Gingerbread and Holly Berries

Last night Keith and I made a Gingerbread house. So much fun! I don't ever remember doing this when I was little, so sad, but from now on I definitely will. Keith makes one every year. I love how Keith gets so excited about Christmas. It's infectious and he makes our home so enjoyable.




Carly made this super cute Gingerbread Train. I love it!








Today my mom and Holly and I made caramel popcorn and dipped caramel covered pretzels. Yum!!! These are my new favorite Christmas treats. This is the 3rd year we have made them and they are so delicious, I just can't live without them. To say the least, it took all day and we were up to our ears in chocolate and caramel. But it was totally worth it. Happy Holidays!!








Me dipping a pretzel. Oh yeah...don't break my concentration. It's all about the Chi.

After we dipped the pretzels we drizzled white and dark chocolate over the tops to make fun designs.

Love and Hate

Ultimate Mahjong, oh how I love you. Even though I'm on vacation, I can't seem to tear myself away from the computer because you have put the ultimate spell on me. Luckily, I will be able to continue this obssession when I get back to Utah (thanks to Kelly for letting me borrow it.) Unfortunately, I already spend too much of my life in front of a computer. I guess I'll need to get a pillow for my bum. Ü

(Yes, I know, I should be ashamed. I should be, but I am not.)

Bowling and Dance Dance

Today my family went to Bakersfield for a little In-N-Out burger (so good) and then to a local bowling alley. While we waited for our lanes we went to the arcade section where we played some hunting games and dance dance. Here you will see Chad & Holly battling it out with the "rifles" and my 6 month pregnant sister, Kelly, doing dance dance, and yes, she was awesome at it!

Bowling was fun, except that I sucked! But hey, I had a good time and now I know that a career in dance dance would be more profiting for me then bowling. :)

Gabby is so cute and fun! So is Holly!

Keith bowling.
I love my family.

Tagged: Times Two

Okay, so I have officially been tagged by both April and Jana, so here goes....

(Sidebar: Jana and April, check out each other's blogs. Russells and Springerville....I think you two would get along great!)

6 Things....

1. I am borderline Obsessive Compulsive. When I set my mind to do something, I pretty much can't ignore it until I do it, even if I know that the end result will not make me happy. I usually end up annoying myself, because I know in the end it won't make a difference to me...I KNOW this going in, and yet I still can't help myself. I can't let little things go, like crooked pictures on the wall, or dirty laundry on the floor (spiders, ew!- it must be in a laundry basket. I have a serious fear of spiders but that's an entire blog all on it's own), or when I decide that I want to get something, anything, and I must drive to 4 different stores to find this thing, regardless of the time of day or night. You get the idea.

2. I thrive on being busy. Don't get me wrong, I can sit around with the best of them. But I'm usually knitting, or folding laundry or messing around with the computer. My mind is constantly thinking about what needs to be done, or what I want to get done, or just things....My mind is not easily turned off. It's really quite annoying and a bit on the pathetic side.

3. I love Yarn!!! I am so obsessed with knitting and if I go into a shop to get one little thing, most likely I will end up spending $30+ on yarn I don't really need but can easily find something to make with it. I usually have 3-4 projects that I'm working on at any given time. It's wonderful!

4. I am bilingual. My younger sister and I can speak gibberish to one another. We have this uncanny way of getting each other worked up to the point we are literally speaking in gibberish (a combination of words, laughter, and I don't really know, but it's fun)....we finish each other's sentences and can be in a fit of laughter carrying on a conversation. It's probably one of my most favorite things to do in life.

5. Music is my life. I am a singer and although I know I was blessed with talent, after 7 years of professional voice lessons, I still get nervous to sing in front of people. But I LOVE to sing and I love music. Music is so much a part of me, I would rather lose a limb then the ability to sing or hear.

6. I have always been able to make friends easily. Even with my own insecurities, I am one of those people that can be content being alone and also become friends with a stranger.

Okay, I...tag...Jessie, Holly, Kathleen, Mel, and Shannon

Rules:
1.The player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves - try to find 6 you haven't already posted about.
2. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.

