Finally a post!

Merry Christmas!

I have been completely overwhelmed with work lately. My life has been off balance and I don't like it. We planned to go to St. George for Christmas but with everything I had going, we couldn't go. I have taken off working yesterday and today, which is why I have time to blog. Tom has been trying to help me out by assembling sets of plans, submitting plans and picking up plans from the City, and preparing Primary schedules, directories, booklets, and lists. We also managed to send out 75 personal Christmas cards and 65 business Christmas cards. I have enjoyed received Christmas cards back. They are my favorite Christmas decoration. I have them hanging above the windows in my office and in the kitchen and above the book shelves in the living room. Thanks to anyone who sent us Christmas cards!
It has been 2 months since I last blogged. Since then, I saw the movie Twilight. It was a "B" grade movie of a book I love. So, I didn't hate the movie but it didn't increase my love of the book either. I blame it on the directors. I liked the actors but I felt like the directors were not experienced film makers. They didn't know how to capture the emotion of Bella and Edward on screen. I knew the emotion from reading the books but for someone who had never read the books I would think it would be boring or even confusing. With that said, I would still love to see the movie again!

I have also been reading to unwind at night. I printed a book list off a friends blog ("The books the Shelfari staff loved") and I have been selecting books off that list as well as some recommendations from friends. I have read "Eat, Pray, Love" (from Shelfari list), "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (recommendation by Cher Rowbotham), and "The Martian Child" (recommendation by my aunt Nancy). I just finished "Eat, Pray, Love" last night. It reads like a diary. Elizabeth Gilbert is a great writer. I like her candid, honest style. I don't necessarily agree with everything she does, but I found it interesting. My friend, Eva, recommended that I join "Goodreads" to share good books. I never thought I would consider joining anything that has to do with books but this actually sounds interesting.

OK, that's enough of being on the computer for my day off! I'm going to go shopping now!

Halloween

I hope you had a Happy Halloween!Becky and I after buying our Halloween costumes while in St. George.Halloween flowers from Joanne & my dad. Aren't they beautiful? I took off the jack-o-lantern face and now they are Thanksgiving flowers.

River decided to be a spider for Halloween. It's amazing that the cob webs stayed up the whole time. I covered all of our book shelves and windows in cob webs for Halloween. I loved it. So, did River, as you can see.

Tom & I heading out to Sarah & Kip's party as a Flapper & Gangster.

Tom dressed up as a ghost, thanks to me and a roll of toilet paper, at Sarah & Kip's party.

I believe in inspiration...

Have you ever felt like you were meant to do something? Like the pieces of the puzzle just fit together at the right time? I have and I believe that it is inspired from above. I met Al Rounds this weekend and had the rare opportunity to hear his story about how he was inspired to paint. Meeting him reaffirmed my belief that God inspires and guides us. I believe that Al Rounds was meant to paint to inspire others through his paintings.

Before we even knew who Al Rounds was, Tom and I were mesmerized by the beauty, truth, and spirit of his paintings. Because Al uses watercolors, nothing can be hidden. "It's a nightmare to paint with watercolors," says Al. Few have mastered watercolor as well as Al Rounds. This is how Al Rounds started using watercolors:

"After graduating from the University of Utah in 1977, Rounds decided to pursue a full-time career as a painter immediately, despite all the warnings he had received from various acquaintances that he would never be able to earn a decent living. His wife calculated that her husband would have to sell three or four paintings a day to make it financially. At the time, he was selling his paintings for $25, including the frame, which amounted to a $15 profit. Rounds, who was trained primarily as an oil painter, decided "I couldn't do three paintings a day in oil (they don't dry fast enough, for one thing). I tried. I started doing watercolors just because I could sit on location and do two or three day. At night I'd go home and work on oils. I did watercolors so I could make a living. But the more I did, the better I got, and I started enjoying it. I started doing things with watercolors that hadn't been done before. I experimented with washes and papers. I knew the techniques before I knew the words for them."

