And we're off!

Yay for a 4 day weekend! Ben, Lisa and Luke, here we come!

7:12 am

This morning I came down and found my mother at the computer with a bowl of something dark looking. She wakes up and walks every morning at 5:30 and she usually eats before I see her so the combination of seeing her eat and not knowing what the dark substance was probed me to ask "what you eating?" to which she replied "ice cream." Having a good laugh she reminded me that she had already eaten her healthy breakfast and that this was her treat.

The woman cracks me up! This is where I inherited the need to have chocolate for breakfast.

Agggghhhhh!

Why...

must people challenge me just to make their own point?

do I have to leave at the end of the night, when really all I want to do it stay?

can't some people just be happy for others?

do I love going all-in while playing Texas Holdem, even when my cards SUCK?

can't I hit a freaking golf ball?

do I love sour cream so much? (this is not really an agggghhhhh but I just want to know the answer:) )

No post tonight!

Cause it's girls night out! Woot Woot!

I want this watch...

But I haven't found a store that sells it in town. Do I order it? I shop on-line all the time but this is a little different because most things I buy on-line are things I have owned before or it doesn't matter the size etc.

I just know that if I end up not liking it then I won't return in in the mail... should I do it? I really like it in the picture!

A good Monday night!

Can a girl really go wrong when the night ends with these two things?!?

Cookies and cream ice cream +


The Korean=



Just another great ending to the day!

Happy Sunday!

It was a great Sunday, as usual, but even more so because of the Gila Valley Temple dedication.

Here are some other things that made me happy today/recently:
The M family came over and the monkey went swimming! He is so stinking cute and I cannot believe that he will be a whole year old in a few weeks.


I saw those ducks again.



My friend Shane's dog had a litter and she is the last one. I wanted to keep her so badly. She was so sweet and just slept the whole time she was over.


This kid cracks me up! I love playing cards with my family... we get a little goofy:)




The weekend was super... I just need to get through this week before my 4 day weekend. I can do it!

The peak formally known as Squaw

Hiked at night= no good pictures

Long, hot day at the pool-wobbly legs

Steep=wobbly legs x2

Reward=orange slurpee after=yum

My least favorite part of being a woman...

... is shaving my legs. I will try to keep this as non-gross as possible but let's consider that this is something I deal with everyday as part of my job. One would think that with all the time I've spent in my swim suit and making sure that I've done my duty of keeping things smooth that I would have this down pat but I don't. The fact that I'm always cold doesn't help but aside from that I never feel like I'm all smoothed out. I get a bit frustrated when I get a "good" razor (aka expensive) and can't seem to get the desired end result. Maybe it's the product I use to shave. I've tried the non-foaming creams and body wash and regular shaving cream but nothing seems to do the trick... any suggestions of fool proof way to get smooth. I'll settle for just a half hour!

A theory

While speaking with a staff member today I felt more like I was being spoken at. This girl would say something and as I attempted to answer her question, she blurted out another. This went on for several minutes resulting in several unanswered questions, a frustrated me and a nearly strangled lifeguard.

So my theory is that all of this digital communication has resulted in a lack or complete absence of good verbal communication. For those of you who have ever chatted on line, you can throw a mess of questions out there and they will be answered eventually but we all know that this does not work as well in real life.


Sigh ... the young ones might not survive. Pray for them.

Today...

I VOTED!




I just hope it keeps me in a job...

Again catch up

Friday night I updated my phone and since then it has been acting strangely... until today so I finally go the pictures that I took this weekend off my phone.

Here is how I started my Saturday:

Yes, that does say 4AM! That is when we (my wardies) met to leave to our church welfare farm...

... were we felt like we were part of some chain gang. Yes, we are digging ditches and I feel buff now:)

Afterwards we had a lovely breakfast. The rest of my day was full of errands and activities. I got to spend the entire day with KB which was fun.
Here's to hoping that my phone is back to normal...I am just glad that I can call people on it now!

She did it!

Like we doubted that she would:)


Today my sister in law (lovingly referred to as sister) graduated from ASU!







Congratulation sister! Well done!


A note on the ceremony: While I was sitting waiting for the ceremony to start at 8AM, I watched the woman sitting next to me, I'd say in her late 40's, pop open a can of chicken noodle soup, pour it in a cup and drink it down. The mere smell of it made me dry heave just a little. I realize that there might be a medical condition that requires eating on a schedule but really, I felt like it was neither the time nor the place nor the choice of food.

I'm looking to strike a deal

Any single mens out there looking to merge?

Today as I looked over the new health benefit prices (thanks to budget cuts) it seems that the "employee only" will have to pay almost four times as much a month where as the "employee and spouse" will only be twice the regular cost. So instead of complaining about this not being fair to the single people, I decided to take advantage.

