and has found a good job back there and while there Peter will finish school. I have known Peter since he was about eight years old. I used to help him with his homework and watched him go through high school, attend a mission and grow up into the person he is today. Three years ago Peter married Laura and at the time I didn’t know Laura at all. Well that has changed and we have become not only the best of friends but sisters. One funny story was that Laura posted a picture of the two of us on her myspace account and put the caption “with my sister” under it. Her one friend said, “That’s your sister? We look more alike than the two of you.” This is true. We look nothing alike (she is tall and slender – I am shorter and a bit more round) but we share more than blood and looks. We have spent hours on the phone, movie nights, shopping trips and have connected on many levels.

Now as much as I will miss them (and trust me it will be a lot) there is one more factor that makes this hard and that is my beautiful niece Kayley. How I love this little munchkin. She will turn two years old in a couple of months and is a bundle of energy and fun. She has learned to say my name and when she sees me she gets so excited and gives me a huge hug. You can’t feel more loved than that! One time I had the privilege of babysitting her for a few hours. I went to pick her up and on the way home the song “Single Ladies” by Beyonce came on the radio and she started clapping a long with it. When we reached my apartment I put the song back on and she started dancing along to it. Well now every time she hears it (or if you sing it to her) she will start dancing along. She loves to sing and is turning into a fun little conversationalist.

I am grateful for this family and the memories and love that we have shared … and can I just say thank heavens for cell phones & facebook! ;o)

FAMILY HISTORY, I AM DOING IT

2009-08-14T13:11:00.000-06:00

I have been spending a lot of my free time lately working on my family history research. When I was younger my mom would spend time on family vacations visiting cemeteries to get pictures of headstones and visiting distant relatives to go over information. She would spend hours at the Family History Center and I didn’t understand why. To me it was boring. Well that is no longer the case. Now I have the “bug”. I want to research and find these people who are part of who I am. I find it fascinating and feel a responsibility to them. My plans for tomorrow include spending the morning at the local family history center in front of a computer and I couldn’t be more excited.

THE GOOD PART - TAKE TWO

2009-08-10T13:12:00.000-06:00

I know it has been awhile since I have done this but I never said it would be easy for me. Actually it has proven to be a lot more difficult than I anticipated.

Another thing is that this particular topic has been even harder to write because I have been nervous about it, but the thought has come to me over and over and I decided it was time to share.

I am a good friend. I truly feel blessed to be surrounded by some of the most amazing and gracious individuals. I try hard to stay in touch with people that I care about via email, letters, phone calls, facebook, blogs, etc. I am not perfect at it, but I believe that the people in your life are important. I try to remember birthdays and other important events.

When someone comes to mind I try to pick up the phone and find out if there is a reason for it. I am extremely loyal and I also believe that if someone really needed me I would be there. One thing I have been working on is to turn one of my weaknesses into more of a strength. I am a good confidant. If someone tells me something in confidence, I try hard to maintain that trust and keep the confidence.

Because of these things I have great friends and am truly blessed.

THE WEIRD GIRL WITH THE ODD HABITS

2009-07-29T13:13:00.000-06:00

I never claimed to be normal. Yes, I have many a weird habit and interest. Well today I have been teased by my coworkers, but I can not help it! I love it!
It is July 29th and I am listening to Christmas music.

I know what you are thinking. Yes, I might be a bit deranged, but it makes my soul happy and therefore … bring it on …

“Where are you Christmas? Why can’t I find you? … la la la!”

THE GOOD PART - TAKE ONE

2009-07-23T13:13:00.000-06:00

Okay I am taking this challenge that was given to me. One of my great weaknesses is to see the good in myself. I often allow myself to get discouraged because I do not feel like I have anything to contribute to the world. So occasionally over the next few weeks I am going to write about something I see that is good in myself here on my website. Hopefully this will not bore the readers and will be of benefit to myself.

After much thought I decided that one thing I came up with is that I am creative. I am good at artsy things like scrapbooking and decorating. I love to take pictures and create books that hold memories and are pleasing to look at. I recently helped do a scrapbook for my friend which was compiled of articles and pictures from her last year. I was nervous to have her and others look at it, but was very pleased with how well it was received.

An area that many people probably don’t know about is that I like to write. Now this is not a talent that I have spent as much time developing as I eventually like to but I occasionally enjoy writing poetry. In junior high and high school I entered contests and was published. In college I wrote a poem for a friend that was eventually put to music and became a song.

Throughout your life, choices are made
And things change along the path.
We think that now it is too hard,
And longingly we look to the past.

