Adventures, Adversities, and Ambitions

mmmmmmmhhhmmm

2009-09-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Shoot, shucks, holy cow, OMG, crap!! Just a preview of my weekend coming up in Mt. Pine Acres for Labor Day! wwwwaaaaaaahhhhhhhoooooooooooo. See you there!

Long time no blog.

2009-05-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

Well my computer has decided to delete a few programs so my camera program has not been working so I have had a hard time uploading photos...therefore I have not blogged! But I'm back!!

First time sewing...
Can't even tell where I sewed the pants huh? These are my favorite freakin pants and they have ripped and torn in many places and I refuse to throw them out. So I was forced to learn how to sew and so far they have lasted.

Pretty little Niece:
I can't believe she is already one! One year ago, I was the first family member to see her pretty little face. I was blessed to be in the delivery room with Jen during her C-section. Many exiting moments from the passed year include...her first time swimming, taking off work because I was "sick" to take care of her, yelling Daaa Dooo at her grandpa, waving hello, all of her great dance moves, and watching her open her millions of Christmas presents.

Meet Bonnie

2009-04-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

For my 24th birthday I was given a Bonsai tree. At first all I thought about was Saved By the Bell when Mr. Belding trims his too much and ends up killing it. Then I realized how much love and care this beautiful tree needs and I thought...Hey, this could be fun. Her name is Bonnie and she has buds on her branches that are ready to bloom soon. Thanks to 1-800-Flowers she came watered and with her own little rock. I'm pretty excited to have a tree in my room, hard to believe she really won't get much bigger but I have faith that this tree will live...at least that's my goal. Although it's a lot of responsibility to NOT kill this plant, I told myself I am going to become just a little more mature this year (because I turned 24 of course) and this is just the step I needed... Thanks for all the responsibilty Tom.

In like a lion out like a lamb

2009-03-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

The month of March has always been good to me. I don't know if it has anything to do with my birthday being in the month or what but anytime March comes around I feel happy. The weather is always amazing, no matter where I have lived. I have so many friends and family that have birthdays in March- Carl turned 65 this year!, St Patrick's day is in March (he's cool and we get green beer because of him), I have many more memories of March some good some bad. I went to Hawaii for my first time after March last year, Spring usually starts in March at least it does for me because spring break was always in March when I was in school and that meant sun, bathing suits and no school!

Well I really just wanted to brag about my favorite month. Even the sound of it is cool. MaaaarrrCH! Enjoy the beautiful month of March because its going to be dang hot here in Phx when it's over.

24 here I come!

Second Job

2009-03-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

So I received a pay cut this last week, effective March one. I was discussing with my dad and decided to look in to a second job. He mentioned Grease Wood, where he plays every weekend singing to the bikers and cowboys, and I jumped at the idea. I start next Sunday and will be helping out where I can to make some extra cash here and there!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! I'm excited but hoping I don't go crazy without my weekends. We shall see. Wish me luck.

Fun times with Friends

2009-02-15T18:08:00.000-08:00

I had a little accident and had to get stitches...thanks to Amber I made it to the ER at 2 am!

Beer pong at our house

Super bowl Sunday...

Scott had a rough night.

First time on the light rail!

Bull riders and cowboys

2009-01-26T09:45:00.001-08:00

One of the best nights I have had in a long time was last weekend when me and my closest girl friends went to a bull riding competition. The best part was just spending time with the gilrs I know the best. Amber, so dang cute, is now a big time cowgirl watching her man ropin' and ridin'. We had a mission that night, find Sarah a cowboy! Nicole did a great job pointing them out! It was so much fun drinkin, dancing, and scopin' out the tight jeans and cowboy hats. I love you girls, I'm so glad you are in my life.

Sarah learned how to play pool that night... below are some pics from the event filled evening!

