Keeping semi busy:

I've been meaning to update my blog... not that I've been doing anything exciting. Occasionally I have a thought that I think would make an interesting post, but then I forget about it. So, no deep thoughts tonight!

Here is some of what I've been doing lately:

Before:

During:

After:

In this one you can see where I stopped (bleached on the left, not on the right). I still need to do a few spots over, and continue on into the table area, and around the trash can in the laundry room.

And this is how I did it: (I actually did the counter top tiles first and thats what gave me the encouragement to do the floor tiles)

Oxi-Clean plus toothbrush

Notice how perfectly white the groute is? WOW!


I LOVE OXI-CLEAN! WOOOHOOOO! I love their laundry spray too. It gets out virtually everything, without a lot of scrubbing, and does not kill brain cells like the regular bleach (I hope!)

This is the next project I tried to do:

(for those of you who can't tell I put up curtains in our main room to try and keep just a bit of the draft down from the window. I joined an 8' and a 6' pole together, hung 4 brackets, put up 3 panels of the cheapest, somewhat thicker curtains I could find. None of the furniture matches, so I figure its ok that the curtains don't either! Unfortunately is was still a lot more then I was expecting to spend so I didn't get curtains for the window next to the table.

I'm annoyed because it didn't work right and I'm going to need to figure out a way to redo the two brackets in the middle. GRRRR. I was mad so I just put it up and didn't even drill the poles to put the end ball things on it, because the screws on those are bigger then the pre-drilled holes. GRRRRRRRRR!!!!

I put this one in so you can see Mama's flowers. You can also see some of the other junk in the room too, but just ignore it!

Even though it didn't work out quite the way I wanted it to, at least I got an injury so I know I was working hard :)

This Thursday felt like Christmas/my birthday again! Melanie sent me a package with the things that were too big to go in my suitcase. I thought she would bring it up herself which would've been more fun, but its still really exciting to get my fun birthday/Christmas presents:

The new tea kettle is awesome! Its heavy duty: holds more, and keeps it warmer longer. And its cute!

I also used my new shiny presure cooker ( took a picture before I used it because it was so shiny and pretty!). It was way fun, although it kindof scared me because it was louder then mom's when it released the pressure.

I made a sausage soup for dinner in it. I didn't go grocery shopping again so I used what needed to be used from the freezer. It was pretty good with sausage, potatoes, green beans, carrots and onions from our garden (I think I've just about got all of them dug up now, its hard to tell with the snow!), and some Chinese noodles as tomorrow is Chinese new year! I also made some herb bisquits (think I will do it plain from here on out because I like to use up the homemade jam and it doesn't go so well with herbed things), and we had what I like to call "sweet juicy goodness" ie mandarin oranges for our fruit.

This is me enjoying my other birthday presents today (I've been meaning to send thank you cards to all my wonderful family for the fun gifts that I've been using, but it hasn't happened and to be honest I can't really remember which things I got for Christmas and which for my b-day, so consider yourself thanked!). I wore my shiny silver bangle bracelets, used my new church bag, and because it was snowing, my new umbrella got used too! The umbrella worked great keeping the cars from splashing me on the way home, good thing its so big!

I have such a giving family! While writing this out, I was amazed at all the gifts given to me. So thank you to all, and I think I forgot a few things, so remind me what they are so I can be appropriately thankful :)

I haven't yet used my mill, but I'm excited too once I get some grain for it. I have played in my piano books a bit, but find I'm easily frustrated with my lack of skills :) Melanie still has my first aid kit, but fortunately I haven't had to use it yet. I'm saving my beautiful dinner napkins for a special occasion. My New Mexico picture book is on our coffee table and I look through it often. I listend to the City of Ember and enjoyed that! I haven't used the meat thermometer yet, that will probably wait until warmer temputures and I'm using the grill. I use my christmas pj's, as the top is especially warm and soft! I like my lotion, chap stick, toothbrush, too! My hex set it is my tool box and my fun socks are being put to good use. Cathy got me a new coat last weekend, that is nice and warm, even if I'm constantly leaving feathers around (I picked it up for a great deal last weekend, and Cathy then told me she was giving it to me for my birthday)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

The only problem is now I will have to come up for new things to put on my list next year :)

Another Weekend Update

YAy, I love weekends! The only bad thing about weekends is knowing I have to go back to work :( But, this weekend I have Monday off. MLK day is a random holliday for me as I don't have any traditions associated with it, but I'm more then willing to take the day off!

I had a fun weekend! Saturday Cathy and I hung out for most of the day. I did get the bathroom cleaned, my sink in the laundry room spruced up, and sort of swept the kitchen floor and straightened my room, so I felt productive. Cathy and I met up at Kneaders for their all you can eat chunky cinamon french toast. OH WOW! I really like Kneaders and its a good thing I don't work there! Next time I have family in town we will have to go!

