brooke in progress...

I like big BOOKS and i cannot lie

2011-12-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

Okay so I am officially crafty!!! I have recently become addicted to Pinterest. I love it! It makes me feel like I am really creative, when in reality I am just pinning other peoples ideas. I was thinking how lame it is that I pin all these ideas and projects and never do any of them. I decided to change that. I jumped into the deep end of the pool and went to the store and bought myself a sewing machine. Not that I know how to sew... but I decided I was going to figure it out.

I belong to a book club with three of friends so I decided that for Christmas I would make them bags and put some our 2012 book club selections in it. Let me remind you that I have never sewn ANYTHING. EVER. So I am pretty proud of myself. The first hurdle was going to Joann's. I was so lost. There was so much material and it was so crowded. I was totally overwhelmed. I wandered around trying to find what I thought I needed. I probably should have started with a more simple project because there have been MANY trips back to Joann's. The first bag was a little rough and took me forever to finish, but once I had a plan and knew what I was doing, it was so fun. I'm actually really sad that they are done, because I had a really good time making them. I want to make some more. Hopefully I'll find more ways to be crafty :)

Death of ANOTHER Iphone

2011-08-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

In my head right now I'm hearing "another one bites the dust". I am on my 3rd Iphone in 2 years, I might have a problem. I lost the first one riding the matterhorn at Disneyland on my 30th birthday :( This last one went for a little swim. I walked right into the pool with it :(. Luckily, I have a warranty on it and I'm waiting to get my replacement. I have to be honest, it's a little sad how lost I am without that phone. I had EVERYTHING in that phone. It's such a bummer.

I LOVE the Library

2011-08-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

I love reading! I always have. From the time I was about 8 years old, I was always reading. While other kids were saving up their money for candy or trips to the mall, I was always saving my money for the latest Christopher Pike or Jack Weyland book. It never occurred to me that my love of reading wasn't very common. When I think back now, I don't recall any of my other friends ever mentioning a book they were reading, or had ever read. :)
I now have a number of friends that also read quite a bit. My very good friend Amber reads A LOT. She is usually reading 4 or 5 books at the same time. We belong to a website called goodreads. It's sort like facebook, but for books. You can follow people and what they're and see how they rated the books they've read. Amber has over 700 books on her shelves. She also has a 3 week old daughter, a 3 year old son and she is still reading 3 different books right now. Anytime we get together Amber is always talking about how she goes to the library all the time. As far as I know, she doesn't buy any of the books she reads, she gets everything from the library. I hadn't been to the library in about 15 years, so I didn't understand the appeal. But Amber told me about how she checked out dvd's and cd's in addition to all her books. They even have audio books. The library opens after I went to work and closed before I got off. On the weekend I just never could talk myself into going. I always thought that I should go check it out and some point, but I never did. Now that I'm FUNemployed, I totally have time to go the library everyday if I want to. So I finally went to check it out.

O-M-G!! The Library is awesome!! The nearest book store to me is about 25 minutes away. The library is a 10 minute drive. When I got there, I first had to get a library card. They give you a regular card, but they also give you a mini card that you can attach to your key chain.

Once I actually got inside, I was totally overwhelmed. I didn't know where to start. I had a hard time taking it all in, and I didn't really even know where to start looking for things, so this is what I ended up with on my first trip.

Once I got home I went on the library website. That was really cool too. You can go online and search for items. If a certain item is not available at your library, you can request it and they send it to your library for you. When it comes in, they put it aside for you and send you an email that it.s there. You can also put yourself on the waiting list for more popular items. The only thing that sucks is that you can only have a maximum of 20 items on your waiting list.
I finished my books that I originally checked out that weekend and I received an email saying that some of the items I requested had arrived. So when I went back on Monday, I did much better :)
Since then, I have gotten a couple more emails saying that the items I requested were in. I might be slightly obsessed, but these are the books I'm working on now. :)

New York, New York!!!

2011-08-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

So in April I got to mark a pretty amazing item off my list of "Things to do before I die". I got to go to NEW YORK!! It was so amazing. My friend Karen just got a new job and they were sending her to NY for a conference. Karen invited me to go with her!! I was so stinkin excited! It was a super short trip, but I loved New York. It was the perfect time to go, because all the cherry blossoms were blooming. Since Karen was there on business and actually had work to do, I was on my own most of the time. I got to do and see most of the things I wanted to. It was so much fun and I can't wait to go back someday! Here are a few of my pictures...

Grand Central Station:

Times Square:

Mary Poppins on Broadway:

When I was little, Mary Poppins was one of my favorite movies. I watched it over and over and over. Even today, I enjoy watching it occasionally. I have a small crush on Dick Van Dyke. ;)
The show was really really good. I was thinking that I didn't know if I would like it because I was so attached to the disney version from my childhood. I mean who can compete with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke? I was pleasantly surprised. The set design was amazing as well the musical numbers. There is a part in the show where they have Mary Poppins float out over the audience with her magic umbrella. It was really wonderful.

Cruise around Manhatten:

The cruise was fun, but the already raining weather got much colder once we were out on the water. We got to see some really cool landmarks. Our tour guide was really cool and gave a lot of details about everything we saw.
We got to see the Statue of Liberty! I have always wanted to see it. We wanted to do the whole tour that goes up into the crown, but they were sold out until July. :( It was still really cool to see the Brooklyn Bridge and Ellis Island.

New York Public Library:

This library is AMAZING! It spans two whole blocks and the architecture is beautiful. The amount of marble and detail just blows my mind!

Empire State Buidling:

Central Park:

My other favorite movie growing up was Alice in Wonderland. Central has an Alice in Wonderland sculpture that kids can climb all over. It's really cute.

Back to Blogging

2011-06-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!!! Well, I'm trying to be back. My last post was almost a year ago. I have a little more free time on my hands (more on this later) so I am going to give this a shot. I make no promises that any of my blogs will be entertaining or even remotely interesting. In fact I'm doubtful that anyone even reads this blog, but I am still going to try.

Amber is out of ICU!!!

2010-09-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

www.amberjoygiles.blogspot.com

Amber has been transferred from the ICU to Rehabilitation! This is such a huge step for her. The doctors felt she was doing so well with the recovery process, that she could skip the in-between step of acute long-term care, and go straight to rehab. What a blessing!

Watching Amber's progress is truly amazing and humbling at the same time. Though she tires very easily, her mind is quick and she’s definitely "all there." We are so grateful to Heavenly Father, that her mind has been protected through all of this. She is doing remarkably well both physically and emotionally, considering all she has been through over the last six weeks. Admittedly, this is incredibly hard for her, but it is clear that she is strong and will do what she needs to do to get through this. "I'm alive," she said gratefully, "and Heavenly Father is blessing me. I know I can do this." With that kind of resolve, coupled with the support of her family, the doctors, and all of you, she is taking giant steps forward every day!

In talking with Amber about all the people (you) who love her and are praying for her, she said, "Tell them that I love them. I can hardly wait to write on the blog, myself." Amber wants to be able to talk so badly. She mouths everything and is so patient with our weakness in lip-reading. Talking with the speaking valve in her trach is very difficult, although she works at it. The removal of the trach will come in time, as her body is able to master breathing 100% on its own. Her diaphragm and other muscles involved in breathing continue to get stronger and stronger and she is close enough that they have removed the ventilator machine (at least for periods of time) and allowed her to work at it all on her own.

Now that Amber is in the rehab stage, she is able to have visitors. She spends the daytime hours working (exercising), but is able to have visitors after 4pm. She would love to see you! So that we can ensure that she isn't overwhelmed at any given time, if you're interested in visiting with her, please call JP, Greg, or Julie to make arrangements. Also, please keep in mind that shorter visits (15-20 minutes) are best, so that we don’t exhaust our patient. Amber's workouts, combined with the continued effects of her medication, still tire her more quickly than normal, so we just want ensure that we don't add to that.

Amber's recent (incredible!) progress includes lots of hand/arm movement, lifting both legs one at a time on her own, shifting of her head back and forth (neck muscles kicking in!), taking several assisted steps in the physical therapy room, standing up and sitting down three times (with help) from her wheelchair, and much more smiling!

Truly, she is just amazing us (and her whole medical team) with her rapid progress! We're so proud of her and know that she can do it!

Once again, thank you for all your love and support. Please continue to remember her in your prayers. We love you all!
.

Amber Giles- Good Day

2010-09-05T09:18:00.001-07:00

Here is an update from Amber's blog.

www.amberjoygiles.blogspot.com

Today was a good day.

