Shay Marie

Uintas

2010-07-16T11:21:00.000-07:00

So a couple weeks ago, Mike, Dad, Chris, Ivan, Heather and I went backpacking. It was such an incredible experience, quite different than what we were expecting, but still so fun!
Let me just tell you a little bit about my experience:

We get there and started the hike...we thought it would be about 4 hours or so and that we would get to where we were camping at about 5 or so. Well, that didn't happen to say the least. HAHAH...there were a few things that set us back a few hours. We got poured on a couple times, I twisted my ankle, pulled my groin and my thigh (all on the right side), we got lost, kinda and when we finally saw the ridge to the lake we decided to stay at we walked over to the edge of it and realized it was a lot steeper than we thought. So, after hiking down the mountain with boulders, dead trees to climb over, mud, small rocks and mosquitos attacking us, we finally made it to the lake right before it got dark. It was quite the excruciating task, but we all made it. The site of the lake was absolutely breathtaking and WELL worth all the pain. I am so lucky I was able to see the things I saw and experience all of it with people I love. The second day was SO fun. We hiked about a mile to another lake. There we went fishing. We were all very successful with catching our dinner for that night. We did get caught in a hail storm while we were fishing, but Mike and Dad made us all a very nice shelter and the storm only lasted about 5-10 minutes. It was actually pretty fun! Here are a few pictures from our trip...hope you enjoy! I know I did.

so much has happened...

2010-03-16T03:03:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in FOREVER! I know I say that with just about every post, but oh well. So many wonderful things have happened and I would love to blog about it...and I will, just not right now. I am extremely tired and I am still at work.

In due time my friends, in due time.

PERFECT!!! could not have done it better myself...

2010-02-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

I hope all drug seekers watch this!

For My Best Friend!!!

2010-02-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

I know I am late, but I guess late is better than never. Yesterday was my BEST friends birthday, and I am a BIG jerk and didn't call her. I meant to post this yesterday and I didn't so here it is today.

Why is Mandi my best friend...
she has never judged me

she is ALWAYS there no matter what!

she is a part of my family, even more than I am at times

She is supportive

she is beautiful in every way

she is a great example to me and everyone around her

she is a hard worker

she is passionate

she is driven

she is THE PERFECT definition of what a best friend should be

and she has a great love for the Gospel.

Mandi, I love you and thank you for all that you do! I could not have asked for a better best friend. Happy birthday!

Californ-I-A

2010-01-06T01:55:00.001-08:00

Before we went to Cali we were able to spend time with Chris who is visiting Utah and we were also able to spend time with Mike's fam, which is always a great time! I am sad though, I am such a loser and did not take pictures at Dad and Sonya's house...I have been so bad about taking pictures lately...I will try to do better.

We left for Acton on Tuesday morning, Kenny was nice enough to take us to the airport AND pick us up! I love that man! Anyway, here are just a few pics from Cali, the rest are going to be on FB. It takes WAY too long to upload them on here...

OH YEAH!!! While we were in California we had SO much fun and between the 2 of us we gained about 15 pounds...SICK AND WRONG!!!! Besides stuffing our faces, we played basketball, kickball, capture the flag, had a cooking competition, played lots of other games, had Christmas and made WONDERFUL memories with the family.

The dark side and packing...

2010-01-06T01:46:00.000-08:00

Next thing to blog about...So, I always complained about my roots when I was blonde...Mike suggested I go dark...so we went to the market (sorry Mandi) to buy some dye and he colored my hair for me...I LOVED IT! It eventually started fading, so we did it again, this time we picked out a darker color...and I LOVED IT EVEN MORE!! And better yet, so did Mike. Here are some pics of the new hair color and a few of us having fun while we packed for California. We hardly take pictures anymore, so we decided to have some fun....well we thoug ht it was fun anyway...;)

Christmas at the Dexter's

2010-01-06T01:38:00.000-08:00

I have a lot to blog about, so I will start with our fun Christmas in Springville. Mike was on call Christmas day and I was scheduled to work Christmas night, but I got called off. So, needless to say, we were able to spend our first Christmas together, just the 2 of us. We were bummed we could not be with our families, but it was SO nice spending time alone....here are the pics of Christmas at the Dexter's:

Visit with My Mama and Wes....

