THE KARGENATORS

oh hey there

2011-06-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

I know I know. I keep leaving. I should stop promising I am going to be better at this, because really, there are no guarantees here. Let's get up to speed with where we last left off... back in JANUARY.

Weightloss.... never really got past mid-february on that baby. Does it matter that I decided I could eat whatever I wanted over my anniversary weekend [that's right 2 YEARS baby.] and since then i haven't stopped eating what I wanted??

Bro and sister in law got married in march! Wahooie! Quite a road trip! Including an accidental detour into california which meant a 2 hour delay to getting to Utah and a flat tire the day of the wedding meaning we BARELY made it in time to the sealing! RIDICULOUS. Still awesome tho. Kevin looked really happy and Harmony, she was just ravishing.

Taxes happened. Thank goodness. We got a boatload back because we over estimated our income for the year last year and it pushed us into this comfortable place where we decided we could go.....

HOME SHOPPING again!

And yes we did. As soon as the funds came through, Husband was hiring us a Realtor! and by the mid may we had seen thousands of houses [no joke] and finally made a bid on one.

That's right. We are going to be home owners once again! We sign this week and are hoping to get the keys MAYBE on friday if all goes well. We will see:]

We are hoping to flip it into a rental in a year after the primary residency requirements are finished, and look for a new home to do the same thing to. So keep your ears out for anyone looking to rent a home in the chandler/mesa area!

It's a super cool place though! No pictures this time because well, i haven't taken any. But, imagine this:

Tile throughout the house. Fire place. 1500 square feet.

Even though it is 250sf smaller than our last home it feels so much bigger [it helps that it's a one story instead of 2 and most of the square footage is in the living areas versus the bedrooms]

We are super excited. All we will really need to do is paint and replace the counters in the kitchen and of course rake the months of pine needles that have been piling up since the house was foreclosed on!

Over all it's been a good 6 months and i am sorry i haven't brought you along to share it but i am hoping i can be better at this and share more often.

Thanks!

OHHHH btw, My photog. Bidness is back and running. I have decided my favorite shoots are always with seniors so I am going to be focusing on that with a few weddings and engagements here and there as i feel like it. BUT anyways, if you know any seniors who are looking for a photographer send them my way! I can't wait to take their pictures! I am also looking for Juniors who are interested in becoming senior reps for their senior year and get special rewards for bringing in others to get their senior shots through me! They can email me at ampersandphotog@gmail.com or check out my blog at ampersand-photography.blogspot.com

THANKS!!!!

So in LOURVE

2011-01-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

My brother in-law Kevin and his adorable fiance Harmony were so sweet to ask me to take their engagements!

I was SO nervous. I quit the business a few months ago [not that I was ever really in it to begin with] because it was just so overwhelming. I was afraid they were going to hate them and be stuck with them for their engagements because they wouldn't have enough time to hire a local photographer!

I seriously went to this situation with prayer and study. I read my scriptures. Pleaded every night with the Lord that he would allow me to take photos that they wanted. And worked and watched so many different photographers that I admire so that I could attempt to mimic their work.

I am pretty sure the Lord knew I really needed this. I had so much fun on this shoot and editing [my absolute LEAST favorite part] I actually enjoyed! Looking and studying the pictures as I was editing them, I would suddenly get giddy! I feel pretty proud of them and hope that Kevin and Harmony enjoy them as much as I do!

Reward Systems

2011-01-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

I found this awesome website

with some pretty gorgeous modest dresses.

Jenclothing.com

It's pretty legit and I really want a dress or two... or three...

As a matter of fact these three would be fantastic.

I really want them really badly.

BUT I have to lose weight first.

So here is my reward to myself.

My first goal is to lose 10 lbs by March 6th.

WHEN I accomplish my goal, I will allow myself to invest in one dress.

Then I will continue to lose more weight to become the healthy person I know I can be.

When I reach that set goal, I will reward myself with a second dress and so on and so forth.

I am super excited and hope that I lose weight quick so I can get to the awesome rewards already!

Fat Cat

2011-01-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

I started my diet this week.

There have been some trials and some discouraging moments and it's only been 4 days.

I will survive.

Starting Sunday I go all natural. If God didn't make it, I can't eat it. No processed foods whatsoever. No sugars whatsoever.

We will see if I survive.

I finished reading a great book today. I started it on Tuesday so I guess that makes it really great:]

It's called Fat Cat by Robin Brande

It is this really great story about this girl [Cat] who is this science GURU and decides to do her big science fair experiment on "dieting" per say. It is hilarious. It gives you butterflies. It makes you want to puke [in a good way]. I loved it. And you want to know the best part??

The author is my aunt.:] That's pretty great. Especially since I really like her book. It would kind of blow if she wasn't a good author. But she really truly has a gift! Her other book that I have read, Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature is just as amazing! It's persuasive and captivating and loving. I just can't get over the awesomeness.

Urban Outfitters Should Furnish My New Home

2011-01-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

If I could register for wedding gifts, I would completely go a different way than we went originally. To begin, I would probably register at Target and Urban Outfitters. I love UO. It's beautiful.

As a matter of fact, if I were registering today. I would go crazy. This is a simple list of what I would do if i could redo my bathroom and kitchen RIGHT NOW:] This is simple necessities, no art pieces. yadayadayada..

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

I know Christmas was just here and my birthday isn't until September.... Buttt I hear I love Jennie Day is coming up soon. So if anyone cares to love me:] My wishlist is a GREAT place to find a gift:]

[P.S. I love Jennie Day is EVERY DAY.]

10 Blessings From 2010

2011-01-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

1. My new job. I have been able to support my family as Kyle is going to school full time and starting his own business.

2. Getting Health Insurance from a job. This has been such a blessing on our family. Going from paying out of picket close to $1,000 every month for poor poor poor individual insurance plans, to a huge group insurance from my new job. I honestly don't know how we were able to shovel out as much as we did over the year and a half that we were under our own plan.

3. losing my summer job. I never have been "let go" from a position before. It is NOT a good feeling. BUT I cannot be more grateful for it in this situation. I had been offered this job and my current position at the same time [though my current job would be starting about a month later] I accepted both for some reason and started at the Dr's office in june. My experience with my june job turned out to be one of the hardest experiences of my working life. I have never been pushed so hard or felt like I was drowning so much. I am a perfectionist and I was not perfect at this job. And they wanted better than perfect. They wanted you to catch on instantly and not make a single mistake. I can definitely understand the need for no mistake whatsoever in a DR's office, but you have to give the new girl a break. I have never cried over a position so much. So even though it was such a difficult experience I am sooo grateful for it. Because of this position I learned that I will NEVER work in a DR's office again. This position was able to help me get the apartment we are currently living in. It was able to help me realize the kind of business I want to work in and the people I want to work with. This job held my family finances over until I was able to start at my current job at UoP. When I first was offered my job at UoP I was really not interested in taking the job, but for some reason, I never turned them down. Then I lost my June job and found out why the Lord blessed me. When I started at the UoP we were put through THREE weeks of training, 1 in the classroom week and 2 weeks on the job practicing and learning and trying with assistance at our hand and foot. At my June job, I had 8 days of training. 1 day in classroom learning how to sign in and about the company - not the position and what it entails- and 7 days watching and no instruction on how to go about my position. I am SO grateful I lost my June job and was blessed to find a higher paying and amazing job at the UoP. But I am also grateful I had the time at the June job so that I would be grateful for the CLEAR blessings at UoP.

4. My Parents. There have definitely been some tight months here and there with my job being the only way of providing for the family. My parents have been so amazing at helping us through our tough times. May it be letting us have dinner at their hour 2, 3, 4 times a week, or coming over and helping me get organized time and time and time and time again. They are awesome and I ~~dont think~~ KNOW we wouldn't have survived this year without them.

5. Kyle's Parents. They are so intuitive and it is clear that the Lord guides them throughout every day. From the Fast Sunday devotionals they offer to the family once a month at sunday dinner to the car they sold to us. They are truly amazing and a great spirit in our lives.

6. The Temple. We don't see each other very often thanks to our schedules, so we don't get to attend the Temple often. But when the opportunity is there and we take it, the difference is GREAT in our life. We are so blessed to live so close to one that we can literally be there within minutes. The spirit is strong there and it blesses us well when we attend regularly.

