Stephen and Meghan

Some crafts, refinishing, and sewing projects

2011-09-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

I know I never update my blog but I am going to try to better only because I am getting drained from my day to day life so I need something to release myself and use my time differently. So lately I have been feeling very creative and needing to do crafts. So here it goes....

So when we got married we were given this shadow box frame that had our announcement in it and well I wanted to do something different in it so this is what I did... I want to put a quote with vinyl on the front... My favorite quote is "If I cannot do great things I can do small things in a great way..." What do you think?

Here is a table I bought at Deseret Industries for $1.50. Stephen sanded the table and painted the legs black to match the decor in our dining and living room. Then I found these prints with help of Tanya from work, that I decoupaged on the top. I absolutely love this table!!!

Lastly, I went to visit my mom and dad and while I was there I made this skirt. I got the fabric online from rufflefabric.com. I think she is in Orem, UT so it is too bad that I didn't go buy it myself from her in person. But look how cute it turned out!!!

Well that is all I have for now but I am very excited to keep you posted on all the things going on in my little life in the most loved and hated town in the mountain west, Provo...

I am so talented, seriously talented! haha

2011-02-24T19:41:00.001-08:00

Well hear this! I made these cute pillows for our living room. I found this cute fabric that was so overly priced that I could possibly never afford it. So I waited and waited and then it went on SALE! So I went with my giftcard that I got for my birthday in October to go get this fabric.

Well here are the results.... So far...

Top Stitching on the back for a cute look!

Two Year Anniversary and Valentine's Day.... :)

2011-02-24T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well as some of you know... Stephen and I don't see much of each other during our days. Stephen is so involved and busy with school, I work full-time, and well at the end of the day we are both tired and don't really spend quality time together.

So this year for our anniversary I really wanted to do something special, like get massages again, or go snowboarding, or like go out to eat, of have Stephen sing me a song he wrote... I mean something out of the ordinary, right? Well I worked all week and our anniversary was on a Sunday (I mean we couldn't possibly miss church (sarcasm;))). So Stephen got sick that weekend, February 12th and 13th, great. So I was like all sad and cried a little that I would not feel special or even loved on my anniversary and also on Valentine's Day.

But then Stephen surprised me with a pretty little calla lily plant that looks so pretty cute in our little living room.

And then on Valentine's Day I was overly surprised! He got me heart shaped pizzas!!! I love pizza and I hate making dinner so this was such a great surprise!!! I was so happy and felt special for that moment in time! Here are some pictures of our cute little pizzas!

Painting for fun....Decorating Too!

2011-01-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

So recently I get so bored on my days off work that I have been trying to find inexpensive things for me to do.

So bought these canvas things from Robert's and well I went a little crazy with them... I have officially painted each of these little canvas things three times. First they were brown and green, then they were just blue-ish with a marble look. And now they are this:
I believe I like them like this. So I have them up in my bedroom where I have this cool pottery barn duvet cover that is bright and colorful like this painting is...

The best part.... Stephen thought I bought them!!! I may be able to find a new profession... Not only would we be poor starving married students, but we would be poor starving artist students. But you know it could always be worse :)

the WORST daily question ever!

2011-01-10T12:06:00.000-08:00

So lately I have been struggling with every wife's, mother's, or hungry person's daily question...

(don, don, don)

The question that haunts my days, the one that even when you ask it to people that live with you they respond with an "I don't know?", which leaves you still trying to find an answer to this horrible, never leaving the presence of my life, question...

When this simple question is given a response, and there somehow happens to an edible answer, even if it is "Meatloaf", will make the person living with this daily question SO HAPPY!!!

So the question I ask is, "WHAT'S FOR DINNER?"

Everyday I eat and I am a bit of a picky eater but in the end I will make whatever I am told and will eat whatever I make. But I am fresh out of ideas, fresh out of simple yet satisfying meals to make.

So I ask my few and mostly family member readers to answer this question for me... Please try not to give me a meal that will take more than 45 minutes to an hour to prepare and make, please try to keep Stephen and I from getting fat, and please keep in mind that I am simple and when I see large words in a recipe like "worchestire" I run....

I thank everyone who comments or calls or even gets a kick about this life's question. I thank Rachel Ray and Martha for making a meal look so easy but its not the making part, it's the deciding what to make part that is so very difficult...

I hate the Dentist.....

2010-12-21T09:18:00.000-08:00

So this post has nothing to do with me but everything to do with Stephen. So he has this tooth that has been hurting him for a couple years and needs a root canal and a crown. So he finally couldn't take the pain any longer and well I found an emergency dental place in Provo that is open until 8:00pm Monday through Saturday (which is also good because Stephen refuses to miss to school.)

So he went last night and I was simply amazed at what they do to this poor kids mouth and the balloon type thing they put over his mouth...

This also reminded me about how much I hate doctors and dentists. It's not the doctors and dentists themselves... Its their choice of profession. Too bad my cousin Tim is a dentist, I hope I can still love him like I do now... Haha I know I will.

Christmas cards... Just make me Shutter(fly)!!!

2010-11-25T15:47:00.000-08:00

So this is the story... My great sister had this blog post and it was all about these Shutterfly Christmas cards. So I went to go check it out and I found one I loved. It was so cute and I totally knew what picture I wanted to but with it. I really like this card that is only green and white and it says JOY on it. The picture I want to use is from the family pictures my family took in Cayucos, California this year when we welcomed Cameron home from his mission.

