Goodbye puppies...hello dogs.

G & I took Jacky B. & Ober O. to the vet the other day for a check up & to see how much they have grown. It blew me away! My little gentlemen are all grown up...It breaks my heart. I miss their puppy days...them being itty bitty, too little to go up a step, falling over when they tried to run on the hardwood floor & their puppy breath.

Toby then. He weighed just over 2 lbs & had much darker hair.

Toby now. He weighs about 6.5 pounds and has gray hair.

Jack then. He weighed 2 lbs & had dark hair.

Jack now. He weighs 7 lbs 8 oz. & has redish gray hair!

Both Jacky and O have changed a lot since we got them. When we first got Jack he was very shy. He hid under our couch all the time & was afraid of everyone. I am now happy to say that you won't meet a friendlier dog. Jack loves everyone and is always jumping on people's laps to give them kisses (which is a bad thing, I realize!). He is, by far, the sweetest dog I have ever met...he is a little lover.


Toby was a crazy little man when we first got him. He was always into everything and loved to nip at things, chase things and rip things to shreds. He has mellowed out a lot and is now a little sweetie. He loves all little kids. Whenever our friends bring their babies to our house, he won't leave them alone. He gets down as low to the ground as possible and licks their fingers and toes. He is so gentle & cautious with babies, which shows how much he has grown up!


Jack & Toby really love G and I, but mostly they love each other. Our #1 reason for getting Jack after we got Toby was so Toby could always have a buddy, even when G & I weren't home. Luckily for us, it has worked out exactly as we planned. They love each other so so much. They refuse to sleep in separate kennels (and when I say refuse I mean, they will not go to bed and cry until we put them together) and if Jack is in our bedroom and T is in the hall, they stick their little paws under the door to try to touch each other. One time I had Jack with me in our family room & G had Toby in the bedroom, Jack stood at the very edge of the couch (so he could see T) and Toby stood at the very edge of the bed (so he could see J) and they refused to move. They stayed that way all night just staring at each other & wishing to be together. They are best friends.

This is a creepy picture of both of them, but it shows you their sizes.

T used to be much bigger than little J.

Now Jack is bigger than Toby.

And just a little side note: I realize that dressing dogs in clothes is pretty ridiculous, but YOU go ahead and put two tiny little puppies out in a freezing cold snowstorm to go to the bathroom & watch them shake and cry and then try not to put a sweater on them!

And this is just one of my favorite pictures of them. This is when we first put them in their life jackets before a trip to the lake. They were so mad...but look how adorable they are!

I realize this is a ridiculous post & I won't feel bad if no one reads it, but Toby turns 1 this February (which officially means he is no longer a puppy) and I just wanted to reflect on my little guys. I love my little family so much! Even if most people wouldn't consider us a family at all!

Just a few thoughts...

Since the news of President Hinckley death, I, like most of you, have been filled with mixed emotions. I am very sad to see my Prophet go, but overjoyed to know that he is with his sweetheart again.

I have been reading the book "Letters" which features letters written throughout Sister Hinckley's life to her children, grandchildren and her husband. I finished the book last night and the last letter was one that was written to Sister Hinkley from President Hinckley before she passed away. The letter took on a different meaning, given the circumstances, and it really filled me with joy to read it. It was a heartfelt letter in which the Prophet spoke about all the memories they had made together and what a wonderful companion she had been to him. He talked about how much he loved her and how grateful he was for her example. He also spoke about the time that one, or both of them would pass away, and how it filled his soul with joy and peace to know that they would be together forever and how he would look forward to being with her for eternity. I will never forget in his confrence address in 2004 when he said spoke of her and said, "Before I married her, she had been the girl of my dreams, to use the words of a song then popular. She was my dear companion for more than two-thirds of a century, my equal before the Lord, really my superior. And now in my old age, she has again become the girl of my dreams." He truly adored his wife and showed his love for her in so many ways. If any of you own the book, I would reccomend re-reading the last letter as it confirms what we all know. I am so happy to know that they are reunited and will never again be seperated.

