Tribute to Sam Richardson

I think everyone has an acquaintance that seems wise beyond their years. So in posting this, I want to pay tribute to an old roommate of mine by the name of Sam Richardson. I was going through some old pictures the other day, and nearly died laughing when I saw this. Fernando (maybe it was Chris) put this educational piece on evolution together, so we could partake in Sam's wisdom. Sam (as well as Morgan) always had advice for us young 21 year olds that overtook their apartment in the fall of 2002. I have no idea where Sam is these days, or what he's up to. But I wish him the best. I'm sure I speak for all our roommates when I say it was good times all around when Sam was around.

The First Snow of... Spring?

I thought that after Spring started, we were supposed to have gorgeous sunny weather!  Since last Thursday up through this past Monday, ever morning I woke up to snow on the ground.   Oregon has some beautiful weather and some very unpredictable and odd weather as well.  Today for example, is completely clear and sunny.  I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was snowing again by the 12:00 noon.  Anyway, I don't even remember Utah ever having snow after Spring started.  But here's something I didn't tell you...  I love the snow :)   I was born with Wyoming blood and the colder it is, the better I sleep at night.  But I also love Spring, Fall, and Summer weather.  But there's still something about a nice chilly night that doesn't compare to any other weather during the year.  Ashley on the other hand, is from California.  Here blood is definitely "Cali Girl" blood.

Toby update!!

So I know that many of you have been dying to hear how Toby is doing and what he's been up to lately. Well, actually I know that's not really true, but here are a few pictures of him for your viewing pleasure. He's definitely not like his mother. He loves to cuddle and he's already bigger than she is (in weight) even though he looks smaller. She's got a lot of fur to make her look tougher and bigger than she really is.

Toby is a real BYU Cougar. He likes to wait around corners for Zee and then pounce on her. She gets pretty irritated when he does this, but it doesn't seem to bother him at all.

As you can see in these last few pictures, he loves to snuggle up next to us when we're sitting around. The last two is him upside down next to Ashley one night when she was sitting on the bed typing on her computer. He seemed to enjoy that because he was like that forever.

Yay for blogs

Because we blog every now and again, I feel like it makes keeping track of my life experiences way easier. No need to scrapbook, no need to write the "travel log" in a journal, just post on the blog! If the internet dies, so do my published posts...lol. Blogging has really aided in my efforts to simplify and get rid of unnecessary fluff in my life. Now I just save my journal for all my deep thoughts about contemplating the universe and all the why questions I have and answers I've received so far. As for scrapbooking...I'm done. One's enough. And that's just fine with me...no offense all you crazy scrapbookers...maybe when I have kids my desires for such things will change.

So, how did we get to March 16th already? That's what I want to know. What happened to January and February? Not that I'm complaining, because winter is actually my least favorite season, but it seems like the older I get the faster the time flies by. Now that I've realized we're almost in April, my apologies go out to those whom we have not kept in contact with. We have not forgotten about you, we still think of you, we just don't call or write. lol. We shall try harder moving forward. That's one of the things I love about Sundays. No matter how crazy the previous week was, we always have Sundays to worship and reflect and get things back in order to try and make next week better than last. So, who knows, maybe someone will get a random phone call or email? No promises, but anything's possible right?

Well, enough words, let's get on with some pictures of the last few months. Some are way old, but we never posted them, so here they are.



These pictures are of Gramma and Grampa Simmons' 50th wedding anniversary. Don't they look great?!!! I loved watching them dance...you two have still got it goin' on!! Well, I guess you've gotta, since we all heard what your favorite past time is!! ;)



Brie and Tara on the left...Lexi and her baby Taylor on the right...we've got some hotties in the family!

So I want to know how I can be almost 10 years older than all these girls and they are all way taller than me. (You can't tell, but I have 4 inch heels on.) They're not so little anymore...like I said, time flies...craziness I tell you.



