Idealshake review

I love sharing reviews!

My husband Rocky and I got a chance to sample the chocolate Idealshake, a meal replacement shake that naturally reduces hunger and cravings. We were so excited to try this product because we were constantly on the search for the best meal replacement shake due to the fact that we are always on the go, and secondly because Rocky has a consistent workout program he follows at the gym and would always come home hungry!

Rocky has tried many protein powders and meal replacements and I have always sampled from the huge bottle of whatever he decides to buy. It was always something new because the anterior never lived up to the hype. We both dislike having a chalky or artificial aftertaste!

We both sampled Idealshake as soon as we got it, I wanted to see if the "tastes great" would live up to its reputation. We had never heard of Idealshake before, however, after sampling, we won't forget their name! It tastes amazing, so similar to chocolate milk or a chocolate shake, without being overly sweet! We feel the taste and texture were right on. It was smooth, not grainy, and deliciously yummy, with no chalky, artificial, or mineral aftertaste!

You can mix Idealshake with water or milk. For our first try we mixed the powder with 1% milk in the shaker bottle that came with the product, which made it super fast and  easy to mix! After shaking we had a smooth creamy chocolate drink, sans lumps! That was a huge plus because I hate mixing and ending up with lumps of powder that didn't mix in!

Rocky decided he was going to try it as a post-gym workout. He got home from the gym and would make an Idealshake. Rocky works out at night the majority of the week, for about 90 minutes doing cardio and weights. He is trying to lose a little more weight and build muscle. He says that before trying Idealshake, it was easy to erase all he had completed in the gym by opening the fridge and snacking on leftovers. He would be super hungry after his workout and eating a piece of fruit never cut it, he was hungry enough to eat another meal! Idealshake changed that! After drinking Idealshake he fell satisfied and wasn't craving anything extra to eat. He felt that was a huge success! It helped him get closer to his goal weight and helped in his muscle recovery.

I would take Idealshake in the morning for a breakfast replacement. We have to little boys that keep me on the go and so it was great to be able to make a shake that tasted so good and that I knew was good for me, giving me vitamins and minerals and that would keep me going through the morning!

Our first bottle of Idealshake is now gone, however we are happy to say it won't be our last! We can't wait to order more, plus try some of their other products! We also love that they are a local company (here in Utah) since we love to see Utah businesses grow. Thanks Idealshake!

2nd part of 2nd pregnancy...is a first

I am officially past the 26 and a half weeks of pregnancy! This is a first for me since Riley was born at 26.5 weeks. I feel good, a little less nervous now to have gotten past this point. Bebe R is looking good!

Gender: Boy! We are still undecided about his name, except it starting with R (equaling the bebe "R").




Movement: He has been moving a ton, especially at night! I have anterior placenta (meaning the placenta is in front) so some of his movement in the beginning felt muffled but it is more pronounced now and more frequent.

 Size: Bebe R is almost 2 lbs, he is the size approximately of a head of lettuce! I am growing too and feel like I am showing more at this point than I was was Riley when he was 26 weeks.

Cravings: Sour foods....plus anything that probably induces heartburn/acid reflux! I have had a ton of acid reflux this time!

Sleep: I wake up a lot just because I am uncomfortable and am turning from one side to the other quite a bit. No more sleeping on my back...

Riley: We talk to him about "baby brother" and he knows the baby is in my tummy. He has also been a lot more clingy to me in the last few weeks...holding, snuggles...I am loving all those little moments because he is usually a go go go boy and doesn't like to be held very much!

Hello Goodbye Tuesday

The quick version of today...
Day off. Sleeping in. Good morning kisses. AM smoothies. Smiles. Playing. Sunshine. Advocare. DMV. Family. Thrift store shopping. Great deals. Photos Driving and more driving. Home. Phone calls. False alarms. Jammies. Puppies. Storytime. Full House. Crockpot chicken cooking. Blogging...

to elaborate on one of these. How about false alarms! So we were shopping with the fam, including my parents in law, and RR (Rocky Riley) and I had left and when we got home we got a call from the fam saying someone had stolen my mil's (mother-in-law's) purse from her cart. We felt so bad for her, because even though we had warned her to not leave any valuables just in the cart or with anyone, it is still such a hassle and horrible when something like this happens! However...about an hour later we got another call saying they had found her purse...in the car where she had left it! We got a good laugh...mostly out of relief!

