Good, Bad, In Between? I'm not sure.

I decided that the "book worm" in me would share a bit of what I've been reading. I'm always in search of a good book, and I am interested to hear what other people think. I am not a great critic, by any stretch of the imagination. I'm the same way with movies... it's either "really good", "kinda good", "ok", "wasn't that great", or "didn't like it at all". I enjoy plots and conflict, detail and emotions, but I'm not really into reading a book that hurts my head when I read it. When I pick up a book to read just because, I want to be able to understand what's being said without having to read the same sentence 3 times in a row. That being said, I read simple books and watch fairly simple movies....why? Because for the most part, I'm a simple gal.

I read "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" and was left feeling slightly confused and dizzy. Part of me really liked it, and the other part of me didn't care for it. I'm not going to go into the story line at all, because I'd probably reveal something that would ruin for any of you wanting to read it, so I'll stick with my opinion.

The beginning had me enthralled with a situation, that in real life probably has 99% chance of happening. (Then again, who knows, there's probably more craziness then I could imagine.) I was interested in the story, the development of the characters and what's going to happen next, and then ugh...it was kind of like going down a slide, somewhat enjoyable but disappointed that you're not at the beginning.

I felt as though the characters were pretty well developed, despite the fact that I found it hard to dislike the guy (David) in the book that probably should have been the least likeable, while the other characters, who are possibly written to be the "good guys", left me feeling a sense disfavor towards them.

The character that the plot revolved around, Phoebe, was hardly a main character- which I didn't really understand. Towards the beginning it talks about the struggles involving this character and her situation, and then it kind of leaves it at that. A few details and complications along the way, but for the most part the difficulty of her condition was somewhat forgotten.

It's written with great detail, although sometimes redundant, leaving me with the feeling of "alright, enough already. I understand, get to the point."

Lessons learned:
-We often forget to remember that our decisions effect not only us, but also those we love, now and in the future.
-Whining and complaining doesn't solve anything, it's only annoying and obnoxious. (and I'm totally guilty, I know, sorry.)
-Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone. (ok, really, I can't be a serious reviewer... this is just me.)
-Forgiveness is always an option

For the most part the language and content was clean. PG and 1/2- PG 13 at some points.

So basically, bottom line:
Pulled me right in at the beginning, was a little bugged by the middle, and somewhat enjoyed the ending. Overall, from 1-5, I'd give it 3 stars....an "ok" book for me.

(If you're more confused now about wanting to read the book then before you read this, I totally understand. I'm still feeling that way. If you've read it, I'd love to know what you thought.)

giveaways galore

Want a chance to win some goodies? Of course I do, I love prizes!

"Why be pretty when you can be gorgeous? That's the question Too Faced Cosmetics likes to ask. "
-Just Spotted is having a fabulous grab bag makeup giveaway. Visit them here, and leave a comment to enter yourself to win!

This is the ultimate place to find some great giveaways. It's a giveaway carnival... who doesn't like the sounds of that?! After about ten minutes of looking, I was a bit overwhelmed and knew there was great potential for some serious time wasting... so I gathered up the strength to stray away. But, if you have 10 minutes (or 20, or 60) you might want to meander on over and sign yourself up for the chance to be a lucky winner.

friday's favorite

Behold, the delicious goodness of Mellow Mushroom. I'd be lying if I said I like pizza, because in reality... I think I actually love pizza. You can pile on virtually anything you could imagine and the flavors would still explode your taste buds. I'm a fan of pretty much any pizza, anywhere. Little Caesars for a mere $5, love it. Home made is even better. And I'd venture out on a limb to say that "Mellow Mushroom" is home to the greatest pizza I've ever had the pleasure of delighting in it's yumminess. Seriously, if you have one near by and you haven't been.... go, now. Drop whatever it is your doing and get in your car. Honestly, it's that good. If you don't have one near by, you might consider moving. ok, kidding. But really, I love it. I'm kind of a fanatic... I'd love to know about all of your favorite pizzas in the world, I'm all about trying new things.

For an example of a new thing... I'm also posting a Friday's NOT Favorite.

