Day of Love #18

I am way behind on my days of love, but I will make it to 25 eventually. I have been working on writing about my sis and her family, but I have not finished yet. I could not put off writing this blog because the thought and feelings I am having are strongest now.

So basically I have fallen back in love with California. It is amazing because for the past 3-4 years I have been denying my love for my homestate, probably as a protection mechanism because I thought I would never return permanantly to CA, but now that I am planning on returning, I am OVERWHELMED with excitement and happiness.

The main reason I love California is because it is home. It is where my family is, my oldest and closest friends and their families live here and I just get the people and culture of the OC ;). I am also incredibly loved here. My confidence sky rockets as I am around so many positive, happy and encouraging people.

I am not a surfer, but I do have a great love for the ocean. I think I love how small the ocean makes me feel. I also love how you can go out into the ocean (on a sail boat preferably) and look back on the coast you can feel that all is well with humanity. Regardless of what is going on on the shore, from a few miles out to sea everything looks peaceful. Some of my greatest conversations and memories have taken place around the coast. I think I associate the ocean with building relationships with loved ones and times of true happiness and peace.

I also love California because there is always something going on. People are always out and about. There is so much movements and life in California that you truly should never be bored.

California also has EXCELLENT shopping. You can find any store you want within a 30 mile radius and most likely that store will have exactly what you are (or are not) looking for in your size! It almost makes shopping in CA over other states worth the ridiculous 10% sales tax that comes along with each purchase.

I feel really good about moving back to California this summer. It just feels so right. I have no idea where I will work or how I will make enough money to live and pay all my taxes but things will work out. I can't wait to have my old life back!

Day of Love #19

Jen, Josh, Max and Audrey Proffit are next on my day of love list.

My sister, Jennifer Lynn, has always been there for me. We shared a room until I was 13 and she was 17, during which years she completely fulfilled her sisterly duties from telling me at age 9 that I needed to shave my legs because mine were gross to singing me primary songs when I was too scared to sleep. She has continued to protect me, give me hugs and tell me when I am outline of line. I know that she loves me and cares about me with a love that I think only exists between sisters. Jen is not only a great sister, but she is a great blessing in many peoples lives. She is a good and caring friend and easily makes new friends with just about anyone. She is a great mother, even when her two kids and two jobs are driving her crazy. She is also a good and supportive wife and a talented pianist and organizer. Come to think of it, after listing all these true and great qualities in my family members, I just realized how much I have to live up to! I am grateful for my big sis' great example she continues to set for me.

I also really love Jen's husband, Josh Proffit. I was 17 when Jen and Josh tied the knot, and I have to say, I was not very fond of Josh at first. He was sarcastic, loud and I was jealous that my sister liked him more than me! (I was a brat and she was in love - no grudges!). But Josh turned out to be a pretty good guy. The thing I love most about Josh is his testimony of the Church. He is completely solid in his beliefs and is not ashamed or afraid to let anyone know. He is humble and quick to apologize or change to fix a situation. This has made him an invaluable husband to my sister and their two children. I also have really appreciated how he has stepped in to protect and love me as a big brother should. I know that when he says he is there for me, it is not because that is what a marriage has obligated him to say, but he really means it. I love that he makes my sister happy!

Maxton Kirk Proffit was the first grandchild in our family and has made all of us smile and laugh for almost 5 years now. He is now talking and learning a ton and he is hilarious! Max has a very sweet disposition. Although he can get wound up and completely wild, generally he really just wants to do what is right. He is very loving and knows how to compliment a girl! Just the other day I ran into my room to brush my hair and he walked by and said, "You look great, Shannon." He often randomly tells you that he loves you and that you are beautiful. Having him around is a total ego boost. :)

Audrey Emma Proffit, now 18 months, is a spit fire. Who knew a little person could contain so much personality and passion? Audrey is a very social little girl and loves men (watch out!). She waddles around waving and saying, "hi" to everyone, grinning and batting her eyes along the way. Audrey also is one who knows how to get her way and will act like it is the end of the world if she doesn't get it. Luckily Jen has a strong personality too and can keep Audrey at bay, most of the time ;)

I love Jen, Josh, Max and Audrey! They bring the fun out of all of us but are also solid in their beliefs, loyal to their loved ones and committed to their family.

Day of Love #17

I would like to focus on Ryan and Elise Johnson in this blog, also known as my older brother and sister-in-law.

Last night my mom and I stayed down in Carlsbad, just a few miles from where Ryan and Elise just moved to, so we had dinner with the two of them. This dinner reminded me of how much I love and appreciate them in my life.

