Just Me

Goal update

2009-09-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I have now offically lost 26 pounds!!! Its very exciting for me! My goal is to have lost 40 pds total by the time I take a trip to Utah in mid October. Its exciting because my wardrobe will seriously DOUBLE because I will fit back into tons of old clothes. AndI happen to think that this is an AWESOME way to start a new chapter in my life! =)

To one person...

2009-08-04T12:24:00.001-07:00

To all those who are my friends and family who read my blog, I love you tons. You have supported me through everything and I appreciate all of you. Now, to the person who reads my blog who I am NOT friends with and who never supported me: Please stop reading my blog. There is nothing in my life that I want to share with you.

There I just had to get that off of my chest. Now, to everyone else, please don't think me a mean person for saying that to someone, but I needed to say it for my own sanity.

Whats happening...

2009-07-29T09:58:00.001-07:00

Ok, well, this is the post that I have been putting of for a few weeks now. *sigh* Dave and I are now seperated. I have been living with my parents and he has moved out of our old apartment into a place with his sister. We are trying to work things out, and I am hoping for the best ( whatever that is...) and just taking it day by day. So, there it is. Out in the open. I appreciate everyone's concern but please understand that this is very hard for me, and answering a million questions only makes it harder. I will post more once everything settles down. On the plus side, I have lost 13 pds ( through busting my hiney at the gym swimming everyday. It is the ONLY thing that de-stresses me. ) Wahoo...

Beach Pictures

2009-06-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

We went on our annual beach trip this past weekend to Wildwood, NJ. We go every year, sometimes 2 times a year. Here are some pics.

We took an early morning bike ride and kicked Jake out of the bike. We made him just run along side of the bike.

Bridgette and I on the bike. It was quite a workout helping to peddle a 6 seater bike thingy.

Meggie is giving me the " what do you want" face...

I love this picture of Meghan. Such a classic Meggie Face.

Spoiler Alert!

2009-05-27T18:41:00.001-07:00

This is right when Edward is going to expose himself in hopes that the Volturi will kill him because he thinks Bella is dead. I couldn't help but post this!

Meghan and Spencer

2009-05-19T20:07:00.001-07:00

Meggie and Spencer had a sleep over a few weeks ago and here are some pics. I tend to really spoil them when they come over. Oh well. Thats what Aunts do, right?

Meggie likes to play with my make-up and Spencer was playing with trucks that I bought him. Its always a lot of fun.

Lookin good...

2009-05-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

This New Moon poster accidentially got leaked and I snagged it up. I think it looks great! I got it from this website that I found, http://www.newmoonmovie.org/. It has updated pictures from filming and the cast and all sorts of good stuff. Check it out.

Another hair adventure

2009-05-18T18:47:00.001-07:00

This happened when Brooke put Meggies hair in corn rows. It was great! It is such good times doing Meggie's hair.

Oh Meggie...

2009-05-15T18:16:00.001-07:00

I just had to post this picture Bridgette...

Bridgette put Meggie's hair in those little foam roller curler thingys, and this is how it came out. I love this picture! It cracks me up everytime I look at it! Meggie thinks that her hair looks WoNdErFuL =)

** Sorry Bridge if you were going to post this too. I just had to do it because it makes me smile so much! **

Money Well Spent

2009-05-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to say how muich I LOVED seeing Star Trek this weekend. No, I am not a Trekkie, but I absolutly loved it! Honestly, it is well worth the arm and leg that you will spend at the theater to see it. And ladies, it is not just a movie for the fellas. You will like it just as much as your man will. Promise.

Jacob...

2009-05-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

I found this on-line, and I must say its very... very nice. =)

Idol

2009-04-22T18:44:00.001-07:00

I Heart Adam Lambert. I could listen to him sing Mad World all day. Love.

By the way...

2009-04-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

I PASSED MY FIRST LICENSING TEST!!! This insurance test was for property and casualty and it was stinking hard! It took me two times to get it though because I failed the first time I took it by 2% points! You need a 70% to pass the test and I got a 68%. I wasn't too upset though because there are TONS of people who have to take the test 4 or 5 times to pass. I went back after studying my butt off for a week and passed with flying colors. So, now I am licensed to sell auto and property insurance, and I will go back in about a month for a life and health test. I will be glad when all of the test taking is over!

New Computer...

2009-04-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

Well,the time finally came for Dave and I to upgrade our computer. Our first one was one that we got in California and it has lasted us for three years. But lately it has really started to give us some problems, so we decided to UPGRADE! Technically the old computer still works, and it has all of Dave's school programs on it, so we are still going to keep it and use it as a back up. So, we decided to get a lap top. And let me tell you, it is AWESOME! I am using it to type this post, and it is awesome to sit on the couch and watch a movie while blogging. And Dave loves it because its a new toy ( of course) and I love it because it is just so fun. Good times.. =)

Bare Minerals... =)

2009-04-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, So I just have to put in a little plug for the make-up that I loooove so much. I have been using Bare Minerals now for about 3 years, and I just love it. It goes on sooo smoothly and blends in so well on your face that it doesn't look "caked" on. I know its a little pricey, but trust me, its totally worth it. I consider it an investment because 1. It makes me happy to do my make-up in the morning. 2. One container of foundation lasts me OVER 2 months. 3. It hides blemishes like you would not believe! Seriously, just check out the website. http://www.bareminerals.com/ They have a starter kit which I have, and its awesome! Its worth the money. And for all of my friends out there who are mommies, and have NO time for make-up, then this is the stuff you need! It takes me less that 5 minutes! Check it out!