I admire President & Sister Hinckley for being such a perfect example of what marriage is all about. They adored, respected and uplifted each other and theirs is a marriage to emulate. Reading the letter really touched me, especially at this time, and I just thought I would share it with you.

Rude.

Ugh. I just have to say that Anthropologie and I are currently in a fight.

I don't know who they hired to stalk me and find out EXACTLY what type of clothing I can't resist and exactly when I am going on a tropical vacation, but that must have been precisely what they did because now they have this.

And I am currently browsing through their "Packing List" and feeling like I need absolutely everything and knowing that I can afford absolutely nothing & It is just not creating good feelings between Anthro and I! Therefore, I will not be frequenting Anthro's site nearly as much in the next couple weeks and we will see if they learn their lesson and stop torturing people.

But, before I go cold turkey...If i had hundreds and hundreds of dollars burning a hole in my pocket and no one to make me feel ridiculous about the outrageous prices of these items, I would purchase this (which actually isn't too pricey) and this and this and maybe this.

That is if Anthropologie and I weren't in a fight...but, we totally are.

To give them the finger? Or not to give them the finger? That is the question.

G and I went tanning tonight to get ready for our trip to Hawaii that is quickly approaching and I just thought I would share our fun little topic of discussion with my few little blogger buddies!

I worked in a tanning salon in High School (I know, I know...pretty typical) and have always loved to tan, so I was so excited because I haven't been tanning in ages. It really helps rid you of your cold weather blues to put on a bathing suit, lay in a warm bed and listen to some Kalai.

So we walk into the salon and I choose my bed and my time as G (a new costumer) signs the waiver and fills out the standard questionnaire. I called the salon a week earlier to ask about packages and they had informed me that they now require your fingerprint each time you tan to make sure that it is, in fact, you who is tanning under your account. Being a former tanning employee, I understood this due to the fact that clients sometimes give the salon their credit card number, and just ask them to charge it whenever they come in. I informed G of this and he told me I must have misunderstood and there is no way it could be true.

Well, it was true.

Taped to the wall above the shiny fingerprint pad was a letter from Management explaining that they aren't actually taking your entire fingerprint, but just using 4 different points on your index finger to match print to print. Good idea? Or tanning salon conspiracy?

My "I don't want to be on the Internet" hubby couldn't believe they actually had this policy and thought that it was a bit invasive and was unwilling to give them his finger, but that's okay...I love him anyways and I support his little clutched fist.

I, being my carefree self, had no problem with this whatsoever and willingly stuck out my finger, grabbed my lotion and enjoyed my time in "the sun."

Like I said, G thought it was ridiculous, I thought it was fine.

Maybe he needs to relax?
Maybe I need to be more cautious?

Either way, I am now happily one shade darker than I was this afternoon and one step closer to a golden brown Hawaii appropriate tan.

The question is...What do you think?

Tagged...

I'm back.

I was tagged twice a couple of days ago, so I guess you all have endure hearing more about boring me. I would just like to take the opportunity to let Jennie know that she was also tagged by Funny Madre so I look forward to reading her questionnaire as well!

(I just thought I would throw a completely random photo in the mix to spice things up a bit!)

On this history of G & Me...

