Winter sickies

Yuck. I've been sick since last Tuesday and I can't seem to get myself well. This is one excuse for not blogging. Another is that I have just lost my enjoyment in it. I guess I'm just too busy and I'd rather watch a movie or sleep when I have free time.

I got Scott sick for a few days, but as always, he seems to be getting better WAY faster than me. I also lost my voice to some degree due to a "node" near/on my vocal cord. This has been super awesome since I spend hours every day speaking with my clients on the phone. I have taken my voice for granted for 24 years and I'm now being punished for it by my own body.

This has been a very crappy ending to a busy, busy month and I can't wait for Februaryto start. When it does, I know the heavens will part and the angels will sing "Hallelujah".

Scott is hot

This is a shout out to my awesome husband who works really hard and walks to his job most mornings. Thank you for being so helpful and nice. You're the funniest man I've ever met.

The Mouths of Babes

Does anyone have a copy of or knows where I can get a copy of the old LDS film, "The Mouths of Babes"? I just found out that my friend Chad is in it and I want him and his wife to have a copy of it. If you know the movie well, he's the kid who in answer to a question about the sacrament says something to the effect of, "The bread represents...bread, and the water...is just water."

Spencer is blowing my mind

I don't blog as much as I have time for because Spencer's blogs are so smart and funny that I feel like my blogs pale in comparison. How can I remedy this? Get smarter? Work on my comedic timing? I'd love to share the inner workings of the Christopherson minds with you Spencer, but I fear the disappointment it would be. I've never been in handcuffs or a fight. I can't claim stories of rebellion toward foreign government officials.

B.O.R.I.N.G.

My secret favorite place

I don't know why I'm so drawn to the grocery store. Is it that I enjoy pushing around the cart? Is it the neatly stocked shelves and organized cheeses? Perhaps its the light background music luring me into grocery bliss. I feel like a grown up when I'm armed with my list of needed foods and a shotty-wheeled-cart.





I walked into the most beautiful and shiny store today and felt pangs of sadness knowing that I couldn't linger as I was on a work-related trip. I had a golden ticket to grocery store euphoria. I knew this Albertson's was different from any other. As the first automatic door swung open, a warm rush of cookie baked air almost knocked me off my feet. As the second swung open, shining linoleum and sparkling shelves welcomed me in. This was not the run-down, aged, cold Albertson's of downtown that I was accustomed to. I easily found the aisle of baking supplies I needed (as one would expect in such a gloriously catalogued place). Now I'm no Muffin Man, but I had a sudden urge to buy spatulas, spices and unsifted flour. I wanted to peruse the aisles so badly, but this wasn't the time. As I neared the check out stands, every employee seemed to have an air of the North Pole about them; their cheeks appeared rosier, their smiles whiter. I left feeling grateful to have found this beau monde of markets. I know my level of delight is strange, but I can't deny it. I will be back there again.

My So-Called Life

ABC is now airing the My So-Called Life pilot online (to advertise for the DVD release or something) and I won't be complaining. I used to watch the show religiously as a teeny weeny bopper. Oh, the teen angst of Angela and the hotness of Jordan Catalano. Thank you ABC for taking me back to a time when I like, totally identified with the confusion and like deep thoughts of Angela. What an awesome time to relive. The sweet bangs, floral vests, scrunchies, and the grunge style of the 90s. Did anyone else want to be Angela besides me?

Livin Debt Free

Scott and I cut up all of our credit cards today (into little tiny pieces). They shall never be used again. Its no secret that we've been on a serious quest this year to eliminate all of our credit card debt, and we are almost there. I listen to Dave Ramsey in the evenings and I recently bought his book. As Spencer says, it's blowing my mind. I can't wait to start putting its principles into effect.

Maybe I sound like a crazy person, but being financially sound is a big deal for us and we spend a lot of time budgeting and setting goals for our future (i.e. moving to Thailand for an extended period, owning an old photo booth, serving a mission in China-should that ever become an option, etc). I'm trying to learn what I can about putting our money to work so if you have any book suggestions, please let me know.

Now for the Reading Rainbow book plug:

If you like money, you'll love this book. Pick it up from the library and flip through it at the very least. Ba dum dum...

Big guy on a little chair

Self explanatory.