Here is our very own Brooke Kathryn Simmons Horse and Pony Lover Forever. Or, as she signs her emails, "BKSHAPLF." She's quite the equestrian and has leg muscles that could crush you...just try giving her a piggyback ride.



This was our night on the town with Brian and Kristin Masse (sorry guys, I couldn't figure out how to put the little accent thing over the e). We went to the Chart House and had some amazing filet mignon baby!! The view over the city was amazing as well...then we checked out Kell's, a sweet Irish Pub down town. You would never know they were parents of 5 would you? Party animals! (I know, I was in midsentence in this picture, but it's the only one we had.)



Aren't you all jealous of my sexy feet?? All the years of soccer really paid off. When I grow up, I'm going to get paraffin pedicures every week. So, yes, this is my amazing blister. I am officially training for my 2nd marathon!!! AND, two shorts weeks after I bought myself some sweet new Nikes, I found out that you are supposed to buy running shoes at least a half size too big if you are a serious runner. Well...at the time, I was NOT a serious runner, in fact, I don't think I've seriously ran since my last marathon when I was 18. So... I forgot that small fact and this was my reminder. I'm actually grateful it happened when it did, because I was able to get another pair before we got into our longer runs. We....meaning my new crazy running partner Kyndra. Love her! She motivates me to be crazy like her and I'm actually starting to ENJOY running. I NEVER in my life would have anticipated THAT...but, it's all just a big head game anyway like any other sport. 26.2 miles...just a head game....:) We finished our 10 miler in 1 hour and 37 minutes, Woohoo!!

These are my pretty flowers Dallas sent to me at work on Valentine's Day. Good choice, eh? He scored major points here. :)

This is Chelsie Mecham...er Cornu now :) and her new hubby John. They are an adorable couple! I met Chels my Freshman year at the Y and she is originally from Forest Grove, which is 30 minutes from Newberg, so it's been fun to hang out with her since college...YAY for the Cornus!!

Had to get a picture with the Bride!

We went snowboarding with some friends a little while back and Dallas did surprisingly well for his first time. We both collected a lot of snow in the backs of our shirts, which was quite hilarious, but all in all, it was great fun!

So...I'm ending with being tagged. I've been tagged a lot lately, and so here's one big post so I never have to do it again...and I'm choosing not to tag anyone this time, so you all may go free...

UNTIL NEXT TIME....love to all!

10 years ago:
I was 14 and a half...:) I was playing high school volleyball and competitive soccer, stressing about getting A's, obsessed with Aaron Call, and I talked on the phone all the time and got grounded from it almost as much. I was pretty high strung, a perfectionist, and overly dramatic about most things, and I also thought I was more mature that most people my age. Wow, isn't it a blessing people can change? :)

5 things on my list to do today:
1. Clean my room
2. Make out with Dallas
3. Read "21 Days Closer to Christ"
4. Finish posting this on my blog
5. Figure out my to do list for tomorrow, and put the rest of today's list on it, so I can relax for the rest of the night. :)

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Artichokes
2. Chips and Salsa
3. String cheese and a banana
4. Peanut butter pickle sandwiches
5. ICECREAM

What would I do if I were suddenly made a billionaire?
Deposit everything in my savings account, so I could see all the zeros in my account balance. Write a big fat tithing check. Pay off our house, travel all over the world, adopt a few kids, create a scholarship fund, create a day spa for moms to go to (that's relatively inexpensive), with a daycare on-site that has storytellers. I'd also buy a cabin in the mountains somewhere, and a condo close to a beach, build my dream house, create a college/mission/wedding fund for all my kids and then do something like they do with Extreme Home Makeover for underprivileged families. Shop, duh. I'm sure I could think of lots more.

