Teen Elect

I'm the Beehive Advisor in my ward, which means I work with the 12 and 13 year old girls. Once a year, they have a stake (10 wards) activity called teen elect where they teach 12 and 13 year old girls and boys manners and have a big dinner to practice. That was last night and one of the most humorous things I've experienced, only partially because that's the age where girls are so much taller and more developed than boys that age. When they all went into the room to eat, they told the girls not to sit down until a boy had pulled her chair out for her. It was hilarious because there were a bunch of girls standing next to chairs waiting for a boy to come and at the next table there were a bunch of boys standing by chairs waiting for a girl to come. Well eventually they all got through dinner relatively unscathed, even though some of my girls were sure they were going to die before the evening was over.

Next came the dancing!!! It was awesome. They lined up the kids, giving no thought to matching heights, and paired them up. They then attempted to teach them such complicated dances as waltz and swing. Eventually they gave up and stuck to line dances. I even joined in on the line dances and actually had a really good time. I'm so glad I never have to be 12 again! I took a few of the girls home afterward and the following is a conversation that they had that I wished I could tape and let them listen to in 10 years.

Katelynn: Hey, you guys know how I was dancing with Chase, right?
Girls: Yeah
Katelynn: Well when we were dancing, he had a bugar hanging out of his nose.
Girls: (Hysterical laughter)
Katelynn: And I didn't want him to be embarrassed, so I told him about it.
Girls: (Hysterical laughter)
Katelynn: And he said he didn't know what to do about it so I told him that no one was watching, so he should just pick it.
Girls: Ew! Gross! (Laughing even harder)
Katelynn: He said he couldn't pick his nose in public and I was like "But you can let a bugar hang out of your nose in public?"
Girls: That's disgusting! You know that if he picked it, it would be on his hand and he was holding your hand to dance.
Katelynn: I don't care, I'd rather touch it than look at it!
Girls: SICK!!! (More hysterical laughter)

29!!!!!!

I can't believe I'm 29! I still feel 19 sometimes. There is no way I'm knocking on 30's door! Well, anyway, it was a good birthday week. My birthday was on Wednesday, but I had mutual, so Brandon took me out on Tara's Eve. In the morning, I got in my car and he had written sweet notes on my windows and left a Tara's Eve card in my car. So sweet! After work, he took me to a really good, nice steakhouse called The Keg. It was so yummy! Then we went and saw the Bourne Ultimatum. I really liked the movie, but the camera was shaking the whole time so it made me kind of sea sick. It was a wonderful night spent with my husband. Couldn't have been better.

On my actual birthday, I went to work all day, but let's be honest...how much work did I really get done with so many wonderful people calling to wish me a happy birthday all day? I'm so happy that so many people love me! I even received another birthday card in the mail from my sweet husband. My wonderful friend Lynda (aka Hollywood) took me out to lunch. It was so fun to hang out with her. I also got flowers delivered at work from my dear friend Stacy. I'm so spoiled. After work, I went home and got ready for mutual. Normally I probably would have skipped it, but the youth I'm in charge of were in charge of the whole activity that included all the youth (boys and girls) and not just the 12 and 13 year old girls like usual. So I felt like I needed to be there. All of my girls wrote cards for me and tied them together to make a book of birthday cards. It was so sweet. For the activity we did "Where's Waldo" at the mall. We split the kids up into groups and went on the search through the mall looking for other people in the ward that were "disguised." For instance, one lady dressed up like an old woman who was reading outside a coffee shop. My sweet husband wore an eye patch and a doo rag. He looked so funny. It actually was a lot of fun. I was a group leader and my group came in third. Brandon said he even had fun.