I like this song

2009-01-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

I drink good coffee every morning
Comes from a place that's far away
And when I'm done I feel like talking
Without you here there is less to say
I don't want you thinking I'm unhappy
What is closer to the truth
That if I lived till I was 102
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
I'm no longer moved to drink strong whisky
'Cause I shook the hand of time and I knew
That if I lived till I could no longer climb my stairs
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
Your face it dances and it haunts me
Your laughter's still ringing in my ears
I still find pieces of your presence here
Even after all these years
But I don't want you thinking I don't get asked to dinner
'Cause I'm here to say that I sometimes do
Even though I may soon feel the touch of love
I just don't think I'll ever get over you
If I lived till I was 102
I just don't think I'll ever get over you

-Colin Hay

Dear Jackson,

2009-01-21T06:02:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry. I'm sorry you will never fully understand the reason I am not around. I wish I was able to explain these types of things to dogs. I can tell you a million times that I love you and miss you but you will never really know. I miss the nights it was only you and I and we would sit on the couch together and watch South Park and laugh at the stupid jokes while you chewed continuosly and your eye ball would go sideways because you were in such bliss. I wake up in the morning and get ready to take you out, but it's not me anymore. I'm sorry that I can't take you for hikes anymore to the power line and back, sometimes we would make it to the big ditch but we both know mama would get lazy and just throw a stick so you could get the exercise instead of her. Tell the horny toad I said hello, I'm sure he forgives you for pouncing him every time we walked by. Sometimes I miss buying you stupid toys from the dollar store that you would shred in 3 minutes and then I would have to clean all the little bean bag beads up with the vaccuum cleaner that never picked anything up. I do miss you puppers, I'm just not allowed to tell you anymore. When we went and got you, I was a little hesitant because Toby was in my heart and to be honest I really wasn't ready for you. It took me a long time to like you. Only you and I will know the good times we had and the love I have for you now. Please know, even though I'm not around, I miss you and wish I could see you everyday. I didn't leave because of you. I didn't abandon you. If only you could understand. I'm afraid that you don't remember me anymore but I can only hope you do. No matter what you hear, I am your mama.

Dignity

2009-01-04T18:18:00.000-08:00

I started a new job in November. It only took me two weeks total to find a job after moving to Phoenix. I have been working with prostitued women. These women have the desire and dignity to get out of the sex industry. My job is to support them and guide them on their journey to success. These women have learned more about life than a lot of us, they only learned it in a completely different way. I have already learned so much in the few weeks that I have been there, I am excited to see how much more I can grow. Below is the starfish, the symbol we use to represent our program and the story that helps us all know we can make a difference.

Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and and the beach. Back and forth this person went. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide.
The man was stuck by the the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf.
As he came up to the person he said, "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference." The person looked at the man. He then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. He turned back to the man and said, "It sure made a difference to that one!"

Happy No phone.

2009-01-03T17:10:00.000-08:00

This isn't quite what happened at the stroke of midnight on Dec 31st, the only thing different from this picture is that my phone was dropped in to a glass of Rum and Coke. It was an accident of course, and out of kindness, but I am quite irritated about the whole thing only because I have now realized how addicted to my phone I am. It's actually rediculous how much I use that thing. But hey...now I get a new one. The screen was cracked so it all worked out for the best. HA! The funny thing is after I heard the splash, I sat there for a moment and was surprised...kinda drunk too so I reacted a little slow...then the boys yelled "take the battery out, quick!" I proceeded to slowly try to dry it off and take the battery out. They all told me not to turn it on until the next day but did I listen? No. I went inside and decided to dry it with a blow dryer, which only fried the screen. I then turned it on, that night, and caused it to short out. Good one Alanna. I just couldn't handle that I wasn't going to recieve any midnight phone calls or mass texts saying Happy New Year, one after another.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and if you need to know what NOT to do if your phone is damaged by liquid...call me.

A try-to-be-merry Chirstmas.