My brother and his wife are both incredible people and compliment eachother very well.

Ryan is laid back. As an oldest child, he still enjoys teasing and pushing everyones buttons, but on a more serious note, he cares deeply for his family. I have lived away from my family for 6 years now, and he would be the one who would call just to talk. He would ask questions about my life that went much deeper than "how are you?" and would always be willing to listen and give diplomatic/non-judgemental advice. I really love my brother's laugh. I am not sure why. I think it is because often times when he laughs he tries to hide it, so it comes out as a contagious-I couldn't hold this in-type of laugh. He laughs easily and finds happiness and peace in small things. He IS an optimist and has an easy time of letting go of possesions or situations that are out of his control. He just kind of goes with life, smiling and surfing along the way.

Elise, my sister-in-law, is the perfect wife for Ryan. If that is not a reason to love her right off, then I don't know what is. I remember thinking, when they first got married and I got to know her, How did Ryan ever get this girl!?! Elise is very motivated and driven careerwise, and is also a good wife, cook and gardener. She is also a great communicator, writer and is always very thougtful. I love talking with Elise because she is smart. She reads a lot and all her opinions are informed and researched. Elise is one of my favorite people to talk to because she doesn't make judgements or press her opinion on you as she listens. She respects you and what you have to say, even if she has a different view on the issue. Although I will be moving back to California soon, I hope I will still occassionally have long car rides with Elise back and forth to Utah in which we can just talk.

I really appreciated Ryan and Elise last night. My life has been really hard and depressing lately and it has been hard for me to smile, laugh or even feel alive. (Who knew there were challenges big enough that even shopping and ice cream could not fix!) While we were at dinner with them, they were just forward in their communication. They listened to what I thought and felt, agreed that I was in a sucky situation but did not need to place blame on anyone. Then they just moved on with the conversation and were honest, happy and witty. I am really grateful that my brother has someone he loves and who loves him in return. They work as a team and I think will be able to get through anything together.

Day of Love #16

I am behind on my days of love so I will have a lot of catching up to do before Christmas. I wish I had not gotten behind because life has been really hard lately and these posts have helped me remember all the love in my life.

Tonight I am going to write about my mom. This is kind of hard to write right now because I am at home and didn't listen to my mom when she warned me about something and ended up hurting her which hurt me. It is amazing how things never change. Your mom always knows best and you always think you know better!

Even though right now I feel really foolish in front of my mom, I do love her.

Shelley Johnson is a very loyal and disciplined lady. She cares fiercely for her family and pretty much turns into a mama-bear if anyone tries to harm her cubs. She stands firm in her beliefs and is not embarrassed to let people know.

She is very thoughtful and good at expressing her love and gratitude for those around her. She is constantly picking up little treats or looking for ways she can serve those around her. She can offer criticism when it is needed, but is much better at offering compliments, support and love. I have never felt like I wasn't smart, pretty or good enough in the eyes of my mother. She won't give a listening ear to self degradation, but will really listen when I just need someone to talk to.

She is an incredibly talented musician and organizer. She has been playing the cello since she was 4 and has developed a life of hard work and discipline around this instrument. The music she plays is beautiful and often done in service of our Church and community. She is also able to organize incredible music productions. She just finished her 6th year of Sing Noel, which is a free Christmas production for the community which consists of 3 different choirs. She picks the music, writes the program, makes sure people show up and feel appreciated and prepared, and much, much more. Sing Noel always turns out incredible. I know it brings many people closer to Christ. What an excellent way to serve.

My mom is also just a very cute lady. She always looks nice and has a welcoming, friendly personality. She can get along with just about anyone and is able to love and care about people who often get pushed to the sidelines and are forgotten about.

I also love that my mom is pretty much up for anything. You can say lets go jump in a cold reservoir or lets go to Italy and she will come along for the ride. She enjoys life and although she has a thousand things going on each day, makes time for lasting memories and fun adventures.

My mom has always been a good example and support to me. She loves me and I hope that I can reciprocate my love to her in a way that she understands and feels the depth my love and appreciation run.

Day of Love #15

For the last 10 days till Christmas, I would like to write about my family. As I think about what I love most on this Earth, it is definitely those people that have always been there for me.

Starting from the top, my dad.

This Earth was blessed the day Alan Charles Johnson was brought into it. Not just because he is my dad, and probably the best dad I could ever ask for, but because he is a really good man to all he interacts with. I love my dad because he is a great example in so many aspects of life.