After that we went back to our house and Owens and Jill came over. I opened presents from Jill and Brandon and we all ate leftover cake. Jill gave me a book and some nail polish. Last night she took me to dinner too. She's such a good friend. I can't imagine my life without her. Brandon thought he was so funny because he gave me a bag that was full of smaller wrapped presents that included: a yo-yo, a glow in the dark plastic ring, an informational pamphlet on Cialis (drug for erectile dysfunction), and a wooden bracelet with pictures of the virgin Mary on it. I pretended to be mad and told him I wanted my real present NOW. He thought he was so funny. It was worth the wait!!! He got me a half-day spa package with a pedicure, facial, and massage (and another birthday card). Thank you love of my life! Tara's Eve and my birthday were perfect!

Wedding Report

So I do have a reason I haven't written about my wedding day. I wanted to put up pictures, but I didn't have any yet, so I've been procrastinating. I found some wedding pictures on my photographer's blog so here you go. It was the most perfect day of my life.

We decorated for the reception the night before the wedding. I didn't want the reception to look like it was on a basketball court, even though it was so I had to do some improvising. The reception was held at the oldest LDS church in Mesa. It's an old Spanish-style church with an entrance into an open air courtyard before you get to the doors to the gym. It is so cute. In order to make the gym look like more like a ballroom than a basketball court, I (along with the help of some great friends) strung up white Christmas lights all over the ceiling and then draped a thin cream colored fabric across the whole ceiling to give the illusion of a tent. It turned out so good. My colors were Cranberry Red and Cream. The tables were draped in crushed velvet red tablecloths with mammoth white calla lily centerpieces. It was simple, but classic looking. I loved it. The tables also had candles, a small cream fabric center and red rose petals. There was a dance floor on one side of the room with the tables on the other. The refreshment tables were in the center of the room. I hung clusters of lighted white paper lanterns on each side of the room. Okay, I'm realizing that I'm not describing this very well, but I thought it was perfect and beautiful.

The day was PERFECT! I slept in a little, then got up and Brandon and I went over to my mom's house for a late breakfast. Most of the family from out of town was there so it was good to hang out with everyone. About noon, I went home and took a long bubble bath. At two, my beauty team (THANK YOU ANNELL AND SARA!!!) came over to get me ready. It was so much fun. By the way, Brandon had been staying at my house and I had been staying at Jill's or my parent's house, so Brandon was getting ready in the room down the hall. Then my mom came over and we all left for the temple.

The ceremony was perfect as well. I can't believe they fit so many people in the sealing room. I think there were over 70. In fact, Brandon and I were waiting a floor above the sealing room and could see as everyone was filing into the room. I never thought it would end. The sealer was so sweet and sat and talked to us right before the sealing. I was so overcome with emotion. I had never been happier in my whole life. During the sealing, I couldn't even say "Yes" when I was supposed to because I was crying. I think Brandon thought I was having second thoughts! :) Not really, but I knew with my whole heart that I was marrying the right person in the right place at the right time and that I was the luckiest woman in the universe.

The reception was so much fun! We started with a family and close friends dinner with the most delicious food - chicken cordon bleu, green beans wrapped in bacon, garlic mashed red potatoes and salad and rolls. Yummy! My mom made all the food and it was much better than any caterer. After dinner, the reception started. We decided not to have a line and that was the best decision! We just walked around and talked to people and danced when we wanted to. Because we started everything so late in the day, I wasn't tired and could just enjoy myself. It really couldn't have been more perfect.

After the reception, Brandon's aunt chauffeured us to the hotel in a very expensive Mercedes. All of my siblings and cousins had chipped in to get a room at a nice hotel that they had scattered rose petals and kisses throughout. It was the PERFECT DAY!!!

Funny news

BIKER FAILS TO NOTICE MISSING LEG

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese biker failed to notice his leg had been severed below the knee when he hit a safety barrier, and rode on for more than a mile, leaving a friend to pick up the missing limb.
The 54-year-old office worker was out on his motorcycle with a group of friends in the city of Hamamatsu, west of Tokyo, on Monday, when he was unable to negotiate a curve in the road and bumped into the central barrier, the Mainichi Shimbun said.
He felt excruciating pain, but did not notice that his right leg was missing until he stopped at the next junction, the paper quoted local police as saying.
The man and his leg were taken to a hospital, but the limb had been crushed in the collision, the paper said.