2008-12-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

This year has just not been the same for me. Usually around Christmas, I wait until the last moment to buy all my gifts, I love listening to Christmas music, and I just can't wait to tell my family all my new exciting things that have happened to me in the past few months. This year...I bought everything and/or made it in a timely manner, mostly because I think I actually had idle time on my hands. I LOATHE the Christmas music this year for some weird reason. I blame the department stores. And to be honest...because my family are the only people I trust and know me the best...I have a hard time spending time with them because they all can see it in my face that I am unhappy and I don't want to ruin Christmas this year. I don't want to be the Debbie Downer that crys every ten minutes. So I am apologizing in advanced if you get a waterfall this Christmas.

On a happier note, I made gifts this year that I am very proud of. A blanket for my neice, brownie mixes that only took 5 runs to the Fry's down the street to buy almonds when we really needed pecans. And did you know that Walgreens does NOT sell white chocolate chips? Oh and did you know that 32 oz equals 4 cups? HA HA!! Nicole and I learned more about measuring units from baking than we ever did in high school. We had a blast.

Merry Christmas I love you all.

I learned how to ride a dirt bike!

2008-11-24T16:11:00.000-08:00

On Sunday I went to Saguaro Lake with my friend Steven and his brother Jimmy. Both guys have been riding since they were little and Jimmy was the brother who turned it in to something more than just a hobby. It is his passion. He participates in competitions and does crazy, wicked, sick tricks on his bike. It was so great to watch someone partake in their passion. The type of passion that brings you to your authentic self. Steven taught me how to ride the smaller dirt bike. I didn't want to at first but he talked me in to. He walked along side of me as I tried to figure out how to use a hand clutch, give it gas, use the hand brake and not fall over all at the same time! It was nerve wrecking but man... I felt tough. So I rode around in first gear for probably 20 minutes total while Jimmy laughed at my loser-ness then gave the bike back to the pro.

The view
No smiles for this rider
Steven on the BIG bike.
Pit stop before playing some more. Brothers are not so nice to each other all the time.

Defeated...lets celebrate anyway!

2008-11-17T13:50:00.001-08:00

A little bit of drinking, ok maybe more than a little, commenced on Saturday night. We started at a friends to watch the depressing fight between Randy and Brock. Randy Couture is by far the best known MMA fighter. We all had hope that he would come through and rock the biggest guy ever to enter the UFC but it didn't happen. Although he didn't win, Randy had class and congratulated his opponent in the end.

After the fight and many games of Left, Right, Center, we headed to First Round Draft for some Karaoke. I'm too chicken to sing but others are really good and rocked the joint!

Welcome to Gilbert

2008-11-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

Friday night I was welcomed to Gilbert with quite an interesting "ritual." Troy, the husband of the couple I am staying with went on a 7 day hunting trip and came back with a buck! I'm not much if a hunter but was very interested in the process it takes to get your "prize." Troy waited a little too long to clean the skull so he could keep the antlers...so the brain became infested with maggots and nastiness. Soooo....he had to boil the head, yes the WHOLE head in water. We decided to make a party out of it and be the hicks they are in Gilbert. We had two fires going so we could sit and enjoy the warmth but didn't have to smell the burning maggot infested brains. YUM! Nicole had to dig out all the meat so the skull would be completely clean. Man is she brave! She loved it..it was biology class for her.

The proud hunter and his brave lady...

Adam serenaded us with this non G rated songs on the guitar, made for lots of laughs and getting to know each other quickly!

My first, next tattoo.

2008-11-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

The main verse in this poem...on my rib cage.

"Phenomenal Woman"

Pretty woman wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to fit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms

The span of my hips

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

They swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's the arch of my back

The sun in my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

I ought to make you proud

I say,

It's the click of my heals,

The bend of my hair,

The need for my care.