A Christmas Parade

The day after Thanksgiving, the town of Manti has a Christmas parade on Main Street that lasts about 10 minutes. Every year you can count on:
1. A few ATVs zig zagging in unison riden by random people in Santa hats
2. Miss Manti and Jr. Miss Manti waving atop their personal floats (modeling tight, black, lycra pants and hairstyles to make any Utahn proud)
3. A "trick" tractor pulling a truck of people (I sound like Dr. Suess)
4. One religious float not affiliated with the LDS church
5. A small wagon with children/a child being pulled by a grandparent
6. The local drama club float
7. Santa, of course


These are the photos of us enjoying the parade. We really didn't get any good shots of the parade itself.


Kiddies on Main.


A random couple Scott strangely developed an affinity for.



Surviving the night. That scarf itched and smelled weird.


Free hugs.


Aaawww...



Main Street on crack



I think I've frightened him.


I'm definitely wary of the camera. Scott was still figuring out how to take a photo with gloves on.



GGpa. Awesome hat.

Kensley and some crazy hobo man.



GGma and I on heavy sedatives.


Cheshires and Scott's gloved hand.

Thanksgiving in Mantizzle

This year we returned to Manti for another awesome holiday. It was freezing so I rarely left the cabin, but I still had a great time lying in front of the fire, staying in my PJs well into the early afternoon, eating treats, watching Christmas movies and playing with the kiddies.



GGma (donning her usual rad purple lipstick) and the girls (envious of the lipstick).



I don't really know what's going on here.

Kensley and Hunter being silly.




Nice serious face.





Brother Bryce, always willing to take a happy photo.



I don't like Chief very much because he wacked me in the head with his tail and stepped on my face with wet paws.

This is a sample of me trying to learn the ins and outs of the camera.



My creepy brother Brad (hee hee...)



Husband shooting film.

BYU Football

Scott and I went to a football game with my parents and the Cheshires. My eyes aren't great and I had a hard time seeing anything because we were so high up. I usually get headaches at sporting events like this so I prefer watching from the comfort of my home with family, friends and snacks.

Dad Gray


I'm much better behind the camera.





Savannah had a GREAT time.

High School Football...booooooooooooring

Scott recently got paid to film a high school football game. I thought it sounded like fun, but it was pretty dull and cold. I spent the whole game figuring out how to use our new SLR camera. Its pretty sweet, but I'm still learning.

This guy was mad becasue his team was losing big time so he started asking everyone on the field (not in a uniform) who they were and what they were doing down there. I basically told him I was a photographer there with my husband who was filming to save myself from getting exiled into the stands. It worked.

I was obsessed with this guy because of his outfit. I don't know why.

Just doin his job.

Mallory Decides 2007

Scott and I "fought" last night about who is Mallory's favorite. We both presented facts and anecdotes to support our argument, but ended up without a clear winner. Mallory, you decide.

Scott:
1. She has my photo as her gmail chat pic.
2. No other valid evidence.

Whitney:
1. She requested a new photo of me on facebook b/c she wants to see me.
2. She prematurely ended her phone convo w/ Scott b/c she didn't want to talk to him.
3. She wanted me to fly out to see her for Christmas, in turn sacrificing all gifts I would give to anyone else in my life.

Dreams

I dream at night about 99% of the time. Rarely do I dream just one dream. At least two, sometimes three. Anyway, Scott hardly ever dreams. But this morning at breakfast he told me about a dream he had last night. He was playing on his high school football team (he was the star, of course) as a senior and they accused him of vandalizing all of the football pants, which he denied doing. The team ditches him in a building and he's trying to find out where they are when he sees me. I am down in a window well....lying there...blowing my nose with candy wrappers. He said it was super pathetic (well I added the "super").

After he tells me this I complained about why I was depicted as being disgusting and pathetic in his dream. In a justifying tone he replies, "I told you I loved you when I saw you in the window well." So I guess I'd like the world to know that even if I was homless-ish and weird and gross and sickly (don't even say it, Mallory), my husband would still love me.

This is my personal illustration of what I imagined this dream sequence would look like (sorry about the Hobbit hands, Scott, hands are hard to draw).

Global Warming does not exist.

More on this to come.