How long have you been together? Since January 2006
How long did you date? We were married 9 long months after we starting dating
How old is he? 28
Who eats more? This morning, G made Norwegian pancakes for breakfast...I ate 2, he ate 6. Enough said.
Who said "I love you" first? I would tell you that I said "I love you" first, he would tell you that he did. Either way, we were both very much ready to say it.
Who is taller? I am 5'5", G is 6' 2"
Who sings better? We both pretty much suck at singing, but I am not quite as tone-deaf as my man.
Who is smarter? This is a hard one. We are so opposite. I am very right-brained, so I did better in English, Literature, Art, etc...G is completely left brained, so he is a Math whizz. I did better than him in High school (woohoo!!), but I don't think I can compete with his 3.9 GPA in college. Plus he was an accounting major...Who am I kidding, G is a lot smarter than I am, but at least I got to pretend like that wasn't the obvious answer for a few minutes.
Who does the laundry? For the most part, I do the laundry, but he pitches in and does it every now and then and he will always help me fold, if I ask.
Who does the dishes? We both do them, depending on who is home when they need to be done.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Looking from the foot of the bed, I sleep on the right side.
Who pays the bills? G does, but I kind of wish I did. I enjoy paying bills. (physco much?)
Who mows the lawn? I am embarrassed to say that I have never mowed a lawn in my life. 4 brothers...what can I say?
Who cooks dinner? In the past, I have 98% of the time. But this semester I have evening classes a few times a week, so my hub will have to pick up the slack..which he will be happy to do. Tacos, tacos, ground beef, shepherds pie, tacos.
Who is more stubborn? We are both pretty stubborn, but G is more so.
Who kissed who first? G kissed me first...but that is a funny story...(another time).
Who asked who out? He asked me out about 5 times before I said yes. Don't get me wrong, I was totally obsessed with the guy, but I was, um, not exactly on the market.
Who proposed? G with the help of Jennie.
Who is more sensitive? Me by far.
Who has more friends? Ummm...at this point, we pretty much share our friends. But I guess if you were to divide them up, I probably have more close girlfriends. But G talks to and sees his friends a lot more than I see mine (besides the best bud).
Who has more siblings? G-2 brothers, Me-4 brothers.
Who wears the pants in the relationship? G wears the pants, but for the record, I let him.
Who are you tagging? Christy

sour cream cake with lemon curd & cream cheese frosting...

I was looking for a recipe that incorporates limes, since I have 7 juicy ripe ones sitting in a bowl on my kitchen table, when I came across this....

Wow.

Doesn't that look heavenly?

That looks like my kind of dessert, friends. I may just have to abandon my "eat really really well until Hawaii because you are going to have to wear a bathing suit and you don't want to look disgusting" diet and give into this little temptation.

I'll let you know how it goes...

My weekend rocked.

G and I saw friends both nights (rare), finished the majority of our basement remodel, bought mint shakes, ate a Rio salad, played with our dogs, stained a hutch and celebrated Margaret's birthday with a Hawaiian themed party (complete with Hawaiian Haystacks, key lime pie, citrus salads and matching outfits).

Needless to say, I'm sad it's over.

We also FINALLY saw Juno this weekend and i just had to take a moment to post about how much I absolutely adored this movie. Juno definitely is not for everyone, so I am not going to tell you all to run off and see it asap, but it was absolutely the type of movie I love...hilarious, heart wrenching, simple, thought provoking and unique. Best movie I have seen in a long long time.

Watch the trailer here...

Happy Sunday.

hubbard love...

So, today is "husband appreciation day" at the O household, which is basically just one of the many fake holidays I make up when I need an excuse to celebrate! In honor of the holiday, I thought I would post some pics of our little life and tell my hub that he is the most amazing person I have ever met. Seriously.

Happy Day, I love you!

"What's your name? Who's your daddy?"

The new season of American Idol premieres tonight!

Finally, a Tuesday night fix!

Top 10 reasons you should watch American Idol:

10. To learn how to be cool from Randy. (I take note of his lingo & repeat it often)

9. To watch Simon rip people's hopes and dreams to shreds.

8. Sanjaya's hair (that was a GREAT reason to watch last season!)

7. To try to predict who is gay (see #8)

6. To watch Paula foam at the mouth & slur her words (is it drugs or does she just struggle?)

5. Performances like Kat McPhee's "Over the Rainbow" (gave me the chills. re-watched it about 18 times)

4. The transformations! The clothes, hair and makeup (people start the season fugly and end the season fab??)

3. To make you feel better about your singing ability ("She bangs! She bangs!")

2. To laugh at others. (sorry others)

1. To hold you over until January 31st when "Lost" Premieres! And to help you forget that "The office" & "Grey's" are dead. :(

That is all, folks, that is all...

