tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-264630132024-03-23T11:22:54.324-07:00OganawambulaSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592710379570863032noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-83570273806933752052010-12-29T12:08:00.003-07:002010-12-29T12:09:54.721-07:00Congratulations, Mama Saritas!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbp0q3yX6vWUDMk_hDtyHLkpcy5fxkNIavdMzbJOWtr_OQ75PBANdpCfA8mxEEzz7dFP8AzOJTcBrBmHpCSFlpAy6ej7VCcz05OCnKf9caa0GqecMQii4u_M3ugs8GjEVivSnnA/s1600/Clara+Jane.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556183374885017074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbp0q3yX6vWUDMk_hDtyHLkpcy5fxkNIavdMzbJOWtr_OQ75PBANdpCfA8mxEEzz7dFP8AzOJTcBrBmHpCSFlpAy6ej7VCcz05OCnKf9caa0GqecMQii4u_M3ugs8GjEVivSnnA/s400/Clara+Jane.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Little Clara Jane is adorable!</span></div><br /><div align="center"></div>Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03959029295916855158noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-46462401946984937072010-07-02T17:27:00.002-07:002010-07-02T17:37:42.703-07:00Happy Birthday, Jenny!<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITNtU6hyz1OEp1UnOcTK19ULiU-GV9a57nmZspIXdi2VKLtDSv57Gb9h3PGwVjyGAw8rm2HoWCO8b_GyrU5DDcE3sz-tgaGrNU2a7fIBpVqF_NvF-J_2xFUt1bvmyvCgFmFvigQ/s400/birthday+cake.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 374px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITNtU6hyz1OEp1UnOcTK19ULiU-GV9a57nmZspIXdi2VKLtDSv57Gb9h3PGwVjyGAw8rm2HoWCO8b_GyrU5DDcE3sz-tgaGrNU2a7fIBpVqF_NvF-J_2xFUt1bvmyvCgFmFvigQ/s400/birthday+cake.jpg" /></a> Hope you had a wonderful day!</div>Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03959029295916855158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-43643522241380251212010-05-15T05:16:00.002-07:002010-05-15T05:32:29.228-07:00Motherhood: Brief ThoughtsIt was Sunday, and I was in the mothers' lounge...nursing. There was something about holding a baby while wearing a skirt and heels that made me realize how much my life has changed. When I explained this to me older sister, she responded with, "Really? Pushing out a baby and bleeding for a few weeks afterwards didn't do that?" My response: "That felt more like physical exertion. Church is where I really start to understand what's changed." Why? Let's look at the highlights of last week:<div><br /></div><div>First hour: Left after 15 minutes to calm down fussy baby. Walked upstairs to the "overflow" room (really the room for babies and children) to find three other mothers in the exact same position. Smiled at them and tended to child. Walked back and forth, patted, and soothed said child to sleep. Returned to main meeting with 10 minutes left. </div><div><br /></div><div>Second hour: Held sleeping child as arms ached. Left to breastfeed after 30 minutes. Sat in mothers' lounge. Realized I was wearing a loose shirt to both hide my tummy and facilitate easy access for feeding. Crossed legs. Saw heels. Laughed about new existence. </div><div><br /></div><div>Third hour: Dad's turn.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm amazed by people who have more than one child. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-41998172498159290162010-04-12T18:54:00.004-07:002010-04-12T18:58:55.021-07:00It's a BOY!<div style="text-align: center;">Congrats Jenny! We are all so excited for you!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://youraffordablegifts.com/townsquare/images/37623.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 420px; height: 420px;" src="http://youraffordablegifts.com/townsquare/images/37623.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></div>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338660660638974898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-83958923889470110302010-04-01T20:52:00.002-07:002010-04-01T20:59:23.313-07:00Tales of an AsthmaticSo I basically sick of Utah's cold weather, warm weather, cold weather fluctuations. I just need sun and warmth to keep me healthy. Oh yeah...and to stop teaching 7 and 8 year old <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">petri</span> dishes. I have had walking <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pneumonia</span> for the past week and who knew you could feel like you were dead but still alive? Bleh...and sub plans equals double bleh. My doctor was shocked when she realized my lungs were only at 50% capacity. I wish I could say I was equally as surprised, but I'm pretty sure the fact that I'd collapse on my bed in exhaustion just after showering was a good indicator for me. Spring break is looking oh sooo good right now...Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338660660638974898noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-67177883890897310482010-03-18T19:25:00.002-07:002010-03-18T19:29:30.954-07:00Trip to UtahYes, that's right. I will be visiting Utah this summer. Why, you say? For a wedding, I say. Whose wedding, you ask? My brother Kurt's wedding. Yes, that's right. Kurt, who just got back from Russia in June is now getting married in Utah on July 17th. So that means a trip to Utah this summer. I look forward to seeing all of my Utah friends again! I also have to save to attend a wedding in Florida in November. And somehow try to figure out a trip to Boston. And save for a GRE prep course. And take my car in for its 100,000 mile check. And get a smog check and renew my registration. And pay a dental bill. When did I become an adult? It's expensive!Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03959029295916855158noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-79227518923917640252010-02-15T11:55:00.004-07:002010-02-16T08:06:07.007-07:00Epiphanies on Aisle 10At the end of my freshman year of college, I discarded an over-size, down-filled, tomato-red winter coat that my mother had purchased on a half price sale. Her rationale? I could grow into it. However, I felt like Ralphie from <i>A Christmas Story</i> whenever I put it on--at eighteen, it was certainly not freshman-year-chic. I threw it on the DI pile in our dorm and returned to my apartment, sure that this coat and I would never cross paths again. Unfortunately, my mom was coming to visit that day. She saw the coat, recognized it, retrieved it, scolded me, and gave it to my pregnant sister who couldn't zip up her winter coat anymore. A small sacrifice for being rid of the atrocity. <div><br /></div><div>But the coat returned. While visiting my sister over the holidays, she far-too-exuberantly realized that my winter coat wouldn't budge once the zipper hit the the underside of my pregnant belly. Opening the closet, she unveiled the solution: my cast-off winter coat. I knew we didn't have the money to buy anything new, so I gratefully took the coat and wore it on the plane home...and I've worn it almost everyday since. It's still large and red, and it served as a catalyst to gaining a better love and sense of where I am in life. </div><div><br /></div><div>Enter a grocery store, a song, and a search for toothpaste. While I was standing in aisle 10, comparing toothpaste in order to find the cheapest non-fluorinated kind, wearing the large tres unfashionable coat, sporting no make-up, swinging my ponytail, and feeling aggravated at the pregnancy/weather-induced acne-like rash developing over my entire chin...and spreading (really--that's why I can't use fluoride toothpaste right now; my skin is reacting to it by making my chin look like a awkward fourteen-year-old's), I heard the familiar refrains of a David Grey song. You know, the type of song we used to listen to when we were young college students and wanted to drive late at night and talk. I recalled how independent and mature I felt in those moments.</div><div><br /></div><div>With this thought I saw my eighteen-year-old self approach me from the front of the aisle. I stood frozen with two tubes of toothpaste in either hand and awaited the assault. She comprehended the entire scenario at a glance and grimaced slightly. Our conversation was brief:</div><div><br /></div><div>She: What have you done to me?</div><div>I: It's called perioral dermatitis. The doctor said it was caused by hormones, weather, fair skin, and fluoride.</div><div>She: And the coat?</div><div>I: It's cold, and we don't have the money for something more stylish.</div><div>She: Since when did you pinch pennies over toothpaste?</div><div>I: Since my husband started graduate school.</div><div>She: Does he play the guitar and have a brooding aspect to him?</div><div>I: Not really. He's an engineer. </div><div>She: Do you still drive around at night when you want to relax and chat with someone?</div><div>I: We don't have a car...</div><div>She: Are you happy?