Grateful

Facebook is fully of people doing the 22 days of being grateful, or whatever it's called, which has made me think of some of the great things I am grateful for. So, here is my list in no particular order.

1. The Gospel- I am SO beyond grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (AKA Mormon). I don't want to know where I would be if I hadn't grown up with the gospel in my life. I'm grateful for my loving Savior and for the testimony I have.

2. Oddly enough, My Trials- This year has been one of the toughest. And I'm so grateful. I have learned and grown so much from each and every one of them. They make me become better because I let them. I wouldn't have learned any other way, and I know my Savior knows me well enough to know I need those trials to bring me back to him.

3. My Parents- Words cannot describe how much I appreciate my parents. They mean the entire world to me. I'm grateful for everything they've taught me- From cleaning, to cooking, to managing my money, and so on. They are the greatest examples to me. I'm grateful they gave me a loving home to grow up in.

4. The Priesthood- I am so grateful for the power the priesthood has and for the great men I have in my life that keep themselves worthy to hold it. It's truly incredible.

5. Herbal Tea! I love a good cup of herbal tea before bed!

6. My car- She has been a trooper. Even through running over a bucket that flew out of the back of someones truck on the freeway, getting rear-ended, and run into another time, she has stayed strong and gets me where I need to go!

7. Sisters and good friends- I have friends that have become like my sisters and I am so grateful for all of them. I'm grateful they are there when I need them and help me through tough times and celebrate the good times with me!

8. My job- I am soooo grateful to be lucky enough to hold a job in this economy. I have been fortunate to always have a job, and always have money to cover what I need. And I get spoiled with free Cardinals and ASU tickets.. and free adjustments... And I've met some well known people and some other really great people through the years. I can't complain... Ok maybe I do sometimes ;)

9. My talents- I prayed that I would be able to find my talents. This year I've been made more aware of them. I get asked to do nails, make-up, hair, help decorate, and best of all... I was always so jealous of Dustin and all of his hobbies. Then he helped me start doing cakes... And I fell in love. Nuff said...

10. Dustin!!! Even though we've had a rough past, I couldn't imagine life without him. He's helped me grow and teaches me everyday. He makes me laugh and never lets me feel sorry for myself. He picks me up and helps me be better. He helps me go after the things I want. He is there to comfort me when I need him. I could go on and on. I love him with all my heart and I'm so grateful for the way he loves me!

11. Technology- FaceTime has been a big thing in my family. We all have either an iPod or iPhone or iPad just so we can FaceTime. It's been great being able to see each other when we are so far away!

12. Music- Oh man music has always been such a huge part of my life. I never watch TV. It's always music whether I'm getting ready, in the car, cleaning, cooking dinner, or just playin on Facebook, there's always music. I'm grateful for my guitar and the ability I have to play it. It really is therapy to me. Life would be pretty boring without it!

There, now I am up to date... I am so full of gratitude. There really is so much to be thankful for. I am going to get ahead for tomorrow and say...

#13. I am thankful for this time of year. For the change in the season and for the feeling that is in the air. For the time that we get to take out of our busy lives to be together with our families.
There is nothing better!!

ASU Sundevils

 Have I mentioned I love my job? I have the best boss ever! Thursday Dr. Maynard asked me if I would like to go see the ASU football game on Saturday. YES PLEASE! So he brought me two tickets for the loge area (covered, free food and drinks, AWESOMENESS) and a parking pass. :)

 

You better believe I had my ASU gear on! Ready for the game!

 Half time they did a pretty cool show with their marching band and their cheerleaders and dancers. Took me back to high school again.

Bad news is, they lost in the last few seconds of the game. But, it was still so much fun!

Coupons!

I don't really remember what made me get into this coupon kick, but I've always heard about people getting a large amount of groceries for almost nothing and have been curious to know how it all works. You think it's easy? Cause I did, and I was very wrong. There's A LOT to it. A lot of time. A lot of homework. And a lot of rules that could change at any time. But, I decided if I can at least save a few bucks, it'll be worth a try. 

So, Sunday I got a paper with all the deals and coupons in it and last night I bought a folder and those plastic sheets that you can use to store collector baseball cards in, and started clipping and organizing my coupons. If you want to kill some time, just try it out. There's a new show on Netflix that's call Extreme Couponing and I'm determined to figure out all their tricks. I'm excited to organize my first shopping trip. I really hope I can figure it out! I'll let you know how it goes!