Our faith is lacking as we stumble along
Everything seems to be blocking the way.
We turn our backs, our eyes from the goal,
For it seems to far away.

But then we remember our Father in Heaven,
And the plan he's given us.
The Gospel and the Spirit work hand in hand,
And they can help, if we give them our trust.

We shall open our hearts and our souls
And together we shall be bound.
As a family of brothers and sisters
We shall stand on solid ground.

We turn to the words we have been taught,
They speak of our infinite worth.
If we search deep inside, we will discover,
That the power is in us.

Because we remember our Father in Heaven,
And the plan he's given us.
The Gospel and the Spirit work hand in hand,
And they can help, if we give them our trust.

We need to work as children of God,
Trying to become as one.
For if we work together,
The victory will be won.

As I have been putting together my home I have been able to use my creativity in my new apartment.

THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?

2009-07-09T13:21:00.000-06:00

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tanned woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:
¨THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID, OR A WHALE?¨

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins -stuffing themselves with shrimp and other delicacies of the sea. They play and swim in the oceans, seeing exotic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia . Whales are excellent singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of psychoanalysts due to an identity crisis. Fish or human? Human or fish? They can't have a sex life, because they kill the men they lure close to them. Therefore, they can't experience the joys of motherhood. They are purported to be exceedingly vain and capricious. Not only that, who wants to be near a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me; I want to be a whale.

P.S: We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who still makes me shiver and a coffee with my friends. With time, we gain weight, because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that, when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So, we aren't heavy; we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror, I will think, "Good gosh! Look how smart I am"

THE LAND THAT I LOVE

2009-07-08T13:22:00.002-06:00

I love Independence Day! Maybe it is because of the fact that I am an Army brat since the first 15 years of my life I followed my mom around as she served her country. It doesn’t matter why but my heart always is happy when I hear patriotic songs on the radio or see the American flag waving in the breeze. And to have an entire day dedicated to the fact that we live in this great nation is awesome! This year my holiday was fairly quiet but I loved it. I spent time with loved ones, enjoyed my apartment and thought about this great nation that we live in.

Friday night I went to Riverton to attend the parade that was held there with the Fox & Chaston families and my mom & grandpa. Abe had saved us some great seats in the shade which was a major bonus since it was a very warm evening.

There was some nice floats but the highlight for the kids was all the candy that was thrown to the crowds. Clark especially was speedy at this particular endeavor. I have to applaud him as even scrapped fingers and mom taxes didn’t stop him! He ended up with quiet the stash. What is the Mom tax you might ask? Well Betsy has her own sweet tooth so when the kids get something she especially enjoys (such as tootsie rolls) she has them pay a mom tax and share with her! I think it is a great idea! My mom was Faith’s protector and made sure she got her fair share of the candy too! She ended up a very happy girl with her bag pretty full!

After the parade we headed over to Brig & Dev’s home for a bbq. Brigitta is a fabulous hostess and so parties at her house are not only fun but the food always promises to be delicious! Also our friend Kayley & her husband were visiting so we were able to catch up and spend some time with them.

On Saturday I spent most of the day at home working on my apartment and then went and met my mom for dinner. After dinner Laura came over and we got dessert and then went and watched the fireworks from my new apartment. The view over the valley was beautiful and we could see the fireworks all over the area. As part of our girl’s night we watched the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic and stayed up talking. We got done so late that Laura spent the night.

It was a nice holiday and I truly do feel proud to be an American. I am grateful for the opportunity to live in this land that I love and to be surrounded by so many amazing people.

To see the pics the holiday go here:

2009 > 07.03 - Riverton Parade
07.03 - BBQ at Brig & Dev's

MARVELOUS TIME IN MOBILE

2009-07-08T13:20:00.001-06:00

I haven’t taken the time to write about my trip and I decided it was high time.

My trip was awesome and just what I needed. Three days of total relaxation and time with friends. What could be better?

For those of you that don’t know I went to Mobile, Alabama to support my friend Lindsey who was the 2008 America’s Junior Miss. She was performing in the program and giving up her title.

Thursday & Friday nights were the preliminary night of awards where all the girls from the 50 states compete in three different categories of Talent, Fitness & Self Expression. Saturday was the finals and it is where they announce the top ten contestants who then competed for the title of America’s Junior Miss 2009.