</div><div>I (with a smile): Yes. Very. </div><div><br /></div><div>And I am. I doubt that girl who tossed away the coat would have willingly walked into this future had she caught a glimpse at 18. But her definition of being mature was skewed--it's more than just being able to stay out late or drive around with a friend simply because we could. </div><div><br /></div><div>She vanished, the final chords of the song played, and I picked the cheapest toothpaste. At the other end of the aisle, my husband started walking towards me. Grabbing my hand, he looked down at me, not at the chin, and asked, "Are you ready?" I slid my fingers between his, nodded, and headed for the check-out aisle, hoping that we'd still make budget this week despite the toothpaste. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-61343630676449989202010-02-12T22:13:00.001-07:002010-02-12T22:15:21.503-07:00Girls...when are we going?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3reYY8i9Q_wT_B1a_nQ15GVjwbsP01Zb5SwXsf7LA-IkdhDZOcdzWLbfsk0LvxJ-7YqyvYeVWDYp82BX2313r2geHpT-AEujwdSEdjlvTsXQFD1UhsvW9wAm3wDfi6l0sh_31/s1600-h/Hawaii1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437592222028634530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3reYY8i9Q_wT_B1a_nQ15GVjwbsP01Zb5SwXsf7LA-IkdhDZOcdzWLbfsk0LvxJ-7YqyvYeVWDYp82BX2313r2geHpT-AEujwdSEdjlvTsXQFD1UhsvW9wAm3wDfi6l0sh_31/s400/Hawaii1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338660660638974898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-84758123083342612812010-01-25T10:21:00.005-07:002010-01-25T10:28:28.742-07:00Next BlogHave you ever hit "next blog" at the top of the page? Every once in a while I'll hit it a few times and see what's up with random strangers. Eight times out of ten there is a photo of three young children at the top, perfectly spaced 18-24 months apart. They are smiling and happy and if you scroll down far enough, sure enough, one of them is wearing a BYU t-shirt or there is a post about a recent family trip to Utah with photos in front of the temple. I find this quite odd. It makes me wonder: do only Mormons blog? Does google/blogger/the internet know that I am Mormon and hence send me to only Mormon blogs?<br /><br />On another note, I bought a food processor on Saturday. For a long while I thought that they were just another counter cluttering gadget, but lately as I've delved more into cooking, I've wished I had one so many times. Thanks to the Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupon and a Kitchen Aid rebate, I got a pretty good deal and have used it every day since I bought it (three times). Today I made "one ingredient ice cream" which is basically pureed frozen bananas. I added a little peanut butter for protein and interestingness. Mmmmm. Anyway, I'm really excited about this and am excited about the possibilities!<br /><br />Also, I'm working on some super fun crafty projects that will have to remain a mystery for now. I will reveal when the time is right.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592710379570863032noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-48332944869042022592010-01-23T15:15:00.004-07:002010-01-23T15:35:04.092-07:00When Plans Just Don't Do It...I really can't believe how long it's been since I even blogged anything. It makes me chuckle to look at our posts from the end of last year and resolutions to blog once a month. I say forget promises. Just blog when you want to. Doesn't have to be more than a couple of words. Put something up that you thought was funny on youtube, whatever! <br /><br />Anyway, a ward trip to Big Bear got cancelled for this weekend due to weather and so I have a little time on my hands. The problem with time on my hands is that then I get restless and dissatisfied. So, I thought, why not blog and get my mind off of things?<br /><br />Pretty much the life plan right now is to plan on going back to school in Fall 2011. That gives me time to re-take the GRE (with a very overpriced prep class), and actually spend time on as wel as save money for applications. The problem with this is that I get really tense thinking about surviving another year in a pretty stressful, undervalued job. And staying put for another year and a half. I can't even think about other people with my dream job because then I start to dream and get really impatient to be doing something else when what I really need to do is get my MA.<br /><br />So, that's pretty much where I am right now. That means another 1.5 years living at home so that I can hopefully pay off some debt and maybe save a little bit of money. Not so easy when I'm already pretty much the oldest person in my ward and all I want to do is move out and feel like I am an adult instead of still living at home. No matter what, I MUST be moved out before my 30th birthday! So, besides that, I've been having some weird health issues with my stomach that I am trying to work out with a doctor. I'm also trying to suppress my impulse to run away and travel (for lack of funds).