Senior Recognition

This past week my ward had a Senior Recognition activity to honor all of the graduating seniors. We have nine girls graduating and they are amazing! I have been in Young Womens since most of them were Beehives and we have had a lot of great experiences together. I will miss them a ton but am so proud of them all. Good luck ladies! I'll sure miss you!

A Few More Pics of the House

Around Christmastime my friend Amie asked me to post more pictures of my new house. Now it's May and I am finally getting around to it. Here you are Amie, just for you, because I love you.

This is the family room downstairs (can you tell that I haven't gotten around to putting many pictures on the wall yet?)

The patio...aka the backyard. It's kind of nice not having much yard work to do!

Remembering Mom

I am so grateful for all of the remarkable women in my life, especially my mom, stepmom, mother-in-law, and grandmothers. They have all influenced me for good and have been wonderful examples of selflessness and sacrifice. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day! Me and Grandma Massey at Spirit Lake last summer.

Me and my stepmom Cheryl (and my dad too!)

My mother-in-law Karen after graduating from Nursing School

My Grandma Merrill, my mom Robin, and me last summer at the Salt Lake Temple

Carl and his Grandma Cynthia (aka Grannie) at her house in North Carolina

Confessions of an Unbalanced Blogger

I unexpectedly got off of work a couple of hours early today and couldn't decide what to do with my free time. I could've done something practical like sweep the floor, practice my piano, or read my book, but I decided I should probably update my blog. The last couple of months I have been a very inconsistent blogger. Since my miscarriage in February it has been hard for me to want to visit the blog world at all...my own or others. I honestly don't know why. I'm certainly not bitter at my friends who have kids, in fact I look forward to seeing updated pics of my friends' families. Maybe there is a part of me who feels out of place in the blog world--who knows? Anyways, to all of you who still actually visit my blog, here is an update of my (albeit boring) life:


In April, 3 of my great freshman-year friends and I got together for a day. Mary Ann and Brie Ann stayed for almost a week and it was fantastic! I love that we are able to keep in touch despite the time and distance. Thanks again girls for a wonderful day!
A few days later I went down to St. George for the Utah Pharmacists Association Convention (aka the "Nerd Convention"). Several of the technicians I work with also went down and we stayed in a condo together (thanks again LuDean for sharing your connections!). Here is a tiny picture of me and my girls...I stole it from Amanda's Facebook album and haven't figured out how to make it bigger. That's my punishment for always forgetting my camera and not taking my own pictures.

Hmm...what else? Carl and I started a super-budget earlier this month and are committed to having all of my student loans paid off by September. I want to be as financially secure as possible by the time I have a baby (assuming that happens before my 80th birthday) so I can have the choice to work as little or as much as I want to once I am a mother. It will take some sacrifice and self-discipline but will be worth it. Speaking of self-discipline, Carl and I have a 2-week European cruise scheduled for September. Assuming we have our student loans paid off by then, if you were me would you go on the cruise or start paying down the mortgage? We feel torn between living it up while we still can and being responsible. I would love to hear what you think!

Caribbean Cruise

Carl and I recently returned from a much-needed vacation to the Caribbean. We went on a 7-day cruise that stopped in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and a little island in the Bahamas. We had a great time and can't wait to go back. Just after boarding the ship in Ft. Lauderdale

Formal Night

Dolphin Cove- Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Scuba in Grand Cayman

Sea Turtle in Cozumel

Laying on the beach at Princess Cay, Bahamas

Scary alligator in the Everglades

Flamingo Gardens- Ft. Lauderdale

The Big 3-0!!

Carl turns 30 today and I wanted to take a moment to wish a very Happy Birthday to the love of my life. Thank you for all you do for me and for the wonderful, amazing man that you are. Here are a few pics celebrating the life of the man that I love...

American Fork Symphony Concert

For those of you who may be interested, Carl has a concert with the American Fork Symphony on Monday February 23rd at American Fork High School. It starts at 7:30 PM and should last an hour or two. The cost is $3 per person or $10 per family. We hope to see you there!