When we met Al Rounds this weekend, Tom asked him, "How did you decide to start painting church history?" This was his response:

Inspired by a dream, The Kirtland Temple was the first church history painting Al did. This is also the first of his paintings that appeared on the cover of the Ensign. Tom and I were married at the Kirtland temple. We were drawn to this painting and it hangs over our fireplace.

When Al was in the second grade, one of the girls in the class pointed to Al during Back-to-School night and said to her mom, "That's the artist in the class." That's when Al began to define himself as an artist. This is Al talking about how he became an artist:

Al is so humble and kind. I see him as a famous painter, as a celebrity, and yet, after meeting him this weekend, I feel like I am one of his close friends. I'm proud to say I know Al Rounds. If I ever see him again, I'm sure he will make me feel like we are close friends crossing paths again.

In 2002, Al Rounds was commissioned to paint a commemorative plate that was given to various dignitaries during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City such as the Queen of England and the President of Spain. This is the plate.

If you want to read a great article on Al Rounds, go to:
http://deseretnews.com/article/1%2C5143%2C340008040%2C00.html

Happy Birthday Joanne

Happy Birthday Joanne! You are a great wife to my dad and a great person too. You are so thoughtful and kind. The more I have gotten to know you, the more impressed I am with all of your talents and activities. I am glad you are part of our family. I hope you have a wonderful birthday!

www.pandora.com

The majority of my days are spent in front of my computer working. While I work, I like to listen to music when I can. I recently got a great recommendation for a music website that Id like to pass it on. The website is www.pandora.com It is a customized radio station that creates a playlist based on an artist you like. You type in the artist's name and pandora does the rest. You can also put in a group of artists and pandora will shuffle through songs that match those types of sounds. My favorite artists lately on pandora are Cyndi Lauper, Sarah McLachlan, and Jewel. Happy listening!

Bunco Babes

I am officially part of a Bunco group that call themselves the "Bunco Babes". I have been playing Bunco with this group almost every month for about a year. My friend, Gretchen Walters, got me into playing Bunco with this group. They are a mismatched group of suburban women that live in and around Corona. Their backgrounds, families, jobs, religions, and past times all vary the spectrum but they are all a blast to be around and every month they call to ask me to play I cant help but go.

I looked Bunco up on Wikipedia and if you are wondering what Bunco is, here is the history...

"According to the World Bunco Association, Bunco began as a progressive dice game in England, later being imported to the American West as a gambling activity. It was not until after the Civil War that it evolved to a popular parlor game. In recent years, the game has seen a resurgence in popularity in America, particularly among suburban women. As it is played today, Bunco is a social dice game involving 100% luck and no skill (there are no decisions to be made), scoring and a simple set of rules. Women who are part of a Bunco club take turns as the Bunco hostess, providing snacks, refreshments and the tables to set up the games. The hostess may also provide a door prize. Small amounts of money can be involved as well. The object of the game is to accumulate points and to roll certain combinations. The winners get prizes (provided by the hostess or pooled from the club resources) for accomplishments such as the highest score, the lowest score, or the most buncos.

Tomorrow's Bunco night!

Tom and Trains

For Tom's birthday we went on an adventure to watch trains. We drove up Lytle Creek, watched trains and ate lunch on the Mormon Rocks, drove up to Silverwood Lake and caught a few more great views of trains, and then watched trains again in Hesperia. The weather was great! It finally feels like fall. The air was cool and the sun was out. It was especially nice to be outside because I have been so busy with work that I have been locked in my office. I forget how much Mormon history we have so close. Here's a little history background of Lytle Creek and the Mormon Rocks:

"In 1851, Brigham Young dispatched three companies of Saints to form a colony in the San Bernardino Valley. On June 20, 1851, his men crossed Cajon Pass. They sought shelter under the gray overhangs and caves of the enormous abutments of what was later named the Mormon Rocks, which today bracket Highway 138. Eventually the troops set up camp in a beautiful grove of sycamores at the mouth of an impasing dark canyon. They explored the area as far west as Cucamonga Creek, looking for a suitable site for their colony. Captain Andrew Lytle was one of the commanding officers. Lytle's company fished and hunted along the abundant creek that flowed past their camp, and now bears his name. A few of the men remained to establish the colony of San Bernardino."