He is honest and hard working. He takes pride in his work and, lucky for all those whose teeth he works on, is a total perfectionist! He doesn't do ANYTHING, forgive my french, half-assed. He puts his whole heart into the things he chooses to do. He is incredibly smart and confident that he can do things that an average person would think impossible. For example, he has been building a sail boat in our garages for the past 6 years (it's a huge, technical boat). He carefully measures everything out and thinks like a true mathematician/physicists/sailor to create an incredibly beautiful, dependable and efficient boat. And the crazy thing is, he isn't too worried about finishing. He does it because he enjoys the journey. I wish I could think more about the journey or the hear and now, instead of always worrying about the final product/future.

I also love my dad because he has always known how to cheer me up. Usually it comes in the form of taking me out for ice cream. The ice cream is always good, but it doesn't fix the problems. I have always interpreted this gesture as a clear act of love. A love and support that has always made me feel safe and confident to face the hardest challenges of life. My dad just knows me. He can just tell when I need a hug and is always there ready to give me one for as long as I will let him hold me, which is sometimes a very, very long time also rubs my feet. He isn't afraid if they are dirty or smelly...that's love!!

My dad is also great because he sees the good in mankind and never wants to harm or cheat anyone.

My dad is not afraid to recognize when he needs to change and work hard to make those changes in himself. He constantly improving himself.

I also love the way my dad treats my mom. Sometimes he is stressed or tired and doesn't always follow suit, but most the time he is "chasing" my mom around the house to get some of her hard earned affection. ;) Just teasing mom. But he is openly affectionate. He likes to hold my moms hand, and go on walks with her and give her a kiss when he gets home from work. They have been married for over 30 years!!

There are many more things that I could say about my dad, he is a renaissance man, good at so many things. He is a great example to me on simply how to be a good person. I hope as I continue to age and have to take on the "real" challenges of adulthood that I can be like my dad. That I can stand tall, remain hard working and optimistic even on darker days, that I can keep up my love for learning and self-improvement and openly give love to those who will accept it.

I love you Dad!



I am definitely too big to be sitting in my dads lap, but after reading this blog I think you get the point :)

Day of Love #14

My all time favorite show is 30 Rock. It definitely beats the office because it is truly witty and full of satire but it is not at the expense of an oh so sad Michael Scott. I am in no way qualified to write an educated and accurate television review, I will leave that to the people who choose the Emmy awards, but it for its clever humor, and excellent characters it is the show I love the most!

Day of Love #13

When Tyler and I moved into a ward which seemed to consists of over 50% children under the age of ten, we were pretty sure we would end up rendering our service in the primary. We were soon called to teach the the six year old class. This class is a handful and often times overwhelming, but when you are not feeling overwhelmed by the noise, comments, rocking chairs, tears, hitting and teasing, each one of these children are delightful. They are so sweet because they are always anxious to tell me all about their days and toys and any other random news. They notice when we miss a week of church and ask for us. Often times in sacrament meeting they will catch my eye a shyly wave at "their teacher". I have had to teach this kids without the help of Tyler the last few weeks and have come home utterly exhausted, although I must say as the year comes to an end I am going to miss this group of kids. I love their purity and desire to do good. When we talked about tithing, they couldn't understand why you would give the Lord only 10%. They want to give everything. They know who their Heavenly Father is, they know how to pray and how to make things right when they have done something wrong. They are excited to serve and love their families and one another. At times in the past I felt primary was a little like brain washing kids from a young age. Although, now that I am involved I do not feel that there is much brain washing taking place. You are teaching these children how to be good people and reminding them of lessons and principles that they innately know. I am so grateful that the odds of me EVER having 11 six years olds at one time are high, but I do love my little primary class and hope they grow up to believe and remember all the lessons we have learned together this year.

Day of Love #12

What?? The Jazz beat the Lakers? I can't believe I am saying this, but I am SO SAD I missed that game!! Not to take away from love, but I can't stand the Lakers! I know, I know. How could a say such a thing and betray my hometown team? Well I actually never even watched a professional basketball game until I moved to Utah and so naturally, my short basketball love has been rooted and nourished by the good spirited sportsmanship of the Jazz. One good thing that my relationship with Tyler Ellis has brought me is an appreciate and enjoyment for professional sports...I take that back, just professional basketball (I don't like the baseball or football because they are boring and Ultimate Fighting makes me sad for the guy who is getting beat up!). Anyway, I do love watching a good basketball game with friends and family. I also really love going to a NBA game. It is amazing! The guys who play this sport are giants and can do incredible things.

Go Jazz!!