Utah was represented by the beautiful Ashley Bracey who did a wonderful job. She came home with two awards. The first one was the Betty Copeland "My Town" Award is an award that is given for community service. The second one was the Spirit of Junior Miss Award which is chosen by all the contestants for the individual who best portrays what Junior Miss is all about. This one is a great honor. Congrats to Ashley!

I have to say how proud I am of Lindsey. Maybe I am biased but Lindsey truly was an amazing representative of the Junior Miss program this past year. Every time someone found out that I was one of her friends they would start gushing about how beautiful she was and how talented she was. Both of which are true but the compliment that always made me the happiest was hearing how kind she was and every person I met made sure to include that. Lindsey is an extremely kind and thoughtful person. She would stop and talk to parents & children alike and encourage them and acted that in the crowded room that they were the only person there. I am truly grateful to call Lindsey my friend and to be blessed by her whenever we are in contact. I am glad to have had the chance to share this experience (even in the smallest bit) with her.

To see the pics from my trip go here:

America's Junior Miss > 2009

ANOTHER YEAR OLDER AND EVEN MORE BLESSED

2009-06-09T16:18:00.003-06:00

This weekend was my birthday weekend and honestly it was probably one of the best birthday’s I have ever had. The reason this was the case was because I was surrounded by most of my favorite people and felt completely loved.

The fun started on Friday night as I spent the evening in Provo with Laura. We were going to have dinner at Zuppa’s but then while we were waiting in line Laura found out that I love Indian food and since she loves Indian food too (and her hubby Peter doesn’t) we decided to change plans and headed to the Bombay House for dinner. The Bombay is one of my favorite places to eat and it was absolutely delicious! After we left there we went to Chuck E Cheese and met up with Laura’s hubby Peter & their daughter Kaylee. We had fun running after Kaylee and having our picture drawn by Chuck E.

Saturday morning started out with a trip to the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple to attend the temple open house with Brig & Dev and our friend Cathy & her daughters Megan & Rachel. This temple is so beautiful and it was such a great way to start the day.

Next was a “surprise” luncheon that mom had planned for me at the Cheesecake Factory. There were 16 of my friends & family there and honestly it was awesome.

One of my favorite restaurants and all of my favorite people were there. Afterwards Mom, Laura & I went shopping and Laura bought me these super cute crocs! They are beautiful and I am wearing them right now! ;o)

The rest of the day was spent with mom and we finished the day off with ice cream at Leatherbys & movies at mom’s.

You may think this is the end by nope. The special day spread into Monday as I spent the day with Clark, Bethany & Elinor. We went bowling and then had special desserts at Applebees. I have to say that the time I spend with these special munchkins is always some of my favorites.

This weekend was truly special and I feel completely blessed.

To see all the pics follow the following links:

06.05 - Fun at Chuck E Cheese
06.06 - Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House
06.06 - Lunch at the Cheesecake Factory
06.08 - Bowling at All Star

THEY SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY ... SURPRISE!

2009-06-02T16:22:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I attended a surprise 30th birthday party for a good friend of mine from college. J.R. and I met during my third year at Snow where we were both involved in the singing group for the LDS Institute of Religion, LD Singers. I always enjoyed my time with him from performing to talking and more. It has been eight years since the last time I saw him and was so excited for the opportunity to go down and celebrate his birthday.
JR has a great love for music and one of the things I enjoyed the most from our friendship was being able to sit down and listen to him perform his original songs. And this love of music was the theme of this party. We were supposed to dress up as a musical artist from any time period or genre. Well with the move my creativity was limited and therefore I was just going to wear regular clothing. Well as I started to go through my closet looking for a shirt I came across my old LD Singers polo shirt and decided to wear that. Kind of cheesy but it worked. JR was dressed up as Michael Jackson, his wife Kristin was Haley Williams from Paramore and we had everything from George Michael, Dolly Parton and the Phantom & Christine. It was a good time! I will say one of the highlights of the night was watching JR become embarrassed as they showed a video of him and his brother Aaron when they were younger dancing and singing to Michael Jackson’s Bad. Lesson learned: if your mom has embarrassing footage of you – DESTROY IT!

So anyway … happy birthday JR! I am grateful for your friendship!

Pictures from the party can be found here.

ISN'T SHE CUTE?

2009-05-25T16:26:00.001-06:00

Last night I spent the evening at my mom's with Peter, Laura & Kaylee. Kaylee showed us all she has been learning lately and she was so cute I had to video her. The first clip is her singing and playing on a little piano type toy.

This one is showing how she knows her body parts and has learned a new word thanks to her dad!

Also added pictures from last night to the gallery.

