spaceghost

The comings and goings since september

2012-01-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

Doug...

...finished his second to last semester of law school
...um
...um
...um
...completed almost 60 days of "insanity" workout
...um
...um
...still plays Bball on wednesday nights?

Jenica...

...graduated from nursing school and passed the NCLEX
...um
...slept in A LOT
...um
...watched all of Dexter from season one up to date, Doug did this too
...read a couple of books
...didn't go to the gym
...worked at UNI for about a second
...GOT A JOB WITH NURSE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP, WOOHOO!

2011-09-26T15:39:00.000-06:00

Alex, Briana, & Tatum

2011-09-14T17:05:00.002-06:00

Best Friends. and baby.

2011-09-14T17:03:00.003-06:00

Kristina, Super-Mom and Super-Athlete.

2011-09-14T17:01:00.002-06:00

Gotta get tan ready for Wisconsin.

2011-09-14T16:59:00.002-06:00

I love these two.

2011-09-14T16:58:00.000-06:00

Even though it probably hurt, staples are way cool.

2011-09-14T16:56:00.002-06:00

I don't think you can get any cuter.

2011-09-14T16:54:00.002-06:00

Jewel tones.

2011-09-14T16:53:00.000-06:00

The way she tells it, she didn't have fun that day.

2011-09-14T16:51:00.000-06:00

Everyone always thinks he is a puppy. But really, he is a middle-aged man.

2011-09-14T16:49:00.000-06:00

We are the funniest.

2011-09-14T16:47:00.000-06:00

Girls Day Out: I mean, who wouldn't want to go spend 3 hours at Claire's Boutique? It's not like it's the smallest store in Gateway.

2011-09-14T16:44:00.000-06:00

They were the Buzz, then The Stingers, and now the Bees.

Since January

2011-03-24T17:14:00.000-06:00

I feel like I blogging today. I usually never feel like blogging, but I had a few lingering photos in my library since the beginning of the year. Enjoy...

Right after my first 1/2 marathon. I was pretty sick right after and was looking for somewhere to throw-up.

My dad greeted me at the end of the race. Running, for me, is so emotional and by the end of the race I had so many that when I saw my dad, I almost started crying. Bytheway, I didn't throw up.

My "race" shoes. I bought these a few weeks before my race, they are like running in socks, I loved them. I don't love them anymore. A few weeks after my race, while training for another race, I injured my knee and I think it's the shoes fault. :(

Although I like getting a medal, it just doesn't mean as much when you know everyone else got one.

A few weeks ago, Briana's and Alex's baby, Tatum, was blessed.

Winding down after the blessing party.

Just sittin' around, that's usually what we do at my mom's house after we eat loads of food.

A blessing just isn't a blessing without playing a 3 hour game of monopoly with 4 - 10 year olds.

Last week, Doug ran his second 1/2 marathon this year. Since the race was in Saratoga Springs, Jaidyn, Warren, Hadley, and Avery came with me to cheer him on. Unfortunately when we were cheering for him at mile 9, he didn't even see us! But he redeemed himself at the finish line.

It was so cold and windy. Hadley was smart to wait in the car.

Warren thought the medal was pretty awesome.

Spring Break! In Vegas! We walked around a lot, ate bad food, shopped at H&M, ate M&M's and drank some coke.

On our way home from ST. George we drove through Zion. It was so beautiful there, unfortunately Doug didn't enjoy it cause he was sick, probably from the bad food in Vegas.

Awe....

2011-03-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

I have been missing this guy these days. There is just something about the love of a dog.

Maggie

2010-11-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

MOAB

2010-10-04T10:53:00.000-06:00

Warren Johnson

2010-09-20T11:30:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking a lot about this guy lately. This is my grandpa and grandma Johnson. My grandpa has been battling with cancer for the second time in his life. When I talk to him, he tells me that when he is all over with this "cancer crap" he is going to go up to his property out in the middle of nowhere and live there. This is a man who never has missed a day of work in his life (except for maybe when he was receiving his cancer treatments) to raise his 12 kids. I have so many fun memories of him, crisp dollar bills at every visit, eating fresh garden tomatoes with salt, his prickly beard that he would rub on my face, sunday breakfast at Dees, him wearing his oshkosh overalls (I have never ever seen him wear anything else, even when he is sick, rain or shine, I wonder if he sleeps in them). He has set such a good example throughout my life and taught me many lessons, meaning of hard work, self-sufficiency, keeping your family close, and being true to yourself (he has always said what he thinks and he doesn't change his mind for anyone). Anyway, I love him and hopes he sticks around for a while longer.

RedFest 2011: Ben Lee and Mates of State

2010-09-18T11:29:00.000-06:00

I am not much of a concert goer but when I found out who was coming to RedFest I realized that I just can't miss. I have been listening to Ben Lee for years and Mates of State I picked up over the last couple of months and love them. After Ben Lee played I went and had my picture taken with him (thanks Mel). Can I say that I have never been so star-strucked in my life!!!! I was shaking and red all over. This is how the conversation went:

Me: "Can I take a picture with you?

Ben: "Of course" (don't forget he has the cutest Australian accent)

The picture is taken and then I turned around and looked at him for a few awkward star-struck seconds and say:

"I love you. (long pause).......I have been listening to you for years (long pause and star-struck staring)"

Ben: "Really? That's great!" He seemed really surprised by this because I don't think anyone at the show even knew who he was (most of the audience were about 18 - 20 years old, I think my comment also showed my age).

That's it. I know you don't really think it's that exciting or funny, but I loved it and am laughing as I write this. The only other famous people I have had encounters with are: Parker Posey and Paris Hilton (I also told Paris that I loved her).