2009-12-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

This last week, I got to spend a lot of time with my favorite woman in the world! MY MOM!!!! She arrived here on the 9th and left on the 14th. We had so much fun while she was here and lots of good talks. The last day she was here, we went up to see Wes. We both were looking forward to it, but we also knew it would be emotional. When we first got up there the whole cemetery was covered in about 7 inches of snow. We had an idea of where he was, but didn't know exactly where it was at. I go up there quite often and didn't think it would be that hard to find it...BOY WAS I WRONG! We did not bring shovels, but I had 2 window scrapers so we used those. We dug for a while and came across a couple headstones, but not his. We both said, "OKAY WES! Help us out a little!" The next one I came across was his. I was so excited. I started cleaning off the snow and I found a penny sitting next to his picture. My mom and I were so happy! We had a good visit while we were up there. It is ABSOLUTELY gorgeous up there. We brought a plastic bag to put over his headstone, so it would be easier to find and so it would be easier to get the snow off of it. We also built a little wall around it to hold the bag down. My mom brought up a giant candy cane to put next to his grave site. When we were about to leave we threw a few pennies on it. Here are a few pictures of our adventure...

So..yeah, I am not REALLY a lumberjack, but....

2009-12-10T12:38:00.001-08:00

So, we went down to Salina last weekend to visit Mike's mom, sister Rachelle and niece Gabie and Jeanette (one of his other sister's) came with us. It was SO fun to be able to spend time with the family. I love his family SO much and am so blessed to have such incredible in laws. Anyways, one of the reasons for going was to cut down some trees for firewood and to get ourselves a Christmas tree. I had never done such a thing before and it was SO SO FUN!!! I used Mike's chainsaw and he taught me how to cut down trees and Jeanette and I learned how to sharpen the chainsaw. Thanks Andrew for calling me butch. You are just jealous that you have never done it. =) jk. Well, it was a lot of hard work, but we were able to fill 2 trucks full of wood and get our tree!!! I hope this becomes a tradition for years to come. I am so thankful for Mike and all the opportunities he has given me. I have learned so much from him and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband! I love you sweetheart.

I am a lumberjack!!! Well, my husband is...=

2009-12-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

Randomness...

2009-11-19T13:25:00.001-08:00

I have not posted pictures in a while, so I thought I would just post a few from the passed few months...OK...so I apparently I haven't uploaded the newer ones from my camera, so ya'll will just have to live with these for now. Love you all!

Long time, no blog...

2009-10-01T14:25:00.001-07:00

Alright...I am sorry to my 3 readers! I have totally been slacking in the blog department! So many wonderful things have happened this passed month. Here's to name a few: I had the opportunity to marry the most INCREDIBLE man! I had the chance to spend time with my family and best friend the week before the wedding and I have gained a WONDERFUL new family! Life is pretty incredible right now and I have SO much to be thankful for. The ONLY thing I have to complain about is not being able to see my husband on a regular basis. We are not even living together yet! IT SUCKS BIG TIME!!! Luckily, one of my SPECTACULAR friend, Tracey, is always willing to have a sleep over when I am in Orem and Mike is in Grantsville. I am not sure why I am posting today, but I just am SO happy and love my life! If you are down or having a bad day, just STOP being sad and remember to count your blessings!

Fun stuff...

2009-07-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

Our weekend in Orem...

2009-05-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

we had a happy playful weekend. we hope we continue to have these for many years to come. I got to teach shay some fishing techniques, and she showed me how to drive a golf ball. she made me the most wonderful fish tacos. finally I don't have to put up with my own bad cooking. It looks like the future is bright for both of us. -Mike-

Well, I was not expecting him to come out until Friday morning. I got a text from him in the early evening that said he was off!!! I was SO happy! He was nice enough to drive all the way out here Thursday night. So, Thursday night we went to the hospital so he could meet my co-workers. I was actually more nervous about him meeting them (and by them I mean Dirty South). He taught some of them how to start IV's...and Leigh Ann questioned him about everything....like I knew he would, he passed with flying colors. They all were very impressed with him and liked him so much! (but what's not to like?) So, Friday morning we woke up and headed to Riverwoods Urgent Care to meet my other co-workers. Again, they were all impressed and loved him. They are all so happy for us. It is nice to have the opportunity to work with such amazing people who care so much about me. After RUC we went to the driving range. Mike got to use my pretty pink driver. He actually preferred my pink one over the black boy one that was given to him. After the driving range we went to the market and got stuff to make dinner. We came back home and had lunch, watched Transformers (I fell asleep) and then we went to Deer Creek Resevoir and went fishing. I had not been fishing in like 15 years. It was SO fun! Mike taught me so much. There were so many fish out there! We didn't catch anything...=( well, we did catch some weeds!!! Does that count? We also had a rock skipping contest. Guess who won? Well, let's just say it wasn't Mike. =) He thinks it's because he gave me "the perfect rock" (we will let him think that) We came home after fishing and cooked. I LOVE to cook for people. I was SO nervous...it was my first time cooking for him. Now, it is Saturday and I have to go to work in 5 hours...=( Our weekend is coming to an end, but it was SO FUN! WAIT....it's not over yet! We are going to have sushi with Paige and Mike. So that will be fun. OK...enjoy they pictures....

uS...

