Cherry Laced Delusions in the Sunset of a Mind

I love my sisters!

2010-07-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

So for some reason every time I get to visit with my family I get lots of pictures of the kids, pictures with Amy or Amanda, but Kasie always evades me somehow. Well last time I was up we actually got a picture together!

I want my sisters to know how much I love them. I wish that we lived closer to each other and got to spend more time together. I look up to all 3 of you and am so proud to call you sister!

I'm a slacker...I know

2010-06-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

I know that there are plenty of people that blog consistently and have busy lives, I really don't have any good excuses. I was laid off in mid April and have been home working on projects while searching for a job. Still no luck with the job search but I am getting closer and will post when my current lead works out. It has been strange for me to be home. Since I went straight from High School to College and work, I have never had a break where I was just at home. At first I felt very lost and insecure. My work has defined me for the past couple of years and even though I had a lot to do I found myself allowing the loss of my job to affect my self esteem. Don't worry though, I quickly pulled myself together! I was able to go up to Burley the week I lost my job and see me sister Kasie participate in the Jr Miss competition. I was so proud of her for having the courage to go through a competition like that and do so with such a great attitude. I think she grew a lot from the experience. She won the Spirit of Jr Miss award- she couldn't have had a prouder family!

Since I have been home I have found out how much I had neglected with my busy work schedule! I have done a ton of organizing and home improvement projects. I feel like my house looks really great and I am now ready to plunge into work again. I have also really enjoyed getting to know my neighbors better and spend time with them. We have enjoyed morning and afternoon walks and bike rides and helping each other with projects. I have learned a lot these past few months and am now ready to move forward. Wish me luck!

Quote of the day

2010-05-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.

-Thomas Jefferson

Fall

2009-11-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

I was so lucky to get to enjoy the last beautiful Sunday in fall. Julie kicked my lazy butt off the couch and we went out for a nature hike by Alpine, UT. It was so beautiful out! We played around with our cameras and had a great afternoon out enjoying nature. I am sad to see it go. Good bye fall! Catch you next year!

disconnected...

2009-08-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

We have been having internet problems for the last couple of weeks. I have felt disconnected (literally), frustrated and had a lot of free time open up! I am glad to finally have the internet running smoothly again (knock on wood and cross your fingers for precautions). I have missed posting on facebook and the blog. Doesn't mean I will catch up on the posts I meant to blog, but I will try. During this time I have finished some projects around the house (made new throw pillow covers, scrapbooked and actually cleaned the house instead of browsing the web) and spent extra time with Luke (since he wasn't glued to the computer either- he had no choice). I have realized that my life doesn't have to be spent in front of a computer (insightful, I know), there is a big beautiful world out there to enjoy (I have still loved my past hour- okay- maybe 2 glued to the computer)!

I thought you packed the toilet paper

2009-07-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Over the 24th of July, we had the opportunity to go camping up in Idaho with Luke's family. We had a really good time. I was able to go canoeing with Taci and the girls on Friday night and then 4-Wheeling with the boys on Saturday morning. I loved sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows and singing songs while Dave and Luke played the guitar. It was so peaceful and relaxing and I enjoyed the time with family. the weather picked up on Saturday night and Ben rolled his 4-wheeler on him so we ended up packing it up early and making a trip to the ER to make sure Ben wasn't going to die ;). Even with the "incident" though it was a good time had by all...and oh we found the TP.

*okay..for some reason I can't load pictures right now, so I guess I will post those at another time.

BFF

2009-07-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Luke and Jason were able to spend a lot of time together this summer. Luke went to San Fran for a week and then Jason came out here for a couple of weeks. It was fun to have him around. They act like little school girls when they around each other so I decided to make them BFF bracelets. Aren't they cute?

Only in San Francisco

2009-07-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

In mid June Luke headed to San Francisco by himself to spend a week with his BFF, Jason. It was a welcomed break and he had a ton of fun- came home exhausted, that's how much fun he had. They walked around the pier, saw some cool sites, lots of interesting people and had a good old time.

zoom zoom

2009-07-05T10:21:00.001-07:00

We broke down and bought a motorcycle for Luke at the end of May. It is a Vulcan 900, so a good amount of power and a whole lot of fun! Unfortunately it rained most of the month of June, so we really didn't get to enjoy it as much as we would have liked. Every clear sunny day, you can bet that Luke will be on it though. I have enjoyed riding with him as well. It is a nice quiet time to be together, no talking, just enjoying the scenery, weather and being together.

a part of me is missing...