Now, behold this slithery, disgusting string of grossness. Yes, I hate snakes. And yes, that snake is IN MY HOUSE. AGAIN! I don't know where they come from, but needless to say I freaked out. Ok, I'm very aware of the fact that this looks more like a giant worm, but nonetheless, it is a snake, and it was in my house. Luckily Jeff was home and saved me from the evil enemy. I'm a wimp, I totally realize that- but eww, gross. What's the deal with these things anyway?!

project runway

Any other project runway fans out there?

Season 5 has started folks... and of course is off to a great beginning. It's odd actually, because I'm not quite certain I've actually watched a full season before, usually bits and pieces, mostly reruns because I'd miss the first showing- but it's one of those shows I really enjoy watching. Maybe it's that hidden designer in me, maybe it's for that little push of motivation to get moving on some of my projects (you know, all of the unfinished ones shoved in that box).... or maybe it's just an excuse for a little down time on the couch. (well, okay maybe I don't need another excuse for that)

It's still really early in the game to start choosing favorites... but so far, my vote's for Kenley. She's got a great personality and come to find out, she's from Florida! Who's your pick?

free family film festival

I had a fun date with my nieces this morning, we saw "Everyone's Hero", a cute movie about a talking baseball and baseball bat... the girls loved it, so I was happy. Regal theatres has a fabulous program which involves free movies.

yep, that's right FREE- 100% FREE, no strings attached!

How wonderful is that? 2 of my favorite things in one- a free movie! In our theatre they play two different movies, both starting at 10am Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The movies vary but are all older releases rated G or PG for the little tykes. They have 5 theatres for each movie, that way there's lots of room. But, it still gets packed up to the max, so I'd recommend getting there a little early for a good seat. Come on people, when you say "free", the crowds come runnin'!

Check out your local Regal theatre and see what they have going on! Oh, and if you don't have a "Regal Crown Club Card", I'd highly recommend it. The cost is, once again, free. You get a certain amount of points for each ticket or concession purchase, and at different point intervals you get free stuff.... a free drink, free candy, free popcorn and even free movie tickets. Why not?!

a little more about me

Rachel tagged me with this abc tag, it has some silly questions, but little things that tell you more about me, so I thought I'd play along....

A- Attached or Single? totally attached
B- Best Friend? Jeffy
C- Cake or Pie? cake
D- Day of choice? Saturday and Sunday- it mixes into one day for me, those are the only complete days I have with Jeff so they just blend together... I love it!
E- Essential item? definitely a camera. And some sort of moisturizer for my lips, I hate having dry lips.
F- Favorite color? I can never really answer this question... I know that sounds weird, it depends on where the color is. Lately though, I've been a big red fan.
G- Gummy bears or worms? This also depends... sour kind I love the worms. If we're talking chocolate coated then it's gotta be the bears. Either way, I'm pretty happy. I have a serious sweet tooth.
H- Hometown? Mostly Layton, Utah and a little Brentwood, California
I- Favorite Indulgence? Another one that depends... see, I'm not very good at being decisive. Food wise: most definitely sweets of any kind, mostly ice cream and brownies. I'm also a sucker for laying in bed all morning with a good book, ignoring the pile of laundry or dirty bathroom.
J- January or July? July, I love summer and I love the 4th of July.
K- Kids? Not yet, at least none of my own flesh and blood.... but, someday, most definitely.
L- Life isn't complete without? Love, family, happiness and the gospel
M- Marriage date? June 4, 2005
N- Number of brothers and sisters? 2 sisters, 4 crazy brothers (hmm... would you say brothers-in-law? Because there are plural and it's not the laws that are plural, it's the brothers. but brother-in-laws sounds better... I don't know, either way, there are 4 of them, and they're all crazy!) and 1 sweet sister in law
O- Oranges or Apples? haha depends on my mood. I love a yummy juicy orange, but if it's not very flavorful then a big Fuji apple is delicious.
P- Phobia and fears? This could be a book.... I hate spiders and snakes- hate, hate, hate! I also am a wimp when it comes to being in the dark, I know- that's lame, but I am, so don't make fun. And I fear losing my family. Anytime I call and cant reach them, I try to remain calm, but after about the 2nd call, I panic and crazy thoughts flood my mind. Then when I do get to talk to them, they think I'm crazy for worrying, which I am. I'm totally paranoid, what can I say?
Q- Quote? This too changes often, today it's probably "Life isn't about finding yourself, it's about creating yourself."
R- Reasons to smile? So many... waking up every day, especially to a wonderful home with my sweet husband and crazy dog. Happy, chocolate smeared little faces, blank paper, fresh flowers, homemade bread, hand prints on the fridge, elderly couples walking hand in hand.....
S- Season of choice? Hmmm... I love them all, each for a different reason. So I can't really choose.
T- Tag 3 people: any of you who want to play along
U- Unknown fact about me: Well, you all known I'm a little odd- or should I say "unique"? haha, really though... like the fact that tinfoil or coins rubbing together makes me cringe and hurts my teeth. Or, how about the fact that I can't watch "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" without crying. Or, that I love eating at "Kobe Grill" but always get nervous when they light the fire, and escalators slightly frighten me....the smell of new cars makes me extremely nauseous. I could go on- but I'll spare you.
V- Vegetable? Edamame, if that's considered a vegetable here.
W- Worst Habit? Another one I could expound on in detail.... probably the one that drives Jeff most crazy is that I buy new things for projects, and I get so excited to create- but I have a box of unfinished projects. (I'm definitely working on this one, at least I don't really buy anything new for the projects. Well, almost anything.)
X- Ray or Ultrasound? depends on what area you're scanning....I think I'd be fine with 10 of each as long as it's not another cat-scan or MRI.
Y- Your favorite food? junk food. no really, when I said I have a serious sweet tooth, I was very serious. I also love fruits and vegetables though, only if I balanced the two out more- I think my belly would be happier with me.
Z- Zodiac sign? Virgo