"Mormon rocks were formed by the overlapping of two mountain ranges. This overlapping is due to the grinding and clashing of continental (tectonic) plates in the Earth's crust, producing earthquake and other seismic activity along the San Andreas Fault line. The rock formations give an appearance of light fudge where bubbles burst and left thousands of holes."

Taking shelter in the caves of the Mormon Rocks like the early Saints did.Look! A train!Silverwood Lake on a beautiful day. There is a plaque here about the Mormons too.More trains! Yeah!Eating lunch on top of Mormon Rocks, keeping a look out for trains.

There's another train!

This was a great train spotting location on the way up to Silverwood Lake. Just look at all of the other men who thought so too.

Happy Birthday Tom!

Happy Birthday Tom!
You bring happiness to my life and make me laugh. You have a way of putting things in perspective and keeping life simple. You are loving and supportive. You're a good listener, observant, and remember everything I tell you. You balance me out and complete me. I'm so grateful for you and that you are a part of me life! Happy Birthday Babe!


Happy Birth-Day Sue!
And thanks to the woman who birthed you on this day 35 years ago. Who gave you your great sense of humor and who keeps you in line.

Hockey Game

We got tickets to a Ducks' hockey game in the DBAC (Tom's work) box at the Arrowhead pond and went with Jannene & Johnathan Swart on Friday. The Angels were playing one of their play-off games the same night so we were able to watch a little TV in the suite too. Good times!

My Tom

Husband Tag:

1. Where did you meet? The Huntington Beach singles ward. First at a church dance where we walked around the building talking for hours. He never asked me out. Then, at a memorial day bar-b-cue at his house. He called me every day after that.
2. How long did you date before you got married? 1 year & 1 month
3. How long have you been married? 5 years & 4 months
4. What is your favorite feature of his? His biceps
5. What is your favorite quality of his? He's sentimental
6. Does he have a nickname for you? Bunny & Babe
7. What is his favorite color? Green
8. What is his favorite food? Don Jose's (Mexican food)
9. What is his favorite sport? Soccer
10. When & where was your first kiss? We went to St. George to help my mom fix my grandpa's sprinklers. After working on the sprinklers all day we went to a movie and afterward to Kolob canyon. We were looking at the stars and he kissed me.
11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? Remodel our house.
12. Do you have any children? No
13. Does he have a hidden talent? Voice imitations (Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, Bert & Ernie...)
14. How old is he? 34 (He'll be 35 next week - October 12th)
15. Who said "I love you" first? He did. We were at the beach in Big Sur carving our names in a tree.
16. What is his favorite type of music? Bluegrass
17. What do you admire most about him? He's very loyal and loving
18. Do you think he will read this? Yes. He actually has his own blog. Check it out, it's http://www.tomandsunny.blogspot.com/

I tag... Stephanie Martinez, Wendy Isobe, Stephanie Peterson, & Sarah Robinson

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to the best mom ever! You have an amazing "We Can Do It!" attitude. You've taught me to work hard and to not let people tell me that I can't do something. You also have a way of being grateful for what you have and have made me feel blessed for all that I have been given. I hope you have a wonderful birthday and a wonderful year to come!

I'm Famous!

Not.
They bumped my TV debut to do a program on the financial bail out. I personally would have rather seen a program about architect Sunny Richins helping some non-profit organization than another program about the national financial crisis. I wrote an email to PBS asking if they were ever going to show my program or if it was just cancelled. Ill let you know if by some chance it has been rescheduled.
Special thanks to all my supportive fans out there!

Don't forget to watch "NOW on PBS" Friday 9:30pm

I can't believe it's already Friday. Don't forget to watch NOW on PBS tomorrow at 9:30pm. We have Time Warner and it is on channel 3 (or channel 412 for high definition). For those of you who won't be watching it because you have something better to do on a Friday night, I will let you know how it goes. If it goes well, Ill buy a copy and share it.