Day of Love #11

Today's blog is superficial. I love important things, but I also love less important things like a new pair of shoes!

I recently added two new pairs of shoes to my shoe collection. It is amazing the happiness and excitement shoes have brought me at 6:30am as I determine my outfit based on the proper footwear for the weather and activities of the day.

I love shoes because they look cute on everyone. You can be feeling fat, covered in hives or have a weird skin disease that screws with the pigmentation of your skin (all recent occurrences for yours truly) but if you have good shoes on, you just need to look down and remember, hey I still look cute!

So here's to shoes!

Day of Love #10

Today I want to express my love for my Heavenly Father's love for me.

Sometimes life gets tough and even though there are good and loving people all around, it is just not enough. I am so grateful that I know I can ask for love, comfort and direction from the only person who can give me exactly what I need.

Sometimes, in the midst of self pity, that love seems far away or impossible to reach, and I have wondered, If you love me so much than why are you allowing me to suffer? I know He has the power to intervene, and make the person or situation that is hurting me so much change, but then He would cease to be God and incapable of carrying out His fair and flawless plan. Heavenly Father has never taken my challenges away, but He has always given me the strength to face them and the comfort I need to get through them.

This season is about Jesus' birth. The ultimate act of love. If I had a child that I cherished, I would do anything to keep them away from this sometimes hateful and sin-filled world. I would selfishly want to keep the agony I know I would face, at seeing that loved on suffer. Yet God loved us all enough to selflessly send his Son to suffer every pain known to mankind so that when we went through our own earthly experience, we would have some where to turn and an assurance that our mistakes and pain could be fixed. I am filled with amazement and gratitude that I have the knowledge of this perfect being. I know He is not far away and even though I am so far from worthy of His love, He will freely give it if I righteously seek it.

Anyone who reads this, take a second and stand amazed that there is someone who loves you with a perfect love. Seek Him in times of need and He will help you through the challenges life brings.

*There is no picture suitable for this kind of love :)

Day of Love #9

Yesterday I wasn't feel very well so I made the mistake of taking a little too much excedrin. The first dose got me through my day and I felt great. The second does which I took arond 2, gave me the jitters until about 8pm.

Although, I am sure with the help of all that caffine, I had an excellent evening at the gym. I went to Zumba for 1/2 hour and then ran 3 miles and did some weights. On my last mile this song called Through the Fire and Flames, which I believe comes from a band called Dragon Force (weird? came on to my i-pod shuffle. I don't know if it was the song or the excedrin but I sprinted that last mile and it felt great. I felt so alive and happy.

I love that I am alive and happy. I have able body that can do great things. I love my health and I love the way running particularly makes me feel :)



This picture is taken from the half marathon I did on Halloween. Don't be decieved. I look happy but I actually wanted to die (or stop running). But my sister-in-law, Brooke, stood by me and and helped me make that last quarter mile. She is the best :)

(I also hijacked this picture! They wanted 18 dollars for it. Rip off!!)

Day of Love #8

I have started spending every Tuesday night with Tyler's counsin, Jenni, and her two girls. Kate and Leah have premiered before in this blog, so you may know of them, but they are now a little over two years old, talking and constantly smiling. I really love Kate, Leah, Jenni (and Dave even though he doesn't join our girls nights!). Kate and Leah are always smiling, talking, singing, dancing and playing games. They love your attention and affection and it is pretty much impossible to be unhappy around them. They are two cute litte bundles of happiness! Jenni is also wonderful. She is incredibly thoughtful towards everyone, a great listener and just fun to be around.

I love my Tuesday nights with these girls!




I am on my school computer so I had to hijack these pics off of Jenni's blog. Hope you don't mind! :)

Day of Love #7

This is a shout out to my mom and sisters. They really care about my well being and are able to listen to me and my silly problems regardless of what they are. I love them so much and am glad I have such great friends in the family.

(Thanks for the picture, Elise!)

Day of love #6

I absolutely love our new neighbors. Not only do they throw really fun parties, but everyone has been so kind and genuinely interested in getting to me. I truly feel comfortable enough to just go and ask for a spare eggs on a Sunday afternoon. Here are some pictures of a few of the neighborhood get togethers:

Picture taken from a photo scavenger hunt at a witches party (I was taking the pic)

Twilight with friends. Notice I am on Jacob's side of the poster. . .


Christmas party that just took place last weekend. In this picture my team is trying to blow a feather into a box. We got pretty close!