7. Kyle's schooling. With Kyle's business being the hopes of our income for our future schooling was never a "necessity" but I am SO grateful for the initiative Kyle has had for completing his degree. He is so smart and has been very successful in class. We have been very lucky to even get grants and attend NAU local campus that is several thousands of dollars cheaper than ASU.

8. Time. We have been so lucky with our ridiculous schedules to still find time for each other. Even if it means that Kyle spends 15 minutes lying with me before I go to bed and he goes off to study or watching a movie or a football game together on a Sunday afternoon, we still see each other and spend as much time as we can together. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder because the time away has made us realize how much we still like each other and that we DO want one another around.

9. Our teeny apartment. Moving to a smaller place was NOT something I wanted to do. But as we have done so I found that it was much easier to throw away things that had not been used and were just taking up space in the spare bedrooms of our house. I am not where I need to be on the declutter scale but I am definitely 10 steps further ahead than I was before we moved!:] Thank goodness!

10. Being forced to move from our beautiful house in Gilbert, to our teeny apartment in Mesa. I am so grateful for this blessing in disguise. The fact that we were able to sell our home so quickly that is barely effected Kyle's credit. How close we live to my parents. The fact that we are in the same ward with my dear sweet grandparents. We moved from a ward SO BIG that you never saw the same person twice. We knew no one and were absolutely stunned that the bishop even remembered our names, to a ward so small it barely even has a primary. But I love how small it is. It's so much more family like. Everyone knows everyone and when someone needs help, there is more response because you actually know the person you are helping. Our old ward was so huge we had over 20 kids in our primary class. I could barely keep their names straight, let alone afford to provide them a present at the end of the year or on their birthdays. This fabulous new ward, our Sunday school class we teach has a total of 5 kids on a good day. I have gotten to know these kids individually and really have become their friends. Some have even added me on Facebook. All in all, I am soooo grateful for the window that was opened when I saw what I thought was the last door shut when we moved.

I am so grateful for 2010 and hope that 2011 is filled with many more blessings. [Hopefully they aren't blessings in disguise though. I much prefer knowing right away what my blessings are not finding out that they were blessings down the road:)]

Laundry and Resolutions

2010-12-29T17:45:00.000-08:00

The worst part about doing laundry is knowing that there will always be one more set of clothes to wash tomorrow

Monday, I was sooo lucky to have off.

Kyle and I had lots of plans for creating peace

out of our mess of an apartment.

We slept in instead.

We DID get our laundry done though!

Our washer is currently broken [for the 2nd time this month] so

1. our clothes were piling up higher than our THREE laundry baskets could handle

2. We had to go to the laundromat around the corner

2 hours and $25 later we had no dirty clothes in sight.

My least favorite part of laundry is the folding and hanging after. It's MISERABLE.

But you would be shocked to hear that I folded and hung everything and even cleared out my closet out of the clothes that are either too small or I NEVER wear:]

I DID save a few old faves that don't fit anymore as "goal" clothes that I want to fit into when my resolution is complete.

Speaking of Resolutions,

Thank GOODNESS it's not technically the new year

yet because I am doing TERRIBLE.

So far today I caved and had

1 Blueberry Muffin

1 Naked Drink

2 Nutrigrain Bars

and 15 pretzel M&M's

I'm hoping tomorrow I will be stronger....

Or will at least have healthier snacks around.

Or no money..

That would work too I suppose.

All photos via We♥it

Treasury Obsession: Something Blue

2010-12-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

With Kevin and Harmony getting married in March I have had weddings on the mind. So it makes sense that I can't help but create a few treasuries with weddings as the theme!

Treasury Obsession: Mustache

2010-12-26T23:59:00.000-08:00

So I am a little obsessed with Etsy...

Too obsessed

They have this treasury feature where you can search for different items and put them in a grouping to share with others that are obsessed with Etsy like I am. :]

I made three this afternoon:] I love it. I think this might be a regular thing on my blog:]

Today, my current favorite obsession-- MUSTACHES.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

Thank you 6th Street Design School, for inspiring roundups :]

hello again!

2010-12-26T23:29:00.000-08:00

I am really and truly working on trying to get better at posting. My goal is right now is for once a week minimum [i'm starting small and hoping that it will be more often as I am building the habit]

My brother in-law is engaged to the sweetest girl on the planet! They are getting married in March in Utah in the Salt Lake Temple! I am so excited for this new addition to our family!!

With the new year coming up, I have started to think about new years resolutions. This year I want to keep them short and simple so that I can actually complete and achieve them.

1. Lose weight [I'm hoping for at LEAST 10 pounds by Kevin and Harmony's wedding in March]

-- it means hard work now but it will feel SOO good when I am finished.

2. Blog once a week [hopefully more as I go]

3. Take a photo class from a pro photographer [I'm thinking of Sierra Studios - I LOVE her work she also offers an assistant program where I could work under her for multiple shoots. LOVE IT.]

We took our family photos just in time for christmas cards! Lots of awesome shots from my great friend Jenn Hanks!

These are a few of our faves:]

Hopefully I will post again soon!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T10:54:00.001-08:00

one of my soon to be new years resolutions is to post more often than once a quarter. So hopefully you will be hearing more from me soon!

Sorry...

2010-11-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

Been a little M.I.A. for a while.
I promise I will get better at this.
I am just having a difficult time finding inspiration.

I promise to be more consistent.

I found these bad boys today. Are they calling my name?? Yes I do believe they are!

I Might Be in Love.

2010-10-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Photos from wild flower photography.

Who knew a wedding could be so magical! I wish I had awesome abilities like these to create a beautiful wedding! It makes me want to get married all over again and steal all these ideas.

I think I WILL be investing in a rustic old truck and adding balloons to it. How cute would it be to make a nursery theme like this!

Have You Seen This Man?

2010-09-23T21:18:00.001-07:00

He has been missing for the last 3 weeks. And was last seen glued to his computer playing starcraft 2. Now I can't see anything in his man cave behind a mountain of empty mountain dew cans and what appears to be a bear with headphones on. I've decided its time to send out a search! If he is sighted, please call (5NO)-STR-CRFT.

I've Been Told I Am Not Posting Enough....

2010-08-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

And this post will not make up for all the time I've lost, but let me tell you, have I been BUSY.

But for today, we are keeping it simple. Short and sweet.
Remember how my living room/ family room is going to be Red and Aqua?
Well, I found a radical frame at goodwill out in Scottsdale for a mere $2 and had my mother dearest spray paint it aqua for me.
[No i did not take before pictures. I am not that good.][I didn't even take in between pictures-- so bear with me here fora moment while I ramble.]

It's just like all those other awesome frames you are seeing right now. With the awesome frilly floralia kind of style.
BUT, I had NO idea what to put in it and it wasnt a fram you could just leave empty, not to me anyways...
So it has been traced onto brown packing paper and the paper has been placed on my wall to remind me of where to put it when something is placed inside.

I was thinking maybe filling it with just red scrapbook paper and maybe putting a K in the middle or a picture.. I just couldn't decide.

That is....

Until I fell across this little bit of inspiration. Hello gorgeous!
Did you know I love you?
With this piece of happiness, I knew how to complete my artwork. Striped paper with a punchout heart. possibly glittery?

But wait, I didnt have and candystriper paper. and i didn't want to buy anything....
So I pulled out my handy dandy RULER and drew on Red stripes with a colored pencil!
[This is where you clap your hands and shout for joy saying, "oh Jennie you are SO smart!"]

After drawing intensly, I began the hunt for the perfect heart.
I had a heart punchout.
I had red paper.

BUT.. My heart punch was a little too small for what I was looking for...
And my red paper was NOT glittery.

Enter THESE bad boys.[The Heart Picks]Source

I had originally bought them to make THIS
From Because I Can

BUT... I never got around to it....

Enter, NEW AWESOME BIG GLITTERY HEART.

Are you ready to see the final results?? I know I am!

Guess Who's Been Busy??

2010-08-06T19:25:00.001-07:00

Well.. Not so much me as my dear mother who so willingly spray painted all 8 of my frames, 1 corbel, 1 ampersand and a soon to be drop table for my front room. Isn't she wonderful? It helps that she wont allow me to spray paint anymore, due to my lack of success in that area:]

While she's been my love slave, I have become a new employee of what might be the best job on earth.
That's right ladies and gents, I Am A PHOENIX.

