tahoes

i would like to take a minute to express my extreme love and gratitude for these two beautiful women holding navy's hands.

i feel like teija and kirsti are apart of my soul.

i don't know what better way to put it than that.

teija left me a message on my phone the other day (i promise i'm calling back real soon!) and i have kept it saved on there for a couple weeks now because every time i hear it it makes my heart full. full with love and memories and growing up and dancing and skinny dipping and long long talks and family and my mom and tahoe and a million other things.

what i wouldn't give to be able to rewind the clock and redo some of my memories with these two. remember when we went to great america and we drove like two hours past it and had to turn around and go back, so we didn't get there until so late?

or at girls camp when we learned that teija's hair was just too thin to go without a week of washing- haha.

all the parties that we went to, but the only recreational activity we participated in was dancing.

just to name a few.

anywho, i love you both you have huge chunks of my heart dedicated to you, you are my sisters forever.

love, nicole

i would like to say something...

shame on all of you who are piecing apart breaking down with your critiques. can't you just be grateful that stephenie meyer- bless her heart- wrote these books in the first place? it's her story, not yours. if you want it to end differently or be more "realistic" (are you kidding me people who said that, it's about vampires and werewolves), i say write your own damn book, and just say thank you for hers. amen.

sorry i've been m.i.a.

sorry for the long break... i've been in hole up mode for like two months. there is so much i have been wanting to post on... here are a few
1- we've been very busy landscaping our yard. and by we i mean tyler- ha. "we" are just about there... our sprinkler system is in, and ty just planted the lawn last weekend, so hopefully that will be coming up soon. next on the list are getting some outdoor furniture from ikea, and getting a trampoline and hammock for the backyard. and then you are all invited for a big backyard party!
2- dottie was very sick the other day. i don't even really want to talk about it, it makes me sick to my stomach. i got home from errands and she was acting like she had a stroke. she tried to jump on my leg and fell over backwards, that kinda thing. i freaked out big time. i called roberta and then the vet, and he said it sounded like a mild stroke. i got off the phone with him and started hysterically sobbing and hugging dottie. i don't think i handle that kind of stuff very well any more. long story short she is doing a ton better now. pretty much back to normal. i am so happy and relieved. i'm still watching her close, but i think she'll be okay. kelly told me that cate prayed for her and said, "please let dottie not be sick, i love her sooooo much".
3- in primary this sunday, the sunbeam class was up teaching sharing time, and one of the little boys pulled out his "guns" (both his hands fully equipped with gun noises), and started shooting his brother that was in a different class. it spread like wildfire. no boy can resist the siren call of gunfire. i'm surprised tyler didn't whip his out. he probably would have if we weren't laughing so hard. every boy in the room was firing at each other (one even pulled out his shotgun, cocked it and fired) and it was like we were in a war zone. all the teachers quieted them down pretty quick but it was such a classic primary moment.
4- tyler and i are leaving in a couple hours for colorado! i am so excited. i've never been to colorado, and i love going somewhere new. even more than that i love staying in hotels. i can never sleep in because i'm so excited for the breakfast downstairs in the morning, and afraid that i'll miss it. anywho, we're going for the walker lawn mower "family reunion". it's their big convention thing at the headquarters in ft. collins. it's a pretty big shindig, and even better is that coates landscape, bless their hearts, is paying for our registration to go, and for our three night stay at the marriott. isn't that so nice? i am definitly making them a yummy thank you. ty and i can't wait for the gettaway. we need a break! and i love "vacation tyler". he is so much more easy going. dottie is staying with her grandma berta while we are gone. don't think i'm lame all you people with human children, but i realized this is the longest we've ever been away from her, and i'm real sad to leave her. thanks to berta for dealing with FOUR dogs for the weekend! we owe you one.
well, i think that's all for now. hopefully i'll take many beautiful pictures of colorado to share when i get back.

a chat with friends

the following is a random interview with two of my very best friends (sara and kirsti) and my sister kelly. enjoy getting to know them a little better... i know i did. keep in mind their answers were independent of each other.

** what were you doing when i called you?

sara: cutting up an apple for hallie

kirsti: watching HGTV

kelly: sewing

**if you could have any celebrity as your best friend, who would it be?

sara: reese witherspoon

kirsti: nicole richie

kelly: drew barrymore, wait am i allowed to smoke pot?