5 places I have lived:
Loomis, CA
Provo, UT
Guangzhou City, China
Medford, OR
Newberg, OR

5 jobs I have had:
Soccer Referee
BYU Telefunder!!, LDS Philanthropies
Customer Service Trainer, Sento Corporation
Recruiter, Advanced Personnel Solutions
Account Manager, Employment Trends

3 things you don't know about me:

1. I have never died my hair
2. I had a trainer at a gym tell me I was a "heavyweight" when I weighed 118 pounds my Freshman year in high school...
3. I want to adopt a chinese baby girl

And that's the end of my novel...Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow

My Cousin Debra

This is an email that my cousin Debra sent out that made me laugh. She is serving her mission in Argentina.

Dallas

-----Original Message-----From: Debra Taylor Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 8:30 AM

Subject: top 20 listTOP 20 THINGS I WOULDN´T HAVE DONE BEFORE THE MISSION (most of which have to do with food and bugs. In no special order...)

1. The "ant dance" - We have an ant problem in this apt. Raid is really expensive and so instead of poisoning them I sweep them all into a pile and dance on them . IT´s much cheaper and not as damaging to the body.

2. Squish a spider with the back of my spoon rinse it off and then eat off it (at least I rinsed it off)

3. Buy 2 tomates and an onion, cut them up into slices pour oil and salt over it and eat it - on purpose (it´s a very argentine salad... I love it!)

4. Wash all my clothes by hand - including dirty socks and underwear (TMI I know)

5. Find a 50 billion ants in my bread, shake them off into the sink, and eat...and continue picking them off the bread as I eat it (not all of them shook off)

6. Find lots and lots of spiders in my bed and not die and continue to sleep without problems

7. Wear the same dress 3 days in a row without washing it

8. Eat cow heart

9. Eat boiled chicken with many, many feathers still attached

10. Clean under the stove, find over 500 teeny little spiders that began to climb all over me, and not even get up to shake them off.

11. Buy bread twice a week from a guy that sells it from the trunk of his car.

12. Walk between 10 and 15 kilometers everyday without problem

13. Brush my teeth with a toothbrush that is crawling with ants (Like I said, this apt has an ant problem...really)

14. Pick up a spider´s egg out of curiosity to examine it

15. Exercise every morning

16. Kiss everyone, all the time, 50 times a day, when I enter and leave a room even if it´s 44 degrees C outside and everyone is sweating and nasty

17. Boil noodles to make macaroni and find the pot full of little green grasshopper like bugs...strain the noodles and keep going.

18. Put sunscreen in my hair

19. Eat in a member´s house...pull one hair out of the food... continue eating...pull another out...continue eating...pull another out....etc

20. Sing in front of anyone anywhere without problems whether it be in church or on the street corner.

Warning!! Graphic Images Below!!!

Well, I don't know about too graphic, but these are pictures of an open wound on my forehead :) Some of faithful readers might be too wussy to see these, so be warned.

Ashley and I have been lucky over the last month to have 3 trips to the hospital ER down the street from where we live. Don't worry, it's only a $100 co-pay every time we have to go visit the ER!!! I mean @#$^!!! Why can't we hurt ourselves during normal business hours, so we only have to pay a nice $15 co-pay to get fixed up. Oh well, it builds character I guess...

Anyway, back to the important thing... me. On Saturday night, I had just gone to the rest room (#1 btw, and this detail will be important later. I'm still getting to that). After that I was getting a drink of water. Since it was 10:00pm, I was tired and my body felt the urge to stretch really good. So I did. Now this wasn't just a normal 2-3 second stretch. It must have been 5-7 seconds. You know what I mean, right? A really good stretch. Well after I finished stretching my huge muscles, I walked into the hallway. I started to feel really light-headed, and decided that Ashley should know. So I said, "Babe, I feel kind of light-headed." While saying this, I thought to myself, "This seems to be more than a usual run of the mill light-headedness, and I think I should sit down because I might pass out." (I'm sure that was a verbatim quote.)

Anyway, the next thing I remember, I was waking up from this deep sleep. Ashley was sitting on the floor beside me saying, "Babe, are you okay?" When I realized that I didn't know why I was waking up on the floor instead of my comfortable bed, I knew that something must not be right. The only thing I could think to say was, "I'm all right. I just need a second." After a few minutes of regaining consciousness, I felt better and color had returned to my face.