Go-To Girl

 The last three months have been SO much fun! I've been able to help my co-worker and good friend Kristen plan her wedding. I've always wanted to help plan and I finally got my chance! I got to help with lots of the big and small things. She asked my opinion on dresses, jewelry, shoes and so on. I've been her little Go-to girl. HA! I helped her find a photographer, which is Amber Morris, Sharla's sister-in-law, a DJ whos name is Mike Huff, a friend I met through other friends, and I get to do her hair, nails, and cake :) As Dr. Turley says, "She's got the Mormon hook-ups." Haha! AHHHHH! :) It's a lot of pressure, but things are going smooth so far.

 

Last Friday she came over and we practiced her hair...

I think it turned out pretty good for a test run. She has such pretty long hair, so it was fun to work with. She told me I couldn't keep her as my personal Barbie though ;)

 

Then I got started on the wedding cake. Boy talk about pressure! The bottom layer is actually pretty big. Getting fondant to cover that thing was work. And... After the 4th attempt to put the fondant on...out of frustration...I beat it sensless and then it was smooth sailing. (And after wards had a good laugh at myself) The bottom 3 teirs are all styrofoam covered in fondant and decorated with these lovely flowers and lace. It's not done though... It still needs the top layer, which will be real for the "cutting of the cake as Mr. and Mrs." and there's more flowers that will be added. Then I will be baking a very large sheet cake for guests to eat. With the famous Chantilly Cream and fresh cut strawberries. YUM! I can't wait to see it all finished!

 

This cake was just a little extra for her birthday today! Happy birthday!!! And she loved it! And I was so glad!

 

Then during lunch I did her nails. I did gel with a really pretty, light, almost kind of goldish (I honestly don't know what to call it!) color. So, now all that is left is finishing the wedding cake, and then Sunday morning I will make my way to her house to do her hair and then she will be Mrs. Dustin George! All the planning, and stress, and money spending will be over! I know she will be so relieved!

 

In the mean time, I am really grateful that I get to work with her. She has been a great co-worker and has become a really great friend. I'm so glad I get to help her get ready for her big day!

Best wishes Dustin and Kristen!

 

My Best Friend's Wedding!

 On September 15, 2012 my best friend got married!!!

 She made such a beautiful bride! I'm so happy I got to be part of her big day. I got to be one of her bridesmaids. I'm still kicking myself for not taking more pictures. Her wedding was beautiful! They had it at The Gathering Place in Pinetop. Jake could not be more perfect for Brandis and I am so happy for her.

 

I couldn't resist posting the above picture. I can't remember what was going on at the time to make Dana look angry (Her Mom), but Ashley was lacing up the back of her dress and Brandis was about to fall over. Haha.

 

I wish the both of them the best and a life full of happiness!

Some Hope When You Need It...

Most of you know that I have long battled anxiety for a long time. It's been an uphill battle for far too long. And some days I just have to sit and wonder why. Why do I have to go through this? Why can't I just grow out of it like "they" say some people do? And I'm not one to throw a pity party for myself. In fact, if you ask my mom, she is the one to say that you'd never know if something was wrong because I show no signs that something is wrong. 

This year has seemed to be particularly hard. It seems like it's been one thing after another. And with that has been added stress which then results in more anxiety. Its a vicious cycle, and I pray everyday that it would just end. 

So, today on my lunch break I decided to read some blogs as I do every now and again to see what the family is up to and I came across Hilary Weeks' blog. If any of you have never been to Time Out For Women, I highly suggest you look up when the next one is nearest you, and GO! She was one of the speakers at both of the ones I have been to and I just admire her so much. She is a singer/songwriter and is just such an amazing person. So I started reading her blog. It was just what I needed to hear today.