Face Lift

I'm trying to spice up my blog a little. Tell me what you think? Do you like the blue background? Opinions people, I need opinions!

Blowing off the Dust

Well, my friends, I'm a disgrace to the blog world. I promise I'm not dead....just living in the dark ages. No internet at home makes it really hard to get on this thing; but I promise I will do better. Please don't stop reading....

Happy Turkey Day to all of you. Keith and I, with the rest of my family, are in California at my sister's house for the weekend. It's nice to get away from work and life. Sadly Keith and I have been sick. I am getting over a nasty cold and larangitis; he has a sinus infection. But we are fairing well and happy to be here.

Not much is new with us. Christmas is just around the corner and I can hardly believe this year is almost over. We are both looking forward to the holidays (not the snow) and have enjoyed this past year more then we probably should. Ü

Till the next time, hope you all survived the day and didn't OD on too much pie.

Alias

I was in the shower last night thinking about a new nickname I received; Cami Cakes. It got me thinking that I should blog about the numerous nicknames I have had over the years. There's really quite a lot, I hope I can remember them all. Here goes....

Cami Lambie (thanks to mommy)
Cami Miami (Kelly coined this one)
Cam
Cams
Camcorder
Camelot
Cami Train
CamBam
Cam-dawg
C-dawg (someone different)
Camalita
C-Cup (no direct correlation)
CJ
Cammers
Cankles Sr
C Squared (for those that new me as a Cook)
Cam Cam
Cami Cami Cocoa Pop
Campfire
and most recently, Cami Cakes

I know there are some I've missed, but as you can see, it's hard to keep up. I lose track over the years. Still, I seem to get them where ever I go and whoever I meet. It's kind of fun. If you can think of any I've missed, please let me know. Love to all my peeps. :)

Baseball, Denver and cheesecake.

Finally I’m getting to posting about our Denver trip back in August. Keith and I went to Denver for a quick weekend to see the Cubs play the Rockies. As you can see from the pictures, we are HUGE Cubs fans. The weather was perfect and it was so nice to bum around and whatever we wanted.

We left Friday morning and got to the Denver airport about 11:30ish. That is one huge airport and so far away from downtown. We took a shuttle bus to our hotel. It’s very flat, I was surprised. I have never been to Denver and until we got into the city there wasn’t much to look at. It reminded me of Utah in some places, only greener. The ride was nice though. Keith and I got to overhear 2 girls in the back seat talking about their dysfunctional relationships with parents and boyfriends. It was quite amusing and entertaining. Word to the wise: Don’t talk about personal things when you are in a van full of strangers.

When we got to our hotel everyone was very nice and friendly. We stayed at The Grand Hyatt and it was a pretty posh hotel. Keith was able to find us a killer deal online. The bellboys opened the van door for us and everyone was extremely professional. Our room was so nice too. What a soft bed! And so many pillows. Keith was in heaven. He loves pillows. Ü We got settled in our room, waited for the sudden rain/hail storm to subside, then went out to grab some grub. I was starving! We were about 2 blocks away from this outdoor mall, I forget what it’s called, but there’s a movie theater and several stores, restaurants and bars along it. There is a free shuttle bus that runs up and down the length of the street, but other than that there are no cars allowed. So it was nice to be able to walk freely across the street and look at everything. There are some really nice hotels in that area of Denver as well. After lunch, we went back to the hotel for a quick nap, then headed to the game. It was so fun! The stadium in Denver is really quite beautiful. It’s new and very clean. It was fun to be there and walk around. We had great seats that first night and where we were sitting there were several other Cubs fans. So we had a great time, even better since the Cubs won that night. And I got to see Matt Murton hit a home run. It was fun.

Saturday we slept in then got ready to meet my friend Amy for lunch. We went to the Cheesecake Factory. It was delicious, as usual. Amy is a good friend I met when I lived in CT. She moved back to her home town of Denver about a year ago and was able to fly out to Utah for the wedding. But we didn’t get many chances to talk so it was fun to visit with her. Afterwards, we walked around for a bit and then Keith and I headed to the stadium. Keith wanted to watch batting practice. It was pretty fun, but so hot. I was getting a little tired of it. Sadly, the only Cubs shirt I own is a quarter length sleeve. Not fun in 90 degree weather.