I will also elaborate on crockpot chicken cooking...as in cooking right now at 10:45pm. It is for tomorrow (with some taste testing from me tonight) because I am trying to be better about prepping meals/foods for RR to have while I am at work. Riley is really into food and so it helps to have something ready for lunch to just warm up! I looked at some recipes but in the end I just took chicken breasts we had in the feezer, cut them up and added some "tuscany" seasoning which is a mix of garlic, basil, sun dried tomatoes, parsley..plus a few others spices. I also added a little chicken seasoning and cloves of garlic because we love garlic! Tomorrow Riley will probably eat it with buttered pasta or mac n cheese.

I will just end with saying I love spending time with my family!!

October Riley update

Riley went in for his huge checkup the end of September. Because he was born premature we had the option of enrolling him in various studies that will track his progress until he turns 3. We decided to do it because the research will help with other preeemies and also because it gives us a chance to see how he is developing. He has these checkups every 6 months and he does a regular physical plus a psychological evaluation where they play a bunch of games with him that have to do with his coordination, he also meets with a dietitian, and has a hearing test. Each checkup is at least 3 hours and this time we were there for four...whew...a long morning but we found out a lot and were able to ask the doctors various questions, especially about his diet because Riley is such a yo-yo eater.
 Overall Riley is doing really great, he is excelling in all the psychological evaluations and is willing to try new things and doesn't give up! He was on the go throughout and the doctor said to not expect him to slow down! Babies born as early as he was are very busy and have a fast metabolism as well. That wasn't really a surprise to us because Riley is very busy and active all day (except while he is asleep!).
 His dietitian said we need to focus on mealtimes with him and to not allow him to snack. She said preemies are used to eating just until they feel full and then don't care to eat more until a short time later they are hungry again, from not eating very much at mealtime. We have been working on this with Riley, although I do want him to eat more so when he asks for food while it is not mealtime I give him a snack! He love the fridge and we are lucky he cannot open it on his own! ;) He does love a variety of food and loves trying new foods.
 We feel so blessed in how Riley is progressing in so many ways! He loves to play, especially with his puppies and especially outdoors. He loves to feed himself, say "amen" at the end of prayers, and is very social! So that is just a little update on our Riley! He is 22 months (from his birthday) and 19 months (from his original due date).

Thanksgiving

Last week we celebrated Thanksgiving. The plan originally was to go to Idaho and be there with my parents and some of my siblings but at the last minute plans sadly changed. As I talked to my mom on Thanksgiving-eve she said that no matter the circumstances I should make the best of the day and be happy. I was in the Walmart parking lot getting ready to go in and buy clorox and dishsoap but after talking to her I added some thanksgiving ingredients to the menu to pick up too.

There was no turkey or pumpkin pie (the turkeys were rock solid frozen and i didn't think one would be defrosted to cook and be ready in time, and I am sadly the only one in the family who likes pumpkin pie!) so we went with ham and an apple caramel cake.

Thanksgiving morning we watched the Macys day parade and I made crescent rolls and deviled eggs (both staples at thanksgiving although my mom's rolls are much better! mine turned out well for my second time using yeast :). and of course some potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and the little pickles and carrots (that are also tradition!)

Rocky invited his sisters over to eat with us and I called my family in the evening to see how their day was. I spent a lot of time remembering past thanksgivings...from the ones in California to the ones in Idaho with married siblings! Also of course remembering black friday shopping teehee....and of course I was on the phone with my dad when some of my siblings left to get in on some of the "gray thursday" deals. 

I am thankful for my family...my wonderful husband who I love and adore, and our little Riley who is so funny and growing so fast! As well as my extended family for their love and support. I have so much to be thankful for, including the gospel, many opportunities, and of course our safety and health!

Speaking of which...a couple days after thanksgiving riley came down with croup but luckily we caught it early and took him to the doctor who gave examined him- his lungs still sounded good- and gave him some steroids to help with the inflammation in his throat. we kept him in (although the doctor said the cold air would be good for him) and told him no late night parties! He is doing a lot better now. It made me so sad when he woke up various times during the night crying because he was so congested and coughing. During the day he didn't let it keep him down, although he was a little more snuggly :) he is usually not a snuggly baby at all so that part was nice to be able to hold him and cuddle him! He is super inquisitive and curious!

Family Night!

We had a little family night today! In the Gateway (an outdoor shopping mall) was hosting a concert featuring Kurt Bestor and a children's choir and doing their annual Christmas tree lighting. It was going to be a date night that turned into a family night and it wasn't super cold (until the very end) so Riley was happy in his little bear snuggle suit.