She wrote about this goal she had about conquering what she calls the "killer hill." She explains that it's basically at a 90 degree angle, but she is determined to run the whole way up, no stopping or walking. So she stops for a moment to prepare to run up this hill, says a prayer for strength and then begins. She kept her head down the whole time. She didn't want to see how far she had to go to get to the top, she just wanted to see each step she took to get there and kept her goal in mind. She felt victorious as she reached the top. Then she said this:

 Killer Hill Takeaways…
1.  If I am not willing to push to the top of a painful hill, then I don’t deserve the flat ground.  I appreciate the 0% incline much, much more after experiencing the effort of the steep climb.  (That is an analogy for life…)
2. I can do hard things. (And so can you.)
3. Prayer works.
4. When you are approaching something HARD – get your mind right.  Stop.  Pause.  Focus.  Tell yourself you can do it.  And then go.
5.  When you are focused on your dreams, it makes the effort worth it.

In another post, she talks about her husband's business going under due to the economy crashing. One day she was away from home at another Time Out For Women and she was feeling alone and scared. She got down on her knees and prayed. Her answer came. She said she grabbed a pen and paper and this is what she heard: “Be brave and trust a while longer and the benefits will be worth it.” She had no idea how long it would take, but she carried on and continued to trust in the Lord. Five years later they sold their business and are now on the road to recovery.

Both of these stories were just what I needed to hear. Sometimes when we are going through a hard time, and we just want it to be over, we have to remember to just keep watching our steps with our goal in mind and "be brave and trust a while longer and the benefits will be worth it." It will be victorious when we reach the top. 

Heavenly Father knows and loves us so much. I know he does and I know he is aware of what we are going through. I know his plan is so much bigger than the one I have for myself. If not for trials we wouldn't learn valuable lessons and I can truly testify for that one. I have learned so much from them and I am letting them make me the person I want to be. I am so grateful for this gospel and for the hope that it gives me.

Garrison Edward Foy

Baby Garrison is finally here! He was born August 30, 2012 weighing 9 pounds. He is such a little cutie pie! Sharla went through hell getting him here though. And yes Sharla, I am a bit traumatized after watching what you went through. Maybe I'll just let my sisters do the work, and I'll do the spoiling! ;) 

She went to the hospital early Wednesday morning and they started the Pit on her at about noon. I got to the hospital at about 5 PM that evening hoping she was getting close and we'd get to hold him soon! She hadn't gotten her epidural yet, but was finally to the point where she was ready for it. Her contractions were getting hard and close together. They had to do a test to make sure her platelet count was high enough, which it wasn't, so she couldn't have it. I think we all shed some tears for her. She was in so much pain. They gave her pain meds, but all they did was make her sleepy. She would just start to fall asleep and then another contraction would hit her. It was really hard to watch knowing I couldn't help her. After a rough night, she finally begged the nurse to do another test to see if she could have the epidural, and this time it was just barely high enough! They put one in early Thursday morning and she finally got to get a break and some sleep. And the rest of us tried to get some sleep as well after being up with her all night. I left for work at 8:30 AM and by the time lunch rolled around, they had finally decided to perform a C-Section because she just wasn't progressing and had developed a fever. Baby Garrison was born at 11:24 AM. He had some trouble breathing and had a fever as well so he spent some time in the NICU. They kept him for a full week on antibiotics and released him late  the next Wednesday night. What a rough experience! I'm so proud of Sharla! She is such a strong lady and is the cutest little momma ever! Congrats to her and Jaron! I love you all!

When one door closes, another one opens...

This is old news for some, but...I got a new job! And love it so much! I was so ready for a change. I liked my other job and loved the people I worked with, but it was time for something new. My friend Mindi told me about this place, so I applied and apparently they thought I could do the job cause I got it! :) I am still working for a chiropractor at a place called Maynard Wellness Center. We have two chiropractors and one family doctor. I love my hours! There really is nothing better than having a set schedule. My life feels normal again! 
Dr. Maynard is the chiropractor for the Cardinals, and yes, I've already been spoiled with tickets to see a game! I had 3 tickets so Shaunae and her husband Joe got to come with me. Row 18... 50 yard line... Need I say more? And Dr. Turley is the chiropractor for the ASU team. My co-worker had the privilege of going to one of their games as well.  Hopefully, somewhere down the road I'll get to go to one of their games too!

Cakes!