We didn’t have great seats the 2nd game, we were high up and in the sun. So that kind of sucked. Also, Cubs got slammed! Only good thing was that I did get to see a Grand Slam, although it was for the Rockies, it’s not every day you see one of those. (For those that don’t follow baseball, a grand slam is when the bases are loaded and the next hitter gets a home run.)

We left the game at the bottom of the 6th inning, and then stopped at the Cheesecake Factory to get cheesecake to go. Went to our hotel and gorged ourselves and watched pay per-view movies. It was fun. Sunday slept in, went to a breakfast buffet at the hotel, saw Stardust and then caught the bus back to the airport. Now that I’m thinking about it again, it was such a fun trip. Too bad it was only 3 days. Still, it’s nice to get away, relax, and do nothing but chill.

Truth or Dare

Do you remember the days of staying up late, playing night games, or having slumber parties with your friends; playing Truth or Dare, eating treats that your mom only let you have when it was a sleepover night, and talking about boys or watching girly movies and doing each other’s hair? Well, sometimes I feel like this is my life re-incarnated some 20 years later. I look at my friends, I read their blogs; they all seem to be involved in activities that are bettering humankind, in some way or another. Some have children (hats off to you!); some are in school working towards a greater goal; some have jobs that mean something; some are actively involved in service in the communities or church callings. I, on the other hand, don’t have or do any of those things. Sometimes I wonder “What IS the purpose of my life?” Oh sure, I love my husband. We have so much fun. Married life is great! No complaints here. But let’s take a step back to re-evaluate my life:


- Career Life: Career is a strong word. Sometimes I feel like this is the kind of job a college student should have. Usually my day consists of reading articles online, sending way too many emails, working on projects that usually take 30-60 mins and then I’m done, waiting for something else to do. Reading friends blog’s, looking up books I want to get from the library, ordering said books from the library, etc. Some days I get soooo bored. But then I think about the perks of this job, and if for any reason I will be working here when I have kids, at least I won’t be brain dead when I get home. Still, sometimes it would be nice to have a job that pushes me just a bit.


- After Job Life: Did I really spend 3-4 hours last night watching old re-runs of Law & Order on TNT? Somebody stop me!


- Love Life: Just kidding. We won’t go there. Everything is great!


- Cooking Life: Last night I actually made steaks and instant potatoes. Not bad. Is my house being neglected from daily cleaning? Just blame it on TNT. I did manage to do the dishes. I hate dirty dishes in the sink. If you come over, don’t look at the floor. I can’t remember the last time I mopped. Yikes!


- Weekend Life: Usually consists of watching movies, going to dinner with friends, running errands, doing laundry, sleeping in.


- Church Life: We are in nursery and the lesson rotates between Keith and I (as one) and the other 4-5 women that are in there. Playing with the kids and having treats. By the time Sacrament Meeting comes (last of the block) I’m too exhausted to pay attention. I sit in the back and fall asleep once the talks start. We have GOT to incorporate nap time into nursery somehow.


- Gym Life: Well this has been really pathetic over the last few months. I used to workout in the A.M. before I got this job. But now it’s nearly impossible unless I want to wake up at 4am. Which I don’t. I really need to start going regularly. I try to swim once in awhile, but once in awhile just doesn’t cut it. I should be going 2-3 times a week. That is my new goal. That and doing Pilates a couple of times a week. Winter is coming and I’m afraid my cute winter clothes will not quite fit me if I don’t stop the madness. (Perhaps it’s time to pull the plug on TNT.)


So as you can see, my life is mostly ridiculous! I mean, is it possible this is the life of a 28 ½ year old with a college degree? Granted it might not mean much, but still. Shouldn’t I be doing something more with myself? Then I realized….I have the BEST life!!! Sure I don’t have kids, but I have a husband. And anyone who is married knows that can be a lot of work too. Men need so much help. Ü Also, I am young. Who says 28 is not a great age to be alive? I still feel like a 21 yr old, with all the wisdom and style of an almost 30-something. Oh and here’s the best part. The most random things I see, which are for your reading pleasure.

