Holiday Basketball

Last Friday afternoon Hardy was coaching a basketball game, the Titans vs. Woods Cross, his old alma mater. Because it was so close to home and all our family from out of state was in town for the week, Hardy invited our neices and nephews to come watch the JV game. It was pretty entertaining, but unfortunately the referees were awful. I thought Hardy was going to have an absolute coronary. He managed to keep relatively calm considering the situation, but half way through the second half one of the refs gave him a technical foul - much to Hardy's brother-in-law's delight. Scott loved being there with all the kids to witness it. I will say, in Hardy's defense, that the refs really were awful and he really didn't deserve the TF, at least not at the moment they gave it to him. Thankfully the Titans managed to pull out a victory despite the poor referees. Good work Hardy.

On Saturday we went to Hardy's neice Ally's baptism. Poor Ally got sick that morning and was throwing up half the day, and the water in the font wasn't particularly warm, but the spirit was strong and it was a special day. It was really nice to spend time this holiday season with family.

Girls and Boys are So Different

I grew up in a house of all girls, and none of my friends growing up had brothers (or if they did they were much older or younger so they didn’t have much on an impact on us). As a result, my friends and I did very girly things, like poetry readings, watching Broadway musicals, or going swing dancing for entertainment. (Yes, I am/was a nerd).

When I got married my eyes were opened to a whole new world of male thinking that I had never really glimpsed before. Suddenly the world revolved around sports, farting became hilarious, and attending church activities became a chore instead of a treat. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about males in the past almost 2 years since I got married, but last night I was exposed to a whole new side of things…teenage boys.

Hardy’s basketball team had their Christmas party last night, and I got invited to go. After a lovely dinner hosted by some of the parents, the kids, coaches and I piled downstairs for the gift exchange. Each had brought a $10 gift. Most involved a gift card to Barbacoa or Café Rio, but several were pretty risqué – so totally different from anything my friends and I would have ever come up with as teenagers. When the mother hosting the party saw one of the boys come upstairs in his new “Boobies make me smile” t-shirt, her only comment was, “Your mother will be so proud.”

I think I’m glad I was a late bloomer and hope that someday my kids will be too.

Getting Old

Last week was my birthday. Like most birthdays when you get old, it was pretty uneventful. Hardy's team had a basketball game that night so I donned my Olympus green and cheered at the game that night. Then Hardy made up for it by whisking me away to a nice dinner and an over-nighter at Little America. It was nice to be away without having to go too far. We both took Friday off of work and just slept in and enjoyed a leisurely day off. We talked about going skiing, but it was about 10 degrees outside, and we're not that die hard, so we had lunch and went shopping in Park City instead. It was great.

On Saturday we had a Christmas party for Hardy's side of the family. Then we bundled up and went downtown where we met my parents (and a few hundred thousand other people). We saw the lights at temple square, and went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert featuring the King Singers. It was really good. Hardy was a bit skeptical when I told him what I was dragging him to, but he loved it as well. We definitely left feeling the Christmas spirit.

I think I'm almost ready for Christmas, if I could just get stamps on my finished Christmas cards and put them in the mail. You might not get them until after Christmas, but I'm working it.

She quit

So, the new person I hired last Monday resigned last Friday. Despite her assurances otherwise during her interview, she ultimately decided that she wanted to be in charge rather than be a worker bee. In some ways it's a relief because during her 4 short days with the company I discovered that she's about as good with a computer as my mother (love you mom!), and the learning curve was proving to be much steeper that I had anticipated since I had to start by teaching her how to open Outlook.

Friday afternoon I went through the monster stack of resumes we got for the position and pulled out a few more for another round of interviews, this time looking for a different skill set. I think I've decided that this time I want someone young and hungry to prove themselves. And I'm adding a question regarding computer skills to the interview.

Thank goodness for bosses who undertand that my plate runneth over and are helping me to prioritize and delegate what I just can't get done while I'm a department of one.