So this is my plan for Christmas Cards this year. Since I probably won't get all the cards out by Christmas the card I was looking at was Christmas/New Year's neutral. Here are some links of some of the cards I was able to choose from:

Christmas,
Holiday
Photo Holiday

Shutterfly prints are fairly high quality so you won't be getting a junk card, you'll be getting some really awesome prints and cards to send out to family and friends.... Keep your eyes out for a card in the mail from the Elms Family!!
The other great thing about Shutterfly is that you too can get Christmas cards like I am getting for FREE!!!! All you have to do is click this link. There are a few other tasks that have to be done but you can totally get them for free.

Beautiful Fall Color..... aka Flowers

2010-11-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

So I work at this awesome Nursery in Orem, Utah and well we have tons of neat bulbs for spring blooming and some really good looking pansies. So I decided to get a pot and plant some bulbs in it and also plant some pansies so I can have some cheerfulness even in the dead of winter and also in the early spring when there is still snow on the ground. So here is my cute, cute, yet simple, pot!

In front of my our door, the flowers go with the burgundy color of our door.

A little closer look!

Our Halloween Fun

2010-11-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

So for this year's Halloween (well it was on a Sunday, and here in Provo, not much goes on if Halloween is on a Sunday). But the day before most kids go trick or treating, and well I was getting over being sick and it was a little rainy, so no Halloween plans.... But Stephen really wanted to play catch with his football, so we went to the large parking lot next door and played catch.

It started to rain really hard so we waited a little in the parking lot's covered parking spots. Well it just got harder, but we had such a good time anyway. Here is a picture of us having a good time!

2010-09-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

California: Cameron Came Home!

2010-09-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

So way back in July we headed down the ABQ as the start of our trek to California for when Cameron would be coming home from his mission.

We went down to ABQ to well, help my mom get ready for when Cameron would be home but really it was just nice to get out of Provo as early as possible. We stayed in ABQ for a couple days.

Next we traveled down to south eastern Arizona where Stephen's grandparents live and spent the night with them so that we could visit with them and also see Stephen's sister, Ashley's, new little baby boy.

On our way to California from Arizona, we stopped in Barstow to get gas and my parents were not that far behind so we waited for them but they never caught up with us (they drive slow, like old people now).

Then finally we were off to see the beautiful sights of California, my home town. My parents rented a beach house in Cayucos, CA. By the way if you ever go to California for fun, I suggest going to this area because it is so beautiful!! We had to stay in a hotel until the beach house was available but it was fun camping out in a hotel for a couple of days.

Well the first night at the beach house we went to the beach which was only a couple blocks away. We walked along the shore while the sunset and all be honest, I REALLY MISSED THAT!!! Then we met up with a lot of my mom's friends that made us dinner and we were all over BBQ food by Tuesday.

We also longboarded around the boardwalk and the 'rock'. We toured a cool house called the Nitt Witt house. We played at the beach a lot! And boogie boarded all day for like two days straight!

Also we took family pictures and when I get those I'll definitely post them!!

I wish I had more to write about this trip but really it was just the best place to visit after not being there for so long. Well it is the best place to visit no matter what. I already miss it! (stayed tuned for more about this trip)

Tanya's Bridal Shower

2010-07-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

So I have some fun friends I work with and actually my boss is getting married to the beautiful nice and lovely Tanya. She is great! We have such fun together and really enjoy our life at Sun River Gardens. So we got to know some interesting facts of our boss who is a really great guy but also eat some really awesome food!

Reading the questions that were answered by our boss and he knew his audience so he had some fun with all that!

YAY! Mrs. Sun River will me married soon!!!

Here are some pictures from the shower. My mom printed some shirts for Tanya and her future husband (my boss). It was so fun to see everyone outside of work and also to see how much Tanya liked the shirts! Mrs. Sun River and I are becoming really good friends (there is a bit of an age difference between us, but I still think Tanya is great!).

Here is the whole gang from work!

My GREAT AWESOME WONDERFUL job

2010-07-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

So I have been working at Sun River Gardens in Orem Utah. Here is a taste of what I get to do daily at the store. We use the garden room for wedding receptions and well.... my job is to make the room beautiful with all the pretty plants and stuff.

Just some fun displays that I worked really hard on!

I also consult clients on how to make their landscapes looking good and what plants to plant where. I'll be honest I am learning and slowly getting better and better at it. So if you have questions just ask and I can give you a recommendation for some landscape plants!!

Provident Living-- Our Way

2010-07-12T20:18:00.000-07:00

So this year I was able to purchase a few peppers for Stephen because he really likes hot/spicy things. So turns out that Stephen has taken awesome care of these little peppers and he have gotten some peppers growing that he is really excited to eat and make into a salsa.

Also for Christmas Stephen got me some tropical flower seeds that I wanted when we went to Portugal. So those are also starting to sprout and that is so fun to see!

Wedding flowers.... Rained all day on her wedding day :(

2010-05-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

So my most recent wedding was on May 22nd. I loved the colors of this wedding as well. The colors always help make the wedding look pretty when you like them. This is a picture of Katie and her new husband TJ that I snagged from facebook!

Me hard at Work!

2010-05-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

Recently for Mother's Day an estate manager (the guy who does all the plants and decor for rich people homes) wanted a large table centerpiece ranging from $150-$200. So this is some of what I get to do at work.... I actually like it, I just hope they ask me to do this kind of stuff again for the 'estate'.