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

-Maya Angelou

Movin' on

2008-11-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

On Friday November 7th my life completely changed. I loaded up a Penske truck (mostly by myself by the way) with all of my 'so called' important items that I couldn't live with out. Needless to say, I left a lot of material items behind along with the intangible, including my heart. My good friend and my dad drove all the way up to Flagstaff to help me load the couches and help me hold my emotions from exploding. We made a few stops to pick up my never used boat and at the casino for lunch where we each had 8 dollars to spend on slots. We didn't win anything but had some mindless entertainment then hit the road again. My friend Nicole drove the Penske down the freeway like a bat out of hell. Scared me to death that she was going to roll the thing but then I found out it had a governor on it that only allowed her to go 75mph or lower. Whew!
We unloaded pretty much everything in to my dads trailer for storage, for now, then headed down to Gilbert to unload some more! So now I live with a married couple in a nice place in the middle of cowboy town. It will take me some time to get use to the cowboy way, really not my style but I'm pretty excepting of others so we shall see.

I have been searching for jobs every day and have only a had a few call backs. I'm going crazy knowing I have nothing to do and no money coming in. It's hard to just sit around all day but nice a the same time. I am so lucky to have such supportive friends and family. When I think about the emotional part of this move...I don't want to think about it. Those of you who know me, I am really good at putting on a face and making the situation light. But inside I hurt. My heart hurts everyday. I think yesterday was the first day I didn't cry. It's hard to learn how to sleep alone all the time, to not have to give all my attention to a dog, maintain a job that is effortless and not see the mountains I drove by everyday. I am trying to find what I enjoy to do. Recently it's been contacting old friends that I know will entertain and keep my mind off of reality. Life is hard, I know this. No one ever told me it would be easy...by why not. I mean really?!

Sitting, wishing, waiting...sums it up for now.

Endless possibilities

2008-10-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

The morning you wake up(actually for me it was the middle of the night) and realize your life is and has changed completley is something that can be shocking, exciting, depressing, or extremly scary. I think I'm in the spot of in between. My options are overflowing and making a decision could possibly be the hardest thing I have ever done. It has been such a relief to have those around me near and far be so supportive. Thank you to you all.

I wish I was here...

I must be crazy.

2008-10-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

I signed up for a 1/2 marathon today. AM I CRAZY!? The 1/2 marthon is planned to happen on January 18, 2009. Wish me luck in training!

My Authentic Self

2008-10-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged by my pretty Sarah and must say that I was in awe of her blog on her authentic self. Your authentic self is explained to be the moments when a person is at peace, is not being judged by another or even god and may even be completely self-unaware. A time when a person is simply existing as themselves without push or pull. A feeling that what ever it is that a person is doing at that time is what they were meant to be doing, like the color of your eyes and the inability you have to change that fact about yourself. (I took your explanation friend- but it was so good!)

When I first thought of my authentic self, I thought about the beach. I thought about the emotional peace I recieve when on a beach. Taken in by the sound of the waves and the feel of the sand.

The second part of me I thought of as my authentic self is when I am with children. The overwhelming acceptance kids give is only natural for them and it is such an awesome part of my life. I am so self-unaware when I am with kids, I am so in awe of them and their existence. They are so perfect and have no idea.

In Memory of Toby

2008-10-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

My sweet Toby. It has been one year since the worst day of life. The day that I knew he wasn't coming back through the door after running outside to chase whatever it was he always chased. He loved to run, to follow his nose, to ignore everything around him and follow the scent he caught. He was never good off the leash. There were so many times I found myself running down Beaver St. towards the busy Route 66, but he always seemed to dodge the cars. On October 9th 2007 he decided he was not finished outside and took off out the door. Sadly he was struck by a car. A car that did not stop to see if he was ok. When we arrived to the scene of his accident no one was there. Hit and run. Poor pup. After almost getting hit myself, Michael walked out in to traffic to pick up his limp body and brought him to the curb so I could say goodbye. We barried him in Prescott, next to Magic kitty. He loved Prescott, he loved the freedom to just "be" out there. He belongs there. We miss you Tob-a-lobe, Toby One, Tobers, Tobes... you are remembered always.

