Stelly Belly

Our family welcomed Stokes baby #4, Stella Kate, on November 16! She weighed in at 7 lbs 3 oz, and is absolutely perfect. Her brothers and sister are adorable with her, and Katie is back up and about like nothing happened. It is so fun having a baby in the family again. We all love her so much! Congratulations Katie and Nate.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum!

The Christmas season is officially here, kicked off with a killer snowstorm and our annual family Christmas tree hunt. This year proved especially challenging with over 2 feet of snow to wade through, and all the trees covered so you had to shake them off to see what they looked like. Katie and Stella stayed in the warm car, and Elise and Joe had other obligations, but the rest of us had a ton of fun and got a great workout tromping through the forest.

Me

I am...T. I guess that's a lot of things. I think...too many things. I have an opinion about everything. I'm working on not being so outspoken. I want...to be stable. secure. to not have to worry. I have...a great family. I don't know what I'd do without them. I wish...I were 5'8". I hate...that there is only one word in our language for LOVE. I use the same word to say I love diet coke as I do to say I love my family. That's not ok. I miss...the college days. What did I think was so stressful? I fear...cats. I know its not rational. I feel...a little cold. a little nervous for a new job. excited to go finish a quilt. I hear... Ben Folds. and that someone has sent me a message. I smell...nothing right now. I'd like to get rid of this cold. I search...for obscure things I obsess over at the time. My sister calls this questing. I wonder...how deep should I go with this? I wonder why I still haven't found him. I wonder why the road that found success for some doesn't for others. I wonder who I'll be one day. I regret...going on certain blind dates. I love...so many things. My family. China. A cold diet coke. Rocky Road ice cream. Fall. I care...about looking good. Blame it on the day job. I always...sleep too late. I hit snooze a million times and then run around frantically trying to leave the house on time. I am not...one to be lied to by mechanics. One of my biggest pet peeves, and I weirdly pride myself on not letting them take advantage of me. I believe... The unplanned life is no less a life. I heard that last night. I believe I'm here for a reason. One day I'll understand why. I dance...all the time. Last night I was dancing at the atm. I had Sam (who was in the car) convinced there was music playing out of it. I sing...all the time. I wish could I remember song lyrics better. Sam is the first guy I've dated who sings more than me. I love it. I don't...like loud music. If affects my mood too much. I write... rarely. I should be better. I win...Ticket to Ride when I play with Sam. I lose...to Sam at Uno. Every. Single. Time. I never... I listen... to clients all day. I'm gonna miss that. I love hearing about what is going on in their world and what makes them tick. I love figuring out how to make them happy. I can usually be found...at work. Or doing a project at home. I am scared of...failing. I read...everything. anything. clearance books. book club books. I am happy about...new possibilities. a bright future. discovering what's coming.

I tag Amie. Mel. J-Had. Anyone else who wants to.

Golden Living

For the past few months, I've been going to the Golden Living Center and working in the Beauty Shop there. At first I was apprehensive as to how well I would do there and whether or not I would enjoy it, but I quickly fell head over heels in love with the charming residents there. They are all such characters and have such a wealth of wisdom and life experiences to share.

A. MILLIE: Millie is such an imp. She had a little run-in with a case of head lice, and decided she had earned the right to shave her head. I was worried she had been coerced into doing it against her wishes, but she said "I've been doing my hair for 90 years. This is the easiest style I've ever had!" I've shaved it for her twice since and she plans to keep it that way. Every time she sees me she says "I love you. You know that?" Yes Millie, I do.

B. FAYE: Faye is such an example to me of finding the good in life. She is almost blind, and a few months back she had cancer removed from the tip of her nose. They replaced the skin on her nose with a piece from her scalp, so every morning she gets to shave the tip of her nose since it grows hair. :) She listens to audio books since she can't see, and her daughter comes to see her almost every day (another great example to me.) Faye parks her wheelchair across the hallway from her room to force herself to use her walker to get from her bed to her wheelchair--she is bound and determined to stay somewhat mobile.

C. DOROTHY: Dorothy moved in about the same time I started, and she is a little spit fire. She has been telling me a huge saga about how she is engaged to a man who's wife has a fatal illness, and they are waiting for the wife to die. Come to find out, the man is an employee at the Center, his wife is not dying, and my cute Dorothy is suffering from a little dementia. It breaks my heart every time I hear her talk about it.

