Thursday- Utah
Friday- Arizona
Saturday- Mexico
Sunday-back to Utah.

Its going to be a whirlwind weekend...
(usually things are pretty chill...we do our thing...but its nice to mix it up!)

However....it will be a lot of hours in the car!

luckily I wont be alone.

And there will be warm weather and friends and fun!

And planning some surprises...for Rocky. Can't come back without surprises!

In other news...

I really need a new job...(need as in not just a "I dont like my job/tired of this job" type thing).
My hours aren't looking so hot right now.
Planning my classes...
Going to the gym.
(Rocky is my personal trainer. He is also the most motivational workout buddy!)
Enjoyed a few days of sun!
Looking forward to more traveling.
Enjoying Rocky's time off! Now, if the weather would cooperate...
Looking for a new apartment.
Hanging out with friends.
Wishing more of them were either closer or less busy!
My brother goes into the MTC NEXT WEEK! Texas, are you ready???
P.S...who in Provo wants to hang out on Wednesday?
And further ahead, my brother Jeff returns from his mission in S.Africa in August. Time flies!

where do I start?

More than a month has flown by since I have blogged...hence the title of my post! I am only touching on a few events as you will see below. Enjoy!


~General Conference & mission reunion! It was Rocky's first time watching General Conference in the conference center and we were excited to have lower level seats for the Sunday afternoon session. My mission reunion was very fun as well and I loved visiting as well as listening to the inspiring words of my mission president as well as the past and current presidents. I love updates about the mission!





~Going to the Melting Pot with my friend Nicole for her birthday! So fun! Everyone should go at least once. And don't be deceived, it may not look like a lot but by the end we were soo full! We got the spinach artichoke cheese fondue and the yin yang chocolate fondue. Thanks to Carissa for the suggestion, we had a great time!


~My sister's wedding, which included seeing a bunch of family and friends I haven't seen in a while! It was a great weekend and I made it back to SLC exhausted but with a lot of great memories. I also have a lot of pictures from the wedding that won't make it into this blog post.

~Apartment hunting. LOTS of apartment hunting! We moved last weekend and are still in Salt Lake but just more in the downtown area. It isn't too far from the restaurant, gym, work, all those good things and we gained a Whole Foods right across the street and more importantly we gained more privacy and some needed space! Rocky is the best and I love how he notices the little things and tells me how much he appreciates what I do and has such a great attitude. Also how he helped to get things in order once we moved (including helping me do a clothing purge!) I love that we have free internet and a washer and dryer (doing laundry at the laundromat can really add up!). There are some other things that I for sure do NOT love but we know this location is just temporary!

Rocky has a new schedule starting this week and he will have 2 days off (Tuesday and Thursday this week and Monday and Wednesday the following week and this schedule will alternate). Hopefully things go as planned and this schedule sticks for a while! I know it will help him to be able to relax a little more and we are already planning all the things we want to do on the days he has off! My schedule is flexible at the moment that i can either get off early or take the day off (depending on what day it is) and we are going to go to the Tulip Festival in Thanksgiving Point on Thursday because this is the last week.

We are also going to do things like ice skating (Rocky has never been!), hiking & outdoor activities, trying some new local restaurants that we have seen nearby, going to the outdoor movies, seeing what surrounding areas in Utah have to offer, and just spending time together! Like I said, we will see how this arrangement of time off works! I am optimistic and even if it ends up he has just one day off instead of two it will be better than what we have had, which is basically late in the evenings and Sunday.

I love my family so much, including my new extended family- Rocky's family. I have the best suegras (in-laws) EVER and I love everyone I have gotten to meet so far and the ones I have talked to over the phone and through skype! That is why we were all glued to the tv and trying to call over to his family who live in Japan Thursday night where the 9.1 earthquake took place. For them it was around 2pm Friday.

Thankfully they are all okay! We were worried because we weren't able to get a hold of anyone by phone at first because the lines were jammed and at one point they may have been down. They live near Tokyo so they felt the quake pretty strongly and the oil refinery that caught on fire is in the city where they live as well. They did have some evacuations but luckily the tsunami did not affect their area. They are still feeling aftershocks this morning when we skyped with them and say things are a mess.

I can't even imagine what it must be like. We are keeping all of them in our prayers and are glad they are safe and that Japan is a country that is better prepared for this kind of natural disaster. I will keep you (that read the blog!) updated as we learn more. It for sure seems more real when it happens to people you know.

Miracle Monday

So it has been no secret that gas prices have skyrocketed. I can't imagine how people in the Los Angeles area feel (sorry Julianne!) because their prices have reached $5.00 in some areas. We are hovering around the 3.30 mark.