Oh, wait! That IS NOT all! Speaking of Jan. 31...That evening, G and I will be attending a "Lost" Premiere party and must bring a "Lost" dessert. Any ideas would be appreciated. We will also be dressing up as Jack & Kate, but I think I've got that one under control.

Happy Tuesday!

Tag, baby!

I decided to post this questionnaire a friend emailed me, I think it's a good one...

About LOVE:

Where did you meet your husband?

We worked at the same Real Estate Brokerage & saw each other there. I was madly obsessed with him...He was the first guy I have ever had such a huge crush on that I was afraid to talk to him. I referred to him as "The Guy" and everyday I would tell my roommates all about "The Guy" that I was in love with, yet had never spoken to (pretty pathetic).

I guess he had noticed me too and was talking to his friend, Andy, about "The girl"! (woohoo)

Everyone at work always told me that I should get to know him because they "had a feeling we would like each other" and they told him the same thing. I tried on several occasions to talk to him, but I was so so so nervous. I knew he was much older, much cooler, much more mature etc. etc. etc....and I had no idea he would be interested in me.

I think he finally got up the courage and introduced himself to me one day. He told me his name and in my head I'm like ("ya, i know your name, what car you drive, when you come to work, when you leave, where you park etc. etc. etc) Although, I wasn't a stalker..I swear.

There was instant chemistry. The next day I was going out to lunch with co-workers and he had originally declined an invitation to join, but when I invited him (and therefor he realized I would be going) he decided to come (woohoo again)!

We went to Citrus Grill (this is one of the reasons it is our fav restaurant) and I experienced that cheesy feeling of it seeming like no one else was there. We talked the whole time. That day he walked me out to my car and we talked for another 2.5-3 hours in the parking lot. After we finally said goodbye, he called me on his way home to see if he could see me that night. It was that quick, we fell in love so so so fast.

What happened next?

I was saying goodbye to a missionary, so it took me a few months to let go of the missionary and really start dating G. Once we actually started dating, it was smooth sailing all the way to our marriage.

Where were you married?

Salt Lake Temple with a reception at Tuscany

What are 3 things you love about your spouse?

1. G is a big time problem solver. That sounds like a pretty boring quality, but it is so nice to be married to someone who is always thinking of solutions to every problem we/I have. It makes my life so easy.

2. He is SO selfless. He is always serving everyone, including me. He will bend over backwards for anyone.

3. He is funny, fun to be around and so much fun to talk to.

What are three things about your spouse we would be surprised to find out?

1. He likes to shop! He will shop with me for pretty much anything. Esp. furniture and even clothes.

2. He loves our dogs like crazy. He is so cute with them & has taught them to sit, stay, come, lay, shake etc. It is funny to see a big guy so in love with two tiny puppies.

3. He is extremely ticklish.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

talk & travel

About LIFE:

If you could sum up your personality in 3 words they would be?

1. cheerful

2. caring

3. driven

What makes you happy?

My family & friends

Writing and receiving "Thank You" cards

G, J & T

Making other people feel good about themselves

3 things you would bring to a deserted island (besides the necessities)?

1. As many books as possible

2. My IPOD
3. G, J & T (they have to count as 1 thing!)

What are you good at?

hobby wise, I am not good at much. I love art, drawing and creating and I am alright at it. I enjoy decorating and cooking and I think I am a decent baker.

Umm, I think I am good at seeing the best in others. (at least I try very hard)...

Oh! I am EXCELLENT at memorizing lyrics. I can memorize anything after hearing it once! Yes!

If you had to eat 3 things for the rest of your life?

