One year older and....

Not so much wiser. Not really different at all. Except just older.



I turned 27 on Monday the 19th. My 26th year of life was absolutely horrible. There weren't very many good things that happened while I was 26. So I've made 2009 - my 27th year - the year of change.



I'm so glad my birthday is in January. I feel like along with a new year, I get a new start with a new age to just start over. So here's how I'm planning on changing.



1. Losing weight! Of course! When I got home from my mission to Wisconsin in November 2004, I was a size 14 weighing 180 lbs. Now I know that's not thin, by society's standards, but that is the smallest I've been in my adult life - including high school. As a freshman in high school I was about 200 lbs. I've always struggled with weight - it's been the issue God has given to me to keep me humble. haha!



Well when I got married in 2006 I'd already gained about 25-30 lbs. And in the 2 1/2 years since then, I've put on a LOT more weight and I don't even know how it happened!! My ultimate goal is to be a size 10 or maybe a 12. So I have a ways to go.



Here's what I've been doing so far. And the best part is, Scott is doing this with me, which is a HUGE help!!



On January 7, Scott and I started the Alli program. If you don't know what that is, go to http://www.myalli.com/ and check it out. In the past two weeks I have felt myself shedding some ounces and maybe a couple of pounds!! But since we didn't have a scale, we couldn't tell for sure. But I've felt SO good the past two weeks! Alli makes me not want to eat bad foods, and I haven't been able to finish a regular sized meal since starting it. It's awesome. It's SO important to find what works for you when you lose weight. Because there are so many diets out there, and only a couple will actually work for you. Back in 2003 when I lost 70 lbs, it was from riding a bike every day and eating well. Alli is helping me eat well. The exercise bike Scott bought me for Christmas is helping with the exercise part! I feel like this is the year that things will change. And I'm excited about that. And the best part is, I'm not doing it alone! Scott is such a great husband!



2. I'm giving school my all. I have two years to go before I have my Masters in School Counseling. All through school I've just kind of done the bare minimum to get by with an A or B and been pretty blase about it. But not anymore! These next two years are dedicated to working hard, studying, reading, and practicing the material I learn. I want to be an awesome school counselor, not just a mediocre one. So I am going to do what I can to be an amazing counselor when 2011 rolls around!!



3. I'm going to be financially savvy. That's right. I said savvy. I have always been kind of horrible with money - I love spending it. And I'm good at it. But Scott and I want to buy a house this year, so in order to do that, I need to get a job (obviously) and stick to our savings plan! We have paid off our credit cards and the only debt we have now is our car (and of course, our student loans, but they won't come into play for a couple years). So we can finally save what we were spending on credit cards before. So I am excited to accomplish this goal of owning our own home to prepare for our family to come!!!



Those are my goals. I also have little goals to be more spiritual by reading my scriptures more and getting rid of my bad attitude toward our ward, as well as being a better wife by cleaning more often and not nagging Scott to help clean when he's spent all day at work and school! Shhh, don't tell him I said that!



For my birthday, Scott and I went to breakfast at Midvale Mining, because ALL I wanted was a scone! I hadn't have one in ages, and it sounded SO amazingly good. So we did that. And it rocked. Then we went shopping to make a package for Scott's lil brother Eric that turns 19 in the MTC next week! Then Scott surprised me by taking me to the salon to get my hair done!! I was SO excited because I've been bugging him for months to let me go get my hair professionally colored! Then it was off to Texas Roadhouse to meet my family for dinner! After that we went to my sister's for some Rockband and fat free brownies!! It was a wonderful night. I got spoiled, of course, with some super cute new clothes, and an awesome new scale!!! Scott and I are going to be doing weekly weigh-ins on Monday nights.



So I'm one year older. I don't feel older. I don't feel wiser. But I am hoping to be thinner and richer. That's not too much to ask, right? :)

Welcome, 2009!!!

I can't even tell you just HOW excited I am that it's 2009! After the crud that was 2008, I am really looking forward to a good year filled with exciting and wonderful changes!

Christmas was fabulous, as always. We were all very French with our berets and cordon bleu and other French delights. It was a full house with everyone there but the more the merrier!

Not a very flattering picture, but that's okay!

So since I don't really have anything in mind to blog about, I thought I'd give a teeny little life update.

Scott is still working at the DT and loving it. He is so good with those little delinquents and I'm so proud of him. He is about to start another semester at SLCC working on his Criminal Justice degree. He's a great student and he is so smart. He never ceases to impress me.

I'm still working on finding a job, which is always a painful process. I'm hoping to have one by my birthday, but that only gives me a week and a half. Ugh. We'll see though. If we have to live on savings for a while, so be it. But I'd rather just be working because I'm seriously going stir crazy at home. I mean, how many loads of laundry can a girl do before losing her mind??