Tattooooooooo

2008-09-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

I have this vision of a tattoo I want to get. The only thing is...I can't draw. I have all these thoughts in my head and wish I could constuct it in to something beautiful to put on my body. Here is my vision, close your eyes...wait you wouldn't be able to read. Crap. Ok...A beach, not just any beach, the most beautiful beach in the world (Hawaii). Footprints in the sand where the water breaks, a sea turtle somewhere in the mix(hidden meaning for me), shells, sunrise, sunset, palm trees, plumeria in there somewhere, waves, sail boat. I'm sure there is more that I can't think of at the moment. But I need help. Any ideas? I am really set on this and want to get it sooner than later.

Some pictures...

I like these types of shells to choose from.

I really like the turtle in this one. NOT THE WHOLE THING! Don't worry.

I don't want any bright colors...I want it to be like this one

Palm tree pic

words

2008-09-24T16:56:00.001-07:00

Believe in your own powers, and your own potential, and in your own innate goodness.

To the worldyou are someone, but to someone you are the world.

Snowflake, AZ

2008-09-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Last year we headed to Alpine, AZ to join our old family friends for the 90th birthday party of the closest thing I have to a grandpa. This year the party was at Beth's (my mom's close friend)house in Snowflake, AZ. I figured out it had been about 7-8 years since I had been there to visit. My mom and I use to go out there all the time to hang out with the hippies and play in the dirt! This house brought back so many good memories for me. I use to follow Sarah and Mike around hoping they would let me hang out with them and their friends! It was a lot of fun to be grown up and be a part of the group! Everyone is either married or has a baby, so I felt a little left out in that aspect but I got over it after a few beers and some drunk hula hoopin'. Bohdi cracked me up with his pigeon walk/hula hooping. Sarah impressed us all with her champion hula hooping abilities. Mikey had a case of the "oh my gosh's" when Sarah and I were laughing and joking about everything going on in the house, annoyed brother syndrome. The night ended with a fight that no one knew what happened and lots of laughing in the middle of the kitchen at 2am.

I had a blast playing with Sarah's baby girl during the day and trying to get her to speak spanish. I finally got her to say "Hola Mama." Shelby is such an observant child. She pretty much repeats everything you say. It's like having a mini-me. My mom and I had some good times and chats on the way to and from Snowflake. We talked politics, work, boys, and dogs! Thank you everyone for such a fun weekend! I look forward to grandpa's birthday.

Oh and Sarah, Mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Little Angel Song

2008-09-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

This is kinda weird, ironic...just crazy! I found this old song that my mom and dad wrote for me when I was a baby. It was one of the nights they had to let me fall asleep on my own. I have been wanting to blog it but I never got to it. So I looked at it tonight and thought "oh yea, have to put this on my blog just in case I lose the small paper." The date written on it is 9/14/85. That's today!! Only 23 years ago. Crazy...just a little bit.

Oh my little Angel
Oh my little Prize
Tonight we must just listen
to all of your cries
We love you more than anything we know
The hardest part for us dear child
Is to try and let you go

You were born to us as a miracle
our lives gave life to one that comes from within us.
Tonights the night you cried for hours
We're not supposed to come to you
You've had enough to eat
This is the time, the DR. said you must cry yourself to sleep.

We love you dear Alanna
Your future is in our hands
We'll love you through
Your teenage years
and when you take a man
We'll love you as the little girl that we've always known

Now as you sleep peacefully, the joy of you has made our home.

-chorus-
Dear Alanna
Dear Alanna
Will you love us forever?
Oh Alanna
Dear Alanna
May we always be, somehow be, together

Finally asleep 4:50 a.m. J.S.R and K.A.R. 9/14/85

Cheap way to sharpen up the house.