No seizures! We are overjoyed! She remains on phenobarbarbital and one other seizure medication, which seem to be working really well today. The doctors have taken her off the antibiotic, since they feel they have taken care of the infection. They will still monitor her white blood cells and other inflammatory markers to ensure that nothing else flares up. One of the doctors mentioned yesterday that sometimes when a patient is on an antibiotic, an infection might be masked and show favorable results. So they are cautious, but really do feel they have gotten it under control.

Today marks one month to the day that Amber went into the hospital. She is much more alert today, and was even awake for nearly four hours this afternoon without going back to sleep. What incredible strength! The pento is working itself out of her system, allowing her to wake up. Although it is still a slow process, she seems to be making progress each day.

She is responding to voices and questions with her eyes and eyebrows. We have wondered if she has been able to see, but today her eyes are now tracking movement! When you speak to her, her eyes will slowly track toward you and it even seems like she is trying to move her head ever so slightly. Greg asked her if she wanted to see a picture of Corbin and Kayla. She responded "yes" with her eyes, but began to cry with a quivering lower lip before he even returned back to her bedside from retrieving the picture from her bulletin board. It seemed clear that she could see that picture and even more clear how much she loves her children.

When the physical therapist came in to work with her, which he has been twice a day every day for the last month, he held her hand and asked her to squeeze. No response. Then Greg encouraged Amber, telling her, “Amber, this is your exercise,” and told her how important it is for her to work hard with the physical therapist. Amber, the determined one, then mustered all her strength and squeezed his hand. I can only imagine how difficult this was for her and am once again amazed by the strength and determination Amber has. She is such a hard worker, always has been.

Throughout the afternoon after the PT's visit, when JP slipped his hand in hers, she squeezed back with both hands and repeated again with her dad. This is clearly a workout for her because she is only squeezing when prompted, but what an amazing achievement today!

Greg and JP introduced her to a few different nurses today, letting Amber know that each has been helping her and taking care of her. Sweet Amber responded, as if to say "thank you" with a smile! Her smiles have increased, but are still a huge effort on her part, as not all the muscles in her face have started working again. But when have you ever known Amber to shy away from something that is hard?

Amber likes to have her feet rubbed, which is no surprise to those who know her well. JP and Greg were taking turns giving her foot massages today and they began to joke back and forth about who gave a better massage. Amber smiled and looked as if she was laughing inside. How wonderful to add humor to the list of emotions she is expressing to us, as she's waking up. Such a wonderful sign.

She is still sleeping a good portion of the day, which is to be expected during this waking up process, especially since she is on the phenobarbital. The doctors are maintaining her temperature at a normal 37°C. She still gets chills and visibly shivers every once in awhile, but they have a warming blanket on her to help keep that under control.

We know that Amber is not yet out of the woods. We still have a long road ahead and a lot still has to happen on that road to recovery, but she seems to be responding and showing some good improvement. The doctors are very pleased with her progress, but are still monitoring her closely. They are still concerned with the possibility of her seizing again and are now focused on seeing gradual improvement in her motor functions, but they remain optimistic and feel that she is doing very well.

She IS doing well. Today was such a good day. For that we are so grateful. Every achievement she makes is a reason to give thanks to our Father in Heaven. He is mindful of Amber and mindful of all of us. We feel His blessings pouring down upon us and hope that you, too, can feel that as you have grown closer to Him in your thoughts and prayers over the last month. He has been with us every step of the way.

As Latter-day Saints, we use the first Sunday of each month as an opportunity to fast. As we have mentioned before, we believe that fasting combined with sincere prayer can strengthen us spiritually, bring us closer to God, and help us prepare ourselves and others to receive His blessings. Tomorrow, we will be fasting for Amber's full recovery, but with a special focus on our gratitude to our Father in Heaven, who has heard every one of our prayers. We invite you to join us. Amber is in His hands and what better hands than His to take care of her. We continue to pray in faith for her full recovery and are so grateful for the progress she is making, undoubtedly, with the constant help from God.

Please know we have been so touched and inspired by you, the many people who are following Amber's situation right now, and supporting her and our family in prayer and thought. We have felt loved and strengthened by those near and far: family, friends, neighbors, and those we have never met. Not one comment on this blog has gone unread. You are an inspiration and strength to us. Thank you so much.

Smile

2010-09-04T04:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.amberjoygiles.blogspot.com/

Hello! I know you are all eager to hear about how Amber is doing. As I mentioned before, Amber has been having ups and downs each day, but overall making progress, little by little. Overall, she's doing quite well and we just wanted to share with you an update and some of the “ups” of the last couple of days.

We are so grateful for the miracle we've witnessed with the cessation of the continuous seizures. This is such a blessing. However, since Wednesday's update, she has had a couple of really intense, though non-convulsive, seizures that manifest themselves clearly on the EEG machine. Yesterday, they were unable to control one that came in the middle of the night with the medications she's been getting, so they began her on phenobarbital.

Phenobarbital is an anti-seizure medication from the same family as pentobarbital, which is the medication that induced the coma when she was having continuous seizures. Phenobarbital does not have as strong effects as the pento (thank goodness!), but it does have a sedative effect. It allows her brain to be calm without sinking her into a coma. Since the pheno makes her tired, it's definitely slowing the waking up process, but she is still doing very well, showing great signs of waking up.

Yesterday, they were able to remove the ventilator and give Amber a tracheostomy, which means the breathing tube is now hooked up at the tracheotomy site. The doctors said that they typically would have done this earlier, but they did not anticipate her being in the hospital this long. Amber is successfully breathing mostly on her own, but the tracheostomy machine kicks in when she needs a little help.

Last night, Amber showed us one of the greatest signs of “waking up” when she responded to the voices of JP and her parents with a quivering lip and tears streaming down her face. Amber is not yet able to focus her eyes on anyone or track movement with her eyes, but we do believe she is listening. Julie and Greg were able to calm her, but I'm sure she's pretty scared and confused, as she is starting to take in everything that is going on around her.

This morning, when Greg called in to the hospital early, the nurse who cared for Amber during the night said she blinked her eyes and nodded ever so slightly when spoken to. She had no seizures during the night.

Today, she showed similar signs of recognition and emotion when JP was talking to her and then also when her mom and sister were talking to her. One of the medical team told us that these signs of emotion were very positive signs, as emotion points directly to Amber's personality, which is a good sign that she is doing well waking up.

But best of all so far?

This afternoon, JP and I were talking to her telling her how much we loved her and were so happy to see her. She was wide-eyed, still not tracking yet, but listening. Then JP asked her to take a long blink if she could hear him. She very deliberately opened and closed her eyes slowly. Good job, Amber! Her eyebrows even arched up a bit.

Elated and encouraged, JP then asked, "Can you smile for me?" With every ounce of energy she had, she slowly pulled her cheeks and the corners of her lips up and mustered one of the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen! She can hear us! She is responding as well as her body will allow right now, and we are overjoyed with every effort she makes. About thirty seconds after the huge achievement of smiling, she was back to sleep.

Amber spends most of her time sleeping. The phenobarbital makes her drowsy, but this is okay because we all know (thanks to our moms) that sleep is often the best medicine. That's right, just rest Amber. Rest and heal.

Our hearts are filled with the wonder of life. Thank you everyone for your faith and prayers. Great miracles do still happen, as has been witnessed in Amber's critical situation. Amber still has a long recovery ahead of her. We are full of faith and trust in our Heavenly Father and know he is watching over Amber and blessing us at every turn. She will pull through this.

“I, for one, have never known a woman with more strength and courage than Amber once she decides to do something,” Julie said. It will take time, but we can be patient and put our trust in our Father in Heaven. “We have truly been blessed.”

We love you all and are so grateful that you have joined with us in supporting Amber! We love her, and we know that you do too. Thank you. We love you all!
.

Ups & Downs

2010-09-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

www.amberjoygiles.blogspot.com

Amber has had some ups and downs over the last few days since our last update on Sunday evening, but overall, she is doing pretty well.

She has been experiencing several little seizures, which have been successfully controlled with the anti-seizure medication. However, this morning, she had a fairly severe seizure and her brain could not be calmed down with that same medication, so they tried a couple others until it worked. The doctors are doing all they can to avoid, if possible, inducing a coma with the pentobarbital, so they are managing all of the seizure activity with other medications. It is promising that the seizure activity is no longer “continuous” as it was each other time they attempted to wake her up, but this additional medication does slow the “waking up” process. Obviously, the goal is no seizures, so this is what we're continuing to pray for.

The doctors believe that the severe seizure Amber experienced this morning may have been caused by a fever she has, and that the blood clot they found early this afternoon in Amber's right arm caused the fever. The fever is hanging on, so they have hooked her up to some cooling devices to keep her temperature at 35°C (95°F) to help calm her brain. They will probably keep this up for 24-48 hours, depending on how her brain responds.

