Christmas Warmup

Our family Christmasing got started on Sunday this week with a little get together at Grandma and Grandpa Lloyd's house. It was the perfect thing to get us all in the right mood for Christmas coming up this week! Grandma and Grandpa decided they wanted to pass down some of their Christmas traditions to the younger generations, so they gave each of their children and grandchildren an item that they have loved and cherished and has helped them to celebrate Christmas for many years. Jentry and I received a set of beautiful porcelain angels that have adorned Grandma and Grandpa's fireplace mantle for over 10 years!

They are sweet and simple. I really feel like they help bring the peace and joy of the Savior's birth into our home, which is they real gift we have been given! Thank you so much

Grandma and Grandpa Lloyd!

Bottoms Up!

We have all heard that you should never go grocery shopping when you are hungry...only bad things happen then! But what about going grocery shopping when you are thirsty? Well now I can tell you.

Your shopping cart will consist of :

2 16oz. flavored water beverages
4 2L bottles of soda
2 bottles of sparkling cider
1 carton of OJ
1 jug of milk

And you will resist the urge to go for the giant jug of apple juice and go for the laundry detergent instead (don't worry, i did NOT drink the laundry detergent)

Gloomy

Today is an aweful, gray, and gloomy day. I apologize for my pessimism, I really do, but I just can't help it. I had to drive all the way down to Walmart this morning to buy eggs (because we've been out all weekend!) and muffin paper cups (what are those called anyway?). The roads were slushy and the parking lot was even slushier, I got that nasty gray slush all over the bottom of my jeans because they drag on the ground because I am so short. GRRR!

Even though it was 10:00 in the morning Wamart was still a zoo, and I detest crowds. I battled my way around the ginormous supercenter for 45 minutes to find what I needed, then stood in line for another 20 while stray children tried to climb in my cart, and when I finally got to the cash register....I realized...I never grabbed my wallet and put it in my purse!

Shopping attempt: foiled!

Then I drove all the way home grabbed my wallet, went to the Albertsons just up the street and payed 12 dollars more for the same items! The worst part of all of this is that it is raining, and the rain is melting all of the beautiful Christmas snow!
Oh Bother!

Later that day: I have mostly recovered from my earlier pitty party thanks to a papa murphey's Hawaiian pizza now in my fridge, warm fiber-one banana nut muffins, and the fact that the rain has turned to snow again. I apologize for earlier and I hope my gloominess didn't rain on anyone's parade!

Christmas Cookies

All of my life I have watched other people doing cute, creative, and artistic things. I have always coveted their ability, resigning myself to the fact that I was not born with these talents. Recently I have decided that I am going to try and overcome my creative "dis" ability. You can do anything if you put your mind to it right? So I have been poking around websites and magazines, undertaking projects that seem like they wouldn't be too difficult....some of them have turned out alright, while other undertakings have gone slightly awry. Anyway last Monday night one of my Co-workers brought us some Santa Clause Christmas cookies to work. They were absolutely adorable! Now you see, not being able to make really good looking christmas cookies has always been one of my great disapointments in life! I know thats not really the point of making christmas cookies, they're to eat not to look at! Thats what I have always told myselft, but I've always had a secret desire to make christmas cookies that look like they belong on the cover page of the december issue of Better Homes and Gardens! So instead of devouring my santa clause sugar cookie, I spent a few hours studying it and going over possibilites in my mind. I decided that maybe I had a shot, so last night Jentry and I went over to his parent's house (my kitchen is nowhere near suitable for such an undertaking!) to do some baking and docorating. It was a lot of fun, group christmas cookie making has not been a part of my life for a few years and I had forgotten how enjoyable making Chritmas cookies could be, listening to christmas music and having fun with your partners in crime!

I was also VERY SUPRISED and PLEASED with the end product of our endevours!

I told Jentry he could decorate his cookies however he wanted to. He did not take the invitation lightly....he came up with some very interesting creations!

People often ask me if I have any children and my response is always, no, I have a HUSBAND, and that is quite enough! Do you now understand what I mean?

Yay for Christmas cookies and ingenuitive thought!

OH Christmas tree, OH Christmas Tree....

Yay! We finally got our Christmas Tee! Unfortunately this year we were not able to go up in the mountian to cut a tree, but our trip to home depot was ALMOST just as exciting! I found that if I walked in between the tightly packed rows of Christmas trees in the lot (where I wasn't supposed to be) I felt just like i was in a real forest! A very, very orderly forest, where the trees grow in order from smallest to largest and grouped themselves according to type! Anyway, this year Jentry and I decided to go against the stereotype that bigger is better, and we picked the smallest little tree we could find! It was a marvelous idea because we didn't have to worry about tying the tree to the top of our car, we just stuffed it in the trunk! We also didn't have to worry about chopping any of it off to fit through our front door! And it suits us just perfectly :)

Here it is, our petit Christmas tree!