I recently started working for U of P about a week and a half ago and I have to tell you. BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. It makes me cry, how much i love this job. Now, yes this may just be all the excitement of a new relationship, or the fact that 1 job ago i was crying daily from stress. But nonetheless, I appreciate this job and am SO grateful for it.

Life is fairly good right now. I will say that.:]

If I Had...

2010-07-26T22:18:00.001-07:00

A churro every day... all would be well with the world.

Fantastic day today (I had 2!)

STUCK

2010-07-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

I have some great ideas for stuff I want in my living room. But today is my last weekday before the working world must take over and I am STUCK. I have too many things that need to be painted or need to be organized. There is too much to do and not enough time or wall space.

Dear Crate & Barrel

2010-07-23T00:36:00.000-07:00

I don't think you understand my adoration for you. Seriously, stop all this flirting around and get into my house!

i love you...

Change of Plans

2010-07-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

My mom made a point after seeing my post on my house colors

that my kitchen doesnt flow well into my living room..

and they are combined after all.

So after much thought I have come to a wonderful conclusion.

Steel blue is changing hues to Aqua and joining with red!

I will add little aqua accents here and there in my red and yellow kitchen

and carry the red and aqua through to the living room!

All is well.

Luckily, the only steel blue that I have in the living room right now is

2 pillows [i can make new cases] and a picture that hasnt been hung yet!

yay for new colors and fun ideas.

So excited.

Just finished watching this

2010-07-18T02:54:00.001-07:00

For the second time in two days. Completely mind blowing.

In fact, I'd see it again.

Spur of the Moment Crafting

2010-07-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

I might have gone a little over board in attempt to add something red to my kitchen...
I found my handy dandy red acrylic paint and my ever so trusty fleur di lis stamp and made my kitchen one step prettier:]

How Can I Stop When There is SO Much This Woman Does That I LOVE??

2010-07-15T02:27:00.001-07:00

I might have a bit of Martha fever... or I might just be up too late....

This is SUCH a smart way for storage. I love it. ANND the yellow. [Best color EVER.]

I want to store all my dry goods in see through dishes. This is SO beautiful.

I think I might just need to do this for extra storage in the bathroom! Genious I tell you>

Even better. I KNOW I can hang these and have awesome storage above my toilet!

The work must begin!!

Martha Stewart is a Woman After My Own Heart

2010-07-15T02:02:00.000-07:00

come organize my craft area! I don't think I have the brain to wrap my head around color coordination!

This looks SO rad. I want one.

>OH. My. GOSH. Grey and yellow HEAVEN. Somebody pinch me!

>Can you imagine a butter yellow wall here? With red shelves??

>I love these clipboards! They are going on my craft list for sure.

I Want My Office to Look Like It Came Straight Out of BHG Magazine

2010-07-15T01:57:00.000-07:00

I want grey walls. with yellow boxes. and maybe a red picture and green books and orange drawers and teal something. and one PURPLE thing. and grey corbels. well maybe white corbels. but tonight, im leaning toward grey ones.

This makes me want to organize my storage-less office. But first we must find homes for the things that are in need of storage:/

LOVE THIS

2010-07-15T01:49:00.000-07:00

Ampersands are EVERYWHERE! I love it. Can I just tell you that I might be a LITTLE obsessed with typography. It's pretty fantastic. I think I may need to mimic aLOT of this.

Hello Again

2010-07-15T01:16:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I was on here last. And there is good reason for it. I try not to blog when I am sad, and well I've been sad. Luckily for you, I'm over that now and hopefully will be in the mood for more blogging as I go.We have officially moved into our apartment. It is 700 sq ft smaller than our house was and has absolutely NO storage whatsoever. But we love it because it puts us in a better situation than our house was putting us in. Plus the bills will be cheaper:]

ALSO, it lets me take an opportunity to re-organize and decorate in this new place:] I already have almost all my colors picked out for almost every room! Are you ready? Because I am.
For my kitchen: Red and yellow with blacks and greys

My living room: steel blue and brown.. Something along these lines.

My office will be my two favorite colors of the season:] Grey and yellow with hints of green red orange teal and maaaybe purple:]

my master bedroom will be: beige and cream and chocolate and blue im going for a bit old world in style and hoping maaybe my colors will fit that style:]

my master bathroom [which is way smaller than the guest bathroom and I dont think deserves the title MASTER] will be blue and brown as well [I already have these mirrors I made when Kyle and I first got married that are pretty stinking cute:]]

And our guest bathroom will be an organic feel. with green and yellow and bamboos and white:]

Sooo that is basically my new apartment and its colors in a nutshell. I could really use some major input with lots of things so i expect major feedback ;]

And remember, we have to be creative here. No painting in my apartment. I might possibly starch fabric to one wall or two but nothing major. so most of my color has got to come from chochkys and those fun sort of things!

wish me luck

Can We Pretend that Airplanes in the Night Sky were like Shooting Stars, I could Really Use A Wish Right Now

2010-07-08T09:35:00.001-07:00

It has been a rough couple of weeks for me.. I lost a house, a grandpa, and a job in a total of 14 days. Some were expected some were on purpose.. but it doesn't change the weight of any of these burdens. I just hope there is peace around the bend.. because I could really use a bit of it right now.

Its been quite the week

2010-06-28T22:26:00.001-07:00

Earlier this month, my family received word that my moms dad, grandpa tinsley to me, was diagnosed with lung cancer. That wasn't too surprising seeing as he smoked for about 25 years before quitting cold Turkey about 30-40 years ago. The hard part was that this amazing man. One of my heroes, suddenly had a weakness. And it wasn't long until this kryptonite got the best of him too. Last Tuesday, we got word that grandpa tinsley wasn't reacting well to the treatments. He was sent in for surgery to repair a hole in his lung that had been found during treatment . When the anesthesiologist was asked to inflate his lung, the surgeon found no leak. They thought it was a miracle. An within seconds leaks were found everywhere. His lung was beyond repair. Because grandpa was "so old" if you can call 79 old with fewer grey hairs than me, he was no longer a candidate for a transplant and we were informed that we should begin arrangements to make him comfortable and let him go. On June 26th, in the morning grandpa tinsley left this world and made his way to heaven. It was a very hard time for the whole family.

Now I know that this is the way it is supposed to work. You're supposed to grow old, live a Good life, love many and serve the lord and when your time on earth is up your children will take care of you and you will be forever in their memory. But it doesn't take the hurt away from the situation. Grandpa was more than just your typical grandfather, he was wise beyond his years and so gentle and kind. He was a mentor and a wonderful friend. He never forgot to call for a birthday or holiday he was always reminding us to serve the lord in all we do and that he loved us so much.

I admire grandpa especially when he was first diagnosed with cancer. It really scared all of us to be completely honest but grandpa did nothing but hold his head high. When asked of he was scared, he responded with, " Why would I be scared? This is a win win situation for me! If I survive the lord has blessed me with a chance to stay with you all a bit longer. And if I die, I will be with my Savior!"

Thank you grandpa for putting this into perspective for me. I needed a reminder. And thank you for reminding me that the plan of salvation is an amazing thing and it is real beyond all means.

But today and maybe all this week as I fly out to Texas for the funeral, my heart aches just a bit because for the short time I have left on this earth, I wont have his guidance to help me.

But I will do all I can to make him proud and hopefully I can do right in his eyes.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Caught in the act

2010-06-16T23:08:00.001-07:00

H- I'm trying to get her to spit it out.

W-what?

H- I'm trying to get her to spit it out. She has something in her mouth.

W- who deta? (Our dog)

H- no

W- then who?

H- uhhh ( slowly begins to wake up) stop trying to make me say stuff.

Oops:)

I Can't Resist

2010-06-16T00:27:00.001-07:00

Sleeping husband talk is Just to good to be true!

H- well it looks like we did pretty good.

W- did what good?

H- the flower

W- the flower?

H- yeah your little flower

W- what flower?

H- its right in front of us. You can see it.

W- oh... okay....

H- we did a good job cleaning it.

W- mmhmm...

H- that's all I'm saying.

I can't get over how much he makes me laugh. This is my favorite activity:) can't you tell??

Check out what just came in the mail!