MOVIE REVIEW: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

2009-05-22T16:27:00.000-06:00

I love movies as many of you know. I thought it would be fun to occasionally review both new and old movies that I have seen. So I will start with the one I saw on Monday.

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST
You can't always run from your past
Release Date: May 1, 2009
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content throughout, some language and a drug reference
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Length: 100 min
Director: Mark Waters
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Michael Douglas, Breckin Meyer, Lacey Chabert

I went with two girlfriends to see the film Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. I have been a fan of Jennifer Garner since her days on Alias and I own quite a few of her films. This is a film I have been looking forward to for quite some time and I must admit I was disappointed. It’s the story of Connor Mead a famous photographer who is a free spirited player. He is a committed bachelor who enjoys women and women enjoy him. He goes home for a weekend to attend his younger brother’s wedding. His pessimistic attitude about weddings and marriage almost ruins the wedding and sends Connor on an adventure. He is visited by the ghosts of his jilted ex-girlfriends and failed relationships of the past, present & future. While on these visits Connor must learn if he can still find true love or if he is destined to be alone forever.

The fun has some fun and memorable moments and the casting is great but the sexual innuendoes and crude comments were a real turn off for me. What would have been an over all good film ended up having one too many flies in the soup.

A WONDERFUL WEEKEND

2009-05-17T16:28:00.000-06:00

I started out my weekend redoing my bathroom. My bathroom was the one room in the house that was basically just mishmashed together with an old shower curtain and mis matched towels. So now it is fun and bright in shades of pink & brown. You can see it below:

Then I spent a few hours with Betsy & Abe and their family.

I borrowed Faith and took her out for ice cream and a fun outting that included a stop at the shoe store and the grocery store. She helped me pick out treats for each of her family members. She knows what candy everyone likes!

My mom then came over to my apartment and graciously donated her time and energy to helping me trim up my lawn. Then I spent the night with my fun little bundle of energy, Kaylee.

Sunday I spent time with Betsy & Abe's family again. We had dinner and watched The Velveteen Rabbit. This was one of my favorite stories as a child and if you haven't seen it I recommend it. It is a new Feature Film for Families Film.

Cannon has this fun new obsession with this orange and blue ball. He carries it with him everywhere and loves to roll in back and forth with you.

A HOUSE OF ORDER

2009-05-14T16:30:00.000-06:00

Okay, this may surprise some and others would be like, "Duh!"
My apartment is a disaster and a half. It seriously looks like a great big hurricane came blowing throw it. Right now if you were to come visit my apartment you would notice that you can't see the top of the kitchen table due to the piles of magazines, cds & mail. You couldn't get anywhere near my desk because both the desk and chair have been taken over by clothing. And in order to get in to my closet you have to straddle a large box of magazines. The door to the laundry room is blocked by a large laundry basket over flowing with my summer clothing that I need to figure out where to put them. The one room that you could find sanctuary in is probably the bathroom.

See here is the thing, I like to start projects but then I get about half way done and I get tired or I run out of time and creativity and the piles get left where they were or thrown on my desk or kitchen table.

I have decided that it is time to conquer the madness and get a bit more orderly. So I am asking my dear friends to share any tricks they have learned to getting organized. Half of my problem is that I live in a small space with a lot of STUFF. So please share your tidbits of wisdom!

CONGRATULATIONS

2009-05-13T16:30:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to wish Matt & Sarah a big congratulations on the arrival of their new little one Issac Matthew!

TEACH ME TO WALK IN THE LIGHT

2009-05-11T16:31:00.000-06:00

Yesterday at church our Sunday School lesson focused on the ordinance of baptism. A sister in the ward asked how we would teach an 8 year old about baptism so that they can truly understand the sacredness of the event. She said that she didn’t feel that children understand about sacrifice and what baptism truly means. I raised my hand and commented that if we teach children that baptism is the opportunity to cleanse ourselves of our sins and it is a way to show our love for God and then teach them as they continue to keep his commandments we continue to show our love for God that they understand enough and as they grow and their testimony grows they will better understand the covenants that we make with our Heavenly Father.

What are your thoughts? How do you feel we can help children understand the nature of baptism better? Or how would you (or have you) teach your children about baptism and what it means?