Day of Love #5

On Monday night I went to Harmon's to buy some groceries and conveniently a Christmas tree as well. A little smiley man from Haiti loaded the tree on my car and carefully secured it to my racks. He was quiet and nimble and very kind. I don't know why I appreciated the interaction so much, but I felt so grateful to this man, because I really wanted a Christmas tree but didn't have anyone to help me get one. He was just so willing and happy to help. I felt empowered and realized that even if I am alone in this world, there will always be kind people willing to offer help when I need it (I physically could not have lifted that tree onto my car). Thank you smiley man for your love and kindness. I have been enjoying my Christmas tree all week!

Day of Love #4

Guru's - I love your pesto lime Quesadilla. :)

Day of Love #3

I love my roomie Addie. She has been a great friend for a long time.

Plus, I wanted an excuse to post this HILARIOUS picture! We were in LA last year for a BYU trip and went to an Asian Pacific Museum (or something like that) where we got to play dress up. She is in back holding a drum and wearing and turban and I am riding a camel....funny times!

Month of Love Day #2

There are two things that I would like to profess love to this day:

The first is the policeman that pulled me over yesterday. I was driving along the freeway chatting with my sis on the phone when all the sudden there were flashing lights behind me. I quickly hung up and pulled over. I was pretty nervous because while I was talking on the phone I was exactly paying attention to my driving, so I could have been speeding or something. The policeman asked for my license and registration. Um....registration? I frantically was looking through my glove box when it occurred to me, that I never paid for my registration. I explained to the policeman of my ignorance (this being the first car I have completely owned) and he very kindly gave me a reminder to go and pay my taxes! He also let me know that my left tail light is out. I think because I was expecting the worse, as I drove off I was filled with love for this policeman. He wasn't out to get me! He was truly just trying to keep our country safe and organized. Plus, he was very polite!


My second love goes out to my dear BYU students. They don't know it, but I love them. This semester I have an exceptionally great group of students. They are involved, thoughtful, honest, grateful and truly want to do good things for our world. After teaching or meeting with them I feel uplifted and happy. I will really miss this class next semester!

Christmas is About Love: Day #1

This Christmas season my focus is going to be all about love. Christ is love and because of the love of our Heavenly Father we have this great season.

Today I woke up happy. Last night I bought myself a Christmas tree, pulled out all my Christmas decorations and ornaments and spent the evening getting ready for the season. Going to sleep with a lighted tree and waking up to one sure made me smile. As I got ready for work this morning I decided to wear a very beautiful scarf that was a gift from a stranger. Last Christmas, on our way home from Indiana I sat next to a lady. She and her husband live in Salt Lake and she was visiting her family in India for the Christmas season. We talked for the 2.5 hour flight and had an enjoyable conversation that has since slipped my mind. As we prepared to land, we started to say our goodbyes so I could head back to my seat and she asked me to wait because she had a gift for me. She pulled out this beautiful scarf that I am wearing today. It is gold, blue, orange and red with paisley and other ornate designs. It is thick and warm. I was shocked at this woman's generosity. She had only met me two hours before and really was doing me a favor by providing me with interesting and meaningful conversation.

This scarf is a reminder of the love of people and even strangers. Although there are many people out there that I do not know, I know that I have the capacity to love them and they me. I will cherish this scarf and the unexpected act of love and kindness that came with it and will work to smile and serve the strangers around me this season.

I have not spoken to this Indian woman sense, but she will be remembered.

Candy Thefts!

Often times, when one works in education, you take on things you don't really want to do involving kids you don't really want to be around at the end of you working day.

For example, I took on being the advisor of the Freshman Class activities. Today we are having a "Freshman Class Halloween Bash!" in which we are having a pumpkin carving contests and music and candy of course.

My despise for this activity began yesterday when I went to Macey's to pick up the pumpkin's Macey's so kindly donated. The pumpkins came straight from a farm, weighed well over 20 pounds each and were still quite covered in dirt. I, of course came from school and was wearing a black skirt and tights. By the time I had hauled 15 pumpkins into my cart and checked out,  was dirty and hot.

The next thing that really annoyed me is I brought some candy that Tyler bought for our trick-or-treators to school to share at the pumpkin party. I ran out of my classroom for about 5 minutes during lunch and some of my best students came into my classroom and took that very candy without asking! I was totally disappointed.

They were caught within minutes of course. I was so irriated because I felt like I had done a lot for these kids and that was really disrespectful, so I laid into them. They were so embarassed, not one of them would look me in the eye.