**favorite movie?

sara: superstar

kirsti: empire records

kelly: sixteen candles


**what do you think is your best quality?

sara: easy going

kirsti: easy going

kelly: i'm hilarious


**worst quality?

sara: i don't have any

kirsti: lazy

kelly: i'm really really selfish and mean. i scream at people. how do you sum that up in one word?

**jolie or aniston?

sara: aniston... jolie is a homewrecker

kirsti: jolie... well she's just so hot

kelly: aniston [in a sing song voice]

**what five books on a desert island?

sara: twilight,new moon, eclipse, book of mormon, breaking dawn

kirsti: pride and prejudice, i'd probably have to bring the book of mormon, i think i could live without anything else. maybe the last harry potter.... ummm..... us weekly?

kelly: scriptures, pride and prejudice, stop worrying and start living, anne of green gables, the bound woks of martha stewart

**if you were famous, what would you want it to be for?

sara: model... a model idiot. [in zoolander voice]

kirsti: either a victoria's secret model or building lots of orphanages in china. but only a victoria's secret model, i wouldnt want to be any other kind.

kelly: design

**if you could be living anywhere in the world, where would it be?

sara: huntington beach

kirsti: newport beach

kelly: london

**all time favorite tv show?

sara: desperate housewives

kirsti: my so called life

kelly: gilmore girls

** would you rather have a personal chef, maid, or trainer?

sara: chef... because i don't exercise if at all possible

kirsti: trainer

kelly: maid

**if you were an actress, would you be the kind that lives in brooklyn or malibu?

sara: malibu

kirsti: malibu. i'd like to be the type that would live in brooklyn, but no.

kelly: malibu

**hot dog or hamburger?

sara: hamburger

kirsti: hamburger

kelly: yes please

**beach, mountains, or city?

sara: beach

kirsti: crap... beach

kelly: a beach in the mountains with a city 30 minutes away.... commonly known as lake tahoe

**what is your favorite memory with me?

sara: probably our stereo war our bedroom we shared. it was our first ever real fight. we both wanted to listen to different music, so we were both playing our stereos and kept turning them up louder and louder to top each other.

kirsti: listening to blue (eiffel 65) driving around looking for a party [high school]. we pulled in to 7-11 to look up the street [carson st] in the phonebook, and realized as we looked at the map, and then up, that we were right next to it.

kelly: del taco drive thru. [your guess is as good as mine]

**favorite fast food establishment?

sara: mcdonald's

kirsti: arby's

kelly: del taco

** favorite magazine?

sara: people

kirsti: well, it's gotta be us weekly

kelly: martha stewart living

**on time or late?

sara: late

kirsti: on time- unless i'm traveling with nicole

kelly: like 45 minutes late

**working hard or hardly working?

sara: more working hard these days

kirsti: hardly working

kelly: depends on if i like the work or not. hardly working- let's be honest.

** do you feel that you kissed too many boys before you were married or not enough?

sara: just right... is that an answer?

kirsti: i think just perfect.... 50's pretty good right?

kelly: too many

** archeletta or cook?

sara: archeletta

kirsti: cook

kelly: who?

**what is your guiltiest pleasure?

sara: tostitos with a hint of lime

kirsti: whole can of cream cheese frosting

kelly r- rated movies

**what celebrity do people tell you you look like?

sara: they don't

kirsti: cameron diaz

kelly: drew barrymore

** what celebrity do you wish they told you you look like?

sara: jessica alba

kirsti: angelina jolie

kelly: i can't think of anyone pretty enough to commit

** what is your favorite blog that you read?

sara: kelly's

kirsti: kelly's

kelly: mine- haha

** would you give up diet coke for a thousand dollars?

sara: yeah i would... then i would start again in one month

kirsti: no

kelly: yes (i'm lying)

** where do you see yourself in 10 years?

sara: 2 more kids and saggier boobs

kirsti: hopefully living in a nice house with a rockstar husband, and not having to worry about anything

kelly: umm...... 40?