A WEEK OF SIMPLICITY

2009-05-08T16:32:00.000-06:00

Life this last week has been so good. It all started on Friday when I had a fun girls night with the lovely Betsy. We not only had a fun (and productive) shopping trip but Betsy offered some good advice which taught me some life lessons and has made a huge difference in my perspective.
Then on Saturday I had a day of productivity as I did some cleaning, laundry, and running errands. Now those things aren’t the most fun adventures but they sure alleviate a lot of stress and I like it when my apartment looks nice. Now if I could just learn to find away to leave it that way, life would be even better! ;o)

Sunday was my nephew Brigham’s blessing. First off, I always enjoying the spiritual experiences that come from these events, but I love that it brings families together. I had fun sitting with my nieces in church and talking to my nephew afterwards.

Last night I had Bonco night which is always fun. I love spending time just enjoying the company of other women and getting to know them better.

Today I have some fun lunch plans to catch up with one of my friends. And tonight if all goes according to plans I am hoping to catch a softball game.

I have decided that the simple things in life can really bring a lot of joy and that as we appreciate those simple things life is truly good.

MY MOST RECENT ENDEAVOR

2009-05-05T16:33:00.000-06:00

About two months ago I signed up to be a consultant for a company called Scentsy. It wasn't something I was planning to do, it just kind of fell in to my lap and happened. So here I am. I was encouraged to share this with those of you that visit my website. Scentsy is a company that sells high-quality wickless and flameless candles.

Scentsy has all kinds of fun scents and warmers. They have something for everyone ... I even managed to order a giraffe themed warmer. It is awesome!

If you are interested in learning more about Scentsy and their products go to my consultant website.

LACK OF HOPE

2009-04-28T16:34:00.000-06:00

"Pick Me. Choose Me. Love Me."
This line was used on one of my favorite shows. It is used in a different way then I am using it now. But the importance is no less.

I want to no longer be a disappointment to the people in my life. I want to love and be loved in return. I want to be wanted. I want the one man in my life to respond to my emails.

No, I am not perfect. Yes I am human and have many imperfections, but I do have feelings and my heart is hurting worse than it has in a very long time. Rejection hurts more than I could have possibly imagined. I originally said I had nothing to loose. I had no idea what I was saying.

P.S. I probably shouldn't have posted this on here but honestly I had to get it off my chest.

A LITTLE REMINDER

2009-04-16T16:35:00.000-06:00

Chin up, chin up, hunnah hunnah hunnah hunnah huh...

ARE YOU BEAUTIFUL?

2009-04-07T16:35:00.000-06:00

'cause a face without freckles is like a sky without stars
Why waste a second not loving who you are
Those little imperfections make you beautiful, lovable, valuable,
They show your personality inside your heart
Reflecting who you are

This weekend I attended a piano recital for my niece and my nephew. While getting ready for the recital Betsy was doing Elinor’s hair. Elinor looked at her mom and told her that she was beautiful. She commented that her dad was handsome. She stated that her brother was handsome and that both of her sisters were pretty. Then she stated, “And I am not.” Now when Betsy told me this story it just broke my heart. That my beautiful Elinor would think that she is not as attractive as those around her.

The reason that Elinor feels this way is due to the fact that she looks different from the other members of her family. Now what Elinor doesn’t realize is that this is not a bad thing. It just is different.

The world puts an emphasis on a certain type of outward beauty. That according to what we see in movies, television, and magazines we should look and act that way if we want to be considered beautiful or attractive and if we are different then we must not be attractive or beautiful. Well I want to say that I know this is not true. We are all beautiful individuals. We all have features that bring out something beautiful about us. And sometimes it is the differences that make us beautiful. If you are holding a bunch of flowers and one flower is a rose and one is a daisy and one is a tulip. Are any of them ugly? No! They are all beautiful but each in their own way.

So to my dear Elinor and to anyone else out there who wonders about their appearance and whether or not they are beautiful. You are a beautiful child of God and He loves you. He has made you the individual that you are and just because you might not look like the model on the cover of a magazine or have a figure like the girl standing next to you in line at the store doesn’t mean you are any less beautiful.

May each of us remember what truly makes us beautiful and embrace it!

BE CLEAN

2009-03-19T16:36:00.000-06:00

“We live in a world that is filled with filth and sleaze, a world that reeks of evil. It is all around us. It is on the television screen. It is at the movies. It is in the popular literature. It is on the Internet. You can’t afford to watch it, my dear friends. You cannot afford to let that filthy poison touch you. Stay away from it. Avoid it. You can’t rent videos and watch them as they portray degrading things. You young men who hold the priesthood of God cannot mix this filth with the holy priesthood.

“Avoid evil talk. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain….

