I don't get it

Okay, so back to American Idol. One of the girls from Utah performed last night and I was really rooting for her since she's from my hometown. But I gotta say, I did not like her at all! She has a unique voice, and when she started singing, I thought it was really good. But as the song went on, I think she got worse. I don't think she's nearly good enough to be a top contender! And watching her on stage was seriously painful. She looked super awkward and she kept jerking and twisting her body in the weirdest ways. At the end of her performance I thought for sure she was done for. Then the judges spoke...and they just raved about her! They said she was awesome and went on about how good she was. I've heard similar comments from other people who watched as well. Now am I missing something? Was I watching a different show last night? Here is her performance so you can judge for yourself. If you like it, please explain to me why. Cause I am seriously just not getting it!

Surf n Swim

Saturday was lots of fun! We thought it would be fun for my birthday to go to the Layton Surf n Swim, since swimming is one of the few activities I can still do. Well, it just so happens that my birthday falls in the same week as my aunt, Bonnie's, as well as three of the Shupe kids, Ethan, Eliza, and Coleman. So we invited my family as well as my aunt and her family and the Shupe family to meet us at the indoor wave pool, then go back to our house for dinner afterwards. My sister, Kristine, and Logan and their two boys came up early and had lunch with us. We had a nice visit before going over to the wave pool at 2:00pm. I remember the waves being a lot better last time we were there, but I think the kids enjoyed the smaller, calmer waves too. As time went on, our party grew, until we ended up with 13 adults and 12 kids. It was nice to swim and float and visit and play for a few hours. By the time we left, I was exhausted! We then went back to our house and had pizza and salads and my mom made a cake to celebrate all the birthdays. It was a super fun day!

Sorry there are no pictures. Matt and I brought our camera with us, but are in the bad habit of not actually using it. But if you want to see some pics from the day, check out Kristine's blog.

Funny Matt

I went out to dinner last night to the Cheesecake Factory with Breezy and Suzy for my birthday. So I was excited to eat my yummy leftovers at work for lunch today. I asked Matt to write my name on my food so I could put it in the breakroom fridge. This is what he wrote:

Yes, I'm a nerd

I'm not an avid American Idol fan, especially since Matt and I don't have TV. But I have watched the occasional season in the past and really enjoy the show. My neighbor Jill is a huge idol fan and she not only has TV, but she also has a DVR. This season I've started going across the street to her house while Matt is doing homework. Her husband works late at the U of U hospital, and Matt has homework during the week, so its been a lot of fun! Sometimes I go over on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and other weeks I just go over on Wednesdays and we watch both of the week's episodes commercial free. The DVR was one of the greatest inventions ever! So I'm really enjoying Idol this year! There is a lot of talent! Last night they revealed the first three contestants to make it to the top twelve, and I'm just wondering if there are any other nerds out there and what your opinions are of the choices? I agree 100% with the top guy (Danny Gokey) and the top girl (Alexis Grace). But I don't really think the other guy (Michael Sarver) deserves to be there. I thought at least three other guys performed better than he did! Any thoughts? I am super excited Danny made it to the top twelve though! He has been my favorite since the first time I heard him sing. I am totally in love with his voice! And I think if he keeps it up, he could definitely win this year! Here is the performance that landed him a spot in the top 12. It may not be the best quality video, but it gives you Idol virgins an idea of how incredible his voice is. Enjoy!

Birthday / Kitchen Quotes

I had a very nice birthday yesterday, thanks to everyone who sent me texts and called! Matt made me french toast for breakfast and he gave me a spice rack (which I've been needing/wanting forever) and then at work we had bagels and chocolate milk for my birthday treats. Then Errin and Tena took me out to a yummy lunch at Pizza Factory. When we got back, WesTech was having pie to celebrate reaching some goals we had accomplished. We were so full, but took a piece for later. Matt was at school most of the day, but he had some beautiful flowers sent to me at work that made my area smell really nice. Then after work, we met my parents for dinner at Market Street Grill. When we got home, we basically just crashed. It was a long day of work, but everyone made sure it was nice.

