An Excerpt From My Book

Matt bought me this great book for our anniversary back in October and I finally sat down and read it this last weekend. I highly recommend it to any and all women! Especially mothers! I'm kinda a literary geek, so you may not like it as much as I did, but I'm gonna recommend it anyway. It was written by LDS women for LDS women. It's mostly essays and poems about pregnancy and motherhood and the struggles and joys that come with it. I could go on about it, but I'll let you read it yourself and make a decision on your own.

This book really helped inspire me to get my butt in gear and spend more time writing. I have gotten out of the habit of writing every day, like I once did, and quite honestly I miss it! It reminded me of my college days of writing workshops and creative writing courses, which inspired this epiphany: I write more when I have an audience to write for. So I decided I should share parts of the book I am working on, instead of keeping it so secretive. Nothing inspires writing better than receiving feedback on the things you write (both good and bad). However, since my writing is precious to me, I don't want to post it on my open blog. I know it's cocky of me to believe anyone would swipe my work, but its not a risk I'm willing to take. So I decided to start a private blog just for my writing. I have already posted an excerpt from the novel I am currently working on, and I will continue to post as I make progress. So, if you have any desire to be invited to this blog, send me an e-mail and I will let you in. pinkstacy@gmail.com

I coulda been a Gilmore

LUKE: Uh, I made some brownies, I thought you might like some.
LORELAI: Oh, gee, since I just ate half a bag of marshmallows, six Pop Tarts, four bagel dogs and a really stale Cheese Nip – yup, it’s brownie time, thanks. Hey, here’s a question for you.
LUKE: Yeah?
LORELAI: Well, you probably have a diner full of people who would love these brownies – plus, I bet they’d pay you for ‘em.
LUKE: Well, I accidentally dropped triple the amount of cocoa powder in the batter so I either had to dump the batch or find someone with some sort of superhuman chocolate tolerance – only one name came to mind.
LORELAI: God, I love being special.

This is the scene that came to mind this morning when I sat in the doctor's office. Last week I had my gestational diabetes test where you drink that really sugary drink, wait an hour, and then have your blood drawn to find out how your body handles sugar. My doctor told me most women's levels are about a 130 after the test. They are concerned if its over 150. I'm at a 55. So basically, my body handles sugar really, really well! The funny thing is, as I was drinking the drink I thought "this doesn't even taset very sugary to me". I have an extremely high tolerance for sugar and Dr. Brown laughed as she told me I don't really need to worry about all the doughnut, marshmallow, and m&m cravings. I can eat as much as I want! In fact, my cravings for doughnut holes (my fav food as of late) might just be my body telling me that I need even more sugar. Darn. I would like to thank my father and all of the Howell's for this gift! Without whom I may never had succeeded in reaching such a high sugar tolerance level. Thank you!

Weekend Fun

Matt and I had a fun weekend, so I wanted to share our adventures before I forget. Sorry, no pictures. My ward has recently started doing enrichment groups and I was asked to be in charge of the game night. Pretty much we meet once a month at someone's home and they teach us a new card or board game and we all play together. I love games, so I said "of course" to being in charge. Normally we will be meeting on Tuesdays, but because I had been sick, we held our first one on Friday night. I taught the ladies Mormon Bridge, though most of them actually knew how to play already. We ate mango salsa and M&M's and chatted while we played. I'm looking forward to more games nights! Being in Primary, I don't get to know very many ladies in the Relief Society. So finally, here's my chance.

Saturday my brother, Bryan and his girlfriend, Ricci came up to Layton. We had a blast! They are so fun! We first went to the store and bought the ingredients for rotti, curry, and lime-wash then we went back to our house and made a feast. Curry is so yummy! It was really funny making dinner together because Bryan was in charge (being the only one who knows how to make curry) but he kept forgetting things. Everything turned out great anyway and we had a ball in the process. Then we played Mario Party and watched some clips of Jeff Dunham. It was getting really late, but they couldn't leave without Bryan's "new" couch. We have my parent's old hideabed couch in our basement, but to make room for baby stuff, we gave it to my brother. I was very impressed Matt and Bryan were able to carry it up the stairs by themselves! That thing is HEAVY! Thank goodness Ricci has a van!

