Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Wally’s oldest daughter, Ammie, has two adorable daughters, Sydney & Payten. Ammie, her husband John and their two girls live in St. George, Utah. We love it when they come up to Salt Lake City to visit and look forward to the times we are able to go down to St George and spend time with them.

SYDNEY turns five years old next month! She is the perfect mix of sassy and sweet! She has always been such a fun little girl to be around, full of energy and lots of hugs. She is such a kind & helpful big sister to Payten. In addition to inheriting her mom’s good looks, she also got a lot of her “smarts”! She will accomplish amazing things in her lifetime!!

PAYTEN just turned one! She is full of personality and smiles. She adores her big sister and her dog, Chloe. Payten has gorgeous big, blue eyes just like her mom! She has always been such a happy baby with the cutest expressions. It’s so exciting to watch her grow and progress. We know that the future holds exceptional things for her!

We feel so blessed to have both of these little girls in our lives!

STRESSED OUT?

We had an appointment at the vet yesterday for our cat, Loser. Wally and I both noticed that she had been losing a lot of the hair on her tail. She is a long haired cat with a very thick coat, so it started to look strangely suspicious. Also, she has been extra whiny over the past few weeks. I thought it would be a good idea to play it safe and take her in for a check up. The vet checked her out, ran blood tests, etc, etc and diagnosed her with…

Anxiety and stress—what?

I guess our recent move and change of environment had more of an effect on her than we realized. Apparently, her level of stress is such that she has even stopped grooming herself properly. Does this cat looked stressed out to you?


Don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful that nothing is seriously wrong with her physical health. I am quite attached to this cat and would have a hard time if anything happened to her. But her mental health? We always knew she had some “issues”, which explains a bit of the reasoning behind her name, but we never had concrete evidence until now. I guess some extra TLC and pampering is in order!

"50 Things" MeMe

I love reading a good MeMe about someone else and, quite honestly, I love filling them out on myself! I think they provide some insight on people's hidden quirks that make them unique individuals. Plus, they're just fun! Here's a "50 Things" MeMe on yours truly:

1. I am neither a morning person nor a night person—I’m more of a midday girl.

2. My favorite color is purple, yet I don’t own one item of purple clothing.

3. I have never been to the dentist and NOT had a cavity. My sister has never had a cavity in her life (not fair!).

4. I’m a sleep-eater. I eat during the night without realizing what I’m doing until I wake up in the morning and see the empty wrappers next to my pillow.

5. Other than my husband, my very best and closest friends are my sister and my mom.

6. My nephews and niece are my favorite people to hang out with.

7. I picked out my future daughter’s name (should I have a daughter) when I was twelve.

8. My favorite food is fried cheese.

9. I am a reality tv show junkie. From the tacky and ridiculous to the clever and heartfelt—I love watching them all.

10. My favorite style of home is a brick bungalow.

11. I have always wanted to own a convertible SAAB.

12. Fall is my favorite time of the year. Summer is my least favorite time of the year.

13. I would rather be at home than any other place.

14. Growing up, I wanted to be a professional closet organizer.

15. I hate unloading the dishwasher.

16. I love to vacuum.

17. I almost always drive the speed limit. It is a rare occasion that I drive faster than the posted speed limit sign.

18. I have a hard time getting rid of or giving away old clothing, even when it doesn’t fit anymore. About 75% of the clothes in my closet I haven’t worn for over two years.

19. I love roller coasters and thrill rides. I would love to visit all of the best amusement parks in America.

20. I don’t like to be in charge or to be the leader of a group.

21. I love to read other people’s blogs, but the very thought of having one of my own really stresses me out.

22. I don’t enjoy spending time getting ready in the morning (doing my hair, putting on make-up, etc.) The less time spent in front of the mirror the better!

23. Given the option to do so, I would wear track pants every day of the week.

24. From a very young age, I have always wanted to be a mother.

25. I prefer eating stale licorice as opposed to fresh. When I buy a new package, I leave it open for a few days before eating it.

26. I keep the temperature at home around 65-68 degrees.

27. I can procrastinate like no other!

28. I have a soft spot in my heart for animals.

29. I thoroughly enjoy going grocery shopping. I could spend hours going up and down the aisles looking for new food items, especially yummy snacks.

30. I look forward to the day I have a yard that requires upkeep.

31. My favorite movie is Terms of Endearment, even though it makes me cry every time I watch it.

32. I am VERY cranky if I don’t get 8-10 hours of sleep each night.

33. I wash my face with plain old bar soap.

34. Every morning I have a cup of cocoa and a glass of diet coke before I even think about starting my day.

35. I would much rather snack all day than sit down and eat a prepared meal

36. I have very little tolerance for ignorant, arrogant people.

37. I hate to drive in the rain or in the dark.

38. I prefer to be the passenger rather than the driver.

39. I don’t keep in touch with any of my friends from high school or college although I secretly wish that I had.

40. I don’t like drinking milk. At all. Never have, probably never will.

41. I don’t like tomatoes, but I like tomato-based products.

42. I will occasionally buy something just because it’s a “good deal”, even if I have no intention of ever using it.

43. I am a lazy person by nature. Given the opportunity, I will lounge about on the couch in my pajamas all day long.

44. I used to be obsessive about cleaning and keeping everything straight and organized, until I got married.

45. I would much rather be around a small group of friends than at a party with a large group of people.

46. I get anxious and fussy when I have too many commitments and not enough “down time” to myself.

47. My favorite day of the week is Friday.

48. I wouldn’t change one detail about my wedding day. It was a perfect day.

49. I never eat anything that is close to or past the expiration date on the package. NEVER. EVER.

50. I almost never pick up voicemail messages on our home phone until the mailbox is completely full.