2010-05-27T07:56:00.001-07:00

Just got a beeeeee-utiful 11x14 canvas print last night. It just might be love! I guess my mental measurements were off in my head tho, because I ordered an 11x14 and imagined it being the size of a 16x20! Now I know what to order next time!

Chinese Takeout

2010-05-18T22:59:00.001-07:00

Today we celebrated an UNbirthday in our class (summer birthday) for one of my favorite students. (Shhh they think there's no such thing as favorites).

She brought it the most amazing treats ever.

Chinese takeout CUPCAKES.

The brocollos is a green Tootsie roll cut, dipped in frosting, and rolled in sprinkles.

The noodles are frosting.

The celery/green onions are green twizzlers.

It was amazing. I am in Love with its awesomeness. No lie.

This Time Maybe I'll Be Bulletproof

2010-05-13T20:38:00.001-07:00

Rough night with the client. These days are never fun. It's hard when they're screaming they hate you and never want you to come back. Its hard enforcing the rules when they just want to have a good time and play outside. I just have to keep reminding myself I will learn from this and be able to teach my children better. But it doesn't change that these days are hard. at least tomorrow is the weekend.

I might have a problem....

2010-05-11T18:01:00.001-07:00

I have a slight obsession with cupcake rings (you know those plastic rings they put in the frosting?)

Yes I love them. I specifically remember when the bears and colts played in the Superbowl I had one that was bears colors that I wore for weeks on end.

Today, was a birthday in one of my classes and the kid brought, what do You know? CUPCAKES.

In fact he brought FOUR boxes of cupcakes. Each with a different ring! There was x-men, Superman, Star trek, and of course ironman.

I obviously chose Tony starks iron face because it was, well, AWESOME. But let me tell you it was still a difficult decision. Between the Superman symbol an the star trek arrow thingy anything would've looked amazing on my finger. But you can't fight the fact that iron man's face looks equally amazing.

Yes I do have a slight problem. But I'm okay with that.

Plus I've got an ironman ring which technically makes me awesome.

I've Been Featured!

2010-05-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

A special thanks to:

Kari @ U Create

The ladies of Sweet Charli

And last but most definitely not least,
Rachel at One Pretty Thing

Thank you for taking the time to check out my tutorial and sharing it with the world! You have NO idea how special that made me feel. I just may be giddy for months now!

Teacher Appreciation Gift

2010-05-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

While shopping at Michael's this weekend my mother dearest and I came up with a wonderful idea for a gift for our co-workers. This was so cheap because we had almost everything on hand! And what is so awesome is this could be used for SO many things! Not just teacher appreciation week!

All you need is:

hot glue gun
scrapbook paper
paper flowers
gemmies [jewels]
post-it notes
clear plastic picture frame

Take your handy dandy picture frame and take out the insert

Use the insert as your guide to cut your scrapbook paper. [I got 6 out of my paper]
Then slide in the paper like so

Flip the frame so that it is leaning like a long division sign [can you tell we are teaching division right now? hahah!]

Take your glue gun and glue on that post-it note stack

Glue one the flowers

You can tell I tried to choose what would match my post-its:]

Add your gemmies

Add a sweet note to the top post-it

And pass them out!

I'm quite proud if I do say so myself:]

Sleepy talk

2010-05-02T02:42:00.001-07:00

I can't sleep. This is What I get for falling asleep for FIFTEEN minutes during the movie tonight!

On the plus side, I got to listen to husband's awesome sleep chatter.

On tonight's menu: Tuna

H: "You won a can of tuna"

W: "What about tuna?"

H: "Sometimes its good to give tuna to animals."

Thanks for that very special info honey:)

I love

2010-04-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

I love when the clouds look like they came from a toy story movie.

Say A Little Prayer For You

2010-04-28T22:24:00.001-07:00

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the worlds BEST visiting teachers. This was just what I needed.

Amen

Just So You Know....

2010-04-27T22:20:00.001-07:00

I AM the luckiest girl in the world.

I don't think its possible to find anyone better for me than the man I married. So patient. So kind. So willing to give his all. I love him so much. Thank you Kyle for being my hero every day. For being my strength and my guide. You are my hero.

Jennie.

Bookwork

2010-04-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing all these new crafts using book pages to make wreaths and banners and what not. And my oh my are they gorgeous.

BUT

I don't think I have the soul to do that to my books. It doesn't matter if it is the most boring book in the world, somebody put their time and effort into that book hoping that somebody would love it... I don't think I could ever do something like that to a book.... shame. maybe I'll try newspaper instead.

Dear Husband,

2010-04-12T22:30:00.001-07:00

Thank you for working so hard. I appreciate all that you do and how dedicated you are.

Thanks for finding lightroom online for me so I can finish my photos.

Thanks for being fearless when we all know what a baby I am.

Thanks for dealing with me never checking my phone even if it means you have to work from home some days because we left your only set of keys in my car.

Thanks for not getting too frustrated with me when I woke you up to tell you I didn't have to coax the fan into working, it did it all on its own. (1st time this month!)

Overall, thanks for being you.

Love,

Wife.

There Was a Time

2010-04-12T17:50:00.001-07:00

There was a time when I went to bed at a decent hour and got a decent amount of sleep.

There was a time when I went grocery shopping on schedule so that I don't scrounge around the house trying to make dinner... lunch.... or even breakfast.

There was a time when my pants fit....

There was a time when I was fearless.

There was a time when I made a rob more money.

I miss those times:(

author's note

2010-04-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

thats not really my computer. sorry for the mis information. My computer is turning into that and will be there soon due to lack of awesomeness [and i guess speed and memory and all that "important" stuff] but that was just a picture of somebody else's computer meltdown.

it was a meltdown

2010-04-03T20:29:00.000-07:00

my editing computer has gone to a better place now. Luckily no images were lost in the wreckage of the computer, but it may be a few days before I'm back up and running for photography. looks like we will be in the market for a new computer.

Teenager

2010-04-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 2 of my students told me I look like a teenager. [I'm not going to complain, I've always been told I look older than my age (and so I already fear what life will be like when I'm older, and I look EVEN OLDER) so when I'm told I look younger I take it as a compliment.] When I asked them what made me look like a teenager, they said [and I QUOTE] "because teenagers are skinny and stuff."

Thank you thank you thank you. And they said it the day after I ate a whole bag of these bad boys all by myself.

Blessings

2010-03-29T21:43:00.001-07:00

Little blessings have been popping up all over the place for us lately.

I become more and more grateful everyday.

1. We sold our house. Signed the papers this afternoon and are released from the loan tomorrow.

2. The buyers offered to rent to us for two months so we wont feel so stressed to pack and run.

3. I have been given a couple options for jobs this summer which means rather than being desperate an willing to work anywhere for any price, I get to be picky and choose what I want!

4. After a year and a half, my in-laws finally got the house that they've had their sights set on from the beginning!

I'm so grateful for everything that's happening. So many blessings.

Womans Work

2010-03-25T22:14:00.001-07:00

Today I taught my respite client, Darwin, how to clean a toilet. As I was showing him how to scrub he looked at me and shouted, "I'm not doing this! This is woman's work!"

When I got home, I vented to Husband and he responded with a, "hahaha that's funny"

And when I gave him the LOOK, he said,"WHAT? I didn't say it! He's probably... old fashioned! "

So that sums up my Thursday.

Dun Dun DUNNNNN

2010-03-11T10:49:00.001-08:00

You better believe it! Husband and I have decided to put our home on the market! No this is not a bad thing and no we aren't in over our heads. But our home was bought high and obviously is now upside down in value over how much we owe and it would take quite a few years more than we would be willing to live there to earn that equity back. So we have decided to take the plunge and take advantage of the situation and starting a.mew adventure!

I'm excited!

Vet

2010-03-11T09:23:00.001-08:00

Took Delta to the vet yesterday to have a limp checked out that she got recently and to update her rabies vaccine. While we were there, the doctor told me my puppy was fat! FAT! Can you believe this NONESENSE?! Delta is most definitely not fat! She is healthy and strong. So I don't like seeing a dogs ribs! If I wanted a ribsy puppy I would have named her ribsy!

So I will not be putting my dear Delta on a diet. I like her JUST the way she is!

:)

The cloudsss

2010-02-22T15:17:00.001-08:00

The clouds look absolutely amazing today. When the sun is out at least. And ME of all people saying this means they have got to be preeettty awesome because I am most definitely not a check out those clouds kind of girl.