We got to the Gateway early and found parking and then window shopped...Dick's sport store, Aldos, Forever 21, Berkenstoff toy store while we waited. As the children's choir started to sing it also started to pour rain! We hung out under the eves of the toy store along with some other people, but that only allowed us to listen, not see the choir. Nonetheless, they sounded so pretty! Security started handing out free umbrellas about 20 minutes into the concert and those went pretty quick, but luckily it stopped raining about 10 minutes later! I think there were a lot of prayers that it would stop raining! We ventured out and got some hot chocolate and cookies that they were handing out and listened to the end of the choir and then to Kurt Bestor. He played beautifully...something not easy with the cold I'm sure!

The most exciting part of the night was the lighting of the Christmas tree! they had a synchronized music and light show including the tree. The tree itself was donated by a family in Utah. KSL (a local tv/radio station) starts looking for a tree in September and came across this certain tree in the front yard of the family's house. The family had decided the tree was getting too big for their yard (it is huge!) and generously donated it! The music and light show was so fun and they will have it replaying on the hour in the evenings during the Christmas holiday season. Riley loved the lights, the people, the music...everything! He is very observant and was taking everything in.

After the show we scurried on back to the car because we were starting to really feel the cold! Pictures and video are on my facebook and hopefully soon on the blog! It was so nice to have a (Saturday!) family night out. In the past these have been sadly close to non-exsistant but now that we have a different schedule we have plans to have more family outings and more date nights!

Hi!
 sooo...the month is flying by just like october flew by.

riley had a fun first halloween. trunk or treats, a cute costume, fun pictures! he was a little jack-o-lantern and the weather was great for the trunk or treat activities we were invited to. he came away with a steal of candy, but even better, a lot of great memories!

the first restaurant closed (also at the end of october) and...moving is a pain! i got a great deal on a storage unit for the time being until the new location opens. it was bittersweet because i have a lot of great memories of rocky and me there...lots of learning experiences from me working there...so many things. but sometimes not everything is in your control and you have to look on to bigger and better things! the restaurant in sandy is still open and i am helping right now with their lunchtime delivery.

i went to some fun blogger events! rocky and i had a little date night at taste of chocolate and were able to support the cause of vaccinating ninos in other lands who don't have the funds to get vaccinations. there were a lot of kinds of chocolate to sample from different countries. also we won some sweet prizes, including a huge gift basket of chocolate treats from whole foods...yumm a chocolate granola with strawberries...caramel chocolate organic truffles...and a ton more!

i did miss out on a couple blogger events that i hope to be able to be a part of in the future! there was a great passionfruit blogger event, where you could go and get help with your blog...this (obvi!!!) would have been such a great one to go to because my blog...oh my blog! however, i carry on ;)

my awesome sweet friend edith, who was also one of my best companions on the mission came to visit from california! she also cam for a baptism and sealing but stayed a couple nights with us and it was great catching up, going out to eat at pei wei (her first time!) and of course riley getting to meet his tia (aunt) edith! i still call her hermana (sister) from the mission...it has just stuck! she is amazing and i can't wait to see her again!

i have also gotten to hang out more with my sister stace who also lives in utah. we have gone to some blogger events together and shopping...she gets coupons for free stuff at old navy and we went together last saturday to pick out free dresses! i got a cute black and white striped dress with 3/4 sleeves and she got a two toned blue sweater dress- great for winter! we always seem to run out of time so fast when we are hanging out.

riley is such a cutie cute cute little baby who doesn't want to be a baby! he is crawling like crazy, standing on his own and walking supported by the couch or whatever he is holding onto! he loves to feed himself cheerios and other finger foods and loves fruits and veggies! he is not a fan of rice cereal, snuggles, or getting dressed. he is super vocal and loves to play, read his books, be around other people and babies, and is so attentive! if there is something he wants he goes after it (especially because he is climbing and crawling faster now haha). he sleeps really well during the night and the whole family is happy about that! he really is such a sweet, lovable, happy little guy! we feel so blessed that his health has been excellent and even with him starting to get his teeth in this last week, he hasn't let it get him down! i got a lot of great tips from friends and family via facebook as well about teething!

i could go on and on about riley...he is growing and changing and all that fun stuff. but i will continue with...