I also forget to tell you that I gave him a hug, I don't know when but I know it was really awkward.

2010-09-14T15:21:00.001-06:00

I have been in nursing school for almost two semesters now and I still don't feel like I love it. I see all these med students sitting around conversing about seemingly important topics, I get really regretful and jealous. Now don't get me wrong, I don't hate nursing school, I just don't know if I love the nursing role. I have been working with extremely sick patients with very severe and chronic illnesses. From what I have observed, the role of the nurses caring for these patients is to make them feel "comfortable", there has got to be more. I am positive there is more, but I think I am missing what it is. I hope future Jenica will discover how she fits into this role.

Maybe I will discover that the hospital setting and extremely sick people is not where I want to be, I think I have already discovered it. I hope that I will find my niche, something that I can exercise independence and autonomy, and even where I can be the patients primary care provider. I don't know if this place exists, maybe in the community setting?

Whose-its & Whats-its

2010-09-12T21:40:00.001-06:00

Lately I have been........

.....really excited for the new seasons/cycles of Glee, America's Next Top Model, and Modern Family.

.....thinking about what kind of nurse I want to be when I graduate. I don't love working in the hospital setting and would like to try out community health, maybe working at the Public Health Department.

.....wanting to bike to school. The route is about 15 miles both ways with a commute of about 3 hours daily. Probably not, maybe once a week.

.....listening to Ray Lamontagne and The Pariah Dogs. Best. Album. Ever. On the side I've also been listening to The Black Keys. Not bad.

.....missing Rudy so much, but thankful that he is in a good home and is taken care of very well. I can't wait for the day when I can take naps with him again.

.....waiting for almost a month now for disc 1 of Mad Men to arrive.

2010-09-12T21:34:00.000-06:00

This was taken a few months after we started dating. Look how fresh we are, you definitely wouldn't find a picture like this these days.

2010-09-10T19:31:00.000-06:00

I was really disappointed three years ago when I got my bridals taken, I didn't like any of them. Looking through them present day I found this one that I really liked and I decided to share it. I can't help vanity.

2010-09-09T21:06:00.000-06:00

August 7th, 2005, my favorite roommates and best of friends.

(Kristin, Kate, Megan, Me, & SueAnn).

2010-09-08T15:39:00.000-06:00

Seward, Alaska

2010-07-23T14:31:00.000-06:00

Hi Friends and Family,

This fall we will be moving in with Doug's parents and plan on staying there until Jenica graduates in August 2011. During that time we need to find a home for Rudy, our dog. Ideally we are looking for someone that would be willing to foster him for a year, but outright adoption is not out of the question.

Rudy is a 23 pound, 7 year old cocker spaniel that we adopted from the shelter 2.5 years ago. Those of you who know him know he is a loving dog who is great around kids.

Because we adopted him from the shelter he requires a little extra care. We think he would do best with someone who has time and patience.

Contact us and we can talk details if you are interested.

-Doug and Jenica
801.577.1550
dougchristopherson@gmail.com
jenicachris@gmail.com

P.S. He really is the cutest dog anyone has ever seen, and his hair is extra soft (he doesn't shed either).

2010-07-14T10:03:00.000-06:00

If you have ever wondered what I would look like with short hair...........

2010-06-18T18:49:00.000-06:00

If you ever wonder what I look like studying............(I know you don't, but this is all I got)

3 years

2010-06-07T22:36:00.000-06:00

Today was a crazy day. This friday I have my first exam in pharmacology, I have to memorize 50 drugs, what they do, how they do it, and side effects. I have to memorize names like neo-synephrine and ethosuximide. Really. So I am really stressed because that stuff is hard to remember.

I came home around 8 o'clock and noticed our house smelled like gasoline. I make a big deal about smells in my house and I am very vocal about this to Doug. I started to wander around our 200 sq ft home sniffing and wondering where it was coming from. Doug, with his quick wit, said "I think it's coming from our room". Immediately I barge into our room and spot this brand new Bianchi Volpe! I have been riding his volpe up to school daily and have coveted it, I have also wished I had one of my own so we could go on rides together. I know you are wondering why the way nice bike? I wish I could say it was because we are really rich and he buys me crap like this all the time. No way! It is our 3 year anniversary!

I am going to use this opportunity to remind everyone how great my husband is. If you know him you don't need reminding. Just a few things I love about him...

....he is driven and motivated

....he is very active and has introduced me to many sports (softball, golf, biking, running)

....he would never ever give up Rudy

....he supports my professional and academic goals

....he is so excited to start a family

....he tries to make his weaknesses strengths (cleaning the house and cooking:)

....he can keep a secret and doesn't judge anyone

He is the BEST!

You might still be wondering what that gasoline smell was. It was the extra large sharpie permanent marker he used to write "Happy Anniversary" on the sign that leaked through onto our washer (I will never forget this anniversary). I am still stressed about my exam but realized that it is not the most important thing in the world (thanks to Doug), he has a way of calming me, even if it is buying sweet bikes for me.

Even dogs can be BFF

2010-05-08T17:48:00.000-06:00

easter

2010-04-06T20:10:00.000-06:00

march 15

2010-03-15T14:07:00.000-06:00

march 13

2010-03-15T13:57:00.001-06:00

FEET

2010-02-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

DOUG

2010-02-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

Life and Times of Jenice and Dalg

2010-02-17T17:07:00.001-07:00

You will need a little background before reading this conversation between Jenice and Dalg.