Most Recent Wedding Flowers

2010-05-13T19:54:00.000-07:00

Anna Cluff and Logan (don't know his last name), recently got married in the Salt Lake Temple and I was able to rent out my beautiful wedding dress to her and also do some beautiful flowers for her wedding! Here are some pictures!

I have always wanted to an all white bouquet and this one had some green but I definitely loved doing the all white because you can see all the different textures!

I GOT IN!!!

2010-05-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Yes I know, hard to believe that I was able to get into the Nike Women's Marathon again! It will happen again this year in October in San Francisco! I cannot wait until I can get a system when I exercise and get a work out going. Since we are trying to move I've just been lost in work and thinking about that all too much so I just need to get to it!!

Also... I always love the Tiffany's necklace at the end of the race as well as the Nike shirt you get. I am excited to see what colors and designs they decide to do this year!

I am a 'SEWING MACHINE'

2010-05-02T21:41:00.000-07:00

YEAH I know right!? I got a sewing machine for graduation from my parents. I have already finished a purse. Although I didn't really follow the directions it turned out awesome! Also I sort of invented a pattern for a sewing machine cover so the machine doesn't collect too much dust while I am at work. Here are some pictures of it all!!!

My next project is to make pillow covers for my furniture, a table clothe to match, a cute summer skirt, and maybe a button-up shirt for Stephen (but that will be a huge feat). But my mom says I am confident and sometimes that is all it takes to get to be a sewing master like my mom.

My mother-in-law got me this beautiful necklace that I cannot go without saying something about it. She looked forever for a flower necklace since she knows I love flowers and plants. Well it was perfect!! I want to wear it everyday but sometimes its just too nice to wear while playing in the dirt at work.

Keeping it all up-to-date

2010-05-02T21:18:00.001-07:00

So I am a BYU graduate and continually more and more proud that I actually finished school. I got a great job at Sun River Gardens (which is a high end garden center) and I totally love it! It is my dream job, they are sort of giving me free reign to design things in the interiors portion and I think I'll be there for awhile. If you ever feel like it come by and take a gander at what we have and say hi to me while your there...

Also I have some pictures from graduation that I wanted to share with everyone so you can see and hear about what the people in this picture mean to me.

This first one is of me and Dr. Brad Geary. He was one of my favorite teachers. If I am ever a professor or teach a class I am going to teach very similar to him. (by the way I am teaching a night section of floral design at BYU in the Winter of 2011).

This next one is of me, Greg Jolley, and Dr. Phil Allen. I wish there was some way to give a special thank you to these men. They definitely saw my passion for the green industry and let me go 'crazy' with the Landscape Management program and all it has to offer. I know that I will be offering my help as best I can to the students that are still there and to these two professors, especially while I am still in Utah.

This next picture is of most if not all of the Landscape Management graduates! 31 grads for 2010 is not too bad considering we are a very successful major and program. All those students in that picture (except two or three) had jobs before graduating!

Lastly, this is me holding the fake sample diploma... Sort of a disappointment when you open it up...

Rocked the Landscape Competition in A-Town

2010-04-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

The week before finals I went to Atlanta, Georgia for a second time to compete in an international landscaping competition called Student Career Days. I know sort of weird, but yes BYU takes students to compete in landscape skills competitions throughout the year. This one is the largest and most competitive of them all. The competitions range from paver installation, irrigation assembly, landscape design, and plant/pest identifications.

Well I won 3rd place again in Interior Plant Identification and BYU won 2nd place overall! I feel like that I have been able to learn so much from these experiences and I am driving Stephen to get close to the same experiences in his program so he can be like me and get a job right out of college.

Here is a picture of our whole team with the second place plaque! I was the president of the Landscape Management Club this year so I got to receive the award for the team... Sort of exciting:)

Yeah BYU-Provo beat out BYU-Idaho, love it when that happens!

Graduation Salutation!

2010-04-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well I am about to embark on the day that my parents decided I needed to participate in, a day that cost extra, and a day that will be GREAT!
I AM GRADUATING!

BYU Alumni NOW baby!

So I have job, even before graduating from college! My job is even in the field in which I studied throughout my years in college. Interior Plant Greenhouse Lead! I love plants and I love everything that have learned about them over the years!!! I will also get to help for the few weddings that are held on the grounds at this little upscale nursery!

Also Stephen and I are hoping to move sometime between now and June to a new apartment with more space... With more space come more of a desire to start a family.. But I want to work and enjoy my job before I have to ask for maternity leave or lots of time off! So don't be expecting us having kids anytime soon...:)

Great News! My mom's heart has been in normal rhythm for a while now, my little nephew is potty trained, and I decided not to give up on the floral business after all!

Surgery on my Wrist

2010-03-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow (Tuesday Mar. 2nd) I will be having surgery on my wrist. My right wrist has had this pain in since high school, and then since about two years ago there was this growth that started to grow but everyone I showed it to was like "its just your bone". Well then it started to get bigger, and more painful. So the cyst that grew in my wrist will be taken off tomorrow, Yay!

I am really excited because in a few months I will be able to do a push again, lift a bucket of flowers, and feel less pain!

Here is a picture of my bad wrist and then my good wrist!