<br /><br />Hope you are all doing well! Can you believe that one of us 4WMs really is going to be a mother soon? Crazy! Things always work out so differently than we sometimes think (well, maybe except for Jenny - haha!). Love you all!<br /><br />As a random side note, if you want to see some pics from my Heart Walk last September, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ocheartwalk/">click here</a>.Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03959029295916855158noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-56366756634248325352009-11-30T17:22:00.002-07:002009-11-30T17:42:54.631-07:00Sooo...Is it just me or is it super frustrating not knowing what the heck is going on with my life next year?! Arrggghhh! (I've always wanted to use that expression but never found it quite appropriate. I still don't think it fit in this situation because it ended up sounding like a pirate ... but if you didn't already realize, I'm irritated and trying to express my frustration.) I've also come to the sudden realization that I'm a little ADD with my life plans. I get distracted and bored with a current circumstance and find myself wanting to do completely ridiculous things. I mean I could do any of the things I dream up, but I have to ask myself if any of them are the logical thing to do. Most of them probably aren't good investments of my time or money, but it's so hard to stop dreaming things up. I shouldn't be surprised at this realization I guess. I've always known that I would rather look ahead than focus on the present, but I think with this big change coming up next year it could be the chance for a fresh start. I love fresh starts. New beginnings. They're fantastic! When you're in school, you get them every semester. In teaching, each new year is a new start. But I still find my mind wandering...I guess it's a good thing to dream but bad if you never take action upon any of those dreams. It's just hard to decide which are worthwhile...but maybe it's just me?Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338660660638974898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-24786765146555441612009-11-08T06:20:00.000-07:002009-11-08T06:20:00.257-07:00Yo, Yo, Yo, Happy Birthday Jo!<div style="text-align: center;">Happy Birthday, Jo! I hope you have a wonderful day with cupcakes and candles and all of the other good things that a birthday deserves. Love you!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://agiletools.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/cupcake.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 425px;" src="http://agiletools.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/cupcake.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592710379570863032noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-64035384812088944892009-10-30T13:11:00.003-07:002009-10-30T13:25:06.890-07:00taking the leadHere's my October post. It's like visiting teaching... last day of the month still counts, right? Speaking of visiting teaching, I have to rant a little. I really think it's one of the most inspired programs in the church (home and visiting) and know that it's how we are all to take care of one another. I don't like having to force someone else to do it every month. Like, it would totally make my month if my companion (if I had one) would actually call ME and say, "Hey let's go visiting teaching, I've called our girls and they are free this day and this day. Which one do you want me to schedule?" I know it's wrong, but it would be nice if I didn't have to take the lead on it. Can't I just be junior companion again? For a little while?Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592710379570863032noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-30621748204078721732009-10-29T20:30:00.003-07:002009-10-29T20:51:03.421-07:00SO BOREDSo I just finished a long night of parent teacher conferences...usually this should warrant some sort of celebration, right? I came home only to find an empty apartment...lame. Jeff won't be back until Saturday and I am already so bored and thinking about the four white mothers. Although I was excited when Jeff suggested some trips to visit some certain white mothers. Maybe. Hopefully. Unfortunately, we are in that same "poor" phase in life. I told Jeff I can't even remember the last time I went shopping and