Did it again!

No, I didn't fall off my stilettos again....I ran 3-miles again! Yeah! Sadly, it wasn't any easier but, I'm just going to have to suffer through it a few more times before it does (atleast that's what Jeff tells me!)

Step-sister's Wild Ride...

Hello! I hope you all had a good weekend! We've had a quiet week/weekend with not much going on. I was really surprised this morning, however, by an email I received from my Dad over the weekend. My step-sister was abducted/kidnapped in Salt Lake City on Thursday!! I'm going to leave out many of the details and just give you the "big picture." And to re-assure you, she is OK and is doing her best to get back to "normal."

She was approached by a man with a broken bottle and a gun and told to get in her car and drive to the nearest ATM, where she was to withdraw money so he could get his heroin fix. The perp sat behind her with a gun to her head, while she was driving where she was told. She was tyring to text for help with one hand until the perp got suspicious and told her to put both hands on the wheel. At some point, the guy began throwing up so he opened the back seat door. She recognized this opportunity and turned real fast so that the guy was flew out the door. She called 911 and gave them the man's description and the police were able to apprehend them within the hour at the Trax (train) station. Thankfully, all ended without injury. However, much can be said for her ability to remain level headed and play out the situation the way she did. And certainly, her angels must have been working over time!

We're grateful that she's safe and were reminded what a blessing personal safety is. Unfortunately, I don't think there was anything she could have done to prevent the situation but, there is something to learn from her actions. I'm not sure if I would have been able to hold things together as she did and recognize the opportunity to save herself!

Anyway, that was the crazy story that started my week! Yikes!

Runner in the making??

I ran three miles yesterday evening!! This may not seem like much to you marathoners but, I really think its the farthest I've ever run! Of course, I slowed Jeff down quite a bit but, I think we were just both happy that I could make all the way around our 3-mile "loop." My legs are pretty sore and heavy today but, I'm hoping a lighter run this evening will loosen them up a bit.

We also had a nice Valentines Day on Thursday. We gave up trying to go out for Valentines a few years ago and instead treat ourselves to some delicious, completely unhealthy take-out. This year it was Valentine's chinese and a chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and frosting (a new recipe I tried). Both were very tasty and we enjoyed a low-key evening at home.

We don't have much going on this weekend and I think we are both thankful for that! I'm taking the weekend off...no dissertation work, no homework, just a few hours at the salon for my cut and highlights and some shopping and relaxing! Jeff has promised to put in a new kitchen sink for me today and is off playing football and lifting weights with his buddies this morning.

For all of you Floridians....isn't this weather great!!! This is my favorite time of the year weather-wise!

Holding Babies 101...

We stopped by Brent & Erin's on Friday evening to say 'hello' and see their new bundle of joy, Tanner, again. Cute little guy... Anyway, Jeff decided he was going to try and hold him this time (he chickened out at the hospital last weekend). So, I hand him off to Jeff, and besides the look of terror on his face, Brent and I got a big kick out of how he was holding him....something like what you'd expect if you were getting ready to throw a watermelon. Jeff's never held a newborn before so, I had to cut him a little slack but, it was still pretty funny. I gave him a quick lesson after we got home and he'll have to try again the next time we're over there.

Our weekend was quite productive. I spent a lot of time cleaning our house. It needed a good "spring clean" and I was surprised how dusty/dirty everything was! I was so determined to get everything clean that I even washed the curtains in my room. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal, I washed them on cold and then laid them out flat to air-dry (just like the tag says), and then when I went to put them back up again, they were a good three inches shorter!! I was so mad! So, now my curtains will look like they're ready for a flood. I'll have to replace them soon. :-(

Great Weekend!

It was hard to go back to work today after such a lovely weekend! For all of you who are suffering through winter still...you have my sympathies. However, when it's February 1st, sunny, and 75 degrees, there isn't any other place I'd rather be!

Jeff and I were able to be a part of a couple of special moments for some of our friends this weekend. Our friends, Justin and Kira, were sealed to their little boy on Saturday and I'm so thankful they let us be a part of it. It was so sweet..I think Jeff's were the only dry eyes in the room! On Sunday, after over 20 hours of labor, our BFFs, Brent and Erin, welcomed their first little boy, Tanner, into their family. He is a such a sweet little guy with *tons* of hair!! The picture below doesn't do it justice. They made such a cute kid I told them we'd happily accept any they wanted to pop out for us!

I have nearly recovered from my stiletto spill on Friday. My knee is considerably less sore, as is my ankle, and save for two giant blisters on the bottom of my feet, I'm almost back to normal. I made a valiant effort yesterday to show that while I may have been down, I was not out, by wearing those same shoes yesterday to church. It wasn't entirely pain-free but, I didn't fall and they looked great with my outfit!

I hope you all have a great week!


Amy and 16-hour old Tanner

Scholarship Convocation & A Tragedy...