2009-05-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

...there we were, talking, lying on the couch and just enjoying each others company....

Me: "You're the best"
Him: "Because I have the best"

...I can get use to this...

2009-04-30T11:13:00.001-07:00

Life is great!

I don't even know where to begin...

2009-04-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have not blogged in over 2 months!!! For my 2 readers, I apologize. =) Hmmm...well, I have just been working ridiculous hours. I have been on a couple dates in the passed 2 months though. I am very impressed with one guy in particular. His name is Mike. We have gone out 3 times, and they have all been so WONDERFUL! I have never been treated better. I am looking forward to seeing him again when I get back to Utah. Right now I am in Cali visiting my family. There is nothing better than being with family. We have so many plans while I am out here, I hope we are able to do all of them. The most important thing is that I get my Light and Healthy sushi fix while I am out here. HAHA jk. Ok maybe I'm not kidding.

MANDI!!!

2009-02-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

20 tHiNgS i LoVe AbOuT mY bEsT fRiEnD!!!

1. She is the most obedient woman I know and has set an incredible example for me.

2. She is beautiful inside and out.

3. She is not only my best friend, but a part of my family.

4. I love how her husband is just as supportive as she is.

5. She is always there not just for me, but for ANYONE in my family. She and Derek drove from California to Utah as soon as she found out about Wes' passing.

6. I love her hair in the morning. It's just as bad as mine if not worse.

7. I love how her family is my family.

8. She is also a hard core LA fan...GO LAKERS AND DODGERS!!!

9. When we were younger she would always lie on the couch across from either Curtis or Wes and "gaze" at them. They would catch her doing it and say, "Mandi, STOP GAZING!" LOL

10. She is very compassionate and understanding.

11. She is EXTREMELY thoughtful!

12. She is an incredible stylist and she is very passionate about her career.

13. I love how we had the SAME routine for the 4th of July for like 20 years and it never got old.

14. When we were teenagers we use to talk about our lives and how I was going to marry Sam and she would marry Wes and that way we could be sisters forever.

15. My mom use to babysit Mandi and Sam and Dirty Dancing was our favorite movie to watch.

16. When she would come over when we were about 2 and 4 we would swim in the horse trough and then come inside and eat spagetti.

17. My favorite New Years was when we hung out with "the boys" and broke into the jr. high and played basketball until like 4 in the morning, but first Curtis did doughnuts in the dirt lot next to the school and he got pulled over. HAHA

18. Curtis was getting his hair cut and Mandi and I were in the Amigo listening to Savage Garden and eating ice cream from the Acton Market and Mandi dropped her ice cream on the carpet of Curtis' car.

19. When I told her I was getting a divorce, she showed me NOTHING but love and support and understanding.

20. Mandi, I have no doubt that we were best friends before we came to Earth and I know we will be friends even after this life. You are without a doubt the most amazing woman I know. I love you and am so blessed to have you as MY BEST FRIEND!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

SHAY'D

2009-02-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

So, for some reason the girls at the hospital started calling me Shay'D. Actually, it was Leigh Ann that started it and it just kinda stuck.

Last weekend I went with Julie to St. George to go see a former patient of ours. When we were out there we went to the outlets and I found this shirt. I could not believe it! I really had no choice but to buy it.

Tony!

2008-11-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

Most of you know I work at Utah Valley Regional Hospital in the Neuro Trauma Rehabilitaion Unit. I absolutely love it. I love the people I work with, the patients and their families. About a month after I started we got a new admit. I was so scared! He came in with a trach, feeding tube, he was on a vent to help him breathe and he was not able to move his body...not even facial expressions. I was afraid of taking care of him because I had never seen someone in that condition before. Well, 4 1/2 months later he is able to go home! He is off the vent, he can eat, talk and move. He can even stand up. This man amazes me beyond belief. His wife is absolutely incredible. I love both of them so much. Here are a few pictures we took his last week on our unit. His wife has been blogging since he was hospitalized. On his site, it tells his story. There are also videos of his progress. After looking at his blog and watching the videos you will know why I love my job. There are also pictures of him and his family before his stroke. I saw those for the first time tonight and it broke my heart. Please just take a few minutes to read his story, look at his pitctures and watch his videos. They really are truly inspiring. His website is TLMackey5.spaces.live.com