2009-06-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

Isn't it weird how the longer you are married to someone the more you become a part of each other? I sent Luke off on his own yesterday to visit our friend Jason in San Fransisco for the week. It is a much needed break for him and I was happy that he had the oppurtunity to go hang out with his BFF (besides me). But today I woke up feeling less than whole, like something was out of place, an important part of me missing. It took me about half of the day to realize what it was! I can be slow sometimes....anyhoo- I love that Luke and I are integral parts of each others lives. It may seem a bit sappy, but I am not the same without him. Together we complete each other.

Have fun in San Fran Babe....but hurry back to me!!!!

2009-05-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Over this past year, Luke and I have become huge fans of Penn & Teller. We have been watching their series on Showtime, BullShit! and are hooked. Now, this show is not for those with sensitive ears or rigid ideals. Penn & Teller's mission (on their show) is to expose the truth to an otherwise desperate and gullible public and debunk many things from recycling to mind reading. We respect them for their wit and sensibility. We share a bit of the same skepticism that they do and love that they encourage people to question things in our society that are often accepted as truth, but really take advantage of people. While planning our trip down to Vegas, we decided that we had to go to their Las Vegas show. Their show is a combination of magic and comedy. It was truly delightful to take part in. We were seated 3rd row from the front and still have no idea how they did most of their tricks. The highlight of the evening was actually getting to meet both of them. They came out after the show for a meet and greet and autograph signing. Being the uber fans we are, we could hardly speak a coheirant sentence as we met them and got our pictures taken with them.

DAM!!!

2009-05-13T09:17:00.001-07:00

While visiting Vegas this past week, we decided to drive out to the Hoover Dam since I had never been there. It was a beautiful drive out there and the dam itself was breath-taking. I was awestruck by the enormity of the dam. It is hard to believe what man can accomplish, well I believe! I saw it with my own eyes and I can just say that I am glad that there are people brave enough and talented enough to create such modern marvels. They are working on constructing a new bridge over the dam right now- again, I was utterly impressed by the enormity of the project!

You can see the bridge being built behind us in this picture- it is really much bigger than it looks here.

She wore an itsy bitsy....

2009-05-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

...teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini..... okay, it wasn't a yellow polka dot bikini but it was the first bikini I have ever worn. I know that a lot of us struggle with self image over the years. At least, I know that I have! Well, I decided that I was going to get over myself this year and bought a very cute bikini with a gift card I received. I strutted my stuff at the Luxor pool in Vegas. Definitely easier when you are surrounded by strangers!

Girls gone WILD

2009-05-07T16:49:00.000-07:00

it's not what you thinking...though it was wild in our book. A couple of weekends ago my sisters and I got together for our annual sisters weekend. This is a weekend that we designate each year to get together just the 4 of us, no mom, husbands, children or anyone else allowed. The theme that Amy came up with this year was "girls gone wild". We each bought each other a cheap gift that fit the theme (as wild as we go, that is). It ended up as more of an 80s themed weekend (you will agree once you see the pics). Some of the gifts included wild lingerie colored hair extensions, wild jewelry, lively make-up and bright clothing (oh- and I got a very surprising gift- I wont mention what it was since this is a family friendly blog ;). We dressed each other up and went out on the town. We had a great time, laughed a lot and will remember this weekend for quite some time. Thanks for being such great sisters! I love you!

AMY

COZETTE

AMANDA

KASIE

Happy Belated blog B-day hunny

2009-04-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit...I am not on the ball. I was so busy enjoying Luke's birthday with him that I didn't post a "Happy Birthday" blog for him. As you should expect, I do not have any pictures from his birthday to post, but this one makes me laugh- so I thought I would share.

Didn't I marry a hunk? I my gosh I love this picture! I just wanted to shout out and say how much I love this man. Luke makes me laugh everyday. He is such a great friend and so much fun to be around. He keeps me in line, encourages me to fulfill my potential, helps me to think before I talk and put my foot in my mouth, helps me to be less judgemental of others, among many many other things. I also love how smart, witty, thoughtful and of course sexy he is! I am totally looking forward to another 80 years together! HAppy birthday babe- I love you this much...............................................................................................................................................................

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Crazy cat lady

2009-03-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven't really come through with my promise to post a million pictures of my cats. The truth is, I am not very good at photographing them, it is a lot harder than you would think. They just don't pose very well and any time I pull out the camera, they stop doing the crazy funny thing they were just doing. Like the other day, Spot was chasing her tale around and around in circles while under the chair in Luke's office. As soon as the camera came out, the tail chasing stopped...one of these days I will be sneaky enough to get Spots craziness on film. She seriously is the funniest cat. Until then, here are some pictures where they posed pretty well...