We got a lot of snow last weekend!!! it was crazy and it has stuck around for most of the week but with the sun it has melted off somewhat. we hope to have good traveling weather for thanksgiving next week! it is so nice to be inside and watch the snow falling and is horrible to drive in! the city has been great about clearing the roads so far but saturday night i got a scare when it as coming down pretty heavily and i was out driving and of course no plow had been through. i got home safe and was happy to not have to go out again that night!

rocky has been going to the gym a lot, i am happy he has been able to get back into his regular routene because in october things got kind of crazy and he is a lot happier when he goes to the gym! i have to get back int othe whole gym thing as well...we are working out how we can go together because we always used to go together in the evenings before riley came home...and yesterday we both confessed how much we miss that! i know i can go on my own...and if i go during the day they have childcare there but i would rather go with rocky because it was something i really loved doing with him (even though we didn't do everything together it was having him there!)

and so things go....november is going by super fast and soon it will be december! i am blogging from the mac and i have no pics saved on here. i need another power cord for my hp. thats all! for me, blogs are more fun with pics so if you have read all this without the pics i hope you have used your imagination a bit! or if we are friends on facebook you can find cute pics of riley and some of the other things i talked about! goodnight!

Riley

With his Idaho grandparents!

Family time

a night out- salsa concert

Riley's turn to hit the pinata!

At Jeff's wedding- love Riley in his little suit!

Such a great smile!!!

At the falls in Idaho after Jeff's wedding

That cute bellybutton deserved a face...teeheehee!

Riley is so cute cute cute! Where do I start? I guess starting with pictures :)

Riley will complete being home 6 months this month. As cliche as it sounds, time flies! He has gone from a little sitting observing baby to a growing, rolling, starting-t0-crawl, observing and grabbing baby! He loves to play so much! He loves books, going on walks and being outdoors, his papa ( he is a daddy's boy!) and is finding his voice- yesterday he screamed as he played and "talked" all afternoon.

Riley has also started to eat solids, he recently tried- and loved - broccoli. peas, and pears.

This summer has flown by, I can't believe it is September. We were able to go to Idaho for Jeff and McKayla's wedding in August, which was a fun little family trip. We are still in Utah for the time being! We have had a pretty low key summer but have gotten in some bbqs, going to the downtown farmer's market, seeing some new movies that have come out, just things like that!

We have had some fun times and we are making some plans that will take our life in a different direction = moving! It is exciting and making me nervous at the same time! I am glad that it will be something that will help us learn and progress and grow.

Just a few photos...and the best video ever!

Playtime with cousin Kayra (supervised of course!)

Happy baby!

Rocky and his mom at Tucanos!

Riley meeting his great grandpa!

Nicole and Riley!

At a salsa concert (Groupo Niche) with my sister in law Rossmary, cousin Eli, and friend Diana

The family came to visit for Riley's baby blessing (my parents, Evan, Stace and Tony, Jeff and McKayla, my mother in law and my niece Kayra)

Stacie and Tony helped us paint the restaurant! It took longer than expected but the stuck it out till the late (early) end!

Out to eat with Eli (Rocky's cousin) who came to visit from Japan!

Father's Day!

Crepeville with Kokob during our visit to California!

I need a blog makeover!!! I figured out how to put a banner on my blog but I can't figure out how to center the title of my blog. I am able to do the basics like change the background/layout but to add tabs or anything else (besides the basic stuff on blogger) keeps me occupied more time than I'd like to admit! So a little update...Riley is growing like a weed, or at least eating like he is growing like a weed! He is still long and skinny but he is full of energy all the time that he is awake and I have given him the nickname of "rolling riley" and he wants to crawl with all his might! His little legs are strong (he will stand if we support him) and he scoots around a little bit too. He is sleeping really well during the night, loves to eat his feet, and is really smiley and loves to play and laugh! Rocky has been busy with the restaurant and we are planning a few things for the near future and looking at some options. I am less busy with the restaurant now and am putting to use in other ways what I have learned as my time as a manager there. Somehow this is sounding like my part in the Christmas newsletter...! Lets see...we are headed to Idaho next week for Jeff's wedding! It is super hot here...we like to go out at night and we went to the drive-in movies last weekend with Stace and Tony and saw Spiderman. I always wondered if your car battery would die after keeping your car on to listen to the movie for the whole duration of the movie? Luckily we didn't have to find out (although I am stuck with wondering) because Stace and Tony brought along a radio and we listened through that while sitting outside (better than sitting in the car!)

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!