Although, after I talked to them I thought about what it was like being a Freshman. For some reason, Freshman boys in particular, just loose their ability to think through their actions. They are incredibly prown to peer pressure and are not sure exactly where to go once they realize they have done something wrong.

Although initially I wasn't sure if I felt good or bad about calling them out on their behavior and making them feel so clearly guilty and embarassed, I am glad I did, because it is not something that should be laughed at or ignored. I hope this was a teaching moment in which they can look back at next time they want to do something that would be funny or sneaky, yet offensive.

It is interesting to me that it is teaching moments like this one today, that will determine and build my students character much better than 1,000 history lessons. The scary thing is, you cannot really plan or prepare for these teaching moments, they just happen and you have keep your temper steady and do what you think is best for the kids.

When did I become so intimately involved with teaching teenagers what is wrong or right?

If your child were in my classroom would you be afraid? :)

Where I have been....

Since the school year started, I have had significantly more things to do and less time to do them. So here are a few of the fun things I have been doing, rather than blogging.

#1. Coaching Cross Country. It has been fun, but I never knew how time consuming and exhausting teaching all day and then coaching could be. I really came to love my team and am so proud of their success. Sometimes I wondered why I ever got into teaching....the real reward comes from coaching because the kids actually care about their success!

#2. I now spend close to two hours in the car commuting each day. I just got a subscription to audible and bought Athem and The Partly Cloudy Patriot. I think these book subscriptions will decrees my monthly phone bill and make my time in the car a little more enjoyable. :) Plus, who doesn't want to improve their mind while they idly sit anyway?

#3. The square footage of my residence is 6 times larger than my previous residence....more windows, carpet, toilets and everything else to keep up with!

#4. I am my own landlord. That means any time something breaks or a bill needs to be paid I need to spend the hours on the phone and come up with some sort of organization system to get everything paid on time. I guess I always took it for granted when I was a tenant. :)

#5. I run and exercise much more regularly than ever before and I love it! It is interesting because in the past I always had a love/hate relationship with exercise...I loved being able to eat more but I hated exercising. Now I pretty much have a love/love relationship with exercise. Whether I am tired, frustrated, content or restless exercise makes me feel better and happier. Plus, I have discovered that I am not a total athletically challenged!

#6. I have been reading a great book. I don't think any class, lecture, movie or book has taught me as much about southern society (including slavery, the confederate army, Sherman's March to the Sea, Reconstruction, the freedmans bureau and much more) before, during and after the Civil War as Gone With the Wind. The book is excellently written and the story is enticing! Although, I have about 100 pages left and am about sick to my stomach with how incredibly selfish and without morals Scarlett O'Hara continues to be. If it weren't for the goodness of Melly and cocky wit of Rhett I would have stopped reading the book long ago. In anycase, I recommen the book to anyone. Especially history lovers like myself!


Although I am busy, I am happy and life is good. Tyler and I have great jobs, a beautiful home and lots of supportive loved ones.

Home Improvement...Thanks Mom and Dad :)

This weekend my parents, who are pretty much the coolest parents on Earth, came all the way to Utah to see our new house and help us with a few home improvement projects. My dad is extremely talented when he comes to handyman stuff (in addition to about a thousand other things). He can seriously fix anything or create anything he sees or can think up, and the nice part is, he is a perfectionist, so nothing is done sloppy and it always looks aesthetically great. You can see why we needed to recruit his expertise as we took on a few of our first Home Improvement projects. I don't have pictures of everything...because I am lame and tired during the school week, but I will get them up eventually.

The first project Ty and my dad did was put cabinets in my laundry room. They look GREAT and now I can upload the plastic bin which has been housing all my detergents and stuff. They also got parts to fix the toilet upstairs which has been hissing and got all the supplies to put in a work bench for Tyler. My mom meanwhile kept me company. We got the food and prepared a meal for a bunch of her friends to come over on Saturday night. We also worked on picking our fabric and making curtains for over my kitchen window. The curtain turned out great and it really adds to the room.

We had a great time with my mom and dad. Unfortunately they had to leave and Tyler was left to finish his work bench alone. He did a really good job putting it all together and now has a plan to turn the garage into his "Man Cave". He has already moved his giant speakers out there and wants to I guess just make it a comfortable place to do projects. (Which is fine by me, because I love my house and want it to be beautiful and costume designed to all my tastes and ideas!)

Here is a picture of the "Man Cave" at its start.

PS-That is not a real child on Tyler's chest. It is Carlos (from the Hangover I guess) and is the closest he will get to having his own baby. When we were in home depot so many people had to take double-takes. It was pretty funny.