2008-09-14T17:55:00.001-07:00

Ok...so we are poor. Well we aren't homeless yet but we can't afford to go out and by the expensive furniture that I really want so my friend Danielle gave me this brilliant idea...paint the furniture you already have!! Duh Alanna. Why did I not think of this like forever ago? No one will ever know...unless you read this blog. Ha! Please ignore the random things in the pictures...like the bottle of dog pee-be-gone in bottom shelf of the cabinet.

Before....

After...

Gone Fishin'

2008-09-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I headed north to Lee's Ferry on Saturday morning. The drive was nothing for me but poor girl drove up from Phx the same morn. Now THAT is dedication. What a woman! We went to fish but for some reason...must have been that the water was too cold, or the fish weren't hungry that day...we didn't catch ONE fish. Those slimy suckers. We had fun taking pictures, making fun of each other, tracking down a hot guy in the middle of no where, and putting up a six man hotel at the smallest campsite I have ever been to.

Some shots...

We almost died after this shot...
Showing me the ropes "See these are called Midges...they are the most popular, Chelsey Midge and Tiffany Midge..."Don't laugh at my Barney suit! I was honored to wear Sweet Grandma's Waders
The pretty potty Sarah had to use...full of flies and quite a smell.Ok, who brushes their teeth while camping...oh crap here he comes! The monkey/horse faceThe hotel spot..."should we put it over there?" "Yea Alanna, right in the pile of rocks??" "Sorry Sarah...fine we will put it RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE THEN!"

Who works on Labor Day?

2008-09-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

I do!! Of course I do! People don't just stop living...I mean really! Come on people! It's just not fair. Crap I say...CRAP!

Dia De Labor-Por Fin De Semana

2008-08-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

Mike and I headed down to Phx to check in to my migraine study on Friday morn. Hopefully I can qualify and make some money in the process! We shall see if they pick me to study. We then went to the Cardinal Vs Broncos pre-season game. Michael is so good to me, he tells me over and over what each call means and when the guys take a knee and all that stuff people know about football. Since I have a horrible memory, he helps me by going over it again, each year. HA! Poor guy. It was a gun game but the Broncos won. Booooooo! We continue to wear our jerseys proudly! On our way down to Phx we got stuck in the PERFECT STORM! There was continuous lightning and thunder for two hours! It was the scariest thing driving on the highway going about 65mph then dropping down to 20mph because we couln't see a thing from the sheets of rain. It was nuts!! I got some cool video but not sure how to upload it on this blog thingy.

Then...we hung out with the coolest old guy, Mike's dad. What a great guy. He Has so much character and is hilarious at the same time. We got to swim and lie in the sun. Something that doesn't happen much in Flag. I had to listen to his republican comments and remarks about Obama but I just kept my mouth shut. I am still learning and am willing to listen to everyone's side, until I form my own solid opinion! Can't wait to vote and know what I'm voting for.

WE went to the fair on Saturday night! We had about 4 beers each and ate as much food as we could afford. The guys tried to trick every carnie we ran in to. They thought they had it all figured out! All the smells are amazing at the fair. Navajo tacos mixed with churros mixed with cotton candy mixed with popcorn mixed with hot dogs...mmmmmmmmmmm! We stood in line for one ride, THE ZIPPER, for about two hours. WHAT A WASTE. But it was fun to watch all the fire guys get on and get off saying "man, that was not as cool as it used to be." I wonder why that is? Do we just percieve things differently when we are young? I didn't ride it because I was afraid I would throw up like I use to. Now i'm glad I didn't ride it because now I remember it as a fun, scary ride and not a lame one that doesn't even give you that feeling in your tummy!

Some randoms from the fair...

So excited to get OUT of the porta potty!

Freakin' Kyle won every game...poor Julie had to hold all the stuffed animals so we took turns...some weren't as nice to the big blue as others...CHAD!

Off to Aussie Land!