PS. I pretty much risked my life for this photo so you'd better appreciate it. Oh and..... don't tell my mom. .... or Oprah.......

Thanks.....

Anmiversary

2010-02-22T15:12:00.001-08:00

Even our milk knew it was an important day!

anmiversary

2010-02-22T11:22:00.001-08:00

San Diego was a blast. We spent our anniversary at sea world touching wonderful creatures and learning about them. I loved the Shamu and sea lions shows they put on. We ended our day with a moonlight cruise compliments of our hotel.

Sunday we spent our day at mission bay. Which was quite easy seeing as our hotel was right on the beach! We walked up and down the boardwalk and were going to go to the pier but it was starting to sprinkle so we headed back. We sat and watched the shore for a while and talked about the awesomeness it would be to own ocean front property. We came to terms that one day in the future we will live on the ocean or very close. Even if it is only for a short amount of time.

We went shopping and almost bought a hermit crab and a shark in a bottle. Personally I think the hermit crab would be sweet. But alas husband said wait.

We went and has some awesome froyo and went to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians the lightning thief. It was pretty awesome. Not nearly as amazing as the book but still good for a movie. After the movie we began our Long journey home. And the whole time, since we had just seen the movie and happened to have the book in my purse, I read aloud number 2 in the series. Pierce Jackson and the Olympians the sea of monsters. We read over 150 pages on the trip and husband is really enjoying it:) I am glad because he's not much of a reader. I think reading just isn't exciting for him. But he's good at listening to me read. I will make him a book lover one day. Even if it means that I will always have to read to him for him to love it:)

All in all our anniversary adventure was a blast. It really was quite the success. We saved a ton of money which was shocking because we didn't even reserve our hotel until the night before! Thank goodness for getting married in February when tourism spots are slow!

Next year maybe a trip to DC? We will see!

oh happy day

2010-02-20T09:45:00.000-08:00

Today I have been stuck with my best friend for 1 year.
We still make each other laugh.
we bicker a bit more.
we cry.
we snigger.
we make big and small decisions.
Sometimes, we even still surprise each other with presents. [my favorite]
things have changed. but definitely for the good.
And I wouldnt fix any of it if I could!

Happy anniversary husband

Road trips are fun

2010-02-20T07:40:00.001-08:00

Heading to San Diego for the weekend. :)

Having fun filling the drive time by rocking out to our ring tones:)

Cuz that's the way we roll!

(Best ringtone by far is the NFL on fox song. --thats right I have that song and its my ringtone. )

Superbowl

2010-02-07T15:58:00.001-08:00

Colts vs saints

A heart divided.

I love peyton Manning. But man oh man drew brees is wonderful eye candy.

How will I ever decide???

I will let you know who I choose after the game:)

Yearning

2010-02-01T22:04:00.001-08:00

I have a yearning for creativity. A MAD one at that. Maybe it's because I haven't gone shooting in a while or simply because I need an outlet and art is calling my name. Nonetheless here I am trying and trying and trying and failing and failing and failing. :( I hate a non creative mind.

Sometimes

2010-01-31T22:07:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I resent Sundays.... just for the fact that it means Monday comes next. :( goodbye weekend. You will be sorely missed.

Conversation Baby Names

2010-01-31T00:02:00.001-08:00

J: we should name our first girl Xena

K: we are not naming our kid Xena

J: but she'll be a warrior princess and she'll be awesome. Maybe she will even marry a Hercules

K: maybe it will fit. We will put it on the list.

He's going to regret his decisions in the morning:):):) but its in writing now! Can't take it back:):):)

Ehhh

2010-01-30T19:40:00.001-08:00

Is feeling less inspired lately. And idealess.

I hate ruts like these.

Textversation Between Best Friend and I Last Night

2010-01-20T13:38:00.001-08:00

C: Flash flood. Rain going over curb. AWESOME!!!!!

J: That doesn't make it a flash flood...

C: In my book it does: ) Haha

J: Ohhhhhhh noooooooooo there's too much water for the concrete to handleeee!

That's pretty much the life right there.

Conversation between husband and i today

2010-01-18T22:37:00.001-08:00

J: "I love you"

K: "I love you too"

J: "I love you more"

K: "that's fine"

I guess thats what I get for having this conversation while he's attempting to sleep.

Suzanne Collins would

2010-01-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

Finished the Hunger Games Saturday night, only to find it had a terrible hook that made me get up that instant and drive to Barnes and Noble and buy the sequel catching fire. How's that for one genius author?! "oh sorry, you can't know what happens yet go buy my next book!"

Just found an awesome website thanks to a friend that I am really excited about. It is ldsjournal.com. It's like a blog minus the public's eye. I love it. and what's even cooler is, just like you can turn your blog into a book, you can do this as well:] I'm super excited to get into it! I have a really hard time with genealogy so this might be a way that I can participate without completely going nutso.

Keep watch on the photo blog. Will be offering a special soon:]

Bookcase dos

2010-01-09T11:55:00.001-08:00

After a 3 hour deep clean with husband, more books were discovered throughout my house and my original plan was foiled. I.had to reorganize the whole lot!

My newly organized bookshelf consists of:

Top shelf- religious and books that I really really want to read

2nd shelf- awesome books I have read

3rd shelf- Kyle's books and kids books

4th shelf- some advanced reading copies that I decided to keep (I weeded out quite a few) and other books that I want to read but am not particularly inclined to right now. And picture books that will be in need of a new home (aka a more kiddish bookshelf )

5th shelf- photoalbums and memory books

Woo.

Bookcase

2010-01-09T01:12:00.001-08:00

My bookcase that I got for my birthday (back in September) has finally been assembled and filled (somewhat). And I have come to the conclusion that I most definitely need more books. I'm guessing a trip to di and the amazing gw are going to be put on my list of things to do! They have the most amazing deals there I love it! (I.e. hardback davinci code $1.99!!!)

Any ideas of books that should be added to my collection are always welcome.

I want to one day (sooner rather than later) have my walls of my bedroom filled with bookcases. And the only books I want on those shelves are books I have read and enjoyed! Maybe one day I will have my books organized like Barnes and Noble:) with a religion section and a teen and kids section. Then maybe romantic and comedy and probably some self-help mixed in between. All of course either in alphabetical order or by rating (I plan on giving a 5 star rating system to all my books. No books under 3 stars allowed!)

Right now my bookcase is organized by :

Top shelf- haven't read but planning on it

Second shelf- read and awesome

Third shelf- read kiddish books (including picture books etc.)

4th sheld- old advanced reading copies from back in the day when I was a volunteer for the library that I haven't decided whether I want to read yet or not.

5th shelf- TBA

PS... reading Hunger Games right now. Holy COW awesome. Soon good and way out of my typical comfort zone but definitely a 4-5 star book already. And what an intense movie this would be. AWESOME. LOOOOOVE it!

Best part of 2009

2010-01-01T16:47:00.001-08:00

'08 and '09 have been really good years for me. I am almost afraid to let them fall into the past. 2008 was the year I met my husband and my life totally flipped over on itself. By November of '08 I was engaged to be married to (if I do say so myself) the most amazing man on the entire planet. 2009 was another year of wonder and amazement! In February Kyle and I got not only married, but sealed for time and all eternity. '09 has brought challenges and difficulties but also blessings beyond my imagination. I loved 2009 and I am going to miss it. But a wise man (my brother Drew) once told me, that if you expect the first year of marriage to be the best, then you're going to be looking forward to a lot of years of not as awesome.

And so with that, here's to the next best year of my life!

These ornaments are a tradition my mom and I started when I got engaged. It was right at Christmas time so we were lucky to find those year picture frame ornaments:) we put so many engagement pictures in those frames. I think my mom has 20 of her top favorite engagement shots Haha. We gave some to grandparents and (at that time) future inlaws and saved one for Kyle and I. This year out family pictures consist of wedding shots. so I picked out my favorite and added it to our tree:) I hope that over the years as I pull out our ornaments at Christmas time I will ne reminded of all the good times Kyle and I (and our one day in the VERY VERY far future children) had and think of the exciting new adventures that are coming our way!

And so again I say here's to the next best year of my life and may there be many many more like that to come.

Happy new year!