thoughts that my mind has been thinking about

*getting out of debt! if you haven't heard of dave ramsey, google him right now, and do what he says. he knows what he's talking about.
*the blogging world is so funny to me. one of the many things that i find amusing is people's tendency to slip into spanish when talking about their loved ones. is this like a trend i don't know about? it seems to be the cool thing to do. maybe i'll start referring to dottie as punto perro (dot dog) it has a nice ring to it don't you think?
*so you think you can dance. or as it is known to the elite, sytycd. i can't believe how close it is. it makes my heart soar.
*food storage. well food storage and just being as self-sustaining as we can. i'm thinking about it sooo much, and it is weighing heavily on my mind. ty and i are very motivated right now. by golly, we are going to be ready for the end of the world. bring on the disasters, we dare you.
[the above dare was not issued to God. just wanted to clarify. again, i am not tempting God in any way. thank you.]
* speaking of food... recipes. i'm craving some new ones to try. anyone know of a good website?
*tyler wants a baby real bad. isn't that cute? he's getting real anxious for one. i can't wait to see him be a dad.
*kirsti, if you're reading this, i need you to call me for your interview (i'll explain). that is all.

my happy thrifting trip

goodbye ives children...

bright and early sunday morning the kids made me breakfast in bed for mothers day. (if you think this picture of me is scary, you should have seen the ones she took before this.)

their mothers day tradition is to make breakfast in bed for their "mom". however, more often than not it is one of their mother's sisters than heather herself- haha.

i'll miss you guys! thanks for the fun trip!

tradition

i've been thinking...

i really want to start gathering some traditions now, before i have children, so that i can instill them in my family from day one.

of course i already bring some from my family. (well, mostly just eating, being cozy, and watching movies).

and tyler already brings some from his family. (bob doing the dishes after we all eat dinner- ha).

but i'm talking about traditions for my own family, that my kids will think on with warm memories, the way i do about my growing up.

that's something that has been hard for me (internally). it has been hard for me to let go of being the child and to feel ready to provide that childhood for another.

maybe it has something to do with my mom? with how different my family situation is now?

probably.

it's hard for me to think about my growing up and have my heart not ache.

is that normal? anyone else feel that way?

one thing that i know is that tyler has been the reason that i have dealt with it as well as i have.

he is so solid and loyal, so all embracing of our own little family as what matters most to him in the world.

and so back to the start...

i want to start gathering traditions of our own.

will you share with me some of your favorites?

i promise if i steal them i'll give you credit.

heathie's cozy house

roberta has requested more pics of my little getaway down here, so here goes...

aaahhh, heaven.

where the magic happens.

cozy living room with humongous tv.


what i have been watching on the humongous tv... home videos. i'm watching all the ones with my mom in them and then crying afterwards. sounds kinda depressing- i know- but i've been enjoying it. isn't she pretty?


craft/computer room where i am as i type this.


billiard parlor... and yes that's another huge tv on the wall. this house is great.

ooohhh, the coziest bed ever. i have been sleeping so good!

in fact that is looking pretty good right now. i am exhausted!

ps- did anyone watch 30 rock? it wasn't my most favorite episode, but it definitly had it's highlights. do you think jack and liz are eventually going to end up together?

whoop whoop (with a raise the roof)

i took a four hour bath last night (until 2:30 in the morning) reading this dang book... and now that it's over i miss it so much. i just want to be back in that world among those characters.

do yourself a favor and read this. you will be thoroughly entertained as you ponder humanity, love, agency....

and a little bit of bridled lust.

(it is stephenie meyer after all)

i miss...

this super hot boy

(the one on the left)

and this super naughty doggy

see you on sunday!

be still my heart

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=33429578

click on this...

you're welcome.

wish you were here...

some long overdue tahoe pics

these are some pictures from the trip that tyler and i made to tahoe in march.

the beautiful lake

ty and i after eating dinner with my dad, kathi, and gwen and jay, at the zephyr cove lodge. the dinner was so delicious, the atmosphere perfect, and the company entertaining to say the least. anyone who knows jay will know what i'm talking about. hilarious.



one of the pics from dad, tyler, and my drive around the lake. for those of you who don't know, this is emerald bay.



view from the parking lot of edgewood golf course, where they have the celebrity golf tournament every year.



playing rock band at kenny's house with kelsie. kenny is probably singing "creep", by radiohead. he always wanted to be the singer and he always wanted to sing creep. but if he did let you sing, you had to sing loud or he would get mad at you.

dad and tyler looking over the aptly named fanny bridge.

miss sophia.

sorry, i got it the wrong way.

dad in a stunning pic taken by tyler.

so cute. she looks like a perfect combo of kenny and leticia to me.