Its been a while...

2009-04-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry its been so long since I posted last. A lot has been going on that has kept me very busy. I have been working at my job for a month now and I love it! There is a lot to learn but I am really enjoying the challenge. Right now I am studying for my licensing tests so that has kept me VERY busy. I have to take two tests and I think that I am ready to take the first one this week, so keep your fingers crossed for me! As for Dave, he is still plugging away at school. But we recently received some very exciting news for him. He was offered a job at a company in York called GEA/PHE. They are based out of Germany and he will be a drafter there. It is VERY exciting because with the economy the way it is, we were not sure if he would be able to find anything. But he did, and we are both very happy and relieved. Sorry I have no new pictures to post. I have no time to even remember my camera when we go places. I will post a less boring update soon!

The most exciting news....

2009-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

I got a JOB!!!!!!!!

I received a job offer today from and interview that I had with a local State Farm office to be a financial services and insurance representative. YAHOOO!!! I am so excited because this is just the job I wanted. The office is small, but the people are so nice and it is really close to my apartment. I could NOT have gotten this job with out the KILLER recommendations I was given by my dear friends Sarah Coy and Brother Toone. Thank you to all of you who helped me out during this search and kept me in your prayers. I will be forever grateful!

Jeppy...

2009-02-19T19:49:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures we got this week from Jeff. Man, I miss him....

What a stud!

My so called pinky...

2009-02-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

So in my previous post I talked about how funky looking my pinky finger is, and how EVERYONE makes fun of it. Soooo tonight I just about freaked out when I saw my nephews pinky finger and it is crooked just like mine!!! I thought I was the only one in the family with a wonky pinky, but now I have Spencer in my club!!! Look at those! Almost exactly the same!

The Vet

2009-02-19T19:39:00.001-08:00

We were finally able to take the dogs to the vet last week. I was kinda nervous taking in two dogs, but the vet was so nice and handled them very well. It was a relief to finally get them caught up on their shots.

Look at these faces! So cute!

Check out our shiny new tags!

The best present...

2009-02-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

My pinky finger is so embarrassing. *sigh* Everyone makes fun of it... Its just a little shorter than most people's pinky fingers. Its special. I have been told it looks like a baby carrot. How sad...

For Valentines day this year Dave TOTALLy surprised me with a new wedding ring. When we got married we could only afford a plain band for me, and ever since then Dave has wanted to buy me a nicer ring. So he surprised me with this one. And it is exactly what I would have picked for myself.

Valentines Day

2009-02-17T19:54:00.000-08:00

This year was a great Valentines Day. Dave and I were able to get a new bed!!!! It was so exciting! We had been saving our money and sleeping on the smallest little full sized bed you have ever seen so when we finally had enough money to get a new one, we were thrilled! Our old bed was a hand me down from some friends in Cali. and we have been using it for almost 3 years. It had pieces of the boxspring sticking through the top, springs poking out the bottom, and it literally MOANED at us anytime we layed down. It was horrible. So, we upgraded. WE got a queen sized Sealy Posturpedic pillow top set at an amazing price and I looove it. And it is almost 4 feet tall so I feel like a queen sleeping in it. =) Too bad none of my queen sized comforters fit it.

My project...

2009-02-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

Lindsay and I thought it would be a great idea to paint the walls in our apartments. So we went together and bought the paint and all of the supplies. I only painted two accent walls, but I think that they turned out really good. I have plans to paint the other walls a nice warm tannish color, but haven't gotten to that yet.

Fun times with Shannon and Kami

2009-02-17T19:38:00.000-08:00

Shannon and Kami enjoyin' their popsicle. Shanny is such a good big sis for sharing.

I bought her these Wall-E jammies and she loves them. They are boy jammies, but oh well. She looks stinkin cute in them!

25 Things.... sort of...

2009-02-03T11:15:00.001-08:00

I thought it would be fun to list 25 things that people may not know about me. I have seen this on other blogs and they are always so fun to read, so here goes...

1. I LOVE chap stick. My favorite is Burt's Bees and I got 5 tubes of it for Christmas. I always have it on me.

2. I love to read. My favorite books to read are suspense novels and I really enjoy reading Dean Koontz and James Patterson. They are my favorite!

3. I can not sleep at night if the sheet on the bed has come up on one corner. It seriously stresses me out! If it is on Dave's side he will always get up and fix it for me because he knows I will WIG out BIG TIME if he doesn't.

4. My favorite fast food place to eat is Taco Bell. I love everything that they make. Anytime, day or night, and I am game for a Taco Bell run. Sooooo good!

5. My hair is naturally curly, but since I discovered the wonders of a hair straightener in high school, I have been wearing it straight. Thanks to Brianna and Heather for showing me this.

6. I have two dogs. Once is a lab mix named Clark, and the other is a jack russell named Daisy. They drive me nuts, but I love them to death.

7. I am obsessed with looking at my finances. I will check my bank account on-line 3 or 4 times a day. I don't know what I am expecting to see, but I do it anyways.

8. I lived in Utah for 2 or 3 years and while I was there I had the best roommates. I still keep in touch with my friend Emily and I love her to death. My other roommate died in a car accident and I think about her all the time. I had such a great time with all of them.

9. I have never been stung by a bee. Ever! Can you believe that??

10. MY favorite bands are Coldplay and Third Eye Blind. I could listen to them all the time.

11. I am very close to my family, specifically to my sisters, sister in-law, and of course my mom. I see them SEVERAL times through out the week and I love it. They are more than family, they are like my best friends.