This just in……….this morning (and I couldn’t help but think, as I was walking along, that this would be the perfect blogging moment) I’m on my morning break. Sometimes I walk a few blocks to stretch my legs and possibly get a V-8 juice at the Rite Aid. For those that don’t know, I work in Salt Lake, downtown. There’s this project to up the life here by improving some of the buildings. So that means major construction. Sidewalks have been replaced with those walking tunnels that provide shelter should something heavy fall from the sky. We’ve all seen them, most of us have been in them. Nothing to spectacular. Well, this particular morning I’m walking through one, several people have just gotten off the Trax station and are heading in the opposite direction, but inside the tunnel with me. I see something dark on the ground ahead of me. Something dark long, and roundish. I know it’s not a hotdog. What would a hotdog be doing in a walking tunnel. Oh no, it’s poop!

Now I haven’t seen too many horses strolling in the walking tunnel. Nor does it smell of horse. This must be dog poop because no human in there right mind would drop their drawers and dump in the middle of a sidewalk. (Okay, okay, maybe they would. We’ve all encountered some strange people). Still, I couldn’t believe it. As I continued to walk on I saw more poop. What the hell? I mean, it’s one thing to let your dog poo on someone else’s grass, but this is a sidewalk. Nay, a walking tunnel! It is not even a sidewalk. Besides the fact that it really is Nothing Like Grass!!! I mean, who let’s their dog stop in the middle of one of those tunnels and poop? Those tunnels aren’t big. There’s only so much air space in them. And then to do it Again? At least pick up the crap. I mean, I know this isn’t Chicago, or Manhattan, or even San Diego, but it’s still a major city and you don’t just let your dog poop in the middle of a pseudo sidewalk and then walk off. I just don’t get it.

So I guess the moral of this blog is this: No matter how ridiculous you feel your life is, at least you aren’t that guy with the dog. Imagine what his house must smell like. Sick!!!
Ciao.

Bye Bye Blackbird

Well, it’s been forever since I posted. I apologize peeps. (The pictures from our Denver trip are coming, I promise!) Over the weekend I went to Evanston, WY to help my sister and her husband pack up their house. Jay got a new and better job in Tehachapi, CA, and they are moving there this week. I am going to miss my sister so much and my cute little niece. I know I will see them again in a few months for Thanksgiving. But it’s been so great having them close by. I have loved spending more time with my older sis. She’s such a great mom and a wonderful friend. I look up to her so much!

So here’s to my older sister. Wiser. Kinder. Smarter. Hotter. Don’t be a stranger Kells. Love ya!!

P.S. Some crazy person called at work today wondering what his payments are for a car that was repossessed and started into this story about how he’s been incarcerated for the last year and is now trying to get his life back together. Wow! Too much information. They really need to teach phone etiquette in the prisons. Ü

Ultimate Dumb Ass

This girl at my work locked her keys in her car and her car is running. Luckily her husband is driving down from PC to let her in it.

I guess her car’s been running for a couple hours. HA!

Seriously. This girl is so dumb. I mean, she’s smart, but she talks non-stop and loudly, too. This place was quiet before she started working here. She’s so strange.

I’m sure we’d be friends if we met in a different situation. Wait…. No. We wouldn’t.

My Own Little Mission

I usually go outside on my lunch break and sit on a bench by the JSMB and eat my lunch. It was so hot today and some teeny boppers had taken my bench in the shade. I had my Harry Potter Book but between my sweaty back and the millions of brides trolling the premise, I decided to walk around Temple Square instead.

Side bar: I’m really glad I didn’t have to share my wedding day with literally 6-8 other brides; waiting in line and fighting over the premium photo spots. Dodged a bullet you say? I sure did!

So I’m walking around temple square and I stopped to talk to some sister missionaries. One was from Finland, the other from Calgary Canada. Even though I wasn’t wearing the traditional missionary attire, I sure felt the sweltering heat. We chatted for 5 minutes or so about Harry Potter (book in hand), the heat, and the fact that I work at Zions Bank across the street and then was on my way, yelling over my shoulder, “Maybe I’ll see ya around”.