How much is gas for you where you live??

I got gas today for 3.25. It was the cheapest I saw. My gas light was on and part of me STILL was thinking I would be able to find it for cheaper somewhere else. Because, 3.25?!?! Rocky advised me I'd better get it because tomorrow it could go up. That and I knew I would need it today anyways forced me to pull into the gas station. I decided to only fill up with $25 worth of gas, still hoping it might go down a few cents in the next few days. While we waited Rocky and I talked about a story I had heard on the news about a gas station in Roseville, CA that lowered their gas prices by 20 cents for one hour last week. Is that the best thing ever or not? Every little bit helps! Especially when you think about people who have to commute, families with only one person working...there are plenty of examples and even with the price drop (for just an hour!) I'm sure they got so many customers it made up for it!

After replacing the gas cap and getting back into my car we drove off and my eyes wandered to my gas gauge, fully expecting to see it around 1/2 full. I had to look twice because it was FULL. A full tank of gas on $25??? We couldn't believe it! Possibly something wrong with the gas pump? A miracle? For us it's definitely a yes on the second.

(celebrating! me, Rocky, niece Kayra and sister Rossmary)

March started out with a birthday! Rocky's birthday is March 1st (although his family teases him saying he was born February 29th)...the way I see it is that in 2012 we will celebrate 2 days in a row (just in case!)

It really started at midnight~ his sister's took him out to eat and of course he was itching to open his gifts as well! He was very excited to get a REAL Salt Lake soccer jersey. I think it's a fun tradition to celebrate a little at the real "start" of the day. It can make for a sleepy workday but it is so fun! And birthdays are only once a year and the memories are worth it. Our birthday traditions growing up are very similar (besides the whole celebrating at midnight!) and I love the traditions we are forming- incorporating from our families as well as creating our own.

We were both able to get some of the work day off and we headed up to Park City. Rocky had never been so it was a perfect opportunity! I love the time we got to spend together since we have such hectic schedules. We hit up the outlets...there are SO many but some of them that drew us in were Adidas, Aldo, Nike, Aeropostale, Volcom, Pacsun, Guess, and Oakley. We found some super great sales in Nike, Aldo, and Volcom and Aero. Some stores were more "browsing" stores and that is fun too. I love bargain shopping and Rocky has caught onto it too. If I had pulled out my camera during our shopping adventures you would have laughed!

We will for sure be back to Park City, it is super close and there is so much more to see and explore~ much more than just shopping (although that is always fun too), they have all kinds of events and it is beautiful to be up in the mountains.

I love that we were able to do something fun and different for his special day. Rocky is the best and I am excited for all the future birthdays we get to celebrate together! (and next year I am serious about having a pinata!)

The day ended with Rocky cutting his birthday cake, singing happy birthday, eating cake (made by me!) and homemade cookies from his sisters, and lots of photos!

What is one of your favorite birthday traditions?

For me, the tradition of going out to breakfast with my dad on birthday morning and also the amazing birthday decorations! We went all out with streamers and balloons in our favorite color and a huge banner that everyone signed and decorated!

Missionary Monday

I think about my mission every day. The people I met, companions I had, the experiences and the teaching opportunities were endless! I love being able to share the gospel as a member of the church as well. Today I realized I hadn't posted yet about the next missionary who will soon be serving from my family!

Matthew got his mission call about 2 weeks ago to serve in the Houston Texas South mission!!! I am so super excited for him!! And while part of me wished he was going to be serving in Salt Lake City (because it is the best mission!) I know that he is being called where the Lord needs him and he will have so many unforgettable experiences and touch so many lives. Matthew has always been an example to me for his hard work, eagerness to learn and share the gospel, as well as always finding the good in others. He reports to the Missionary Training Center May 25th, three days after his 19th birthday! He will be there 2-3 weeks to learn about how to be an effective missionary and then he will go to Texas where he will spend the next two years teaching the gospel, doing service, and having some of the best experiences of his life!

Congrats, good luck, I love you, and yes....I am a little jealous! I will look forward to reading about your experiences over the next two years and am interested to see what kind of accent you come back with!

(for more about missionary work, look here)

(L-R: Matt aka Future Elder Skinner, Rocky, me, and Evan. Thanksgiving 2010)

Thursday Overload

Do you ever feel like there is SO MUCH you want to do but not enough time?

Or even that there is so much you want to do in a day and the day flies by with not even half the hours you need?

I made a list today….I used to make lists a lot but lately they have fell by the wayside. But really, when you are “too busy” to make a list is when you need a list the most!

