Lately

Well, I haven't posted for a while. After getting my camera fixed, I only have a few pictures to share, but I figured I'd get up-to-date with what's been going on lately:

-Christmas was awesome. We ended up going to Aunt Lisa's Christmas Eve party and we had a blast eating, playing a white elephant game, and playing Skip-Bo. Then we stayed over at Scott's parents house, opened presents, talked to his brother on a mission, and had a tasty breakfast. Later that night we partied at the Dicksons with a delicious dinner, program, presents, and a fun game of Hink Pink.

-I had two excellent baby showers over the Christmas break. The first was given by my sister-in-law and sisters. I actually got a few pictures out of that one. The second was given by my husband's aunt, his cousin, and his grandma. Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of that one. I was kicking myself the next day, as some great friends showed up that I don't get to see every day! Both were lots of fun and I got some great gifts. Thanks to all family who made it possible and to everyone that came!

-New Year's Eve was spent seeing "True Grit" (which I love) with Scott's parents during the day and playing games at my brother's house at night. We ended up playing "Beyond Balderdash" with lots of laughs and also "Trivial Pursuit." After the ball dropped, we spent some time predicting who we all thought would die in 2011. My well-informed sister predicted about three people who are already dead.

-Now with the new year here, we are doing things to get ready for Alice. Her nursery is done and very cute, might I add. We still have a few things to get for her and an apartment to clean (probably a few cars too), but we are ready for her to be here already! After being sick for weeks and not being able to take drugs that actually help, I have decided that I am done with pregnancy. I have a terrible cough and cold that have been lingering forever, and then yesterday I went to the doctor only to find that I have an outer ear infection in both of my ears, pink eye (where in the world I got that, I will never know), and some sort of bacterial infection. About $70 later, I went home with antibiotics, eye drops, and ear drops. I feel like a disease! Today I went to the OB/GYN and I have not dilated at all. Well, there's always next week, I suppose.

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.