Hello?? Is it me your looking for?

I don't know about you all, but I use google everyday. I don't know what I would do without it. During late Friday night conversations, I usually find myself trying to prove a point to someone. Where do I go? Google! If I can't find an address for work. Google. Here are some of the things that have been googled by myself, coworkers, or my circle of friends in the last few days.

*Justin Bieber t-shirts (not for me.. I am not even close to having that fever)

*What makes farts smell bad?

*Menu for Five Guys (trust me you find more than burgers and fries)

*Movie about a boy with AIDS

*Home remedies for Mosquito bites

Don't judge me on my searches alone. You know you find yourself doing the SAME thing!! What crazy and silly things do you google?

Utah Trip.

The last time I posted I was getting ready to leave for Utah. I have not posted about the trip because it was far from a vacation. However, I will refrain from posting the negatives, and post pics of the positives from the trip. As my mum always says, "its always an adventure with our family!"



My mom, sister, sister-in-law, and 2 neices, and I all got our toes done! It was so fun to relax and have a nice foot rub. Iszie wasnt too sure about the massage though. She kept asking why they were smacking her feet!















Kali graduated from High School! It was a great accomplishment, and we were all so proud of her! She has grown up to be such a beautiful girl, and I am excited to see what she will become!

We also had family pictures done while we were all together in St. George. It is hard to believe how big our family is now. We did get some good pictures, but I forgot how challenging it can be to get a 2 year old to hold still! Here are a few of our bloopers, feel free to laugh!













This is one of my favorites. I love how you can see Dante's little bum.

To Do List....

I am Utah bound... even though it will only be for a short visit, there will be numerous events that are being crammed into the span of 5 days. Pedicures with the sister and s.i.l, family photos, mucho trips to Cafe Rio, smooches on little nieces and nephews chubby cheeks, and lots of laughs. Until I leave, I have lots of things to do. Along with the stress of packing, I think that there is some sort of small mouse-critter-like thing that has found its way into my apartment. Which is a NO GO!!! It needs to be evacuated from the premises immediately!!!

Back in the know-how!!!

I recently acquired a new cellular/mobile (depending on where you are from) telephone. It is awesome! My fancy new Blackberry Torch puts everything that I need right at the tips of my fingers. I feel like if I were asked anything, I could find the answer with my trusty new Blackberry (feel free to use me as a phone a friend, should you ever have the opportunity to be on "who wants to be a millionaire). It also has this fancy GPS button I can push and say "drive home" and it takes me home!! I already had to use it once. I sort of got lost out in the country trying to find an estate sale... I don't think that I will ever get my directions staight around here. Its like I'm queen of my mobile network! With this baby, you will be seeing (hopefully) many more blog posts from me in the future.

Speaking of her royal highness, as many if u now, I have made it public that I was watching the royal wedding on Friday. Weren't they both so smashing? I loved Kate's dress! She reminded me SO much of Grace Kelly. So classic. You can tell that they are so in love.

In the last 12 months.... dont ya know...

Happy one year anniversary to me and the state of Minnesota. I have lived here officially 365 days! Crazy I know. It seems like only yesterday my Mom and I were driving into my new home of St. James and hauling everything that I had piled into my car up the stairs to my new apartment. So. Here I am. One year later. Here are the things that the state of bitter cold has taught me in the 12 months that I have lived here..

#1 What was formally known as a Casserole in the western part of the United States, is known in Minnesota as a "Hot Dish".

#2 There is a difference between the corn that is grown in a field and fed to cows and the corn that you coat with butter and eat at a BBQ... which brings me to..

#3 What was known as a BBQ, a social gathering of friends, family, complete strangers, where meat is put on a grill and cooked to perfection is called a "grill out" in MN. BBQ's are known as the popular meal of sloppy joes. I hope that you aren't lost yet.

#4 Fish fry's, steak fry's, and chicken fry's are held almost weekly here in MN. Just contact your local VFW, Eagles Chapter, or area Legion.

#5 In the summer, State fairs and County Fairs are HUGE here. Any food that you want fried in a deep fat frier, they will do it for you!

#6 You don't know the meaning of cold until you step outside and the snot running down your face literally gets frozen to your face, and the boogers in your nose become boogercicles. Now that, my friends, is cold.