Saturday FUN!!! (tubing)

2010-02-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we went TUBING! We went with my club to Soldier Hollow. It was a blast. The pictures I took were really blurry because I used my phone to take them. But even then the idea of not having to walk up the hill after everytime you go down was delightful! So I probably went down like 6-8 times in like an hour and ten minutes. I always went with Stephen and sometimes with a few other people. We would end up going so fast that my eyes would burn.

We had a blast! I hope that someday we could do that during the day since we only had it reserved at night... from 6-8pm the temperature isn't all that warm :)

Just some friends getting towed up the hill!

Stephen getting towed up the hill! It was our first ride up and I fell off the tube and had to re-do my entry on the tow rope. haha

Check Out the Dream It! Floral Designs BLOG

2010-02-21T20:10:00.000-08:00

I recently posted my most favorite wedding on the blog, so check it out...
dreamitfloral.blogspot.com

Adventure is Out There!

2010-02-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

So one day I was like, "Stephen I want to go sledding." So we went to his parents house borrowed some sleds, then ventured off to the perfect sledding hill. Well this wasn't actually the best hill; it was filled with tins of kids and even worse irresponsible parents who just let their kids be rude and out of control. But we had some good times... Check out the pictures!

Then when we had a three day weekend in January we decided we should visit my sister and her family up in Logan. It was a very nice visit and fun. There we went sledding and tubing. Jack and Stephen were always together on the icy hills while from the distance you could hear Paige's raspy soft voice saying "Steben, Steben" She really liked saying his name and continued to say it until you acknowledged her.

There was a hilarious Lindsey moment as always when she decided to go down the hill on two tubes and got stuck. We love her for those hilarious moments.

Aaron and Jack, Jack couldn't get enough!

This is me, stacked on a couple of tubes.

I think this one is of Stephen and Jack flying down that hill. Jack loves the snow and would probably live in it if he could.

Lindsey and little Paige, just relaxing as they glide down the hill.

Lastly, here is that hilarious moment brought to us by Lindsey!....:)

Three Things I Like About Winter, and Five I Don't Like

2010-02-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

Things I like about Winter:
1. Tax Return Season! ( we scored this year because of getting married and both being in school)
2. Heaters. If it weren't for heaters (in the car, in the house, in my room, in my water) I would probably die
3. Reality TV is in full bloom

Things I don't like about Winter:
1. Snow and cold
2. Salt residue on a black car
3. Lack of desire to exercise
4. Ice cream is no longer appetizing
5. GLEE is not on in the Winter (not till April)

I was just thinking about these things because I am sitting in my house with the heater on and I am warm. But either my nose is still frozen or my feet are; currently its both!

February 13th!

2010-02-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

February 13th is our anniversary. So a year ago on Friday the 13th, Stephen and I got married! We are so glad that we have been happily married for a year and we are excited to be married for many many years.

For our anniversary we went to the Anniversary Inn for the night. The anniversary inn is in Salt Lake and there are these themed rooms, like Swiss Family Robinson, Egyptian, and the one we were in... Cape Cod. We slept in a lighthouse with a circle bed and an aquarium of fish above our heads. There was this crazy waterfall and rock cliff in the room. We each got a piece of cheesecake, apple cider, and breakfast in the morning. For the price it was a nice break from the Provo life. Overall, it was an interesting little place. Thanks Stephen for the get away!

Stephen and I plan to have more adventures and we are excited for them! We are especially excited to hang out with Cameron (my brother) when he gets home from his mission!

Stephen Got Accepted!!!!

2010-02-05T20:53:00.000-08:00

So today while Stephen was slaving away at his large amounts of difficult homework he took a break and was browsing through his BYU Transcript. While he was looking at the transcript online, he noticed that where it usually says "MAJOR: Pre-Mechanical Engineering", it now states "MAJOR: Mechanical Engineering"!!!

So this means that Stephen will be able to achieve his dream job with the confidence that BYU Mechanical Engineering program wanted him on the first time around (you get two chances to apply every few years).

We were both so happy and excited, especially since now he will be eligible for grants and more scholarships.

I love Stephen and I am so glad that he will got one step further to fulfilling his dreams.

Now I need to get a shirt that says " I HEART (actual shape) M.E." for $5.oo at the bookstore to support my man!

School is about DONE!

2010-01-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

Well I am my way to graduation (April 2010) and I wish it would come sooner but I also wish graduation would stall a little because well... I would really like to get a job that will cover help the payments of student loans and keep Stephen from needing loans. So I have applied to a couple places and I plan on applying to tons more! Well soon I will know what I'll be doing for at least the summer, and maybe I'll be working two jobs, because Restaurant money is pretty easy to get and it also is something that I can do well.

Holiday hope!

2009-12-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

So we finished our finals!!! Well so I had to do a whole class in the week of finals, as well as my other four or five finals. Stephen managed everything well and did really good!

Know we are heading to Albuquerque tomorrow, and I can't wait till I can see my little mom, my hilarious dad, and of course my brother's and sister's families. I am most excited about the kids, they are at such fun stages right now!

Lastly, I am doing a really cool lesson for our Valiant 12 primary class. Since its the Christmas season, we are doing a Christmas lesson about the real meaning of Christmas. I was also able to get some free ties and little scripture size bags for our kids since they are 12 now and need to act like they are older and present themselves as older kids.

I can't wait for this break to actually start because I am only recovering from the week of finals as of now.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

(Keep an eye out for our New Year's card)

Flowers! Oh how I love flowers!