It was so fun having them come up and play! But we promised next time was our turn and we'd make the trip down to Provo. Guess we'll have to do that soon!

Jeff-fa-fa DunHAM .com

Last night was the Jeff Dunham performance at Energy Solutions Arena that I blogged about awhile back. Merry Christmas to us! The show was AWESOME!! The evening started out by meeting up with our friends at Squatters downtown for a yummy dinner. I heart sweet potato fries!

On our way to the Trax station, we passed by this parking sign and Suzy posed next to it. It was just too good to pass up the photo op. You have to know Suzy.


We made it the the Energy Solutions Arena and found our seats, which ended up being great seats! We weren't on the floor, but we were in the next section, only 11 rows up, right in the center. We could see Jeff and the puppets clearly on stage without needing binoculars or anything.

Here we are waiting for the show to start. Matt and I were sitting in the middle, so he got a picture of me, Greg, and Steve. Then I took a picture of him, Breezy, Braiden, and Suzy. Then, of course, the classic shot at arms length of the two of us.


The show opened with Brian Haner (aka Guitar Guy, if you've seen the DVD's). I had no idea Guitar Guy was so hilarious!! He was hysterical! He said they don't let him talk on the DVD's, but they definitely should! We were all laughing really hard as he told his life story through songs. The guy not only is incredible on the guitar, but he can really sing too. After he finished, there was an intermission before Jeff came out.

Then the main event! Jeff Dunham was even funnier in person then he is on the shows! We were afraid that he was only going to do jokes we'd heard before, but this was definitely not the case! He opened with a hysterical true story about traveling on a private jet, landing at an unknown airport to avoid fog, being surrounded by 50 marines with guns pointed at their heads, then being saved by Achmed the dead terrorist. (The marines recognized him from youtube). He then brought out Walter and did an entire bit on Utah. We were impressed that he researched Utah before coming and made up all new jokes to go along with the area. He made fun of everything from being in Utah in January, to Tooele, to the little orange flags we use to cross the streets downtown (who came up with that idea?) A few of his jokes were ones we had heard before, but he improvved a lot as well as told some all-new jokes. Achmed came out next and did an entirely new bit on infomercials that had us about rolling in the isles. Jeff said "I don't know where that came from, but it might be on the next DVD". Guitar Guy came out again and Achmed sang a brand new song, "The blew myself up blues". Peanut came out next and didn't disappoint. He did a few jokes that are on the new Christmas DVD, but then he got out of control and we were all laughing hysterically. I'm impressed with how much Jeff can improv onstage! Its clear he is having a lot of fun! Matt said his mouth and cheeks haven't hurt so much since our wedding day, when we spent the entire day smiling for pictures. Jose Jalapeno came out for a brief visit, but he's not really my favorite. At the end of the show, we cheered so much that Jeff brought out Bubba J for an encore. I'm not really a big Bubba J fan, but what happened next was so funny! Jeff said Bubba wasn't normally in his show onstage, but he'd received many e-mails recently asking him to put him in the show. Since he hadn't worked with Bubba J in awhile he apologized but pulled out a piece of paper to remind himself of Bubba's jokes. They were all jokes from the DVD, that the audience knew well. The audience was saying Bubba's punchlines right along with him, so it sounded like Bubba in surround sound. Jeff stopped, he was laughing so hard. Then Bubba said "It's pretty bad when the entire audience knows your material better than you do!" Jeff commented on how that had never happened before and it all doesn't sound as funny now that I'm writing it out, but it was really funny to be there!