2008-08-18T14:25:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I headed up to my mom and Rich's cabin in Prescott to meet up with my bestest friend/sister and her mom. We planned a girls weekend so we could spend some quality time before Holly leaves to Australia for a WHOLE YEAR!!! Lucky her! It turned in to a ladies weekend for Friday then my boy toy came up on Saturday to get away from Flagstaff and hopefully tire out our puppy! Well, it worked. When we got home Jackson was worthless. He layed around like a bump on a log (this never happens, he always has way too much energy)

So... us girls relaxed, talked about Holly's plans, went through old photo albums, gave back each other's clothes that we had from high school and college, laughed a lot, and did some crying. She gave me the tapestry that we fought over years ago!! YES! Now that I don't want it. Ironic. I gave her back her princess Jasmine doll that I borrowed(stole) when i was 8 or 9. I figured I would let her have it back, it's been long enough. Holly played some good music for us on mom's guitar and we made s'mores that were to die for, even though the fire was too hot. We played Apples to Apples for about three hours...we kept adding the amount of green cards you had to win when someone actually won with the first agreed amount. We took a hike for some photo shootage and got some good ones! We were pretty obsessed with our cameras the moms started to get irritated at all the smiling and flashes.

Happy Anniversary! Mom and Rich celebrate their fifth year on the 19th. We had some bubbly champagne to help them set off the year with luck and headaches! This time five years ago we were all getting ready to set off on a cruise of Catalina Island and Ensenada for some under age drinking! What a trip that was...

Many faces of Jackson- 10 months of craziness!

2008-08-01T20:35:00.001-07:00

He really is a good boy...when he wants to be.

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

2008-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

To our dismay, we are not moving to Phoenix...so we decided to make a list of the things we now want to do and create and have while in Flagstaff. We made the list while driving one day. One of the items on the long list was to grow a garden, with herbs and other things! I came home yesterday from a long day at work and SURPRISE! on our dining room table was an extra large bag of potting soil and an array of plants for me to pot on my day off (today).
Michael is so good to me. He really wanted to do it with me but I couldn't wait and he had to work so I decided to make our ugly, plain back patio in to an herb and vegetable garden on my own, well Jackson helped too.

Jackson helping me...he really just stands right in the way when I am either moving something, carrying something and thinks its sooo funny to walk through the pile of dirt while i'm sweeping. I think he knows it pisses me off, or he really thinks he's helping.

Here are a few of the plants... makes the patio look brand spankin' new

Rosemary, mint, sage, peppers, cilantro, and two different types of tomatoes!! Michael had never seen or smelled rosemary until he met me...crazy i know! But something funny is that we both grew up with mint growing in our back yards...now its a little tradition/inside joke of ours.

Our first tomato!!!

Blogger-ing

2008-07-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

I found this quote that I love:

Things turn out the best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.
-John Wooden

I posted this in my office so when things don't go the way I planned or really hoped for, I remind myself to think of the good in my life and what I can do to create more good to replace the disappointment.

I also have it posted so the families I work with can do this too.

I need a drink!

2008-07-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

I try to take off a few days in a row each month to clear my head and think about things other than work. This few days was full of activities, so full that I forgot I needed some rest and relaxation.

To begin, I took a drive down to my daddy's house in New River to meet up with my step-niece that was visiting from North Carolina that I have not seen since last summer. I must say that she is one beautiful 14 year old girl with such a good head on her shoulders. I can't remember if I was so aware of the world when I was her age. It was really neat to talk to her about her beliefs and ideas about life. Every time we plan our summer events, her and I are treated like princesses by my step-mom and dad. Needless to say we had activities planned each day.