Jenice and Dalg have a dog named Rudis who sheds a lot. They received a Furminator, a tool that combs dogs hair to reduce the amount shed, from their friend and Jenice was very excited to use it. As soon as she got home she plopped down on the couch and grabbed a hold of Rudis.

Jenice: "Will you get me a sack to put Rudy's hair in?"

Dalg: "Here is the garbage can?"

Jenice: "Gross, I don't want the garbage can in the living room. Gross! Gross!"

Dalg: "It will be way easier because you can just put the hair directly in the can!"

Jenice: "I can't. Take it away!"

Dalg (at this point he appears mad and seems like he wants to throw the can at Jenice): "What?! What is wrong with you?!"

Dalg leaves the room and comes back with a garbage sack larger than what is necessary for the job at hand and tries to throw it at Jenice, but because the sack weighs nothing the sack floats for a few seconds then lands about 5 feet away from her.

Dalg then leaves the room for a little bit. While Dalg is gone Jenice feels really sad and attacked.

Dalg comes back with a sack an appropriate size to contain all of Rudis's hair.

Jenice: "If you don't want to do things for me, just say you don't. I only ask you to do things because you always do it."

february fourteen

2010-02-17T16:54:00.001-07:00

Playing catch with Rudy.

Getting ready to race. Rudy exploring. Avery chasing after Rudy.

Turning around to look at Rudy who just caught his first mouse. Race delayed. Avery still chasing after Rudy.

Optimus in his prime.

too much

2010-02-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

There have been a few things that I have been doing a little too much of and can admit that they are things I am not proud of.

-Using too much Carmex, I put it on every 10 minutes. Seriously.

-Texting WAY too much. I am averaging about 20 per day. And to think that I went 3 years without it!

-Watching too many Tom Selleck movies.

-Drinking too much Coke.

-Thinking too much about if Jake is going to pick Vienna or Tenley, and hoping he picks neither.

-Talking too much about the day I can quit my job.

-Asking Doug too much if I can quit my job.

february nine

2010-02-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

When people start to save money, one of the first things they cut back on is beauty care (or hair-cuts for dogs).

february two

2010-02-02T16:13:00.001-07:00

After-work snack.

february one

2010-02-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

Rudy relaxing on the "new" (second-hand) sofa that we swore we would never let him get on.

If only I didn't already get a computer for Christmas.......

2009-12-17T16:33:00.001-07:00

AMAZING!!!!!!!

Best Invention Ever: Photobooth

2009-12-08T16:31:00.000-07:00

New Hair....FINALLY!!!

2009-12-07T14:46:00.001-07:00

h-oween

2009-11-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

youths

2009-10-25T21:03:00.000-06:00

MOMA

2009-10-16T16:55:00.000-06:00

Babysitting Avery

2009-10-16T16:50:00.000-06:00

2009-10-01T16:03:00.001-06:00

57 Dollars and 67 Cents later

29.99 "Greenies": dog treats that clean dog teeth, 30 count

8.99 blue spikey thing: used while bathing dogs to remove loose hair

14.99 tea tree pet shampoo: soothes and moisturizes dog hair

****I totally could have bought a new shirt. The things I do for Rudy.

whose-its & whats-its

2009-09-06T22:50:00.000-06:00

Lately I have been.........

......thinking about how I should be eating more healthy and exercising more.

......catching up on "Hell's Kitchen" on hulu.com.

......learning a lot about germs and microbiology.

......checking everyday to see if the nursing application has opened.

......wondering how we are going to get by on one really low-income and no health insurance.

......frustrated about where to store our camping gear and memory books in our tiny apartment.

......spending a lot of money on organizational supplies and equipment to store stuff in our tiny apartment.

......wanting to get a full makeover, thinking about changing the hair and starting to wear make-up.

......wishing that I could backpack Europe or South America for a few months.

......hoping that I will be able to see baby Jones when he is still a baby.

......wanting to spend more time sewing and being crafty.

Applesauce Cookies

2009-08-23T14:47:00.000-06:00

2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp of all of the following: cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt

1. Combine eggs, shortening, and sugar.
2. In small bowl or cup, add baking soda to applesauce (mix well), then add to egg mixture.
3. In small bowl combine flour, spices, and salt, then add to egg/applesauce mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees from 15 - 20 minutes. Yield: almost 3 dozen.

Furniture for sale

2009-08-14T09:30:00.000-06:00

We are selling some furniture to make some room in our new place. If you or anyone you know is interested, let me know.

Table with 4 chairs, $350

Over sized stuffed sofa, $300

Computer desk, $50

St. George

2009-07-27T20:23:00.000-06:00

Doug and I are going to St. George this weekend. Whenever I go to St. George I run out of restaurants to go to. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. Also, suggestions on things to do would be nice.

Deseret Alphabet

2009-07-23T09:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday on Radio West with Doug Fabrizio they talked about the "Deseret Alphabet". This was news to me, I had never heard of it before. Apparently Brigham Young wanted to simplify english writing to make it more phonetic. He comissioned a person to create this new alphabet. The goal was to give one letter to every sound, instead of having many sounds to one letter. They printed a few Book of Mormons in this alphabet and they are worth upwards of about $10,000. Another interesting fact is that all of Brigham Young's writings were written phonetically. There is more information at http://www.deseretalphabet.com/ and also pictures of some of the published books. Link to listen to the Radio West episode: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuer/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1532942.

2009-07-22T11:46:00.000-06:00

Today I went to Tanner Park with Rudy. When I got to the pool I was upset to find it covered in garbage. This is really a disappointment for so many reasons.........