Next...HALLOWEEN

2008-11-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

I miss the days when my family would go to my Grandma Sue's house and she would have dinner for us and then we would go trick or treating and then come home and trade our candy with one another. My favorite part of Halloween is dressing up. This year at the urgent care I decided to dress up like Steve, he is one of the P.A's. When he first saw me, he thought I was dressed up as a nerd...I told him I was suppose to be him and he laughed. I am glad he has a good sense of humor. We had a great day. My office manager, who is the best office manager EVER!!! dressed up as me!!! It was so cute...This was not actually on Halloween, it was the day before. Steve only works on Thursdays so I had to dress up a day early.

On Friday, I worked at the urgent care again and I didn't dress up. I wore my AWESOME Laker scrubs. Dr. Hooker (one of the owners) came in to say hello. He surprised all of us with his sweet hair do. He was not a fan of my scrubs though.

I have a lot of catching up to do...

2008-11-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

So, I have not blogged about my "Girls night out" or Halloween yet. I also have a video that needs posting. I will start with my GNO. A few of the girls from the hospital go out about once a month just to chill. The first time they went out I was not able to make it, but this last time I was...it was SO much fun! Here are some pics...

What's the point?

2008-11-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

SO...I am at work right now and it is 4:46 am. My shift will be over in about 2 hours. I am beyond tired. Usually 12 hour shifts don't bother me, but today (or last night) I had to work at the urgent care from 9:30-5:15 and then come straight to the hospital. Oh well...it really is not that bad so I don't know why I am complaining. Anyways, I wanted to post a picture, but since I am at the hospital I don't have any of my own pics so I got this one of Kobe. There really is no point to this blog, I am just trying to waste time so I can go home and sleep. I have the entire weekend off!!! How sweet is that?? Any ideas on what I should do? Well, I guess I will go check on my patients again. I love all of you that take the time out of your day to read my blog. Tracey and I made a video, so I will post it as soon as I get internet.

Peace out!!!

SLEEP DEPRIVED!

2008-10-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

I am spent! 35 hours of no sleep...going on 22 hours of work straight. I am somewhat delirious, but it kinda feels good. I took this picture last night when I was at the hospital. =)

Rachel's Tag

2008-10-18T23:30:00.000-07:00

8 Favorite TV Shows

Friends

American Idol

Take Home Chef

Laker games

That's about it. =)

8 Things I Did Yesterday

Went to the driving range

Ate

Slept

Talked to my mom

Shower

Watched Friends

Put more songs on my Ipod

Hooked up my internet.

8 Things I Look Forward To

Seeing my family

Going camping

Starting a new ward

Meeting new people

Being completely unpacked

Going back to school

Work

8 Favorite Restaurants

Light and Healthy

Claim Jumpers

Cheesecake Factory

Cafe Rio

Thai Cafe

In-N-Out

Rattlers

Tucanos...(most of these are in Cali) =(

8 Things on my Wishlist

Not having financial stress

Meeting a nice guy that will respect me

My family living close together

Being a mom...after marriage of course. =)

Go back to school

Own my own home

Learning how to box

Getting in shape

RUC

2008-10-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

I am at the RUC today and I had a sec so I thought I would take a picture and post it just for fun.

It's been a while

2008-10-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have not posted in a while, so I thought I would. I don't have any pictures to post at the moment, but give me a couple days and they will be up. I am officially moved out of my little "compartment". My mom calls it that because it's so small. I have lived on my own long enough. It was nice being alone for a while, but then I started to become very lonely and sad at times. I am really excited to have Jessica for a roommate. She is a wonderful girl, and I think we will do very well living together. When everything is moved in I will take pics and post them. Until then....be happy and remember who you are and who you stand for.

My sister, My roomie and me!