Gun Slinger

2009-03-10T19:18:00.000-07:00

Luke recently got his concealed weapons permit (don't worry, he doesn't carry heat ALL the time) and has been dying to get a hand gun. He bought one just over a week ago so we went out Saturday with his brothers (Kortnee and Nick came too) to do some target practice. Now, I grew up shooting rifles and shotguns but have never really felt comfortable around hand guns, because honestly I had never used one. So Saturday I got some lessons- I am not good at all, so it will take a lot of practice, but I feel a lot more comfortable having a gun in my house now that I know how to use it. Mainly that I know how to use it safely. I also want to point out that I have really improved my shotgun shooting skills. I hit almost every clay pigeon I aimed at!

New camera

2009-02-28T17:59:00.000-08:00

So the screen on my camera was busted during my flight to Oregon in January. I was totally bummed- it made it through the entire trip and then my bag must have been dropped or something on the flight back because when I pulled my camera out the screen was cracked. I have hated not having a camera, I didn't realize that I used it so much. We just ordered a new one and hope to have it next week. I will make sure to post some new pictures when I get it :)

February

2009-02-21T22:55:00.000-08:00

Each year it seems like January and February are such slow months. They seem to last forever and are so cold and dull. Well this year it has not been that way! January was over before I could really blink and now I realize that there is only one week of February left now! I guess sometimes it is good for time to fly, I really do look forward to warmer weather...but as time goes by faster, the more I realize that I need to take advantage of my life and live it to the fullest. Which at times can seem challenging. How do you fit in all the things you NEED to do to keep your world turning and still make time for the things that you WANT to do? I don't have an answer (any suggestions are welcome)...but I do know that for myself I have to take baby steps, prioritize and take a step back and enjoy the little things in life. Last week Luke bought me flowers and I have moved them all around the house so that I can enjoy them. I know it is silly, but it has brightened my days. I spent the morning yesterday cleaning my baseboards and walls, and it has been so nice to walk through my house and see it sparkling clean. I am making progress I guess...

Little bit-o paradise

2009-02-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

So a couple of weekends ago Luke and I went down to St. George to visit his dad. The weather was so beautiful, it was in the high 60's and just absolutely nice out. It was the perfect brake from the cold and blahhh that I really needed. We went around to all of the church history sites down there, to the Dinosaur excavation site and over to Zions. We even got to go swimming while we were down there! It was a ton of fun. We loved spending time with Gene and had a very enjoyable and relaxing weekend. Here are a few pictures from our trip.

I'm alive!

2009-01-26T20:01:00.000-08:00

Don't fret I am still alive. December went by all to fast. I was very busy with work as usual and didn't take the time to post much. Luke and I had a wonderful Christmas just the two of us (and the kitties of course!) We kept it simple this year, but as always had fun shopping for each other and trying to surprise one another. The holidays were bitter-sweet this year as my parents' divorce was finalized the week before Christmas and my grandfather passed away the Sunday before Christmas. I struggled with feeling sorry for myself and MY trials and quickly realized that my struggles are small and that I have been very blessed. I have a wonderful family that has grown closer together through our varying trials this year and have gained a lot of strength and unity. I have an awesome husband and best friend, and soul mate. Luke took special care this year to make my birthday special; breakfast in bed, time alone to read, took me out for lunch and shopping and a yummy B-day cake from Cold Stone. I have a challenging and rewarding job that gives me the opportunity to stretch myself and gain new skills, this past week I was able to spend in Springfield, OR getting to know my boss and colleagues better. I am so very blessed and I want to thank all of the wonderful people that I associate with that enrich my life and remind me those days that I am forgetful, that life is good and I have much to be thankful for. Thank you for being that person to me...

Party Recipes

2008-12-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share these recipes that I used at my family holiday party last weekend. They are all super fast, easy and yummy!

Cranberry Butter

1 C finely chopped cranberries
1 C powdered sugar
1 C soft butter (room temp.)
zest of orange

Mix together and enjoy on a nice warm roll!

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans - drained
1 can corn - drained (I only use about 2/3 of the can)
1 lg tomato diced or 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
1 avocado - cut into cubes
fresh lime juice (you only need 1/2 a lime)

Prepare all the ingredients, mix together and serve with tortilla chips.