2009-07-14T09:44:00.000-06:00

I found these charts on www.realsimple.com when searching tips on how to store produce. They seem like they might be handy.

two-year

2009-07-07T16:43:00.000-06:00

Our two-year anniversary was about a month ago and I wanted to write a little blog update of the last two years but have not gotten around to it until now.

In the two years that we have been married we have moved forward with our career goals. We both finished our degrees, Doug - psychology, Jenica - human development. And also made decisions about future careers, Doug - lawyer, Jenica - nurse.

After a year of being married we made the decision to go back to church, we decided that marriage is just too hard without the extra support. We eventually made the decision to get sealed in the temple last May. Since then marriage is still hard, but now we are on the same page.

I tried to learn golf for Doug and even bought golf clubs, but decided I am really not that into it.

On a spontaneous moment we went to the humane society and saw Rudy, then named "Spikey", and decided that we would not be complete without him. He is 5 and has been ours for a year and a half. About a week after we had him I really wanted to return him, but Doug refused. I didn't realize how hard it is to have a dog. (I had a really bad migraine the day we got him and took some meds that make me feel a bit loopy and give me irrational thoughts. I think this is the real reason we got him, I just wasn't thinking straight.)

We made plans to move to Spokane, WA so that Doug could attend Gonzaga School of Law, but broke those plans when Doug was admitted from the alternate list at the University of Utah.

These are just some of the highlights of our last couple of years.

What do we hope for the future? some would ask.

Doug will start at the U in the fall. I plan on applying to the school of nursing at the U in the fall (unless something like a baby gets in the way, don't keep your fingers crossed). For the next three years we plan on staying where we are at unless I get an awesome job and can buy a house.

That is about it, I don't want to make too many plans....sometimes it's nice to be moldable.

2009-07-01T21:31:00.000-06:00

I am kind of thinking about cutting my hair short............These are some cuts I like.......Feedback would be nice.......

2009-06-22T19:25:00.001-06:00

HEALTHY COOKIES!!! (per Meg's request, Hi Meg!.....hope you all enjoy)

1. Combine:

3 large bananas (mashed)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup coconut Oil (warmed - coconut oil comes in solid form, you have to melt it on the stove, be careful not to burn or get it too hot)

2. In a separate larger bowl combine:

2 cups rolled oats (I like to use instant)
2/3 cup almond meal
1/3 cup coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt (I usually use regular salt)
1 tsp baking powder
6 - 7 oz chopped chocolate bar into chunks (chocolate chips work just fine, can use semi-sweet, milk, or mint-choc, my favorite is mint)

3. Fold banana mixture in to dry mixture.

4. Bake at 350 placing tray on rack 1/3 from the roof of oven for 12 - 14 minutes (sometimes a little longer, use your own judgment).

****I have added pumpkin seed and flax seed for a little extra health. I also think it might be nice to add craisins, raisins, or puffed rice.

****The ingredients are kind of expensive, but are a good investment if you make these often.

****Make sure you refrigerate leftovers.

Polaroids

2009-06-11T22:00:00.000-06:00

2009-06-05T21:58:00.000-06:00

From doug & jenica

I still think these are way funny!!!!

getting ready for the club.....

2009-05-30T16:54:00.000-06:00

2009-05-27T11:13:00.000-06:00

This was lunch today (day 2) for my gluten-free diet. I already feel better.........

2009-05-18T09:27:00.000-06:00

Rudy and I went for a run today and toward the end I noticed that I was getting a bit light headed. Before I knew it I hit the ground, and I hit it hard! After I fell I tried to get up, but I could not stand due to my lightheadedness and the fall, so I had to hang out in the location of shame until I got my strength back. Anyway, this is a shot of the physical damage.

Graduation Day

2009-05-09T23:27:00.000-06:00

Lime Cilantro Humus

2009-05-09T23:17:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow we are going to Mike and Kristina's to celebrate Mother's Day. I was assigned to bring a side dish. I always have a hard time with this one, it's such a broad category, it could be anything from rolls to a salad. I finally settled on humus.

Lime-cilantro hummus
1-2 garlic cloves
1 scallion
handful cilantro leaves
1 can garbanzo beans
3 tbsp tahini (I have no idea what this is, so I don't put it in)
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1-2 tbsp olive oil

1. In small food processor combine garlic, cilantro, and scallion.
2. Then add rest of ingredients (except olive oil) and mix.
3. Add olive oil until desired thickness is achieved.

**I like to serve with pita bread.

Cuban Beans and Rice

2009-05-05T10:23:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe in Real Simple Magazine and I thought I would share it with you. I make it about once a week, it's super easy, and it makes good leftovers.

Cuban Beans and Rice:

1 cup long grain rice (I usually use Basmati rice)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I like to cut them into really thin, long strips)
2 garlic cloves , chopped
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red wine vinegar
4 radishes, cut into 1/2" pieces (I usually don't put these in, it makes leftovers weird)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (I only use this if I have it in the fridge)

1. Cook rice. Meanwhile, heat oil in large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and salt and pepper, cook and stir till softened (5-7 min). Stir in cumin and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add beans, oregano, and 1 cup water. Simmer, covered, for 10 min. Add vinegar.

3. Serve beans over rice and top with radishes and cilantro.

**Doug and I like to eat with a couple small flour tortillas.

lunch

2009-04-26T13:11:00.001-06:00

If I had to eat one food everyday for the rest of my life it would be cottage cheese, tomatoes, and crackers. (I guess that's three foods).

finals

2009-04-24T16:07:00.000-06:00

This is what I feel like during finals week.............depressed.
(Doesn't make sense, does it?)