Basketball begins again

Last night was the first of many evenings I will spend over the next few months sitting in a gymnasium watching High School basketball. The benches are still hard, but I forgot how fun it can be.

The Titans have an extremely young team this year. During the varsity game it wasn't unusual to look out and see 4 sophomores and a junior on the court playing against Skyview's starting seniors, and those kids really held their own. They played hard and worked well together, and even though Skyview managed pull off a victory in the last few minutes, I'm still predicting it's going to be a good season. Once these kids shake off the jitters of playing against 6' 9" seniors (like they faced last night), they'll do great.

Go Titans!

Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, here are a few things I'm thankful for this week:

1) It is basketball season (the Olympus Titans first game is next Wednesday) which means:

• Baseball season is over
• Golf season is over
• Football season is almost over
• Hardy travels less for work to avoid missing games; and
• I pretty much know how I'll be spending a lot of my Tuesday and Saturday nights for the next 3.5 months (on a hard bench in the Olympus High School gymnasium).

2) Dual Climate Control and heated seats in our new car which allows me to crank up the heat and Hardy to turn on the air conditioner as we drive home from Utah basketball games.

3) We are extending an offer letter to a new employee for the Neighborhood Services Division later this afternoon which means that as soon as she starts I will no longer have to do everything for my department. Hooray!

4) A patient husband who set his expectations so high for how much he thought it was going to cost to repair the garage door I busted (oops!) that rather than being mad he was relieved when I told him how much it is actually going to cost. - Thanks Hardy :)

5) And finally, I'm grateful that I don't need anything for Christmas (other than a new garage door). We have a crazy, quirky little ward and neighborhood which I love that helps us keep things in perspective and remember how much we have been blessed with. Hardy once told me a story of his uncle who, when he was first married, loaded his car with his wife and all their few belonging to move to a new state, and as he looked at that car he realized that he had everything he could ever need right there and anything beyond that was a bonus. I think he was right on, and I'm definitely in the bonus area.

Surviving the Primary Program

Yesterday we had our ward Primary Program. As a Primary President of only a few months I really had no idea what to expect from this event, but happily most the kids showed up, and only 1 left the stage in tears when he was told it was his turn to give his part. The sunbeams even managed to sit still for most of the meeting, which was a miracle considering how much they wiggled during the Satruday rehearsal. We survived, and somehow despite the chaos the spirit managed to prevail and their sweet little testimonies touched the audience. It turned out to be a really great meeting. The kids went absolutely bonkers once we got done and were back in the primary room, but at least they waited until then.

I admit that I was fairly skeptical when they called me into the Primary since the last time I was in Primary I was 12 years old, but I have learned to love it so much. The kids are so sweet (when they aren't running away, or hitting anyone, or farting at their neighbor). I thought I would miss the adult lessons at church, but I am amazed at how much I learn as we focus the basics. I think sometimes as adults we forget the real simplicity of the gospel and what makes it true. The kids remind me every week.

An afternoon with the President

Former President Bill Clinton was in town with past weekend campaigning on behalf of his wife and Hardy and I just couldn't pass up on the opportunity to see him speak. It was fantastic. He is just so captivating and an artists at working a crowd. His message was very positive and uplifting, full of great information and statistics, and all extemporaneous. No wonder Newt Gingrich calls him the greatest politician of our time.

I am so glad I married someone who loves politics. Some people go to movies, we go to campaign rallies on our dates. Hardy and I were like kids at Christmas waiting for Clinton to enter the room. There is just something special about hearing from a former President of the United States. They have a very unique view of the nation and where it's headed. I had the opportunity a few months ago to hear from George Bush, Sr. in Philadelphia and came away with a similar rejuvination of my patriotism.

And to top off the weekend, today I got to vote. It doesn't get much better than that for we lovers of politics.