“Choose your friends carefully. It is they who will lead you in one direction or the other. Everybody wants friends. Everybody needs friends. No one wishes to be without them. But never lose sight of the fact that it is your friends who will lead you along the paths that you will follow….

“The Lord has made us attractive one to another for a great purpose. But this very attraction becomes as a powder keg unless it is kept under control. It is beautiful when handled in the right way. It is deadly if it gets out of hand.”

I have always enjoyed a good movie. I love sticking in a dvd and curling up on the couch. I enjoy going to the theater to see a film with a good friend. Unfortunately sometimes the options to watch are not good yet if we are careful we can enjoy an uplifting and edifying story with characters that have strong morals and come out of the theater feeling good about what we just watched and sometimes even wanting to be better because of it.

The things we allow into our lives can make a huge difference on who we are and the choices we make. One of my favorite movies is a film called Penelope. Penelope tells the story of a girl whose family has been cursed and the result of this curse is that she is born with the nose of a pig. In order to break the curse and have the nose removed Penelope must be accepted by one of her own kind. I won’t tell you the entire story but I can tell you that every time I watch that movie I finish it feeling better about life.

And as great as it is to find a good film, it is even better to find a good friend. To surround yourself with good people who uplift and edify you. So to my true friends ... Thank you for being you. Thank you for helping me see the good in myself and the world around me. Thank you for making me want to be better.

VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE

2009-03-12T16:38:00.000-06:00

This image is very fitting and leads me into telling you about a person that has become a very important part of my life the past six months.

A few months after I joined my new ward I was assigned a set of visiting teachers. The first month they came only one was able to make it. While we were talking she found out that I had an interest in the Twilight series of books and she commented that I would definitely get a long with her visiting teaching companion. The next month the companion came but the other one didn’t. This is the day I met Cindy. We started talking and I asked her if she was the one that liked the Twilight books. Her face lit up and we started talking about the books and some of our thoughts and feelings about them. Well two hours later we decided we should probably do the spiritual message. Well we could say that the rest was history.

The thing is our friendship has developed past just our common interest in Stephenie Meyer’s books. Cindy has become one of my best friends. She is a good listener, she is fun to run errands with, we discuss gospel topics, she is a shoulder to cry on, and truly cares about my well being. I consider myself truly blessed to call her my friend.

SO BLESSED!

2009-03-08T16:30:00.000-06:00

I want to say how grateful I am for a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that my Father in Heaven loves me. I know that my Savior came to this earth and gave of His life for me so that I could be forgiven of my many imperfections. I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel in it's fullness under the divine guidance of our Father in Heaven. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet and that through his words we can return and live with our Heavenly Father again. How blessed I am for this knowledge.

PAY IT FORWARD

2009-03-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday my friend and I decided it would be fun to dig out our cameras and go take pictures downtown. While down there we were approached by a rough dressed individual who asked us for a favor. He then asked if we would be willing to help him get a meal. I looked at my friend and said, “I have no money.” And he responded the same. The man who had approached us got upset, and said that he hadn’t been looking for money and hurried away. I was thinking to myself, “How do we get food without money? It isn’t like we are carrying food in our pockets!” A few minutes later the man approached us again. This time he asked me to hold out my hand. I must have appeared skeptical because he said that it wouldn’t bite. I was still hesitant but still held out my hand. He dropped a handful of assorted coins in my hand and then quickly walked away. I looked after him completely baffled as to what he could be thinking. My friend asked me what he had given me. I showed him the handful of coins. He seemed as confused as I was. I stuck the money back into my pocket not sure exactly what to do with it.

My friend and I continued on our way. We wondered to various locations throughout downtown before coming to Gallivan Plaza. Here we were approached again by a rough looking individual. This time the man asked if we could help him as he needed some money for food. I looked at the man and asked how much he needed. He said about fifty cents. I pulled out the coins that were rattling around in my pocket and dropped them into the man’s hand. He was grateful and we went about our way. My friend stated that I had just “Paid it Forward”. I just smiled and kept walking.

This was an odd experience.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

2009-02-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feeling like you say your prayer and you truly believe that Heavenly Father is hearing you. And you also believe that He truly is trying to give you the answer you are searching for, but for whatever reason you aren't getting the message. Like His answer is lost in translation? I just wish I could find a way to understand.