2009-12-31T21:20:00.001-08:00

Here's to the awesome memories, the ridiculous days, and the future outlandish stories we will one day tell out children. Welcome to the world 2010!

The Craziest Animal Video of 2009

2009-12-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

Because apparently sheep-herders have nothing better to do!

and neither do I

A List of Greats

2009-12-30T09:54:00.000-08:00

Wasting time again... But trying to do it quickly so I can get to the 4 1/2 insurance videos I promised husband today.
One of my favorite things about new years is the possibilities of new music.

This is my list of some of my favorite songs from 2009 [released sometime during '09 or at least a hit in '09]
***these are in no particular order***

Single Ladies [Put a Ring on it]- Beyonce
Love Story- Taylor Swift
I'm Yours- Jason Mraz
Viva La Vida- Cold Play
Boom Boom Pow- Black Eyed Peas
I'm A B- Black Eyed Peas
I Gotta Feeling- Black Eyed Peas
Use Somebody- Kings of Leon
I Know You Want Me [Calle Ocho] - Pitbull
Hotel Room Service- Pitbull
Sexy Chick- David Guerra Ft. Akon [favorite song ever right now]
Don't Trust Me- 3OH!3
Gives You Hell- All American Rejects
Hello Seattle- Owl City
Fireflies- Owl City
Tik Tok- KeSha
The Call- Regina Spektor

All quite fantastic dance in your underpants pieces if you ask me.

agh

2009-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

In attempt to actually fulfill my resolutions I am here blogging for you right now... The problem is, as I am writing this, I am not managing my time well and therefore not fulfilling one of my resolutions! Thus canceling both out and failing to improve all together.
I had an interview today:] It was on the phone and it went awesomely.:]:]
I will be going in for the second interview sometime next week to meet with them in person.:]
It is a full time position.:]:]
2 dollars more an hour than i make now:]:]
and has benefits from the START.:]:]:]:]:]
Sadly, it does require working on Sundays from time to time. [maybe more]
I guess I will have to pray about it and see.
But what an IDEAL job otherwise.
oh, did I mention the TUITION REIMBURSEMENT??
AND Monday through Thursday, the shift doesn't start until ELEVEN AM????? [THAT my friends is pure heaven]
again, I guess we will have to pray about it and see...:[

stupid morals. ruining everything fun

It's That Time of Year

2009-12-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

Seeing as it is quite close to the new year, I guess it is best that I begin to list my resolutions. I'm sure there will be many, for I am NO perfect person [though, sometimes I like to think I am], and I am sure there are many goals you would like to add to my list to make me that much awesomer. For example, I'm sure husband would love for me to stop pushing him to the side of the bed in the middle of the night, or stop stealing all the blankets, or stop pushing my freezing toes against his warm legs [we will see what happens]

So here is to a new year with a new chance to better myself.
So far I have come up with almost 2 dozen. I will probably add to this as I think further, but for now these are my wishes to make me a better [more awesome] ME.

1. Be on time to church, school, work, dinner, parties.... BE ON TIME
2. Plan my primary lesson at LEAST on Saturday, instead of 15 minutes before Primary begins
3. Have patience with my students
4. Get a new job that offers benefits
5. waste time less
6. blog more
7. Take Delta to the dog park more often
8. purchase lightroom
9. get more clients
10. shoot every day
11. edit at least once a week
12. learn restraint [esp when it comes to shopping for decorations]
13. keep better track of my phone
14. keep pose ideas in a notebook that I always keep with me
15. use my ' [apostrophes]
16. keep tasks in a daily calendar
17. complete those tasks
18. tell Husband I love him everyday
19. find at least 4 new locations a month
20. get my phlebotomy certificate/license
21. get my property and casualty insurance license
22. learn how to do my hair.
23. update my recipe blog and actually post.

Spills

2009-12-20T22:09:00.001-08:00

I'm getting better and better at spilling on myself.

Tonight, a cup of diet Pepsi just went through my lip. Last week my waterbottle decided its time was better well spent on my lap instead of in my belly.

New providers

2009-12-20T22:07:00.001-08:00

Husband and I switched to Verizon. At first i hated it. Mainly because i was stuck with a blackberry storm 2 (aka WORST PHONE EVER) now, we have the droid by motorola and its pretty sweet. Its the closest phone I've seen to the iPhone which is nice:)

The best thing about Verizon is that your call doesn't drop 3 times in the same place even tho your phone says you have 4 bars. Haha Haha. Good ole T-Mobile. Good ole T-Mobile.

I Made the Nice List!

2009-12-03T15:46:00.000-08:00

I guess that letter to santa worked!

check it out!

Dear Santa

2009-11-27T10:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

As I am sure you've noticed, I've been extra special good this year. Even taking on some of your work load.... by stuffing as many stockings as I can. So it's with great admiration and what I'm sure is mutual respect that I humbly submit you my Christmas list for this year.

Happy Holidays,

Jennie Karges

P.S. I'm leaving a 2 liter of A&W cream soda out for you this year. Milk? Let's get serious here. . .

Thank You Soldiers

2009-11-11T10:45:00.001-08:00

Thank you soldiers of every kind.

To those who we have lost, but are still in our hearts

Thank you who have fought for our safety and freedom.

To those who have fought for not only the safety of America, but the safety of mankind.

Thank you to those who didn't have to fight, but still would have if necessary.

Thank you to the Veterans who have served our Country faithfully.

Thank you to the soldiers who still serve our Country today.

We salute you in a never ending gratitude for what you do for America
and the impact you have made on the world.

Thank you.

Happy Veterans Day.

[yay for a holiday!]

la la la

2009-11-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

Raise your hand if you enjoyed Taylor Swift's Monologue Song!

I did.

Ps.... Still hating blogging.....
frustrated with photography....
don't know what I want to be when I grow up.....
Not enough time to read anymore......
First Christmas married comes with lots extra expenses:[
including ornaments and decorations [i do like shopping for those]
still not licensed in insurance even though I started the videos 2 months ago....
considering going brown for winter.... but I kinda like the Jennifer Nettles look

[I've been told I'm her celebrity look alike... HAH.]

Mad Funnel Cake

2009-10-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Last night during my photo class funnel cake was brought up. After that I HAD to have some. So I found the recipe online, and last night at 10 pm after I got out of class, my darling husband and I made some

MAD FUNNEL CAKE

1 cup water
6 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs
veg oil - frying
powdered sugar - topping

boil water sugar butter and salt together in a saucepan. add flour and work it until it is incorporated and forms a doughball. Transfer mixture to a standing mixer bowl and let cool 3-4 min. With mixer on lowest speed add in eggs 1 at a time making sure the first is completely incorporated before continuing. once all the eggs have been added and the mixture is smooth, put dough into a piping bag with a no. 12 tip or into a plastic baggie with a corner cut off. heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil into a heavy pan. pipe dough into oil making a free form lattice pattern, cook until browned, flipping once. remove cake from oil, drain on paper towel, and top with powdered sugar. continue until all batter is used.

I loved it. And you should too.

goals

2009-10-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

ive decided i want to become better faster so i am writing some goals for this month:

1. read the scriptures every day
2. say morning and evening prayers regularly
3. get up before Kyle gets frustrated with me
4. try new meals and take pictures of them
5. take a ridiculously good picture
6. do lots of laundry
7. keep up with the chore chart
8. smile more
9. finish my insurance licensing
10. find a new job
11. clean out the car
12. get my license changed
13. learn a new way to do my hair [any ideas??]
14. send letters to the missionaries
15. do my visiting teaching

Not Gonna Lie

2009-10-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

this cracks me up every time I see it.

Happy Birthday Husband

2009-09-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

I am proud to be the wife of the most amazing husband in the world!
Thank you sugar for being so patient with me
and letting me get away with not wrapping your birthday presents:]

You mean the world to me:]

Here's to the next eternity together:]

I love you.

Puppy Love

2009-09-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time...

I had a dog.
She was the most wonderful dog in the
ENTIRE WORLD!

Her name was Shelli.

Shelli joined my family when I was 5 years old
as a present to my 17 year old brother Paul.
She quickly became the favorite member of the family.

Shelli shared everything with us,
ice cream
beds
chocolate
dinner
happiness
sorrows

She was with us through good and bad.