2008-09-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

It was a little after 10 pm and we decided to make a dance video after all the patients went home. The 3 of us are always laughing and having a good time. I am SO excited for JEss to me my roommate. I have never had one before! =)

Mandi

2008-09-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

First of all I would like to say, thank you! I can't remember a time in my life that you were not there for me. From my our big brothers making us cry when were 2 and 3 to putting your life on hold the day you found out Wes passed away, and everything in between that. Not very many people are as lucky as me to have such an incredible and eternal friendship like the one I have with you. Not only are you supportive of me, you are supportive of every single person in my family. I am so incredibley happy for you that you married Derek. There is no greater blessing than to be sealed to your best friend. I love the fact that he is so supportive of you and that he stands by your side. When I called you about Wes, I was not sure you were going to be able to come to Utah...when you came and Derek was with you I was so happy, but not surprised. Like I said before, I cannot remember a time that you were not there for me. I love you Mandi and I am so blessed to have you in my life. You are not only my best friend, you are my family. I know our friendship did not start here on Earth and it won't end here. And Derek, thank you for being such an amazing husband to my best friend.

2008-09-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

2008-09-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

Remembering 9/11/2001

2008-09-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

I just want to start out by saying that I am so thankful to be living in America and that I love this country! I have a lot of pride when it comes to the U.S. September 11, 2001 was a moment in history that changed my life. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing the morning it happened. I cannot believe it has been 7 years.

I guess I am writing this to thank the troops for fighting for our country. It is amazing to me how so many men and women willingly risk their lives to protect me! I have an incredible amount of respect for all of you and again I thank you! May God bless all of you and your families.

2008-08-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here are the ones of Paige and I hugging Wes. Bella came with us too!

2008-08-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

First of all I must say I am quite proud of myself for blogging so much lately. =) So, I was having Starbucks with Chad the other day, and Paige called. She asked if we wanted to go up to Wes' gravesight. (which was cool because I was planning on going up there anyways) So, we met up there and it was absolutely perfect! It use to be hard for me to go up there, but this time I felt at peace. Who knows, maybe next time I will ball like a big baby. =) We took some pictures of us hugging Wes and lying next to him. Thanks Paige and Chad for a perfect day. I love you both so much.

2008-08-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

WELL Well well...5 of us girls were suppose to have a "girls night" out. It ended up being just 2 of us. We had a lot of fun though!!! Just see for yourself...

2008-08-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

So, I have not posted anything since memorial day and quite a bit has happened. My life has changed drastically in the passed few months and I could not be happier with it. I have 2 incredible jobs, amazing friends and well, we all know how I feel about my family.

I went to Hawaii for the first time and it was absolutely beautiful. I have lots of pics, but I will only post a few of my favorites.

So, I am sure you are all wondering about the whole divorce thing and dating scene. My divorce was finalized on April 29th!!! Since then, I have gone on a few dates. It is SO weird. I don't mind feeling cared about though. It is a nice change to have someone take me out instead of the other way around. I guess chivalry is not dead yet. I am not dating anyone seriously, I don't think I will be for a while. Let's just say I have committment and trust issues. I am sure you can figure out why. =)

Well, I better get going. I have a few things to do before I go back to work tomorrow.

Pictures from Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know how to make my posts look cute and make the words match up to where the pictures are, so I am going to write first and then post the pics.

Today, I did a whole lot of nothing until Paige called and we decided to go to see Wes. When I first drove up all I saw was flags and flowers. It was an incredible sight. The cemetery was full of families showing their loved ones they still care. Just seeing that brought tears to my eyes.

Now that we know the exact spot of Wesley's resting place it was a little harder to go up there. Ok, actually a lot harder. Paige and I took pictures by Wes. We turned around to see the amazing view and the sun was beaming through the clouds. Paige told me that that is what she saw in the sky on her way to the hospital the morning Wes passed away. We decided to take some pictures of us walking towards him.

Wesley's Graduation

2008-05-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

This passed weekend was PERFECT. A lot of exciting things happended and lots of emotions were involved. If you want to see pictures and hear about our weekend take a loot at Rachel's blog. She worded everything better than I ever could. Thanks Rach. www.arjanderson.blogspot.com

2008-04-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

So, for the passed 2 days or so I have had a very strong feeling to go te Wes' final resting place. After debating with myself as to whether or not I was strong enough to go alone, I lost the battle and went. I worked until 4 and so I went home and worked on dishes and stuff and I kept thinking about it. Right then, Paige called. I talked to her about it, and she encouraged me to go. I put on Wesley's sweatshirt and pants that I borrowed when we went tumbling. On my way, I put in a CD that I hadn't listened to in a while. I put it on #3 and it was a song about having a big heart and serving others. Naturally I started crying like a big baby. I finally get there and I sat down next to where I THOUGHT he was. None of us really know the exact spot where he was burried but we all kinda guess. I lost all control of my emotions and just sat there and cried. It felt really good, but it was extremely hard. I talked to him for a few minutes which was nice. I know he was listening because I felt him there. I feel blessed to live so close to him. After a while of chatting with him and cying I left. I went to Target to get some things and I saw Mikey, Wes' good friend and Manager at Mimi's. We talked for a minute and that made me cry. I start looking around and a Target employee comes up to me and asks if I am finding everything ok. I look up at him and glanced at his name tag and his name was Wes. So, AGAIN I cried. I am such a cry baby! That is ok though. Well, that was my night. I took some pics of me and the view. My eyes are all red but it's all good. =)

Back in Utah...

