I've been tagged.

10 years ago...

I was 14. Pretty much I don't remember much. I was probably just getting ready to start my freshman year at EHS. Its a phase my mom refers to as "the ugly years." I had really big bangs and had just barely made the freshman volleyball team- at the time it was the HUGEST deal in the entire world. I was best friends with JaNae- who is now my sister-in-law! We used to spend the summers having sleepovers at each others houses. This is an awesome picture of my brother Scott and his wife JaNae like a hundred years before they got married-they went to prom as friends.


I remember one morning at the Eliasons, me and JaNae were discussing various eating habits, working out, etc. We both agreed that we really enjoyed eating delicious foods. We came up with this awesome idea to chew our breakfast and taste it, but then spit it out so we didn't get the calories. We proceeded to eat our cereal by chewing it all up, then spitting it out. At the time we thought we were brilliant. This was going to save us a lot of calories!! But then we realized that its called bulemia and its bad.

5 years ago...

I was 19. I was just returning to BYU for my second year of college. I was living with my bestie Adrienne with our crazy roommate who wore gloves all the time and never wore the same pair of underwear twice. This is me and Adrienne's friends (from Kansas) at our apartment having lasagna. Adrienne is taking the picture.


5 months ago...

Jazz and I had were in the midst of wedding plans. I was trying to finish up my last semester at BYU, get a zillion invitations out, and plan/take a trip to Europe with my mom and dad. I took all my finals early and left, skipping graduation and everything. It was awesome, I highly recommend it. Except I would recommend taking your fiance with you because ten days with no phone and barely any internet is absolute torture when you have just found the person you want to be with forever.

5 things on my To Do List tomorrow:

1. Hang out with my mom. Shes coming from CA today with Sabs and I'm excited to play hostess
2. Sleep in.
3. Visit this store and take my mom. It is the most fun store ever and I know my mom is going to freak.
4. Try to finish writing thank you notes. But I know I'm not going to do it.
5. Laundry? I don't know, its a holiday so I kind of don't want to do anything.

5 things people don't know about me:

1. I am a little OCD about cleaning. I regularly take q-tips to the kitchen sink.
2. I cry everyday. Every single day. Not sad cries, but really happy cries and funny ones too. Jazz is used to it now.
3. I hate being wakened (awakened?) from naps. Just let me sleep.
4. I am afraid of cats. And by afraid, I mean I just hate them.
5. Sometimes, maple bars take over my life.

5 bad habits:

1. I pop all of my joints. Including my elbows.
2. I bite my lip when I am stressed or nervous.
3. I buy people magazine and keep up on celeb crap
4. I don't work out nearly as often as I should.
5. Sometimes I speed.

5 places I have lived:

1. Sandy, UT
2. Provo, UT
3. Redding, CA
4. Scottsdale, AZ
5. St. Paul, MN

5 people to tag

I'm tagging all my friends/fam who DON'T have blogs. Morgan, Leigh, Mex, Rachel and JaNae. GET A BLOG. this can be your very first post.

8/28/08

This morning when I got in my car at 7:32 (a tad late) my temperature gauge read 57 degrees. 57! That is only 25 degrees away from freezing! I actually turned my heater on my toesies while I drove to work. I know its still August, and I know I am just getting my hopes up and they will likely be smashed by 95 degree weather today but---

Fall is coming. Fall is my favorite time of the year. The leaves change from bright green to soothing browns and reds and oranges and then they fall to the ground. I like the crackly sound they make when I stomp on them on my way to school. It gets all crispy in the morning so when you open your front door, you take in a big breath because it feels good. It makes me want to go running even though I despise it.

Soon I can pull out my favorite hoodies- my long-lost best friends that have been hibernating together for the last five months. I miss the cuddly softness all wrapped around me, I love the long sleeves. This is just my opinion, but there is nothing more comfortable to wear than a favorite pair of worn in jeans and an over sized sweatshirt stolen from my husband.