ALSO KNOWN AS

2009-02-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

Growing up my mom was never a fan of nicknames. She named me Allison and therefore I was to be known by Allison. This could probably be the reason that until I was in high school I never really had any nicknames. My grandmother called me Peanut and occasionally her and my grandfather would call me Alioop, but other than that I was almost always known simply as Allison.
I have always liked my name and am very proud of it, but I have a great affinity for nicknames. I think they are a way of showing personality, fondness, etc for someone. And some of my poor friends have ended up with some doozies and probably hate me now because I have allowed them to stick … sorry Spud Butt! ;o)

Here are some of the names that have stuck with me through the years:

Alioop – this name came from my early years when my grandparents would hold my arms and swing me as we walked and say “Alioop”

Ali – this name is the most common of my nicknames and of course is just an abbreviated version of Allison.

Al – this name had me joking with my friends that each year I kept loosing a letter and I predicted that eventually they would just call me “A”.

The Checkered Spaz – Alright this one is a bit embarrassing yet one of my favorites because of the memories associated with it. When I was a freshman in high school and living in California my friends and I attended a soccer game at our rival school to support some of our friends in the stake. I was wearing this jacket that I absolutely loved (looking back it was rather hideous) and was totally on one that day. One of our friend’s teammates said, “What is up with the checkered spaz?” My friends had a good laugh over that and the name stuck for the rest of the year.

Sherm or Sherman – The first time I was called this it came from Scott while I lived in California … he said it like an army general “Sherman, Dang it!” Then on my mission it was abbreviated to Sherm by Ned while I lived with him and Linda.

Bubba – this one is grasping it … but it had to do with Bubba Gump Shrimp from Forrest Gump.

Yolk – Honestly I don’t remember exactly what the story behind this was. In college my one group of friends called me this and even gave me a cake that said, “Happy Birthday Yolk”

Calberta – Lovely Kate dubbed me this. This has a whole trail to get to understanding it. Allison shortened to Ali shortened to Al connects to Alberta, Canada making it Calberta. Personally I love it and it always makes me smile when I hear it or read it on a card.

Anyway … nicknames are fun and I love the bond I feel over the ones given to me by my friends.

WELCOME BRIGHAM!

2009-02-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

My adorable new nephew was born on January 24, 2009 at 7 lbs 3 oz to Dev & Brigitta.

REVAMPING

2009-02-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

Okay ... due to various reasons I have been a slacker about this site, so I revamped the layout to something simple in honor of the upcoming holiday and will try to be better. I must be honest that my life is pretty quiet over all and so I feel like I don't have much to share, but maybe I can start sharing things that I am learning in my life. We shall see.

DOWNTIME

2009-01-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that the site was down a bit recently. Well the reason for that is because one of the other sites that I host on this domain has become very popular lately and it ate up all of my bandwidth. I have moved that site to another host and so hopefully now there will be no more problems. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Hero at the Grocery Store

2008-12-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

I read this story on LDS.org and it really had me thinking so much about what this time of year is about ... and it reminds me of how in simple ways we can be examples of kindness to those around us wether it be the way in which this lady was or by helping a young mother who has her hands full in a store or carrying a bag of groceries for someone who can not do it themselves or shoveling the driveway for an elderly or single neighbor. We can just step outside of ourselves.

Hero at the Grocery Store
by Stephenie Meyer

Suddenly everyone was quiet. Even my rowdy children paused, feeling the change in the atmosphere.

Christmas stories happen in the most everyday places. I was part of one not long ago at the grocery store. I hope I never forget it, though the memory is bittersweet.

I had been shopping for almost an hour by the time I got to the checkout lines. My two youngest sons were with me, the four-year-old refusing to hold onto the cart, the two-year-old trying to climb out of the basket and jump down to play with his brother. Both got progressively whinier and louder as I tried to keep them under control, so I was looking for the fastest lane possible. I had two choices. In the first line were three customers, and they all had just a few purchases. In the second line was only one man, a harried young father with his own crying baby, but his cart was overflowing with groceries.

I quickly looked over the three-person line again. The woman in the front was very elderly, white haired and rail thin, and her hands were shaking as she tried unsuccessfully to unlatch her big purse. In the other line, the young father was throwing his food onto the conveyor belt with superhuman speed. I got in line behind him.

It was the right choice. I was able to start unloading my groceries before the elderly woman was even finished paying. My four-year-old was pulling candy from the shelf, and my little one was trying to help by lobbing cans of soup at me. I felt I couldn’t get out of the store fast enough.

And then, over the sound of the store’s cheery holiday music, I heard the checker in the other line talking loudly, too loudly. I glanced over as my hands kept working.