2008-04-03T21:35:00.001-07:00

So, now that I am back in the swing of things here in Provo, I thought I would take some pics of my life the passed couple days. I was looking outside today right after the sun went down, and it was so beautiful. The picture does not do the view justice. I wish you could all see how incredible it is up here. The other pics are just of me being a nerd. One wsa taken today when I was at my computer. I promised Rachel I would post tonight and so I thought I would take a pic of me posting! =) The other one I took last night. I was so unbelievably tired. It was almost midnight, I had just got done studying and I still had to make a cake for Marcia's birthday. I could have bought a cake, but I have no money and I think it means more when you make it yourself. Besides, I LOVE to cook and bake! =)

Next is Easter in Acton

2008-04-03T21:29:00.001-07:00

I was pretty sick when I was in Cali so unfortunately I was not able to hold Ryan Wesley...actually the last night I was there I held him for a quick minute. He is SO perfect. I also spent time with Ivan, Mya, Zoe and Jackson. They have all grown up SO much. On Saturday Curtis and Tristan invited all of us over to have a traditional Irish meal. I had never had corned beef and cabbage before and I must say it was mmmmmm...nummers...haha =)

so it's been a while...

2008-04-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

I guess I should back up a little bit. I have lots of pics to post and quite a few things to say. First of all, I would like to start by talking about Easter. I had such an incredible time in Cali with my family. Coming back to Utah was extremely hard, I even cried a little...ok so I cried like a baby with a dirty diaper. =) The first couple pics are of me in the car at about 3 a.m. We were about an hour from Acton and I could not sleep!

2008-02-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

So, my mom, sister and her wonderful kids are out visiting for the week. We were at Albertson's getting a movie at the RedBox. There was a yellow M&M display. Zoe was playing and sticking her head in it and messing around. My mom told her several times to stop or else her head would get stuck. She had her head inside of it and Tori told her to get her head out. She tried to pull it out and said, "I CAN'T" She started freaking out. While Tori was struggling to get her head out of the giant yellow M&M my mom and I could not help but laugh. I had to take a picture to capture the moment. It took Tori about 10 minutes to free Zoe.

2008-02-14T01:26:00.000-08:00

Since tomorrow is Valentines Day, I decided to make a little something for the wonderful people at work. I hope they enjoy it. It is almost 3 am and I just finished. It really didnt take me that long, I just got home late. Paige and I had an INCREDIBLE massage. Shilo is amazing. Well, I am bored so I took pics of what I made and decided to post them. =) I think Rachel will get the most enjoyment out of these.

Takin out the trash

2008-02-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

So, I was about ot go to the market, and noticed my trash was full...so I cleaned out my refer and took out the garbage. As I was walking, I look to the right of me and notice the incredible view. It kinda took my breath away. I dont really realize how beautiful it is up here. So, I thought I would try to capture the moment.

2008-02-04T20:07:00.000-08:00

So, I finished going through the boxes at my apartment, and I actually felt like cleaning! So that is exactly what I did. Rachel asked me to post pics when I had a chance so I did that too! So, ya'll better comment! =) Love you all.

Pic 1 is one of the walls in the living room. My dad painted the signs and my mom put up the pics! Thanks guys I love you! =)

Pic2 is my bedroom. It is so clean and open! Thanks again mom and dad. The 3 of us actually made the headboard. What do you think?

Pic 3 is the pic that Ivan painted. I absoulutely love it. He made me buy it though...5 bucks well spent! Thanks Ivan I love and miss you buddy.

Pic 4 is a shot of the living room. Lots of pics and things to look at.

Pic 5 is also the living room. As you can see I was watching Love and Basketball. One of my favorites. =)

Last Night

2008-02-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to Olive Garden with my parents, Paige, her parents and J. It was wonderful. We got their at 6:30 and it was 10:00 when we left. We had great conversation. After dinner, we all went our seperate ways. As my parents and I were walking to my apartment we saw a deer to the Left of us in the distance. We look to the right and their are 5 more about 7 feet away from us. They all looked at us! It was kinda scary. Well, I just thought I would share that with you all. Next time I will try to take a picture. I hope you all hava a fabulous weekend.