I'm still enjoying making cakes. I got to make my grandpa Liston's 80th birthday cake and my nephews 3rd birthday cake. They were so fun to make, but transporting them to Utah from Arizona was not so fun. They both made it and everyone loved them :) It makes me feel really good to see people's reactions. That's honestly what has kept me making them. I've got a couple more lined up and I'm really excited! Anyway, I got to go up for their parties over Memorial Weekend. My grandpa's party was on Saturday and Trevyn's was on Sunday. It was so nice to be with my family. I miss them all so much and get home sick for Utah every now and again. Especially Escalante, since I lived there my senior year. We all had a good time other than the wind blowing at it was 50 degrees outside! No big deal though coming from the valley where the temp is 110 most days... :)

Hobbies!!!!! I finally found one!

Do you know of the TV show Cake Boss? Well, this TV show is to blame for my new obsession!!! I fell in love with cakes. I've always been curious to see what it would be like to make one with fondant. After watching every episode I could get my hands on and talking about it for a very long time, my incredible, amazing boyfriend Dustin got me a bunch of cake tools, pans, fondant, a book and all sorts of fun stuff for Christmas to make it happen! I really want to enroll in the Wilton classes, but unless my work schedule changes or their schedule changes, it may not happen for a while. Youtube is my best friend :) LOL

My first attempt was very simple, but I just wanted to get a feel for it. I watched some Youtube videos, gathered some recipes and went to work. It was just one single layer of cake, cause I wasn't sure what I was doing yet, but the fondant laid down PERFECT! I was shocked at how easy it was! And I've been hooked since!

Cake #2 was a very LONG process and this time I had Dustin's help. We made it a team effort, and I think it took us about 6 very long, tiring hours to get it done, but I think it turned out pretty great! There are four layers in this cake. We made every one from scratch and made the icing from scratch. Bad idea... haha It seemed like we were never going to finish this thing. It was a fun way to spend the day with Dustin though and I'm glad he took the time to share my hobby with me!

Now cake #3 is my pride and joy so far! I worked really hard on this one. Jennifer asked me to make an owl themed cake for my neice, Taylin's first birthday. She sent me some pictures to get an idea of what she wanted, and it looks nothing like the pictures she sent me haha... But it turned out great and everyone loved it. I was really worried at first, but I did what I could with what I had... The hard part was the 8 hour drive to Utah. I worried the whole way there!! The owl lost an ear, but it was an easy fix. Thank goodness!
I'm currently brewing up my next order from my other sister Sharla! I can't wait to start on it! I'm thankful for everyone's support and especially for Dustin! Without him I would probably still be talking about it! He always gives me the push and the confidence I need to do the things I want to do! A big thanks to him and to everyone who have supported me through this learning process! More to come :)

Forever And A Day... And A First For Everything!

Hey there followers, if there is anyone even following me anymore... ha ha! It's been a really long time... Blogging has been the last to-do on my list lately. I've been super busy, and lots has happened since my last post! Lets see if I can cover everything in one post... there may be multiple!
First it seems like I have had a lot of "firsts" lately. They will be posted in no particular order FYI. I recently got to go to the zoo with Dustin and his family. Never been there before. No pictures though, sorry. I saw a rhino and a giraffe for the first time and I'm almost 22! Sad! Then, in the same day, I tried crab and lobster for the first time. Not a big sea food fan, but I will admit, it wasn't terrible. It was a great weekend. I love Dustin's family and always look forward to spending time with them! :)

OK! Then here's an exciting one! I've been to one other concert, but I've never been anywhere near anyone "famous!" My roommate Trisha and I became obsessed with this band called Parachute. They aren't a huge well known band, but they are getting there and we LOVE them! So one day she surprised me with tickets to go see them in Tempe!!!! We were right up against the fence, you couldn't get any closer to the stage unless you hopped the fence! Will, the lead singer, picture below, came down into the crowd and walked around a little bit. Yep, right past us, and then hopped back onto stage.

Oh wait, then it gets better... After the show (Parachute opened for OAR, which we didn't care as much about) Will and the band lined up for pictures and autographs :) so we took advantage of the opportunity. Trisha plays guitar and writes her own music so she even brought one of her Cd's along and gave it to him. We shall see if anything comes of it!

Another great one was the Arizona State Fair! I've always wanted to go and drove past it a millions times, but never got there until this last time it was here! Amazing! I had a blast. It was raining, and by raining I mean drenched to the bone, freezing cold, pouring rain... And I loved every minute of it! This picture below was from the BIG Farris wheel in the rain :) Good times!

There's been a few others, but these were most exciting for me. There will be more posts to come about more important things... Stay tuned :)