Some off of my list…

Rocky’s birthday prep (I have big decoration plans!! Plus I am making his cake, and I have to track down his present!) MARCH 1^st is the big day!

I have a bunch of phone calls to make (this makes up most of my list actually)

Relief Society lesson (I am teaching in March. They asked me last Sunday if I would and I’m excited!). Rocky and I went over the lesson yesterday. He is an amazing teacher and I learn so much from his insights and his tips on teaching.

Go to the gym. Should this be on my to-do list? Sadly, yes. But it makes me excited that I’ll get to cross it off!

Highlights from this week:

Talking with my Dad yesterday on the phone, just catching up on what has been going on in our lives in the last week.

Going to Park City Monday with Nicole, who is AMAZING! We had fun checking out the outlets and found some great deals! Also we ate delicious food together at the restaurant! Yay for ½ days off!

Playing the piano…it’s been too long. I hate to admit that! However, it brought back the desire even stronger to make sure I get in some playing time! LOVE.

When work orders lunch. Randomly on the day that I decided to work through lunch. Right now I am enjoying turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese and avocado on sourdough. It is not complicated, just delicious! I love sandwiches, they remind me of picnics!

Returning Redbox movies the day after renting them! Yes and Yes!

Rocky getting off early- we are going to eat at a new restaurant thanks to a Groupon I have. It's for a place called Pat's Barbecue- its local so look for a review on it soon!

Plus a highlight is that Rocky gets to go play soccer tonight with some guys at church. This is a highlight because of two things. 1. I love seeing how excited he gets to play- its so fun (I want to say cute but won't!) . 2. He always has some hilarious stories to tell afterward! It is the best!

I love it when...

Rocky & I eat breakfast together.
I know, its the simple things, right?
It's not something we get to do on a daily basis.
During the week I leave for work an hour and a half before him so I bring my breakfast to work and he eats something at home before he leaves.
We ate cinnamon raisin toast, fruit, and drank chocolate milk
It was the perfect way to start our day.

in other news...
I ordered a new camera! Its a Canon and I can't wait till it gets here!!
It's raining today.
I only work 1/2 day Monday!
We have decided on moving to Orlando instead of Miami after going through more of the pros and cons and we feel really good about our decision!
Rocky will be studying culinary arts.
I will be doing something a little different than planned. I'm still working on the details!
Rocky's birthday is coming up! March 1st. (I tell him I'm planning a huge party for him and inviting alllll the people I know and we are going to have a pinata and a huge cake...etcetcetc!! (btw he does NOT want a huge party! But I was just teasing him about doing all that although I do want to get him a pinata!!!!!)

Every day should be a day of LOVE

First of all, my camera died so any pictures (until I get a new camera- I am looking!) will be older ones.
First...Valentine's day really made me appreciate the fact that even though I'm glad we have a day to celebrate love and things like that, I'm so grateful that Rocky doesn't reserve sharing how he feels about me or saying I love you or giving me a shoulder massage or making me dinner, or any of those many special things he does for me- only for Valentine's day. He does those kind of things daily and I think Valentine's Day should be a reminder to us to make people feel special and loved every day, not just once or twice a year (birthdays can be special as well..).

We knew from the start (even before Monday) we would both be working and Rocky would be working late, until at least 11:30 (which ended up being midnight) because they had a performance/show at the restaurant that night- they had 2 other shows Friday and Saturday. I love to celebrate holidays and do something special, even if we are not going to be able to have the whole day together.

I made Valentine cookies on Sunday and decorated on Monday, cutting out "Feliz Dia de Amor y Amistad!" (Happy day of Love and Friendship) and hearts out of Valentine scrapbook paper to hang up at home. I had a "heart attack" almost when I went to the restaurant at lunch and saw that Rocky had burned his hands (one more than the other he was picking up a metal bowl that was sitting on the grill that he thought was cold but was really HOT and so the bowl was burning hot as well). Luckily they acted quickly and his hands didn't start to blister. They were hurting a TON so I gave him some medicine to lessen the pain.

The best "valentine" to both of us came on Saturday when we got the letter in the mail that Rocky has an interview with immigration for residency! We are both so so excited and are gathering the needed documentation to have everything ready.

We did reminisce over the weekend because it was a year ago (on the 13-14th) that we met! It has been amazing and there have been unexpected changes and we have both learned and grown a lot and become even closer through the things we have been through and I wouldn't change any of it. We are excited for what is to come!

I'm so happy

Because it is Friday!!! This week has flown by! It has been very busy and this weekend will be no exception. Except I am going to take some moments to just chill and relax (probably more Sunday than Saturday but sometimes I like to have a chill Saturday- like last Saturday I spent a good part of the day watching movies, reading blogs, cleaning house. It was great and very relaxing.
This Saturday I have a little more I need and want to do so not quite as much time will be spent at home but thats okay too.