Red Sox Nation

Last night was a big event in the Hardy household as the Red Sox swept the World Series against the Colorado Rockies. I mostly watched the games because Hardy's life has revolved around them for the past few weeks, but in that time I've become a bit attached to the team and found my heart racing at the bottom of the 9th as we waited to see if Jonathan Papelbon could keep the Rockies from scoring and clinch the title. As the catcher called the final strike and the team rushed to the center of the field to celebrate, Hardy wept tears of joy (which he did again this morning as he watched the replay on Tivo).

I really was happy that the Red Sox won, and not just because it means baseball season is finally over for the year. It would seem I'm now officially part of the Red Sox Nation.

And just for laughs, I had to include this great clip of Papelbon doing a jig after they won the 2007 AL Championship. It's great.

Movin' on Up

My motto for this month is "Hard Work Really Does Pay Off...Eventually." I have the coolest job ever where I work for South Jordan City and basically help people get involved and love where they live. It's been great, only that past few months I discovered a real disparity in the level of work and effort being put into things between my boss and myself. Somehow all of our department's responsibilites seemed to be my responsibility. It was very frustrating, so I finally put my foot down and clarified what projects were his and what were mine and I stopped working on any of his projects. It seemed to clarify things for the powers that be. No one was fired, but last week our Department was reorganized.

So, I am now the Neighborhood Services Coordinator and am hiring someone for my old position. The interesting part about that is how many current city employees have a friend applying for the position who they keep trying to talk me into hiring. I've made friends at work this week I never knew I had. The bad news is that with the new title I am also now the City's Public Information Officer (PIO) which means if there's an earthquake, shooting or other major disaster in the City, I'm the one they wake up in the middle of the night to come deal with the press. I'm not too worried, I just hope nothing major happens while I'm here.

Harvest Festival and Scarecrow Festival

It's been a busy month in South Jordan. On the 13th I was responsible for planning the Fall Harvest Festival at The District. The weatherman had me nervous all week, and it rained as we were setting up, but it cleared up just in time for the event and it was a big success. We had probably 500+ people there and lots of people asked us to do it again next year. It's such a relief to have that over with.

Then on the 20th my co-worker planned a Scarecrow Festival so I invited my sister Emily and her little girl to come to that with me. Unfortunately the weather did not hold up quite as well that weekend and it was really cold and rainy. We went and made a scarecrow and Rachel got her face painted, so it was fun despite the weather. Our scarecrow is now on display with all the others on the Plaza outside City Hall.

15 hours in a car...with my mother

This past weekend my mom and I flew to Seattle to visit my sister Heather. She is pregnant with twins and getting bigger by the day so we popped in to help. I sanded and painted a dresser for the nursury, mom rearranged all her furniture, and together we made meals to last her for weeks. It was very productive. Plus we got to spend some quality time with my dear sister.

Hardy and I decided to buy Heather's GMC Envoy which they are selling to accomodate the twins, so my mom and I drove all the way home from Seattle, a 15 hour drive. My rear end was pretty darn sore by the time we got home, but we had a lot of fun. Mom and I are very compatable travelers, and other than the fact that she likes to chat late into the night and requires entirely too many pillows to go to sleep, we got along great.

On the way home we stayed in a crazy little Bed and Breakfast in Boise. We were so tired when we got there, and were then informed that one of the special features of the house is that the water is geothermally heated. Unfortunatley that meant that there wasn't a lot of water pressure, so while the tub worked if you could figure out the right water combination, the shower wasn't an option. At first this made me a little irritable, but after smelling what was coming out of the facuet when I washed my face, I changed my mind decided I would probably smell better on the way home if I didn't take a shower at all. Despite the lack of a shower, it was a fun place to stay and made the trip all the more memorable.

Visting Teaching Marathon

I am admittedly a mediocre Visiting Teacher. I know it's important, but sometimes I struggle, and nights like last night are usually the reason why. Plus it doesn't help that in my ward we aren't just assigned 1 or 2 people to visit - but rather 6. Luckily I have been paired with a rockstar VT. She is diligent, plus she's one of my Primary Counselors, so I have no choice but to get it done every month.