As I continued my stroll through Temple Square I noticed some additions that have been made. Some statues and walk way paths added on the south side by that fountain thingy. I really don’t know how to explain where it is, you’ll just have to go there. But being there, walking around and seeing statues of our Prophet Joseph Smith, I thought how lucky and grateful I am to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know I need to act like it more but I really am blessed.

So even though I never went on a mission and that really was in no way like being on a mission, I’m sure glad to have the church and others who are great missionaries and willing to be ones. Kudos to all you out there who have been, will go, or are on a mission now. Salute.

Back to School Blues

I am having a major case of the back to school blues. Not that I’m in school or going to be attending school in the fall. It’s just one of those days. It’s a Wednesday. It’s August. Summer is on a downward spiral and I feel like this past summer has flown by. I’m not ready for it to end. I know what you’re thinking….it’s only August dummy. Well, true.

July was a month of stress for Keith and me. After we had to put Connie to sleep, Keith got really sick and had a couple of procedures done. To save him the embarrassment, let’s just say he was in the bathroom…a lot! And the Dr that did the procedure, a complete A-Hole! I mean, this guy has no bedside manners. When the biopsies came back the Dr couldn’t see anything, which is good I guess, but still we have no answers for why he has been so sick and didn’t seem to know jack about anything! What a freaking ordeal. My husband, sick as a dog for over 2 weeks, on this medication that makes him even more sick and the last thing he wanted was to be touched or even be around people. Not fun to live with. I don’t like feeling helpless or alienated. Not after 3 ½ months of marriage! Anyway, I’m happy to report Keith is on the mend. But the stress doesn’t end.

We are punching the deadline for a decision on this condo that we could potentially buy. It’s just around the corner. The deadline, I mean. Not the condo. We really don’t know what we should do. There are so many good things about it. It seems like the right decision. But it also seems right to wait and look for a house sometime next fall. What to do, what to do? If any of you have suggestions or help, or even just words of comfort, please….PLEASE!...I beg you. We need them. I’m to the point now where I just want someone else to decide because I don’t know what to do or what I want anymore.

Anyhoo, enough of my complaining. To say the least, I’m more than thrilled that July is over. We are going to Denver a week from Friday and it’ll be so good to get away. But I fear August is full of more of the same, stress and decision making. And before I know it it’ll be snowing again. So yes, I’m a little sad this summer is, in my mind, basically over. Morphine drip anyone? Don’t mind if I do!

Yam or Paper Mache?

I was just talking with my old roommate Jessie over the email and she reminded me of a funny that happened last fall. For those that know me, I love Yams. They are so good! I cooked them frequently and one time, I put some in the oven to have cooked ones on hand for the week. But I had a million things I had to do and ran to institute, not even thinking about the Yam. When I got out of institute, 2 hours later, I had a voicemail from Jessie, wondering if I meant to leave the Yam in the oven that whole time. HA HA! I immediately called her and said, "No! Please turn off the oven!"

When I got home, the Yam looked like a paper mache yam. It was so funny! But still delicious. Morel of the story? Yams are good no matter how long you cook them. Just don't burn the house down.

(I have been lucky with this b/c I always leave the candle warmer on and one time, not too long ago, I left it on for almost 2 days. Yikes!)

Cankers, Cankers, and More Cankers

My life is full of cankers. Literally and metaphorically. I currently have 3 cankers in my mouth. Oouuch! I have been applying Anbesol to my cankers for almost a week now. Still, nothing. I mean, it is going away, I suppose. But I think that's only because I have been rubbing salt into them for the last couple of days. I know... Double Ouch! It kills, but I think it's the only thing that is helping. The open part of the sore seems to be closing up a little and I'm sure that's from the salt. (I know, sick. Aren't you glad I didn't post a picture of that?! HA HA!) Do you Remember those commercials? "Faster than you can say Anbesol!" Hee Hee.