Blog Jealously

2009-04-21T16:44:00.000-06:00

Everyone has their own blog niche. I am trying to discover mine. Its like Erickson's Identity crisis. I am having a blog identity crisis! Any suggestions?

In the meantime, I will just post some pictures of Rudy. He has had a rough couple of weeks. He got laid off his job and his social security benefits have run out. Poor guy.

UPDATE

2009-04-15T15:00:00.000-06:00

I thought it is probably time to give you all an update on what is going on with us. I am writing this while watching 30 Rock, so it may be a bit choppy. I am watching the one where Jack sets Liz up with Gretchen Thomas and Kenneth wins big at the poker game. Anyway............

We have heard back from almost all of the law schools Doug applied to. We are waiting on 2 more, Texas Tech and South Carolina University. We paid a seat deposit to Gonzaga U. which is in Spokane, WA. Unless we hear "yes" from TT or SCU we will be going to GU. There are 2 things that are confusing our decision, Doug is on the waiting list at BYU and U of U. So being on the list, just means more and more waiting and uncertainty in the meantime.

I am graduating from the U this semester! I thought this day would never come. Now that it is here I am not sure what do with my life. I still would like to apply to nursing schools, but that all depends on where we end up. My back up plans would be to get a job within the university (any that we might go to) or to teach middle or high school.

Our current hobbies are:

thinking about summer
running and thinking about training for a race (me a 10k and Doug a Half)
watching Heroes
buying a lot of gear for softball (first game was supposed to be tonight, but the weather is not in compliance)
waiting for and talking about law schools

FOOTBALL

2009-04-10T11:07:00.000-06:00

I know it has been awhile since my last post, we don't have internet anymore.

2009-02-18T16:30:00.001-07:00

So I never know what to post when I blog, so instead of trying to be creative and witty, I will just post what my "thing" is lately.

My "thing" is eating healthy. I am taking a nursing nutrition class, I am going to take it upon myself to give you healthy eating tips, whether you want them or not.

Tip #1: make sure you get your calcium servings in everyday, calcium helps you to lose fat. Calcium supplements won't work, it needs to be something along the lines of yogurt, cheese, milk, etc.

Tip#2: eat more fiber! only like 25% of the population gets enough fiber everyday. Try and incorporate fiber into every meal. Example, oatmeal in the morning, wheat bread at lunch, corn or beans at dinner. If that is too hard, try to add it to at least one meal where it is the main dish. My favorite fibrous snack are black beans with tomatoes served on a small flour tortilla. The great thing about fiber is that is moves through your system fast and picks up debris along the way, it also makes you feel "full". (side note: fat is the slowest moving thing in the digestive process).

Tip #3: when looking at nutrition labels think about percentages. 25% is high, 5% is low. If it is a good item (fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc) 25% is good, if it is bad item (sodium, fat, etc) 25% is bad. You get the idea.

New food that I have picked up:

Quinoa (grain from south america), good source of iron and fiber, also pretty tasty.

WHITE ELEPHANT

2008-12-23T13:49:00.001-07:00

Need I say more...............

2008-12-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks Katie and Dan for inviting us to go see the lights with you guys!

Finals Week!!!!!!

2008-12-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

We are such bad dog owners, this is the only exercise Rudy gets and it is only a few times a week!

So I should be studying for stats, pathophysiology, research methods, and human development...........guess what, I'm not!!! Instead I am trying to figure out what to do for Doug's 30th birthday (any suggestions?) and blogging.

2008-11-29T10:56:00.000-07:00

Call me this season for all your photo editing needs.

2008-11-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

I got a new camera and I have been trying to figure out some of the functions it is capable of. These are some of the first pics I took with it.

2008-11-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

I don't normally do these things, but SueAnn "Tagged" me, so I have to! and I am running out of blog material.

Shows I like to watch-

1. Food Network Challenge
2. The Biggest Loser: Families
3. It's Me or the Dog
4. The Cosby Show (the ones with Raven Simone)
5. Curb Your Enthusiasm
6. Samantha Who?
7. America's Next Top Model
8. ??? I can't think of anything else

Eight things that happened yesterday-

1. Ate at La Frontera, alone
2. Ate at The Old Spaghetti Factory (what? twice in one day? sick)
3. Studied for Pathophysiology test
4. I did laundry
5. Studied for Patho test
6. Studied for Patho test
7. Played catch with Rudy
8. Studied for Patho test

Favorite places to eat-

1. La Frontera!!!!! (sick)
2. Soup Kitchen
3. can't think of anything else
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Eight things I'm looking forward to-

1. Graduating
2. the end of the semester
3. learning to use my new camera
4. Christmas
5. Nursing school
6. Moving away
7. can't think of anything else
8.

Eight things on my wish list-

1. A fit body!
2. Shoes that don't soak up water (I know, sad)
3. Can't think of anything else
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

8 people I tag-

1. I don't even know 8 people with blogs
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Dog People

2008-10-20T15:23:00.000-06:00

I never thought I would be a person who owns a dog. I also never thought I would be a person who owns a dog and buys their dog a Halloween costume. I also never thought I would be a person who married another person who tells our dog to "go see mom" (mom=me). Oh, how life surprises us.

2008-10-07T19:49:00.000-06:00

Just a few things that have been happening. Went to dinner with some of the Christopherson's. Took Rudy to the ER vet because he got hit by a car (Doug witnessed it). Went to a pirate party with a husband that doesn't really look like a pirate but an awesome hipster. Spent some time with the Smith's. Last but definitely not least, Doug bought a commuter bike. It's a Bianchi Volpe.