The troubling thing was, the other 2 times in my life when I passed out and had small seizures, there was a clear reason as to why I passed out. This time, I didn't have one. The only thing I could come up with was that I really had to take a leak and stretch afterwards. On top of this, both of my grandfathers have died from Brain related issues that I don't quite know the details of except that at least one had tumors, and passed out with a seizure or something like that. So Ashley and I decided to go to the emergency room, and speak with a doctor about. (Looking back, I should have just called Todd, but that would have meant waking him up at midnight. And I had already done that when I was in China once throwing up something that... well never mind what it was.)

So we went to the ER, and checked myself in. They were pretty busy, so we waited a little while. My body was extremely tired and I couldn't stop yawning. A common symptom after you've had a small seizure of the muscular system. And also common after passing out. so I told the nurse everything that had taken place 10 mins before my wife found me stiff as board up against the wall in our bedroom. Then they took me into a small room, where I got to watch TV!! (I sure do miss sportscenter.) Anyway, back to me again. The doctor came in (The same guy who stitched up Ashley's finger a month before at 10:00 pm at night), and asked me a few questions. Talked to Ashley a little bit, then told me that stretching, peeing, getting out of bed too fast all can cause the blood to kind of rush out of your head and to your feet. It's common for people to pass out while they are peeing, driving, standing at attention, etc...

So, the bottom line was that I had 3 of these things all within about 5 mins time, and I whiffed it. Nothing was wrong, and I don't need a cat scan or need to worry about tumors. I just wish it hadn't of cost me $100 bucks to find out that I shouldn't stretch after I pee!!

I'll have Ashley post her perspective on what happened later, so you can here her fun details.

Well worth the read I must say. Man I love that woman!

Now, on to the graphic images. I passed out on Saturday night. On Wednesday night, I go to mutual. I was pretty excited because I was taking the boys to the driving range, and I was finally going to get a few good hits in after a long winter! Well, when we got there, I passed out some clubs to the boys and was delivering range balls to each of their areas. Next time, I'll pass out balls, and deliver clubs after that. Hindsight really is 20/20. So, while I was still looking for boys without any range balls, I didn't get out of the way of another boy with a 3-wood. On his back swing, My forehead decided to head-butt the 3-wood and teach it a lesson for good. Unfortunately, My forehead is stupid and I ended up with 7 stitches above my eye. I didn't pass out or really feel any pain and Brian Masse drove me back to my favorite late night ER, so I could get stitched up. Thankfully, Brian was also able to take some sweet pictures of my MAJOR surgery! Here they are.

Yeah, I'm a moron. We already knew that.

Here's kind of a close up. Don't worry there's more :)

Because I'm such a wuss, they had to put me under, so I wouldn't cry during the MAJOR operation.

Actually, I'm kidding. The nurse told me to keep my eyes shut, so I didn't get cleaning crap in them.

I do look peaceful and innocent though. Where's Ashley when I need her to see how innocent I really am!

The nurse tells me it was a pretty deep wound. That only makes me feel "slightly" cooler for getting in the way of a Boy Scout swinging a golf club. You would think I know better having been a Boy Scout myself. At least I knew to "apply pressure" to the wound...

See!! I told you it was a MAJOR operation!!

This is me on the phone while under the knife. I was telling my wife that I got jumped by some Boy Scouts who didn't have their totem chips yet, and they knifed me.

This look pretty much sums it all up.

President Gordon B. Hinckley

"His life was a true testament of service, and he had an abiding love for others," said U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican and fellow Mormon. "His wit, wisdom, and exemplary leadership will be missed by not only members of our faith, but by people of all faiths throughout the world."

