A Note on Spreading Out

My favorite cookies (since I can't have white chocolate macademia nut) are oatmeal scotchies. I've not found many people out here that know what those are so in case you are among them: Oatmeal Scotchies are oatmeal butterscotch cookies and they are delicious! Well i decided to make a batchbut, because we are broke and I am cheap, I got the generic botterscotch chips which did not have a recipe. I tried to find one in my many cookbooks but could only find one for bars or one for oatmeal chocolate chip. So, being the genius I am, I decided to combine the two. The cookies called for butter AND shortening, the bars called for just butter. I didn't have shortening so I used just butter....and this was the result.One giant gookie all spread out on the pan. They looked horrible but were still quite tasty! I walked into the family room to Johnny all spread out on the sofa. and quite content.
I joined him on the couch for a good snuggle. But soon the picture we had sitting on top of our TV fell off and hit the candle which had been sitting on the warmer all day. And soon we had wax spread out all down the wall and deep in the carpet.
I scraped as much as I could off the wall and from the carpet. Tonight I'm trying a neat trick I learned on the internet where you put a brown paper sack on top of the wax and then iron it with a hot iron and it soaks all the wax out of the carpet and on to the sack. Here's hoping it works!!

Farewell Apartment!

As we leave our apartment in Salt Lake I figured now may be a good time to post the few pictures I have taken of our living room. I actually took these right after Christmas...but It is marathon posting time. The pictures are uploaded and I am going!
The original idea was to add and 8x10 of us individually on the other corners but it is not happening now. The two pictures are from our actual wedding day in Nauvoo and in the center is our Sealing Certificate from the temple. And to the left you can see our homemade curtains. They are a greenie gold silk type material. I love when the light comes in in the morning and they look completely gold!
This is one of our end tables (we got a great deal on two end tables and a matching coffee table.) The flowers are my bouquet, preserved. I'm a little concerned now about the drive across country, I desperately hope they survive. The Lamp is actually more maroon than red, and I like the sparkly danglies on it.
This is a close up of what's on the end table. Its one of our engagements with the Family proclamation on top of it in transparent. It was a wedding present from the Jones family and we love it!
I love our couch! It's so comfy and also very versatile. I promise that the coffee table only looks this clear when we have people coming over. It is currently covered in mail and bills and other papers we may need before we leave. These were some pretty flowers Johnny decided to get while we were grocery shopping. He knows how much I love fresh flowers and tries to get some in the house as much as possible.

So there you have it... I'll try to post pictures of our new apartment before we are moving next!

The United States of Halley

We're no longer unemployed or homeless! Hooray! Johnny was hired as the new Sous Chef for Village Shalom. He's actually employed by Aramark and since they are taking over this company's dining facility he has to do hiring and training so we are both excited for him! That also means he has to be there for the takeover on March 2--which means we can't leave March 1st. SO we're actually leaving the 27th. (OY!) He also found us a place to live---we got in on a great deal at the Pointe Royal Townhomes. We don't have a specific unit just yet because he's actually going to look at a slightly bigger model on monday before he flies out. The facility looks really nice and is just 5 minutes straight down the road from his office, and only 20 from the hospital. Oh and I applied to be a hospital operator for the University of Kansas Hospital part time. Its all very real now...and I'm freaking out a little bit! So... 7 DAYS and Counting!

Posting Fail

I have been meaning to post for quite some time but have failed miserably. You see I keep taking pictures with the intent of posting them on my blog but then when I get to work and don't get the pictures uploaded I can't think of anything to post sans illustration. And it's pretty sad...cause I had some GREAT blog ideas.

I am working for Amanda today. Her fiance surprised her and flew in from Missouri for Valentine's Day, and since my Hubby is in Missouri doing interviews and we won't be doing anything tonight, I took her shift. Johnny pointed out that since our husband's switched places it only made sense that we switch shifts. It stinks just a little because A) its the first day back from a long weekend so we're busy and B) Johnny has his first interview today and he can't call me when he's done because I'll be on the phones. (It's been an hour and no text message so I hope that means it's going well.)

I still have pretty much nothing packed, and I'm kind of concerned a bit. Johnny says we don't have much so it shouldn't take long but, I've moved before and it ALWAYS takes longer than you think, not to mention we have a lot of crap...he doesn't realize it because it is cleverly disguised. So I figure he won't be working the week he gets back so HE can pack everything up while I'm working. HAHA. (Ok so probably not really everything cause he's a but when he's stressed and I don't want to add to that...or to risk him throwing things out to avoid packing them)


So we had a very nice Valentine's day with our friends Ryan and Jannali (who probably think we are the worst couple in the world now)...but I'll have more on that later when I get those dern pictures uplaoded! Have a happy Fat Tuesday!!