Rachel, you should be proud...this is 2 days in a row of blogging for me! =)

Good Morning!

2008-01-31T09:14:00.001-08:00

Today I woke up feeling great! Thanks to my wonderful parents my apartment is looking SO cute! I am sad they are leaving in 2 days, but I will see them again soon. I haven't posted any pics of my apartment or the view or anything yet, so I decided today would be a great day to do it. The weather has been horrible. Today is sunny...FREEZING, but atleast the sun is out. Well, here is the view from my apartment.! Soon, I'll take pics of the inside, but it is not quite done yet. Love you all!

Out of Sight Out of Mind

2008-01-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I am officially living on my own. For the passed 2-3 weeks Kioa has been living with me, but he would leave for days at a time and would never know where he was or when he was coming home. When he was not at the house with me, it was hard the first night, but then I was ok. As soon as I started enjoying being by myself and was ok with it, he would come home. I was not going to live like this for 3 months. So, this weekend we packed up all his stuff and now he is living with one of his cousins in Salt Lake. Last night was the first night he was "officially" moved out. It was hard, a lot of tears and sadness, but I was able to get SOME sleep, and today I feel ok. It seems like whenever I am with him, I cry and it is hard, but when he is "out of sight" I am ok and can deal with it. Any words of wisdom for me? Anything that will make this easier? I know it will get easier with time and I know I made the right choice, but it is just hard. Well, I better get back to work, but I am looking forward to my future!

Love you all, and have a wonderful week!

2008-01-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a while so I thought I would write a little something for everyone. Right now I am at work. It is a pretty slow day. I have had such an emotionally draining week and I am hoping it gets better. Lately I haven't been able to sleep. Last night I actually got a little sleep which was SO nice! I am trying to train myself to sleep alone again. It is so hard to sleep alone when you are use to sleeping with someone every night. Sleeping alone gives me time to think at night in bed. I don't like that. The only things I can think about are the day Wes passed away and the divorce. It SUCKS! Thinking about those things makes me sad and scared and then I really can't fall asleep. Anyways, sorry to complain to all of you that read this (RACHEL) but I gotta let it out. Hopefully I will have a camera soon so I can put some pics up.

Chirstmas in Acton 2007

2007-12-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

So, this year has been full of unfortunate events, which I am sure you are all aware of. Because of everything that has happened we have all had to travel quite a bit and we all came to realize that we didn't have a lot of money to spend on gifts. So, I got a call from Rachel a couple months back and she said that she was talking to Tori and they came up with a great idea. Instead of everyone buying gifts and spending a lot of money, they decided that we could all make games. Originally we were going to do the "couple" thing. Well, that didn't happen with Kioa having to stay home and work and well we all know about Wes. Last night was the first night all of the kids were able to get together. We started with the game Paige thought of. It was called The Name Game. It was really fun, but I came to realize I don't have a great memory. Curtis ended up winning. Next we played Twisted Twister. Tori and Chris made it up. It was SO FUN! They made their own Twister pad. It was big enough for all the Anderson's to play. (That tells you how big it had to be) =) HAHA. Sean and I were the last 2 on the mat. I should have won, but I didn't, but only because my foot moved and it was not on a dot. I would like a rematch. =) After that we played the game Curtis and Tristan made. It was fun and we all realized we don't know as much about each other as we thought we did. The winners of that were Paige and my mom. Well done ladies! The last game we played was Andrew and Rachel's version of Truth or Dare. I won't get into details but let's just say we had to drink some pretty NASTY things and there was a lot of dancing involved. I WON! I deserved it though. I had to drink 3 horrible tasting things and I had to dance. I must say that was one of the best Christmas' we have had. I absolutely LOVE being with my family. It is the best feeling. When I am with them, I don't have a care in the world and I feel so comfortable and at ease.

2007-09-14T00:45:00.001-07:00

Great job Wes!

2007-09-14T00:42:00.001-07:00

We are exhausted from working on the house. The 4 of us have been there until midnight or later every night this week. It is coming along great and it is looking awesome.

2007-04-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

One if the nurses I work with is also a fireman and he went to a call the other day. This guy was holding a roman candle (that is a firework) and blew his hand off. Crazy huh? The pic is not that clear so I will try to e-mail it to you so you can see it better. Pretty awesome.