Today, President Hinckley passed away. He lived such a wonderful, happy life. Ashley and I will miss him greatly. We thank our Heavenly Father for letting us know such a great man. We are also happy for him to be together again with his wonderful wife. For those of you who might know who he is, he was the best Christlike example of any man living on this earth today. May he rest in peace.

Deseret News Article on his life.

My First Political Post!!

Hi Everyone! This past year has been very exciting for me as I've really (For the first time ever) gotten into the political scene. I've read everything I can find, and been trying to educate myself on ALL the candidates before I make my final decision. So with out further ado, I would like to announce my official endorsement for... drum roll please....



MITT ROMNEY!!!!

He is by far the best candidate out there, and it's come down to him and John McCain for the Republican nomination. Unfortunately, Oregon doesn't have their presidential primary until May, so I just get to watch the process unfold. Since John McCain is Mitt's biggest threat, I just want to post what has been said today by some other conservatives regarding McCain. All I have to say is that the last endorsement any Republican nominee should want is the New York Times.


Friday, January 25, 2008
The New York Times Endorses McCain
Posted by: Hugh Hewitt at 8:49 AM

I hope very GOP voter with a ballot left to cast reads this telegram from today's left wing elite:

"Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field. We have shuddered at Mr. McCain’s occasional, tactical pander to the right because he has demonstrated that he has the character to stand on principle. He was an early advocate for battling global warming and risked his presidential bid to uphold fundamental American values in the immigration debate."

The Times' editorial board --the most reliably anti-conservative, anti-defense, anti-life, anti-originalism, anti-growth opinion machine in the major U.S. media-- loves John McCain and expects that if he is the nominee the Arizona maverick will govern in ways acceptable to them, especially on global warming and immigration.

They know their man. Does the GOP?

I certainly hope that everyone does their research on the candidates. Feel free to comment regarding your favorite candidate as well. I'd love to hear your arguments for or against.

Here's one more link from a guy named James Fallows and his first impressions on the candidates and the debate last night.

Man from Mars perspective on the Republican debate

24 Jan 2008 11:19 pm

As soon as this evening's Florida debate ended, the MSNBC TV commentators were wondering how it would have looked to "someone who was seeing these candidates for the first time."

Why didn't they just ask me?

This is the first debate among the Republicans that I've seen at full length and in real time.* So factoring in all the expectations I'd gathered from coverage (Romney too weaselly, McCain really the strongest one, Huckabee a charmer, etc), how did it look?

Romney by a mile. More precisely, the only candidate you could imagine putting up a plausible general-election fight. Again, I'm not handicapping the GOP race, which I know nothing about. I'm not saying how each candidate did relative to previous appearances. I am telling you how this one debate looked if you had never seen these guys on the same stage before.

McCain, Giuliani, and Huckabee all notably ill at ease when asked to say anything about the economy. (Huckabee: building two new lanes on I-95, Maine to Florida, as an energy saving measure???) When Romney asked Giuliani a specific question about how to deal with China, the answer reminded me of the way I would sound if asked to fill 90 seconds discussing my favorite fashion designers. McCain attempting to describe his economy policy by listing his advisors. (Jack Kemp?) The more the economy matters as The general election issue, the less this will cut it -- and the more Romney can use at least the veneer of his being able to discuss the issue.

Two other random points:- Boy, do these people hate Hillary Clinton! Her name was mentioned at least ten times as often as George Bush's (and all Bush mentions, that I heard, were from Romney).

- The intrusiveness and badgering nature of Tim Russert's questions! I wonder whether the two parties will subject themselves to another presidential cycle of "debating" on these demeaning terms.

Here endeth the report from outer space.