This means I can make soups and bake warm breads and heat up hot cocoa like my mom used to do for me. I can get out my halloween crap and make the house all spooky and festive. I can start getting excited for Christmas shopping and spending the holidays at my parents house with my whole family.

I love fall because it feels clean and fresh and new like a school year. It makes me want to glue felt and twigs and ribbon on a wreath for the front door. To get all crafty with sugar cookies and frosting and sprinkles. While I know I probably won't do all of those things, its still exciting.

Oktoberfest 08

We are going to Disneyland! Sean and Rach live like three miles away- we have wanting to visit them for awhile now. Sean started med school down there a few weeks ago- and we have really missed them since they moved away in June. We found some cheap flights to the John Wayne airport to visit end of October for Halloween. I am so excited I can hardly wait. We are doing Disneyland and carving pumpkins and playing Catan and making rice krispy treats (rkt's).

Jazz has never ever been there, so this is going to be better than ever. Anyone who has visited the Magic Kingdom can back me up here. Its like being a kid again. Last time I was there, it was about a month before I met Jazz. We went as a family right after Christmas for a few days and it was awesome. My mom kept us at the park every night until they basically threw us out. Mom would be racing to Pirates of the Caribbean (again)and we would be dragging about ten feet behind her and the employees would say "Um, Ma'am, we are closed now, you need to exit the park please." Shes the best.

Its going to be a nice little break for us- definitely something to look forward to. Plus, they have award winning Churros.

Blogtastic

In an effort to be a better blogger, I am trying to update every day this week. I always think of something midday and go "oh that would be good to put on the old bloggie" and then I forget. And by forget I mean I get too tired and I fall asleep at like 9:30.

but what to blog about...

my new deliciouso quesadilla recipe?
potential trip to california aka octoberfest 08?
how I don't have to go back to school?
the five pounds I have put on?
did I mention how ecstatic I am to not go to school?
the jack johnson concert we went to?

And I choose: the best story of all time.

The other night Jazz and I were saying our nightly prayers. Among other things I prayed for our families to be safe, how we are grateful for our new ward and Bishopric, grateful for our blessings, etc. After I finished, we got up and were getting settled in bed and he was all giggly. This is how the conversation went.

Me "Hey what are you giggling about. what is so funny."
Jazz: "Nothing. hehe."
Me: "Cmon tell me or Im gonna punch you."
Jazz: "Well, its just that you prayed for the wrong bishop. Our bishop's name is Bishop Miller, not Bishop Rick."

Jazz had heard me say "bishopric" and thought I meant Bishop Rick! He had never heard the term before and thought I just forgot our bishop's name.

My husband is the cutest man ever.

Better late than never...

So we finally got our wedding photos! I'm not gonna lie, I am pretty happy with the way they turned out. Our photographer did a great job capturing little moments throughout the day. I put a slideshow in the corner of our page with all of the pictures, but I thought I would post a few of my favorites.






Its been ten weeks as of yesterday- I can't believe how quickly the time has past. Last night we took Jazz's mom to dinner and then went grocery shopping. Who would have thought that picking up our groceries would be the best part of my whole week?? It sounds boring but its the small things that we get to do together that are the most fun. I know, barf.

dear jiffy lube

Dear Jiffy Lube,

Is it too much to hope that I might be able to get my oil changed on my hour lunch break? I mean, a full hour, would that be too much to handle? And while I wait in that tiny germ-filled "air conditioned" box, is it too much to ask for you to have ANYTHING to read but Sports Illustrated magazines from 2006? And no, putting "Passions" on your T.V. does not make up for it. Also, could you please not tell me all of the different liquids that were full, topped off or empty? I do not want to see my air filter- never ever. No, I would not like to have my transmission changed out or four new tires and definitely not new wiper blades, mine are fine thank you. And as much as I enjoy folding that giant pink paper receipt and squishing it into my wallet, would it be possible for you to print a normal sized receipt for me? I do enjoy stepping into the oily nastiness that is your garage, but maybe an inside computer, with anyone other than mr. greasy hands could operate, would be nice.

Sincerely,

Your loyal customer since 2000,

Micci with the 4 runner.