Summer Sundays :)

Although Tyler and I have very little immediate family in Utah, we still manage to enjoy a Sunday dinner with some of our favorite relatives and friends on a regular basis. Here is a little sneak peak on what a summer Sunday is like at our house in addition to an update on everyone's lives. (It is quite enjoyable!)This is Tyler trying to coax Leah to come sit on his bike with him. She doesn't like motorcycles...smart little girl :)
I think I will frame this picture. Isn't it adorable! In this picture is Tyler's sister, Brooke, who just started her sophmore year at BYU studying International Relations. It also includes Kerstin, Tyler's second aunt once removed...or something weird like that, who is now in her third year at BYU. Brooke and Kerstin are both beautiful, smart and athletic girls...They are also available, so Ty often recruits brother/cousin-in-law prospects often :). Kerstin is holding her dog Xerxes, who LOVES all the love and attention she can give him. And the two little ones are Kate and Leah, who will be two in a few weeks. They absolutely love Xerxes. When he came to the window they left their food and just stood at the sliding door laughing and pointing.
While Brooke and Kerstin are outside entertaining the girls and the dog, "the adults" get to talk. (It's weird considering us "the adults" but I guess that is where we are at now!). Jenni and Dave Scoville are pretty much our best friends. Jenni is a crazy runner (seriously, she runs like 20 miles and still has energy to take care of Kate and Leah) and she is a great mother and friend. Dave works in real estate and has been doing really well in the foreclosure market (He helped get us our house---whoohooo!) He is also Tyler's BFF/golf/any sporting event buddy and a great father as well. Addie is also at the table, and she is my roomie once again! Addie was my roommate my freshman year, in Italy and my Senior year of college. She seriously is a friend you only find once in a life time! She is very thoughtful and just started her first year teaching second grade. (I think she is crazy hanging out with those little people all day long!) And then of course we have my dear, sweet husband. Since I am in the process of doing updates (I am a history person, I can't help it) Tyler this summer has gotten very into UFC fighting and works out everyday at a gym called Throw Down. (He is so 25 without children!) He also has been enjoying dirt biking and home improvement projects.
Here are Kate and Leah again. They wanted to take off their shoes to jump on the trampoline (Which actually belongs to our neighbors...hope they don't mind that we use it!)
Here is everyone jumping. Kate jumped a little too vigorously this Sunday and managed to unload all previous meals into her dads lamp. After a bath and some disinfectant she was back on the tramp laughing as much as before. I thought it was a funny experience, but it may have added another year to the amount of time Ty wants to wait for kids. Lame! A little throw-up never killed anyone.

It Has Been a Busy Summer!

Okay, this summer the blog has become like the journal that you neglect for so long that you continue to put updating it off, because you have SO much to cover. So, this is going to be a pathetic synopsis of our summer because 1.) I forgot my camera on every family vacation/exciting events this summer and 2.) It is just about impossible to give the story of our lives justice when I have let so many weeks pass since the actual events!

So here it goes:

July 14th: Had a party for Tyler's 25th. We had no furniture and asked people to bring their own lawn chairs. It was a little white trashy, but everyone still had fun!

July 15th-20th: Head to California for family vacation to Catalina. Got home in time for Orange Country fair. Had the best Cinnamon Roll on earth. Meanwhile, Tyler visited GGma in Oceanside. Spent next day at the beach with bff Travis. Spent night at the Dodger's game with BMFs (Best Married Friends), Aubrey and Joe. Took Flier to Island. Snokled, Kayak, explored ship reck, swam, tanned, played tennis, played ticket to ride and ate at Steve's Steak House...yum! Enjoyed sis-in-laws company all the way back to St. George.

July 21-23: Stayed in St. George to attend the Shakespeare festival with Meg, Gma Ellis, Brooke and Annie. LOVED As You Like It.

July 23-25: Ellis family reunion at the Homestead in Midway. Swam in a Crater...that was cool! Loved seeing the fam. Ty had the swine flu...
July 27-August 10: Attempted to decorate home. Attended cross country practice. Painted classroom.