Amber's recovery will be slow. Her days are a mixture of ups and downs, but we continue to keep our hopes up and have faith that she will make a full recovery. Amber is alive, and for this we are all very grateful. She had a better day yesterday. We hope that we continue to see progress each day, no matter how little.

Please keep praying, and when you do, please ask for Amber's brain to be healed. We believe that our continued prayers do make a difference. As Julie said, “Why this has to happen, I'll never know, but we stand united in prayer and faith to help Amber fight the greatest battle she has ever fought. Thank you one and all for your love and concern.”

Love you all.

AWAKE!

2010-08-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

Awake.

www.amberjoygiles.blogspot.com

"Let all those praying know that Sleeping Beauty has awakened. Our Heavenly Father has given us a miracle." ~Julie (mom)

This evening Amber is awake and somewhat responsive. This waking up business is a process which still will take a lot of time, but her eyes have opened and she can hear us. The doctors are watching her and are very pleased with her amazing progress today. We are too!

Please know how much your prayers, fasting, love, and positive thoughts mean to us. Thank you for joining with us in calling down the healing powers of heaven. We are most certainly witnessing a true miracle and it is absolutely incredible.

Amber is looking good!

2010-08-28T23:11:00.000-07:00

http://www.amberjoygiles.blogspot.com/

Things are still going very well today! She is showing all the signs of waking up (which can be a long process). She's coughing even now and then. Although she's still intubated at the moment, she is breathing all on her own. She even just opened her eyes all the way. She's just itching to wake up - you can tell! We are overjoyed!

She started running a bit of a fever today, but it looks like they seem to have that under control. Things are looking up. She's made a huge step in this process and we couldn't be more thrilled and optimistic!

Keep up the prayers. We are witnessing nothing short of a miracle here. She certainly is a special woman.

Amber still needs your prayers!!

2010-08-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

This is from Emery's blog. Please keep Amber and her sweet family in your thoughts and prayers.

www.foggyshore.blogspot.com/

The most recent procedures they have been doing have not had the positive outcome we had hoped for. Amber began having seizures again this morning when they tried to wake her up. The doctors are trying a new procedure today where they put her body into a state of hypothermia for 24 hours. They are hoping that this will reset her brain and that the seizures will not return when they bring her temperature back up.

Thank you for your many prayers. Please continue to pray for her and join in our fast. We need a miracle. As Amber would say, "We just need to have faith."

PRAYERS NEEDED!!!!

2010-08-14T08:54:00.000-07:00

I realize it has been over a year since I have posted on this blog, I plan to correct that in the near future. But today I just have to post about my dear friend Amber Giles. Amber is one of the most amazing people I have ever met, and she needs our prayers and our good thoughts. Amber is very sick and has been in a medically induced coma for a week now. You can read her story here http://foggyshore.blogspot.com/ @ Emery's blog. Please keep her and beautiful family in your thoughts and prayers.

My New Debit Card

2009-08-01T12:22:00.000-07:00

Look at my new check card! Isn't it cute?!

Book of The Month-August

2009-08-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

This month we are reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. The movie comes out in September and it looks so good, I can't wait!

Last month's book was Tuesday's with Morrie. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I really liked it. I have also been reading the True Blood Series. It's a pretty good series.I have read through book 6.

Dawn Saves Wildlife

2009-07-26T11:38:00.001-07:00

Dawn dish soap has always been my preferred dish soap, I love the way it smells. I think it comes my Hot Dog on a Stick days. We always used Dawn. However, I am now officially declaring my dedication and loyalty to Dawn dish soap, and you should too. Why should you make such a commitment you ask?.....Well, click on the link below to find out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUkOgE4K7j4

Isn't that about the saddest/cutest thing you have ever seen? So every time you buy any size bottle of Dawn dish liquid it equals one dollar toward saving wildlife hurt by oil spills and other pollutants. But here's the catch, you have to go to www.dawnsaveswildlife.com and enter the number from the back of the bottle. When I entered the bottle I bought today the donation total was only at $11,236, and Nevada is only responsible for $126 of that. Be sure to pick up a bottle the next time you're at the store!

Seriously?...That's just wierd

2009-07-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

The other day I was Walmart doing my grocery shopping, and I stopped by the book section. I'm a book geek...get over it. Anyway- I always stop by just to see if they have anything new....which they never do. Walmart's book selection sucks. However, I was scanning the shelves to see if anything caught my eye and this is what I saw....This is just wierd. Who comes up with this stuff?

Are you a serious reader?

2009-07-18T15:39:00.001-07:00

A while ago my friend Karen sent me an invite to a new website called goodreads.com. At first I was thinking "great one more website I need to join". This is actually a really cool website if you are a serious reader. You follow your "friends" and see what books they are currently reading, what books they've read, and what they want to read. You recommend and rate your books. One of my book clubs is on there and it's a really easy way to have discussions or to send out messages about book club meetings. I just realized I probably sound like the biggest nerd right now... but I love to read! I always have. Anyway if you're into reading, check it out. www.goodreads.com

Jack+Abbie= 4 ever

2009-07-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Ever since we "adopted" Jack, he has gotten along really well with Abbie. She tolerates him a lot more than the other dogs do. She is so nice :) He follows her EVERYWHERE. At first we joked that Jack was in love with Abbie, but now I know, he really is in love with her. I stayed with the dogs at Dick and Christy's while they were out of town, so I snapped a few pictures. I took them with my phone, so they are kind of dark but you get the idea.
Jack, Abbie and Hunter. They are all lined up here because they like to lay next to the fan.

This is how Jack and Abbie started out when I was getting ready for work.And slowly, Jack started inching closer...

and closer, until....
he won her over. They are so in love :)

Book of the month

2009-07-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Last month we read My Sister's Keeper....it was really good. It grabs you right away and draws you into the plot. And you get to know all the characters really well. It was very thought provoking. What will you do to protect/save your child....anything you have to right? But do you do it at the expense of your other child? Where's that line, and how do you know if you've crossed it? I would definitely recommend it.

The book for this month is Tuesday's with Morrie. I have been having a hard time getting into this book, but the other girls in the book club have said that they really like it. I probably just need to focus and stop reading 3 books at one time. I'll let you know how it turns out.

My Personal Urban Dictionary

2009-07-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

My friend Tasean works with me at the Wynn. On his facebook page he has started to post a word of the week. He says "I have some, let's just say, urbanly challenged friends. They need a little education on our language. So here is what I'm doing, every Monday I will give a word & I need all of you to let them know the definition."

Have you ever heard of cupcakin ?.....me either.

Cupcakin: Refusing to hang out with your friends on scheduled activities/events to spend your every waking moment doing everything your significant other wants to do

How about duckets....i know, who comes up with this stuff

Duckets: money

I don't get it. why not just say money?? Well, at least I have Tasean to act as my own personal urban dictionary.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2009-06-21T18:27:00.001-07:00

My dad is my hero. He is my favorite person on the whole planet, but he is spoiled. He has everything he could ever want. So that makes his birthday/Father's Day/Christmas very difficult. But he seemed to like his presents. Jason was on his cruise to the Bahamas, so it was just me, Mom and Dad. We ordered pizza and just hung out for a while.

Aunt Kaye's Birthday BBQ

2009-06-21T18:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we had a Birthday BBQ for Aunt Kaye at Mom and Dad's. It was a surprise party, and thankfully we managed to get everyone there and keep it a secret. Dad made some awesome BBQ and everyone just got to hang out, relax and eat. Here are the pics. Happy Birthday Aunt Kaye, I love you!!!

Happy Friday

2009-06-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a terrible week at work. I mean terrible! Everyday I got up and thought today is going to be different, I can do this. Well everyday it wasn't different, so by Friday I was completely miserable. Friday morning I decided I was going to treat myself and get a Strawberries and Cream Smoothie at Strabucks on my way into work.

So I went to the drive thru and waited in the drive thru line for like 15 minutes because ya know it"s starbucks. When I got up to the window to pay and get my drink, the guy working gave me smoothie, and when I tried to give him my money he said "Don't worry about it, It's on the house. Happy Friday!" I don't know if I came across as a total Debbie Downer when I ordered my drink or what. I was trying to be nice even though I was grouchy. Anyway, it was just really nice. My day still completely sucked, but just not quite as much as the day before.

Books for June

2009-06-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

So the book pick of the month for the book club was "My Sister's Keeper". I was hooked on this book in the first chapter. I finished the book in just a few days.

