Thanksgiving Weekend

Ok, so I know I'm a horrible blogger. I've accepted it! I think the reason that I don't like to post is because I feel like it's not as entertaining without pictures and the last time I tried to take pictures my camera was dead and I haven't recharged it yet. Yes, I have been lazy.


Anyway, I had a really nice, relaxing weekend so I thought I'd blog about it. On Thanksgiving Eve, Scott and I went to the Jazz game with our $5 tickets! Although we were on the 18th row of the upper bowl and I was huffing and puffing the entire way up, we could still see pretty well and the game was well worth it. I've decided that my new favorite player is Ronnie Price. I love how aggressive he is and how he doesn't give up. He and Earl Watson make a great team! The only down side to the game was the cold walk there and the guy sitting next to me downing multiple beers. The smell just makes me sick!


On Thanksgiving, we went to see the movie "Unstoppable" with Scott's family. It was awesome! I have never been to a movie that was so suspenseful for so long. If you haven't seen the previews, it's about a runaway train in Pennsylvania that needs to be stopped. Then we ate dinner at Scott's grandma's and the food was delicious. I haven't eaten that much in a while, as my stomach has gotten rather crowded. After dinner, we watched "Ramona & Beezus." We meant to see it in the dollar movie but never got around to it. It was a very cute family film and brought me back to the days when I actually read the Ramona series (we're talking early elementary school). Later that night we went to Al and Seabass's to play games with the Dickson family. The game part didn't go over so well, but it was nice to be able to visit with everyone and see my little nieces.

On Black Friday, I had the luxury of sleeping in until 2:00! I know that it's late, but I've got to live it up before Alice is born!! We went shopping for some Christmas items later on and saw the awesome Jazz v. Lakers game. I absolutely loathe the Lakers, so it was good to see them get a slice of humble pie.

Then on Saturday, I went to Dude's to watch the BYU v. Utah game. Yeah.....let's just say that there was a little too much luck going around on Utah's side. But it was fun to visit and eat some yummy snacks with the fam.

All in all, it was a good weekend with good sleep and lots of fun with Scott. It was so nice to just veg and play Wii with Scott every night. Although I do see him every day, it's only a few hours at night until I zonk out. He's definitely my best friend and it's so much fun when we get to hang out! I am so lucky and have a lot to be thankful for.

Alice

Well, we are about 98% sure that we are having a baby girl! We went to the ultrasound Monday morning and it was quite the struggle! It was comforting to see that there's still someone inside of me and that she's growing normally, though. I always have these weird fears in the back of my mind that they'll do an ultrasound and the baby will look crazy or deformed or something. Anyway, little Alice was so naughty. She wouldn't hold still when the tech came in and she wasn't able to get the pictures that she wanted to get. She also refused to open her legs so we could make sure that she is, indeed, a girl. Luckily we saw the bottom of her butt cheeks. When the tech decided to throw in the towel, she sent the radiologist in to see if he could do better. Well, as soon as he came in, she decided that she did not want to move at all! He had me laying on my side, tried pushing really hard (right on my extremely full bladder, mind you) and even tried jabbing my stomach repeatedly to make her stir. If this is any indication of her personality, I already have a stubborn girl that is bound to give me trouble!


Lucky for us, the radiologist couldn't get all of the pictures of her brain that he wanted, so we get to go back at 22 weeks! Hopefully, we will be able to confirm that this really is our little Alice. Although Scott was initially bummed, I think he has grown rather attached to the idea of a little girl and we are both very excited! I can't wait to set up her nursery in our new apartment (we are officially moving in October) and get lots of cute little girl clothes. Pictures to come later!

One Whole Year

A couple of weeks ago, Scott and I celebrated our one year anniversary. Although our actual anniversary day wasn't anything special (Scott had class until 9:30 pm), the following day when we actually celebrated was great. Thanks to Pioneer Day, I had the day off and we got to sleep in really late and Scott helped me clean the apartment. Yes, it may sound dull to some, but considering how stressed out our messy apartment was making me, it was the perfect gift!

We later went to dinner at Faustina, a quaint little restaurant downtown and enjoyed a delicious dinner and fabulous dessert. We also went mini golfing at Mulligan's and Scott finally beat me. Later, we ate our wedding cake that had been hanging out in my parents' freezer for the past year. On our actual wedding day, the cake was quite delish, but the year in the freezer wasn't good to it. It had a good flavor, but it was very dry, much to our dismay. All in all, though, it was a perfect day!

Ok, not the best picture of me, but remember that I'm pregnant.