1. garlic mashed potatoes

2. chocolate chip cookies

3. pasta

(can you imagine what I would look like if I had to eat those 3 things for the rest of my life? wow)

What are 3 things you can't stand?

1. Everyone knows I can't stand anything cracking or dislocating

2. I can't stand it when I know someone is upset with me or doesn't like me. I can never just blow it off

3. I can't stand it when my house is dirty.

Where do you want to be in 10 yrs?

Happy.

I am tagging:

Jennie, Sarah, Tori, Kiersti

What did you do last night?

With lots of help from G, I assembled this: (I did everything wrong and had to do it twice)

And then I added a few of these: (for practicality)
And then I set this on top!

And then I watched "The Wedding Singer" from the comfort of my own bed!

While G enjoyed countless hours of political heaven upstairs....
Dreams really do come true!

PS...In case you haven't heard, CompUSA is having a going out of business sale!

Because of that sale, that little TV you see resting in my bedroom was amazingly affordable!

It is a steal if you are in the market for any electronics.

Oh happy day!

Randy Random.

Due to the 08' election and my precious hubby's unhealthy, freakish obsession with everything that is politics, I have been spending more and more time on my computer web surfing, shopping & blog obsessing. I just can't handle any more debates, okay? I can't.

Anyways, my TV has been taken over by a fox news zombie (but oh how I love him), so I have resorted to this and this for entertainment.

Also, this rocks my world.

And I really love this. Do you?

That is all.

Happy Birthday Baby Mo!

Mo Mo at age 3:

loves anything pink & princess

loves to play dress up

is shy

cries every birthday when she is sung to

likes to say "No boys allowed!"

asks me to read her a "scwipture"

is still tiny and petite

loves dogs, esp jack jack and toby

is a daddys girl

loves "hisical musical" watches the movie everyday & dances & sings along

loves to play "monster house"

talks like she is much older than she is. for example: g: "happy birthday mo!" morgan: "thank you, g"

asks andy if she can watch "scary movies" (Lord of the Rings & Phantom of the Opera)

says "i am going to miss you" when i tell her goodbye

Likes "Lord of the Rings" because she thinks the white wizard is Jesus

is a bit dramatic

loves dolls. names ALL of her dolls either coco or kiya.

long blond hair and bright blue eyes

gives great hugs and says "i love you" all the time

is so so so smart

still has the entire moffitt family wrapped around her finger.

Morgan Ana spent her birthday at Jungle Jims with her family, aunts, uncles, nana & papa and then had a special birthday dinner at Nana's house. She got to pick the food (macaroni & cheese and hotdogs) and the table decor (gold placemats, pink plates & napkins), decorate her cake (pink frosting w/ sprinkles) and place the candles in her cake (3 tiny pink candles lined up perfectly on the very edge of the cake).

Happy Birthday goober. Couldn't love you more.

The Black Hole.

(DISCLAIMER: This is not my purse..I don't have a pic of my actual purse, but I don't like posting a blog entry w/o a pic, so I used this pic of this purse that I wish I had (costs an arm, a leg and your first born). PS...My actual purse is bigger than this one.)

So I'm "lunching" (as Jana Banana & her friends call it) with my Mom & K Sweetheart today when I look at the clock and realize I better wrap it up and get a move on or there is no way I'm getting back to work on time. I'm running to my car (already in a huge hurry, you see) when I reach into my giant purse to retrieve my keys (When I say giant, I mean giant..My purse could house a small person). To my disgust, my hand comes up for air without said keys. Disgusted, I plunge back in for a second try. Again, nothing.

Annoyed & running late, I set my purse down on my car and open it wide for a better view...Where could my keys have gone? I know I threw them in a mere 40 minutes ago. Why is it that every time I toss my keys into my purse they fall into a gaping black hole and disappear forever? Seriously, I'm not joking, it happens! A black hole. Gone. Forever.