D: LAPREAL: LaPreal is my little giggle and gossip buddy. She has very advanced Alzheimer's, and we have the same conversations every week. But I can tell you this: She loves her son, She loves California where she is from, and she was honest when she worked at a diner and because of that, when the owner passed away, she left it to LaPreal instead of the owner's nephew or sister. LaPreal always wants to hear about my dates and the boys in my life. :)

E: MELVIN & ILENE: aka Shrek and Ilene. Look again--it fits him. These two are a bit rough around the edges, but they are fiercely loyal. Ilene suffers from Bi-Polar Disorder, and some days are better than others. On the good days, she loves me. We won't talk about the bad days. Shrek gets in fights with half the other residents because he is so dang confrontational, but once you're in his good graces, you're in. They met at GLC and got married there.

F: LORETTA & JIM: Loretta and Jim also met and fell in love at Golden Living. Sweet Loretta had never been married, and at the age of 88 she met Jim. Yesterday I was walking past the love seat where they are always sitting (She usually doing word searches, him sleeping), and heard him say to her "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" and she just whispered "I know, I love you too."

G: MILES: Cute cute Miles. I had an affinity with him from the beginning because of his name. He reminded me of my energizer bunny nephew, Miles. He was always going and had a witty remark every time I saw him. He is 100% there mentally, but his health is now declining quickly, and he won't be with us much longer. But even as he is fading, he is always out and about, pushing himself along the halls with his feet, happy and cheerful as ever. Last week he even got a flu shot. :)

H: REGGIE: Reggie was one of the first that I met. He asked me if I had read the Book of Mormon. He comes and visits me every day that I work, and just stands in the door and watches. I'd love to know his whole story. I think he is a great, great man, trapped in an old body and mind.

I: PETER: Peter is like the Hare in the Tortoise and Hare story. You can hear him walking down the hall from a LONG way away. He has the most distinct footsteps. I've only cut his hair once, but every day he takes a few difficult steps out of his way to poke his head in the door and say hi. On good days he smiles and calls out "HELLOOOO!" and on bad days he pokes his head in and grunts, but he never walks past without saying something.

J: ZIGGY: Ziggy is my guardian angel. Also very advanced Alzheimer's, he asks me every day if he needs a haircut. He sits in the chair outside my beauty shop and tells me I'm working too hard and that I need to come sit by him. When I walk past his "post" in the hall, he'll always stop me for a hand squeeze or a hug. If I am running past and don't stop he'll say "There she goes, always runnin..." just to no one in particular. At the end of the day he sees me off and then goes to his room.

Like I said, I have fallen in love with these people. They truly have lived long hard lives, and have earned every grey hair and every wrinkle. Some have families, some are alone, but each of them have so much to offer. These are only a few of the people I get to associate with there, and I could write similar things about all of them. There's Shirley with her little dog Brandy, or June who collects soda cans for Sub for Santa, or Morris who I play Rummy with. There's Faun who lets me set her hair but not cut it, and Dave who brings me drinks just because. Rex is a Jazz fan, Felix likes to go to Dee's, and Mary Jane hates all her daughter-in-laws. Keith quits smoking every day, and Bob, who passed away a couple weeks ago, called me Billy Joel. Rudy is a bully, but Lucy has a crush on him. And don't forget Bob, who after proposing, told me all his wives but the last died from rat poison. That one died from a hit to the head. "She should have taken her rat poison," he joked. Recently someone told me to quit there, that there isn't money there. All I could say was "I don't work there for the money, I do it for my sanity." They have taught me that we are truly happier when we are serving others and making people happy. I've never been called Honey, Sweetie, or Darlin so often, I've never been proposed to or complimented by so many men, or been so bold in my attempts to make people smile. I am so excited to start my new job, but this is the sacrifice. I'm sad to leave the other salon where I've been working, but to leave here is heartbreaking. In only 4 months my life has been touched and changed for good.

This is Halloween

For my birthday, Sam picked up a haunted house gingerbread kit. We didn't have time to make it that night, and finally found a free night to put it together last night. We made quite the mess but had tons of fun.
Thanks Sammy!

USU Homecoming

Sam and I headed up to Logan on Saturday for the Homecoming game against Hawaii. We were all excited and geared up to go, got to the stadium on time, and found decent seats. About 2 minutes into the game it started sprinkling, and by halfway thru the 2nd quarter I was making a mad dash for the car soaking wet. Turns out the Aggies didn't like the rain so well either...
http://news.hjnews.com/sports/article_63d3d8a4-df35-11df-a2c6-001cc4c002e0.html?mode=story

Reason for Going Private...

...so lots of people are wondering why I am suddenly going private. I have no kids to protect, no home to worry about, no known stalkers. So why would I hide myself from the world?