thanks, Holly

I got this great package in the mail... yea! I absolutely love having fun mail! It makes my day so much brighter! A happy note, a pay check, a great big package... any of it, it's all wonderful!

Holly sent me this bright box of goodness from San Diego. How fun is this?!

-"Sam the cooking guy cookbook" who I have never heard of, but have pretty much read the cookbook. I know that probably sounds odd, reading a cookbook- but this guy is hilarious, you'd want to read it if you were lucky enough to have it! His recipes sound great, I can't wait to try them!
-love the orange and polka dots. Everything was wrapped up really cute, with pretty ribbons... but in my crazy excited stage I couldn't slow down enough to snap a quick picture of the prettiness, so you'll have to imagine.
-Shells galore, love them. all of them. They're beautiful!
-Ribbon, stickers and super cute chipboard pieces... look at these:

aren't they adorable?!
-And how fun is it to have monogrammed Kleenex... I love it!

Thanks Holly, you're the greatest. I love it all so much!!!

give yourself a lift, and me too.

Bad posture?

i'm guilty.

(haha so not funny, I know. But I couldn't resist.)

I could blame my neck and back problems on my car accident a few years back, and partially that would be true, the other part is that I'm a slumper. I slump. I try not to, "I try really hard actually". (like Bleeker on Juno...if you don't get it, never mind. If you do, share the love.) I've been trying to work on my posture, but it hurts. And yes, I know there's no excuse. I will try harder.


"You’re probably aware that good posture is good for your body. Your organs will function better when you have good posture and good muscle tone ." I found that here, along with some other helpful info to get me a little more motivated.

I also found this, and I am going to give my body the lift it needs. That's the challenge, and I challenge you to it as well. I'm pretty sure we'll all feel better. After the pain subsides. It will get easier eventually...

or so they say.

So now, a little more me. (My family would probably inform you all that in junior high and some of high school, it really was all about me. And they would also probably tell you to never ask about my dreams. I might trust them on that one, if I were you. anyways...) Jaci posted a "tag twist" and I thought I'd play along. Mostly because I thought it'd be fun to hear what ya'll have to say about me.
It goes like this:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one (or two, or three, or ten...) memory (or memories) that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, or if you just met me, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Memory lane is one of my favorite places to visit....so let's enjoy the journey together. Shall we?

little bit of this, little bit of that

It's been one of those days today... no real rhyme or reason I suppose, just is.

Lis was so sweet and nominated me for the Arte y Pico award.

The award is passed from blog to blog to celebrate those blogs who are creative, inspirational or fun to look at, now I'm supposed to nominate 5 people for the award. And this isn't easy... You all inspire me in one way another. But to play along I nominate:

1. Lis although she gave me the award, which means she already received it, I just love the headbands she's been creating and think you should all check them out as well. Adorable!