In honor of our year together, here are just a few of my favorite things about Scott:

1) He makes me laugh every single day. 2) He is extremely happy & optimistic. 3) He gives the best hugs. 4) He loves my nieces and is so cute with them. 5) He works hard toward his goals. 6) He cooks for me. 7) He always gives me a massage when I ask him for one. 8) He is the most fun to hang out with. 9) He puts up with my moody ways. 10) I can confide in him always. 11) He tells me he loves me several times every day. 12) He is my best friend.

Thanks for a great year, honey! I love you!!

Well, it's official.....

A Much-Needed Vacation

Yesterday, I got back from a 4-day trip with the Hewitsons. I had a really good time, but boy did it wipe me out! Here are the highlights of the trip:

Day #1-

• We drove to St. George
• We ate lunch at In-n-Out Burger
• We went swimming
• We saw "Shrek Forever After"
• We ate dinner at Chili's
• We went to Fiesta Fun for mini golf & go karts
• I won mini golf!
• We got shakes from Iceburg

Day #2-

• We went to Zion's National Park
• I ate a delicious hot dog
• We hiked the Hidden Canyon Trail
• I saw some lizards, squirrels, and a deer
• We went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner
• We saw "Tarzan" at Tuacahn

Day #3-

• We drove to Las Vegas
• We ate lunch at a kiosk called Tootie's Place
• Scott & I watched the USA World Cup game
• We walked the Strip & I held my breath
• We saw the Shark Exhibit at Mandalay Bay
• We saw "The Phantom of the Opera" at the Venetian
• We got lost in a casino & finally ate dinner at the food court

Day #4-

• We drove home
• I took several naps
  

La Cinema

Those that know me know that I love movies. I see a lot, I buy a lot, and I rent a lot. I have decided that I would share my feelings about the ones that I have seen recently, in hopes that it might help someone else if they're deciding which movie to go to or even rent.

(For those of you who love to rent movies, I highly recommend Netflix. Scott and I pay about $9 a month and we get to rent unlimited movies each month. Plus, we also get the "Instant Streaming" feature which is that we use our Play Station 3 (you can also use Wii or certain DVD players) to instantly watch a selection of hundreds of movies and TV shows through the internet. You wouldn't believe the selection of things to watch! We watch old TV shows, documentaries, exercise videos, really old classics, musicals, and of course the latest blockbusters. If it's not online already, you can get it in the mail. They have a free 2 week trial for those that want to try it out!)

"Date Night" - Scott and I really enjoyed this one. I laughed harder than I had in a really long time. I really like Tina Fey and Steve Carell, so this was an obvious choice for me. They actually performed really well together. It's basically about this boring married couple in New Jersey who decide to finally go out on a nice date. They end up going to a restaurant that is completely booked and deciding to be adventurous for once, they take someone else's reservation. This proves to be the wrong choice, as they are mistaken for a criminal couple and have to fight to stay alive. As a warning, I must say that there was one F-bomb in this movie, which I hate, so if you can't stand hearing it, don't see it. Plus, if joking mention of anatomical parts offends you, this is not the movie for you either (that sounds bad, but really it isn't).

"Clash of the Titans" - Well, I like Sam Worthington, but this movie really isn't worth seeing. It's about Perseus, son of Zeus, who has to fight to save a village and ultimately the race of men from the Gods' wrath and extinction. It has lots of action and a couple of cool parts, but I'd wait for the dollar theater on this one, folks.

"Alice in Wonderland" - I thought the previews looked really weird (after all, it is a Tim Burton film) but I really did enjoy this movie. It's a combination of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The girl who played Alice did a fantastic job and Johnny Depp was definitely a good Mad Hatter. If you are going to see this and they offer it in 3D, don't do it! The lighting is dark enough in the film and when you put on the 3D glasses, it gets even darker and harder to see. Bring the family to this one!

"How to Train Your Dragon" - This computer animated film is very cute. It's about a scrawny viking boy named Hiccup who is completely out of place in his village of tough, dragon-killing vikings. To try and prove himself, he builds a contraption to shoot down the most feared dragon of all. He ends up befriending this dragon he names Toothless and teaching everyone what they've never known about dragons. This is another one you will want to take the family to. It's cute enough for them and funny enough for adults. Totally clean and totally worth your money. As opposed to "Alice in Wonderland," this one is excellent to see in 3D. As a warning, there are a couple of kind of scary dragons, so make sure your kids won't be too afraid before you take them and they burst into tears.