Last night was a VT marathon, each visit taking approximately 90 minutes. Good thing we only had appointments scheduled at 2 homes or we would have been out all night. Instead I got home after 9:00 and therefore didn't get a chance to talk with Hardy for more than a minute because it was 11:00 in Cleveland and he was already asleep. Ah, the joys of service. I must find a way to get a better attitude.

Season Premiers

It's TV Premier Week, and I'm somewhate embarrased, but I'm totally hooked.

"Dancing with the Stars" - With adorable new additions like Derek Hough (from good old SLC) and some interesting celebs like Floyd Mayweather, it should be a fun season . After the first night, my vote is on Jane Seymore. For a 56 year old, she sure can move.

"The Bachelor" - This show is hilarious. I just can't help but love the drama. And the new Bachelor is rather tasty. The first episode is always a little lame, but I think there are some interesting girls this season.


"Heroes" - With a cast of characters who have superpowers, you just never know where they are going to take things. Love it.

While I hate having Hardy gone again this week (for the 3rd week in a row), I must admit that I like getting back control of the remote. I'm so sick of football I nearly made Hardy sleep in the guest room for 2 of the 3 days he was in town due to his sulking after his teams all lost. You know it's bad when I'm actually looking forward to basketball season.

Change is the Status Quo

Last Friday they announced some organizational changes at my work, shuffling all the departments around to report to new people. As a result we are spending this week shuffling around offices. Today I am moving to my 3rd new cubicle since I started here in January, and I fully plan on at least one more change before the end of the year. Good thing I'm flexible because nothing seems to stay put around here long.

Hardy left yesterday afternoon on the first of his trips which will take him away from me for the next three weeks. He'll be home on the weekends, and luckily I'm pretty good at keeping myself busy, but I always hate to see him go. The good news is that when I get bored I tend to get productive so I got quite a been done last night, and plan to do more of the same this evening before Enrichment.

A Change of Plans...

Last Friday Hardy and I went in for our first Dr. appointment. We were so excited to go, but unfortunately the day didn't quite end the way we had anticipated. During the exam the Dr. failed to find the heartbeat. We went back in for more tests on Monday and confirmed that we had in fact lost the baby, and Tuesday I had a D&C. My body and soul are finally beginning to mend, but it's been a really long week.

The positive side of this whole thing is that it's really helped us to see how loved and blessed we really are. We've had such an outpouring of love and support from family and friends, and it's really brought Hardy and I closer together. As sad as this has been and as much as my heart is broken, we are coming to terms with the fact that this is just a temporary set back to our starting a family. We didn't get news that we will never have a baby, just that we won't have that baby. My sister also lost one of the triplets she is carrying last week, which breaks my heart that we are going though this together, but has also been a little comforting to talk with someone who know exactly how heart breaking it is.

I have no doubt that we're going to be all right (eventually), but I sure am glad this week is almost over.

33 Weeks and Counting

It's official! My darling Hardy and I are having a baby. As of today we are officially 7 weeks along. I can't believe there is a tiny little creature growing inside of me. 7 1/2 more months seems forever away, and yet way too soon. We've been trying not to tell too many people other than our families, but Hardy just can't contain himself anymore. He's so darn excited. He's got a list of names ready to go and kisses my stomach goodbye when he leaves in the morning. Most everyone he knows has heard the good news by now, while I have yet to tell many people.

I finally broke the news to my boss (who was thrilled) because I felt I needed to explain my lack of productivity this week. Up until now I have felt pretty good, but this week I got pretty queasy and really tired - must have hit a growth spurt. It's hard to be overly productive when you feel like that. Candy's really supportive of my decision not to work once the baby comes even though she hates to lose me, so that's nice. It will definitely be an adjustment to go from working full time in a job I love to staying home all day with a new baby. I think I'll really like it once I get used to it though. And I know I'll never regret it.