“No, I’m sorry,” the checker was almost shouting at the old woman, who didn’t seem to understand. “That card won’t work. You are past your limit. Do you have another way to pay?” The tiny old woman blinked at the checker with a confused expression. Not only were her hands shaking now, but her shoulders too. The teenage bagger rolled her eyes and sighed.

As I caught a soup can just before it hit my face, I thought to myself: “Boy, did I choose the right line! Those three are going to be there forever.” My mood was positively smug as my checker began scanning my food.

But the smiling woman directly in line behind the elderly lady had a different reaction. Quietly, with no fanfare, she moved to the older woman’s side and ran her own credit card through the reader.

“Merry Christmas,” she said softly, still smiling.

And then everyone was quiet. Even my rowdy children paused, feeling the change in the atmosphere.

It took a minute for the older woman to understand what had happened. The checker, her face thoughtful, hesitated with the receipt in her hand, not sure whom to give it to. The smiling woman took it and tucked it into the elderly woman’s bag.

“I can’t accept …” the older woman began to protest, with tears forming in her eyes.

The smiling woman interrupted her. “I can afford to do it. What I can’t afford is not to do it.”

“Let me help you out,” the suddenly respectful bagger insisted, taking the basket and also taking the old woman’s arm, the way she might have helped her own grandmother.

I watched the checker in my line pause before she pressed the total key to dab at the corner of her eyes with a tissue.

Paying for my groceries and gathering my children, I made it out of the store before the smiling woman. I had made the right choice of lanes, it seemed.

But as I walked out into the bright December sunshine, I was not thinking about my luck but about what I could not afford.

I could not afford my current, self-absorbed frame of mind.

I could not afford to have my children learn lessons of compassion only from strangers.

I could not afford to be so distant from the spirit of Christ at any time of the year—especially during this great season of giving.

I could not afford to let another stranger, another brother or sister, cross my path in need of help without doing something about it.

And that is why I hope never to forget the Christmas hero in the grocery store. The next time I have a chance to be that kind of a hero, I can’t afford to miss it.

Twilight the Movie

2008-11-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, yes I am a Twilight fan … as you may have noticed from the layout. Last night thanks to Summit Entertainment I had the opportunity to watch the film, Twilight at an advanced screening. I was so excited!
Before the film started they gave away t-shirts & bracelets … I was lucky enough to get one of the t-shirts. Then they asked who were on Team Edward and who was on Team Jacob, which led to lots of screaming and shows of support. I do not want to give too much away and so I will do my best to make this spoiler free.

My first comment is that I believe that fans of the books will be pleased with the way Catherine Hardwicke (the director) and Summit adapted the stories to the big screen. While the film is not in the Academy Award category, the film was beautiful! Definitely visually appealing.

The studio did an amazing job with casting as each actor portrayed his or her part very well. I was especially pleased with Ashley Greene as Alice. She portrayed Edward’s fun loving younger sister exactly as I had imagined her. And Kellan Lutz is an amazing Emmett! I have always loved Peter Facinelli because I think he is so diverse and he didn't disappoint. I love the strength yet compassionate individual he makes Carlisle. Oh and Nikki Reed is fabulous as Rosalie … such a strong performance. I also was surprised by how well Billy Burke portrayed Bella’s father Charlie. I love the way they built the relationship between Bella and her dad.

The chemistry between Kristen and Robert is all that the fans hoped for. I love the small things between them show the intensity of the relationship between Bella & Edward. Personally I think that Kristen is the perfect person to play Bella. She is clumsy and yet portrays Bella as the strong woman that she is. Robert portrays Edward as the hesitant suitor who has strong feelings about what he is and how that affects Bella. So putting aside all the screaming fans, he really did an excellent job.

The part of Jacob is a small but important role in the first book/film. Taylor Lautner is awesome as Jacob Black. I can’t wait to see how he brings more to that part as the stories continue. (I have great faith that they will!) For those fans that are not Jacob fans I think that Taylor gives him a very likeable quality that most will see why these two characters are friends and build a relationship. Another thing I enjoyed was seeing Bella’s “human” friends brought to life. I enjoyed these characters and I felt like we were able to get to know them a little better.

My favorite scenes were the baseball scene and the scene where Edward takes Bella home to meet his family. I loved the humor that was added that helped the story flow. There are some differences to the story but mostly to help the story flow better as a movie and I didn't feel that they took away from the books.

I believe those who have not read the story will follow along easily yet for those of us who know the story well will enjoy the little details that were included. I can’t wait to go and see it again on Friday!

Thank you Summit Entertainment for giving me this opportunity!