2007-04-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone (Rachel) I thought I would put this pic on here. I don't have any recent pictures and Tori sent this one today. It scared the crap out of me. Well, I hope everything is going well for all of you (Rachel). Ok love you all (Rachel) and I can't wait to hear from you...Rachel.

I got a new job!...again...

2007-03-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

So, I quit the chiropractic office. To make a long story short, the doctor (if you can even call him that) is an idiot, the owners of the company were money hungry and worst of all, no one cared about the patients. =(

Before we left for Cali, Paige and I went to the temple. Before we left, I was waiting for Paige, so I got on my knees and asked Him what he wanted me to do with my life. (school, work be a mom??? etc...) literally the second I finished that sentence, the phone rang. When I finished my prayer I checked the voicemail, and it was Riverwoods Urgent Care wanting me to come in for an interview. I was so happy! I went and the interview went really well. So, we went to Cali kinda forgot about the job. I came home and I just figured it was not for me. Just out of curiosity, I called them to see why they didn't call. They said they were still doing interviews and they were doing call backs later this week. I got a call this morning and it was Riverwoods Urgent Care! They told me they had a lot of interviews and there were a lot of people with experience. (I thought they hired someone else at this point) She then said out of all the people they spoke to, they liked my personality the most and said I would fit in best with the people their. She offered me job and I gladly accepted. I start Monday. The best thing about it is I don't start until 11:00. Just perfect for me! =)

2007-03-05T21:04:00.001-08:00

Six Things That Make Me Happy1- My wonderful husba...
Six Things That Make Me Happy1- My wonderful husband, Kioa.2- Sushi - especially White Fish!!! 3- My Family...I miss you guys!.4- My friends.5- Watching Friends, only the best show ever!!!.6- For all those who know me, you may think this is not "Anderson Like" but I just started reading and I love it!!.Six Strange Things About Me1- I iron my money and it has to be all facing the same way and perfectly straight.2- The volume in my car or anywhere has to be an even number, if it is not, I will think about it all day or until it is fixed!. 3- If I hit my hand on something, I have to go back and do the same EXACT thing to the other so it feels the same.4- I have to be covered completely in order to fall asleep, even if my toe is uncovered I won't be able to sleep.5- I hate shopping. Yes, a woman that HATES to shop. I like to have a list go in, get it and be out!6- I love lemon, I put lemons on EVERYTHING!!!

2007-01-31T16:47:00.000-08:00

I started my new job last Thursday!! I absolutely love it...so far. The office is new so it is a little slow...ok so it is WAY slow, but it is fun. The people I work with are so nice. I am looking forward to getting to know the patients. I am still working at Mimi's Cafe on Friday and Saturday. Kioa is doing really well, he is a little under the weather this week, but hopefully he will be feeling better soon. Well, that is it for me for the moment. I'll be on again tonight, so I better have some comments....RACHEL!!! =)

2007-01-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, I can't do anything tonight. I got some yogurt, and it's the kind with the fruit on the bottom. It looks like I will be in for the night. Sorry 'bout that.

2007-01-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a pic of Kioa and his brother. I have some of my family so I thought Kioa needed some of his. I can't believe this picture was taken 7 months ago. Where does the time go?

2007-01-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

So I had my first interview today. It went really well...I think. If I do get this job I will be working M-TH 8-6. I will be assisting the doctor with x-rays, muscle stimulation and assisting the patients with the machines...oh yeah it is the Maple Ridge Spinal Pain Center. I go back on Monday for another interview with the owners. I am way excited. As for Kioa, he is working hard and going to school. He just applied at a few places. We are doing really well. We miss you all and will see you soon.

2007-01-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

WE HAVE THE INTERNET!!!!! WE ARE SO EXCITED!!! Kioa and I are doing really well out here. We have finally adjusted to the Utah life. We have been going to the gym regularly and working hard to survive. Kioa is now going to school full time and working part time. I am currently working at Mimi's Cafe. I am trying to find a better job. I have a couple interviews this week. We miss you all and hope to see you all soon. Love ya

2006-12-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

Kioa and I having fun in Cali with the family. We miss it out here, but there is nothing better than having our own place, just the 2 of us. Utah is so amazing and we are so happy out there.

2006-12-29T23:42:00.000-08:00

Here are the three of us at Vasquez Rocks back at home. My hair looks a little greasy because I did not shower for 2 days.

Photo Montage - Of Our Past

2006-10-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

Look Out World

2006-10-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

You may learn things here you never wanted to learn!