The first day we went to the Kartchner Caverns located in Tucson, AZ. It was Such an amazing sight. The tour guide begins by telling you not to touch anything in the underground cave, you then walk through huge metal doors (look like a restaurant freezer door) that close in front and behind you. This didn't do well with my claustrophobia but I managed to keep telling myself it was almost over. You then walk through a misting system which helps keep all the small particles, lint and dirt we have on our bodies from falling on or in the deep dark depths of the cave. When these things, along with the oils on our hands, touch the stalagmites and stalactites it begins to wear away the crystals and natural beauty. Inside these caverns it was pitch dark and so quiet that when we all stopped talking you could hear one small drip of water fall from the ceiling and from the so called "soda straws" that can be up to 20 feet long but only the width of a McDonalds straw. It was amazing to see what two young men had found and kept secret for 14 years. They made a deal with the State of Arizona to keep these enormous underground caves preserved. I was really bummed out when we found out we were not allowed to take pictures inside these caves. Thank you to all the careless tourists who would fall over or drop something in to the cave while clicking and capturing the beauty. So... the pictures on here are google images!

We could really tell a difference between the preserved caves and the caves that we were able to touch or photograph. The second cave we entered was also in Tuscon and was called Colossal Cave. It not only was full of dust but smelled horribly of GUANO!! That's bat poop if you didn't know. EEWWW! But we did hear a colony of 130 bats in this cave and saw a million legged centipede!! So cool but it almost fell on my head. My dad, Karyn, Chandler and I trampled through the cave taking pictures of everything, hanging from the sides pretending to be falling or crawling up it. There are many pictures taken by Karyn, bless her heart, that are of half my face, our knees, my dad's neck and best of all, nothing. She had a real hard time figuring out her camera but we had a good laugh....at her! I couldn't help but be the annoying photographer and take pictures of nature. I have realized this is my favorite thing to do. My dad made fun of me by saying "Hey Alanna, want a picture of this?" while pointing at a rock. I don't care, everyone has their own definition of beauty! SO THERE!

So we headed back up the hill to head for Salt River Tubing the next day! This is a family summer tradition of ours. We all get our wal-mart water shoes on, find the oldest hat dad owns, and cake on the sunscreen. We learned last year that 4 hours floating on a black tube will make for RED legs and bellies. Well I guess I really didn't learn, I really wanted a tan this time. Yea...it didn't work out so well. My legs are still fried and my belly itches every time I move. ooooo cha cha!

I then went home to prepare myself for one of the most nerve wrecking, exciting, anxious, suspenseful night ever!! You see, my boyfriend/love of my life/best friend, is not only a firefighter but a "cage fighter!" I am so proud of my man! ANYWAY, he decided to fight this Saturday and he won!!! I was a wreck the entire night and entire fight until the referee took him by the hand and said "the winner by ref stopagge in the third round is.... MIIIICHAAEELLLL GREEEEEENWAAAALT! I proceeded to jump up and down screaming and cheering while everyone gave me dirty looks because I was too loud, standing in the aisle, barefoot, and in a mini skirt. It was great! He recieved his metal and walked over to find me, while still in the cage, and blew me a kiss. I about cried my face off right then and there but I got myself together and let out a " I need a drink."

Last year Michael fought his first fight and lost it, so this year he was determined to win the cheesy gold metal Rage in the Cage gives out. This man is so determined. He set a goal( to be 205lbs), stopped eating his favorite foods (pizza, beer, and carbs), trained in MMA just about every day( with his team of guys known as Peak Team) and changed his mind set to the thought process of "I'm going to get in to a cage, with a 230lb guy, in front of 3000 people and use the skills I have learned and trained for the past 6 months and hope to either knock the guy out or submit him." I think he is amazing and so proud of his hard work. Many of our friends and family showed up to the fight. Some were more intoxicated than others and some were more nervous than others. We all had a great time!

I will figure this blog thing out...

Brand new blogger here!

2008-07-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Oh I'm so excited to start a blog! I was reading my lovely friend's (closest I have to a sister) blog and envying the fact that she tells the world about her excitements and disappointments. So I decided to join and blah, blah, blah all I want! I did just realize that I have to know how to spell everything because this darn thing doesn't have spell check! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? My job and college has ruined me.