So I had to find some other books to fill up the rest of my month. So first I read "Dead Until Dark"

I have heard from a lot of people that they loved the book series. But I also heard from a lot of twilight lovers that they didn't like the true blood series. Anyway I gave it shot and it was okay. It is definitely not Twilight except that both are about vampires. I am going to read the rest of the series.

Next I read "Love the One You're With". I have read other Emily Giffin books and I have really liked them. I really like her writing style.

July is my turn to pick a book for the book club, so I'll try to pick a good one. Stay tuned so you can read along.

Buddy Holly

2009-06-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

A co worker of mine was in "Buddy Holly" at Spring Mountain Ranch, so Molly and I decided to go see it. It was so fun! Brandon did such an awesome job, he was so good. I have seen play out at Spring Mountain Ranch before, but I haven't been for 8 or 9 years. It's only 10 miles outside the city, but definitely feel like you are in the mountains. It was a lot of fun. Even Molly's 2 month old baby loved it :)

Brian & Molly

BJ

Baby Brody

Happy Birthday Brother!!!!

2009-06-20T12:35:00.001-07:00

Last week we celebrated Jason's 31st birthday. We celebrated early because Jason and Michelle were leaving on a cruise to the Bahamas. (i am only slightly bitter) Anyway- So all Jason wanted was to have dinner at Dad and Christy's house. Here are some pics. Happy Birthday Jas.

Rocko thinks he is a chihuahua

New camera for all those Bahama pictures.

New and Improved Garage

2009-06-14T13:44:00.001-07:00

My dad loves projects. He is not the sit at home and relax kind of guy. He's always doing something. He called me on Friday night and said he would be at my house and 10:00am on Saturday and he was going work on my garage...whatever that means. Turns out that he was actually going to work on the concrete in my garage. He did this at his new house and really liked it, so he did it in mine. I don't really know how to explain what it is, but he pasically painted the floor of my garage. But first I had to clean it out.

Here are the before shots:

"We" (dad) had to preasure spray the floor first.

The floor had to be dry before we went on to the next step so we took an ice cream break :)

The we had to put on this cleaner that bubbled like peroxide when we put it on the floor.

Then we painted the floor section by section and you have to put these sprinkles on the floor after you paint on the stuff.

This is dad putting the sprinkles on the floor.

After pics:

Spending the day with Mom and Dad was actually really funny.

Brooke: "Dad, what are the sprinkles for?"

Dad: "They just give texture. It covers the cracks and flaws."

Christy: "Maybe I should try them on my face."

Brooke: "I am going to see "Buddy Holly" at Spring Mountain Ranch on Thursday. Do you guys want to come?"

Christy: "Sure, that sounds fun."

Dad: "Isn't he dead?"

Seriously?

2009-06-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

This unfortunately is why HOAs were created. I see random houses like this all the time that they painted/stuccoed pink and orange and green. These people have now devalued the homes around them. Stupid people suck..that's all

New Patio

2009-06-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

Back in spring I wanted to pull out the old bushes/trees in the planters on my patio but this is as far as I got.

It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. So I put it off until my Dad could help me. I honestly figured that I would just wait until next spring. But on Saturday Dad said that we were going to do it. So we ( when I say we, I mean he) pulled out the old dead roots (or ruts as my dad calls them) of whatever was there. Christy was pulling out roots and cleaning too. I was basically standing there watching. I don't like to get dirt on my hands. I tried to put a dead cactus in the trash can, with gloves on of course, but I still got stickers in my fingers(which still hurt by the way). So I was pretty much done after that.

We went to Plant World so I could pick out what I wanted to plant. Have you ever been to plant world? That place is like a zoo. First we saw all the birds, but they seemed pissed off, so we didn't get to close.

Then we were walking a long and there was a cat just hanging out.

Then we walked by this man made fountain/pond. It had a ton of fish in it. Fish just creep me out. But it also had a bunch of turtles. They were so cute!

Dad helped me pick out my plants, and we went home to start planting.

It all turned out great. Now I just need to find a comfortable chair to put on the patio so I can sit out there and read. Thanks mom & dad for all your help!

Star Nominee

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

At work I was nominated for Star of the Month. It's basically employee of the month. They nominated 10 people from ther retail devision. I didn't win, but it was still really fun to be nominated. Each of the nominees and their guest got to have dinner at Daniel Boulud, go see Le Reve ( w/ a backstage tour) and stay at the hotel. It was all really fun, but the whole night was kind of rushed, so I don't have very many pictures.

Brooke & Beth

Brooke & Alex

The room

Beautiful flowers that Molly and my parents sent to me.

10 Things To Tell My Younger Self.

2009-05-31T18:20:00.000-07:00

I was listening Marc & Mercedes (94.1) and they were talking about things you wish you could have told yourself when you were younger. So I decided to make a list of my own. I'm 28 now, so what would I have told myself 10 years ago when I was 18?

* You're 10 times prettier than you think you are.
* Sometimes your parents really do know what they're talking about.
* The only thing you should ever fake is confidence.
* Wear sunscreen and moisturize every night.
* Don't worry so much about what others think of you, it's more important what you think of yourself.
* Don't be in such a rush to grow up, it's not all it's cracked up to be.
* Don't beat yourself up over past mistakes, you live and learn. Only be upset when you repeat your mistakes.
* Don't waste your time, tears or energy on anyone that doesn't respect you.
* Respect others. You don't have to like them, but you do have to respect them.
* Don't be afraid to do the things that scare you, you can handle a lot more than you think you can.

Book Club- JUNE

2009-05-25T17:10:00.001-07:00

So last month's book was To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. I hadn't read it since high school and I really really enjoyed reading it again.

This month Amey has chosen My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I have never read any of her book, so I am excited for something new. Plus the movie version is coming out soon. Feel free to join in and read along.

New Purchase

2009-05-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

These make me happy, that's all. :)

God- part II

2009-05-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

So a while ago I posted a picture of a billboard I always see driving home that just says GOD. Well I was driving to work the other day and I notice what was on the opposite side of that billboard.

I don't know what church or organization does these advertisements, but I just think it's cool. It's a nice change from all the other billboards and advertisements around town. I just like that it's not preachy and it's not promoting any specific religion or church. Not matter what God you believe in, you can appreciate it's message.

The Pigeon Curse

2009-05-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

I never use my front door, because I always leave in my car from the garage. I can't remember why I went out to my front porch, but when I opened the door, this is what I found.

How in the world does a pigeon just go and die right under my front gate?? I think someone is trying to put a hex on me. I know it's just a pigeon but this seriously disturbed me and I had to call my dad to come pick it up and throw it away...I'm such a wimp.

Nice Buns!!!!

2009-05-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

So my Dad has a little side business. It's called D&D Barbecue. My dad is one good freakin BBQ-er. And I'm not saying that just because he's my dad. He does some really amazing BBQ. Anyway. This time he was just doing hot dogs, and corn on the cob. He was going to be BBQ-ing for the French Market thing, and we were going to Costco to get all of his supplies. So he had to get a TON of buns, it took up the whole first cart. So I thought I was being funny and I said "Hey Dad, Nice buns!" I don't know how, but I got him to grab his butt and take this picture....

These were our cartS at check out.

Race for the Cure

2009-05-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

Christy and I did the yearly breast cancer walk down on Fremont street. My very good friend Beth and some of her co workers came too. I was terribly sick that weekend and was feeling horrible but I am really glad we went. It was so fun. They have all kinds of booths where they give away free breast cancer stuff. I was very crowded and I have personal space issues, so I was not happy at first. But once the race started, it was a lot better. The best part was when the firemen came by. They were all in full uniform running together. It was GREAT!! Ever since Christy got hair and energy back after she had chemo, we have made it a yearly tradition.

Mother's Day

2009-05-25T15:13:00.001-07:00

Praise Jesus!!! We have once again made it through another holiday with no fighting and no crying!!! I don't want to jinx us or anything, but we've been doing pretty well lately. Christy wanted to keep Mother's Day low key, so we decided to make dinner over at their new house and just hang out for a while.

We broke out all the old pictures that Christy found while moving.

Jason and Michelle met Jack and they bonded

We ate dinner and hung out for a while and then Dad wanted to show Christy her Mother's Day present. So we made her close her eyes and dad led her to the front yard.......

Then we told her to open her eyes...

She was definitely not expecting this

And no four wheeler is complete w/ out a matching pick and camo helmet

Isn't my dad amazing? He did such a good job. He got the 4 wheeler in Utah, got in back to vegas, got it painted and hid it for a week and half without Christy suspecting anything He had been planning this for more than a month. Good job Dad!!

The House is Done!!

2009-05-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some BEFORE AND AFTERS.