PS - I don't know if you've seen, but I have a translate button on the side bar that will translate my blog into whatever language you'd prefer. I think the Chinese looks the coolest. Try it out for fun :)

Happy Birthday Babe!!!!
Dallas is celebrating his 27th Birthday today!!
Many of you know Dallas and many of you don’t. I thought I’d share just 27 out of the millions of reasons why I love him and think he’s so amazing. We’ve been married for almost 3 and a half years and I love him way more today than I did yesterday, and will love him way more tomorrow than I do today. Wish him a Happy Birthday when you can!
27 things I love about Dallas
1. He thinks he’s Chinese :)
2. He LOVES to sing in the shower…my personal favorite is when he sings Phantom of the Opera
3. He lets me burrow my ice cold feet under his warm legs when we get into bed
4. Even though I’m ALWAYS right, he doesn’t rub it in too much when I’m wrong…lol, right, Dallas? :)
5. He tells me that I’m beautiful and that he loves me EVERY day.
6. He taught me that happiness is a choice and he chooses to be happy regardless of his circumstances, an ability very few people have these days.
7. He can tell when I’m hungry and usually knows not to push anything at that time
8. He is so great at making people feel welcome and valued
9. His leadership ability to set an example
10. He’s the kind of smart that just “get’s it” and is patient with having to explain things to me.
11. He welcomes challenges and change with so much faith
12. His testimony of our Savior is steadfast and immovable
13. He never judges anyone
14. His humility and integrity speak volumes about his character
15. If the way he takes care of Zee and Toby are any indication of the type of Dad he’ll be, I’m STOKED.
16. He’s a great communicator and teaches me how to say what I feel
17. He’s got a GREAT butt
18. His love for pizza is endearing
19. His business socks are sexy and hilarious
20. His respect for women was what initially attracted me to him
21. He has a great ability to make me feel safe and calm just by being with me
22. He intuitively knows when to take charge and when to stand back
23. His passion for sports, fantasy football and politics
24. His love for and willingness to serve others
25. He always asks, "What can I do to help?"
26. He is very good at prioritizing and staying calm, I don’t think he EVER gets stressed
27. He always makes time for things that are most important to us.
...Just a couple of my favorites...Happy Birthday Dallas!!

Here's Ashley's color, do you agree?

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Black

Your color is black. The color of night. Serene and mysterious, black conjures up images of elegant evening gowns, dashing tuxedos, and gleaming limousines. Traditionally a symbol of success, black also represents power and an uncompromising demand for perfection. Not surprisingly, you tend to set challenging goals for yourself and do whatever it takes to achieve them — your strength of character is second to none. This unfaltering determination, along with your natural elegance, impresses people. But keep in mind that your personality might be intimidating to some. Try to temper your demanding side with a little softness — trust us, it won't kill you. Overall, though, black is the color of professionalism and achievement, which means it's clearly the color for you.

Take this test >

A color test. Do you agree?

What's Your True Color?

My Result: Yellow

You're yellow, the color of joy and energy — two things you definitely bring to everyone around you. It's hard for anyone to be sad or lonely in your presence; your sunny disposition and cheery outlook just won't allow it. The warmth of your personality shines through in the kindness you show friends and family (and strangers, too). Always ready with a lighthearted joke or heartfelt compliment, you know how to make people feel good about themselves, so they can't get enough of you. Yellow is a warm and inviting color for a warm and inviting person — you!

Take this test >

Adam Scott Nunn!!!

Well we have another nephew to announce. This is Baranie's fourth child. Her other kids were there as well to help support. Below is what Baranie posted on her blog.

"It's a Boy! Adam arrived January 10, 2008 at 6:12pm. He weighed 6 lb 14 oz and is 20" long. He was greeted by his older siblings and it was Clara who announced that it was a boy."

You can view her pictures by clicking on this link...

http://nunnsnotes.blogspot.com/2008/01/adam-scott-nunn.html

Google Reader

A few months ago I found Google Reader (Thank you Deanna and Todd). Then today, I saw Amy post on her blog telling everyone about Google Reader. So I decided I should as well.