New Teeth

I am 28 years old and I have never had a cavity. My mother taught me good oral hygien practices, but utlimately it comes down to good genetics since my sisters have had very few dental problems as well. The result is that I typically really enjoy going to the dentist. Every 6 months when I go in to visit Dr. Samuelson, he and his staff greet me warmly, ask me about my family, and tell me what beautiful teeth I have. Who wouldn't love a visit like that?

Not only are my teeth healthy, they are straight. I never had braces, just a retainer for a short time in Jr. High. So what could possibly have prompted me to have elected to spend 4 hours at the dentist office last week getting my 4 front teeth drilled to smitherines (or so it felt like)? Well, lucky me, I was the sole inheritor of my grandfathers signature gap between the front teeth. My dentist did what he could to bring those teeth together when I was young, but there was just no remedy. On top of that, some kid in kindergarten threw an empty bullet cartridge at my face and broke my front tooth which I have had to have repaired every few years since then, and which was again in need of repair. As a result, my front teeth needed an overhaul.

After discussing options with my dentist and husband, I decided to invest in veneers. It's not cheap, but if ever I'm in a position in life to afford them, it is now while we've got two incomes and no kids. Plus they'll last me 15 years, and I bet they'll have developed some great new dental techniques by the time I'm 45 and need to get them replaced. After preparing my teeth last week, the dentist gave me "temporary teeth" which is basically a lump of plastic attached to my teeth drilled to look like the new teeth. It feels bizarre, but I'm amazed at how good they look. I was really self-conscious at first, positive that everyone was as startled by my new appearance as I was, but after getting together with friends and then visiting my little sister last night and no one noticed a thing, I've calmed down a lot. The dentist was right that people would probably notice something was different but wouldn't be able to tell what.

I now have to wait until almost mid July for them to finish the process and permanently attach the veneers, but I am feeling pretty good about it. I just wish now that I would have done it before I got married so I'd have pretty teeth in my wedding pictures.

Hawaiian Adventures

Last week, Hardy and I had the opportunity to vacation in Maui. We cashed in all of his Marriott and Frequent Flyer points that he's earned through all his work travels and got to spend the week in paradise doing absolutely everything we could have wanted.


The first morning there we got up at 2:15 a.m. and traveled to the top of Haleakala, the volcano, where we watched an amazing sunrise. When we first arrived it was cloudy and freezing and we didn't think we'd be able to see anything. But then, just before dawn, the wind picked up and blew all the clouds below us just in time for a spectacular sunrise. Definitely worth the early morning drive.


Next we donned our faux leather bomber jackets, rain gear, and helmets, loaded onto bikes and rode down the mountain with our guide "Flash" in the lead. It was a great way to see the island from above and exhilarating to ride down the mountain.


On Sunday we visited Lahaina, a beautiful little town with fun shops and lots of character. They were having a celebration for the 134th Birthday of the Banyan Tree, the largest tree in the United States. They were serving cake, teaching laie making, had booths with fun arts and crafts, and a stage with live performances. It was exactly the type of thing I love to attend.

We did a sunset dinner cruise and saw several whales swim by, jumping out of the water and doing all kinds of tricks. It was a great way to start, especially since Hardy got a bit sea-sick a short time later.

On Monday we drove the road to Hana, and what a road it was. They manage to keep it in fairly good condition, but it is narrow, winding, and doesn't have any guard rails. Though the drive is a little intense, the scenery was amazing. It's exactly what I pictured Hawaii should look like.

We made a lot of stops along the way to look at waterfalls and enjoy the view.
One of our favorite places was the Blue Pool, and amazing ocean side waterfall. Locals had put up barricades and signs indicating that the waterfall was privately owned or didn't exists, but we perservered and were definitely rewarded.

After our 9 hour journey along the road to Hana, we went to the Old Lahaina Luau. We ate pork and poi and drank non-alcoholic Lava Flows 'til we could drink no more. The dancing was great and it really was a magnificent evening. And to top it all off, we even got our picture taken with the guy who plays Oscar on "The Office."