I just want to sleep in.

And can I just say I need help with returning redbox movies on time???

And....

Happy Birthday to my sister Julianne!!! Yesterday was her birthday! She is great & she is now living the dream (living in CALIFORNIA...yeah...that will be me too one day!). She is super creative and makes amazing things! We had fun times in Rexburg together & I also got to babysit my cute niece! I cant wait to visit them!

Last night I felt like I got almost NO sleep...it came down to I just wanted it to be time to get up because I had a really bad migraine and nothing was helping it and I kept waking up, each time feeling more and more exhausted. What a night. Plus we got to bed late because Rocky was helping with some of the remodeling at the restaurant and so he didn't get home until 12:30 and I was watching Kayra for Roxy because she was at the restaurant as well, so I took a shower after they got home and Roxy was watching her. She is very cute when she is all happy and smiling. She did have some upset moments but then settled down. Overall she is a very calm baby and likes to have her arms free and loves to kick her blankets off!


In other news....

My car was rear-ended this morning on the way to work. The roads can be deceiving! It snowed last night but the wind had pretty much gotten rid of all the snow on the streets. There were icy patches still but they were harder to see and with most of the snow in the street out of SIGHT it also put precaution out of MIND. It's not too bad of a hit and it will get fixed soon!

I have hives :( I don't know from what!! I had some yesterday morning but just a little and then they went away but now they are back and WORSE and MORE so I'm going to figure out how to get rid of those. They are no fun! Especially because I don't know where they came from!

LOLLLL so when I went to go get lunch today (orange chicken & rice) I was talking to Rocky and I asked him before I left if he slept okay last night because he was tossing and turning a LOT! He does a little but I am also a deep sleeper so I hardly notice. Except last night. He tossed and turned and I was thinking, "poor guy, he can't sleep either..." but when I asked him about it, he said, "I slept fine, just like normal...I was probably just dreaming a lot!" I want to be a part of those dreams...they look like an adventure! So that really made me laugh a lot...annnnd the fact that I didn't get much sleep and everything is extra funny to me when I get less sleep!

After work I'd like to go home and take a NAP. please & thank you. However, first I will go and find out what I can do about these hives.

p.s. These are just some of the day-by-day things that are happening! There are many good and wonderful things as well! I'm not sharing the not-so-pleasant things for any reason in particular, just that they are what is on my mind at this moment. That and work, which isn't so jump-for-joy either. So, to end my post on a happy note, here are a few great things about today:

I love having morning prayer with Rocky. I start work earlier than he does but we start our day off together this way (and end it this way as well) and it really does start my day off really well.

Lets see, fresh fruit~ winter is the time for oranges! Of course, our orange tree at home growing up always had the BEST oranges. I like starting my day off healthy (even if its not all healthy food all day every day) because it helps me make healthier decisions throughout the rest of the day.

Blogs...I love reading blogs! One from friends and family as well as other creative or interesting ones~ I love photography blogs, blogs about people going through new or different experiences, reading these stretches my imagination and gives me things to ponder and think about as well as start new challenges for myself. I love to see the different ways people write and express themselves. I could go on and on about this one but I wont!

Ok and the last one...I love the photos I have on my desk at work! For a while I kept my desk...boring. I didn't really like it that way but it didn't really feel like my space because they didn't really have a space for me. I was part time, worked from a laptop, and sometimes moved from one location to another. Then I moved offices and decided it was time for a change. So I went to some thrift stores and found some super cute frames where I can display pictures of family & friends. Those pictures cheer me up during the day! (and make me want to go thrift store shopping again, I love it! who wants to go with me?) I could go on and on about thrift store shopping as well...I need a good SLC thrift store shopping buddy!

Good Things to Come

Mondays can be hard...today was one of those Mondays, work is stressful and so I took a few breaks today to watch some Mormon Messages because there are days that need a little more uplifting messages than others and it makes me feel thankful for what I have and feel more hope in the moments that are hard and lately I have felt there have been...nothing HUGE but just those personal challenges/things I need to improve on/be happier about/change in my life.

We are both feeling a TON better! It really makes a big difference! I am not kissing Rocky again when he is sick!! (just kisses on the cheek!) It may be hard but its worth it because this flu/cold/sickness/cough/losing my voice/earache...went on too long!! Rocky did take good care of me (and I took good care of him) and we both agree that on our list of things to do is avoid the drama llama of sickness!!! We are not fans. That one has been sent away. To another planet actually, one where there is no one who can catch what they have! And...guess what was just delivered to my office? 1. hand sanitizer 2. sanitizing wipes. Thank you. That would have been helpful the last couple weeks as well!! (although I have my supply of Lysol in the house and in my office, so I'm not alone!)