I can't tell you how great it is for anyone who has multiple websites they like to read throughout the day. It's especially helpful for keeping track of all your friend's blogs. I read news websites, sports websites, comedy central clips, and blogs daily. It keeps everything in one spot, and shows you any updates on the sites that you want to check up on. This way you don't have to continue checking each and every individual website. Go to Google Reader (That means click on the underlined words) and set up your own account. This will make your life so much easier and quicker. Let me know if you have any questions.

On a side note, I recently started a new club for cool people like me called the "Hulkamaniacs!" Unfortunately, my wife refused to acknowledge my existence because I was "too cool", and the club was disbanded before I could recruit any more members. Sorry if I got any one's hopes up there... maybe in the next life.

Happy New Year!

HAPPY 2008!!!

So we flew back to OreGON on Wednesday after Christmas and although we both love our jobs, we had a hard time getting back into the swing of things with just two work days left in the week, but not to worry, we partied hard starting Friday night!! Mom and Dad and the girls drove back to Cali on Friday, but stopped in Reno so the girls could jump on a plane to come spend the weekend with US for New Years!! I haven't packed as much as we did into one weekend for a long time, but we loved every second, except for the last part....

Saturday morning I took the girls to go get manicures at a random nail place just outside Newberg. Well, it is interesting how extras get added in without you realizing it till they charge you an arm and a leg at the end...lol. I'm apparently not versed enough to ask how much each additional thing costs. There is a hilarious comedy skit on YouTube done by Anjelah Johnson about getting your nails done and Brie memorized it and performed it for us after much convincing...you'd think after knowing what to expect I wouldn't have let them get away with extra charges!
(DON'T FORGET TO PAUSE THE MUSIC SO YOU CAN HEAR THE VIDEOS).



I'm sure there are some who can COMPLETELY relate to this...if not, it's all good, don't worry about it. :)

The finished product..."Flowas only fai dolla moh! I do fo you! Fench ti only fai dolla moh!...PER PERSON! When I was told to pick a color, I didn't know WHITE was going to cost EXTRA...all in all though, it was so funny that I didn't even bother to make a scene. I just kept thinking of Brie's skit the whole time...a great way to start a funfilled weekend! Fo SHO!

I don't remember whose hands these are...Brie are these yours? :)



So, for one of Dallas' stocking stuffers, I bought him one of those remote control helicopters from Brookstone and he and the girls went nuts with it. They actually learned to control it quite well, but this picture was taken BEFORE that happened and Brooke flew it right into my hair. No big deal, except for the propeller KEPT SPINNING until it got all tangled in my hair!! I was completely understanding, can't you tell?



Saturday afternoon we decided to visit the Pittock Mansion. It was the home of some early Oregon Pioneers who contributed much to the growth of Portland...ask Brooke for more details...she's the one that did the report on them. It was pretty foggy and rainy outside, but we still got a great view of Portland from the hill.



The Pittock Mansion had a theme, "A Fairy Tale Christmas," so each room was decorated with a different fairy tale theme. Since Brie is playing the Queen of Hearts in her school play, we took a picture of her in the Alice in Wonderland room in front of the Queen. (I'm glad we didn't see I Am Legend until a couple days later, or this situation might have been a little more disturbing.)



Left: Me just being dramatic. There was a fence there and I was pretending to lean over it, but you can't see it, so it makes it kinda lame. Right: Brie and me in front of the back side of the mansion...Dallas suggested that this field would be awesome for mud football...very true, very true.



So after we went to the mansion, the girls and Dallas were great sports as we drove around Vancouver looking at ellipticals for sale on Craig's list. I finally found the one I wanted and it works GREAT!!! This is a picture of what Brooke did to Brie after an hour of being bored. Then the other picture was when they'd finally had enough! It's ok though, they woke up in time for us to go to National Treasure 2 that night!