bought something. I'm pretty sure it was six months ago...yep. I'm positive actually. We just end up looking like scrubs and eating a lot of potatoes, ha ha ha. Okay, so maybe we eat more than potatoes, but didn't you just feel so sad for us when I said that? Don't you see those couples that get to travel all over the place, <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>they wear stylish clothes, <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>they have nice shoes, <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> they eat out everywhere, <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>they do tons of expensive things and wonder how the heck are they doing that? I just say that they have tons of debt and are living way beyond their means. It makes me feel better as I sit in our apartment in the same clothes I wore as a freshman at the Y and dreaming about future trips to Rome. And if we lived beyond our means, I'd be in NYC right now doing tons of fun stuff with Jeff and wearing super cute clothes. But it's not worth it, right? And we'll be stronger people when it's all over, right? Just like in those stories?Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338660660638974898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-9283868446572173852009-10-20T18:02:00.002-07:002009-10-20T18:22:42.496-07:00Living Life as an Ensign ArticleAllow me to explain. For several years, I've read <i>Ensign</i> articles detailing the poverty-stricken years of young LDS couples struggling through the stressful, tender, life-enriching phase of graduate school and/or the young poor years. Due to some bizarre mix of nostalgia and longing (I blame my parents' tales of their days in Madison and my own childhood love of "The Gift of the Magi"), I wanted to be such a couple. <div><br /></div><div>Enter last night's budget check. Oh. My. Are we really that poor? When did that happen? Why doesn't it feel as cozy and heart-warming as the stories? The articles I read always had a tinge of the sweet about them. Let me tell you, though: I felt nothing sweet when my heart constricted and panic set in. I foresaw five years of toil and constant stress. </div><div><br /></div><div>Enter a calm husband, who reminded me that we have savings, who reminded me that our budget <i>actually covers</i> our necessary expenses, who reminded me that this was indeed a phase, who reminded that me we felt excellent about this decision, especially the decision that is leading to the most imminent major expenses, etc. My breath seeped back in...slowly. </div><div><br /></div><div>No doubt the couples behind those <i>Ensign </i>articles had moments of sheer terror too. However, their growth occurred despite the panic (even more likely because of the panic). As time passed, hard days got swallowed by moments of insight. So that is the new goal: look for the growth; ignore the panic. And maybe one day I'll be able to walk into Banana Republic again. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-17794137355765892052009-08-26T07:56:00.003-07:002009-08-26T07:57:45.918-07:00you'll understand why<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1mnV4Iq7wBB6aiA4x6c_WFue0__x21hKTnx2v8EKHs7_V1jFTIMjsCfog-y7V0VAMr12TFJFvpaGuCBukr3baoVAcSg4SiCY24qClwC7xEf3T9pfbjDYFoY_6mzuQFTlfLQk0A/s1600-h/IMG_1079.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1mnV4Iq7wBB6aiA4x6c_WFue0__x21hKTnx2v8EKHs7_V1jFTIMjsCfog-y7V0VAMr12TFJFvpaGuCBukr3baoVAcSg4SiCY24qClwC7xEf3T9pfbjDYFoY_6mzuQFTlfLQk0A/s400/IMG_1079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374286763667078098" border="0" /></a><br />I had to take this photo while driving... because I knew you all had to see it. (zoom in on the license plate)Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592710379570863032noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-72640670389515811622009-05-29T19:23:00.004-07:002009-05-29T19:51:11.057-07:00H-B-W Strikes AgainSo remember H-B-W? Yeah, well I thought once married life began, it would cease to exist. However, I was sadly mistaken because H-B-W has struck again, but this time in second grade!<br /><br />With the school year coming to an end, my students started delivering presents to me. My favorite part was the thank you notes from the second graders. I'd received one that told me "You're the best Queen" and inside it said "To Mrs. Queen Yongbrg" (yeah let's just say not a single student finished the year able to correctly spell my name). But there are also humorous pictures in the cards as well. One student drew a picture of me, very tall of course, and a tiny, tiny boy beside me (he looks more like a preschooler than an 8 year old). I was patting him on the head with a speech bubble that said, "I like you." He's the class clown, and let's be honest everyone loves people that are funny. I guess he picked up on that too.