2. Brooke is an amazing photographer. She has the eye! I constantly stalk her blog to check for updated photos, and so should you, she's incredible!

3. Elizabeth is the ultimate scrapbooker, crafty, creative, and beautiful mom- she just had a little girl and still makes time to be creative.

4. Ally writes like a pro. I love reading her blog because she's witty, sweet, and insightful. She's in the process of writing a book and I'll be first in line to buy it.

5. Emily is a new blog friend and I've already been inspired by her. She made the cutest suckers with her kids, I can't wait to make them with Mekena and Kirra.

(RULES: Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community. 2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog. 3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name of and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award. 4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize has to show the link of Arte Y Pico blog so everyone will know the origin of this award. 5. Show these rules.)

Then I was tagged by Holly, a super cute, creative mom who was paired up with me in a swap.

Here are the rules for this tag:

1. link back to the person who tagged you. (holly, above)

2. post these rules on your blog.

3. share six unimportant things about yourself.

4. tag people at the end of your entry.

Well, let's just start off by saying that there's nothing about me that's unimportant... haha, totally kidding. Really, I'm full of silly, non importance. But that's me!

1- I could probably eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day of the week. (as long as the peanut butter is smooth and the bread is fresh and soft... and it helps to have mom's homemade raspberry jam.) Weird? Yeah, I'd say so... but like I said, that's me.

2- I've had an unnatural, obsessive craving for Twizzlers lately. I only gave in once to buying a bag at Target, although I did eat pretty much the whole thing by myself (luckily it was not in one day.) What's with the food issues?! and I'm totally wishing I had some right now... darn it.

3- Jeff didn't believe me when I said this the other day, but for some reason... it's true- most of the time. I'd rather clean a toilet than dry dishes. I usually just sit them on the counter and they dry themselves, if they're not in the dishwasher. Why? I have absolutely no clue, really, I don't. It doesn't bother me at other people's house, just mine. but then again... yep, that's me!

4- I'm scoping out options for a cake decorating class right now. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time, and now I think is just as good as any other time. So, wish me luck. We'll see how it goes. (I've always loved the idea of baking, but sometimes, as Jeff would say, I bake like a grandma. He tells me that it always tastes good but sometimes is just a little over done. I'll be working on that...)

who knows, maybe someday I could make something this cute!

5-I've had an inkless (is that a word? I'm not sure, I'm using it anyways) printer for about 3 years now. Why? I really don't know- ink's too expensive I suppose. Lame excuse, I know.

6- Speaking of too expensive... I'm the type of person that'd drive 20 minutes away to use my 20% off coupon. The coupon saves me $4.00 but, gas costs me $6.00 to get there. I'm working on my logic behind that.

I could go on for a while on this, really. Like I said, I'm a little quirky.... but, you guessed it, that's me! I'm interested to hear what's "unimportant" about all of you, so I tag you all to play along if you want.

prize arrived

I mentioned here that I won something and I was so excited! I'm a dork and didn't mention exactly what it was that I won. Well, it was this in a onesie and this.... how cute are they?! Well, let me tell you the graphics/pictures don't do them justice. They are so adorable and incredibly soft. They are 100% organic, cool hu?! They are so adorable in fact, Jeff said "That's the coolest kid thing I've seen". For a guy, my guy especially, to say notice and say it's cool- you know it's good. Baby boy Packer will probably be the lucky recipient. Although, Jeff first told me he wanted me to put it away and save it. But then he quickly changed his mind, just in case I was "getting any ideas". If you are in need, or even if you're not in need and just want to give a gift... seriously, check them out. When the time comes for our little family to grow... down the road a ways that is.... I will be back to order some things for our own.

black bottom banana bars

I don't know about you, but when we buy bananas we either eat them up in the first couple of days or they sit and get brown. Well, this last time they browned up quite a bit. I thought I'd make some banana bread but I was missing some ingredients so I made these instead. My mom made them every once in a while at home and we loved them! Of course, last night when I made them they weren't quite as good as mom's- nothing ever is. But, they were still pretty good so I thought I'd share the recipe. The best part is, most of the ingredients are pretty common and they're super easy... and you know I'm a sucker for an easy recipe!