12. My husband and I have been married for almost 3 years and for the first year of our marriage we lived in California. It was a blast! Now we are back in PA which is also nice because we are close to both of our families.

13. I love watching movies that take place during different time periods. Like the new Marie Antionette, The Other Bolelyn Girl, and The Duchess. But I also love Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. But I don't really care for movies that take place in the future. Its too Star Trek nerdy for me. =)

14. I am very sarcastic. Anyone who knows me will know this. I am also very quick witted. I will usually have some sort of witty sarcastic comment for anything you say.

15. I am a fan of crude and stupid humor. It just cracks me up.

16. Lately I have become a HUGE fan of guitar hero. I feel like such a rock star when I am playing.

17. Every year for my birthday my mom gets me a totally funny, and sometimes crude card and I love it. I know that cards from her and worth saving.

18. I LOVE watching TV show box sets. Ever since my husband and I have known eachother we have been watching box sets of TV shows that we like. Sometimes we end up buying them, but we also rent them too. We just recently finished a Showtime show Called Dexter, ( which I freaking LOVED! I was sad when I ran out of seasons to watch. But there is a new one coming out soon, and I can NOT wait!) and now we are watching Nip Tuck. I love it.

19. MY favorite food to eat is mexican, and my favorite restaurants are Cafe Rio and Chipotle. I am soooo sad that there is not a Cafe Rio around here. For those of you from UTah, I am so jealous that you can go there when ever you want. Chipotle is also awesome and they are finally putting one in close to here. I can't wait! I am going there as soon as it opens, so let me know if any of you want to come a long. Yummmmy!

20. I have been working in banking since I was 18 and I love it. I am really lucky to have found this career because it pays really well even if you don't have a degree.

21. One of my best friends growing up committed suicide and I miss him terribly. I think about him every day and it just breaks my heart. It was more than 10 years ago, but it still hurts.

22. I love to write letters and notes. When my husband and I were dating I would leave notes at his apartment, and on his car every time we saw each other.

23. I love art! I love going to art galleries and admiring the beautiful work. My favorite art galleries are in Park City Utah which I first found with my friend Ang Meraklis. I went there all the time to walk around because it was a stress reliever for me. I also love hanging art in my house.

24. I love to swim. My Pap taught me to swim when I was 3 and since then I have not been able to stay away from the water. I especially love the ocean. The bigger the waves, the better.

25. I am TOTALLY afraid of walking over things that do not have bottoms to them. Specifically storm grates in the sidewalks. I just can not do it and I jump over them every time. I freak out.

Ok well I have one more, so this will actually be 26 things. Oh well...

26. I hate being poked. If I even think that some one is going to poke my sides, I jump. And husband and brothers just think it is soooo dang funny to mess with me and poke my sides. Most of the time they don't even touch me and I still jump really bad. ITs crazy.

Well, there you have it. and going back through and reading all of that totally made me think that I am a crazy person. Haha... I'm a nerd. =)

UpDaTe

2009-02-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

So, things for Dave and I are starting to look up. I have a job interview coming up and my unemployment money FINALLY went through. It only took me 8 weeks to get it though! So that really has helped us out a lot. But for now I am keeping myself busy by working on projects around my apartment. Cross your fingers for me that I get this job I am interviewing for!

TeA PaRtY

2009-01-10T19:21:00.001-08:00

Meggie and Shannon dug through the play room and found hats for their guests.

Poor Mr. Monkey. All that Shannon could find for a hat for him was her snow boot.

Even Eve got all decked out in princess bling!

While Meggie was napping Shannon had a her own tea party with all of her friends.

The Princess Girls

2009-01-10T19:18:00.001-08:00

Mom got these princess outfits for the girls when they play tea party. They just LOVED it!

Funny Shannon

2009-01-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

I was over at my mom's house this week baby sitting the girls and we had a little too much fun!

Job Search '09

2009-01-02T13:47:00.001-08:00

And the job search for me drags on for another 2 weeks. I have been looking all over the place a job and applying to lots of openings, but I still haven't heard back from anyone. I have never had this much trouble finding a job before. Please let me know if any of you out there have any suggestions for me. =(

Fun Slide Show

2008-12-27T18:41:00.001-08:00

My Amazing Parents

2008-12-26T22:55:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was a lot of fun. The best part was being able to spend time with Dave and my family. My Mom and Dad really went above and beyond this year and got each person a 72 hour kit complete with MREs and a portable potty! They have done such a tremendous job at making sure that everyone in my family is prepared for whatever the future may hold, and for that I am sooo grateful! My Mom and Dad also gave us the best gift that they could ever give us. They started writing down their personal histories for us. This year we received information about how they grew up and each Christmas we will get more stories that we can add to the folders they gave us. It was so amazing to sit and read stories about my parents that I had never heard before. I know that receiving these stories will be the highlight of many Christmas seasons to come. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for being everything to me. I could not ask for better parents.

Christmas Day at my mom's house...

2008-12-26T22:47:00.001-08:00

Any time you have the camera Meghan HAS to see what the picture looks like on the screen. She will say " I see, I see, I see, I see...." over and over again until you give in.

Guitar Hero was a hit this Christmas. Everyone played it all day long!

Sweet Baby!

My mom got Shannon and Meghan a clothing trunk that was filled with princess outfits. Shannon is wearing hers while playing with the foot massager we got my mom for Christmas.

The usual chaos while passing out presents, and Dad is the lucky one again to do the passing. It was a lot of fun!