School for me started again yesterday. Now that it's 2009 I can actually say that I'll be done with my Masters in 2 years. I hope it goes by quickly. My Tuesday nights are craving some excitement.

Scott's little sister Laura and his brother Eric are both leaving for their missions a week from today. Laura is going to Atlanta, Georgia, and Eric is going to Morristown, New Jersey. I am so excited for them! A mission is seriously the best thing a person can do! We're going to help pay for their missions, so I'm looking forward to the blessings that come from that!

Eric and Laura both go to the MTC January 14.

I'm also looking forward to this summer. If things go our way, we're planning on buying a house somewhere. Somewhere meaning Salt Lake or the surrounding area. It's pretty clear that we'll be here the rest of our lives! I suppose that's okay. It's not a bad place to live!

So that's about it. Boring, I know. But sometimes that's a good thing.

It's Christmas Time!

Well, it's almost Christmas! December has been a rocky month, but I'm looking forward to Christmas this year. As I've gotten older, Christmas has taken on new meaning. Despite that, the excitement and Christmas Spirit has stayed the same. I love the feeling in the air - the giving spirit and overall sense of peace.

As I've mentioned before, 2008 has been a very hard year. We lost my sweet Grandma Boulter in April, and it has been hard not having her around. It's been even harder with the loss of our Superman, Sean. He was the best person this world has known, and Christmas won't be the same without him. We are all still getting used to the fact that he's not around, and it's been rough. As a tribute to him, since Scottie and I bought his truck, we got custom license plates. We got them in the mail last week. We're considering the plates to be Sean's Christmas present - because it's something that will be a constant reminder of just how much he touched our lives.



K79 was his officer number, and SMS are his initials - Sean Michael Sivertsen

As some of you may know, we have a tradition every Christmas - on Christmas Eve our festivities center around a different country. We eat the food, wear the attire (if applicable), and participate in that country's Christmas traditions. It's always really interesting to learn about the country we have chosen for that year, and it definitely keeps things exciting! Last year was Greece, and we had gyros and lemon rice and all kinds of Greek goodies, decorated with white and blue and wore Greeky attire! We had a cake that was supposed to say Merry Greekmas but ended up saying Merry Geekmas, due to the baker's error. We thought that was pretty fitting, so we ate it anyway!

This year we are having a French Christmas, complete with Chicken Cordon Bleu, baguettes, croissants, French onion soup, etc etc etc. We'll all be donning French berets (and possibly turtlenecks?) and learning about French Christmas customs. I'm excited because I've always wanted to visit Paris, and this will be a teeny taste of what it would be like! At least around Christmas time. I'm also excited this year because my aunt and uncle from California are coming to join in the celebration - they've never been to our Christmas celebration before! It's going to be fun to see them.

It will be strange not going to my Grandma's this year, but it does mean we'll be able to spend more time with Scott's family on Christmas Day. This year we'll be in Springville to celebrate with his aunt and Grandpa. I'm looking forward to it. Last night we spent time with Scott's mom and dad and brother and sisters. We made all kinds of Christmas treats (rice krispie treats, chex mix, muddy buddies, etc). We watched Mr. Krueger's Christmas (which ALWAYS makes me cry) and The Nativity. We also watched It's a Wonderful Life and The Polar Express. It was really nice and we all felt the Christmas spirit so much!

Tomorrow is the 23rd, which means it is Scottie's and my Christmas! We celebrate on the 23rd because it is our 6 month anniversary - and since we're with my family on Christmas Eve and his on Christmas Day, we spend the 23rd together exchanging presents and having our Christmas Dinner and just being together with our pathetic little tree. I love that we have our own little traditions already. On Christmas Eve morning we go out to breakfast together before going up to Heber. We go to Village Inn and have their skillets that are so yummy!

Well this is kind of a random post, but I wanted to end it by wishing all of you a WONDERFUL Christmas!! And never forget the reason for the season!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Molly Smiles

I've been neglecting my blog lately, and since the last one was such a downer, I decided to do the one I saw on Heather's blog because it made me laugh! So - enjoy!

1. Put your music listening device on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write that song name down no matter how silly it makes you look. (For me, some of these were actually pretty appropriate, while others made absolutely no sense.)
4. Title this post what the answer to your last question is.


*If someone says 'Is this Okay?' you say:
Adam's Song - Blink 182 (guess it's not ok...)

*What do you like in a guy/girl?
Every You Every Me - Placebo

*How do you feel today?
Who Knew - Pink (sounds about right)

*What is your life's purpose?
Crucify - Tori Amos (Ummmm......)

