operation: kitten extraction

Once upon a time (this morning) Mom and I were driving to church.  We saw a kitten in the middle of the road and stopped, with the intent of getting out and scooping it up to move it out of harm's way.  However, things didn't quite go according to plan.  Instead, what happened was, the frightened little thing ran under the Tahoe and up under the car!  We didn't know what to do!

While we were standing there, Bro. Hancock (YM's president) and a couple young men from the ward drove by us.  They stopped, pulled over, and got out to come help.  They thought we had a flat tire, but we told them what had happened and they (Bro. Hancock mostly) got the spare tire down from where it lives up under the back end of the Tahoe.  But the kitten wasn't there anymore!  It had crawled up even further into the carriage/frame.  We could see it, but none of us could reach it.  We tried for a good 20 minutes to try and get it out, but to no avail.

Finally (now that we were half and hour late to church), we decided there wasn't anything we could do.  So, we drove the rest of the way to the ward building (about a mile) very slowly, thinking that if it fell out, or decided to jump out, it wouldn't be hurt too badly and would be able to run away.

Nothing happened.

We got to church and parked and hoped that it would decide to come out while we were inside.  I'm sure it was having a massive heart attack and we scared it half to death.  It was a cute little thing: a little grey tabby.  I hope it's safe, wherever it is now.

So crazy!

At dinner this evening Mom said she had a theory about why it all happened.  The young men that were with Bro. Hancock come from a family that isn't very active.  Their parents don't come to church all the time, so he goes and picks them up and takes the boys to church.  Mom said this was an exciting experience for them on their way to church.  It gave them something to talk about, something they'll remember for a while, and it was a good example of giving service to someone in need...even when you're on your way to church.  I hope it was.  I hope Bro. Hancock's example sticks with those guys and helps to strengthen their testimonies in some small way.

wanna see something gross?

I took off the nail polish I've had on my toes for the last couple weeks this morning.  And this is what I found.  Courtesy of the 5k I did last week...

My second toenail on both feet is completely black and blue bruised.  They really hurt last weekend and are still tender today.  Mom says I'm going to lose the nails.  I hope not.  That would be even grosser!  

phoenix children's hospital

Yesterday my team at work went and volunteered for four hours at Phoenix Children's Hospital.  It was really fun!


Our first task was to help clean up and organize all the Halloween costumes they had that the kids could come and choose from.

Then we took all the Halloween stuff we'd boxed and binned up to the hospital's storage facility across the street.

The storage place was really kind of creepy...

And Jared got stuck behind some of the  bins and had to climb up and over to get out...

Then we got a tour of some of the cool places they have for the kids to hang out.

They even have a school where the teachers work with the kids to help them keep up with their school work and help get them whatever accommodations they need.  So cool!

For the last hour and a half we put together some wooden foot ball goals, trucks, and piggy banks for the kids to decorate.

Such a great way to spend the day!

twelve tips and tricks to weight loss

Things I've learned over the last year...

1. Keep a healthy snack in the car.  Whether you're just driving back and forth to work, or you'v got a busy day full of running errands, having something at your fingertips will keep you from making those spontaneous/habitual stops at your favorite fast food drive-thrus.  Almonds, other nuts, or trail mix are my choices.

2. Keep your purse/wallet in the trunk.  If you have to stop the car, get out, and get your purse/wallet out of the trunk, you'll really think hard about whether that taco, or those fries, are really worth it.

3. 1:1 protein/carb ratio.  This is key!  You want carb and protein grams to be as close to each other as possible.  The more protein the better.  It will fill you up and keep you satisfied for longer, plus give your body the fuel it needs to burn that fat!  Take a look at that protein bar you're eating.  I bet the carbs are twice (or more) the amount of the protein.  Throw it away.  It's not going you any good.  A good one I've found: Pure Protein chocolate peanut butter.

4. Walking is the best exercise.  Try for 30-45 minutes at least 3 days a week.

5. Water, water, water!!  Seriously.  Drink water!  A lot of times when we feel hungry, what we really are is thirsty.  Before you eat something, drink a big glass of water and see if that curbs the "hunger."

6. Weight is just a number.  We've become obsessed, as a society, with the scale.  Try to pay more attention to inches lost, how your clothes fit, and how you feel overall.

7. Keep fruit on hand to combat those late afternoon, or evening, sugar cravings.

8. Pay attention to calories and serving sizes.  You'll be amazed at how many calories some things have, and how small serving sizes actually are.  It will really help you start making better choices once you start paying attention to both of those things.

9.  Don't reward yourself with food.  Decide how often you are going to reward yourself for reaching goals (every 5 pounds, 10 pounds, etc.) and set appropriate rewards: thing you want, or enjoy, that you don't often do or get.  Example: 5 pounds lost = something for $5 like a matinee movie, or a couple new nail polish colors.  10 pounds lost = something for $10 like a new outfit from Goodwill on a half-off Saturday.  25 pounds lost = something for $25 like a pedicure.  And so on...

10.  Find and develop a new hobby or talent.  When you're busy doing something you're less likely to fall back to the default of eating because you're bored.

11. When you know you're going out to eat, look at the menu online beforehand.  Make a decision of what you're going to order before you even get to the restaurant so you don't spend extra time looking at the menu and facing the temptation to order something less healthy.

12. The change has to come from within.  If you find yourself cheating everyday, or unable to commit fully, chances are you're not ready.  It's time to be brutally honest with yourself.  Try to find out what your underlying reasons are for being overweight and don't be afraid to confront them and seek outside, professional help if needed.  It's time!

things are funnier when you don't know the context

Here's a list of things overheard tonight at Family Night...


"Come over here and I'll play the drums on your neck." -Papa

"I don't want you to karate chop me!" -John

"Let's play a coughing game." -John

"Tooting a song is fun to do." -Mom

"I'm being attacked!  Why are you punching my butt??" -Julia

"Get Julia out from under the chair then help Grandma pick up toys." -Cheryl

"P off." -Papa

"P off." -Papa

"P off." -Papa

"You've said that three times now.  Do you want some kind of response?" -Mom

"Get the hell out of here." -Papa

"Gecko! Gecko! Gecko!" -J.R.

"It doesn't tell me the expected come date!" -Julia

"I need my boob picture." -Cheryl


And that's a pretty typical Monday night at our house...

color vibe

Holy cow I just did a 5k!  I walked it.  But I did it!


Before Pictures:

Aunt Christine ran with us...actually she ran ahead of us, because she was actually running... 

The Aftermath:

It took us an hour, but we did it and it was really fun!

Tye-dyed boobs!

I ended up with a few blisters and my feet really hurt by the end of the day, but I want to do it again next year!