BECAUSE I GOT A NEW JOB!!!

OK so I got a job offer. Which is contingent upon me passing a VERY intense background check. The recruiter I have been working with suggested making all my online profiles private so any googling of my name won't pull up crazy photos, stories, anecdotes, confessions, etc.

I am SO excited. I am going to be a financial analyst with a fairly large investment firm--so a huge career change for me. I've been thinking of making a move like this for a long time, but

a) I have been scared to leave the comfortable and known world of doing hair
b) I love my clients and most of my co-workers, so why would I leave them
and c) the job market has been less than desirable.

I finally worked up the nerve to start putting out resumes, and got form letter after form letter saying thanks, but no thanks. I finally got an interview with this company, and a nerve rattling 8 days later I got the offer.

I'm not naming the company on here because apparently there is tracking software that companies use to see where their names are popping up online. One of my friends blogged about her company and was called in to HR the next day. Who knew. But I'll give you a hint. Sam calls it G. Sax. :) Just don't give me away by guessing or mentioning the name on my comment form. :)

I'm so nervous, anxious, and exhausted after just the interviewing, drug test, and background check of this process. But I'm also excited and enthusiastic to take this plunge to furthering my knowledge in the financial world and use the degree I worked so hard for.

YAY!!!

Going Private...

So I really don't think that many people follow my blog, but for at least the next little bit I'm going private. And I'm not giving you much of a chance to get me your info, but I think most of you can reach me thru facebook or the real world (I know, who talks in the real world these days?!?) and I'll add you.

This might just be a temporary thing too...we'll see.

I may be biased...

...but isn't she beautiful?

A couple days ago, a lady at the retirement home where I work was complaining about the weather, and her husband said "It's Utah. Don't bother complaining, it'll be different in 10 minutes!"
On the drive home from Logan last week I watched the most beautiful weather and scenery, and thought "This is why I love fall!"

Cake Pops

• 

Saturday night after the Priesthood session, the girls set out on a quests to make cake pops. Mom was tired from babysitting all week so she went to bed, and Katie was sitting on a beach in Hawaii, so we missed both of them. But we managed to make a huge mess, have a ton of laughs, a few screams, and an overall great time. Not to mention the delicious cake pops the next day. :)

More Reasons to (heart) Fall:

*** Bonfires ***
*** Changing Leaves ***
*** Jackets ***
*** Crisp Air ***

Fat Cats

For Jackson and Lola's birthdays, we had a big birthday bash at Fat Cats. As you can see, it wasn't just the kids having themselves a good time.

(***apparently only Miles was ever around for pictures...I promise the other kids had fun too.)

Harvest Time

My Grandpa Fackrell has the greenest thumb I've ever encountered, and my whole life he has grown the HUGEST garden. Add that talent to his incredible generosity, and our family has always had a supply of fresh produce.

Yesterday my sisters and I went to his house for some grownup Trick-or-Treating and I came home with a huge bag of the most beautiful vegetables. He was so sweet to cut us a cabbage, pull us beets, pick corn, and divvy it all up into our little sacks. I cooked up some cabbage, green beans, corn, and sliced up a huge tomato for dinner and it was SO good!


Happy Harvest!

Flaming Gorge 2010

I have taken WAY too long to get this up here, but in July my family had our annual vacation at Flaming Gorge. We loaded up the boat with camping gear, ski and wakeboard gear, and TONS of food. By Wednesday night we had the whole clan there (minus Elise, who just didn't quite get home in time) and had the rest of the weekend to play.

The only disappointment was the weather--IT WAS FREEZING!!! Miles and I spent a fair amount of time huddled in what he dubbed "our spot" out of the wind with a blanket on our laps, and everyone would jump in for a quick run and then spend the rest of the day getting warm again.

Some of the highlights included Jumbo S'mores, Dinners with Jim and Patti's family and Grandma and Grandpa, Playing games, Reading, Throwing sticks to the dogs, Eating, and just being together.

Katie's kids were such good sports--Lola was the first one to jump in one morning! I think by the look on her face she immediately regretted that decision, but they had fun and were great campers!

FALL!!!

Anyone who knows me can tell you what my favorite season is.

I'm so excited--let the festivities begin!

Today, I'm content.

LAGOON: Its what FUN is!