Black Bottom Banana Bars
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking power

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup baking cocoa

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Ad egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in the bananas. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide batter in half. Add cocoa to half; spread into a greased 13x9in baking pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the bars test done. Cool and serve.

Spent my Saturday here:

Watching this cute guy:

doing this:

Probably wishing he were here:

I sat on the beach, reading and relaxing. And even though I wore this:

Somehow, I still ended up looking like him:

Sunburn and all... we had a great day! Can't wait for our next adventure!

friday's favorite

letters.




I love letters. Letters of any kind. Finding notes in the mail is one of my all time favorite things in life.

Letters from missionaries are wonderful... and we are so blessed right now to have 2 members of the family out as well as several friends. The letters they write are so uplifting and inspirational, I love reading them. I just read a couple of them, and well, let's be honest, I couldn't help but get teary. They are so full of the spirit and I just love to see the growth in each of them individually.

Little notes from Jeff around the house are so fun for me! He's so sweet and always knows just what to say to brighten my day.

I love sending notes and letters as well. I think I like it so much because it's something I love to get. My mom always told me, you know it's a good gift when you'd want to get it yourself.

I think I need to go write some letters and send them off with the postman....

paper bag albums

Last month I made my first paper bag album for a friend who was moving. It was super easy! I thought it turned out pretty cute and it makes a fun gift. Some of the girls wanted to learn how to make them, so last night I taught them. I thought I'd share it with all of you because it's simple, cute and fun to give.

I don't have step by step pictures... but I think you'll get the idea.

Supplies:
-brown paper lunch bags (# depends on how many pages you want. I think I used 4)

-ribbon

-scrapbook paper

-pictures

-glue

-anything else you want to use to embellish the book

You start by placing the first bag with the bottom up to the left side. Then put the second bag on top of the first, with the bottom up to the right side. Continue alternating left to right for each bag you have.

Then fold them in half together, making a book.

There's several ways you can "bind" them. I punched 3 holes on the "spine" and tied ribbon through each three holes, taking it in one hole inside the pages, and then out the other. So the knot is on the outside. You can punch 2 holes in the center and loop the ribbon through both holes together. You can also sew the bags together. Basically however you want.

Then you embellish each page however you like. I didn't even really cover each page fully with paper, I don't think you need to, I think the bag is cute! Also, to print the pictures I used, I went to Wal-Mart and used the Kodak machine to print 3x5 and 2x3 photos. It's also cute to slip tags or notes of some sort inside the open end of the bags.

Simple as that! It's personal preference and creativity really... just like any other project I guess. If you've made one or do make one, I'd love to see pictures of the finished product. Here's a couple pictures of the one I made (before I added pictures), I kept it really simple- so it was pretty fast to make as well as easy.

favorite things

I signed up a little while ago to participate in my first swap ever. Kelly hosted a "favorite things" swap and I absolutely loved it! *Kelly, thank you so much! I had so much fun doing this and getting to know some new buddies. Can't wait to do it again!

I sent some of my favorite things to tonya, and she sent her favorite things to me. And it's fabulous that her favorite things fit so well with me and what I love!

Look at all of this goodness!! Craft supplies galore! I'm loving every bit of it!

Tonya's so thoughtful... she said she couldn't resist this cute basket, she thought it'd go perfect with my lamp in my craft room. I can't wait to find the perfect spot for it. And the cute green inside is what she wrapped all the goodness in, it's so pretty!I love paper! I can never have enough of it either... yea!!!

*Tonya, I love it all. Thanks so much for spoiling me rotten! I can't wait to put it all to good use!

tiff- no peeking

Baby boy Packer will be here before we know it! I'm sooo excited! I'm going to throw a shower for Tiff (I've never understood that phrase... "throw a shower", you're not actually throwing anything. The English language is so confusing!) I need your help with some ideas....

Here's what I need:
-invitations
-food (which Rand will probably be willing to help with, thank goodness!)
-decorations
-location
-favors

I know there are tons of ideas out there, but I thought I'd come to you first. So, please share the love and share your ideas.

Jesse it is

I was a fan of both Jesse and Jason. They are both great guys, or so they seem. (haha, like I actually know them!)