Tuesday we took a sail boat to Lanai where we snorkled and saw some beautiful fish, and on the way back we enjoyed the company of a large school of dolphins. And on Wednesday we drove around the island through Kapalua and watched the surfers and kite surfers.


It was a fabulous trip! Couldn't have asked for better.

Tiny little thoughts

Last Saturday Hardy and I spent the evening visiting with our friend who recently had twins. Her husband is Hardy's best friend and they live out of state so this was our first opportunity to meet the little munchkins.

We both like kids and are without a doubt the reigning favorite aunt and unlce on both sides of the family, but half the time we hang out with our friends who have children we end up going home exhausted and recommited to the fact that we're not ready yet to have any of our own. We've also always known that we'd wait at least a year before we even thought about it so for the past 12 months it hasn't been an issue. But now we've crossed the one year mark, and sitting around last weekend each of us with a tiny, beautiful little girl in our arms I think we both realized we're a lot closer to being ready than we thought we were.

I wouldn't say I am baby hungry because I'm just not the type, but once in a while I see someone with a baby and think, "I could do that." Hardy is going to be such a funny, cute dad, despite my initial fears when he annouced that he was physically incapable of changing a poopy diaper due to the smell (because apparently the rest of us really like it). That made me a little nervous, but I think when it comes down to it he'll step up and do great. And I can't wait to have someone that I can force to do fun things with me - hehe. Hardy may roll his eyes when I try to get him to make cookies with me or do an easter egg hunt in the living room, but a small child will totally dig it.

We're still not quite there yet, but we are definitely getting closer (much to my mother's relief).

Absolutely Nothing

I recently started a new job working for a local government. My husband likes to make fun of me for being a bureaucrat and teases how little government workers actually work. His brother and father both work in government and he always jokes that they spend most of their time on the golf course, so naturally he has plenty of proof to back up his argument.

In the 3 months I have worked here I have already racked up over 25 hours of overtime, so I kept wondering when this nice easy government job is going to kick in. And today it finally did.

Thus far, I do believe I have accomplished absolutely nothing today. I got into work this morning and completed a project I have been working on for several days, then discovered I had been given the wrong information to start with and my updates were essentially worthless. Then I rememeberd that it is my 1st wedding anniversary next Friday and I am supposed to be in charge of planning our evenings events, so I put together a whole wonderful plan involving a couples massage and dinner at the place where we had our wedding dinner. Then I found out the Spa is closed that night and other complications which thwarted my efforts. And ever since lunch I have been trying to prepare for an event I am running this evening at work, and while I did manage to quell a Senior Citizen hostile take over of my event, most of my time has been spent playing on the internet.

And the best part is, I got a nice little bonus check and thank you card yesterday to thank me for all my productivity. My husband is right - working for the government really is great.

Tales of a First Time blogger

Recently I was asked to represent my employer at a Technlogy Training class sponsored by the County. After two hours of sitting in an ice-box they call Council Chambers and learning about the power of blogging, I realized that it was very much NOT something my employer would be interested in utilizing on their website, but it just might be something I could do for myself.

Once upon a time, I used to be a fairly creative, insightful young lady who had a comment or opinion on just about everything. Now time has passed, and instead of roommates with whom I can wax philosophical late into the night about any and every subject there is, I now have my husband. My dear, sweet Hardy is great to banter with on political and religious matters, and we can get going pretty good when we discuss how we plan to theoretically raise our future children (haha). But his favorite subject is all things sports - and I can only provide him meaningful feedback and pretend to care for a limited amount of time. One of his strengths is his ability to stay focused and be the very best at the areas he chooses (i.e. golf, talking sports, coaching basketball, etc.) In contrast, I am much more flightly and perfer to do and discuss a little of this and a little of that.

Perhaps that is why I'm intrigued by the idea of blogging and being to express my thoughts about anything and having them reach beyond the pages of my little green journal. We'll see how it goes.