This months read......

2008-09-26T18:06:00.000-06:00

Even though I have to read mostly class text for leisure, I have managed to squeeze this one in(it may end up taking me the entire semester). Pretty interesting if you are interested in evolution and/or natural history (or not).

Campus Life

2008-09-24T16:25:00.000-06:00

I feel old on campus when.........

.......I see origami folded notes being passed during class
.......the girl behind is taking about how her parents won't let her date a 24-year-old
.......I am taking freshman level classes
.......I love my professors clothes
.......people tell me I am
.......the only other senior in the class is eighty
.......girls come to school in $1500 boots their dads bought them

Finally I will graduate from this (blank)-forsaken university (I don't really feel that way). I will finish all my credits by summer '09, but will walk spring '09. Woo hoo.

2008-08-27T14:37:00.000-06:00

Lagoon

Dad was nice enough to bring his motor home to Lagoon so that we could eat lunch.....anyway that is is key chain (that he uses everyday!)
Doug and little bro Parker
Little sis Taylar Shay

Kind of Scary that we look so much alike.......TERROR!

Lunch with some Chicas

Lake Mary

Last hang out with Scott and Whitney

Lake Powell

(sweet puka shells!)

Blog update

2008-06-11T21:03:00.000-06:00

Salt Lake City Marathon

Doug and Kristina after the 1/2 marathon. Doug ran it in 1h 50min and Krisitina came in just a few minutes before him. I am so proud of him!

Las Vegas

After finals week of a busy semester, Doug and I decided to take a quit vacation. We went to Vegas and stayed in The New York New York in the Empire State Building, went to The Blue Man Group, went shopping, and played in the arcade (slot machines just don't do it for me).

SoftBall

Some of the star players of Back to the Future are pictured below.

Sunday Drive

When I was little, almost every sunday my dad would take our family on a long drive through the mountains. Some of my greatest memories are from those drives. A tradition on those drives would be the "Deer Dollar". My dad would stick a dollar in the viser at the beginning of the drive and the first person to spot a deer would get that dollar. Doug and I went on our first "Sunday Drive", though we didn't inact the deer dollar we still had a great time. We drove up East Canyon and turned off on a dirt road and found a great location to hang out with Rudy.

Moab

We went to Moab last weekend. Went on some fun hikes, camped, drank fresh spring water from a spring, ate foil dinners and hung out with friends.

The "Attack" & Breakfast

2008-02-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Last week Doug and I went to Rose Canyon to visit my mom. Doug decided to get a run in while we were there (maybe for a change a scenery). After getting a nice long run in, Doug starts approaching my parents house. As he gets closer he sees a boy and his dog about 30 yards away. He sees the dog start to run toward him with a ferocious bark, at that point he knows the situation is going to end with a casualty. With nowhere to run, Doug stops in his tracks as the ferocious dog approaches him. The dog quickly latches on to Doug's leg and rips into the skin. From Doug's account the dog latched on long enough to draw blood. During the "attack", Doug was yelling some choice words at the attacker, Buck, and his owner. As soon as Buck released, Doug quickly ran back to my parents.

Dog attack? I didn't think they really happen. Here I thought we were doing a favor for the dog community and this is how we are thanked? I don't really think that. It's just strange. As a dog owner now I am not sure what I would do if my dog attacked someone. The dog owner was eventually notified of the dog attack by Animal Control and is extremely apologetic.

I can't imagine the emotional stress that Doug might be going through, especially when he is approached by dogs.

Overall lesson, keep your dog on a leash!

On a lighter note, I want to talk about breakfast. We have been making it a weekly tradition to try a new breakfast restaurant once a week with our friends Katie and Josh. We have been doing it for a couple of weeks now and have tried a couple of new places.

Eggs in the City, located by Immigration Market in Sugarhouse, is fun little restaurant that I guess is supposed to be known for their eggs. I really liked the set up, it used to be an old gas station and the kitchen was completely open, which was cool because you could see how your food was being cooked. I wasn't too impressed with the food though. The eggs were not that great, I thought they were a bit soggy. The breakfast potatoes were okay, except they were a bit hard and undercooked. Most of the customers were hipster, tattooed, city-weekly reading types, which is cool, but I felt the restaurant was just another trendy hangout.

The Avenues Bakery, I loved it. The food was great! The menu was very simple and inexpensive. Whenever I go to breakfast restaurants, I usually want maybe some eggs, toast and home fries, most places have that, but you have to get it with bacon and pancakes. This place made it possible to mix and match what you want without charging you for food you don't want. The home fries were my favorite, a mixture of white and sweet potatoes with sauteed red peppers. They also had fresh jam on the table for the toast. Oh, that was another thing I loved, the bread. Being a bakery they had a great variety of bread to choose from. I got the orange cranberry, it was so good.

I don't think I will be returning to "Eggs in the City", but I plan on going back to "Avenues Bakery" many more times.

"Contact" by DCC

2008-02-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is our dog "Rudy", which some of you may know as "Spikey", his name from his previous owners. In the brief 2-1/2 weeks we've had him he's also gone by "Carlos", "Kevin", and "Lady Tafeta". We have a hard time making decisions. We mostly call him Rudy now, so he's becoming less confused each day (although he still comes running every time I cheer for Boozer).

Rudy has already provided us with several opportunities to grow - I have to keep telling myself that. We found out shortly after we adopted Rudy that he had several health problems that desperately needed attention. As the vet trips add up (both in frequency and expense), I've come to a couple conclusions: (1) I love my dog, and (2) I need to get doggy insurance. I mean, dogs have been around for awhile, right? And, they've been able to survive ok without specialized surgeons who repair drooping eyelids, haven't they?
Despite his problems, you'll see from the following pictures that he's certainly loveable. I know, just try being upset at that face.