Some Explanations

I had to wait to explain until our bums had been covered and we'd notified our employers. SO, Drumroll please>>>>>......>>>>>.....

We Are Moving March 1st!

Johnny left the New Yorker Friday night and he says he feels much better...so that's good. I know it sounds sudden...but the way our apartment lease is set up we have to give thirty days notice, from the 1st. So it was either March first or April first and I don't know that we can afford to move any later because of Rent. We've been talking about moving and planning on moving for a while but now that we have the actual deadline...I'm freaking out! I keep looking around my house trying to figure out how we have nothing, but too much stuff to move out there.
So here's the plan:
**Johnny will be going out to Missouri for a week in the middle of February to actually meet with some people. We're still dealing with people not looking cause we're in Salt Lake. He'll be taking a stack of resumes and hopefully doing some interviewing.
**If he finds a job, he'll be looking for an apartment.
**March First we will be driving our little selves and all our worldly possessions across country. I don't know where our final destination will be. Right now our pit stop will be my parent's house in Carthage, Missouri. (Just a couple weeks at the most)
**Its an adventure....I have to keep telling myself, and sometimes Johnny, it will be an adventure.

So since Johnny is no longer at the New Yorker, I've gotten a glimpse of what a normal marriage looks like. I think I kind of like it. It is a weird feeling knowing that I will see my husband every night and not just as I'm going to bed. We do have a lot more dishes than normal since we've been making dinner every night. But HE'S cleaning the house tonight...HA HA! Tomorrow we finally have our double date with Ryan and Jannali that we've been planning for almost two years now. It's also weird being able to plan a date NOT on Tuesday....or a holiday ON the actual day. For one brief shining moment we thought we could actually have valentine's day ON valentines day...but alas he will be in Missouri and I will be here. I think Amanda and I may have a girls night since both our men will be in the Show me state.

So I hope that fills anyone in who may have had questions. I realize it probably seemed worse than it is...but I'm a drama queen, you should expect that sort of thing by now!

The (not so) Calm Before the Storm

I love my husband. That's what's most important right now. He can be a turd and he has a temper, but I've known that all along. His temper mellowed for a bit, however his neurotin (the medication he's been on for his herniated disk) makes him a bit testy sometimes. But he loves me. I know he loves me even when he's a butthead. He's dropped back on his neurotin considerably but has had to add more pain medicine and muscle relaxers since the accident with the drunk driver. He has to have a neuro CT and bone scan on February 10th because the MRI's have only shown soft tissue damage and given no explanation for his now daily headaches. I know I'm not always as sympathetic as I should be, and I take him for granted. He has been working two jobs the entire time we've been together. He starts at 9 in the morning at the Bakery and would often be out till 11 or later with the New Yorker. He works himself to death and then I expect him to come home and be happy and giggly and playful all the time but the second I have a bad day or headache I'm a total grump and just want to curl up in bed.

Something happened last night. The details are not important. Suffice it to say our ball has been kicked and we are rolling full speed ahead. The next month is going to be a complete whirlwind for us and we are entering completely uncharted territory in our lives. I love my husband, and we can make it through this stronger and happier than ever....that's what's important right now.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Yes I know my blog looks a mess, right. I am trying to update with cuteness and the Christmas one is STUCK, hardcore. I'm enabling the help of my somewhat more tech savvy (read: nerdy) friends so it should be fully adorable by tonight. Thanks for your understanding!


EDIT:Ha! I figured it out all on my own...Hooray! Still tweaking it as bit...but it should be fabulous soon!

Frustration

I am getting really frustrated with the job hunt! Since October we (I for John) have sent in at least 20 resumes to jobs from Kansas City, to Arkansas, to Oklahoma, and yes, even Branson. We've only heard back now from 3...count it, 3! One wrote us back to say the position had been filled, one won't pay enough and is only offering a part-time position (and doesn't know what the hell he's doing) and we just got another email asking if we were planning on moving. The job we applied for in Oklahoma lo the many months ago at the casino is looking for a sous chef again so Johnny'll be calling them today or tomorrow to check up on that. One place, that Johnny would have been GREAT for said "we didn't bother calling you back cause we didn't want to pay to relocate someone." Paid relocation is not necessary for us, we're about at the point of giving notice, packing up, and moving and THEN finding a job. People are not even looking at us cause we live in Utah. Mom thinks it may also be because of the last name. Racist redneck bastards! I've put in the email or cover letter for most of the jobs that we are planning to move or in the process of moving, but still NOTHING. FAH!