We then did some work on Kate's car. Taking out the battery to get it checked at AutoZone and then putting in a new one. Cathy is good at that stuff which is a good thing because batteries kind of scare me, I don't want to get shocked and once I ruined a jacket of Mom's by getting some battery acid on it while I was "helping" dad. Sorry mom!

Then we decided to go up the canyon and see what we could see. I wanted to go stand on the ice at Deer Creek, but it was cold, so maybe another time. I did it last winter and it really freaked me out. The ice makes lots of wierd sounds and I thought I was going to die everytime! So I wanted to do it again and see if I was just imagining things last time.

We drove up to a little town named Wallsburg. Its a strange mix of old, run down, homes, and new "cabins" of the mansion persuasion. While on that drive we saw wild turkeys. And not just a few. It was probably a flock of over 100 birds. Turkeys are wierd! They make lots of wierd sounds and aren't very pretty. I tried to get a picture up close with my phone, but couldn't make it work. Some of the adult males were almost blue in the sun. I didn't know they looked like that. Unfortunately I only got pictures of young/female ones so it isn't that interesting. Stupid phone!So here are some bad pictures from my phone:

We drove some more around Midway to see more "cabins." That area has really grown up. I don't know that I'd want to live there, except for the fact that they have lots of natural hotsprings which is one of my favorite things to do (Ok so I've only been to the well-known ones up in the Jemez, but its sooo fun!). Its fun to see the german look to the place, as apparently thats who first settled there.

Cathy treated me to dinner at the Mountain House Grill for my birthday. We split a margarita pizza and a gormet chicken sandwhich. Cathy also made me eat my vegetables (so we each got a salad), and I got this huge thing of home made lemonaid. Now Melanie will be jealous.

We drove back home and I grabbed a movie and my old roommate Amy was there so we talked a bit before going over to Cathy's house (its comfy and WARM there) to watch Prince Caspian. Good show, but a bit long! Sorry Cathy! Any ways it was a fun Saturday. Thanks CATHY!!!

Sunday was good. They didn't get my records yet in my new ward (I checked on it and its probably because they didn't request them until yesterday :) but I still really like it. I went to choir and everything. Kate and I had tamales for lunch (Mama is babysitting Tamuo's kids as Tamuo (i don't really know how to spell her name) is going to DC for the inauguration). I didn't go shopping on Saturday so I had to just use what I had on hand. I put some wheat bread in the bread maker, sliced some frozen steak up real thin, and grilled it up with onions and bell peppers (frozen from my garden), and made up some au jus sauce for us to "dip" our sandwhiches in, along with some cream cheese because my harvatti was green. Turned out pretty good! We finished the last bottle of grape juice (mostly me), and thats good because I didn't want it to go bad.

I'm eating some Pumpkin Pecan Waffles for breakfast. I've decided I'm a little too food oriented, but hey it makes me happy! We are planning on doing FHE tonight, and so I need to come up with an activity. I'd rather do dessert :)

Things lost... things found.

Yep, I'm a looser. Today we went out for lunch to celebrate my birthday. It was good food, especially for the price. Well, I went through the rest of my work day, and was getting ready to head home when, I discovered my wallet wasn't in my purse. great. I'd been to several homes and in several state cars. So first I searched my office, then got the keys to the 2 cars and searched those (found my pen, and a poncho-wierd!). I checked the chairs in the hall because I put my stuff there before going out and about. I hoped that I hadn't left my wallet at one of the homes because I probably would have my identity stolen! So then I decided to check out the place we went to eat, and sure enough there it was. YAY! I am constently loosing things so I've learned to stop panicking because otherwise my whole life would be in a panic. People wonder why I never answer my phone? Its usually because I don't actually know where it is. So because I found my wallet and I was hungry, and the restuarnt was right next to a new Jimmy Johns (tribute to Melanie that I know what that is), I celebrated by getting a big sandwhich.... and some chips. YUMM!

This has been an interesting week. Even though my vacation was 2 weeks ago, I'm still finding it hard to get focussed and back into work. Maybe its because I'd rather be doing anything (especially nothing!) then work. I think I especially need to start going to bed on time because that does not help me stay in a positive attitude :)

Monday Kate made me garden cupcakes for FHE. Thanks Kate you are the best! Cathy and I went to Costco for our activity and to pick up some food. We had dim sum and Tamales (I picked out the tamales) for dinner along with some chips, and mandarin oranges. Kate provided desert (it was really funny when Cathy and I came home Kate kicked us out of the kitchen as she was making "secret treats." I had no idea what she was doing.) We read an Ensign article and mostly just talked and laughed. Thats my kind of FHE! Here are silly pictures of Kate and Mama showing their hands are messy from the cupcakes, as well as pictures of the cupcakes themselves!