"The Losers" - This is a DC comics movie about a team of military guys who are falsely accused of an awful crime. They have to run from the law while working to prove their innocence and catch the bad guy. There is a bit of rough language in this one and I want to say one F-bomb (why?). There's also a brief sex scene. It's full of laughs, but also violence. I wouldn't recommend this to most people.

"Iron Man 2" - This is the continuation of the first movie and I must say that I liked it better than the first. I was on my mission when the first one came out and when I got back I was told that it was amazing. Watching it was a little disappointing, as I had higher expectations. This one has a lot of action and I want to say the language wasn't bad (as far as my memory goes). Robert Downey Jr. did great and I really liked it! For all of you Iron Man fans, don't even hesitate. And for those of you who like Super Hero movies, this one won't disappoint.

"Robin Hood" - With Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, this movie is full of good acting and scary villains. This movie showed more of a realistic version of the hero, Robin Hood, and the story was very good. It was, however, very dark and a bit bloody. It also had some very slow parts to it. It was entertaining at the time, but I would never want to see it again and I could definitely lived without seeing it. Use your best judgment, guys.

Well, that's all for now. There has been a bit of a shortage of good movies out lately, so I am looking forward to the summer and also the end of the year for some better ones ("Harry Potter"). Anyway, I hope this was helpful to someone.

Dear IRS

I really don't appreciate your mistakes. To think you have $365 back and then have it taken away all in one day is truly cruel. Thanks a million!

Sincerely, Me

I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore....

This past weekend I had the privilege of visiting my sister, Emily, in Kansas. Not only was Emily there, but almost my entire family plus my brand new nephew. It was a lot of fun and provided a much needed getaway for myself. We went to some fun places to eat, shopping, Independence, Liberty Jail, and Austin's baby blessing. Not only that, but we spent some nice family time together playing games, watching movies, playing sports outside (the weather was gorgeous, by the way), and eating good food. Anyway, here are a few pictures from the trip:

The Sisters on Blessing Day
Sally on the way to the airport

Austin sleeping in the car

Liberty Jail

Me and a solemn-looking Al at Liberty Jail

The Community of Christ's Temple

Me and Austin in his blessing garb

The Sisters at the Barbeque

Ang, Me, and Al on our shopping trip

My first time meeting Austin!

Good Books

Ever since school let out in December, I have had a really hard time with life. In fact, I have been completely depressed. I know that this seems completely ridiculous, as I have never really enjoyed school and the stresses that come along with it. I mean, my fall semester could be characterized as absolute hell with working and going to school full time, as well as coming down with the flu and the swine flu within a few weeks of each other. Although I have my job to occupy most of my days, I have since felt very strongly a lack of purpose and self-worth.

Well, my wonderful husband Scott has been very supportive and concerned. We have had several talks about worthwhile things that I can do now to occupy my time while I wait for school to start in the fall and the dental hygiene program to begin. One of the things that I chose was to start this blog and the other was to renew my love for reading. Since February, I have read quite a few books and most of them have been good.

Last night, I finished my 13th book since starting at the end of January. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak was amazing. For some reason, I have always been drawn to stories during World War II and the Holocaust. Yes, they are very depressing and that's probably one of the reasons why I like them. But I also like them because although there is great suffering, there always seems to be some great strength as well. "The Book Thief" was different in that it came from the other side of the fence--not from a Jew's perspective but from a German citizen's and a German town greatly affected by the war. It is ultimately about a girl with a love of books whose family secretly takes a Jew into their home. As I got to the end and subsequently began sobbing my eyes out, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude--not only for good books, but for the time I have been given to read them. I realized then that I have been very ungrateful and impatient at this stage I am at right now. I have been mopey and depressed and selfish, pitying myself at every turn for not having money and not being able to move forward with my degree and even a family. So now as I realize that this kind of time won't come back around for a while, I have decided to finally enjoy it. Life really is a lot better when you count your blessings.

Caving In

When Scott and I got married, people said that I would have to start a blog. I didn't agree, as it seemed to be the trendy thing to do. Plus, I've never thought that my life was exciting enough to share with the general population. If I ever made a blog, I thought, it would be when I had children so I could post funny things they did and cute pictures. Well, I don't have children and my life still isn't very exciting, but here I am diving into the blogging world. I decided to call it Hewitsons' Hogwash simply because a lot of the stuff that we do is hogwash--full of nothing but nonsense and totally mundane. Even if no one else enjoys my blog, I'm sure I will at least find humor in it. Well, here I go!