So, if you're interested, or know someone who might be, please have them submit the following:
1. current cost of medical coverage provided by their employer (if applicable)
2. resume and a few letters of recommendation
3. chocolates to sweeten the deal
Thanks so much!

10 on Tues.day-mother

10 things I learned from my mother-

1. My mother taught me to hold myself responsible for what happens in life.

2. My mother taught me to look for the good in others because "are we not all beggars?"

3. My mother taught me the value of a home cooked meal (on the pocket book and in a family.)

4. My mother taught me that sometimes the only thing you can do is laugh at yourself.

5. My mother taught me that love is shown in more than one way you just have to look for it.

6. My mother taught me that friends will come and go so cherish them when you have them but don't fret when they are the fair weather type, change or disappear, more will come.

7. My mother taught me that doing what everyone else is doing isn't always what is right for you (or me.)

8. My mother taught me humility and patience and how they really don't work without each other.

9. My mother taught me that it is great to do what you love but it sometimes you can't so you learn to love what you do.

10. My mother taught me that serving others not only allows you to forget yourself and your own sorrows but that it brings happiness because as we serve others we serve Heavenly Father.

A long weekend

Dear friends,


I realize that I've been absent since Thursday. Well, that's because I haven't stopped since then. It all started because I went to the midnight showing of Ironman 2 after having worked all day and then having an activity for church. Friday I worked all day also and had a training session that night. Saturday was a fun day where my ward went to the Gila Valley which is about 2 and a half hours away from Chandler.

Here is my friend Jordy picking up some breakfast on our way... gotta love him!


Here is the temple and me attempting to take my picture with it!




I could have done it the way Ginger and Romeo did it...




Again, I love Jordy:)

It was a wonderful trip with my ward... aren't we cute!? (I'm looking for a bigger one)


Sunday was a good mother's day, it just went so quickly.

Back to normal... let's hope!

Finger Nails

All I have to say is that if one wants to clip their finger nails, it is best done:
A) while doing general grooming... usually done in the privacy of one's home/bathroom.
B) by a professional, in a special place for such AKA a nail salon.
C) if worse comes to worse, in the most private place possible ie a dark corner, just outside the door.


AND NEVER:
A) during a professor's lecture in a class of fewer than 15 people, with the trash can secured between your feet to hopefully catch the flying clippings.
B) during any sort of group meeting be it professional, religious or familiar.
C) on a date.


Also, could we get some people a tissue... personally, snot is not my cup of tea and I don't care to know if it is yours because it really only makes me dry heave.

Those who complain but don't contribute...

IN GENERAL...I just wish that those that don't even attempt to state their opinion or contribute to the decision making would keep their disgruntled-ness to themselves. I once read something in a team building type book about how if you want to have a strong team, you need to give everyone a chance to share what they would choose etc. It has helped in almost every situation and even those those that are in the minority, unhappy as they may be about the outcome, are still more willing to support the final decision because they were given a say. If you don't say anything, we cannot help you. I still have yet to figure out mind reading. I also think that it might come from people being unwilling to accept the outcome. If I learned anything from volunteering with kindergartners is this "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit." Taking things as they come has always served much better than not... the end. (This of course does not include severe social injustice, deep moral issues and matters of the heart.)

Soap-boxing

I felt inspired by some dum dum today that called my house to make this weeks posts a daily soap box.

Today's is about phone etiquette. Some guy called my house phone from the bank where my mom keeps track of my grandma's money stuffs. He's called before I'm sure and it seems like they are on a familiar first name basis because when I answered with "hello" he said, "Noelle?"

Me (irritated already): "Nope"
Him (quietly): "Ummm do I have the wrong number"
Me (same): "Nope, you just guessed the wrong person"
Him (catching on): "Is she there"
Me: "Nope"
Him: something about calling her back... blah blah yadda yadda yadda

Seriously, is it so hard to ask for someone by name, even if you know that they will most likely answer the phone?! And it was a land line. For real.

Yes, I might have been short with him and yes, I could have been more helpful and forthcoming with information and yes I know that my mother is the only one who usually answers the phone during the day and I do sound just like her... but I don't care. If you are calling in regards to business on a phone line that is not a personal line for that person, ask for them. It is just polite. Or use a full sentence. "Is Noelle there?" or "May I please speak with Noelle?" I would have even been okay with "is this Noelle?" but I guess I just need to be more patient.

The highlight of my weekend

I was not the happiest camper having to get up Saturday morning to go to work by 6:45 AM so this might have cheered me more than it normally would have but regardless, it brought a smile to my face. The synchronized swim team practices on Saturday mornings and this time every year the team ads a routine to the show that has their dads in it. I walked out of the guard room imagining I would see the normal sized legs sticking out of the water but the hairy, man legs of some of the dads. I was so impressed and intrigued by the sight that I sat and watched... and obviously took a picture. LOVED IT!