Jentry, is so good to me...he did all the hard stuff like cutting of the bottom branches so we could water the tree and then stringing all the lights on the tree ! (I had attempted the latter, which did not turn out well!!!)

Me and my little Christmas tree! See how cute we are together? I loved it because it was so easy to decorate, no hard to reach spots at all!


The tree turned out to be a beautiful little christmas tree, full of light, to help remind us that Christmas is about light, the light of Christ, and about filling our lives with the light of Christ and Sharing it with others, no matter how big or SMALL we may be

Mountain Bicycle Bobsledding

So last month, I mean clear back in October, when we had our little snowstorm here in the Valley, Jentry and I decided we that we would try our hand at pioneering a new sport...because regular old mountain biking just wasn't exciting enough. Imagine yourself riding your mountain bike down a steep winding bobsled course. Now add large rocks, logs, and hanging trees and imagine that the bobsled course is six miles long! Now THAT sounds exciting!

Ahh, here we are so unsuspecting at the bottom

The Fall Colors were amazing!

It wasn't so bad going up, just a lot of work cause our tires kept slipping in the snow. Here is Jentry at the top.

Our Bikes, looking a little out of place, where are our skiis?

Me, not so happy about all the work...and my feet are wet.

And we start our way down...doesn't look so bad right?

Here is where it gets a little tricky....

Yikes!!!!

The Fall colors still beautiful, however I did not get to enjoy them very much because I was concentrating too hard on not riding my bike of the side of the mountain!

Whew! Here we are, somehow safely at the bottome!

First 4Runner adventure

Last Sunday Jentry and I took a little drive up Farmington Canyon. It was our first offroading adventure in the 4Runner and it was a breathtakingly beautiful evening!

2&0 GO UTES!

Last Saturday our beloved Utes pick up their second win of the season. The week before they pulled off a huge upset by beating Michigan in Annarbor by 2 points! Those boys do know how to make things exciting! I was a little nervous as we headed to the game on saturday evening, because even thought they always show up to play for big games, sometimes I think they forget how to play agianst teams who aren't as good as they are. My anxiety heightened during the first quarter because the unlv rebels scored on the first drive, and although the Utes were able to match the rebels score for score, they were NOT playing like themselves at all! The first half ended tied 14-14. Well someone must have delivered an outstanding pep talk in the locker room because the boys came out to play in the second half and never looked back. We yelled, screamed, whooped, and hollered our way through the rest of the game, with the friendly, obnoxious, drunk we were so priviliged to be sitting next to. The game ended with grins, hugs, and lots of high fives for all! The Utes picked up their second win 42-21 against the Rebels. We all got to celebrate after with fireworks, slurpees, pizza and the office, we couldn't have asked for a better night! The Utes are now ranked 22 in the nation, its the first time they have been nationally ranked since their outstanding 2004 BCS busting season.

Dave, Matt, Jentry, and Megan. We had a pretty lively little cheering section up there in row 41!

Me and my baby....AWe...PReciOUs!

The boys coming out to warm up after an inspiring Halftime pep talk

The band once again dazzling us with their talent, how do they march around and play their instrument in those ridiculous outfits?

The 3 things Heidi Loves more than the Olympics

Jentry was QUITE offended that in my last post I ranted and raved about how much I love the Olympics and that I said I loved Micheal Phelps, Shawn Johnson, Nastia Luiken, Misty May and Kerri Walsh. But if you read closely I wrote, "there is ALMOST nothing I love more than watching the Olympics," (emphasis added) and that is because there is ONE thing I love more than the Olympics. Well actually 3 things now that I think about it.

#1-Jentry, my Husband and the love of my life! I love him more than anything else in the WHOLE WORLD! Even more than cookie dough ice cream and the Olympics, together, and that is saying something! With Jentry it is never a dull moment he has a great sense of humor and a sense of adventure that matches it. He is smart, but not egotistical (okay maybe just a little, but not too much). He is layed back about most things, but very motivated about school and personal achievment. He is handsome and can be romantic, but is still a little bit nerdy which I find VERY attractive! He is the friendliest and most personable person I have ever met. He loves the outdoors and being active, just like me! It is the most wonderful thing that we can share the things we love to do most TOGETHER like hiking, running, camping, biking, rock-climbing, etc. etc. He is always there to support me and he always pushes me reach my goals and keep achieving. He is all boy, he loves motorcycles, cars, tools, sports, and being dirty and hates everything that could be considered girly, but somewhere under his hard shell of manliness and masculinity I know he has feelings and emotions! Pretty much, all in all, he is my BEST FREIND







#2 - My FAMILY. My family is the best and coolest family there ever was! They have loved and supported me for 21 years now. I know it hasn't always been easy but they have stuck with me through thick and thin! They have done more for me than I could ever thank them for. As a family, we do some pretty awsome things like taking trips to Alask, the San Juan islands, the boundry waters, mesa verde, the Grand Canyon, and way more places than I could name. We love to go skiing, hiking, boating, canoeing, mtn. biking, and pretty much anything that is narly and adventerous! Oh and for any of you who are wondering all my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins are also included, cause they are pretty awesome too!