#7 In the small town that I reside, checks are still accepted and some businesses are not set up to take debit cards. Yeah. Weird.

8# Unlike the state owned liquor stores in the beehive state, the liquor stores in MN are privately owned, and some even come equipped with a drive thru window. Now someone tell me if that is safe?

#9 After a wedding, the bride, groom, and the rest of the wedding party will parade through town on a trailer sitting on hay bails, so that the whole town knows they were "just hitched". I don't know about you, bit it sounds like bad hay fever waiting to happen.

#10 Minnesota is a Pepsi loving state. All of the soda fountains are primarily Pepsi products. Here in St. James, there is one gas station out of four that serves fountain coke. That is not a very high statistic, and out of all the restaurants in town, none of them serve coke out of the fountain. Yes, I know. Sad, but true.

#11 There really is an accent that is acquired when you live here. Ryan's Aunt Brenda (also known as Bea) always says "oh my stars!". I have often found myself saying "ya know" at the end of sentences. If you are a local, sentences often start with "say...have you... or say, did you know?" Some older residents of MN really do say "you betcha!" Which makes me laugh every time.

#12 Even though I have had to drink Coca-Cola out of a can or bottle, and carry cash, or write checks instead of use my debit card, in the past year, I have learned that MN has some of the most caring, loving, nice people, I have ever met. Last year, when I didn't go home for the holidays, I had complete strangers invite me to their houses for Thanksgiving dinner. I have had people that I barely know fix my car. I have had people help me when I have been sick, people offer me a place to live if I ever needed it. There is often talk of a "Minnesota nice" attitude here. If the world could be a little bit more like the state of MN, I think that it would be just a bit better... don't ya know!

birthday...in a short post

I had an AWESOME birthday. The girls at work gave me cards, candy, and more cards. I went to dinner with Ryan's fam, and my closest Minnesota peeps, which is always fun, no matter where we go! Mum, Rachel, and Grandma all sent me cards, with that special little treat inside.. My bff Kate sent me a card. She has been doing that for many years. I look forward to her cards every year. This year she reminded me that we have been friends for 15 years now. Holy Guacamole thats a long time! I can't imagine making it through my adolecense without her. Anyways, my birthday was great. I can probably say one of the best on record!

Girls Camp

Yes, I will be the first to admit it. I have been a huge SLACKER when it comes to my blog. A TON has been going on this summer, and I haven't even had time to blog about it. So here is a short recap. Event #1..I moved out of the apartment above the bakery. Yes it was sad, but it had to be done. Ryan's mom found me an apartment that was the same price, in a better neighborhood, with my own garage, and washer & dryer! I was sold. I have lived there since the end of May, and I am loving it! The only downfall, no free internet, thus my lack of blogging and facebook updates. Sorry friends.

Event #2. Girls Camp in Nauvoo! When I found out in February that our branch was going to Nauvoo for camp, I sort of hinted that if they needed any help that I would love to go. Needless to say I was called as a camp director about a month later. Sort of funny how those things work. Since our branch is so small, we only have three active girls, two of whom are sisters. But everyone got along so well! Unlike previous camps that I have been to before, there were no girls fighting, no tears were shed, it was very calm!

After a 6 hour drive on a thursday, we arrived in Nauvoo. After a quick drive through the town, we set up our tent to make sure that we would have a place to stay for the evening. It was a lot different only having to set up one tent, that would fit everyone, rather than four or five that would squeeze everyone in!

The next morning we toured the town, and visited all the sites. It was quite a humid day! But we made it through. All of the missionaries kept complimenting us, becuase we were the smallest brach there. Later that night, I fixed the girls supper, where we were all pretty much eaten alive by mosquitos. The mosquitos here are not like those that I am used too. They are 20 times larger! They bite you on your leg and immediatly your leg itches and swells!!!

Even though we had to sleep in the van for a night, due to a downpour of wind and rain, and the humidity made your clothes stick to you in places I didn't know they could stick, girls camp this year was definately one that I will never forget. It may have not have been all about passing off certifications, or learning how to live in the wilderness without modern technology. But all of us gained an appreciation of our pioneer ancestors and what they went through each day, and the religious persecution that they went through just the practice what they believed in.