*What do your friends think of you?
Add It Up - Violent Femmes

*What do your parents think of you?
I have a dream -ABBA

*What do you often think about?
Liar - Taking Back Sunday

*What do you think of the person you love?
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen (haha yes...)

*What is your life story?
Walking Disaster - Sum 41 (lately, this is very true!)

*What do you want to be when you grow up?
In The Garage - Weezer

*What do you think when you see the person you love?
Eternal Flame - The Bangles (awwwww!)

*What will they play at your funeral?
Don't Write Me Off Just Yet - Hugh Grant (Music and Lyrics Soundtrack)

*What is your biggest fear?
Angel - Aerosmith

*What is your biggest secret?
You Are Not Alone - Michael Jackson (How the HECK did I get this song on my computer??)

*What do you think of your friends?
Beezleboss: The Final Showdown - Tenacious D (Uhhh... haha)

*What are you going to name this post?
Molly Smiles -Jesse Spencer

When life gives you lemons...

THROW THEM AGAINST A BRICK WALL.

Trust me. It will make you feel better.

And the post I'm about to write will make you feel SO much better about your own life.

THE TOP FIVE REASONS I CANNOT WAIT FOR 2008 TO BE OVER!!!!!!!!

Starting with the most recent.

5. I lost my job today. That's right. Fired. For NO apparent reason. Oh yeah, except that my boss said "You're heart just isn't in it." Anyone who knows me can argue that point. I don't think my boss knew how many nights I lay awake wondering what I could do better. Wondering what more I could do to help my clients. No, instead she fires me, after implementing a new service plan tracking system that I invented. That's right. Thanks for the new form you made up. Now give me your badge. But...this IS the state. And for the first year of employment, your boss can technically fire you just because they feel like it. But is that ethical? You can BET that I'm working with HR to get my answers. This girl does not go down without a fight, as bruised and broken as she may end up. It will be worth it just to have some closure.

4. I lost so many special people in my life. Most of all my amazing brother in law Sean. I miss him SO much. It breaks my heart every day to know that he isn't going to be at the next family function. That Thanksgiving and Christmas this year will be missing one of the most special members of this family. Christmas definitely won't be the same. Not only that but my sweet Grandma Boulter died this year too. I miss her terribly, also. She was such a special lady, much too good for this world.

3. The economy SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do I need to expound on this? Or are we all in agreement that something is horribly wrong?!?!?!? Ok yeah. I know that it's not going to magically get better over night on December 31, but a girl can dream, right?

2. When it's 2009, I will only be 2 years away from my Masters. Not 2 1/2. Yeah, that's a stretch. But it's something I am VERY excited about! That will just make me that much closer to being a school counselor!! Yay!

1. My other sister will finally be marrying her fiance in 2009. Finally. Stop living in sin and get married already! Sheesh! Although because of my job loss, Scott and I won't be able to attend the wedding IN CANCUN, so 2009 is going to suck a little bit too....maybe I should have just left this one off.

Okay so I have a LOT more than five reasons. This originally started as a top ten list, but I shortened it for anyone who might actually read it. I really never thought I would know heart ache like I have felt this year. And so many different kinds - from the sorrow of losing a loved one, to the pain of being let go from a job and put back into financial crisis, to the anguish of seeing everyone you know have babies of their own and knowing that it won't be a likely possibility for me.

Despite all the negativity, though, I can't help but make mention of my lifelines - my incredible husband, who always makes me his number one priority and lifts my spirits when I am crushed into pieces, and my amazing family - my sister Amy, who is by FAR the world's best sister. She has made me feel so much better about my life on so many different occasions, all the while losing her amazing husband and having to raise her son on her own. She's one outstanding human being. My parents are pretty freaking awesome also. They always know the right things to say and just when to say them.

Life is full of crap. We wade through it, usually barefoot, for most of our lives. We're handed more lemons than we can hold. Which is why I say screw lemonade - throw those lemons as hard as you can against that brick wall. Watch them smash into pieces. You WILL feel better. Life is tough. But who ever said learning was easy?

Nature: The World's Cure for Bad Moods!

Last weekend, Scottie and I went up to Midway to spend some time with my sister, my nephew and my parents. That morning before we left, everything that could go wrong did, and I was in the WORST mood. Then we got to Midway where I had a meeting for school that went, well, okay. But I was already frustrated. And it just got worse. Everything was just making me mad. I hate being mad. So when Amy suggested that we all go out to the golf course and feed the ducks, I decided that things could only get better. And they did.