On to a completely different topic...I need help! In our kitchen, above the cupboards, is a really long, bare white wall. Its too short to hang anything there, because it would hang down in front of the cupboards, but it runs the length of half my kitchen. So I want to do something with it because its a lot of plain white space (which I can't stand). I think some vinyl lettering would look really good, but I can't find a quote I love that would work well in a kitchen. It needs to be a longer quote, since it has a lot of wall to cover. Any suggestions? I've looked at tons of sites online, but am wondering if anyone has any better ideas than what I found?

Valentine Adventures

I absolutely love Valentines Day! It is one of my favorite holidays! Even back when I was single and had no one to spend the day with, it was still one of my favorites. I just love the colors, the decorations, the candy, the flowers, everything!

This year for Valentines Day Matt and I decided it would be fun to go out for breakfast and then have a nice dinner at home later, to avoid the crowds. We then had plans to spend the day registering and then working on the nursery. Well Mr. Snow, my nemesis, had other plans in mind for our day of love. We woke up to several inches of snow Saturday morning and such terrible road conditions that we didn't dare go outside to breakfast. So we decided we'd make a nice breakfast at home, no biggie. We started straightening up the kitchen to prepare for said breakfast when a knock came on our door. Our new neighbor down the street, Elizabeth, who Matt had met once before, was in desperate need of some help. Her fiancee was just in a car accident and she needed a ride to where he and her daughter were. Without hesitation, Matt grabbed his coat and shoes and ran out the door. A phone call a few minutes later told me he wouldn't be back any time soon. Turns out Brian, her fiancee, was driving and saw a car stuck on the side of the road. A mother and her teenage daughter were trying to push their car out, so he pulled over to offer some assistance. When he got out to push, a Durango slid off the road and hit him, sending his 135 pound body thirty feet. He was rushed to Mackay-Dee hospital. When Matt and Elizabeth got to the scene and found out what had happened, it became clear Matt would need to drive her to the hospital up in Ogden. Elizabeth and Brian had just moved in and they don't have any family in Utah. And many of their friends from their church were out of town. So it was really nice that they happened to meet Matt just a few days before! I'm so grateful to have such a sweet husband who is so willing to help others in need!!

Well, Matt spent most of the day at the hospital making sure everything was okay. Brian is fine. Not a single broken bone or anything! He walked out of the hospital with a few bruised ribs and a sore back, but that was it. When Brian was taken to the hospital, his car was towed (nice, huh?) So Matt drove him and Elizabeth's daughter back home, while someone else gave Elizabeth a ride to get their car. The mom and daughter Brian had stopped to help were at the hospital too, along with her husband. When they released Brian, the nurse said "looks like you have plenty of people to take care of you" and Brian said "Yeah, but I don't know any of them." It wasn't how I would have chosen to spend my Valentines, but what better way to spend the day of love than in the service of others? Matt got home around 4:00pm and was finally able to eat breakfast. Elizabeth stopped by not long after with a Valentines heart-shaped cake to say thank-you. By this time the snow had finally cleared up so Matt and I were still able to go up to Ogden and register at Babies R Us. We had lots of fun picking things out shopping together. I'm so glad for so many years of babysitting/nannying! Although there were some items we weren't sure about, years of experience helped me know what I wanted (especially when it came to the big stuff). On our way home, we picked up a movie and a pizza and spent the evening relaxing at home. All-in-all it turned out to be a pretty good Valentines Day.

The Magic inside Me

The magic inside me twists and quakes
It rolls and jumps and swims and aches
Astounded each time I look down
To see the magic move around
It started as a tiny seed
That barely moved and didn't breathe
Then the magic took effect
It grew and now we do connect
She came from nothing to take on form
And together we have endured the storm
I feel the magic more each day
She's anxious to come out and play
She's got her own personality
It's hiding there inside of me
A gracious hand will help her learn
Until it comes to be her turn
For now I wait and enjoy the ride
That's taking place deep down inside
With every movement I see the sign
She's magic and she's mine