Today was my scholarship convocation luncheon, where the College of Health and Human Performance recognized all of its scholarship recipients. It was a nice little affair...Jeff and I got to meet some representatives for the donors for one of my scholarships. They were a lovely little couple and it was nice to give them my thanks in person. The food wasn't that great but, the company was nice!

Unfortunately, they didn't hand out the certificates for both of my scholarships at once...I had to make the long trek up to the stage, up the stairs, across the stage, and down the stairs, twice. Normally, this would be such a big deal but... (see below).



I actually fell off my stilettos on the way there!! Yep, I actually hit the pavement! I think (as it all happened so quickly) that as I was stepping off a curb my ankle rolled and I just collapsed. Luckily, I didn't tear my pants! I only tweaked my ankle, skinned my knee, scuffed my favorite pair of shoes, and wounded my pride...

It was bound to happen eventually. I had come too close too many times. Now you can see why I was nervous about going up to the stage twice! I was in pain and had lost all confidence in my ability to walk in heels! It'll be flats for me for the next few days!

What Color Are You??

I saw this on Rachel and Del's website and had to try it. I don't know, is this really me?? Here are my results:

Amy, your true color is Black!

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

What color are you?
http://web.tickle.com/color/

Finally!

Much to the dismay of our families, it took me a couple weeks longer than I had planned to finally get these pictures up! At long last, here they are. As you can see, we've spent many weekends over the past two years working on our home. We're happy that all of our big projects are done and have just a few *small* projects remaining (i.e., painting, trim work, etc.). It's really become one of our hobbies and it's been fun to see what we can do when we work together! I'm just excited to shift my attention to decorating. As you'll see, our walls need some pictures!

The past couple of weeks have been pretty busy for us. We've been trying to get settled into the new semester and back into work. On my end, work and school have been requiring much more effort and attention lately. My boss found a funding announcement over the holidays that he wanted to go for, due the beginning of February, that has kept us very busy the last two weeks (my stress-related eye twitch has finally subsided). I've also started hammering out my dissertation. My committee warned me that my goals for completing it in the fall are pretty ambitious (they're right) but, I'm determined to get 'er done. There's a promotion and more money waiting at the end of it so, I definitely have the motivation!

Jeff has settled back into his school and work and seems to be enjoying things much more this semester. He's not really back to studying just yet but, he'll have his nose in the books soon enough (the dental school application cycle begins mid-May!). His best friend, Brent, is going to become a new dad tomorrow so, he's been trying to get as much man-time in as he can!

Anyway, I hope this finds you all well! Enjoy the pictures!


The outside of our little home.


Entry way, before...


Entry way after.


Office space before...


Office space after.


Living room before...




Living room after.


Kitchen before...




Kitchen after.


Kitchen/Living room before...


Kitchen/Living room after.


Master bath before (yes, Jeff is pretending)...




Master bath after.


Guest bath before...






Guest bath after.


Master bedroom


TV room (or bedroom #2)


TV room

P.S. For those of you considering wall paper in your home decor....
*don't*! It is the devil!! We had to tend to the walls in our kitchen and
both bathrooms 2-3 times each!!

Just to clarify...

That last picture was posted with Jeff's consent and is definitely *not* what he looks like! It was staged...we had just eaten a large meal and he was pushing his stomach out about as far as it could go! It gave us quite the giggle, as I'm sure it did for you as well!

Happy New Year!

Well, we finally made it back to Florida late Monday night (New Year's Eve). We were completely beat, as our travel day began at 4:30 am and included two lay-overs. We just don't go up-and-down as well as we used to! I felt so gross! Needless to say, I was sleeping soundly as the new year came. I do have a faint recollection of Jeff providing the 10 second countdown and then giving me a kiss...

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday at my Dad's and were sad to go. Although, we almost didn't make it home on time...we were snowed in the Bear Lake valley on the day we were headed down to the airport! The weather was nasty, and included a "white out" that closed down the three canyons leading out of the valley. It finally cleared up enough to make a run for it in the evening but, it was slow getting out of there!

I went back to work yesterday and Jeff is using a couple of his remaining vacation days to install the rest of our Pergo floor. He sure made a mess yesterday but, assures me that it'll all be put back together in time for the weekend. We are both incredibly excited about this project, because it's our last big one. We'll have some minor, "touch-up" projects that will follow but, those will pale in comparison to some of these last ones! I'll try and get the complete before and after pics up next week sometime.

We also must send out our "Congratulations" to Jeff's brother Clark and his new fiancé, Rachel. We are looking forward to celebrating your wedding in March!

Until next time, enjoy some of our final pics from our wonderful vacation!



Braden, braving the "white-out" before we head out of town. Crazy, guy...



The cop that broke the bad news...now way out of the Bear Lake Valley!



Waiting for some good news from the cop.



Jeff, pretending he's in a Pepsi commercial.



Amy, trying to stay warm.



Jeff, showing off the same look he's had in all of our vacation pictures and his new holiday physique...diet started yesterday!