I wasn't completely shocked when she chose Jesse, although I think a lot of people were. It just seems like she threw us for a loop several times during the show so I thought it might be possible. I liked Jesse a lot. When he first showed up in the crazy jacket I thought, "what in the world is this guy doing on the show?!" But then as soon as he started talking he seemed cool and he was always such a gentleman.

Basically- I'm glad this show is over! It was consuming too much of my Monday nights. I enjoyed the journey though. So, now let's see who the next Bachelor will be- Jason? Jeremy? What's your guess?

monday blues

Bryan and Rachel left us, and Jeff's at work so that leaves me home alone, and sick. The thunder storms have been insanely crazy today! The house is shaking and the porch is flooding! Yikes! My day brightened when the doorbell rang and there was a package from Tonya. (more details to come later) And the fact that my guilty pleasure show is on tonight for it's finale is wonderful... the suspense is killing me!!

We had adventure after adventure with Bryan and Rachel. We ate at yummy food- Mellow Mushroom, BJ's (BBQ beef sandwiches and Pazookies... delicious!) Rand's ribs and lots more. We laughed a lot. really, a lot.

Here's a few pictures of some of our adventures:
On Thursday, we drove to the beach. We got out of the car, walked onto the beach and this is what we saw. So, we got back into the car and drove home. Nice try.

Look at that mean cloud!! It's crazy that these pictures don't even really do it justice, it was so black!

We spent the 4th of July floating down the "Rainbow River", hanging at the Packer's and watching fireworks on the beach... such a fun filled day! I love the 4th!

Bryan and Jeff eating our yummy food after our float down the river.

The cute couple we love (who just celebrated their 1 year anniversary while they were with us! Congratulations guys!)

aren't they stinkin' adorable?! These are just a couple of the munchkins we partied with on the 4th.

Rachel with the yummy and festive cake we made, cute huh!

Sunday we had a relaxing day with a picnic in the park. Of course we posed for some pictures....

These are the faces we make when trying to smile for a picture and then see a gator splash into the water below us. Yikes!

I know I've said it already, but it's so true- we had so much fun!

So now, off to a bowl of my favorite watermelon and a big tv decision!

happy i am.

Reason #1: Bryan and Rachel are flying to visit us today! Hip, hip, hooray! We can't wait to go on adventures and have fun in the sun with them!

Reason #2: I woke up to the sunshine in my window, not an annoying alarm clock. (yes, you know that's one of my favorite things ever!)

Reason #3: I won, I won, I won!!! I'm super excited, I seem to enter giveaways frequently, and have yet to win, until today! Check out tobi + rei aren't they adorable?! So, Baby boy Packer might just be the lucky recipient of my lucky winning.

Reason #4: Is the fact that this snake isn't even close to the one in my house, thank goodness for that! I would've had a heart attack!

My mom sent me this email the day after I found the creepy, crawly creature in my house... it made me quite grateful that I had what I had and not this....disgusting, really disgusting.

"Large Snake Killed In vegetable Garden in North Ogden. This is a timber rattler killed last week-end. It is by far the biggest rattle snake I have ever seen. Although diamond back rattlers get this big and maybe even bigger, I did not know those timber rattlers reached that size. I have not talked to Ollie about how many rattles it had or it's actual size and length was, but since he is about 5'9' the snake appears to be at least 8 feet long if not longer, and is bigger around than his arms. He killed the snake while weeding his garden and killed it with a Shovel.. The man holding the snake is his neighbor. Wildlife officials Say the snakes come out to feed and sun themselves and are warning Residents to be careful. "

(sorry to anyone who lives in or near to Ogden, don't worry... I'm sure they're not too common)

Reason #5: Is something that makes me happy every day... my sweet Jeff. (mushy love stuff, I know... ) He is so good to me and I'm so lucky to have him as my best friend!!!

Hope you all have a happy day too!

hello, beach.

Thank you for allowing us to visit your sand. And for letting my hot surfer hubby surf your tiny waves.

Thank you for letting me have this lovely shell.

Thank you for amazing me with these creatures and the lightning fast speed they can dig themselves into the sand.

Thank you for providing a beautiful day and a relaxing getaway.

Goodbye, beach. See you soon.