Christmas Morning At the Neimans

2008-12-26T22:43:00.001-08:00

wow... it looks like we got a lot of presents even though money was SUPER tight this year. It was a lot of fun opening all the presents though.

Daisy and Dave. She absolutly loves him!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-26T22:35:00.001-08:00

What can I say... Kami is adorable!

Every year we pull names for Christmas presents because there are too many people in the family to buy a present for everyone and lucky Dad is always the one to pass out the presents. He was getting attacked by the grandkids.

I got to buy presents for Shannon and Kami. I got them a movie, two books, and I got Shannon some Tinkerbell underwear which she thought went on her head. It was so funny.

Every Christmas Eve we also do fondue for dinner and it is soooo good. We have two pots with oil in them and we fry anything from cheese to meat and shrimp. Its a tasty tradition!

Meggie and Spencer got a Mr. Potatoe head for Christmas and here she is trying on the glasses looking less than thrilled. She is such a stinker.

Sleep over at Aunt Jolene's house!

2008-12-26T22:31:00.000-08:00

Meghan climbing on my bed to brush my hair... can you see how long her hair is getting?!?!

Spencer sleeps in bed with me when he comes over. He is such a crazy sleeper! Not only does he kick me in my back, but he also talks and laughs in his sleep. Its kinda freaky!

I gave Meggie a bath and painted her fingernails. Good quality girl time. =)

Cute Meggie

2008-12-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

This is a cute video that I found of Meggie dancing in the car. I think she is hilarious when she points her fingers and trys to sing a long.

Last week was a rough week....

2008-12-17T13:28:00.001-08:00

Reasons why I am glad last week is over:
1. Wednesday: The toilet in my upstairs apartment overflowed and leaked downstairs into the kitchen. It was such a huge mess! We lost a lot of our groceries and had to take EVERYTHING out of the cabinets so they could dry. Then we realized that the water was leaking out of two NEW spots above our breakfast bar. The pictures below show the big mess.
2. Thursday: Brooke miscarried for the SECOND time. It was horrible and very frusterating for all of us.
3. Friday: I was fired from my job. I loved my job so much and poured my whole heart into my work, and I was let go. It is the worst feeling in the world. So, right now I am on the job hunt... again.
*whew* what a crummy week!

The bowls on the counter are catching all of the water pouring out of the cabinets.

The two ovals were FILLED with water. Luckily they never completely burst, instead they just leaked a steady stream of water on the counter.

Jeppy....

2008-12-17T10:26:00.000-08:00

Jeff sent us this picture of him and his companion at a baptism. I miss him so much! But he looks like such a stud in this picture!

Cutest Kids!

2008-12-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

I happen to think that I have the CUTEST nieces and nephew in the world. I am showing these pictures as proof!

Coats for the doggies

2008-12-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

Dave and I decided... well, ok, I decided by myself that the dogs needed coats because it is winter time. So we got them matching Old Navy puff coats. It is hilarious to listen to them "swoosh" around the apartment!

Oh Christmas Tree

2008-12-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

I love my Christmas tree this year! Its not a very traditional tree because I use a lot of bright colors, but its fun and I love the way it looks!

This one is for Lindsay

2008-12-09T20:02:00.001-08:00

This is my first attempt at adding effects to a picture. Lindsay inspired me. =)

New Dog.... Daisy

2008-08-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

So, this is our new dog Daisy. There is a WHOLE big story about how she came to live with us: she walked into the bank I work at and since we didn't know who she belonged to my mother in-law agreed to take her. We found the owner and gave her back, but two weeks later she was back at the bank again. So my mother in-law took her again, and this time the owners told her to keep Daisy. ( What a bunch of jerks, huh? ) So, she has been living with my mother in-law for a few months, but they recently moved to a new apartment that only allows one pet. Since she already had a dog other than Daisy, we volunteered to take her. Sure, she is cute and adorable, but she came with a whole set of issues. Oh well. We love her though.

Clark is ALWAYS pestering her and wanting to play but I think that she just gets annoyed by him. Like a typical man, he just doesn't take a hint.

I thought that this picture was cute because it shows how Daisy eats. She picks out the pieces of food she wants, puts them on the mat, and then eats them one by one. Strange...

Fun Pictures of Spencer and Meggie

2008-08-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

We had an activity at the bank I work at and Bridgette brought Spencer and Meghan to visit me. I LOVE it when she brings the kids to the branch. Here is Meghan in a chef's hat that Bridge had bought for Spencer.

Spencer with the chef's hat on. What a nut.

Me and Meggie. She is so adorable!

Clark and the New Apartment

2008-08-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

We have a balcony that is off our bedroom and Clark LOVES to go out there and check things out. He just hangs out most of the time and basks in the sunlight.

Clark ALSO likes the window in the kitchen. One of these days I know he is going to see food and jump right through there.

Clark is passed out on Dave after a long day of sniffing the carpet. ( seriously, he does it all the time. )

New Apartment!!!

2008-08-30T15:04:00.001-07:00

In July my husband and I moved to a new apartment that is TONs closer to where each of us work. It is not as nice as the one we lived in before; only because it is about 20 years older. But it is a nice two beadroom townhouse so we are really excited. My brother and sister in-law already live here, so I was really excited for that too. Anyways, here are some pictures of the kids " helping" me move in =)

This is the closet in my dining room. They camped out in there eating ice cream sandwiches.

This is a window thingy that is right above my kitchen sink and looks out into the living room. The kids think that it is sooo cool that they can stand on the landing on the stairs and poke their heads in at me.