2009-12-16T17:07:00.000-08:00

Well since some of you know that I had a pretty big wedding gig in November I thought I should share some of the photos that were the result of my work and expertise in flower types and techniques! (well the photos never loaded, sorry)

The bride and groom were great to work with. The bride specifically said rust orange, cranberry red and eggplant/a deeper purple. Well I worked with what I could and actually everything ended matching the table clothes almost perfectly in the reception barn that they had used for their reception.

Then on January 22, I had a wedding that I did with my sister (she did the photography) where the couple wanted everlasting botanicals (aka fake flowers). It was pretty interesting and they turned out great but it was not my favorite way to do wedding flowers.

I am really excited to get more business because I love making bouquets and arrangements for other people. I wish I had pictures but they just won't load. SOrry!

My List

2009-12-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

So I have a friend that made a list of things that she looking forward to enjoy this season and I thought I would make my own list too. So here it is....

1. Finish this semester
2. Finish ORG B 320
3. Complete all the floral design labs that are still left this semester
4. Finish buying Christmas presents
5. Finish wrapping Christmas presents
6. Provo's first big snow storm
7. Seeing mom and dad at Christmas
8. Making a cheesecake for some awesome people
9. Ice skating with Stephen at 7 Peaks
10. Watching the Joseph Smith movie and seeing the Temple Square lights
11. Getting another wedding under my belt in January
12. Applying for full-time work! EEK! (not sure how that will go)
13. Spend a day with Stephen without talking about stressful things
14. Cooking a real meal none of this poor college student stuff anymore
15. Writing Cameron on his mission, and giving him his Christmas gift (well this is earlier on the list but I just remembered it)
16. GRADUATE!!!

Let me see or know what you are excited about and looking forward to this season...

Meg Got Her Hairs Cut :)

2009-11-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

So I have been wanting a really cute hair cut. I am not sure if it is because I have gained a few pounds and feel ugly or because my long hair would occasionally choke me in my sleep and I would have a nightmare I was being choked. Well so this is the conversation that I had with Stephen when I found a picture of the hairstyle I thought I would like:

Meg: Stephen do you like this hairstyle? (me pointing to a picture i found online)
Stephen: Yeah it's cute. I mean the haircut is cute.
Meg: Well I only asked if the haircut was cute... (slightly confused why he clarified)
Stephen: Well you won't be able to look exactly like her.
Meg: I know I just am looking at the haircut. (I smiled and laughed, and Stephen thought nothing of this conversation)

Well here is the picture I showed him in connection with this conversation:

I know that I am no Heidi Klum, but I love the haircut I have and have actually gotten compliments. So either the compliments are just a nice thing people say when a haircut is bad or they really mean it.

I went to the David Douglas Salon in Provo at the Riverwoods Shopping Center. I went to a girl named Whitney and I really liked her. She was fast and did the cut exactly how I asked.

Just a note: I have only gotten my haircut two other times outside of California so this was a stretch for me to get it cut in Utah were a lot of women tend to have similar haircuts and similar looks (if you know what I mean).

Second Row Jazz Game!

2009-11-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well we were given some sweet tickets to the Jazz vs. Spurs Game. It was agreat thing that the Jazz won. But the bad thing is that my picture of Thurl Bailey didn't really turn out.
Well here are some shots. We were way to into the game and so we didn't really take many pictures of us.
This is us, second row baby!!!
Just Darren Williams warming up, no big deal, I see him all the time up close, just joking!
My horrible picture of Thurl Bailey, its even side ways I am lazy :(
Some game shots! Cameron (my little bro will be jealous)
Free throw!!!

So cool story... I am close with Randy Rigby (President of the Jazz) and he waved and said hi to us at the game. Yeah, we are so cool right now! Randy's daughter is my very best friend, Heather Ribgy.

Thanks father-in-law, Papa Steve for the great tickets and especially to think to give them to us!

Nike Women's Marathon 2009

2009-11-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Well a quick update.... Mom is doing well, she is talking and moving around with a walker. She should be able to go home around the end of this week sometime or even early nest week.

Well in October I went and ran a half marathon in San Fransisco. My mom, sister and I have done this marathon before and the best part is the Tiffany and Co. necklace at the end.

So here are some pictures, (of mostly my sister and I), mom could only walk the last 100 feet. She did this so she could get a necklace!!

This is where we had to check-in and get our race packet. There is tons of free stuff, we are hanging out by the Girahdelhi Chocolate counter get a taste of each type of square.

This is the traditional heart that is at union square that has become a traditional picture to take.

This is the Bear in the Macy's Christmas section giving me a high five for running a half-marathon.

And this is my mom, sister and me with the one who started it all. The Central Coast TNT Manager Barbara Saia.

This trip was extremely special.... We got to go see WICKED! So my mom asked Lisa and Elaine some old friends of ours, and they must of played the "she has a heart problem" card to get us those tickets. We got to sit pretty close and it was totally the best Broadway I have ever seen.
My aunt and cousins came too, and my mom's friend Anna who we stayed with in San Fransisco.

I got in trouble for taking a picture inside, oh well....

This is us by the painted on Wicked posters outside the theater.

Well the following pictures of the actual race and other activities related to the race. Again they are all of Lindsey (my sister) and I because my mom wasn't able to run it with us. The theme of the race is RUN LIKE A GIRL. Its so empowering, especially when you hear mom's yelling "You are running to save my daughters life!" The race is to fund research for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. But this year I was unable to fund-raise for it, I got in through a lottery drawing.