Here are some AFTERS

Here are some of our favorite family quotes:

SO many people have come to help with the new house. Everything from painting to yard work to lighting. Thank you so much to Aunt Kaye, Brother Jason, Cousin Jason, Cousin Amanda, Aunt Kathie, Uncle Dave, Uncle Don. The house looks great and they never would have gotten it done with out you. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!

Book Club

2009-04-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Karen had the great idea to start a book club. I love reading, I always have. I am always bugging Karen about what new books she would recommend. Our friends Emily and Amey love to read too, so May 1st is the official start date. May is Karen's pick, so May's book will be:

I haven't read it since high school, but I remember liking it. I'll let you know :)

Here we go again

2009-04-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Okay- Christy got me a new orchid, so I am trying this again. Hopefully this one makes it.

\

Update!!

2009-04-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

In my previous post I explained how we ended up with Jack. We named him Jack after Jack Sparrow because he has a strange little beard. Anyway we call Jack our red headed step child out of love, but I think in his mind he thinks he has never been anywhere else. He has made himself right at home. He loves to play and run around, and he is getting along with the other dogs really well. Hunter & Abbie are doing great and have adjusted to the new house really well. Rocko decided that he did not like walking on tile floor. He would be walking along perfectly fine, and then as soon as he hit the tile he would lock up and start to shake and whimper. So we took him to the Dr Scott (our vet) and he put Rocko on puppy prozac. Here's a before and after picture.

Before

After

I'm just kidding :) He's not comatose. He is actually doing really well. And I think he is happier because he doesn't get all freaked out over every little thing. Too bad prozac doesn't cure bad dog syndrome, because if it did, the couch wouldn't look like this.......

Georgia is having a few problems too. Her problem is that she's too happy. Georgia always hit her tail on everything because she get's so happy and excited. We always thought she didn't have any feeling in it. She would hit it hard sometimes, and it would start bleeding. It got bad enough that we took her to the vet. Dr. Scott said that she has "Happy Tail". He said that in most cases, they have to remove the tail. They wrapped up her tail with lots of padding. The only problem is that her tail is so fast that the wrap never lasts more than a few hours. We have tried everything to keep it on there, but no luck. So we are going to have her tail removed :(

This last picture I couldn't resist putting up. This is what Hunter looked like when she was napping today.

PUPPY FOR SALE...$0.00

2009-04-11T20:25:00.001-07:00

Last week Christy found a stray dog when they pulled up to their house. I'm still not sure exactly how, but for some reason it is my responsibility now. I put flyers up in their neighborhood, but nobody has called :(
I am not home enough to have a dog and I don't even have a yard to put him in. I feel guilty that he is always stuck in the house by himself. He is such a sweetheart, and I just can't bring myself to take him to the pound. So I am begging... if you or anyone you know wants a cute little dog...PLEASE let me know. He is small (maybe 15 lbs) and really sweet. He loves people and other dogs. He loves playing and running around with kids. He is a good car rider, and he is already house trained. From what I can tell he is still a puppy, I'm sure he is only a year or two old. Please let me know if you guys know anyone who might be interested. THANK YOU!!

GOD

2009-04-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

I drive past this billboard on my way home everyday. It makes me happy sometimes:)

The New Hunstman Family Home

2009-03-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Dick and Christy bought a new house a few weeks ago. They have been working really hard to get it all painted. It has bee a big project.

I killed it!

2009-03-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last year when I had surgery, my friend Molly got me an orchid plant. It was beautiful! I was so excited to actually have something living to put in my house. It made me so happy to look at it everyday, and I put it next to the window to make sure it was getting enough sun during the day. I loved it!

But look what I did to her!! When I got it last October and all her flowers fell off, I just thought it was hibernating for winter and that it would bloom again in the spring. Well, it's spring, and nothing happened. Is this bad luck? What does it say about me that I can't keep a plant alive?

Empty Fridge = Empty Stomache

2009-03-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

My friend from work is always giving me a hard time, because he says I am never home. I disagree. I'm just not home when he wants me to be. He was just giving me a hard time about it yesterday. Anyway Tuesday(today)is garbage day, and I have gotten in the habit of cleaning out the fridge every Tuesday. That way I can put the trash out and it doesn't stink up the house or garage. So this morning before I left for work, I went to clean out the fridge and this is what I found....

Ya, pretty much nothing. Maybe I really am never home. I have been helping my parents paint their new house everyday after work and haven't eaten at home for a while. My BF Karen is coming to town on Friday, so I should probably get something to feed her. (Ses- I promise to shop before you get here)

I have also realized that it is really hard to cook meals when you live alone. I never eat breakfast, I eat lunch at work and I only occasionally cook dinner. I mean if you make something you end up eating left overs for 4 or 5 days, and I am not a left overs kind of girl.

PS- If anyone has some simple small recipes, let me know!

Bugged

2009-02-15T20:12:00.000-08:00

The things that bug me.....

1) Loud eating of any kind, and please close your mouth when you chew....really just bad manners in general bug me.

2) When people get out of the shower and drip all over the place so that the bathroom floor is wet. If I go in there barefoot, yes I realize it's just water, but still ewww!

3) People who can't appreciate other points of view because they are close minded, and can't handle someone disagreeing with them.

4) When people talk a lot, but say nothing.

5) Fakeness

6) Being late or disorganized

7) Ungratefulness

8) When someone tries to talk to me or be super cheery first thing in the morning. Give me 10 minutes!

9) When parents fail to parent their children and let them run amuck in public. Just because you can have kids, doesn't mean you should.

10) When girls who are obviously skinny do the I'm so fat thing.....shut up, no body cares!

11) When someone takes out the trash (yay thanks for the help) but doesn't put a new bag in the trash can.

12) Vacuuming. For some reason if I am vacuuming, it's fine, but if someone else is vacuuming, the noise drives me crazy

13) tickle torture...it's just wrong on many many levels.

14) When people don't like animals

15) When people have volume issues. Like when people talk louder when they are on their cell phone, or when someone is sitting right across from you and they are practically screaming.

I tag....anybody who needs to vent :) I feel better, you will too :)

My Babies

2009-01-15T19:59:00.000-08:00

If you're not an animal person, skip this blog. This blog is dedicated to my dogs. Anyone who knows me, knows I am an animal lover. I can't remember a time in my life that I didn't have a dog. So this blog is dedicated to my puppies. I've said this many times, but I like animals a lot more than I like people. I'm really over the whole people thing, maybe I am just meeting all the WRONG people. But that is neither here nor there.....anyway a dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. Each of my dogs (like people)has their own personalities and quirks, and I love them for it.

HUNTER (AKA big girl) age: 10

Hunter is the leader of the pack. She might let Rocko think he is, but she can always put him in his place. Hunter is technically my brother Jason's dog, but when he moved out he had to leave Hunter behind. Hunter is very very loving. She can tell you everything you need to know with one look. And she is so smart! She had a litter of puppies one time and she was such a good little mom. She loves sleeping on her back with all four legs in the air. She often falls asleep with her toy in her mouth for fear that someone will come steal while she sleeps. She loves bubble wrap, she will nibble on it until she gets every last bubble. She loves her babies her chew toys). She has a process each time we get her a new one. She also loves ripping off the eyes and nose, and then she will rip out all the fluff. She is so so loving and is always such a good dog. She loves the soft jerky dog treats, and she loves camping. She will just sit out in the meadow and sunbath. She likes to sit out there and smell all the different scents in the mountain wind. She loves going for rides in the car, but she can't jump in or out so we have to pick her up, which is tough. She's getting really old now and doesn't move too well but she is still our baby girl.