As we were leaving, I was amazed at how many little kids there were there! Jeff Dunham is Not a kids show! Matt jokingly said "What do you mean? They're puppets, so its like Sesame Street, right?" I said "Yeah, its like Sesame Street on acid!" Anyway, the show was awesome and we had a wonderful time! We got home after 11:00 and crashed, but it was all worth it!

Here's pictures of him with each of the puppets. I know they are dark, but I made them so big so you can hopefully see them anyway:

Who Needs Sleep?

I do! I really, really do! However, this last week has been one that has prevented such happiness from occurring. I've been sick. Again. I wish those people who keep showing up to work sick would just suck it up and take a day off for once instead of sharing their germs with the world (aka me). I don't understand people who won't take a sick day because they are "saving" them! But that is a whole other story for another time. Matt has also started a new semester which means crazy schedule, lots of homework, and even less sleep for him. We make quite a pair. I had Monday off and was able to sleep and get a lot of things accomplished around the house. I had a rough night (not being able to breathe and constantly coughing will do that to you) but I made it through the day just fine because I was able to get up late and take things slow. Monday night I got to bed much later than I should have and then didn't sleep for more than an hour at a time. Bright and early Tuesday morning, we had to be to work at 7:00 am. I moved like a zombie through most of my 12 1/2 hour work day and we finally got home after 8:00 pm. But alas, the fates were against us. We had no food. Pregnant women need food. So we quickly made a list and went shopping (seeing as it was payday and all). Got home, unpacked groceries, made dinner, ate, had KILLER heartburn and then helped Matt with his homework. Got to bed well after midnight. Again. Didn't sleep well due to coughing, sniffling, potty breaks and heartburn. Again. Wednesday bright and early, to work by 7:00. After work had to eat and was able to enjoy almost an hour of relaxing before it was time for Matt's soccer game. Drove to Woods Cross, cheered on his team (who kicked butt and won 13-6), got home, made dinner, and surprisingly was able to get to bed BEFORE midnight. (11:32 pm) Hooray! Slept better than the last couple days, but was still up several times. Thursday morning, bright and early, to work by 7:00....I realize being in your third trimester and then becoming a new mother, you don't sleep anyway. So really I need to just suck it up and as Scar put it "Be prepared". I lived through 4 1/2 years of college, so I learned how to go for weeks on end without sleep. I can do this again! I keep a picture of Dori in my head, "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!" The reason I share this vastly boring tale of my week with you all is not to complain about my lack of sleep (though it may seem otherwise). I must confess my real beef is with those always too happy "morning people" who feel the need to greet you EVERY MORNING with a cheery "good morning!" in a sing-song voice. From the moment you enter a workplace its all you hear coming at you from every side, like being pelted with giant paintballs and having nowhere to hide: "good morning!" "good morning!" I really wish someone would tell me what the hell is so good about it!? (I'm not a morning person. Have I surprised you?) I do much better when I can sit at my desk and slowly come to life in my own time. Without useless chit-chat over no-one-cares events. I emerge from the darkness of the morning fog around 9:00 or 10:00. Then I am capable of being a polite human being once again. But really, I have never understood the phrase "Good morning". It's a greeting that comes across more as a declaration. You must have a good morning! Or you must believe this morning is a particularly good one because I told you to! Why can't people just say "hi"," hello", "greetings", "ciao" even (make us seem more exotic), anything but my least favorite phrase in the english language. I don't need to be reminded its morning, my pounding head has made me well aware. And please don't tell me its good. I'm at work. If I were in Hawaii waking up to a beautiful sunny day in my beach house, with Matt lying next to me then yes, THAT would constitute a "good morning". But don't lie to me. Mornings that begin with waking up feeling sick, puking as I climb in the car, and having to rush to get to work by 7:00 are never good. In the words of Lorelai Gilmore "Hate early! Must kill early!"