<br /><br />But as I continued to receive cards and pictures, I was very speechless when a cute girl in my class handed me her card with a picture folded inside. Looking at the crayon drawing, I realized I was in the picture and the girl was drawn a lot smaller beside me. She had a speech bubble that said, "graet bod!" I read it again because what second grade girl would write a note saying that to her teacher? I took it home to have Jeff confirm what I'd read was correct. He got a good laugh out of it. Jeff told me to hang on to it because I'd probably want to read it when I am pregnant :) After his confirmation I remembered hearing her say it at recess to another little girl, so I knew she must be telling me "great bod" in her picture. Is that weird or what?<br /><br />So my three white mothers, it appears H-B-W cannot hide. The legend lives on even in second grade...Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338660660638974898noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-21121421690878240612009-04-07T19:45:00.002-07:002009-04-07T19:50:25.107-07:00Trip to Utah? No.So, I thought I might be coming to Utah to visit. And then there were a bunch of layoffs and other cuts at work, then Alexis called and is desperate for family visits in her advanced-pregnancy state, and then someone offered to subsidize by plane ticket. So I'm going to Portland next week for a couple of days. Utah will have to wait until I am more solvent. Or you could come visit me here... Miss you all!Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03959029295916855158noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-70762856499896970942009-03-05T19:42:00.006-07:002009-03-05T20:18:13.561-07:00I'm a StalkerFor some bizarre reason, I've been pondering the blogging world lately. (Forgive me, My4WM, if this is too personal-sounding of a blog for a coauthored site.) Although this online-writing world seems basic (review the day/week, post your thoughts, attempt to sound witty, add some links, etc.), there's actually a complex, interconnected sub-existence to blogging. And I think blog-stalking is at the heart of it. I have a confession: I online stalk (my students would say "stock") several poor souls. Squandering time to religiously follow the lives of people I have never met (...or people I've met but they wouldn't remember me...or people I've read about on a stalkee's blog...or people I've read about in newspapers) relaxes me. I feel sneaky without being creepy. Embarrassingly enough, my sister and I have discussed people we pretend to know, and we can sketch out a decent picture of their lives. It's like a hobby. But I have to wonder if it's a healthy habit. So I'm cutting back. Time limits. Certain days of the week. Only when grading is done. A self-rationing process. Before I stop cold, though, I have to ask...<div><div><br /></div><div>Am I alone in this? If so, I will try to break my addiction entirely. If not, please let me know. Even better, if you are blog-stalking this site, drop an anonymous post, and I will feel vindicated in my comfortable, incognito life behind the computer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, moving day is fast approaching. We don't have to make a decision until April 15, but I'm struggling. We've created a pro/con template for the schools in each city, but I feel we should consider the wishes of friends (who might visit us) and possible internet stalkers (who might like to hear about the day-to-day in a specific part of the US). Where should we go?</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Pasadena, CA</div><div>2. Santa Barbara, CA</div><div>3. Boston, MA</div><div>4. Madison, WI</div><div>5. Ithaca, NY</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-18436016952274026262009-01-24T23:10:00.004-07:002009-01-25T00:01:41.732-07:00Come live with me and be my Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKigAWLWR9vrol8CjkZOIlqITAC55gO-E06zcOM1OYaecjH0oiNoDSA79p7izUCYBbWx1e4dNSDQe9N7RdRHxHQC88CGQGSbxLiBHsCf117uJ-zx6PW33mrzb4KK72R2F5DfU1WQ/s1600-h/005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295119871197331170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKigAWLWR9vrol8CjkZOIlqITAC55gO-E06zcOM1OYaecjH0oiNoDSA79p7izUCYBbWx1e4dNSDQe9N7RdRHxHQC88CGQGSbxLiBHsCf117uJ-zx6PW33mrzb4KK72R2F5DfU1WQ/s400/005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Well, maybe not quite with the same sentiment as Marlowe, but I think you should all come live, visit, or whatever here in California! I definitely would love to see my 4WMs! To tempt you further, here are a few pictures from Laguna Beach when Tricia and I were down there right after Christmas.