Keith and I have been doing mad research about what kind of rate we can get on a home, who the best lender is, what our options are to get the best deal. It's been an emotional roller coaster of excitement, frustration and disappointment. Mostly for me because I get all worked up and want things and then something comes up, or maybe it's just a temporary snag. Who knows? I'm just too much of a kid to let things not get to me, I guess.

Anyway, we are looking at getting an FHA loan, which would be great because it's a lower rate offered to first time homeowners. Last night I find out that we may not qualify because we just barely make too much money. (Barely as in like only $2000 a year too much) which is really disappointing if this turns out to be the case and I'm finding myself wishing I was just a little poorer than I already am. There's something wrong with that, don't you think? Still, once again I have created this wonderful idea in my head that may in fact turn out to be something I don't want in the end. (IE: getting this condo now? or waiting for something else later...)
Don't get me wrong, I most definitely want a house. But sometimes what we see in front of us is not what is best for us and I know this to be true. Keith is much more level headed than I am sometimes. So I'm glad to have him. We have been praying, fasting and are going to the temple this week, to help us know what decision is right for us. Still, I HATE waiting! Maybe I have too much free time on my hands here at work and therefore I think about this way too much. Or maybe I just need to take a coarse in relaxation. I've always wanted what I want, when I want it. What woman doesn't huh?

Still .....What's wrong with that?!

TGIF

To say the least, I'm thrilled it is Friday. This has been a long week, despite the fact that I worked half a day on Monday and took Tuesday off. Emotions have been high, sleep has been restless, and the last couple of months have been chuck full of events.

This weekend I expect to do a whole lot of nothing. Tonight we are going to see Harry Potter with the Bairds and the Clippinger's, and whoever else might be coming. I have no idea. I have recommitted myself to lose weight and if I have to use this blog as a public mockery in order to get my butt in shape, so be it. I have also decided that I can no longer use the excuse of "not having a Stoven" (oven and stove-thanks to Jessie for coming up with that delicious compound word, i love it!) to feed my face with foods that are not really that beneficial to me. Oh sure, the every now-and-then burrito or hot pocket isn't going to kill me. But living off foods that are microwavable is not the best solution. I have other options for cooking. I just need to stop being so lazy. Anyway, long story short, I think I might swim laps tomorrow morning. I haven't been in weeks and I miss it. Keith and I have no plans for the weekend, other than seeing HP tonight and getting groceries tomorrow. I think this is the first weekend in months that we have not had something going on. I'm sure we'll end up at his parent's house playing Pinnocle since the nephews are leaving this weekend and I have yet to have played. Keith keeps saying he's going to teach me but something always seems to come up. hmmm....Simpsons seasons 3-7? Perhaps.


My cutest niece, Gabriella Rose, we call her Gabby, Big G, Gabby Girl...take your pick. She is the funnest thing since I discovered Lagoon is a theme park trapped in the image of a big and better older sister. (sorry Lagoon, but Six Flags is soo much more fun.)

Gabby has recently learned how to say "Cheese" when having her picture taken and it's just so cute. I don't know if I have a picture of this except on my phone, but I might be able to find one of her coloring. She's so intense when she does it. tee hee. I think she means business people. Isn't she beautiful?! How about one more.


Sorry about the red eye. Here she is watching "Curious George". She only watches it like 10x a week. Do you think she's obessessed? Only has an almost toddler can be.

Sometimes It's Better To Remain Celebate

Speaking of the Blue Lagoon....I don't know how many of you have seen this movie, but Brother and Sister doing it = not cool. I don't care if they are the last 2 people on the island. I guess Humankind will cease to exist. That's the price they'll have to pay.

Call me crazy, but am I really a Wiget trapped in a continually growing woman's body? (I really need to diet!). Sidebar: a Wiget is a name my husband and his friends made up for prepubescent adolescent teenage girls. Prepub teenage boy's= Pelt's. tee hee. I love this album. Avril sure knows how to rock and for all those inquiring minds out there I highly recommend you check out tracks 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 (for beginningers....). She's great!