Tuesday was Cathy's game in which they won. YAY! Jamie is very jealous that I got frozen yoghurt. I was really happy that this time I got to pay for it as Cathy forgot her wallet (see I'm not the only one, granted it wasn't lost, just forgotten).

Yesterday I went with Cathy to the temple which was a nice break. But then I stayed up way to late perusing some blogs. These are a couple of way interesting ones about foster to adopting. It makes me happy that people are willing to do the hard things in life, and makes me want to do a better job as a social worker. YAY FOR FOSTER FAMILIES! I do recommend you start at teh beggining of their blogs, although its easier with the first one because she has a pull down menu (on the left of the page near the middle that says I blog too much) that lets you choose past blogs. Question: Do you think its ok to look at blogs at work if they are about foster care?

http://fosteringmom.blogspot.com/

http://dearestjessica.blogspot.com/

Also, somethings I've learned: Did you know that lighter fluid can take off greasy messes? I got the blue ticky tac stuff off of the walls in Jamie's room so easily after looking that up on the internet. Isn't the internet great?! I also found that those magic wall erasure thingsy (that I actually got to clean off the blue gunk but didn't work) really takes off marks on the walls. Its GREAT!

Sunday

Went to my new ward today and I feel I'm going to be very happy with it! Its got some characters in it (what ward doesn't?), and a good mix of people in various stages of life. Its a big ward and people seem friendly! Its like the oldest ward building in Orem, and so its fun to look around at the different archetecure. I went to choir today (Melanie's suggestion) and brought along Kate and Mamarine. I think they will be joining me in around February to be in a "real" ward. There are some great things about singles wards but I'm very happy to have "retired" and be moving on!

I went X-country skiing yesterday with Sarah, and her family, and Jen and her kids. It was way fun! I'm not actually as sore today as I was thinking I would be. I only had one spill and it doesn't even count because I wasn't trying to ski right then (I went over to a bench to eat my apple!). Here is a picture of where we went (Jollie Ranch up Hobble Creek near Springville). My phone died right after that so I didn't get a picture of any of us :(

Its relatively cheap, and is fairly flat and easy. I had a good time! It made we want to buy some equipment and maybe a season pass. So while I miss not working at the temple, there are some nice things about having a whole Saturday to do fun things!

I made dinner, and as always the dinner seamed to grow so there is tons of left overs! We had some really good butternut squash and I made some bread in the bread maker- unfortunately there was a power short and so the machine turned off right after it started cooking. I noticed it when I was ready to serve the other things and so had to put it in the oven and hold off dinner. I made a pork potatoe dish with my canned tomatoes, and carots I dug out of the garden today. So I also made some chunky applesauce for our fruit while I was waiting for the bread to cook. It actually tasted ok.

Speaking of food, I am so proud of myself. I didn't eat out at all this week (other then when traveling on Monday I got a snack)! I bought a lot of microwave dinners (the weight watcher and healthy choice, etc kinds) which while aren't homemade, don't count as eating out.

I also was better about cleaning things and making sure I did at least one thing active every day (lots of snow shoveling :) I don't think I'll be as dilligent about the eating out thing this week, but my goal is to not eat out EVERY day.

Christmas in NM and wedding in CA

So, I had an awesome Christmas break. There was rushing around times (mostly in California for Jamie's wedding, and when I ran around the house saying "the Parkinson's are coming" New Years Eve), and plenty of taking it easy times. Melanie did an awesome job of posting about it so I will just refere you there.

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/christmas-eve.html

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/wordless-wednesday.html

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-which-my-friend-sisters-roommate-is.html

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/californina-hearst-castle.html

http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/01/california-beach.html

However, I decided to put a few pictures that Melanie either missed, or I really liked so I duplicated.

Mom rewrapping some cinnamon roles because Angela didn't do it right :)

I got to shovel snow while at home. There wasn't much new snow Christmas morning, and it was light and powdery so I got to break in my new Christmas PJ's without a sweat! There is something very satisfying about snow shoveling. I think I get a kick out of because at home I didn't even need gloves, coat, or socks because even though it snows, its just not that cold there. Although Mom and I did have to push Aaron's car out of the snow, I still prefer NM winters to UT!!!!!!

Thorpe got his Christmas "monkey" and throughly enjoys it. This year it is a hedgehog that makes two differen types of squeeks. I always enjoy playing with Thorpe when I go home, and he doesn't seem to mind much (but Angela does).