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvsf16ddM6QZ6AQkgJTwEjTcj-bXHTLCznz8WgYRvpa9h7d-Y971g0Cw2xbODgJCB5X0gS0xE6y-VeXVNfuv4oCHhtA-9geEfOz9GZNnrgMuEQxuaqijiS9W3v30tcz_pun_f9A/s1600-h/033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295118939561110754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvsf16ddM6QZ6AQkgJTwEjTcj-bXHTLCznz8WgYRvpa9h7d-Y971g0Cw2xbODgJCB5X0gS0xE6y-VeXVNfuv4oCHhtA-9geEfOz9GZNnrgMuEQxuaqijiS9W3v30tcz_pun_f9A/s400/033.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzjjg18mCxCnc3-QAtLB7FMXKSkmC4i9V95frfma6zqVEuYh6ux89pMxv_M6TTA29h9VgRcMgNXp_utGvPYaUJgbUWpPs5mgMxlBUvq3lHj0DExaCca5JbCsVcost-Vheg6JGJw/s1600-h/031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295118932862318962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzjjg18mCxCnc3-QAtLB7FMXKSkmC4i9V95frfma6zqVEuYh6ux89pMxv_M6TTA29h9VgRcMgNXp_utGvPYaUJgbUWpPs5mgMxlBUvq3lHj0DExaCca5JbCsVcost-Vheg6JGJw/s400/031.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRvlTZw2c8xPVovGgGSD-4hYMVtIbq7Jh7bQa6etI5mH8oDymRxxGXiqPXE5iGtMkcknk5Ski1ClBcXlNPqIOijFecBgOKYmiUC4uqwT70ps6hRtLSHVYaYaaHTdaL7NQ09_NKQ/s1600-h/034.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295118928197675554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRvlTZw2c8xPVovGgGSD-4hYMVtIbq7Jh7bQa6etI5mH8oDymRxxGXiqPXE5iGtMkcknk5Ski1ClBcXlNPqIOijFecBgOKYmiUC4uqwT70ps6hRtLSHVYaYaaHTdaL7NQ09_NKQ/s400/034.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mjt6_4tPsik7sUgLrzSRrpWHopOJTE-0S68lMYgrDQQZ2G_5I4mt7lPfpgbcbpUnhVH68QqhbedgB86jjcOzRn6jMM6qPdrEyDPgDcfm8JNMScqoBT_cyQ5B3ASMrghsMQCXOA/s1600-h/041.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295118924951879058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mjt6_4tPsik7sUgLrzSRrpWHopOJTE-0S68lMYgrDQQZ2G_5I4mt7lPfpgbcbpUnhVH68QqhbedgB86jjcOzRn6jMM6qPdrEyDPgDcfm8JNMScqoBT_cyQ5B3ASMrghsMQCXOA/s400/041.JPG" border="0" /></a> Are you tempted to come live with me yet?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So, Jen, I think you and Nigel definitely need to come and consider Santa Barbara, or San Diego (San Diego is a little closer, though, so that's probably my first choice - although UCI is REALLY close!). </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Sarah and Whitney, I think you guys should definitely come for visits! If anybody wants to come, you can always stay at our house and I am always up for a Disneyland trip!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Anyway, things have been coming along pretty normally here. Nicole, my friend who told me about my job and has been living with us for the past 4 months, is moving to Orlando this week. It will be sad not to have her in the office with me, but I have some pretty awesome coworkers, so luckily she is not my only friend in the office!</div><div> </div><div>Erik is home from school right now, and my cousin Noel is living with us also, so things are a bit cozy right now. We will still have a guest room open for any visitors, though - hint, hint! </div><div> </div><div>I am also frantically trying to save money right now to be able to go with my parents this summer to pick up Kurt in Russia. He's acutally in Kazakhstan right now, but will be in Russia again before the end of his mission. I really hope that I can save enough to go!</div><div> </div><div>I recently have a new calling: Education Counselor for Relief Society. I think the Bishop was amused that I was so excited to not be the RS President. The person who was called is just perfect and I can have fun while not quite having all of the responsibility and burden of that heavier calling! It also gives me a chance to get to know more people in the ward. It is definitely an interesting dynamic in the ward. Pretty young overall. Makes it a little difficult sometimes to feel connected, but oh well! We have a ward trip this weekend to the mountains, so that should be fun as well.