It's Official.....California

It's true. We just accepted a job with Shea Homes in CA. My responsiblities will involve managing homes built in a master planned retirement community. I will also have a hand in the construction of the amenities....golf course, club-house, water features, etc. We will begin our move at the end of April. Conveniently, Cory and Kristen will only be a half hour away. We are extremely excited about this new opportunity.

We expect that if we want to buy a home there it will take only 28 years. Until then we will be renting. I hope all of you will make the trip to visit us sometime.

Construction Classics Part III

A continuation of previous posts stating actual comments that were said to me or in my presence at the construction site. I love what I do!

1. "It's completely different over there, but the same."

2. "All's I know is I don't know."

3. "Well..... I need to go pick up all my kids from all their prospective mothers."

4. "I have two little kids--they're three months apart."

The Road to Hell...is Paved

I once had a BYU professor give an entire lecture on why cars are the demise of our society. It was quite interesting, and very detailed. Today, I realized that not having a car is equally a demise--not to society, but to my life.

Yes, our problem-free car has become a problem. (Now, you will notice from the picture that this is NOT our car. Our car has a dent that enabled us to pocket $600 from a careless lady in a big truck--obviously not used to driving a big truck.)

Thankfully, I decided that it was warm enough (and I was recovered enough from a nasty cold aquired over Thanksgiving) to jog outside. I was thus stuck at home rather than the gym. So, there's the bright side. On the dull side, I had nothing to do. I couldn't make my Christmas deliveries as I had planned, couldn't rent a movie, couldn't read a book (I planned on buying a new one tonight), couldn't call anyone...well, I guess I could have called someone.

I did, however, straighten up my house, do laundry, and complain to Brady, who is on campus studying.

Really, I'm just ticked that I have to get up an hour earlier to drop Brady off and borrow a car. Now, isn't that a funny thing to whine about? Just rememember that this entry was written entirely to occupy my mind.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

We would have enjoyed this whole experience so much more if it wasn't so cooooold! We just made quick work of our walk around the temple and then were warmed by the various cuisines at Bombay House.

A Thanksgiving Spectacular

We made our own Thanksgiving hats and sported them all through dinner. We had fun coming up with names.


From left to right: Chief El Guapo, Chief Donk, Chief Pot, Chief Corn Skuzz, and Chief Squat and Drop.

Happy Turkey Day

We're far too cheap to send you all this card, but you should check it out.

Once a Criminal, Always a Criminal

Terris loves her life of crime. Brady had to post bail for her yesterday...the second time this month! Apparently, wandering right around our house is NOT okay with the city of Orem. (Frankly, it's not okay with us, either, but I'm projecting my irritation.)

(As another side note, I just taught my Health kids what "projection" means.)

If we weren't so frustrated with our growing "misc." account on Money, we would think that Terris is actually quite clever to think of new ways of escape.

Gotta be smarter than the dog, I suppose.

My New Favorite Sport

All month, I've been nagging Brady about playing some racquetball with me. Every weekend, there's a new excuse... "homework," "relaxing," "anything but..." Really, he just didn't want to face my ferocious game. Yeah, that's right. I cleaned up on that boy.

I've got a few battle scars from wall run-ins...on my elbow, hip, and ankle. (As a side note, Brady aggravated his corn.)



Anyone want to play over break? Bring it.

Wednesday Night Live

Front and center of the school newspaper was a news-breaking article entitled, "Mrs. Major No More." Apparently, a recent study suggests that there is a growing tendency around the nation for males to pursue a degree in Home Economics. The article highlighted one male student who was seen in a picture pouring apple conglomerates in a perfectly baked pie crust for credit in his Home Economics class...Ironically, his name is Micheal Faggard.

Moochin' Off the Company

This picture was taken from Suite 17 at the Delta Center during the Jazz vs. Nuggets game. We were given tickets through my work, Layton Construction. The company owns this particular suite and we were well taken care of. The Jazz lost in heroic fashion, but we enjoyed the great food while watching Carmello Anthony.

Karen and I also had a good laugh as we watched Greg Ostertag, big number '00'. Check out these next couple of pictures closely to see classic Ostertag. Hint: He's the one on the team that always has his head somewhere other than the game. This night's game he tended to favor the Jazz dancers.

Another Great Series

Well, four games played and four games won for Chicago. Is this your team or what, Kristen? I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Series this year.

Welcome Makadie!

Makadie was born on Thursday morning--a full 2 weeks early. She weighed in at only 6 pounds, 2 ounces, so holding her was like holding 1/2 a Nufer baby.



I was so impressed with Roni's toenails--she even did them herself!

No chub on this kiddo!

What are our friends trying to tell us???

JAIL DOG

Here she is, Terris behind bars. That's right, our dog was picked up late last night by the Orem City Animal Control. Apparently she escaped from her tie down yesterday afternoon. From the looks of this picture and the stogie, she may have started a dog mafia on the East side. I just literally bailed Terris from the 'pound today- $30. But now she only responds to the name, "The Godmother." The funniest part of this whole incident is that she was picked up only four houses away from home. We'll keep tighter security on her from now on.