#3 - My FRIENDS. There is a quote that says, "there are many people who will walk in and out of your life, but friends are the ones who will leave footprints on your heart." There many sets of footprints that have been left on my heart. There have been so many people who have been wonderful examples to me, who have supported me through my trials, and who have helped me become the person that I am. There have been to many to name them all, but if you are reading this then know you are probably one of them, and know that I love you and that I am greatful for your friendship.










Okay so that turned out to be a lot more mushy gushy than I planned, but know you know, there ARE a FEW things I do love more than the Olympics!

2008 Bejiing Olympics

For the last week and a half my life has revolved around the event I have waited for ALL summer -- The OLYMPICS! Lets face it, there is just about nothing I love more than the olympics.

I LOVE Micheal Phelps. I loved every minute of watching him win 8 gold medals.

I LOVE Shawn Johnson and Nastia Lukien. I have loved watching them compete and win medals in the team, all-around, and individual competitions.

But mostly, I LOVE MISTY MAY and KERRI WALSH and I am going to enjoy every minute of watching them win a Gold Medal tonight in their final match!

Go USA!

Sweet Summer

Wow, its August 19 already! Summer has come and in such a flash! Here is a quick (or not so quick) update of what Jentry and I have been up to this summer!


June bagan with turning in Jentry's medical school application to AMCAS. He decided to apply to 11 schools: the University of Utah, Drexel University (philidelphia), Albert Einstien University (New York), Medical College of Wisconsin, Ohio State University, Tulane (New Orleans), Meharry Medical College (Nashville), Medical College of New York, St. Louis University, Rush (Chicago), and Creighton University, Nebraska.

I started work as an RN (with a temporary liscence) at Huntsman in the Special Care Unit on June 6 and have been loving it ever since!

At the end of June Jentry and I, with 10 other teamates, ran the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay. The race begins in Logan and ends in PC each of the 12 team members runs 3 legs that are between 3 and 8 miles. The race hot, grueling, and totally fantastically awesome!

Over the 4th of July Jentry and some of his friends from work went to Zion National Park on a canyoneering trip. They had lots of fun doing Keyhole canyon and the famous Subway. Unfortunately I was unable to join them because of my work schedule. But I was able to make it up to Henefer to join in the festivities with some friends there! It was a blast!



Mid-July Jentry and I were both able to take some time off work and go to Jackson Hole for a week with his family. We got to stay in a luxurious cabin tucked nestled right up against the Targhee National forest. We did plenty of Hiking, biking, and motorcycling. The highlight of the trip for me was the day Jentry and I spent in Grand Teton National Park hiking up to solitude lake. It was one of the most beautiful and amazing hikes I have EVER been on!





They day after we arrived home from Jackson, I sat to take the NCLEX (nursing boards). It was totally terrifying! A few days later I recieved word that I had passed. Hooray! Now I am a real nurse with a liscence!



At the end of July Jentry and I finally got what we have been dreaming of - A barbeque Grill! It is not much to look at, but it makes some mean burgers! Now we are able to have friends over for backyard BBQ's!




We also made another addition to our household, a green susuki 250 motorcylce. Once again, not much to look at, but gets 90 miles to the gallon and has been a lot of fun! Don't worry, we wear our helmets!






On August 3, Jentry and I celbrated our 1 year anniversary! Time has flown by so fast! To celebrate the occasion we drove up to brighton on our motorcycle and enjoyed a picnic at solitude lake.





The arrival of august also meant it was time for the annual Dam Jam. It was a total success! Jentry and I were able to go up and camp for a few nights. Jentry enjoyed lots of jamming with my dad, grandpa, and lots of new friends. We also got to sneak up to the lake for a few hours and enjoy some waterskiing and wakeboarding. I really enjoyed hanging out with my dad, sister, sadie, grandma, grandpa, aunt linda, uncle jay, and cousin nikki. It was a great time!

So no Jentry and I plan on getting in as much bbqing, swimming, rock climbing, and hiking as we can before the weather gets colder!