I'm getting frustrated and so is Johnny. He is SO over tiredthat I feel like if he's home, he's sleeping. Or I'm sleeping because it's midnight and I have to work in the morning. Not gonna lie, I'm a little starved for attention. Which really makes everything that much more frustrating. I know I'm not the first to go through this schtuff and I will not be the last, and it could be worse, and really I'm just being a big baby....so this is my whiney baby post.

On a funner note~I got to babysit Tristan again on saturday. He does not look like a naked turtle anymore, he is definitely a chubster mcgee. And adorable. And I heart him. That is all.

I Heart Playgrounds!

Yesterday was my day off for the week. My boss is wonderful and has made sure that no matter what my schedule is she makes sure that I have Tuesday nights off to be with my hubby. He is in winter hours so works in the mornings giving me a chance to sleep in and watch my guilty pleasures like Real Housewives of Orange County, Intervention, the First 48...you get the idea. Yesterday I got the urge to go for a walk/jog--if I don't do so immediately when I get these urges, my laziness wins out and I never go. So out I went--I walked over to the park by my house and had the best out of house experience I've had by myself in quite a while. First I played on the swings. I love swinging, I always have. It's the closest I'll ever get to flying. I had a rude awakening when I moved to the monkey bars. After a year and a half of not waiting tables, my tray arm has definitely weakened. I felt very sad and pathetic....and tall cause I could touch the ground! Some boys came to play in the skate park area and I felt lame so I made my way around the park to the duck pond. I love duck ponds! I want a koi pond and a duck pond when I grow up and have a mansion. I watched the ducks and geese and laughed at their noises which sound like laughter. I laughed at the geese that had eaten sticky cake someone left which gave them all crumb mustaches and felt bad for the one who accidentally flew into the tree. I stopped at the swings again and went down the slide before leaving the park, lamenting the fact that I was alone and could, therefore, not play on the teeter-totter. I jogged home and found my house was an oven compared to the cool winter air I'd spent the last hour playing in. I love being a little kid! Maybe the real reason I want to have children is so I can feed ducks and swing and slide and teeter-totter to my heart's content without feeling lame or judged. Maybe the real reason I want to teach elementary school is because I want to that age again, I want to be that person again, I just want to play again!

...And A Happy New Year!

I can not believe it is 2009! I hope you have all had wonderful holidays and celebrations. I had a fabulous first married Christmas. My parents and baby brother came out from Missouri and My Sister and her 8mo old baby came up from Arizona. I loved having my parents staying with us, I'm not sure Johnny loved it quite as much as I did but....that's to be expected I suppose. We were very busy running back and forth doing all kinds of stuff and nothing at all.

Little Tristan was blessed on Sunday by his daddy with help from his Bestefar (my daddy John), his Great grandpa (also John), Uncle Johnny, and some other gentlemen I don't know. This is the second nephew that Johnny has stood in the circle for the blessing of. It is a blessed reminder of how grateful I am that he holds the Priesthood. It's some thing that I know I take for granted, but that is, and has always been, so important to me. One of my goals this year is to live more like the person I want to be in the Gospel. I have been severely lacking in that aspect of my life and I can feel it and it really bothers me. I am so grateful to have the Gospel in my life and the Priesthood in my home. I hope that as we focus more on that part of our lives that we will grow together as a family, we will be prepared to raise children in the gospel, and Johnny will feel worthy and ready to take our own baby into his arms to give her a name and blessing.

That was a little deeper than anticipted.

In all the hustle, I failed to take any pictures ( I know...shocking.) I have elaborate plans to take a post-first Christmas First Christmas picture with our adorable tree which, yes, is still up! I'm not sure if that will actually happen so in the meantime I will bore you with a few of my fav Bridals.

I Love my Mommy!

Alright so we have a couple goofy ones, and A Classic...not really cohesive but it is what you get today!

I was a little excited...just a bit....

I Call this one..."A Woohoo"
I love the background on this one!
Ryan did such a good job I love all the pics...more to come. Not all of them goofy I promise!