Yesterday the WOODROSE #1 gang headed to Lagoon for some fun in the sun. Oh boy did we live it up! Some of the highlights:

Our first ever time on WICKED--which of course had to be repeated
Icees, Churros, Pretzels, and Mikeshakes
Terror Ride (...for us girls...)
Standing in line for an HOUR for Samurai
The Bathroom (...for Sean...he he...just kidding Sean)
RUNNING like 13 year-olds to the Rocket when they re-opened it
Music Express (...for Mel and I...)
Waiting in line for Rattlesnake Rapids only to decide we were too wimpy to get wet in the cold
The Screamer (...for Chad...)
The guy climbing over a fence to retrieve a quarter
The Spider (...for Amie...oh wait, maybe her screaming "I DON'T LIKE THIS!!! means it wasn't a highlight...)

By 7 p.m. we were all tuckered out and headed to Texas Roadhouse for some delicious dinner and line dancing.

These girls are some of my very best friends and their husbands are better than we could have asked for. It was such a fun day to catch up, reminisce, and plan for the future. I'm so glad we've stayed so close in the 6 years since I first became a roommate!!!

Bein' Crafty

I've been feeling like being crafty lately.

Luckily, August birthdays were coming up. So I got to make aprons for Katie and Chel. I had the hardest time picking out the fabric. You know that warm bubbly feeling you get in a shoe store? Fabric stores are like that too.

I wrapped them up with a cake mix...

Then it was time for the watermelon cake I saw on a cover of a magazine. 4 tubs of frosting later...

Yummmm!

This piece didn't make it to its full potential...

...on second thought, maybe it did...

I had tons of fun and learned a few new tricks. Now if i can just find time to clean up the mess!

Bear Lake

Last weekend I went with a bunch of friends to Bear Lake. We had so much fun staying in the USU cabin, playing games, eating tons of food, watching the stars, sitting around the bonfire, and just laughing. There was a big group, about 20 people there, with Jeff and Dennis's boats.

Monday morning we headed out onto the lake, and although it was cold (56 degrees in the water, 59 in the air) we had tons of fun. I braved the first ski run of the morning and it was great. About 10 the sun came out and we were loving it.

Around noon we set out for one last run before heading home. That's when trouble hit. I have never seen a storm come up so fast, and I've never seen waves that big anywhere but the ocean. 5 of us were in Dennis' boat, and it was the first time he had taken it out. By the time we reached the beach the waves were about 3 feet high and were coming over the bow of the boat. Jeff and Scott headed to the marina in Jeff's boat about 5 minutes before we did, and in that 5 minutes the waves about doubled in size and we knew we couldn't make it in Dennis' boat. We tied the boat to a little dock at Sweetwater where they rent their boats, and as the waves came into the bow I bailed water as fast as I could. I would literally just get it emptied when another wave would fill it. Scott was bringing the trailer to this side of the lake, so I was hoping to keep the water out until he got there.

Dennis had gone up to talk to the guys at Sweetwater, but they wouldn't help us because of liability issues. It was such a frustrating feeling. The waves were getting bigger and bigger, and they were watching the boat fill with water, unable to help. I was soaking wet and freezing cold, but its amazing what adrenaline will do to you and I honestly didn't even notice it. Craig was trying to hold the boat from being smashed against the docks, and as I was bailing he suddenly yelled "T! Watch out!" I stood up in time for a wave about 8 feet high to wash over me, slamming me into the windshield, and filling the entire bow. And with that, the front half of the boat went under.

I've never been so scared. I looked at Craig and said "What do we do?" We had been trying to keep it off the beach since its a V-drive and it will ruin the prop, but at that point Craig said untie it--let it wash up on the shore. Have you ever tried to untie a boat that is being pulled away from where it is tied? The ropes were taut, so we couldn't untie them. I tried to get it out from where I was, in the half sunk boat, but the handle of the ski rope (which we had used to tie it) was too big to fit through the railings. Craig finally managed to get it untied from the dock, and we started to rotate it around. We got it turned 90 degrees, so it was parallel with the beach, when another huge wave pushed it up on the sand. This whole time I've been standing in 4 feet of water in the bow of a sinking boat.

At that point there was nothing to do but start grabbing everything and get it onto the shore. There were 4 of us there, and I just started handing out life jackets, ropes, skis, phones, cameras, everything. By the time we were done I realized I was soaking wet in just my swimsuit and cover-up, my shoes were washed out to sea (yes, sea), and I was covered in sand. I started shaking and didn't stop for about 3 hours. What a fiasco.