Sassafras

On Tuesday night our neighbors brought a baby kitten to our door and asked if we could take it. They found her on their doorstop in the planter box and were worried that their pit bull would find it. We took the kitten with hopes of finding it a good home. Our prospects were Jannene and Johnathan and Sue, Tom's mom. Neither one of them were convinced that they could take a kitten home so the kitten has stayed with us until today, when Jannene and Johnathan finally warmed up to the idea of having a kitten and came to pick her up. After 5 days with the kitten, I have become attached and it breaks my heart to see her go. We named her Sassafras (Sassy). She is adorable. Just look at these pictures. She ran around and played with all her cat toys and then would crash asleep. Ive decided that I am definitely a sucker for cats (but I probably don't have to tell you that). I hope that Jannene and Johnathan enjoy Sassy as much as we did.

If you need a good cry...

I've got the book for you. I just finished "My Sister's Keeper". The book was not what I expected it to be. My friends raved about it. It started out slow for me (as most books do for me), but then picked up and had a tear jerking ending. Even though I cried my eyes out, I thought the ending was perfect for the book. The ending puts life in perspective. Sometimes I think we get so focused on what we think is important that we miss what is really important to us. That is the case in this book (for the characters and the reader). Not to spoil the book, but I also enjoyed the chapter where Kate gets a boyfriend. I cried in that chapter too.

So, finishing this book is a new thing for me. I think I am actually beginning to enjoy reading. It makes me wonder why I have not enjoyed reading before now. What is it about getting older and reading?

Any suggestions for the next book I should read?

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy September 9th! I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy prospecting at Happy Camp. Maybe you will be able to find a big gold nugget just for your birthday. Best wishes for a wonderful year ahead. You always believe in me and for that I am grateful. I love you!

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Happy Birthday Sarah!
You are a great friend and always fun to be with. I hope you have a splendid day!

Align Architecture Anniversary

August 31st is the one year anniversary of starting Align Architecture with my business partner, Mat Robins. It has been a great company and continues to be successful. I have no regrets of starting my own company. Things I don't miss about working for a large company: office politics, driving to work in traffic every day, and asking for a raise. Of course, I have different problems now but its definitely more rewarding!

Picture Tag

This is my first tag to actually do. I usually only blog on the weekends, but for some reason or other, I felt like I had to do this right away, despite all the real work I need to get done, so here goes. Don't forget to look at the bottom to see if you have been tagged next!
Picture #1 - Self Portrait Me with my work. That's where I spend the most of my time.
Picture #2 - Kitchen Sink Picture #3 - Favorite Room After we finished our bedroom and were able to set up our bed and sleep in our bed for the first time in a year after we had started the remodel it felt like we were staying at a luxurious hotel. I remember saying, "This is my favorite room in the house." Everything just felt perfect.
Picture #4 - Laundry Room This is a reminder that I need to do some laundry.
Picture #5 - Fridge Looks like jello and pickles for dinner!
Picture #6 - Master Bathroom You've already seen this. Not much progress.
Picture #7 - Closet Her closet - notice the light fixture I picked out for my closet. His closet - notice the light fixture Tom picked out for his closet.
Picture #8 - Favorite Shoes I have to go with Stephanie on this one, a good wedge will go a long way. I can wear these shoes for anything! I have worn them out!
Picture #9 - Favorite Part of the House My front door is my favorite part of the house. I usually have a cat waiting for me on either side. I also am thankful to my great husband for the handy shelves he built into the closet in my office.
Picture #10 - Dream VacationIt has been awhile since I have been to Lake Powell. Growing up, I went every summer with my friend Misty. To this day, Lake Powell would still be my choice vacation. No driving, no phones, no schedule, just eating, sleeping, and playing in the water under the sun. Perfection!

The following people have been tagged:
Carolyn and Allison (both by request of Stephanie and me) and Joanne and Beth (by my request and curiosity)
The only rule is that you take the pictures "as is".