</div><div> </div><div>I'm trying to think of any other updates that I have...I think that's pretty much it! Not too much going on. I miss you all! Oh, and yes, Jen and Sarah, I have gotten your various messages! I will try to be better about keeping in touch, but I think we all know that that is a constant goal with me! :)</div><div> </div><div>I hope you are all doing well! Jen - keep dreaming about California so that we can make it come true!<br /><br /></div></div></div>Joannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03959029295916855158noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-33875165891395420882009-01-14T16:55:00.002-07:002009-01-14T17:19:10.929-07:00Going to CaliforniaAt least that's an option. And during the deepest cold of Utah winter, it seems like an excellent option. On Monday our mailbox held an early present: an acceptance letter to UC - Santa Barbara. N wasn't expecting to hear back from schools until around February, and he's hypothesizing (like a good scientist) that California schools try to nab those in winter-locked states by enticing them during the bitter months. Plus, he gets to visit (all-expenses paid, mind you--where are the perks for liberal arts majors?) during February, one of my least favorite months of dark and frost and snow. <div><br /></div><div>It's a ploy to win us over...and right now it's working. In fact, I've started dreaming of California and sun. I woke up yesterday telling N--sans preface to this comment-- that my only worry was navigating the crazy freeway system (Jo, you're allowed to laugh right now). Luckily, he understood my mind's meanderings: "So we're moving to California now, huh?" Any thoughts?</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-44145280145757033742009-01-08T09:30:00.002-07:002009-01-08T09:39:23.147-07:00getting awayHello!<br /><br />So, the blogging has significantly slowed down, no? I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and wonderful New Year. Spencer and I were both able to spend some significant time away from the office, which was a fantastic break and good way to gear up for the next four months of being a widow (busy season). To dispell some of my potential loneliness, I've decided to enrich myself by taking a class: How to Make an Adirondack Chair. No, I'm not kidding, and yes, that is actually the name of the class. I'm really excited! I hope to make two chairs to inspire some porch sitting in the years to come. Or perhaps to inspire buying a house with a porch for sitting.<br /><br />In other news, I'm trying to plan a big trip to Europe but it's a big task! It was so much easier to plan weekend excursions to a single destination when I actually lived in Brussels. Sadly, I think my four months there, all travel included, will cost less than the two week vacation we're planning. Maybe we'll move back to Brussels?<br /><br />Anyway, I'm dying to know what's happening with everyone. Please give me the scoop, the poop, the update, the 411, whatev. Please. Love to you all.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592710379570863032noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-90636018967996012522008-12-15T19:25:00.003-07:002008-12-15T19:55:01.902-07:00Happy Belated Birthday Sarita!<span style="font-family: arial;">I am so not on top of things. I am very very lucky I remembered my mom's birthday this month...yikes! I feel like December is so crazy, and my students are out of control this month! They know Santa is coming...that can only lead to insanity. I hope you had a wonderful birthday Sarah! Yay for another year older and wiser!<br /><br /><br /></span>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338660660638974898noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-90131760687925824162008-11-12T20:16:00.003-07:002008-11-12T20:19:08.481-07:00HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, JO!I don't know if I have a cute picture to post, but I wanted to give a shout-out to our favorite Southern California WM. And by the way, she had a birthday recently, so happy birthday, Jo. Here's to knowing you for 8.5 years (if I did that math correctly). Can you even believe that? Time flies in the "bubble." Happy birthday! We love you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26463013.post-4266095606398723742008-11-05T06:06:00.002-07:002008-11-05T06:09:35.378-07:00Way to go Jo!I can't even imagine how much time and effort you must have put into the Prop 8 campaign, but I just wanted to say thanks. I'm happy and relieved that it passed. As for other decisions made about our country yesterday, well, I'm feeling less than stellar about some of those.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04592710379570863032noreply@blogger.com0