Six more of him side by side and Jodie Foster won't be the only one making "Contact".

The Kids in our lives......

2008-01-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

We may not have children of our own, but we are lucky enough to have them in our life. We are lucky to be able to spend time with all of our nieces and nephews (it also serves as great birth control). Here are some of our favorite times with them.

If I remember correctly, the first time I met Carter he kicked me in the knee. He may have a hard shell, but getting to know him has been fun because he is a very smart and sweet little boy. Oh yeah, and he has a great memory.

Nain and I hangin' out at JuJu and Denny's wathcing football and probably eating pizza (all you Christopherson's will understand). Nain has been so welcoming to me since I have entered the family. I am so impressed by the way she treats those around her. She is so smart and mature, sometimes I think she is a 20-year old.

Carter wanted to take some pictures with my camera at the Exploratorium in San Fran. This was his best, I was quite impressed. Gwen is such a passionate little girl, she is super athletic and adventurous. She kind of reminds me of myself as a little girl, but for different reasons........

Nain and I at the exploratorium. Nain just solved an eye trick that was beginning to frustrate her. We celebrated with a picture.

This picture is the BEST! He just looks so cool. This was on the wharf in San Fran during our trip to San Jose to watch Parker get baptized. I hadn't seen Parker for a few months and he seems to have changes. Doug and I were able to spend some alone time with him, he was so sweet and polite, and didn't run away, he seems to really have progressed since he has been in California. Katie, you are doing a good job!

Hadley, Teryl's daughter, is always ready for the pictures. She loves the spotlight; I think one day she will be famous whether it's singing, dancing, or acting.

This is also a great picture of Warren, Teryl's youngest. I don't think I should explain why this picture is awesome. Warren is the most kinetic little boy ever, he can do anything with his hands, he loves to take things apart and put them back together. He is so much fun to play with. He loves Doug, whenever we leave his house he gets really sad because he can't come with us.

Teryl and Parker's girls, Hadley and Jaidyn. I love these girls so much!

Doug and Maggie in Sac Town. I took this picture about a dozen times because Maggie was making the funniest faces. Maggie is starting to become a little girl and is no longer a baby, she is talking more and more. My favorite word she says is "Wicky" (that is what she calls Whitney, Scott's wife).

"Smee" at Scott's graduation. She has gotten so big since this picture. I babysat here the other night, she had just gotten a haircut and kept saying "I want to look in the mirror". So Cute. I asked her the other day if she is a big girl and she said, "no, I am a baby".

Word Scramble: enw citupres (level of difficulty: easy)

2008-01-10T19:34:00.001-07:00

Halloween

(I have always thought of Halloween only as an excuse for Mormons to dress skanky and have the tats [tattoos]. If you don't believe me, go to Brighton High on Halloween afternoon; dress code doesn't apply then, so wear whatever you want. Note: our costumes were too scandalous to show.)

Zion National Park

(novemberish)

San Francisco

(Decemberish)

Palace of Fine Arts: Exploratorium

(I have never seen anything more funny than these pictures)

The Warf (fisherman's)

Doug is posting this

2007-12-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to finally be adding something to the blog that bears my name. As Jenica alluded to in her previous post, things are well, and even if they're not it's just because I've always got to be worrying about something or I don't feel right. Anyhow, after reading Jenica's reference to my uncanny knack for being able to sit through hours of televised sports without being phased, I thought I should point out that it's not as easy as it sounds. First, you've got to be emotionally stable. When the team you're following has lost five in a row, and a large part of your self-esteem depends on their success, it tends to force you to take a look at who you really are, without the green, purple, and yellow to hide behind (I affiliate with the old Jazz colors). I've experienced joy, pain, frustration, embarrassment, jealousy and even hate at the hands of a sport outcome. I once missed a day of school because BYU lost embarrassingly to the U, I couldn't bear to face those gloating Ute blankwipes. Secondly, you've got to have endurance. Now, I don't mean physical endurance, although that can't hurt, but rather a certain type of mental endurance. A kind of endurance that I like to call "casino" endurance. You've got to be able to block everything out, including daylight, and focus all your energy on the next hand or in this case the tv. Sounds easy, I know, and is, for a while. That is, until you start thinking about people, friends even, who are out there doing real-life stuff like camping or shaving. These kinds of things can be real distractions for the televised sport enthusiast. These real-life experiences, which may lead to feelings of worthlessness and worse, must be avoided if you're to spend an entire afternoon watching football.

I wanted to continue to write but I'm tired and entirely to worried about how this is going to be perceived. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope to contribute more worthwhile literature in the future.

New Stuff

2007-12-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

WE ARE PREGNANT! Just kidding, a good way to grab someones attention. I don't think I would tell all my closest family and friends that on a blog. Doug and I are doing well, things are starting to look up for us. We jumped on the band wagon and joined Netflix, which I don't really think constitutes as being on the band wagon. I love it so much, our recent rentals have been Planet Earth, European Vacation, and Waitress. Speaking of waitress, best movie ever, along with European Vacation (I will be adding both movies to my list of favorites).