Shannon got totally BUSTED playing in my make-up that night. They were SUPPOSED to be in my room watching a movie, but little did I know that she was putting on my make-up and Spencer was doing his hair with my mousse. Needless to say Shannon and Spencer got put in time out, but not for too long. How can you be mad at a face like that???

Exercise...

2008-06-01T07:52:00.001-07:00

So I made the commitment to loose some weight, and I roped Dave into doing it with me. He is great at keeping me motivated, especially on the days when I want to be lazy. We told ourselves last week that we would exercise every day this past week, and we did it! I walked with Dave and our dog for most of the days, and walked with Lindsay and the girls the other day out of the week. I know that walking doesn't burn a huge amount of calories, but atleast it gets me into a routine of walking. I am really trying to eat better and watch my portions, which I think is even harder that exercising. But I'm going to keep at it.

And the diet continues....

2008-05-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, this whole diet and exercise thing is proving to be a lot harder for me here at home then it was for me in Cali. I hate to say it but I think that it was because I wasn't living around my family. Honestly, I know that all of the family dinners are whats killin me. Mymoms cookin is so friggin good, and its hard to say no. But I am trying. Anyways, I have been doing good this week. Last night I did more exercises in my house, and wow am I sore! My legs hurt so bad from doing all of those dang squats. And then tonight when I got home I took Clark on a walk which was really nice. We walked for about 35 minutes and I was hurtin by the time we were done. I have also been eating better too. I decided that a diet is just not going to work for me, and lets face it, most diets just suck. So I decided to just correctly portion what I am eating and it seems to be working. I am totally dedicated to this and I hope that other people join me. I am just sick of being overweight, and I am sick of my clothes not fitting. Does anyone else out there feel my pain??? Its a hard knock life... =)

Day one of the diet....

2008-05-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

ok, so day one... not so bad. I woke up and ate breakfast just like I said I would, even though all I had time to grab was a granola bar... No matter what I do, or how early I get up, I am always, ALWAYS running late in the morning. Thus, the reason for the pathetic breakfast. sheesh... Anyways, lunch wasn't so good because Sarah Coy came and visited me at work. And you know that when someone comes and visits you at work you HAVE to go out to lunch. Its in the "friend/family member" rule book. Seriously, look it up! =) So, lunch kinda blew my diet plans, but I vowed to do better at dinner. And I did. I ate some refried beans inside a tortilla with a liiiiiitle bit of cheese. Not even enough cheese in there to taste it, but I KNEW it was there and that was all the comfort I needed. So, then for my exercise I decided to try something new, and I exercised while I was watching TV. Every time a commericial came on I got up and exercised until my show came back on. I did crunches, squats, girly push-ups, and even running in place. And WOW did I get a work out. I'm sure I looked like a nut, but it was actually a very good work out! I got in about 125 crunches, 30 push ups, 20 squats, and about 10 minutes of running in place. It really was not a bad deal. So, anyways, That was my day. not too shabby. Sure beats Taco Bell and a night with the remote. =)

My new goal

2008-05-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is me. AFTER I have gained back all of the weight that I lost in Cali and then some! So... I was thinking, and I know that I need to start loosing weight again, but everytime I think about it I just get lazy and put it off for another week. But now, after seeing what I look like lately, I have decided to get my butt into gear. And I have also decided to update my blog daily with the info on how I am doing with my weight loss goal so keep you all updated on my progress. And it would be really awesome if all of you would do it with me. I am totally serious about this, and it would be great if we could all do it together. So, my goal for this week is to work out every other day and to eat breakfast every day. I usually skip that meal, which leads to me pigging out by lunch time. Ok, I'll update as I go along. Who's with me?

Dave and Clark... Best Friends

2008-05-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

Dave and Clark LOVE sleeping together. Seriously, I catch them sleeping on the couch together all the time. Which is funny because I don't like it when Clark is on the couch. But Dave is the nice parent. =) Anyways, they are totally snuggle buddies.

Aww... look at them. So cute =)

My new Job!

2008-05-18T05:56:00.000-07:00

I recently started a new job with Graystone bank and I LOVE it! I left the old bank I worked at because it was HORRIBLE, and found a job that I truly love. The office that I worked at just opened on May 12th, and the office is brand new. They hired me as the Branch Sales Manager, which basically means that I am the branch manager. Wahoo! Its a great place.

This is a shot of my office before they moved all of my furniture in. It is so nice to have my own office with my own things in it. Everyone needs to come visit me at work!

Me and Kammy

2008-05-18T05:52:00.000-07:00

This was taken shortly after Kamyden was born and I just love it. She is probably the cutest little girl in the world! I absolutly LOVE holding her and putting her to sleep. Except lately she has gotten into a habit of spitting up on me EVERY time I hold her. Oh well, I still looover her!

Dave and I

2008-05-18T05:50:00.000-07:00

I took advantage of the fact that we would be taking some family pictures and snagged a few of just Dave and I.

The Family Pics

2008-05-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

For mother's day this year we decided to take some pictures of the family while my mom and dad were in AZ visiting her family. It was really fun to get all of us together.

For the kids, this was kinda the best that we could get. They were all over the place. Go Figure

Making some ducks =)

2008-03-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had some friends come over and help me make these cute little duck eggs which we are selling for charity at the bank I work at. They are so stinkin cute!

Close up shot of one. This is my favorite one because of the polka dot bow tie!
These are my partners in crime: Monette and Ashley
All three of us after a long hour of feathers and hot glue. What a mess!

Cute Meggie and Shannon

2008-03-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

I happen to think that I have the CUTEST nieces in the WORLD! Here are some pictures to prove it!