Bulging Baby

I'm sure most of you have seen this picture before. I think its kind of gross looking, and obviously photo-shopped. But this is the image I had in my mind last night. Matt and I were laying in bed watching a movie and I was rubbing some lotion on my itchy belly. (You're welcome for the nice visual.) Plus I like having my belly free when I'm lying in bed because I enjoy watching her move around. Well, my right side suddenly got very tight and began cramping. I wasn't sure what was going on because her moving around has never been painful, but what she was doing started to hurt. Then it was clear Gertrude was popping up to say hi. She shifted most of my internal organs to accomplish this maneuver, so it was quite painful. But I was laughing at the same time as saying "Ow!' because it just looked so darn cool! She had her entire body pushing up and out against my right side. I put my hand over the bulge and she was literally sitting in the palm of my hand. I could feel her tiny body wriggling against my palm and fingertips. So cool! I, of course, got Matt's attention when I started saying "Ow!" That word really freaks him out these days. Go figure. But he didn't find it as fascinating as I did. He actually thought it was pretty creepy looking to see our child bulging out of her mother like that. I'm not a big fan of taking naked belly pictures when pregnant, but I wished I had the camera right at that moment! I could feel what she was doing from the inside and the outside, but it would have been cool to see how it looked to him.

Lesbian Lovers?

I just had to share a funny story that happened today. I had my monthly doctor's appointment as usual. However, we ran into a bit of a problem when we realized Matt needed the car to get up to school at the same time as my appointment. Usually not a big deal. I work with my dad and can borrow his car, or Tuesdays are my mom's day off so she can take me occasionally. Well, my parents are in Disneyland right now having fun. I know they are having fun cause they keep sending me cute pictures. It's torture! I'm here at work and they are playing in the sunshine. But the pictures are really cute, mostly of my nephews, so I can't complain. Anyway, my wonderful friend Breezy didn't have work this morning and told me she could take me. She's the best! So we were sitting in the waiting room, talking, and Breezy made the observation that the only people there other than pregnant ladies were their husbands. She said "I wonder how many people think we're lesbian lovers or something". So of course we both started laughing and now we really do wonder what the other's in the waiting room thought. Hmmmm....if nothing else we gave them something interesting to talk about today!

Thanks Sisters!!

Thanks to my sister Kristine, I have a good amount of maternity clothes to wear. We are pretty close to the same size, so its been very nice having plenty of clothes available since day one. But I am down to one skirt that fits (and its bright orange, so its obvious when I wear the same one week after week). And most of my maternity pants are getting to be too tight. So I decided this weekend it was time to take my first trip into a maternity store and finally buy some things of my own. I actually had a lot of fun shopping! Its been way too long since I bought any new clothes! (Gee, I wonder why) And I was very pleasantly surprised at how cute a lot of the maternity clothes were.

Matt was a real trooper, despite being the only man in the store. And very helpful at running between the dressing room and the store until I found the right sizes. I had a few goals in mind with each item I bought. First, they had to be comfortable (well, duh). Second, they needed to fit now, with room to grow. And third, they needed to show off my belly. I mostly wear big sweatshirts to work because they are warm (my work is freezing!) and comfortable. But I am so tired of the women at work telling me I don't even look pregnant! (I mean, what a mean thing to say to a pregnant woman!) What do you expect when I'm wearing a big sweatshirt? So I had to be sure and get a few things that help me to "show off" a bit more.

Back when I first found out I was pregnant, my sister Theresa bought me a gift card to Motherhood Maternity. Thank you Theresa so much!! I was able to get some really nice things and wanted to show off my new purchases. Plus, a few people have been bugging me to post preggo pictures. So here you go:

These are the most comfortable pair of jeans I have ever owned in my entire life. If I didn't already have a great husband, I would marry these pants! Seriously. AND they are flattering. Usually with maternity pants you don't get comfort and still get to show off your nice butt, but these pants accomplish both. The second I put them on Matt said "We're buying them!" The white shirt is also very comfortable and makes a great undershirt. The vest was a last minute purchase. We found it on the sales rack for $15 marked down from $40. Score! It is so comfortable and warm too. Perfect for the office!