Fall Fling

Some of these pictures look so natural, but believe us when we say they are posed.

Sunday we took a walk through Vivian Park. We were shocked how many of the leaves are already gone! It was still fun. Terris loved playing in the water, and hanging her tongue out the window on the way there.

Time for an Upgrade

Okay Cory and Kristen. Now that you're making big bucks and have all that equity on your condo, it's time to move up in the world. We believe that you can now afford this house here in Orem, Utah.

Just think...if you bought this house, you guys could have like 15 kids!

Whew hoo!

Dad's Visit for "His Tooth"

Last weekend, my dad came into town to "have his tooth worked on" by my uncle. We all know the truth, though. He really came to see as many BYU sports as he could in one day. (He would say as much, too.) It was fun showing him our new place. Sadly, our air mattress now has a hole in it, so this was his sleeping accomodation.

He was a trooper! He went to the TCU game, ate dinner as fast as possible, and marched off to the now-once-defeated BYU Women's Soccer team. I let him go to that with my sisters. I wasn't up for a full day of sports observation--especially after that TCU game.

BYU v. TCU

4.75 hours of my life I will never get back.

At least John Beck looked good.

Enough said.

Karen's Kitchen

No, that title is not a typo, a play on words, or an oxy moron. It is my affectionate title for my new role as primary dinner-maker. I'll tell you what, I sure never thought I'd be saying this--at least until I was entirely in the "stay at home" category. But now (an entire WEEK into the process), I am the proud new owner of some decent meals. Ang--no more veggie trays for me! I want a REAL assignment at family dinners.

I even have an apron.

Hard to imagine, huh?

Scream 4

No, I have no anticipation about another Scream, but I was pretty startled yesterday night when I got home. Brady and I were busy discussing locations while sitting in the car. I had just opened up my door, when suddenly I felt a someone/thing touch my hand. It was terrifying, and I really let one go. I felt a little sheepish when I realized it was just Terris, who was somehow released from her chain and running around in the dark. Of course this sounds silly, but what would you first imagine when a dog's tongue licks you by surprise?

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Well, today was interesting. While driving unknowingly through a school zone, I was pulled over going 6 mph under the posted limit, but 14 mph over the school zone limit. Oops. It turned out to be a good thing, though. It helped me realize quickly that my wallet had been stolen.

Yep. But we're good at this now. After the $20,000 scam last year, this is a walk in the park. The kid has already spent close to $1000--IN ONE DAY. We've started our detective work already, and hope to hunt this kid down. We're pretty sure he's a high school student, although we have no idea how he got my wallet. I always keep it locked up. I'm afraid it's my TA.

It's a little ironic. Just yesterday I was getting on my cousins for speeding, and bragging that I've never been pulled over.

Thankfully, I was not given a ticket or even a warning. I didn't even have to cry. So maybe we're on the upturn in these happenings. (Knock on wood.)

--Karen

It's Just Money, Honey

Yeah, I know I should be "over it" by now, but anyone who knows me realizes how analytical I can be about money. Considering that it took me 147.05 hours to make the money it will cost to repair my literal "million dollar smile," I took the liberty to dream of other ways I could have thrown it all away. Here goes: (Of course the estimates are only approximate...)

• 100 pairs of jeans from Old Navy
• 50 pairs of jeans from GAP
• 125 somewhat-dressy shirts
• 33 pairs of running shoes (NOT on sale)
• 1 dog--vet, materials for a few years, etc. INCLUDED
• $500 wedding band--Forget it! An entire new set of rings! (Maybe I could get into the "right hand" market.)
• 50 trips to the grocery
• 25 trips to Chef's Table--our favorite restaurant (including drinks, appetizers, and the works!)
• 7 day cruise--airfare, excursions, and even taxi tips included
• 5 trips to Ohio/Michigan
• 166.7 haircuts
• 13 season ticket sets to BYU sports (maybe then I would have a SHOT at good seats...)
• 178 books from Borders
• 8.333333 year-long Gold's Gym passes
• 83 gas fill-ups (although this rate will be inaccurate by the time I push "Publish Post" by about $0.10/gallon, right?)
• A large check to New Orleans

For those of you who think this list is a bit over-the-top, be thankful that I did not include other items, such as the number of nail polishes (625), or sets of earings (312) that I could have really burdened you with.

Brady's just excited to be on salary so I quit calculating opportunity cost on every vacation...

Our $2500 Mistake

For those of you fortunate enough to have no experience with major dentistry, the picture above is called a root canal, also referred to as a "2 month paycheck." A root canal is sometimes performed when a previous dentist made a mistake with a filling, and bacteria continued to grow for 3 years. Party! I now get to join the ranks of "bad teethdom" and undergo this tedious procedure, experiencing my own 2 hours in the dentist chair. I'm not sure if I'll be quite as funny as Kristen was in her follow-up email, as I'm not sure I can think of ANYTHING worse than spending money and dealing with the nauseating noises associated with all dentist offices. We shall see.