Random Pictures....

2008-02-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

My name is Clark! I like to jump and bug Dave and Jolene ALL day!

This is a regular thing. Us eating and Clark sitting and looking at us. He does it all the time!

This is Dave on his first day of school... awwwww.....

NEW BABY!!!!!

2008-02-08T17:05:00.000-08:00

This is probably the worst picture of me, but the baby sure does look cute!

Tonight I got to go to the hospital and see new baby Kamdyn. She is soooo cute! She looks nothing like her sister because she has the cursed Shoemaker nose! She also has black hair which she gets from Lindsey's side of the family because we all know that the Shoemakers are nothing but blonde hair and blue eyes. She is just so dang cute! This just makes me even more baby hungry! Dave and I are trying but nothing yet. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

New Post!!!! Finally!!!

2008-01-25T17:36:00.000-08:00

So, I finally got a new camera so I will now be able to update my blog more than once a year. Unfortunatly at this point the only interesting thing I have to take a picture of is Clark. I love how in both of these pictures you can see the little white brisley hairs he has on his chin. What a nerd!

2007-05-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

Daves Marathon!!!

2007-04-29T17:19:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, my husband has been training for the Big Sur Marathon for over two months now. And this week end all of his hard work finally paid off! For me, the whole concept of a marathon was foreign territory. I had no idea what to expect, and this being his first marathon, he really didn't know either.. Dave's training included running, weight training and dieting. Weekends leading up to the race were especially hard because Dave would use those days to complete his long training runs which were anywhere from 15-20 miles long. So, needless to say, he was VERY excited for the weekend of the actual race to get here. yesterday we went to Monterey and picked up his race packet which included several phamplets, his chip timer ( this is something that you stick on your shoe that times you as you cross the finish line) his bib number, and this nice red shirt.

Look at the goofy grin! So, early this morning (sunday) we got up at 3:00 am to take Dave and his friend to meet the busses in Monterey. Since the race starts in Big Sur, they bus all of the participants there. Here is a picture of Dave all ready to go this morning.

3960.. a lucky number =) After I dropped him off I went back home and slept for a while. But Dave hopped on the bus and rode out to Big Sur. The race didn't actually start until 6:45, but there were like 5000 participants, so it took a while to get organized. The weather was really foggy and cold today, but Dave said that made it nice because he didn't really get too hot or too cold. He also said that the first 15 miles went by really easy and he wasn't hurting at all. Dave ran up until the last 3 miles when he started walking because of the pain in his legs. But as he saw the finish line he sprinted to the finish line and ended with an AWESOME time of 3:49. He was shooting for 4:10, so he did a lot better than he though he would.

This is just a shot of what the finish line looked like. Unfortunatly I didn't catch Dave crossing the line. I have NO idea how I missed him because I was standing right by the finish line, but oh well.. I was still there...

This is Dave after the race. They gave all of the marathon participants a medal if they finished under 6 hours. Its a hand made medallion which is pretty cool. Hes still got the same goofy grin on, but the grin soon left as he tried to walk around the house. His legs are hurting pretty bad.

This is the only injury he had. A blister developed on his ankle which popped and then bled for the last half of the marathon. The whole bottom part of his sock was soaked in blood. Gross huh? For his first marathon everything went really well and I am so proud of him. He worked so hard and I am glad that he was able have such a good experience. He's gonna do more in the future, but the very DISTANT future. =)

Clark being a dummy...

2007-04-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

So, we have this little area that is all enclosed outside of the kitchen door. And I let Clark hang out out there as long as he is chained to the pole. Well, one day, he got sneaky and "army crawled" under the fence. But the hilarious thing was that he couldn't get back through! In these pictures he is totally stuck! I was laughing so hard!

who knew that Clark would LOOOOVE apples? They are one of his favorite things to eat! Go figure...

Jolene Getting Beat Up

2007-04-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

Dave and I were messing around the other night with the camera. It completly looks like he is beating me up!

And these are the " I'm sorry for beating you up" flowers... haha... just kidding... he got me flowers and had them delivered to me at work. It really made my day. And all of the other girls who work with me were totally jealous! haha..

Clark 'N Dave

2007-04-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is what clark does when we put him outside. Basks in the sunlight... =)
Dave found out that this was a good way to keep Clark from jumping on you... to just grab his hands and dance with him when he jumps. Its really funny..
Sorry for the full frontal of Clark, but Dave is actually lifting him off of the ground. Clark is a big 'ol dog. He weighs about 60 pounds or so...

Walking around Fisherman's Wharf

2007-03-03T11:07:00.000-08:00

I was warned by a friend before we went to San Francisco that mimes would be everywhere... And sure enough, there they were... it was so awesome.. They had loud music playing and were dancing all over the place. I decided to give them a couple bucks to get a picture of them, and they cam out and danced with me. It was hilarious.

Me and the mime...

A shot of the wharf... there were boats everywhere, and it kinda smelled like fish.. .go figure..

After Alcatraz... LUNCH!

2007-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

After Alcatraz we were sooo hungry. So we went to the Hard Rock Cafe and ate lunch. It was a blast. And the salad that I had was soo good... yummmmmm...

Inside Alcatraz

2007-03-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

As a part of the tour they give you these headsets to wear as a part of an audio tour. This way you can walk around the cell block at your own pace with out a tour guide. It was really awesome.. even though we kinda look like nerds.. =) Ok, well, I look like a nerd.. Sarah always looks good...