ROCKO (AKA Big Boy, Jocko, Rock, Fat Head) age: 8

Rocko is our "special" dog. This dog is a mess! But as you can see he is GORGEOUS!! My mom and dad bought Rocko as a surprise for me. They got him in Fillmore Utah. They picked him specifically because he was the runt of the little... he is now a beast so I would hate to see how the
normal size puppies turned out. As I said my baby is GORGEOUS, but he is quite possible the dumbest dog ever. He HATES when it rains or thunders, and if it is even slightly over cast outside he can sense it and we have to give him xanex. When he gets scared or nervous his nails come out and he can't get traction on the hard wood floors. Sometimes he will be walking along completely normal and then he just freaks out and slipping all over the place. He thinks he is the size of a chihuahua, and he is always trying to crawl on my lap or lay on top of me. He hates when people are up after he wants to go to bed. He will wine and cry and crawl all over people until you take him to bed and lay down with him until he falls asleep. So yes, he is slightly neurotic, but he has occasional moments of clarity. He usually comes to see me in the mornings to wake me up, and sometimes we will have a silent talk, or just a stare down. It depends on his mood. But he always knows when I'm sad or sick and sometimes he gets very protective and jealous. He doesn't like when other people come over and take my attention away from him. One time we had a bug guy come and spray for bugs around our house. When the guy went around the back of the house to spray int he backyard, Rocko got very upset and jumped THROUGH our sliding glass window. He cut up his front legs really bad. We took him to the vet, (which he was not happy about, but we couldn't wait for the xanex to kick in) they said that Rocko was "unmanageable" and asked us not to bring him back. They apparently had to knock him out just to be able to look at the cuts. He has also bit Abbie and Georgia when they were puppies because he was jealous. Rocko loves camping and loves to play in lakes, streams, puddles ect. He also loves grapes and really any kind of fruit(which PS i found out that grapes are like poison to dogs). Rocko is NOT an obedient dog by any stretch of the imagination. He will get away with anything he can. If you let him in the front yard and take your eyes off him for 1 second, he will be gone. He is horribly jealous when the other dogs get attention. All the dogs love to fetch tennis balls but Rocko only wants it so that the other dogs can't have it. Once he gets the ball, it's hard to get it away from him. He is so tall that he can reach anything he wants on the counters. If you're not watching, he will steal food right off your plate while you're sitting right there. He's horrible!! But he is horribly cute, and you can't help but love him. Seriously, how could you not love that face?

ABBIE (AKA Abbie Crabby, Scar Face, Ab, Abbers) age 4

Abbie is my little midget dog. She is so sweet and so pretty, but she has super short stubby legs. I think she is done growing. I got Abbie in Cedar City Utah on my way home from General Conference. Abbie and Georgia are BFF. They do everything together. She supports Breast Cancer Awareness, and we take her on the 5 k run every year. Abbie loves to be with people. Sometimes when she is home by herself for a long time she is extra needy. She will follow me around the rest of the day because she wants to cuddle and rub on me. Sometimes Abbie pretends like she can't jump up on the bed because she wants you to pick her up and put her up there. She's heavier than she looks. She has a scar by her right eye from one time that Rocko bit her. She had to get staples to close it up, so sometime I call her scar face. She also has a cowlick that looks like a hurricane. Abbie is a lot like hunter. It must be something about yellow labs, they are just such good dogs.

Georgia (Georgie, Georgie Porgie, George) age 3

Georgia is the baby. She has a tail that goes a million miles an hour. We're pretty sure she doesn't have feeling in it, because she hits it on poles and corners and the fridge ect ect. The worst is when she whips you with the tail. You have to be careful not to get too close when she is excited. Sometimes she hits it so hard she'll cut it open and that's a huge mess. She is kind of skiddish, and she gets scared easily. She has to feel people out first. She still to this day runs from my brother Jason. Georgia really is a lap dog. She loves to lay on my dad's lap to sleep and cuddle. She loves loves loves to play catch. She will run after the ball until you make her stop. She is faster than all the other dogs. She very rarely gives kisses, but she likes to get really close and just smell your lips. She likes to sleep with her head hanging off the bed, or up across your pillow. Like seriously across your pillow, so you have to find somewhere else to put your head. Georgia's name was almost Martina, but Christy named her Georgia Brown, and now we call her Sweet Georgia Brown. Georgia is my mom's cancer dog. Georgie came from the same breeder that I got Abbie from. The breeder contacted me and said that she had another litter of chocolate pups and wanted know if we were interested. So I called my mom and convinced her to get her. She really didn't want to at first. But I talked her into and she is so happy that I did. Georgia actually inspired the color I painted my house. I was looking for the perfect brown, and then I came across a color called Sweet Georgia Brown, and I had to use it. It was meant to be, because it is the perfect brown. Georgia is a troublemaker too. She is just as sneaky as Rocko but she waits until nobody is around. We have caught her eating food off the table, only she full on climbs on top of the table. Nothing is safe with these dogs around. Rocko bit Georgia when she was a puppy. She was okay but she had to wear one of those cones around her head. We saved the cone in case we ever needed it again. About a year ago, we came home one day and she had the cone on again. We have no idea how she got in the closet or got it on her head, but she was stuck. I just love her!

Those are my dogs and I love love love them!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T18:16:00.000-08:00

For the holidays my department offers our personal shopper to the hotel executives to "help" do their Christmas shopping. Of course all the executives waited until the last minute to we were running around like crazy. It was stressful, but so much fun. They basically handed over their black American express cards, and we got to go crazy :) It so much fun spending money when it's not your money. It was all Chanel,Valentino, Marc Jacobs, and Manolo. One executives wife even got 4 kt diamond earrings! Anyway after running all over the two properties, we had to gift wrap everything and deliver them. Again, stressful but overall it was a lot of fun. So on Christmas Day I went over to Dad and Christy's house. Dad told me to be there at 8, so I was there at 8. Too bad Jason didn't show up until 10:30. Ya, I could have slept 2 hours longer. Anyway, we opened presents. Dad is so easy to please. He was so excited about his Mamma Mia sing a long. Christy loved her new lap top. You never know with Jason... for all I know he returned every one of his gifts, but whatev. We vegged out most of the day. But we had made plans to go see Marley & Me which was horribly sad. Then driving home Christy had to revisit and reflect on the death of every family pet we have ever had...... I always say that it is never officially a holiday unless there is fighting and crying. Christy is almost always kind enough to supply both and she didn't let us down this year. So Christmas was pretty much over after the melt down.

Overall, I feel glad that 2008 is over. I feel really proud of myself for accomplishing a lot of things that I wanted to do. I got to cross 6 things off my list of things to do before I die. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

ENCORE- Isn't She Lovely?

2009-01-05T17:56:00.001-08:00

Encore is finally open! Well actually it's been open for about 3 weeks, I'm just behind on blogging. Isn't it pretty? Our Grand Opening isn't until Jan 24th, but it feels so great to be done. This hotel has taken over my life and many other's lives for the last 6 months. Before the resort opened to the public we got to go eat at all the restaurants and some people stayed int he suites. Everything was wonderful. All our stores look beautiful! I feel so lucky to be involved with such a huge project even if was in such a small way. I am really happy to have my life back too :) This week things have finally gone back to pre encore normalcy.

7 Random Things

2008-12-21T15:20:00.001-08:00

Okay,so Karen tagged me like a month ago and I never got around to it but better late than never. So here we go.....

1. I LOVE Julie Andrews- I can't think of a single bad thing about her. She's classy, good peeps. Mary Poppins was/is one of my favorite movies.

2. I am tattooed, and I want more....they are so addictive

3. I am viciously protective of those that I love, and I am endlessly loyal to them until they betray my trust. "My good opinion, once lost, is lost forever"

4. I'm a pretty private person, so it's actually kind of strange that I have a blog.

5. Marriage and babies are not really on my to do list. I'm okay with that, but most people in my life are not.

6. I accidentally started a grease fire in my kitchen when I was 12. I threw water on the fire and basically blew up the kitchen.

7. I fell down the stairs in Klaipeda one time too, but mine was not as bad as Karen and Emily's

So that's it. I tag Emery & Nicole

Beth's Wedding

2008-12-14T15:28:00.001-08:00

So Beth's wedding was last weekend and it was perfect!. It was intimate and beautiful, and so much fun. I'm used to Mormon weddings where people invite everyone they have ever met in their their lives to the reception. And they always have DJ's or music playing. but nobody ever dances. I haven't been to that many non Mormon weddings but this was definitely my favorite thus far. We had been staying at the venetian since Thursday, and on Friday night Beth just wanted to take it easy so we had appetizers at the Grand Lux Cafe downstairs. It was Beth, myself, Donna (the other bridesmaid), and Beth's new step daughter Lynsey. We had a good trying to embarrass Beth. She is impossible to embarrass, she'll go along with anything. She's got so much moxie and she is so sassy. Our waiter, Patrick Sweety, as we like to call him played along with us and we all had a great time. We were just killing time until Royce (Donna's husband) flight got in. They are from Louisiana and they are awesome. Royce and Donna are the cutest couple I have ever seen. It is so obvious that they are MADLY in love with each other. It so funny because Donna is so the life of the party and will do anything once, and Royce is quiet and shy. But they are so perfect for each other. Anyway once Royce got in Beth decided she wanted to go to Dick's Last Resort at Excalibur. I thought it might be a bad idea because Dick's is one of those restaurants where they are purposely rude to you. They will tell you to $*!k off, or give you hard time. Beth is not the kind of girl who takes "ness" from anyone, but we all had a good time. At Dick's they make you hats for you to wear that are really crude and usually really rude, so if you're easily offended, don't look at the pictures. The Manager there is named Taco and he wears a red g-string and gives lap dances to those that are especially unlucky. We were hoping he would give Beth a lap dance but he left early on Friday. They also had a live band there which was fun. They were playing a lot of old school song. They were horrible singers, but that almost made it more fun. Plus it was the last night of the Rodeo so there were a ton of cute cowboys running around. Anyway- we didn't want to stay out too late since the next day was the big day :)

So we went back to the Venetian and went to bed. Saturday went surprising well. We didn't have any huge catastrophes. I did burn my next with my curling iron so now it looks like a have a hickey on my neck. It pissed me off so I wore my hair straight. I'll show that curling iron who's boss! We lounged around for a while, and eventually got Beth in her dress. She looked gorgeous! Ya know how sometimes when you're in the casino and you see a bride walk by and you think oh how fun. It was really fun this time because it was Beth. The ceremony was perfect. Before we started. Johnny and Beth both were so nervous, but then when Beth came down the isle and they saw each other, you could tell that it was like no one else was there except the two of them. After the ceremony was over, the fun began. Beth had given a really great play list to the DJ and we had so much fun dancing and laughing. What can I say...good food, good friends,laughing, dancing and love. Sounds like good times to me:)

Bachlorette Party!!