This is the first and ONLY time Brady and I will go without dental insurance. Our $2500 mistake.

Lickin' Good!!!

After a long hot summer, Terris was "wet her pants" happy to see Karen and I pull up in the car the other day. It was so good to see her. She was a complete spaz, but I probably was too. Best of all, I heard one of the best complements recently. "That dog is the most well-trained dog I have ever met." Oh the humility of a proud owner. Terris will join Karen and I in two weeks when we move into our new place.

Hobble Creek Canyon Half Marathon

This past Saturday Karen again followed her passion and was running hard down Hobble Creek Canyon. I was barely able to get the camera out in time to snap this picture at mile nine so it might be a bit blurry.

Karen's mother always said that she would take up running as soon as she saw someone smiling during their run. Check out the smile in this picture. I was smiling too because she was almost finished and that meant cookies and chocolate milk for me. (I make sure Karen sneeks some of the runner's munchies for me too, the faithful spectator)

Back to Life, Back To Reality

Here we are, together again... Well, Brady's last year of school starts tomorrow. School's been going for me for a full week, and I already love all but one of my classes.

We ate at the Cannon Center (the fine dorm dining...hehe) for free with my cousin and sisters. Brady walked away a bit depressed (I'm going to school with these KIDS???), but he is actually still excited to look through books and get his resume ready to send.

So far, the most exciting thing I've done was go to see Terris. (Sorry, I have no memory space on my camera, so I can't capture the moment...). She peed EVERYWHERE when she saw me. She is a bit odd looking--her fur is bleached out a bit, looking much like a cheap highlighting job, but she has been taken care of well. I took her on a car ride. She instantly stuck her head out the window and hung her tongue out to dry. It was pretty cute.

Brady and I finally broke down and bought a computer, so we'll be posting a bit more frequently. Until next time...

From One Sports Enthusiast to Another

It was a fine week of sports. As you can see, I have been turning over to the dark side and showing favortism towards the "silver and black." A few days ago, I had the opportunity--no, the priviledge--of attending an Oakland Raiders Training Camp. Yes, I was only feet away from Randy Moss as he was making spectacular catches, face to face with Robert Gallery as he signed an autograph, and chummin' with Coach Turner as he signed and almost stole my marker. I also saw -- but kept my distance -- from the infamous Brett Engeman of BYU. I spent two hours on the sidelines watching the Raiders practice and then "broke bread" with the players afterwards. Too bad they stunk it up with the 49ers, but that was mostly just a game for rookies and bench warmers.

Considering how well the A's are doing, we decided to "splurge" by purchasing the $2 nosebleed tickets (Wed nights only). We picked the right night--(cold) hot dogs were only $1! The A's were tied for first place in the AL West with the LA Angels coming into the games, and the Angels had whooped up on them the night before. The game was pretty intense, and we were sitting on the edge of our painfully-far-away seats up until the 9th. The A's came back from a 2-0 deficit in the 7th and scored 4 runs. We've never sung "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with such enthusiasm! It definitely ranks in our top 10 events of the summer (coming soon...).

'Cuz I'm Leavin On A Jet Plane (but not quite a jet)

I flew a plane! Thanks to Mark David, my uncle (on the right), I got to go flying. He is currently working towards his commercial pilot's license, and needs lots of practice hours. Halfway through his time, he decided to have the other pilot give me an introductory flying course. What an experience! The seat didn't get moved up quite high enough, so I couldn't see much, but I could feel every movement while hanging on to the controls. It was comforting to know that the pilot could correct my errors, but I still wasn't brave enough to take us on a roller-coaster ride. I loved it!

Brady said I had to put this one in. These headsets allowed us to hear what the pilot was saying. Sadly, I couldn't understand half of it due to his HEAVY accent.

Our Week in Ohio

We took one afternoon and went swimming in a friend's pool. Thank heavens! Those of us not accustomed to humidity find swimming a welcome relief!

Eric is in this picture on the right (with his hand up). Pretty soon, he will also pass me up in the height department.

I haven't included a picture of Scott yet. He is on the left. It's crazy for me to realize that I teach students who are now a year younger than him. That's probably annoying for him to hear ("Oh, you're growing up so fast," and all of that.) I guess I figure it's not that big of a deal to say things like that, especially since in not too long, I'm going to be referred to as, "My OLDER sister, you know the 45 year old, gray-haired one."

This is 5 out of 6 of us for the girls. Janece is on my lap, Mindy (9) is sitting next to me, and Natalie (off to BYU in 3 weeks) has Anna (5) on her lap.

Check out Janece's face (the girl on the right). I told them to be silly...they didn't let me down.

Everytime I visit my sisters, we do nails.

Quick Visit To Lansing Michigan

Karen's family drove us to Lansing, Michigan to see my parents. The drive was only four hours from Karen's home in Ohio. Among helping Mom and Dad with computer/blog stuff, we had a great time checking out the neighborhood and mission office. They are so excited to be there and will do great things.

Mom and Dad Edwards in the Lansing Mission Office.

We also all enjoyed the mission office candy jars.