This was one of the typical jail cells... Very small. But one of the escape attempts made on the island was actually made by using a spoon to carve out the vent that you can see at the bottom of the sink. Crazy, huh? Those guys made it out and into the water, but were never found.

This is the library. The prisoners could not actually go to the library. All the books were brought to them. Most of the prisoners were in their cells for 23 hours out of the day. Crazy people like Al Capone, and others who were "high risk"
One of the worst things that former prisoners said about the prison was the view that they could see from the prison. San Francisco sat just far away enough from them to taunt them... The view is really nice, huh?

Alcatraz

2007-03-03T10:49:00.000-08:00

This is just another shot of the island from the ferry, but I like it because you can see a lot of the buildings. The big building at the top of the island is the main cell block.
This is the building right on the dock where they would unload all prisoners... people such as Al Capone... cool huh? This building was first built by the military to be a bomb resistant shelter. But as the military weapons progressed, the shelter became not to bomb-proof. The rooms at the top were added later to act as apartments for the guards and their families to stay in.

The tower behind me was where the guards would have to sit all day to watch the island.

Our Trip to Alcatraz

2007-03-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

This weekend Sarah and I were able to end her trip in a great way! We decided to take the day on Friday and go to San Francisco. It was a BLAST! San Francisco is only about 2 hours from my house in Monterey and it was really easy to get to. The night before we left we booked tickets for the Alcatraz tour on-line and also booked a hotel room so we could stay the night. On the way to San Francisco we got stuck in some crazy traffic, so by the time we made it to our hotel to park, we only had about 15 minutes to BOOK IT to Fisherman's Wharf and catch our ferry to Alcatraz. So, we ran about 9 blocks, and made it in perfect time. This is a shot from the front of the ferry as we came upon the island.

It was SOOOOO windy on top of the ferry, but sooo much fun.

The Monterey Aquarium

2007-03-01T12:29:00.000-08:00

The Monterey Aquarium is not quite as big as the Baltimore aquarium, but it was a lot of fun! There was so much to see and a lot of it was hands on. There were several areas that had touch pools, and even a special floor just for kids to play in. The room below was a cool room because over your head was a giant pool that you could watch little fish swim around in.

I thought the penguins were sooo cute! They were taking turns sliding down the rocks into the pool.

More Good Times

2007-03-01T12:25:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I went to the outdoor mall here in Monterey, and they have this excellent jewelry shop there. So, I decided that I would by us matching rings... haha... Iknow that all of you can tell which hand is mine.. =)

Sarah taking FOREVER to order her meal.. .Sheesh...

Poor Clark... he gets so sad when I leave him during the day...

Our Day at the Beach

2007-03-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I FINALLY had a good day of weather, so we decided to take advantage of that and go to the beach. This is the beach that is about 5 minutes from my house. From this spot you can see across the bay to Monterey and Santa Cruz. I think that this is one of the most beautiful places here. I know that the water looks nice, but don't let it fool you. This beach is NOT for swimming or laying out. The water is FREEZING all year long, and the beach has TONS of sand flies that bite all over you.

This is the view of Monterey across the bay.

Clark being a BAD DOG!

2007-02-26T19:46:00.000-08:00

This is Clark on "quarantine" because he was a bad dog... Hes hilarious when I put him in his crate. He will go in and turn his back to me, and if I try to pet him through the bars, he nipps at my fingers like hes telling me to leave him alone. I know that the "experts" say that you shouldn't put a dog in his crate when he is bad, but honestly sometimes I need a break from him.

We have a back sliding door that leads from our living room out to a fenced in yard, so sometimes I put him out there for a while to go potty and play in the mud. He is the only dog that I know buries his bones in yard and chases his own tail. He really will chase his own tail for like 30 seconds... he's such a dork..

Sarah Came to Town!!!

2007-02-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

My best friend from high school, Sarah Coy, has come out to visit me in good 'ol Cali. We have been having a blast together. She got into town on Saturday. Sunday I took her on a tour of Fort Ord, the closed down military base I live on, as well as a tour of the town I live in. Monday I took her on a tour of downtown Monterey which has a lot of old shops and art gallerys. The weather wasn't really cooperating with us, so we decided to bag the outdoor activities and went to lunch and a movie. Here we are in my house doing what we love... watching movies and being crazy..

Sarah had to earn her keep around here, so I told her she had to dress the military part and do some drills... haha... I think that she could make it in the military. Maybe... =)

POISON! ARGH!

2007-02-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

So, when we went camping in Big Sur, I just so happen to be the only one besides my friends husband, to pick up a case of poison oak. It started as a little patch on the bottom of my left wrist, and that quickly spread to the rest of my arms and face. My left wrist is now swelled up like a balloon, and my face is also pretty swelled. If you look you can see that the poison is on my cheek and on my eyelid. It is terrible.

All of the patches of gauze are where my poison is.... I tried to cover it up so that I wouldn't scratch at it. It helps my arms, but now I just want to scratch all over my face. I got some medicine from the doctor, so hopefully that works... we'll see. And P.S. for all of you closest to me, you know I have been working out and loosing weight... but in this picture I seem to have a big 'ol double chin. Well, thats actually the poison on my chin and it swelled up as well. =)

Camping in Big Sur

2007-02-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

This is Clark on the way to camping. This ball thingy is the only thing that we can use to keep him occupied... It only worked for a little bit, then he was jumping all over us in the car. What a nerd.. Sorry I don't have more pictures of camping.. .Clark here decided to FREAK out and chew a hole in our tent, so we had to end the trip early. Needless to say we spent the night camping out in our car with him.