Everyone was safe. Jeff and Scott made it to the marina in his boat, although he said it was scary. We were so blessed to be at the beach when the storm got so big instead of the middle of the lake. Dennis reacted so great--I expected him to be mad, upset, frustrated...I definitely would have been (lets me honest, I was and it wasn't my boat!). But he just kept saying "Everyone is safe. That's what matters." We left the boat there on the beach overnight, and Dennis went up yesterday and with the help of 4 great friends, they scooped out the water, sand, and junk and got it up on the trailer and home. Definitely an experience I could have lived without but won't be forgetting any time soon.

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Last week was my dad's 55th birthday. We went to Texas Roadhouse where they were great enough to force him onto a saddle and hollar and cheer for him, and he was a good enough sport to go along with it. My dad is fabulous--here are some of the great things about him

***he can fix anything. cars, computers, boats, frozen pipes, anything, he knows how to get inside whatever is broken and take care of it.

***he builds things. like furniture out of wood, or little things out of clay, or even hard core sand castles and people in the sand. He is the most analytical/creative blend i've ever seen.

***he knows stuff. lots of stuff. like how they make potato chips, or where rubies come from, and how to pour cement. he's just smart like that.

***i've never seen an animal he couldn't train, be it dogs, horses, llamas, and even his fish.

***he's a big softie when it comes to his grandkids. one time he disappeared right around bedtime, and came up over an hour later. he had been reading to jackson the whole time.

***he's the best go-to guy when you need something. he is calm and rational and thinks everything through, so pretty much the opposite of me. if he is 90 miles away or across an ocean, he'll listen to your problem and then send you on your way with a list of steps to take to solve it.

***he is strong in the church and great in our family. i couldn't ask for a better dad--I LOVE YOU!!!

new digs

Well folks, it finally happened. I am a proud resident of SALT LAKE CITY. I moved in to my apartment about a month ago, and the time has gone sooooooo fast. Today as I unpacked and organized more boxes in my bedroom, I started thinking about all the events and decisions leading up to this point in my life, and how different from how I imagined it would be when I was in high school. I fingered through old photographs, journals, books, knick knacks, some from this country, others from far away, and sat on my bedroom floor re-living days gone by. Its been long enough for some things that I wondered why I've been hauling them around from place to place and felt ok throwing them away, but others got carefully re-packed and saved for another trip down memory lane. I realized these are the things that make up a life. Its been interesting meeting new people, telling them I recently moved from Logan, that I'm a hairstylist, that I'm from Utah. That introduction is so clean, precise, defined. But as I sort through boxes of recipes I want to attempt, destinations I still want to go to, craft projects waiting to be started or finished, books half read, friends long lost contact with, its messy, complicated, and chaotic. But this is me. And somehow I've managed to squeeze it into a semi-organized 12x14' bedroom. But more importantly I'm happy with who I am, where I am, and where I've been. Different? Yes. Unexpected? Definitely. Worth it? Absolutely.

SOLD!!!

4 Sale:

Whirlpool Washer & Dryer Set
2 years old
$350

I bought this set 2 years ago when I lived with 2 other girls, then a year later I lived alone so it hasn't been used much. I moved to a new apartment and don't need it anymore.

If you know of anyone who may be interested, I'll sweeten the pot by tossing in a set of shampoo and conditioner to whoever gets it sold for me. :)

M.O.A.B

Last weekend my siblings and I all headed down for sunny Moab. Except someone forgot to mention that to the sun, which was seriously MIA for the majority of the time. We had so much fun hanging out at the condo, watching March Madness, eating good food, hiking (ok it was more like a very short walk), and running the race on Saturday. Next time my parents will have to join us in the fun.

Saturday morning came way too quickly, when me, Katie, Chel and Marcus had to head up the canyon for the half marathon. It was 26 degrees at the mouth of the canyon, and once we were up there we stood shivering in the shade for over an hour! It finally started and we were off, weaving in and out of 4,000 other crazies who do this for fun. Thanks to my running buddies who kept me from changing races and insisting I could do this, regardless of bad knees and not near enough preparation. 12 miles in I thought I might die, but one mile later I was across that finish line and so glad it was behind me!

Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day. Day of Love. Frankly I've never celebrated Valentine's day with someone I loved. Or liked. But maybe this year could be different. And since at work yesterday someone sent me these: I figured I better do something nice in return. So I did this:
The rolls are rising and the pot roast is sizzling away. Yum. But then the phone rang...and someone is sick...so I'm packing up this meal and headed out of town. A romantic meals on wheels. We'll see how it goes.



It was a success. :) HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

attempting 2 b festive

Let's be honest: I don't care about the Superbowl. Or football in general for that matter. But Superbowl Sunday brings its share of parties, and since I'm always up for trying fun new party treats...