Work has been crazy for both of us and this week is shaping up to be a busy one just like we were expecting. Rocky also re-covered all the chairs in the restaurant. He is amazing! I helped him with the last 10 or so and I was good...there are 43 chairs all together! If you look at the before and picture that on 43 chairs it makes a huge difference! (and yes, he also picked out the material...he has good taste too!) The restaurant is like a second home for all the time that is spent there (mostly for Rocky right now) so its nice that he can see his hard work and the difference it makes in the look of the restaurant. If you are in Salt Lake you will have to come by and see it for yourself! (um and yes, Rocky IS in his nice clothes...just for the picture! haha just kidding!!! I had brought him other clothes but he hadn't changed yet, he was on a roll with those chairs!)



In other news, I'm going to start taking some photography classes next week! I'm really excited!

Just when I thought the nice weather was going to start, the rain and snow came! I don't mind the rain, it reminds me of California. The snow...not so much!

I'm about to head home, I have a headache :( and need to get a bunch of stuff done. I hope you all have a great week! Ciao!

Ahhh so I am finally starting to feel better! Which means I am starting to have more energy and feel up to doing some of the things which were put to the side 'cause of being sick. The other good news is that Rocky feels a lot better as well. Is it just me or does the cold weather bring a lot more sickness?? Thinking about the past, I didn't get sick very often apart from an occasional cold. Sadness! That needs to change. I am currently upping my fruit and veggie intake.

moving on...

This week is flying by, work has been keeping me super busy and kind of stressed but I'm working on that.

Our plans may be changing once AGAIN...thats why what i say is happening isn't written in stone!

So, originally we were going to go to FL in APRIL but then looking at the restaurant situation (the restaurant I refer to as the "baby" because it is a year old and too young to be left on its own without someone we can trust in supervision). Right now that person who can be there 24/6 (we are open 6 days a week!) is Rocky. He has one sister who lives here in SLC but she is unable to be there 24/6 and his other sister who was here visiting just went back to Japan. We weren't sure when she'd be coming back so we decided to put off FL till JULY (when classes start again) and by that time hopefully we would have a trustworthy person in position to take over. Those people are really hard to find! Sometimes we think we have one and then little by little we see they are not. They are still good people but not someone we can trust to run the business.

However, now it looks like his other sister is coming back in the next couple weeks! We need to find out how long she is planning to stay and also how long they give her on her visa. Depending on that, we may end up going back to our original plan of FL in APRIL. Crazy, huh?

How do I feel about all this?? Well I know we will get out there at one point or another. It is Rocky's dream to study at Le Cordon Bleu. He knows the restaurant can continue to have success and grow and develop into something great if the right people are there. They are in a really good place right now and we dont want to lose that, we want to improve and grow. I can see that as well, so if we end up staying here until July, I know its for a good reason and we will be just as motivated to go in July as we are to go in April. (Plus, if we go in July that will have us in FL through March/April of 2012, avoiding the freezing cold of UTAH!) Yes, we plan on coming back to Utah, at least for a little while. We are not planning on living here our whole lives and we are not sure where we will end up (we have our plans and ideas!).

So thats the latest as far as Florida goes. Why Florida? It is where they have the culinary program taught in Spanish. Rocky is learning English but he will understand and advance a lot quicker by taking the program in Spanish.

We are waiting on more documents/interviews in Rocky's residency process. It takes a lot of patience, we should have gotten something last week but nothing came so each day I am checking the mailbox in hopes of having the next letter we need.

I've been sick this week :( Today is a laid-back kind of day to recuperate and be able to....go to work tomorrow. It was first a cold and the flu which turned into a bad cold and cough and now has an earache thrown in.

Rocky has been taking good care of me...Sundays are the best because we don't work.

I am dreaming of a vacation somewhere warm.

My passport came a couple weeks ago so this will soon become a reality.

Vacation will also include a California wedding (ok so I won't need my passport for that but it will still be fun. and warm!) I can't wait to see EVERYONE!!!

I got skype again and was all excited about skyping but it will prob work better when my voice starts working again.

Rocky has started working long weeks again (aka 74 hr weeks). At least we are kind-of-sort-of in the know because we had a few months of this before. This time it looks like it will be now until July.

I discovered a new thrift store. I still miss the best Goodwill, located in Woodland, CAlifornia.

I have been enjoying snow-free days!