Shelli was one SMART dog.
If you said "hup"
she'd be jumping all over you
if you tried to fake her out and pretend throw her ball,
she'd bark at you
Shelli could sit
shake
and lie down on command

She was a protector.
Hated a man in uniform
[unless of course it was Paul suited up in his Army best]
And barked at anyone who walked or drove by that she feared might
harm her house.

Shelli often got teased by the boys in the family.
Chased by the vacuum
to the point where the closet door holding the vacuum
couldn't be opened without her cowering in the corner
Instead of throwing her ball
the boys would throw rocks
she would chase them and chew them and ruin her teeth
after a time she preferred the softer cat food to hard doggie foods

Shelli moved from kid to kid down the line as we grew up and moved out.
We learned not to wake her if she fell asleep on your pillow
[she was a GROUCHY dog without sleep.. kind of like dad]
We learned never to feed her beans EVER
[scratch that QUENTIN learned never to feed her beans....
poor Q.]

By the time I graduated high school Shelli ruled the down stairs.
We had given up trying to get her to stop sleeping on the couches
And she had her own space that no one else would sit on
[mostly because if you did, you would come out furrier than chewbacca!]

Shelli also began to rule the downstairs because she couldn't make it upstairs anymore.
She had a water tumor on her right ankle that never stopped growing and was losing strength.

But just because she was slower and weaker didn't mean she didn't have any soul left!
She stayed by my mother's side day and night as my mom denied her "empty nester" status
She played catch with my dad
and barked at a few plummers and A/C men

When I got married,
she clung to my mom as she realized
that I wouldnt ever be moving back home

over time, Shelli got weaker and weaker
no longer being able to control her bladder,
the poor pup began to lose the dignity she saw in herself

Her tumor swelled to the size of a grapefruit
she began to limp and was unable to walk more than
a few steps at a time.
She started to pick at her tumor
and one morning after a long night outside,
my parents opened the door to pools of blood
that the open wound had left on the back porch

Our Shelli was dying.

On Saturday, September 12th, 2009
my parents took Shelli to the vet to be
put to sleep.

It was a terribly hard day for us all.
Saying goodbye to a friend that had been with us for more than
13 years.

Shelli was the silliest sweetest dog I have ever known.
On her last day with us on this earth she showed us that she was ready.
She didnt act like herself those last few days.
people would walk in the room and she wouldnt even raise her head
she knew it was time.

when we put Shelli down it was so hard.
To see to watch
but I am soo grateful she isnt in pain anymore.
Thank you shelli for being more than just a pet.
Thank you for being a life long friend

I am sorry if I sound pathetic mourning over the loss of a mere dog.
I realize that there are many out there that have suffered much worse
but Shelli was someone dear to me
She definitely left a pawprint on my heart

here's to Shelli

God Bless America

2009-09-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

I realized today on the commute to work that it was September 11th.
As I was listening to the radio tributes to this day, I cried.
I cannot imagine what it would be like to lose a loved one.
To lose a mother or father, to lose a husband...
Truly a difficult thing to bear for anyone.

My heart goes out to all those who have lost anyone in their life.
And I pray the Lord may be with
anyone
who was affected in any way by September 11, 2001.

This video was a new insight on this day

We held an assembly in remembrance of this day at school this morning.
It amazed me to think and realize
that the children I work with were no more than
MAYBE
a year old when this happened.
I hope that this day will never be forgotten.

I can still remember exactly what happened on that Tuesday morning.
I hope that they can always remember what this day means.

roller skills

2009-09-02T16:31:00.001-07:00

now i want an evian

Coolest Thing EVER

2009-08-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

We are just adding new things to our family left and right!
First we have Jethro Walter
[JDub]
And now,
we have welcomed into our household
Delta!

Ain't she gorgeous??
We rescued her from Friends For Life Animal Sanctuary in Gilbert.
We aren't exactly sure what she is...
Rumors say a mix between
rotweiler,
hound,
and sharpei!

She is the neatest dog ever!

She has YET to bark once!

She is just so loveable and awesome!

I am so lucky to have her.

Still working on the whole potty training idea
But she has shown so much improvement
in just 24 hours!

We love her so much!

And house training is just like potty training a kid...
kinda...

So we are set for like
ANOTHER 30 years
before we are ready to have a kid come along!:]

[ps. Catie you can thank KYLE for not letting her middle name be Baby Jesus. I seriously tried... shame]

The Decision Has Been Made

2009-08-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

Kyle liked Jethro best
but I still love Walter
So I compromised.

His name will be
Jethro Walter

or J Dub for short:]

I love it

I love you JDub

Happy Anniversary

2009-08-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary Husband:]

Can you believe it has been 6 months already?

It so does not feel like 1/2 of a year has gone by since we tied the knot!!

I am so excited for ice cream tonight
[with all the toppings my tummers can stand]

And I am so excited to be married to you for time and all eternity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[can't you tell??]

Thanks husband for being patient-er than you should with me :]

Thanks for kisses every night
and a big SQUEEZE before passing out

Thanks for listening to me stumble over my words night after night as I read you HP1

Thanks for fixing the computer and helping make w/h/j able to download his work to the desktop

Thanks for doing the dishes tonight while I was up here blogging :P

&& Thanks for forgiving me on Monday after I got frustrated with you being on the phone for sooooooooooooo loooong!

[gimme a break. w/h/j wasnt working and i was freaking out and needed serious help and husband was on the phone for what he said was only 15 min but I swear it was more like an hour]

[[Guess what Husband??
if this works [which i pray it does]
This will post at
9:45 AM
the exact time that we were married six months ago:]
aren't I so clever???]]

I lovers you:]

Thanks for a great six months and here is to eternity!!

Namer Namer Namer

2009-08-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

I've changed my mind....

his name will be

Walter....

Or Harvey....

Or Jethro....

I elimminated george because it was boring
and if I spelled it Jorge..
&& it would be HORE-HEY...
BUT I've decided
my camera is American
with european descent
so it just didn't fit
[I do know how to change the language on him
so he could possibly be bilingual...]

I eliminated Geoffrey because I actually like that name
[scratch that I love it]
&& would honestly consider naming a kid that..
&& I can't name a kid Geoffrey if I've already named my camera that!
[That's like giving your friend a nick name,
calling him it for years
and then suddenly deciding to give it to someone else.
It's just not right!]

[Or.. if that analogy is too similar...
it's like ABC gum..
it gets disgusting after the first go around with someone...]

So I went on babynames.com
[seriously]
and looked at names.
I kept coming back to Walter
So I decided to keep it on the list
While in the G's I ran across Garvy
&& thought, "wow.. what a LAME name!"
But it reminded me of a pretty sweet name
HARVEY
It reminds me of Sabrina the Teenage Witch
[only the best show of the 90's ever!
-I know, I obviously didn't get out much]

While in the J's I fell upon a name that really
rollllllled
off my tongue
Jebediah
again i thought
luhoooser name
but was reminded of an awesomely different and intriguing name
JETHRO
thank you NCIS for such an awesome character with a
TWICE
as awesome name!

So there's my choices

Walter

Harvey

Jethro

any of them LAME or LUHOOSER?
probably.
But not to me
I adore them

Maybe my camera will get 3 names...
who knows....

we will see what I decide:]

ps- he is a boy.
not a girl.
all of my inanimate objects that are named
are boys.

I've Come to Despise Blogging

2009-08-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

I've come to despise blogging.

Maybe it's because i am selfish and get jealous easily

or maybe because I am lonely
and the internet's connection
just isn't the same as a human connection...
[sorry.. I believe you just saw my father in me. Terrible terrible pun there]

Or maybe it's because I am often intimidated by blogging and those who I follow...

But here's to a fresh start.
To jealousy free blogging.
To lonely free blogging.
To intimidation free blogging
[man, this is starting to sound like those BAN commercials...]

[searched for hours online for the original
and never found one.
Lucky for me I pretty much knew how to copy cat it.
photos via flickr]

It's time I get off my high horse and do this for me.
This is no longer something that everyone else is doing..
this is something that I'm doing.
for ME ME MEMEME.

Now onto less rant more fun....

I have been having loads of fun with my new camera.
[thank you husband again for being awesome and saying
YES
to getting it early]

I've taken good pictures and bad ones.
I am still figuring out how to mess with this bad boy
so if something looks retarded
suck it up.
its called a work in progress ;]

This weekend was full of fun activities.