Sunday we went to church and then pretty much vegged most of the day. We probably should have been less lazy, but instead we watched four movies. heehee. :)

Monday morning Dallas and I got up early and I went to physical therapy while Dallas picked up the elliptical, and the girls were still sleeping when we got back! We were going to go horse back riding with a lady from our ward, but her son broke his leg that morning, so that was out...instead we went to a matinee of I Am Legend. Good movie. Strange, but good. Will Smith is HOT! We then drove to the Woodburn Outlets to shop, not realizing they closed at 6 and we got there at 5...So....we just randomly roamed around Target, Fred Meyer and Papa John's before we came home to play games till 2008! I got my butt kicked at Phase 10. It's amazing how fun it is when I'm winning and how absolutely painful it is when I'm losing. Especially playing with two more COMPETITIVE SIMMONS girls. We had a good time though. In Newberg everyone shoots off fireworks on New Years. It was Sawwweeeet! We went outside thinking we were cool with a bunch of little poppers and snap guns, and our neighbors blew us away with their REAL fireworks...the bigs ones they use on the 4th of July...it was awesome!



I know. Random. This is the only picture we took on Monday. The girls thought this Smart Car was awesome, so they took a picture and this lady thought we were crazy! Duh! Everyone knows that.



Just kidding, I forgot about this picture. So we took TWO pictures on Monday. Actually we took several of the same scene, but these were the best ones. This is the couch I want. I just have to figure out how to make the corner wall in my living room longer or the couch shorter so that it fits like it's supposed to. :)

Tuesday morning we woke up and went to Lincoln City on the coast. We lasted for approximately 10 minutes on the beach. FREEEEZING, but beautiful. We obviously lasted long enough to get some cute pictures.







So as we are walking back to the car, Brie spots this glass ball. When we got in the car, we noticed it has an official number for you to call and register it. Apparently some organization hides these on the beach and when you find them, there's a "Finders Keepers" sticker on it and you register it as an official keepsake of Lincoln City. Cute idea, eh? Brie didn't want it to break traveling back to Cali, so she left it with us.



Brooke had this great idea. Let's grab the most random things we can find in Old Navy, put them on in the dressing room and take pictures. My first thought was, "C'mon, seriously? Lame!!" Then I remembered doing the exact same thing with Jill Hacker way back when, only at Target...lol. Craziness.



Yay for little sisters. Well, not so little anymore, but it's fun to have them come and hang out. I can't believe Brooke's 12 and Brie's 13. Time flies way too fast!

So, here's the big finale. I decided to make some soup for dinner for everyone at like 9pm Tuesday night...
Because my manicure had already started peeling off, the girls and I repainted our nails while we watched watched Balls of Fury with Dallas. So...because my nails were wet, I was trying not to mess them up, opening my can of Progresso Minestrone. Well...the little self opener deal kinked the lid instead of allowing me to pull it off in a nice easy motion. When it folded, my right middle finger got in the way. It was weird because it felt like I smashed my finger in a drawer really hard, so I didn't look at it. Then....the STING!!! I kept saying out loud, "It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. I'm good. No big deal, no worries." Yeah, that doesn't help. After "discussing" with Dallas for like 15 minutes, HE won and we went to the ER to see if I needed stitches. I felt lame. Who cuts their finger on a can of soup like that? I mean really?




So here are pictures of my finger about an hour after the bleeding had "stopped." I figured I'd just need a good ole butterfly bandaid and I'd be good, but the doctor gave me four shots and 3 stitches. The best part was that he stiched the last stitch through the crease of my finger (which I personally think was on accident) and said, "Now, there's a stitch in the crease of your finger, so don't straighten if for 10 days, till you come back to get the stitches out). OK...no problem. I really thought it wouldn't be a big deal. You don't realize how often you need to straighten your middle finger. (Hey now. I know what you're thinking. I don't straighten it for that purpose!)
Really, in writing this, it's just fun to be dramatic. It really isn't a big deal. At least it wasn't my left hand...I can still write, I have all my fingers and I am almost 100% functional.....so here's the finished product...



Besides the resemblance to a sausage link, I think it it looks pretty good, don't you?
HAPPY 2008 EVERYONE!! Let us know how you are! We miss and love you all!