Speaking of rocking, I will be eating lunch in t-minus 11 minutes. I think I'm about to die, I am so hungry. And bored out of my mind today. I have work to do, it's just mindless or maybe I'm just lazy. I haven't decided. Sometimes I think my job is make believe. I mean I know it's real. It must be. I get a pay check every 2 weeks (which I love. "I want money...doo doo do"). But I really don't do much during the day. It's quite ridiculous and wonderful all at the same time. I'm sure oneday, my body and brain will cry out for something more stimulating, but for now I'm just enjoying the ride. Ü

Ode' to Connie

Monday at 3:45 Keith and I had to say good-bye to Connie, Keith's dog of 11 1/2 years. It was the saddest thing I have ever had to do. Connie was such a good dog. She had a wonderful disposition; was always happy even though she was in so much pain. She's had a liver infection for some time, and I guess because it never got better, her kidney's began to fail and her body was full of poison. She was almost completely blind and had a heart murmur. It was hard for her to breathe.
Connie had survived Parvo as a small puppy and also had Cancer a few years back. She was a trooper. When we got to the vet, she was so good. Didn't put up much of a fight. I think she knew what was coming and even though she was scared, I think she knew we were doing it for her. She is happier now.

Connie was full of life. Being a mix within the Huskie Family, she had an innate sense of mischeviousness. She was a free spirit. She didn't like being fenced in or chained up. Keith and Ted (Keith's brother's) told me countless stories of her as a young pup, running and jumping through hills of snow, attacking neighbors chickens and ducks, and even being bailed out of "jail" a number of times from the Bountiful and Layton city Dog Pounds.

Connie had the cutest face, full of happiness. Perky ears and a big tongue that just couldn't be contained. Connie immediately took a liking to me and although, she was only my dog for a short 6 months, I loved her very much. Because Connie had anxiety issues, Keith and I often stayed with her on the weekends, while Keith's parents were out of town. We had many good times. I remember once, not too long ago, I took her out to use the bathroom and I heard her barking/yelping, almost a helpless cry. When I went outside, she had managed to get herself, chain and all, wrapped around a pole that's in their yard. Poor pup. I couldn't help but laugh. She was so cute. I guided her back around the pole so she could be free and she was so happy. I just love that dog.

I don't have a picture of Connie, but I found this online and it looks alot like her. She was cuter than this, if you can believe it. More brown on her body and face and more smiles. But this is a good representation till I can find an actual picture of her to post.

Connie, we will miss you. Keith, most of all. I know you're having fun in heaven running around with the colored and the old man! (this would be one of their old dog's, Ebony, who they called "The Colored" and Connie always was biting her ear, and Keith's Grandpa, who lived with them till he died and they called "The Old Man").

Triple 6's on my Skull

Keith and I have just put a deposit on a condo-to-be in Centerville. Construction is to begin within the next 2 months. We are in the grace period, so we have 30-45 days before we have to sign the Purchase Agreement, but have a lot reserved. They are going fast. We have been looking all over Davis County at Real Estate and it's pretty pricey, so we are excited about this little jem we found. Nice location, brand new, relatively big for the price (3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms), fenced in community. We are looking at some other options but this assures we will have the lot should we choose to keep it come the end of the month.

Stress. Stress is like sugar to my subconscious. I just can't get enough. Who gets married and looks to buy a house all within 6 months? What am I thinking?! For some reason we feel the need to trade in our souls for a more comfortable lifestyle. Not that we can't afford it, and I do like the idea of not sharing a basement apartment with half the insects in the neighborhood and having a working stove/oven. (That's a story in and of itself). Still, it's a bit nerve racking and my sweet husband has a huge fobia of committment and change (don't ask me how we actually got married). So it's extra work trying to keep him calm and feel like we haven't just made the biggest mistake of our lives. Men. They feel so much pressure to do what's right by their families. Bless his heart, he tries so hard and he will succeed. What a good man.

Only time will tell what really happens. It's a scary thought, having a mortgage. It means I'll be working for a really long time, which is inevitable. I do like the idea of granite countertops and a whirlpool tub. (I'm seduced so easily..... Sigh.)