Barbecues at friends houses
[with everso adorable babies]

I finished editing the pictures for Kaylee and Jeanine.

Designed labels

&& Created legal documents.... giving permission
[thank you lawyer brother in-law.
Your help made it sound so much more professional than my original!]

I am very lucky I have a husband who is patient and kind with me.
We had a discussion last night
that I needed to chill out on the photography at the dinner table
and that the ticking MUST stop..
:[ poo

But I must say.. We did have some delicious treats for FHE that I was able to capture
because I brought my camera to the dinner table:]]

Husband and I have started to read Harry Potter together.
Well.. No..
That's a lie.
Let me start again...

I have begun to read Harry Potter to husband..
[yes thats better]
I decided that it was necessary why I was not so much a fan of the Harry Potter no. 6 movie.
[He just didn't understand that Harry was
obsessed
with that potions book and the curses inside it too!]
So I found it was necessary to welcome him into the world of our favorite wizard,
Mr. Harry James Potter.
Soon he will understand
why people dress up like him,
why girls scream for him,
why people obsess over him!!

I'd Like to Introduce You to the Newest Member of the Karges Family....

2009-08-18T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is George
[possibly geoffrey or walter- we haven't signed any birth certificates yet]He is my baby. And I love him very much.

I am still getting to know him and having the time of my life!

I love you George/Geoffrey/Walter.

:]

logocrazy

2009-08-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

I have been editing like crazy
to finish a cd for a shoot
i took of a few friends about 2 weeks ago.

and what happens??
everytime i open my photo editor, it freezes!
Our upstairs computer
[the one i use for editing]
is old enough that it is slowly dying on me :[
Kyle says
"it is because it is so graphically intense and uses so much memory!"

So I attempted to edit downstairs
on the BIG monitor
[we have my old comp hooked up to the TV so we can watch cable shows]
and the same thing happened!!
I was so frustrated.
I really want to get these done for the girls as quick as possible!
So I did the only thing my photo editor would allow...

I messed with logo styles...

&&I kinda like it:]

This Might be Out of My Area of Expertise...

2009-08-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

Heading off to Tucson for a few days...

Not exactly excited to be leaving Kyle.

This will be the first time away from each other since before the wedding. :/

Rough.

This might be a little hard....

a love note

2009-07-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

Dear husband

I appreciate the fact that you're grateful for the cookies I made you.

I appreciate the fact that you'll let me waste my day away reading, but not vegging out on One Tree Hill episodes

I am a little sad that you got to spend big $ on that boardgame when I wanted to buy that vinyl and paint [but I am excited to see what makes this game so amazing to you.]

I think it's hilarious that you asked to use the bathroom first even though you know I was crossing my legs the whole car ride home [be grateful I let you]

i love hearing you plunk around on our new piano:]

I am grateful for your willingness to compromise with my everso stubborn ways

I am glad you came home for lunch today even though you were frustrated with work.. it was the highlight of my day:]

Thank you for supporting me with all my ridiculous ideas and adventures:]

I lub you

wife

2009-07-27T09:07:00.000-07:00

Today I think I will clean the kitchen...

seeing as we made it a disaster yesterday while cooking it is probably a great idea!

Then maybe I will edit some photos for a little bit..

possibly listen to a few videos for class to get my insurance license.. [yeah im going to get it]

&& then maybe I will go visit my madre.. She's been out of town for the past few weeks so it will be nice to spend time with her again

yup.. that's what I think I will do.

A List of My Own...

2009-07-25T00:08:00.000-07:00

A good friend got me thinking a while back about creating a bucket-list. She's always on top of things like this and is such a go and do kind of girl... which I am quite jealous of because more often than not, I am more of a sit and stew-er... But she has motivated me this time.. to create a list of things I dream to do before I "kick the bucket"

1. be a mommy [one day]
2. graduate college
3. have a successful business
4. publish a book
5. attend a temple session in every temple
6. serve a mission
7. read the entire Book of Mormon
8. Read the entire Book of Mormon in chronological order
9. learn sign language
10. try out for American Idol
11. Write a song
12. take a ballroom dance class
13. sew a quilt
14. take an excellent picture
15. Have a library in my house
16. paint a beautiful picture
17. grow a garden
18. create/write a recipe
19. master the hymns for the piano
20. do temple work for my family
21. ride a gondola
22. run 5 miles without stopping
23. attend a major sporting event [i.e. superbowl... olympics..]
24. skydive
25. bungee jump
26. donate my hair [that requires staying away from bleach :P]
27. study nursing [even if i don't ever use it]
28. swim with dolphins
29. go to the sacred grove in all seasons
-winter
-spring
-summer*
-fall
30. adopt or foster a child
31. volunteer at a retirement home
32. name a star
33. go to NYC*
34. take a kick boxing class
35. get my insurance license
36. bake a cake from scratch
37. learn family history
38. have 15 minutes [or more] of fame
39. sell something on etsy
40. donate my organs [that will have to be AFTER I kick the bucket.. but I want to nonetheless]
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

Do you have any other ideas?
I would like to eventually reach 50 or higher...
But I want obtainable goals.. Not, "become rich and famous and have a hit record"

Lemme know if you can think of anything worth living for;]

Grateful

2009-07-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

In a world of heartache and sins, I am grateful to come across things like this. Just watching this reminded me that I needed to go kiss Kyle and clean up my mess in the office. :] i love this:

For You, Liz

2009-07-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our lucky day!

We got a Piano.

For FREE [yes, I said free].

We hauled it in the truck and brought my baby home to mama!

It was a wonderful deal! The legs are a bit shaky, a small section of the laminate cover edge broke off to expose the unstained pieces, and a few of the keys are sticky [you practically have to use a sledge hammer to get middle D to play but that's okay, I've got fingers of steel]

With my piano being free and all... I kinda want to..... paint it.
First I want to find out if it will change the sound dramatically, because if so, I wont.
secondly, I have to get permission from my husband...
{I mentioned it yesterday and he vetoed it right away:[ }

Where do I get this inspiration? amazingly enough I was snooping around the blogosphere yesterday and came across 3 [not 1, not 2, 3] blogs [not linked to one another either] that had bloggers that had painted their pianos!
How crazy is it that RIGHT after I get my free piano I see SEVERAL blogs with painted pianos??
It was fate. It must be done.Now mind you, I am emphasizing free, not because I am bragging, but because had I spent more than $100 on a piano,
I highly doubt I would paint it.
Because I have spent nothing I feel I don't have as much to lose!
but honestly, I have googled around, and there are
tons of people
who paint their pianos!
&& what a
conversation piece
that baby would be if it were bright red!
or Yellow!
or steel blue!
IT would be AWESOME!

Can you tell I am feeling crafty lately??

I want to paint my office.
I am thinking repainting the walls a stark white,
or making them butter yellow.
&& accenting with orange, yellow, green, and red!

I will probably paint the desks white as well!!
I think it would be fantastic.
So bright and citrus-y. mmm:]I want to do this to my desk with drawers
Except with white paint and ridiculously bright colors.

I also want to silhouette a lamp shade like this

&& paint birds above my door frame&& maybe I will say hello before I even see anyone

Or maybe I will make a wish on a dandelion...

AHH! this house has so much potential && I cannot wait to get started!!!!!!!

Heck! maybe I will put a vinyl on the piano!!

5 Months

2009-07-21T07:24:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe it has been 5 months already! 5 wonderfully amazing months.

I have learned lots about Kyle && I cannot wait to learn more!

♥ chocolate is the way to His heart [not mine] Reeses in particular

♥ He makes me lists to keep me busy and mentally healthy not because it bothers him when I have a mental breakdown but because He wants me to be happy.

♥ I test His patience more often than not, yet He still holds me and tells me He loves me more than this world

♥ He can teach a primary lesson to 7 year-olds that He completely did not prepare for and STILL teach a better lesson than I can with a full week of preparation! [i'm envious]

♥ He is willing to compromise. More than I thought.

I L♥VE my husband. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Thank you for being patient when I have "slow production" days [a.k.a. unproductive days]

Happy [late] 5 months sugar muffin. [hahahaha]

&& here's to the rest of our lives!

FINALLY

2009-07-15T14:48:00.001-07:00

My business cards got here! just in time for my shoot tomorrow!!!!!Up next? flyers for the DHS roundup. thats gonna cost a pretty penny