*Commentary - WHAT???!!!??? I don't even know where to start with this one. How do you not notice if your leg is missing???

BLIND DRIVER CAUGHT AGAIN

TALLINN (Reuters) - An Estonian man who was caught driving a car even though he is blind has been at it again, police said on Monday, and this time he faces jail.
Police first arrested the man, 20, a week ago.
"We arrested the same blind man driving his car again on Saturday in the town of Torvandi, near Tartu (in southern Estonia)," said Marge Kohtla, a spokeswoman for Tartu police district.
"He was drunk. There were three people in the car with him giving him instructions."
She said police wanted the court to jail the man for 30 days and confiscate his car.

*Commentary - I don't know why, but I find this hilarious. What blind man would even want to drive a car and who are these people that get in a car with a drunk, blind man???

MEME

(Tagged by Jackie) I usually don't do these, but I just feel like it right now, so here goes:

Jobs I've Held:
1. Waitress
2. Stock broker
3. ESL Teacher (English as a Second Language)
4. Lawyer

Places to go for a Weekend Getaway:
1. San Diego
2. Cabin in the mountains
3. Mexico
4. Laying in my bed with my husband and a good book!

Movies I can watch over and Over:
1. Save the Last Dance
2. Sweet Home Alabama
3. How to Lose a Guy in 10 days
4. Return to Me

My Guilty Pleasures:
1. McDonalds Double Cheeseburger (don't laugh)
2. Kick Butt Garlic Bread with Cheese (Oregano's)
3. Carmel Cone Haagen Daaz
4. Pizza Cookie (White Chocolate Macadamia Nut at Oreganos or Peanut Butter at BJ's)

Places I have lived:
1. Mesa, AZ
2. Flagstaff, AZ
3. Beijing, China
4. Atlanta, GA (just for one summer)

T.V. Shows:
1. Gilmore Girls
2. One Tree Hill
3. Anything on HGTV (Home and Garden)
4. Law and Order

Favorite Foods:
1. Anything Italian
2. Anything Mexican
3. Navajo Tacos
4. Dessert

Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:
1. The Beach
2. At Home
3. At a cabin in the woods
4. Wherever my husband is.

People I'm Tagging: ALL OF YOU WHO READ THIS! :)

Favorite website of the week

I decided a couple weeks ago to begin a more healthy lifestyle starting today. I had a big bowl of gelato last night to prepare! :) Anyway, a friend of mine introduced me to a website over a year ago, but I have only recently fell in love with it. It's Spark People and it's my tool to becoming a better me (and a hot body). For a great new clip about Spark People, click here. This website was created by a really rich guy who made a bunch of money by selling his online auction site to e-bay. He recoups some money from advertisers, but has spent over 5 million dollars of his own money just because he wants to help people! It has everything you could want in the way of nutrition. It helps you count your calorie/fat/protein/carb intake by entering what you eat. It automatically calculates everything for you. You can also enter in recipes and it will figure the nutrition value for you. It helps you figure out how to reach goals with both diet and exersise, even creating a fitness schedule for you with recommended exercises. It will put together meal plans everyday if you want. It tracks your weight and measurements. It makes getting into shape so much fun. Plus it gives you points for doing good things. The points don't really mean anything, but who doesn't like getting points? It's strangely motivating. The best part is that it's all free! Okay, I sound like an infomercial, but I'm so excited about my new goals. I will probably be more successful if I make my goals public, so here it goes. I want to reach my target weight by February 1 (I'm not telling you what that is). I am going to try to work out at least 3 times a week, more if I can. I just want to start being nicer to my body. I'm starting off slow tonight by going to Water Aerobics, but I'll ramp up. Wish me luck!!!