The semester is finally over. This was the most grueling semester I have had yet. Human Anatomy was like learning an entire language in one semester, a language with words you would never use on a daily basis. There were some upsides to the semester though. For instance, I have finally figured out what I am good at: Science. I have never really felt I had a strong subject until now. This was probably due to the fact that I only took writing and art classes (as noticed from my blog, I am not a good writer) and always struggled in them. I am not one to brag (no one reads this anyway), but its probably going to be my first 4.0, EVER! I have big plans for next semester. I will be a teaching apprentice to science-world renowned Professor Mark Neilsen. I will be one of 24 students who will be facilitating lessons in the cadaver lab. I am really excited and hope it will look good on my CV.

Adding to the plans for next semester will be a job. That's right, I got one. I will be working at the University Neurophysciatric Institute. I will be working directly with patients, which will be nice to get a feel for what I will be doing as a nurse.

Doug has been so supportive of my schooling, I hope one day he will be able to take a break while I work. He is doing really well. He still works up at the hospital and watches Jazz games faithfully along with Sunday all-day football. I am not really used to having the sports on in the house being that I grew up with 4 girls and my dad only watched competitive fishing when he did watch TV (which was hardly ever). I love it though, its fun to learn new things about sports and makes me excited for our kids to be star athletes and one day end up in the NBA and/or NFL.

That's all I got, sorry if it bored you, that's your fault for reading it. We love you all and hope to see you soon!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

My Christmas List

2007-11-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

This list is mainly for my husband and parents who still buy me overpriced Christmas gifts.

Things I want:

Running Shoes (consult me first)
Ipod mini
Any season of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (I eventually want all seasons)
Eyeglasses (mine are so GHETT-O)
"Miracle in the Andes" written by Nando Parrado
Any book by Dr. Oz
Hard Drive (I think that is what they are called, something to back up all my files on my crappy computer)
Electric Blanket
Running clothes
Yoga Pants

Things I want to give:

Anything to the YWCA, toys, money, etc.
Families to orphans in Ecuador (Maybe my family, I wish)
Camping stuff to Doug
Something memorable to all of my parents
A new house to my mom
My services to someone who NEEDS them

Favorite Movies (draft 1)

2007-11-01T19:15:00.000-06:00

(In no particular order)

1. Little Women
2. Love Actually

3. Vanity Fair

4. Death Becomes Her

5. Chocolat

10.

HealthCare

2007-10-31T12:18:00.001-06:00

I am unemployed. I clean a house once a week and go to school about 20 hours a week, its not like I am sitting around doing nothing. I am in search of a job. Currently I am taking pre-nursing classes in hope to get into a nearby nursing program. To get into most programs, the better programs, it is important to have experience in patient care. I have been searching for a job that will allow me to obtain this experience. Its been hard, most places already require experience or some certification. I am not sure where to go from here. Any suggestions from any one in healthcare (or anyone not in healthcare) would be appreciated.

Hikes & Weddings

2007-09-10T20:49:00.000-06:00

We had an eventful weekend in addition to work and homework. We started off with a hike and finished with a wedding (5th one this year).

Doug and I have made it a goal to go on a new hike every weekend. On Saturday we hiked a trail in Draper. I do not know the name of it, but it was above Pepperwood. It was a really beautiful hike. It started out with a paved road lined with sunflowers and then continued into a dense shaded forest with steep rock walls shooting up on both sides of us.

This is the 5th wedding we have been to since August 9th of 2006. Not only have we been to all of these weddings but have participated in them (one of them being our own). The Five Weddings were for the following people: Katie & Josh, Kristin & Elliott, Scott & Whitney, Doug & Jenica, the last being SueAnn & Kevin. Here are pictures of the very last wedding I will EVER go to!

2007-09-05T12:18:00.000-06:00

Moustaches

2007-08-30T15:35:00.000-06:00

I have discovered that I am not a very good "Blogger". Reasons could be that I do nothing in chronological order and my writing skills are ridiculous even at my college level (I blame the system). Doug and I visited with Scott and Whitney this week. While we were at thier apartment, Scott decided to shave most of his beard off into a moustache. Its been one week later and he still has the moustache, it looks nice. I am pretty sure that Doug is jealous, so I dug up some old photos of when Doug had a moustache.

He never actually kept this moustache. This was during the shaving of his beard that he had been growing for a couple of months.

Acinej & Gudo

2007-08-29T16:58:00.000-06:00

I promised myself that if I created a blog, I would keep it current. I have failed to do so but was reminded by my doubtful brother in law. (that's him below)

My excuse for not updating it would be because nothing really exciting has happened. After reading this post you will discover it for yourself.

I saw The Nanny Diaries. Probably not a surprise to those of you who know I am a nanny. I read the book also, it was better. The movie was nothing like the book. It was boring and Scarlet is not good.

Some of you haven't seen pics from our wedding. I was a little bit disappointed with my photographer, she didn't really take pictures of people I know, so don't be sad if there are not any pictures of you.

Doug's family

My mom made my cake.

Unfortunately this is all you get for wedding pics, they take too long to load and I want to show some pics from Mexico.

We went to Mexico a few weeks ago during the break during semesters. We stayed at the Dreams Resort in Puerto Vallarta. The resort was awesome. It was all-inclusive, which really means that all of your food is FREE. They had five restaurants to choose from. You could eat at these whenever you wanted. It was the best!

I was eating free food during this one.

Oh yeah, one more thing. I am no longer a nanny.

Sacramento (Scott and Whitney's Wedding)

2007-06-07T17:24:00.001-06:00

Just some pictures from Sacramento and Scott and Whitney's wedding. It was fun to visit a new place. We went to Old Town Sacramento, but regretfully forgot to bring our camera. We had an interesting experience there, we, along with Carter and Kathy witnessed and a hit and run and got a mouth full of bugs on the end of the 100 yard "scenic" river walk along the Sac River. It was fun.