This picture is before the race even starts at around 5:00 am. The streets of downtown San Fransisco are filled with people (aka women). there are about 4-5 blocks of people packed in the streets waiting for the race to start.

As the race starts there are different start times. So when we get through the start line its already been like 15 minutes.

There is so much going on, people cheering, bums yelling, and there are even choir singers and bag pipe players all with Nike shoes on!

This is are traditional picture with the Golden Gate Bridge, well Golden Gate FOG that is! Oh how I love the fog and miss it!

I tend to dance to all the DJ's that play music throughout the race.

Well here are some more shots of the race. I was not wanting to take pictures because I was feeling the hurt for sure at mile 8 or so.

Well not training for a half-marathon (13.1 miles!) was a bad idea. But I survived and I am doing great now. I had a great time and I know that I will try for the lottery of the race again for sure. When I have the time and the means, I'd love to raise the money to go with Team in Training again (TNT).

Proof that I RAN LIKE A GIRL!

My Mom's Open Heart Surgery

2009-11-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

Hey well this week has been a good and kind of worrisome one.
My mom has had heart problems for years with her heart in aphib. She has had a hard time going up stairs, or any inclines. She is tired of it, so my mom went to hospital on the first Tuesday in November. She got prepped for surgery on Wednesday. She was supposed to go in for surgery around 1:30pm. She didn't get in until about 2:30pm. There was about another hour of prep work and she was put through surgery. This is a recap that dad emailed about the surgery.

Wendy's (Mom's) Heart surgery was a success. It was a 5 hr operation. It didn't end until about 7:15pm MTN. They successfully repaired the mytral and Tricuspid valves. They performed "maze" ablation, and reduced the enlarged portion of her heart. While in there, they found an "appendage" which they removed. I think the "appendage" was a result of uncirculated blood over time.

The only glitch that occurred during the surgery was one of the pacemaker leads detached from her heart. They re-attached it. I guess it was the best time for a lead to come detached, the surgeon and doctors where right there to fix it. As a result, they decided to not re-set the pacemaker deeper. So the pacemaker still protrudes showing a bump below her left front shoulder blade.
Wendy did well with the heart-lung" machine. She is in ICU right now and is on a ventilator, (normal procedure). She will not be conscious until perhaps tomorrow morning. She will go off the ventilator then she will have to exercise her lungs to get her lungs back into the whole breathing thing again.
That's all for now. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers.

She is currently still in the hospital in Albuquerque. She was on a ventilator and I am currently trying to find out if she is off of it yet.

Thanks to everyone who asked and showed concern. Especially thanks for your prayers.

P90X

2009-09-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well Stephen and I started P90X which is a work system (on DVDs) that emphasizes muscle confusion. Well I can't say that I absolutely ripped in two weeks, but I can say that I have been consistently sore somewhere on my body (legs, arms, back, butt, ankles, shins, jaw bone, etc). So I am not sure yet if it is working but I am sure that there is something going on with my body.

This P90X thing has been my saving grace. Since I am taking 17 credits to graduate, working, and very active as the president of a club for BYU, I find that this work out everyday is the best thing that helps to keep me going. I always knew that I needed to exercise to keep my spirits up when the weather starts to change here in Utah, but I guess I had never tried at home DVD systems. I do these work outs more than I went out running on my own.

We want to post our before and after pictures when we see more results later on. So look for that in 90 days!!

ALbuquerque, New Mexico

2009-09-05T09:04:00.001-07:00

After our trip to Arizona, we traveled to Albuquerque to spend time with my parents. One of the first few days we were there we went the Balloon Museum. It was so fun and interesting. Going to the museum made me want to go on a hot air balloon ride. According to our guide when we first got to the museum, he said there is balloon travel like in the the movie 'Up'. At first I didn't believe him but then we saw the picture of a group in the air with normal looking balloons, I was so surprised!

Standing in a balloon basket!
This is a simulation on flying and landing a hot air balloon. Stephen failed the first time, but did much better the second time!
Character balloon....
This one I took a picture of for Stephen. I call him 'Scuba Steve', from the movie Big Daddy. I just thought this was the perfect character balloon for him.

During our stay in Albuquerque, we went to the temple. Just so you know that temple is really small, and surprisingly not very attended (well I am used to Utah temples). It was a good time, my Dad was going to meet us there after work but he couldn't find his recommend, but he had it on him the whole time. We all went out to dinner afterward though, so it turned out great!
Outside the Albuquerque Temple

We spent a lot of our time helping my parents get ready to move to the house they had just bought but the timing of the sale was not working in favor of our stay. But what Stephen and especially I was good at was distracting my Mom from her work or things she needed to get done. So we got to play a little.

On our way back to Provo, we always pass the funniest sign in Farmington, New Mexico. I took two pictures. The yellow sign says 'Adult Video', while the reddish sign behind it says 'Jesus is Watching You' with a picture of Jesus looking toward the door of the Adult Video store. We laugh every time we pass it.
Adult Video sign, with Jesus sign right below the street light
The Jesus sign, a little closer (can't read the words but can see Jesus' face)

Portugal Monastery

2009-08-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a video from Portugal, this is the gorgeous monastery we toured. This is footage from the outside of it!

Safford and Duncan, Arizona

2009-08-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

So Stephen finished school for the summer term and I decided that we should go see his grandparents. But this meant that we should also visit his sister Ashley's family, and then on the way back home stop in Albuquerque to help my parents move a little to their new house.