Also...

I know I blogged about the social state of China, the lack of human rights and freedoms of the people there... but I can't help but watch the amazing accomplishments of the athletes that are competing. Despite being located in Beijing, the Olympics are still a huge symbol of hope and peace, of perseverance and achievement.

Last night we watched Michael Phelps win yet another Gold Medal, setting the record for the most gold medals ever won in the history of all the Olympic Games. He makes me feel fat and lazy. My favorite part of watching him win is seeing his mother. They did a little blurb about his mom, how she is his biggest fan, always supporting him, etc. She is so cute- she is sitting in the stands, cheering him on like a soccer mom, like she is is watching her ten year old run around on the field. In reality, her son is the greatest swimmer of all time. Thats kind of a big deal.

Again, makes me feel fat and lazy.

Olympooh.

So here I am, sitting on my couch for the third night in a row, watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The opening ceremony was completely over the top, lots of fireworks, displays of Chinese culture, and a giant parade of athletes from all over the world. I enjoyed witnessing this historic event, after all, it only comes every four years. Christmas is more common.

Ok, so where am I going with this. I don't feel that it is right for China, (officially People's Republic of China) to spend billions of dollars for a 17 day celebration. This is a country of poverty and oppression. Human rights have been an issue there for over fifty years- but the progress is slow. How can they justify spending such huge figures when some of their factory workers make seven cents a day, living in extreme destitution? How can we travel to a country that openly supports Sudan's genocide in Darfur? Who limits family size to one child? Where pollution is so bad that 350 factories in the near by area were forced to close down weeks ago in hopes of some improvement in air quality?

I understand there are reasons why Beijing was chosen as the host city- I mean, cmon, China has ONE FIFTH of the ENTIRE world population. I understand that this can help their economy (really though? even after $280 billion was spent on new buildings and facilities? really?) Maybe all this attention will shed light on the people who struggle in China. Maybe it will show how harsh the government regulations are on freedoms like religion, marriage, and movement. After watching the bright and shiny show of the opening ceremony- I can't see how.

And many More.

It was my adorable husband's 29th Birthday on Thursday. This was our first "Birthday Month" living together, since we have only been married a whopping seven weeks now. We both worked that day, I snuck home early to decorate and to frost my pathetic cake. Morgan made a delicious fancy cake for him a few weeks ago- but I still wanted to have something to put candles so I could sing to him.

My favorite moment of the evening was lighting the candles on his cake- and then realizing that I was the only one singing! I am so used to having the whole entire family around for a loud, boisterous rendition of Happy Birthday at all pitch levels possible. As I sang a quiet verse by myself, I realized how many more birthdays we will celebrate together- eventually with kids and extended family.

29 Reasons why I love my husband:

1. he puts a surprise tiny bag of candy in my lunch
2. he lets me pedicure his feet
3. he loves to spend time with my family
4. he doesn't say anything when I reach for my third donut
5. he likes everything and anything I cook
6. he has bright blue eyes
7. he talks in his sleep
8. he lets me tivo girly shows, then watches them with me
9. he always opens the door for me, even still
10. he knows what to do when I cry
11. he rubs my head when I have headaches
12. he doesn't care when I wear jammies all day
13. he looks adorable holding babies
14. he comes with me to church faithfully every week
15. he looks really cute when he has to wear his glasses
16. he never (ever) wins at Settlers of Catan, but he will still play with me
17. he takes the garbage out every week
18. he gets wheezy when he laughs too hard
19. he has crazy Pennsylvania words/foods/ideas
20. he loves animals like me
21. he is picky about his outfits
22. he makes me smile and laugh every day
23. his hair gets all fluffy after he sleeps
24. he is a packrat, hates to throw things out
25. he is constantly working/fixing things around the apartment
26. he kills all the spiders
27. my whole family loves him
28. he hugs and kisses me every single day
29. he continues to surprise me!

Here are some bday pictures..and some more photos of baby Adi.

Jazzy with his Cake

Jazzy with some presents

Me and Adi- we got to watch her for the whole night!