2008-12-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

My very dear friend Beth is getting married and I am so happy for her. Her first husband was someone that was undeserving of her, but she has found the perfect guy for her. They are so good for each other, and they are so happy just like they deserve to be. Beth is a pretty laid back kind of gal so being a bridesmaid really hasn't been that demanding. For the bachlorette party, the first stop was Stripper 101. Only in Vegas can you find a stripper class. I unfortunately missed this part because I couldn't get away from work early. But from what they described, it was defiantly not something they will ever forget. I met up with the group at the murder mystery show at the 4 Queens downtown. The show was called Marriage Can Be Murder, so we thought it would be the perfect theme. Although now that I think about it, the show had nothing to do with marriage...hmmm. Anyway it was really fun trying to figure out who the murderer was and trying to to figure who was or wasn't a part of the show. There were 2 empty seats at our table so they sat a couple with us that "said" it was their second date. Their names were Gary & Carrie. We had just been served the salad and Gary gets up and starts firing a gun and threatening people. I should have known that they were int he show, I'm so gullible sometimes. Then while Gary is running around with this gun a cop comes in and shoots him. It was such a fun show. We got to participate int he show. The cop comes around and questions people. We got to be rowdy, and everyone had a good time. Then we went back the hotel and Beth opened her bachlorette gifts. Then it was back out on the town. I had so much fun with these girls, they were a blast.

Blue Man Baking

2008-12-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

So last weekend Molly asked me if I would take BJ to see Blue Man Group. He has been wanting to see it for the longest time and it was going to be a surprise for him. So on Friday night I picked him up and I was planning on feeding him and then our show was at 10. Well once I picked him up he told me he wasn't hungry, which made things tricky because we had 2 hours before our show. So we decided to go ride the roller coaster at NYNY. I hadn't been on that roller coaster in forever and BJ said he was up for it. I could tell BJ was little nervous but he really wanted to go. There were two guys from Ireland sitting in the row behind us and they were screaming like little girl the entire time. It was pretty fun. Afterwards we played in the arcade for a while. BJ won a ton of prizes and stuffed animals. He even won 2 stuffed animals at one time out of one of those claw machines. Anyway when we got to our show we gave the guy our tickets to show us where to go. He looked at our tickets and asked if we brought our raincoats with us. I was confused. Then when we got down to our seats we were on the 4th row and they had little plastic ponchos for us to wear. I honestly didn't know it was that kind of show so we both put on our ponchos and hoped for the best. I was surprises how much fun the show was considering there no talking. I thought the "blue men" did a great job and luckily we didn't need our ponchos too many times. Bj is such a fun kid and I had so much fun with him. That's the thing about hanging out with a nine year old...you kind of get to be a kid too. Isn't he the cutest kid ever??

On Saturday I went to Christy's house we did our holiday baking. Last Christmas I went to visit my BF Karen in San Diego and her mom made these AMAZING cinnamon rolls. Her mom gave me the recipe and they are now a new holiday tradition. Thanks Bertha! Cinnamon rolls are a big project and we had a lot of other stuff to cook too, so we got started right away. This kind of job required an apron, and anyone who knows my cooking/baking past knows that this apron was perfect for me :) (I have no makeup on...don't judge me) However my cooking skills have greatly improved over the last couple of years. So I started on the cinnamon rolls and Christy started on the Tea Balls. We had a pretty good time cooking and we really didn't fight (which is unusual) until the end of the day, which is usually the sign that we have spent too much time together. At one point we had to make a run to the store for more supplies. It had turned cold outside and I had worn flip flops, so I asked Christy if she had shoes I could wear and I should have known not to ask because be brought me a pair of crocs. I figured since it was never going to happen again, I should probably document this. So we got all stocked up on our supplies and head back to Christy's and finished up all of our goodies. Dad even pitched in and made some awesome fudge. So I ended up taking a bunch of goodies to work on Monday, and seriously by noon is gone. Damn vultures! I guess it's actually a compliment that it disappeared so fast. But the reason I decided to do all our baking last week was because it was my only free weekend and I wasn't going to be free again until like January. Oh well. Anyway, I was hoping that the baking would help me feel more Christmas-y ...but no. THE END

Christmas....Bah Humbug

2008-12-06T16:05:00.000-08:00

Just 18 days until Christmas....I am having a very hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I'm usually that annoying person who starts listening to Christmas music on October 1st. And while I'll admit that I was listening to Christmas music in October this year as well, it has just felt different. Maybe I have been busy or distracted or whatever. Work has played a roll. We are opening Encore in 16 days. My department is one of the few that covers both properties. So not only do we have all our regular responsibilities and workloads, we have now added another property and 13 additional stores. Don't get me wrong, it is a very exciting time and I am grateful to be involved in a company that is so innovative and is the best of the best when it comes Las Vegas resorts.. I mean let's be honest. I like good old Wayne Newton as much as the next person, but Steve Wynn is the REAL Mr. Las Vegas. I'm thankful to be involved in the whole process, but I am totally burned out. I go in early and stay late everyday and I can never seem to get a grasp on my always growing list of things to do. This is the current state of my office, and it's driving me crazy. I am the type of person who loves lists and organization and order. I don't know how much longer I can work like this. And everyday it seems to get worse, I'm currently not winning this battle. I also have times when I get so frustrated that I think I am going to kill the next person that comes to me with a problem or a dumb question or a stupid excuse about why they can't do their job.

I am the type of person that when I am upset or angry or frustrated, I want to have it out right then. I do not like holding things, it makes me feel like I am going to spontaneously combust. So I think this is I haven't felt very Christmas-y. Then last week on one particularly icky day, I returned to my desk after lunch and found the new Chanel holiday bag on my desk. This happens often and it's usually stuff for an executive or stuff Mr's Wynn wants us to check out ect. However... this bag had my name on it. I actually squealed a little. I love Allure perfume! I had been working with the regional manager of Chanel to book reservations for all the Chanel people to come stay at the Wynn during our soft opening and Grand Opening. It had been a very long process to get everyone what they wanted and get them booked, but we got it done. Anyway she left the Chanel bag for me as a way of saying thank you. She also left me know sweetest card. It was so nice of her and actually really unexpected. Most of the time you barely get a thank you. Then this year we had decided we would forgo buying gifts for each other and we would adopt a family for Christmas. Someone from another department at the Wynn just adopted 4 foster children ranging from 4 to 8. We set up a little tree and called it the donation tree. We asked everyone to bring in gift cards and put them on the tree. With the economy struggling and with 4 news kids at Christmas time, we thought gift cards were the best way to go. I was put in charge of our tree and everyday as I would receive gift cards from people I would tie them to the tree. Just those few minutes each day sitting with that little fake tree made all the difference for me. I got to thinking how fortunate I was and thinking about the "reason for the season" We have already passed the tree along to the family, and I really hope that it makes a difference for them this year as they spend their first Christmas together.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2008-11-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. This year I made dinner all by my lonesome for my family. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. The last time I cooked a turkey, I was on my mission and it was like a 30 pound turkey. The turkey came with it's neck still attached(gross) and it was so big that it wouldn't fit in our sink. My companion and I had to wash it in the shower.
So we had our little miniature family Thanksgiving. Jason and Michelle came over. We had our whole family together for 2 hours and nobody got in a fight and nobody cried....it doesn't even feel like a real holiday :) Later we went over to Molly's house for their Thanksgiving. Molly's table was beautiful!. She had place setting and all these candles. It was awesome! I love the Holidays! Here's a few pictures.