This is our friend's kid, Isaiah... He loved to play with Clark and keep him company in the bushes.
The water fall at the state park we were at. It was so pretty.

Big Sur

2007-02-26T19:10:00.000-08:00

This is Big Sur. Its a stretch of coast right a long highway 1 and it is beautiful! Its just like you would see in the movies. The water is crystal blue so you can see right to the bottom. This is actually the route that Dave is going to be running when he runs the Big Sur marathon in May. The road is so windy and hilly, but well worth the drive... There were SEVERAL times that I gasped because the cliffs were so beautiful, and because I thought we were going to fall into the ocean! =)

This is the Family. Just the three of us...

The Newest Member of the Family =)

2007-02-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

This is Clark our new dog... isn't he cute??? I have been thinking a lot lately about getting a dog, so a few weeks ago, Dave and I went to the SPCA here in Monterey. They had a lot of dogs, but Clark was really playful and entergetic so we got him. We just didn't realize how much energy he really has... He has A LOT! And he is a chewer, so I have to have toys around all the time for him to chew on... We know that he has Lab in him, and I was thinking that he also has a little Pitt bull in him.. what do you think?

I just love this close up shot oif him.. it looks like one of those cards you see in the store with the big heads of the animals... haha...

If you have a dog that chews apart every toy that you get him, go to the store and get him a Nylabone toy... He loves it, and can't chew it up... its great!

SaNtA CrUz

2006-11-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

Dave and I decided to take a trip to Santa Cruz this past weekend. Its only about 45 minutes away, and I was told that it had a pretty good "boardwalk". Yeah... riiiight...

Do you guys like my "California" sunglasses??? haha...
This boardwalk was soo tiny compared to the ones in Jersey... It was fun, but kinda dissapointing.

Whos the dork who can't work the camera?? ohhh.. thats me... =)

Our House

2006-10-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is our house... I think that it looks kinda weird from the outside, but the military pays for it. So no complaints here.. =)

2006-10-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

Dave and I just being goofy...

Monterey Bay

2006-10-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

These are some shots of the Monterey Bay from where Dave goes to school. It is always this pretty here!

The Wildlife

2006-10-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone back home that I talk to has a hard time believing the stories I tell about the crazy wildlife here. Well, here is proof. The other morning while Dave was on his way to school this buck appeared out of no where and just started walking down the street. It was acting just like it was a car, even moving to the side to let other cars pass. Dave said it wasn't scared of the cars at all, just moving with the traffic on the road. Its crazy here... and Dad, I would like to point out that you had to go hunting for YEARS to get your buck, and we have them here just walking in the road... Go figure!

Where I work

2006-10-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

The outside of Credit Union... Its a reallllly old branch... I think that it first opened up when the base opened up a long time ago.. It still has that old 70's style decorations inside.
This is my friend Jemma who works at the Credit Union with me. She has become a really good friend as well...

This is a shot of my station at the Credit Union... Its kinda messy, but I have a lot of stuff to do there all the time. Hey, mom if you look close, my screen saver is the one of you, Shannon and Spencer at the Apple Festivel

The Tapia Kids!!!!!

2006-10-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

This is Ezekiel... Also called "Z" or as he would like to remind you, "Gummi" He is the youngest of 3 boys and he is 3 years old. He loves playing with Dave, but you have to watch him because he is always tryin find snacks in the kitchen..
This is Isaiah and Gabriel... Isaiah is 4 and Gabriel is 5. All of the boys stick together like glue and are a blast to hang out with! Sure does make me miss my own crazy nephew though... Yeah, thats you Spencer! =)

I think Isaiah is such a little stud!

And this is the youngest of the Tapia clan. Her name is Arianna and she is a doll! You wouldn't know it by this picture, but she laughs and smiles all the time. But that hasn't always been the case. It has taken her a while to warm up to me. At first all she did was glare at me... but i kinda forced her to like me, and now we're best friends... haha...

Our Friends

2006-10-14T23:04:00.000-07:00

***Sandy and Edward Tapia***
Dave goes to school with Edward at the Defense Language Institute learning to speak Farsi, and through that they became really good friends. And once Sandy, his wife, and I met, we became good friends as well. We basically hang out every weekend, and most nights through out the week. They have become our family out here, and we are very grateful for their friendship.

The Day of the Ping Pong Table

2006-10-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

Since I was able to get this great digital camera, Dave thought that maybe he needed a present too... So...enter the Ping Pong Table! It was kinda a pain to put together, but the night we got it, Dave and our friend Edward spent 4 hours playing!

Welcome to Our House!!!

2006-10-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

These are just a few shots of our house. The kitchen is kinda ghetto, but nice at the same time. Now don't get too excited thinking that we have a nice dishwasher and washer and dryer. The dishwasher has a habit of making everything dirter, and the clothes washer just stops when ever it feels like it. Oh, well... But the rest of the house is great. We have more than enough space... Four bedrooms and two bathrooms to be exact. So if anyone wants to come visit, feel free!

2006-09-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pictures yet....

Hey everyone.. I thought that I would give this thing a whirl because all of my family is having such a good time with it. Unfortunatly I have no access to any pictures yet... So, for right now, you will just get my boring 'ol words... I'm in Cali now... Dave and I are enjoying our time here. Me more than him though. =) Hes going to school, while I just work and enjoy the beautiful area! It is a great experience though. We are making friends with other military couples, which is nice because for a while we were forced to talk to just eachother! =) But we miss everyone a lot, and are looking forward to christmas break when we can come home and visit! I know this is lame with out the pictures, so I will get some soon.. I hope!