Taco Soup

1 lb cooked ground beef
1 can chili beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
2- 4 oz cans green chilies
2- 8 oz cans stewed diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg dry ranch dressing mix
1 tsp chili powder

Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 6-8 servings

Holiday with the Family

2008-12-11T21:02:00.000-08:00

My family started a new tradition last year, instead of trying to juggle Thanksgiving and Christmas together we have a holiday get-together the first weekend in December. This has worked out nicely so far and has helped make it so we can all enjoy our time together rather than worry about splitting it between in-laws and everyone else. This year was a little weird not being in the old family home (Mom and Dad are selling the house because of the divorce), so we spent most of our time at Mike and Christas' and Mom's new little place.

We started the weekend with a Thanksgiving meal Saturday afternoon. That evening we broke loose with skits and family time.

It was pretty funny as my Mom, Amy, Kasie and Christa danced to "Girls Just want to have Fun". I have never seen my mom have so much fun, I wish I had recorded it!

J.Ed and Reann's family sang and acted out "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", Illee took her role as rudolph very seriously...she was sooo cute!

Then Nic and Amy did the "Chicken Dance", their kids decided it would be much more fun to just watch mom and dad be silly rather than join them.

Luke and I were party poopers and just hung out and laughed at everyone!

Sunday morning we had a nice "Christmas" breakfast and then exchanged gifts. After church we ate and decorated Christmas cookies.

We really had a great time with everyone. Let's do this again!

Things to be Grateful for...

2008-12-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

Life has been busy so I am a little late getting posts up.

This year for Thanksgiving my sister Amanda and her sweet family stayed with us for five wonderful (and admittedly tiring) days. Luke's dad and brother Ben also shared Thanksgiving with us. I loved having the full house and cooking with my sister. Amanda and I rarely get to spend time together so I really enjoyed having them visit. Her children are sweet and fun. They are growing so fast and have such delightful personalities. I was so grateful for our time together.

Payton spent almost every minute he was awake with the kitties. Most of the time they bore it patiently. He was just what they needed! They tend to get a little anti-social since they don't have other people around (especially kids) very often.

Spring is such a little sweet pea! I couldn't get enough of her. She is such a pretty baby and has a sweet personality. Your mom and daddy better watch out Aunt Coz might snatch this little one!

As usual I wish that I had taken more pictures...

Vegas Baby!!!

2008-11-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

We took a quick trip this past weekend down to "Sin City" with our friends Jenny and Brandon Neilsen. We spent Saturday night in St. George and then Sunday morning we headed over to Las Vegas. There were a lot of good laughs and for the most part it was a very relaxing trip. We were pretty tired when we got back Tuesday night, plus Luke came down with a pretty ugly cold so that added to the exhaustion.

We got some friendly guy to take a picture of all of us outside the Luxor.
Below are some pictures of us from Tournament of the King, Viva La France!

The cat's meow

2008-11-11T20:24:00.000-08:00

I promised pictures of cats so I thought that I better start delivering. I was chilling out with Sadie tonight and realized that we have had our little bundles of joy for over a year now. We have loved being cat owners and watching them grow, they are so much fun and it is funny to see how they take on their own quirky little personalities. I know I am talking about animals, but these two are our family right now and we love them to death! Look how much they have grown this past year!

They (Spot and Sadie) have grown a lot this past year, these pictures really don't show the difference well, but you get the idea, right?

The family Musician

2008-11-09T17:37:00.001-08:00

I have an in with one of the most talented musicians I know. He runs a one-man band called Bleoag...you may have heard of it...okay, well if you are listening to the music on this blog then you have heard it. All the music on this blog was created and performed by him...pretty impressive huh? And as you may have guessed, this most talented and creative person happens to be Luke! I am continually impressed by his ability to create such diverse tunes. I of course love all his work, but most of all I love to hear him create and see his creative process. He never ceases to impress and amaze me. Hunny- I am your biggest fan! Keep rocking my world!

2008-11-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

In October Luke and I ran up to Idaho for a quick break. I was able to spend Saturday with my neices and nephews making Halloween crafts. It was a lot of fun!
Here are some pictures of our SPOOKY creations.

Well here it goes...

2008-10-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

Since everyone is doing it, I decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon. We'll see how well I can keep up with it! I love keeping up on everyone's business through their blogs. I don't promise great things as our life (Luke's and mine) is pretty boring compared to most. We like to keep a low profile and instead of pictures of children (which we don't have), you will have to endure pictures of us and our cats! So enjoy!