I got lots of cool presents. Thanks mom and dad! It was hard to leave the next day for CA, especially as Melanie and I were just missing the Parkinsons coming in.

Pretty picture of me at the LA temple (doesn't happen much so I thought I'd point it out)(oh, and Melanie put the flower in my hair because she is cute like that!). Its a pretty temple, especially on the inside. even if the x-mas lights are kind of funny. Its a HUGE temple, and I'd like the chance to go on a session sometime (yes Jamie, you were right!)

Roommate picture. I sure have loved all these girls and miss them!

Mandy, Melanie (who has been my roommate, but not Jamie's), Jamie, Me, Melissa, Jen. Many other "cherry chubs" wanted to be there, and they were there in spirit. Congradulations Jamie! I am sure going to miss you but I'm so happy for you and the good life you are going to have!

I had fun at the reception that night. Jamie had a barbeque with awesome tri-trip and sour dough bread on the huge grill her uncles brought over. The beans were really good, with lots of cumin. With all that good food Fay decided to get a hot dog and sort of eat the bun. Oh well, she was happy! It was fun to hang out with Fay and she seemed to like hanging out with the girls!

When we were still in LA, Melanie and I decided we were going to head to the reception and not go to the Ghetti (too bad its not about speghetti!) we discussed dropping Fay off, and from the back of the car Fay piped, "I LOVE YOU!" I think she was worried we were just going to leave her somewhere. Cute girl.

On my birthday after church and a pizza lunch (thanks Jamie's dad!) which is my favorite, we had a short time to go to Montana de Oro. You go through this cool Euculiptus forest, and see some dunes, and an estuary and then take a cool walk on the bluffs over looking the ocean. We also had a few minutes before the sun went down to explore the tide pools. As the sun was mostly down, the colors weren't as bright and most of the anenenenenamies were closed up, but it was still cool. Poor Kimball wasn't feeling good for much of this trip, but he did stop whimpering when he saw the seaguls. He would move around to try to see them, so I had to move around to get better pictures. He started whimpering more when Mitch or Mandy got close because he wanted to be rescued from mean ol aunt Emily, too bad Kimball! ha ha ha It was really windy before the sun went down, but it was stopped for our way back. Good thing because otherwise the pot smoke from those teenagers would have been blowing our direction :)

The next morning Kimball was feeling better, and he ate all the cereal. Maybe thats because he was distracted by being outside, but it was too beautiful to waste by being inside. Again, thanks to Jamie's mom for letting us stay at her condo. I'm not sure Fay was feeling better (lots of cute pictures and I decided to put in the one where she is making a face!) We went to the Hurst castle which was fun. I'm including a few more pictures that Melanie didn't put on hers.

After that we went to lunch and I got fish and chips. YUM! Kimball was feeling better so I gave him some of my fish. He was ok with that, but he really liked his mom's avocado. He was a lot more smily and was more like the Kimball I saw last time I visited! After lunch we went to the beach before Melanie and I had to catch our plane. I SURE LOVE THE BEACH! I wish we could've spent more time there, and I felt bad because this one didn't have too many shells. Its ok though, its still fun just to walk in the water (freezing though it was). We saw sand pipers, and then these cool little birds that would follow the waves in and out. They looked liked miniature seagulls with long legs! Fay fed the seagulls in the parking lot all the spilled snacks from the back of our car. It was a quick trip, and I was only sortof onry from lack of sleep, etc.

Catching the place was funny. Thats the smallest airport I've ever been in! Ticket counter, security, and gate all within the same room. In fact the guy at the ticket counter went to help load the bags, and there was only one gate.

It was good to come back home and sleep in a real bed! I'm sure glad the family let me sleep in so much while at home, it sure helps me live up to my middle name :) I don't have pictures for the rest of the trip, but it was fun too!

Mom made pizza dough for mini pizzas the next day (Tuesday) in honor of my birthday and we had do it yourself triffal which was very tasty! I got lots of fun presents for my bday as well as for Christmas. THANKS EVERYBODY!! Almost forgot the sledding. Wish I had pictures, but needless to say it was a fun time and no one got hurt!

Although Rancho de Chimiyo was closed, we went to Tomasitas for lunch on New Years Eve and drove around Santa Fe for a bit. Tom picked up some other kinds of Root Beer for our test tasting contest that night. New Years Eve was fun. Root Beer, silly kids, fireworks! I like all things fire!

The next day we had lots of good food and fun, and just lazed around. I'm glad that the Parkinsons decided to stay an extra day so that could continue! We didn't do too much else for the weekend, Melanie left on Sunday and then I left on Monday. Thanks to my super roommates who came to get me from the airport even though the roads were horrible and it took them forever!