ooohhhh, i'm so obsessed with this place... tyler too. and i guess my dad is too. at least i would be if i won over a hundred bucks on the singing elvis slot machine. if you want some good true dirt to read, google search the cal neva resort and frank sinatra together. (he used to own it until he had his gaming license revoked because of his mafia connections). he was all mixed up with the kennedys, marilyn monroe, the mafia, etc. etc. good stuff. very interesting. and fyi- JFK was like the biggest sleaze bag ever... why do people think he was so great?

well, that's all for now. i have a ton more pics to post, including pics about my little trip here in the valley of the sun (that's what phoenix is right). anyway, i'll post more tomorrow.

goodnight!

update your blog kirsti!

i was going to go on a blog writers strike until kirsti updated her blog (at least that's what i threatened her with [scary, i know]), but i figure that may never happen, so here goes.
events of the moment...
i have been working working working, which is good- i can't complain... but it was nice to have saturday off to finally clean my house and get some laundry done.
tyler and i have been working out almost every day at anytime fitness, our new most favorite place. i have not lost any weight, while tyler's muscles have doubled in size. lovely. but it does feel wonderful, and i know weight loss can't be far off.
tyler and i hosted a delicious sunday dinner at our house last night. in attendance were bob, berta, alice, griffin, katrina, and shauna. i made spagghetti with homemade delicious meatballs (with flax and oats mixed in among other things), peas, deliciouse fresh salad with bell peppers, avacade, cilantro etc., and homemade breadsticks (which i am getting pretty darn good at making). after dinner we watched rob & big, which everyone thought was hilarious except alice, who asked us what joke she was missing.
i leave for arizona on thursday for ten days to babysit heather's kids. i am so excited for pool time among other things... but very sad to leave tyler for ten days as i get quite anxious when i am away from him. tyler is not excited at all. the night that i told him i was going for ten days, he blurted out in his sleep "don't leave me babe", when i got up to let dottie out. i can't complain... he really likes me.
i have a bunch of pics to post, but i don't have my camera with me, so i will do that soon.
peace

i'm it

in the grand tradition of tagging, i have been chosen by miss whitney boice-arensberg to share six unspectacular quirks about myself...

1- i blow "dust" off of everything that i am going to eat off of or drink out of. ie- when i unwrap a straw i have to blow through it before i stick it into my drink.
2- i can't put on chapstick/lip gloss if my mouth feels dirty... i have to put in gum first before i do.
3- i love fergie
4- anytime that i'm walking on ice or snow i repeat over and over in my head "please don't let me slip and fall, please don't let me slip at all" like a little chant/prayer... i have never told that to anyone.
5- if someone doesn't remember my name i automatically don't care about them
6- i can't eat/enjoy my meal if my hands feel dirty, or if i have to go to the bathroom

i tag whoever wants to do this on their blog... love, nicole

miracles and ulcers

tyler is my little miracle....
today we were up at bob and berta's for dinner along with the shawn boice family, and tyler ended up outside playing catch with shade and carter.
he can totally throw a ball.
he was pitching to shade and they were like, good pitches. right into the glove.
anyone who saw him a year ago... even a couple months ago will realize how amazing that is.
as i was watching him i was remembering the first blessing that bob gave him, before we knew what was wrong.... he said that he would be made whole.
i kinda got a glimpse of that tonight watching him, that he might actually get it all the way back someday.
anywho... i think i have an ulcer. i'm not sure what to do about it. i took an acid reducer (as per usual), but it didn't really help at all this time.
are these signs/symptoms of ulcers?
1- my stomach hurts if i am sitting or standing, but not when i'm laying down
2- i didn't feel naseous at all... i could eat fine, the pain never subsided before or after eating
3- i ate a really big meal during the pain, and my stomach didn't even register as full
that's all i can think of. what do doctors do for ulcers? any point in going to one? if anyone can help me out with answers that would be great.
other than that we are doing great.
life is busy and good.
tyler has started working again (hallelujah) and has been bombarded with work.
we are trying to make life decisions and what not... we'll keep you updated.

rexburg

here is an example of one of the many things i love about rexburg....