Notice the difference in Christy in these two pictures.

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes;

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears;

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full years instead of your lean;

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth;

Count on God instead of yourself.

I think sometimes in life we get so wrapped up in the things we want that we forget about all the things we already have.

50 things I'm thankful for in 2008.....

1. Family- as crazy and dysfunctional as they are, they're mine and I am fortunate to have them.

2. Good Friends- you know who you are.
3. My dogs- they are family but they deserve a number of their own
4. A secure job in a successful company during hard economic times.
5. God- even if I question a million other things, I believe in God and his love for me.
6. Rainy days
7. Listening to Josh Groban and letting it take me back to a little town called Klaipeda.
8. Finally buying my own place.
9. Gas under $2.00
10. Christmas music
11. Pedicures
12. My dad- he deserves his own number because he's my hero.
13. Chinese food from my favorite hole in the wall restaurant in Henderson.
15. Quiet times like when the power goes out and it forces you to slow down and think about life.
16. Reading and a love of books.
17. Naps
18. Gossip Girl Nights
19. Shoes
20. Freedom
21. People with open minds and open hearts
22. Music- all sorts
23. Movies- all sorts
24. Julie Andrews
25. Internet
26. My car
27. Struggles and trials that have helped me learn.
28. Percocet
29. My country
30. Laughter
31. Light fluffy snow that falls really lightly and slowly so that you feel like you're in a snow globe.
32. Dirty dishes- Thank God for dirty dishes, for they have a story to tell. While others go without, we're eating very well.
33. Lilac trees
34. Rainbows
35. Cute little chipmunks
36. Pretty sunsets
37. All my gay friends who have taught me so much about what it means to be a good person.
38. Aunt Kaye
39. My camera
40. Good health
41. Sitting by the fireplace during the winter.
42. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
43. Health insurance
44. puppy cuddles
45. ASPCA
46. The Twilight Series
47. Valour blankets
48. Flip Flops
49. Chap stick
50. Popcorn & M&M's

May your troubles be less,

your blessings be more,

and may nothing but happiness

come through your door.

Official Property Owner

2008-11-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

In August I decided that I wanted to buy my own place. Lucky me I found my condo on the first day. The whole process after that point was a huge pain in the butt. All the approvals and documents ect ect. The timing was horrible on my part. This was during the time that I had a lot of pain from kidney stones and I actually ended up closing on the condo the same day as my surgery. Then all the real work began. The previous owner had the ceiling, walls and baseboards painted the same color. You can't tell in these pictures, but it was the color a wedding dress turns when it's really old and rotted. It was not cute. There was a lot of work to be done. My Dad is amazing. He has helped me every step of the way, and he was there working on my condo more than I was. He has helped me with everything from picking paint colors to the really big project that I couldn't begin to understand. It feels like we have been working on the condo for forever, and we are almost done!!! We've come a long way and it's been fun, but we're both ready to be done. Sometimes I think my dad is going to kill me. Every time we're close to being done, I give him another project. He always says he will do whatever projects I want, that he just wants me to be happy, but I know he just wants to be done. The latest project I added was that I decided I wanted to paint the kitchen cabinets. And then I decided that the kitchen was kind of boring with the cabinets all white and I want a little bit of spunk and and sassiness. So I decided that I wanted to paint the insides of the cabinets a different color. This time I went on my own to pick the color. I got the color and went home and started painting. This is what I ended up with. When my dad walked in and saw what I was doing, he said "what did you do that for?" like I didn't realize I was painting in a different color. I'm sure he was thinking "Gosh I leave you a lone for an hour and you go and screw everything up!" At first I was really excited and I loved it. Then the more I looked at it, I started to second guess myself and I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't really like it, but I didn't want to add more work for my dad. But, luckily it has stared to grow on me, and I am happy with it now. It was just too much turquoise for a minute. So anyway- we are now officially nearing the end. I have no plans to add anymore projects and hopefully I will be all moved in next weekend. I am just so excited to have something that is mine. I enjoy spending a fair amount of time by myself doing my own thing. And now I can do that all I want. No more wasting money on renting, no more roommates to be annoyed with and clean up after. It's just my own place. I'm super excited! Thanks for all your hard work Dad, you're my hero!

We Are Not Friends!

2008-11-23T21:02:00.001-08:00

Soon I will have to post some recent pictures of myself to show how incredible pale I am. I have always been pretty fair, but in the last 2 years it has gotten really bad. I am like sickly pale. Part of it is that living in Vegas, I'm not really willing to go outside when it's a 120 degrees. Then I was on some medication that made my skin super sensitive to the sun, then I the kidney stone thing and was basically a lazy bum all the time. Then my doctor ordered some bloodwork to test my vitamin D. A normal level is around 40....my vitamin D level was 7 :( So my Dr. told me to start getting a lot more sun. So I got a tanning membership. I have only been 4 times, and I've burned twice. I started out at 6 minutes, then to 8 and I have now graduated to 10. Me and tanning beds are not on good terms....the end.

TWILIGHT!!!

2008-11-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of the Twilight Series, so of course I have had ants in pants waiting for the twilight movie to be released. Work has been so crazy lately and Friday was super long and super stressful. I went in to work early because it was my friend Molly's birthday and I wanted to decorate her office. Molly is one of the most giving and generous people I know. For her birthday she invited a group of us to have dinner at LBS @ Red Rock and then we were going to go see twilight at the red rock theater. Molly's friend owns LBS, and they took such good care of us. The food was AMAZING!! Not only did Molly have gift bags for us, but the owner gave us a goodie box of warm cookies to take with us to the movie. Included in our goody bag were fangs to wear to the movie. (if you didn't know, twilight is vampire movie) We all had so much fun. So we headed over to the theater for Twilight. We had already bought our tickets so we thought were ready to go, but apparently people had come early to line up for seats. When we got in the theater, it was packed. We had to sit in the 4th row, but we were still excited to be there. So after all the anticipation and excitement, I have to say that I was disappointed. I thought the movie was such an obvious a low budget movie, it was too short, and the acting wasn't that great. Edward is perfect. He always knows what to say and do, and in the movie it just seemed all wrong. There were also lots of akward moments between Bella & Edward. But, even with all that, i still caught myself smiling and giggling through out the movie. I will probably still buy when it comes out, I just hope that in the sequel they do a lot more with it. Anyway- it was a super fun night. Happy Birthday Mol!!

Boo for Kidney Stones!!

2008-11-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

I really hope that everyone who reads this has seen The Princess Bride. If you haven't, add it to your list of things to do before you die. There is a part of the movie where Princess Buttercup is having a dream that she went through with the wedding to Prince Humperdink. (Humperdink, Humperdink, Humperdink!) She is standing in the castle square and this ishy old lady publicly calls her out for marrying another while her true love lives. The old lady boos Princess Buttercup so hardcore that it wakes her up from her dream.... That is how I feel about kidney stones and health issues in general. I boo them with such distain and firey intensity that it could make me sit upright out of a dead to the world deep sleep.
Some of you may know that I have had continuous pain from chronic kidney stones for over four years. I got my first kidney stone in august of 2004. I was living in Kaunas,Lithuania and the pain made me sit straight up at about 3am. I thought I was dying, and if I wasn't dying I was thinking that death would be a better alternative. In my small reality at that time I thought that nothing could be worse than having to go to the doctor or hospital in a foreign country, so I didn't go until 3 months later. The doctors told me that they could go up there with these prong things and pull them out, or I could deal with the pain until they passed. I chose to deal but my next problem was that they never passed, they just kept growing for 4 years. 8 months ago, in my slightly larger but still quite small reality I decided that nothing could be worse than having kidney stones. So after months and months of testing, persciptions, and endless dr appts. I finally figured out why I kept getting kidney stones, and why I had been in so much pain. I started out having weeks between kidney "episodes" to the point that I was in pain everyday. And for the last 5 months I have been on Lortab or Percocet everyday. 5 months!! I know it's horrible, but I finally broke down and had surgery. October 10th was the big day. Somehow I had conviced myself that I was going to be feeling super fantasically awesome after the surgery. I was so so so wrong. I don't think I have ever been so wrong in my whole life. However, I am so so so happy to report that I am finally back to normal. During the surgery, they put in something called stent. I won't go into detail, but I am convinced that a stent is a torture device. If your doctor ever brings it up as a possibility, you should run away! I got the stent removed about 2 weeks ago (i'll spare you those details as well) and I am FINALLY back in action. I feel like a brand new woman, and I am so excited!