August 10: School meetings began

August 17: First Day of School :) / :(

Home Owners and Loving It

In the past three days:
-We have signed over our lives to paying off more money then either of us have ever seen.
-We meet at a ghetto Denny's in Woodscross, gangster town of SLC, to sign over that life.
-We moved out of our cute little basement apt.
-We clean our cute little basement apt.
-We borrowed Alex and Allison's truck (Thanks guys!)
-We bought a shower head
-We broke a vacuum
-We borrowed a vacuum
-We bought a vacuum like the one we borrowed
-We got tired
-We annoyed each other
-We wanted to kill one another
-We learned a little more about each other
-We decided we actually loved each other
-We clean blinds, baseboards, floors, cupboards, windows and everything else
-We committed our lives to our new home...no fireworks or parades on InDePendence Day
-We bought industrial shelves
-We built industrial shelves
-We put everything in labeled containers on industrial shelves (really Ty did all that)
-We pulled a Shelley - Costco, Home Depot, Del Taco, followed by three hours of sweeping and hosing down the garage and driveway....I secretly loved it!
-We bought bug spray
-We sprayed
-We bought TV mount
-We mounted TV
-We ate power bars and that's about it
-We shopped for appliances
-We professionally plumbed our house
-We professionally got our carpet cleaned
-We tore apart furniture
-We rebuilt furniture
-We bought light bulbs
-We went green by buying energy saving light bulbs that are actually brighter
-We replaced light bulbs
-We measured
-We created a big bag for Good Will
-We were exhausted at the end of each day

Our social lives and financial freedom have been thrown out the door and we couldn't be happier!The Kitchen. Notice we are missing some major appliance...hence the power bar diet :)

The living room....we also need a some couches. Don't worry though, the TV will be mounted!
Tyler's excellent handy craft and organization. Those shelves can each hold 2000 lbs. Amazing, huh?
Our bathroom

Our bedroom.

Everyone will have to come over in a few months when we can get a little more furniture for the official tour!

Girls Camp Fool!

So last week I was up at camp Mia Shalom with Edgemont 4th ward. The girls, the food and the crafts were a blast! I must admit thought, I am not one who thrives in the camping environment. The good news is, I only got 3 mosquito bits. The bad news is they were all on my face. Other good news, I left 1 day early in order to go home and sign about 1000 pages of paper work for our new home, the bad news is, I missed the MISS SHALOM pageant and testimony meeting. In any case camp was very fun. I absolutely love the 4th ward. I am going to miss my little beehives and all the other girls and leaders so much now that we are moving. But, have no fear, facebook will keep us near!
Here is a beautiful view of the lake from out camp area. The girls played big booty non-stop...big booty, big booty big booty!
Washing dishes in the spickett. Thank you Gina Pitts for some of the best camp food I have ever had!
NINJA!
So this is a funny story. We woke the girls up at 5 am, blind folded them and they had them wander through the forest holding on to a "rod" of PCP pipes. The activity and lesson on holding to the iron rod was a spiritual success, although the night before while us leaders were treking through the forest carrying rebar, pipes and pick axes (we forgot the hammer) was something else. Luckily none of us lost limbs or each other!
Here's the gang.

I live in a Mountainous Paradise

These pictures were taken from a little hike/run I took with my friend Cody up Squaw Peak and through to Bridal Veil. It was beautiful and I am really getting into spending time in the mountains!

I think we just bought a house....

Tyler and I have been house shopping for the past 8 or so months. Throughout the process we have changed our minds about what we want and where we want to live many times and we have even put in a few offers. The offers we put in were on short sales and the banks never got back to us...until this Monday.

On Monday we put in an offer on a BANK OWNED (we were done with getting our hopes up on short sales) home in Cedar Hills, Utah. Much to our dismay, within hours the bank got back to us and by the next day we were under contract.

Today is Thursday and we have put forth our earnest money, are having the house inspected tomorrow and are predicted to move in by July 6th.

I think I am afraid to believe if this is all real because I have gotten my hopes up on a home before...but assuming it is real, here are a few pics.





The house is a great buy. It is in an excellent family neighborhood, right next to American Fork Canyon. It has plenty of room for just the two of us (plus many more when needed), a three car garage and a large backyard. I have already become consumed with considering what oven, fridge, and furniture to buy. I also already have about 10 home improvement projects I want to carry out such as painting the interior of the garage, putting up cabinets in the laundry room, changing the paint color on the exterior, planting trees, sprucing up the bathrooms and kitchen, etc.

If all things go according to plan, it is going to be a busy and fun summer and year.

PS-my commute just got even longer!

Babies

Came across these baby pics of Tyler and I.

Are we going to have cute, chubby, little kids or what? :)

New Toy PLUS Free Time = Creations

This week was my first week of summer break. Thanks to an early birthday present I have had and enjoyable time of learning to sew! I am have spent much of my time organizing and taking care all the little things I have neglected over the past 9 months. The pictures below show some of the things I have been working on, in addition to messes I have made and cleaned up in the last 4 days!