the owner of the taco time in rexburg is in the same ward as the boice family. they aren't super tight or anything, but they are friends and just a real nice family in general. well, everytime i go through the drive thru (and that is quite often) and the owner is working the drive thru, he very kindly asks how i'm doing and then without a word about it slips a free empanada dessert into my bag with whatever else i ordered. every time. i mean, granted that the boice family altogether probably make up one half of the sales at taco time, but still... i'm only an in-law, ya know? it's such a simple little gesture, but it makes me swell with love for this nice little community i live in every time it happens. in a world that is no longer nice, people are just nice here. it reminds me of when lindsey z. started crying because someone (trent and carrie chicos) had already paid for mine and tyler's dinner (excuse me- tyler and my dinner) when we went to get our check on our group date to chiz's. and while i'm thinking about it... how about that tyler's competition (the other lawncare business' in town) all chipped in and did his lawn route for free -in addition to their own work- so he wouldn't lose his business while he was in the hospital after the stroke, and through his recovery time. i mean where else in the world does that stuff like that happen all the time? make fun of it all you want people who don't live here, but we've got a good thing going.

can i get a bite?

i suck... you're the best.... as per usual

this is my best friend julie. she is wonderful and thoughtful and sweet and beautiful and loyal. unless your name is sara powell, then she likes to torture you. julie sent me the cutest little book in the mail entitled "i like you" which was so sweet, and i have yet to call her and thank her. so i wanted to publicly chastise myself for not being a better long distant friend. i know you all probably hate me most of the time (sara), but i promise that i love you all so much (julie and sara), i think about you and talk about you constantly. we have shared some of the best memories of my life, and you'll be my best friends forever. forgive me my weaknesses (not calling or answering my phone)... i know i have many. i love you. thank you for the book julie, i love it.

2008 is going to be a banner year

i'm so excited and inspired for life right now, so i thought it would be a good time to plan out some of my resolutions for the year...

* plant and nurture a garden full of delicious vegetables that i then use to prepare delicious healthy meals
* along with that i want to get as self sufficient as possible. ie: start our food storage, grind my own wheat... you can use your imagination
* continue on my quest to learn the banjo and the guitar. for those of you who don't know, tyler and i had roberta order us a banjo, and we've been practicing at her house together. who knows, maybe we'll take our act on the road. sonny and cher meets john denver. but seriously, tyler is doing it for therapy on his right hand... isn't that great?
* get a serious start on making a documentary with rachel rennaker about marriage/divorce
* visit teach
* get out of debt
* get pregnant
* read lots of good books that will enrich my mind and soul
* maybe write a book of my own
* take a couple of credits of night classes at the college towards my b.s.
* lose 10 pounds.... but more than that, i want to be and feel healthy and in shape
* stop being intimidated of recipes that look "fancy" to me. try them and master them.
* maybe make up a couple recipes of my own
* be responsible
* keep an immaculate house
* get back the same kind of scriptural knowledge that i had on my mission
* be a really really good wife

....so we'll see how all that goes. any good ideas for other resolutions?

what's on my mind right now

1. i wish that crazy people (like the woman sitting across from me in the library) would not talk in public... quit freaking everbody out, you know?
2. i am starving
3. i finally finally got past the first two pages of east of eden and it's really really good. i can't wait to get back to it.
4. do you ever feel like you're surrounded by incompetence... i do, and i think these people should be publicly recognized... where has all the customer service gone??? i'll tell you where- Ray's chevron in rexburg. i go there for gas without fail (even though it's more expensive) because they have squeaky clean 15 yr old boys running around pumping everyones gas and accepting their payments with a smile.
5. i just finished the peacegiver (kelly has been bugging me for forever to read it) and it is so good. everyone needs to read it. it is particularly good for, but not limited to, people who hate their spouses.
6. we just got two unexpected checks in the mail, one kinda big, as refunds from our mortgage companies of the duplex. woohoo
7. tyler has been waiting for EVER, impatiently, for this particular documentary to be sent by netflix. he kept thinking it was at the top of the queue (sp?) but then it wouldn't come. it finally came today and you have never seen anyone happier... then he took it out, and the dvd was cracked in half on one side.
...........what's on your mind right now??

greetings from jackson hole!

tyler and i are in jackson for the weekend celebrating our two year anniversary. very cozy. we are staying at the wyoming in, which i really like. very cozy atmosphere and a very delicious and extensive breakfast in the morning. this morning i had bacon egg and cheese quiche, bran muffin, and grapefruit juice. delish. we saw juno in the theatre this afternoon, so i finally got to see the first 20 minutes, and tyler finally got to see it in general. tyler wasn't a fan... he said that he thought it wasn't a particularly great message. i told him that i only took him to see it so that he'd get me pregnant. haha. after the movie we ate at a thai place that was so good. well that's all for now. have to get back to my honeymoon!