Snowbird

Well, for our two-year anniversary Jared and I decided to head up to Snowbird for some fun and relaxing. I wish I could say it was a great trip, but unfortunately I got really sick so we spent a lot of time just hanging out. Luckily we had a gorgeous room that overlooked some pretty spectacular scenery. They had a great deal where you got a hotel room with a couple's massage included, so that definitely made it worth it. I am not a huge massage fan, but Jared is, so just knowing that he finally got a break from all of the day-to-day struggles of working and going to school was totally worth it. Since I was sick, we didn't get to take many pictures, but I did get a couple of the landscape so you can see what a beautiful area it is. It definitely will not be our last trip to Snowbird, that's for sure!

BIG NEWS

So congratulations are in order! My older sister Bethany, who I love so much is....ENGAGED!!!!! After several years of dating, she and her, now fiance, Ian have decided to take the plunge. I even get to be her Matron of Honor! WOOHOO. I am very excited for both of them. Although Ian and I didn't hit it off too well at the beginning (in my defense, I was a punk 17 year old teenager), he has definitely grown to be an integral part of the family...even if he resists it : )

They are perfect for each other. Beth is crazy and creative, Ian is grounded and logical....wait, in other words, I am Ian and Jared is Beth, so OBVIOUSLY another perfect couple! ~winkwink~

I haven't gotten a picture of the ring actually on her finger, except through a text message, but I did find a picture of it online. Good work Beth!

Congratulations Beth! I am so happy for you. Look, we're growing up after all : )

A new niece!

Jared and I have a new niece! YEA! My sister in law, Jazmine, gave birth to her first child, Miss Adalena Alyse. She is freaking adorable...and very small. She actually could not wait to join the world and ended up coming three weeks early. It was quite a surprise for the whole family, but everyone is happy and healthy.

It was a really cool experience for me, not like I was in the room or anything, but this is the first little person that has been born since I joined the Joyner family. I have 11 other nieces and nephews that I inherited, and while I absolutely LOVE them, it was completely different to realize that I am...literally, a new aunt! I will have to take more pictures of her to post, but unfortunately, I work at night and she is always asleep during the day! That crazy is girl is on a schedule not conducive to sleeping, that's for dang sure! In that sense, I am glad she's not mine! But, as I am being reminded, my time will come for sleepless nights!

Since she was born so suddenly, everyone thought that my mother in law, Carmen, would not be able to come out, but boy did she surprise us all! Jazmine called her early last Sunday morning saying, "I think my water broke, but I will let you know..." After an, or so, of church, the Yom decided she was going to come, and she was on a plane within a few hours. She got to be here for the birth, and even stayed for a week and a half! It was so fun having her here, and I am grateful that Jen has such a big house! We ended up with 7 adults and 5 kids and still had plenty of room to spare!

Lake Tahoe

Okay, so my little sister was supposed to get married a few weekends ago. The wedding didn't happen, but since my whole family (extended family included) had already planned to be there for the wedding, we decided to do a quasi-family reunion any way. My parents rented a cabin in Lake Tahoe and we got to spend the weekend both in Lake Tahoe, and also in Sacramento with Jared's family. It rained the whole time, but we still managed to have a blast!

Jared and I at South Shore. I love Tahoe, it is one of my all-time favorite spots.

This is in a souvenier shop on South Shore in Tahoe,

and yes, I know how gangsta I look in this hat! Jared, one of the original Blue's Brothers...or so he tells me! The yucky rain on our way down from Tahoe to Sacramento to see Jared's family. We all went out to some kind of Chinese buffet and as I am looking through my pictures I realize that I suck and I didn't get a picture of the entire family! So I guess I will just have to post the ones I have...

The crazy brothers, and yes, their faces really do look like that.
Jake and Jamie in all their glory.

Jared is REALLY happy to see his family.

I, on the other hand, look somewhat like a drowned

rat who hasn't slept in a week...go figure.

While we were in Sacramento I was finally able to stop by and see my best girlfriend Elena. It was so fun to catch up with her and spend more time with her little girl. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but Mya, her daughter, is gripping both of the sides of our heads and pushing them together. Her dad's a marine so I have a feeling she inherited Daddy's strength!

All in all, it was a good trip and it was great to see everyone! Although I have to say, the next time I come home it better not be raining!!

Work-isms

Okay, so my mom always complains that I never tell her any funny anecdotes about things that happen at work. The main reason for this is that I can't remember anything anymore...you would think I was old or something. Actually, my friend Ann just inducted me into the "CRS" club. If you want to know what that stands for, you're gonna have to ask me! LOL

So I am trying to be better about either writing down or blogging about funny things that happen at work, to share. This one is about my friend Rich.