Our first stop was Ashley and Mark Smith (Stephen's sister and brother-in-law). We drove the long way, but it was the beautiful way once we got out of miles and miles of reservations. Honestly I am not sure why there is even a road there, and how evil of us americans to leave the indians the worst part of the United States to let them live on.

On the reservation(s), it was also 'Open Range', so here is the cow we found in the road

Once we made it to the Coronado Trail we were almost there, but that trail seemed to never end. But there were lots of cool sites, like Elk, Deer, and a herd of Wild Turkeys. But it was really cool seeing this tree with over hundreds of arrows shot into it. Below is a picture of that tree!
May have to look closely to see the arrows...

When we got to Safford it was kind of late, but we really weren't too worried, we were on vacation! We went and saw the temple that was there being built. We got snow cones, played in the yard, tried to clean the church, and then we went to the lake!
Mark and his brother, we knee boarded behind the jet ski... So FUN!
Little Hailey, she swam the whole time we were at the lake with Stephen and her cousins

So the real reason for this trip was to visit Stephen's grandparents. But while we were there Stephen wanted to take a picture of the house where he grew-up. Amazingly his dad built this house and it used to be yellow (i guess). The little town to Duncan really wasn't much but it was so great to meet his grandparents, they are the sweetest people in the whole world. But let me tell you that Grandpa Elms can make a mean Ham Sandwich. YUM!
Stephen's old house in Duncan/Virden, cool little house with a cute fence

So the trip was fun and very relaxing, we weren't very good at going to bed early... But we are very excited to see Mark and Ashley again at thanksgiving. Also if Mark reads this we have your hat and when we get money we will mail it.

Oh and a funny fact that was learned on this trip... According to Audrey (ashley and mark's youngest daughter) You are a cousin until you are no longer fun! "Shhh, the cousins are sleeping"--Audrey

Oh, I almost forgot to post this picture. Goes to show how much fun we had, we only took this picture right before we left, and Audrey only wanted to be apart of a tea party with all her cousins and was not all about a picture with her 'other cousins'!
Stephen is holding Audrey, and I have Hailey

Camping Trip 2009!

2009-08-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Stephen and I had planned to go on a camping trip. We were both very excited and a little more unprepared then we thought. We went camping in Maple Bench in the Payson, UT canyons. It was a ton of fun!

Campin', the table in the back is from our Car!!!
Roasting/BBQ hot dogs, they were a brilliant and tasty idea
And of course roasting marshmallows was a must :-)

The next morning, after a very cold and uncomfortable sleep, we decided to hike to a waterfall. It was an easy hike, good for a quick trip or even with kids. I absolutely loved it! When we got to the waterfall, Stephen decided we should hike to the top of the waterfall... Little did he know that I was trying very hard to follow his every step so I wouldn't fall off the steep cliff. Turns out I stretched my legs to the full length that they could because he (stephen) is so much taller than me and can take extra long leaps and reach higher to grab rocks... But we made it safely and it was worth it!!
There were some cool logs you had to walk over, but all the logs were anchored
On top the waterfall (above and below), so adventurous of us!

Dream It! Floral Designs

2009-08-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

As of this summer I received my very own tax resale license that came with a business license. This means I can purchase flowers from a floral wholesaler and create flower designs for you and everyone you know!! Well maybe not everyone, but I can do flowers for weddings, proms, funerals, and just because.

Here is what my business card looks like...

This is a few samples of my designs, but you can see more about Dream It! Floral Designs at dreamitfloral.blogspot.com. I am really excited about doing more work, so if you have friends or you yourself need some last minute flowers let me know. I do live in Provo so it is limiting but I am willing to travel for a wedding or similar (if its not too far). Please keep in mind that I will be in school shortly but I am still available for work.

My first wedding on my own, Phalaenopsis Orchids, Calla Lilies, and Freesia

Same wedding, Mother's chest corsage with Mini Calla Lily, Phal. Orchid, and Freesia, with Italian Ruscus

A Bridal Bouquet for a bride's Bridal Photography, Black Calla Lilies, 'Vendella' & 'Stelle' Roses, Sunset Asiatic Lilies

These are standing sprays, these were for the BYU graduation ceremonies in the Arts Department

Hard at work for my latest wedding, Mini Calla Lilies, Dahlias, Bells of Ireland, Delphinium, and Freesia (green and navy was the color scheme)

Overall, I have lots I want to do to expand my variety but I am willing to do anything that is possible. If there is a dream for something unique or traditional, I will do it!!
Let me know what you think...

Portugal and London

2009-07-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake Airport, ready to go!

So for our belated honeymoon that we never really got and still really haven't gotten... Well we went to Portugal where Stephen served his mission. It was an experience that I feel I may not have again so I am grateful for that experience. We flew forever across the atlantic ocean, then arrived to many other airports before getting to our first 'real' destination, Maderia, Portugal. Maderia is pronounced (Mah-DE-Dah), well to my surprise, I actually really liked this little island which is closer to Africa than Portugal but it was so pretty. There was tropical vegetation all over and the ocean was always in sight, a beach girl dream come true...

A park that had trees from all over the world!