Same jeans. This green shirt is the same style as the white one. Comfortable , but not baggy. And yet there is still room for growth.

This skirt was a perfect find! It is super comfy and a great length. Plus its black and you can wear anything with black. The pink top was really cute and I love the way it fits. Plus, it was another sales rack item. Don't you just love bargains?

Baby Ripples

Do you remember that scene from Jurassic Park when the T-Rex is coming and the water in the cup on the dashboard starts rippling as he gets closer with each step? Well last night I was taking a nice, warm bath and Gertrude started moving around a bunch. The water started rippling away from my stomach and it totally reminded me of that scene! She even had that same beat going, just like the T-Rex's footsteps. No, I'm not comparing my child to a giant, flesh-eating monster. I'm just saying it was really funny!

2008 Rememberies

So I am 100% swiping this post idea from my friend Aubrey. Thanks Muffin! Hope you don't mind! I just loved the idea so much, I had to do one of my own.

MY SUMMARY OF 2008:
Funnest Event:Hosting our first party (my birthday) in our new house, Antelope Island, Girl's Days, Camping with friends, The Tim McGraw concert, Seeing my sister get married, Watching the little screen go from blank to "pregnant".

Biggest Purchase:
My new jaw.

Favorite Movie(s) of 2008:

This one technically came out in December 2007,
but I saw it in 2008 and loved it so much I just had to include it on my list!

Least Favorite Movies of 2008 (or biggest disappointments):

Again, this one technically came out in December 2007, but I remember it as a 2008 movie and a HUGE disappointment.

Favorite Celebrity of 2008:

I just think Amy Adams is so cute! And I love her in every role I've seen.

Props to Heith on his ultra-creepy performance as the Joker! (May he rest in peace)

Least Favorite Celebrity of 2008:

I really don't follow celebrity lives and we don't even have a TV, but there was no getting away from Brittany this year! Every radio station was talking about her and she was starring back at you from every magazine cover in the grocery store. Brittany is psycho, she shaved her head, she lost her kids, she's getting better, no wait, she's a crackhead.

Someone please explain to me how she got famous? Her daddy has money, I get it. But since when was that enough?

Guilty Pleasure:

Best show ever! I truly became addicted.

Saddest Moment of 2008:
My best friend's mom, a truly amazing woman, died; Finding out my dad had cancer; Watching my grandpa die; Seeing my sister suffer through the pains of divorce.

Sickest Moment of 2008:
So much puke! But puking so hard it came out my nose was probably the worst.

Favorite Song of 2008:
"Dance Floor Anthem" by Good Charlotte, "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, "Angel" by Jack Johnson, "It Won't be like this For Long" by Darius Rucker, and everything by Taylor Swift.

Least Favorite Song of 2008:
"I Kissed a Girl and I Liked it". It's even worse than when "Stacy's Mom" came out! And all you have to do is hear the obnoxious song for a second and its in your head forever! And David Archuleta's "Crush". I understand he's from Utah and that's cool and all but holy cow can you say over-played??

Achievements of 2008:
Getting in the habit of blogging, so people can keep up with our lives! Getting further on writing a book than I ever have before. Getting pregnant (with some teamwork on Matt's part).

Things I've Learned:
Insurance companies are stupid, needless middle-men. I can't always do everything on my own. I've needed a lot of help from family, friends, and even neighbors this last year with things I normally can do on my own. I learned I still need my mommy! This one isn't new, but I re-learned how unbelievably lucky I am to have such an incredible husband!

In One Word 2008 was:
Adventurous?

In One Word 2009 will be:
Exciting!

Favorite Pictures of 2008:

I am Looking Forward to:
Becoming a mom, baby showers (hint hint), getting the nursery ready, getting Matt through another semester of school, working less.

My Hopes for 2009 are:
A healthy family, finishing my first novel, being the best wife and mom that I can be.