Just a few more pics

Sumpin a little sweet

As many of you may know, I am recently married. Hooray for love! Isn’t it great?! I know what you’re thinking; you thought this day would never come. Well, to all you Nay Sayers, (insert tongue sticking out), it was totally worth the wait. I don’t know how many of you know the story of how the real Mr. & Mrs. Smith came to be, but let me enlighten you with a sweet little tidbit. (Since this is my first blog I’m going to indulge in a little ME time but I promise stories of ‘Cami Woe’ will soon be available for your reading pleasure!)

Many of you know this, and for those that do, you'll just have to suffer through. For those that don't, enjoy! My good friend and co-worker, Colette Austin, asked me if she could give my number to a guy she knew and I said yes. This threw me into a whirlwind of events that soon became the reality of my life, which has taken a complete 360 in the last 6 months. After our initial meeting (via the phone December 18th and in person December 19th), Christmas Eve was the night that my life would change forever.

Keith and I had been talking all week and went on our first official date he got back from Las Vegas (the BYU game)- dinner at the Olive Garden and The Nutcracker. It was so much fun! Being with Keith was like no guy I’d ever dated. It was fast and new, I felt a connection yet it was still foreign. I wasn’t sure how to react to all of this. Christmas Eve Keith invited me to a party at his friend Dallin’s house. Since my family had zero plans for the night I said ok and drove to Farmington to meet him. (It’s funny, this reminiscing is so surreal but I love our story.)
At Dallin’s there were family and friends. The Plaizier’s were so kind and welcoming of me. I was able to meet some of Keith’s friends and Dallin’s family. We played pool and Karaoke. Keith and I played jokes on his friend Nate and we were having such a great time. I was able to see Keith interacting with other people and saw how social and comfortable he is with himself and those around him. He is the life of the party but not in an obnoxious way. It was infectious and I couldn’t help but laugh.

It was this night that I fell in love with Keith. I didn’t realize it at the time but the feelings I was having, it was unbelievable and when I look back I know I was head over heels for him. The party went on for some time and it was late when I left. I was sad to leave, I just couldn’t bring myself to depart from Keith. When I got home it was about 3am on Christmas morning and I called Keith to tell him I got home ok. We talked for another 2 hours and decided that we didn’t want to date any other people. 24 hours from then we had decided we were getting married and on that Friday, December 29th, we had called the temple and set our wedding date, April 14th, 2007.

It was the craziest, most uninhibited thing I have ever done (and for those that know me I never think before I do things) and yet I knew, without a doubt, that I was to marry Keith. Maybe that’s why it was so easy to decide. I could see, I knew right away, like we’d always been together just torn apart and had taken a long time to find each other but in the process we were able to find ourselves first. I think back on that night, that Christmas Eve out by my car, as we cuddled and hugged, kissed good bye that I couldn’t disregard this as some fleeting moment…I knew that whatever this was it was real and it was here to stay.

And they lived Happily Ever After, right?! Haha. Well, most of the time. Marriage is an adjustment when you’ve been single for 28 years, but it’s wonderful and we are loving it!

Doesn't get any better than this!

Please don’t take my title to mean that I in any way like Lindsay Lohan. (Don’t tell my husband, he used to have the biggest crush on her. I’m glad to see his taste in trampy women has changed somewhat!) Popular? I just don’t get it. You can practically feel the fleas crawling on her. Sick.

Welcome to my new Blog! Isn't it wonderful? So...down to business.

Sometimes when I’m sitting at work I hear crickets. At first I thought I must be crazy. But it happens too frequently and I’m too cool to be crazy. It must be a cell phone. Please….let it be a cell phone.

My husband, bless his heart, doesn’t sleep well. Sleeping pills are expensive, at least the kind that work for him. He takes them sporadically to make them last. Sometimes they make him loopy and he says and does strange things. It’s quite cute, actually, and very adorable. He’s like a giant kid on a sugar high, but can’t seem to keep his balance or make complete sentences. The other morning I lifted my head off the pillow to look at the clock. Good. 20 more minutes. Plunk. My head hits the bed.

Me: Hey, you took my pillow.

Keith: What? oh… (and gives it back)
Isn’t he cute? Ü