Island flower the Bird of Paradise, Estrelitzia (portugese)

After the beautiful island we flew to the mainland, into Lisbon. There we toured all of the great sights of Lisbon. Like towers and elevators from long long ago (we actually paid to ride up and down it). Well then we went to the waters edge and saw many other sights, like a replica of the Christ statue (Cristo Rei) that originates in Brazil. But please let me remind you that the European Portugese language is much more beautiful and originally from Portugal.

The first of many round about towering statues

At the tower, where they used to patrol who traveled through an ocean channel, very old place

After a couple nights in Lisbon we left to drive to northern Portugal, a place called Porto. On our way we stopped in Obidos, Nazare, Guimaraes, Leiria, Batalha (awesomest monestary) and Bom Jesus. We stayed in Leiria (pronounced, Lay-DIea). There was a beautiful castle that was lit at night and it was absolutely gorgeous!This is Obidos, where the city is inside the Castle walls

This is Batalha, this is the unfinished Cathedral

This is the beach at Nazare

When we reached Porto we went to Church, honestly church was church but people in Portugal have a thing with invading personally space and making you do things that you aren't willing to do with force... Well so we left and stayed in Vila Nova de Gaia. There we stayed with a member who Stephen was very close with. Well to sum up that half-way miserable experience, I was thirtsy often, we both got really sick, and she was unintentionally rude to me.

To the left is Vila Nova de Gaia and to the right is Porto

So we finished our Portugal journeys and were off!!

Well we stayed a couple days in London and sight saw. Well the first day was when I actually got sick from the Portugal lady. Then the next day we went out and toured London on double decker buses and a river boat. Quite enjoyable and relaxing I'd say!

In front of parilment and the clock 'Big Ben'

This is London's tower bridge, apparently platform 9 3/4 is underneath this bridge

The trip home was the longest flight trip ever! I was upset that my one real souvineer got taken at customs, and that the trip wasn't all that relaxing and enjoyable. I felt cheated and completely broke all at the same time.

Finally we made it home and we were able to sleep for like a day, and then after that we woke up really early for like a week. All in all we became closer and I have a lot of respect for Stephen's language speaking skills. I appreciate that the United States has a variety of beautiful places so that leaving the country soon won't be necessary to 'escape' the stresses of life.

I want to Stephen to know that even though I am speaking my thoughts and mind over the whole trip, I really enjoyed it and I love that I got to see the two years of your life that you spent for the most important person in our lives, Heavenly Father. I love you Stephen!

2009-04-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

So we are moving on Friday! There are multiple problems with this situation. Stephen and I both have to work but hopefully getting everything ready to go will be beneficial since we will have about four hours to move it all before it gets dark.
We leave for Portugal on May 10th and will return on May 24th. I am a little bummed because this honeymoon is turning into a mission reunion trip. There won't be a lot of time to just relax and sit by the ocean or in the sunshine. But its ok, I've never been to Europe so this is super exciting. But I do think that Stephen and I need to time to just sit and relax. Well at least I do.
I have one more year left in school and I am super excited. I am the Landscape club President at BYU next year and that'll be really fun. I got hired on as a fulltime floral design TA at BYU and I am doing my first wedding flowers (for someone besides myself) this thursday. I am also hoping that I can get a job with campus craft and floral soon. That would be Great!
Stephen is still working at Noni but got a schedule change so the early mornings will now be an early 9am instead of 6am. He has been doing the tucanos thing too, I was thinking about applying again and working there but Stephen doesn't like that idea.
Hope we can post some cool pictures of Portugal for ya'll soon.

Wedding Picutres are posted on Facebook!

We may finally have everything 'Under Control'

2009-04-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

So we have been married for about 2 months. We are so happy!
We have decided to move from where we are living. We will be moving to a one bedroom condo right across the street from BYU's lovely campus. This will be a money saver!
I just came back from my Student Career Days trip (the annual landscape competition), I placed third in my competition and our team placed fourth overall. Our school brought 57 competing students, while most schools bring only 6-20 students. It was probably really annoying for the other schools to go anywhere and always see BYU in their face. But it was a great opportunity and having job offers lined up year after year is pretty remarkable. While I was there I went to the LA flower market!!! I loved it!
Stephen is doing very well. He may tell you that he is failing school but I think that he has done a marvelous job. He studies very hard and does a lot to keep us afloat financially. He is excited for the summer and to be able to drive his car. I know that he really likes doing that especially since now he doesn't have to drive in that hot car by himself.
We are going to Portugal on May 1oth. This is our honeymoon and we are very excited! I got my passport coming in the mail. I got a UT drivers license which I am not happy about. I have new last name which many fail to use to contact me or refer to me. Portugal will be amazing, and I just hope that everything runs really smoothly!!!

2008-11-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

Our engagement pictures were taken recently by my sister. They turned out great and I am pretty excited to be able to send out marriage announcements with a picture that we both like. If you'd like to take a sneek peak, you can at my sister's photography business blog page: studio21photos.blogspot.com
I am getting excited, as of today there is only 99 more days till we get married!!

This is our first Blog

2008-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

We are getting married on February 13th, 2009. Then having a reception on the 14th of February. We will be getting married in the Oakland, CA temple with an open house in Eagle Mountain.

Stephen recently got accepted to BYU and will start in January. We have not found a place to live yet but I guess we could always move in with his parents until that opportunity comes up.

I have picked out my dress, pictures are an issue, invitations are about ready to be ordered, Stephen has been great and a lot of help even though he is stressed with his job and that stresses me out to the max. But all seems to be well, just the regular struggles from family, finances and time.