After searching the main portal of my purse, I grudgingly move on to the millions of pockets, cubbies and otherwise annoying secret hideouts, all the while standing outside in the freezing cold, feeling like a moron while hundreds (seriously, hundreds it seems) of smarter, more beautiful, more perfect people easily reach into their pockets, retrieve their keys, hop into their shiny BMW's and speed off all in one fluid motion.

Why am I such a tard?

After zipping, unzipping, opening this flap, closing that flap and doing everything short off dumping the contents of my now retched, ridiculous purse onto the parking lot ground, my keys (feeling sorry for me by now) make their way out of the gaping black hole and emerge.

Pissed off and late, I contemplate why this always happens to me as I make my way back to the office. I consider the gaping black hole that is my purse. It is rather large. Do I really need a purse that big? What is it that I even keep in there?

Back in the comforts of my swirly chair, I decide to venture into my black hole and see.
Surprisingly, my purse is full of a whole lot of nothing.

-A shirt I made Toby wear on Christmas that says "Define Naughty" (haha, cute huh?)
-Bottles of lotion (because I am addicted, literally, and my body no longer produces it's own moisture)
-My fav lip balm (we discussed this earlier)
-Wallet & Cell
-Millions of receipts
-My retainer (Note to self: I am a nerd)
-A paperclip
-Lots of jewelry
-Tissues and
-Headache Medicine.

I consider my options. If necessary, I could probably survive without most of this stuff. My wallet, cell phone and keys, I need. The rest are just....Okay (let's be honest) my wallet, cell phone, keys and lip balm...and lotion I NEED, the rest aren't really necessary. I suppose I could scale down and buy a smaller purse.

As I contemplate this, I think of all the good times me and my black hole have had. That time, for instance, I was walking around campus and it started to pour and I was able to fit all of my books and my notebook (and the previously mentioned contents of my everyday black hole) safely inside so they didn't get ruined. Or the time Jack and I were at the park and he got winded and had to ride inside...I think fondly of the time G fell and twisted his ankle and I was able to sweep him up and plop him.....no, just kidding.

The point is, I'm attached to my black hole. It's beautiful, and soft, and it makes everything I am wearing look good and chances are I paid a pretty penny for it and even though it is a black hole, I would rather spend 10 minutes searching through it for keys, then be practical.

Sometimes even I don't get myself.

What I discovered on New Years Eve....

Well, the Holidays are officially over, but luckily for me, I still have a few things to look forward to. The Olsen fam is headed to Hawaii on Valentines Day and that is what I will be counting down now...43 more days until paradise!

New Years Eve was a blast! Our camera was out of batteries, so unfortunately I don't have any pics of the evening, which means most of you will stop reading this blog right about now.

If you are one of the awesome ones who doesn't need pictures, good for you. So anyways, this year's New years eve party was one of my favorite ever. Hyrum & Amina threw a great party...we spent the night rocking out to Rock Band and laughing our heads off. I have to say, the highlight was watching Heidi & Erik enjoy their first dance as a newly engaged couple while Kiersti and I "swayed" romantically around them. Magical moment for them, I am sure. I still can't believe I witnessed Erik dance to Celine Dion..that will go down in history. I also witnessed the "Men in Black" dance for the first time and I will never be the same.. I didn't know G could move like that..."Now Sssslllliiiidddeeee with me, just sssslllliiidddeee with me."(you still with me?)

Other fascinating discoveries: Erik sings like an Angel and is musically gifted, Hyrum has some seriously sweet moves, 2 Rockstars is 2 too many, Amina owns every Britney Spears CD ever made and Bryan looks exactly like Clay Aiken..who would have thought.

Kiersti has some incriminating photos from the night, and I would like to take the opportunity to warn her of the harm that will come to her if those pictures find their way to her blog, she should, however, post the prom pics...those were priceless.

I wanted to thank Hyrum & Amina for such a fun night, however Hyrum is officially banned from this blog, so I guess Amina will just have to pass along the message.

Happy 2008!