Rich sits across from me, and so, inevitably, he and I do the most talking because he's the only person that I make eye contact with throughout the day. For those of you who don't know, I work on the "Electronic Response" team. This means that I help customers through both email and Instant Message Chat. On IM, we have a 30-30-30 rule. When a customer is unresponsive for 30 seconds we ask "Mr. so-and-so, are you still there?", wait 30 seconds, and ask them again, waiting 30 seconds more. If they still don't respond, we give them a little blurb about needing to assist other customers, blah blah blah.

Rich has started a new tradition in our department. If he is chatting with a customer that is either difficult or SLOW (which happens A LOT), he is quick to jump on the 30-30-30 rule. So today, we are sitting there and he is whining about a customer who is being especially difficult, and all of a suddent he starts getting excited. He's like, "Oh yeah....30 seconds down. Are you there!?? No?! Awesome..." and then, out of nowhere he starts singing "IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN" off-key and everything. It was the funniest thing I have ever heard! I am going to try and get him to do it again so I can tape it! LOL

My husband, the hairstylist

Okay, so I just have to tell you that I LOVE that Jared is going to hair school. Finally, I am able to afford to do all the crazy things I want to do to my hair. The best part is that I can do it as often as I want (and the health of my hair permits). My most recent adventure takes me back to high school, and for some reason, great memories with my good friend Abby.

I call it...THE ROGUE. Okay, so not really super creative, but then again, that was never my style.

My hair is now a BEAUTIFUL shade of red, if I do say so myself, with platinum streaks in the front. It was a great idea and I am actually really happy with it...except for one thing. Who would have thought that trying to separate your hair while shampooing would be so difficult?

So I am at Jared's school Saturday getting it done, and I asked his instructor if the red would bleed onto my newly blonde streaks. She told me to be careful and just make sure to separate the colors when washing/drying the first week or so, just to ensure I wouldn't end up with pink streaks. No big deal, right?

WRONG!

I am in the shower today with a clip in the blonde trying to wash the back of my hair. I figured I would do it in sections. It was like I was thrown completely out of whack. I couldn't remember how to wash my hair if I wasn't washing the front part at the same time. I had suds everywhere, on the ceiling, all over the shower wall, in my eyes, you get the idea. I finally get those washed out and conditioner in my hair, and then I try to attack the front part. It's not like I have HUGE streaks of blonde, it's just these little strips, but I could not seem to wash these streaks without pulling forward the red hair from the back. I would wash and then I would have to separate all of the hairs I pulled forward with my ginormous hands, wash, separate, wash separate. You would have thought I had never washed my hair before; it was ridiculous. Needless to say, I need to find a plan b for the next washing etravaganza...at least now I can justify a 30 minute shower, right?

Moving...AGAIN!

Okay, so we just moved for the third time in 9 months....awesome.

I can't complain though, the house we moved into with Jen and her family is a way better fit for them, so I am just glad they let us come too. It's actually just down the street from Jared's school in Layton, which means that he doesn't have to wake up nearly as early to get to school, and he can come home for lunch. That's a blessing because right now he is working 14 hours days like five days out of the week, so he needs as much sleep as he can get!

I am just trying to get through Tax Season. Things have been EXTREMELY busy at work, which means that I am exhausted when I get home from work as well. What a fun couple we have turned into, huh? LOL

We are planning some small trips during the summer though, so I am definitely counting down the days for that! I think it's the small things that keep you motivated and happy, and these trips are definitely what are keeping me motivated. The first trip will be at the end of April, and first part of May. We are going to go and visit our families. Jared hasn't been back to Sacramento since we left last July and I think that he's beyond homesick. So we are having a quasi-family reunion with my family and going to visit his family (those we don't already live with!) as well. It should be a lot of fun and a much needed break.

I am trying to think of some funny things that have happened lately, and there really isn't much to report. Not because funny things don't happen daily, but because I am like a 60 year old woman and can't remember anything if I don't write it down! I have decided that I am going to start writing down the funny things that my niece Amy says, because when she grows up I am convinced she's going to be a stand-up comedian and I want to torment her with how "funny" she was as a kid.

For example, before we moved from Woods Cross, Jen, Allen and I were playing Settlers of Cattan (I have no idea if this is how you spell it), and Katherine, the youngest, started crying out of the blue. Now keep in mind, they shared a bed at the time. When I looked to Allen, he said, "Amy probably kicked her or something", so I got up (because I am always SUPER curious, a fact that has helped me in my job, immensely, I might add) to see what had happened. Katherine was screaming and Amy was laying on her stomach, her hands under her body and her face in the pillow. When I asked Katherine what happened, in a somewhat incomprehensible tirade, she starts screaming about how Amy had done something to her. I looked at Amy and without moving her head away from the pillow she said in biting words "I did not touch her". It was awesome. All of a sudden it dawned on me, my parents weren't smart, and they didn't have eyes on the back of their heads, I was STUPID and a horrible liar! They didn't need to be smart to know that I was lying! Ahh, Amy, she never admits to anything though, I shoulda known she would deny it...