First we went to the golf course, where there is a HUGE pond filled with ducks. And one goose. We fed them some old hot dog buns and laughed at them as they fought over the bread. It really started to make me feel better.

The ducks!

Next we decided to go to the hot springs, because we haven't been there for years, and Scottie and our nephew had never seen them. We luckily remembered where they were, and we hiked down the muddy hill to nature's hot tub! I used to love going to the hot springs when I was in high school, and I was so happy to hear that the city had cleaned them up and made them a nicer place to visit! We didn't get in, of course, because we didn't have swimming suits or anything, but Amy put her feet in and we put our hands in.

This picture makes me laugh. We were both looking at the camera but as I pushed the button, we turned, and this is what was captured!


So steamy!!

On the way back to Amy's house, she decided to take a drive up Memorial Hill. A couple years ago, they totally redid Memorial Hill and made it a beautiful tribute to the soldiers from Wasatch County that have fought for our country in the various wars. They've installed wonderful plaques and a Final Salute statue. It's really a very special place.


The flags on top of the monument


One of the MANY lists of soldiers from Wasatch County that have fought in the wars

Flags!

The main plaque

Final Salute

My attempt at taking a panoramic picture of the views from Memorial Hill

After visiting these wonderful places, I couldn't be in a bad mood anymore. We finished the night by playing Apples to Apples and having brownies and ice cream! I started to wonder why I hadn't spent more time visiting these places while I lived in Midway, but I'm glad I live close enough to visit them again soon!

Lucky Seven

Heather tagged me. So here it is: the Lucky Seven post!!

Seven things I can do:
1. I can sing, and I LOVE to. I miss the days when I used to sing all the time for people - whether in choir or church- now I only sing for my husband and myself...the steering wheel is my biggest fan!
2. I can BS my way through any class. Except math. I am really good at writing an A paper in a couple hours - for example I have a 5 page paper due tomorrow before 6 that I haven't started!!
3. I can sit and listen to people talk about their issues for hours. It's not the easiest thing to do, but I don't mind it so much.
4. I can move my ears, flare my nostrils, make my tongue into a clover, and move each of my eyebrows one at a time! My face is kinda freaky...
5. I can play the piano by ear - I'm not so great at reading notes. It's a lot easier for me to learn a song by hearing it rather than reading the sheet music. Yesterday I learned to play Shadow of the Day by Linkin Park and Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade. But I rarely play in front of anyone but my family.
6. I can pop my right shoulder in and out of the socket at any given moment, thanks to a track injury when I was 14!
7. I can discuss my religion with just about anyone! I have studied the LDS religion so in depth, and I am more than happy to answer even the most outrageous of questions!

Seven things I cannot do:
1. I can't stick with any diet I try. I've never been able to. If I want to lose weight, I have to exercise longer than the day is long. The only time I've ever lost a lot of weight is when I rode a bike for 20 miles a day in the Wisconsin heat.
2. I can't run. Literally. I can't.
3. I can't remember a lot of things. I have a horrible memory. People get frustrated when they try to reminisce with me, because most of the time I just sit there with a blank stare until I say, "Yeah, I don't remember that. Are you sure I was there?"
4. I can't stand to have my fingernails or toenails painted. Drives me insane
5. I can't chew gum without getting sick.
6. Speaking of getting sick, I can't handle Novocain. I ALWAYS throw up on my dentist. He hates me.
7. I can't sew. If you could see my slacks that I'm wearing, it would be painfully obvious. From the hem sewn with white thread (yeah, the pants are black), to the seam in the back that is totally crooked, it's just sad. I know, I should just buy new ones....

Seven things that attracted me to my husband:
1. How ridiculously funny he is. I can never stay mad at him, because he always finds a way to make me laugh.
2. His beautiful, red, spiky hair. I always said I'd never date a redhead, but now I can't imagine it being any other way. His hair is awesome.
3. His work ethic. He has worked so hard for our little family. He will work long hours at a hard job and then work overtime just to make sure we'll make it. It's such an admirable quality.
4. His spirituality. He has the most amazing testimony of the gospel. He has such a love and admiration for Jesus Christ, and he is always reminding me to write the tithing check. He can quote any given scripture on demand, and when he sings the hymns at church, his sweet little voice singing his praises just makes me smile and tear up. He is SO amazing.
5. He is the most sincere person I have ever met. Every day he tells me I'm beautiful, and he means it. I still don't think he knows just how much that means to me.
6. He honors his mother. I don't share this with a lot of people, but I always knew I'd recognize the man I was supposed to marry from the way he treats his mother. The day I met his family for the first time, I knew I'd marry him. He has such a respect and love for his family - he'd drop everything he was doing if one of them needed his help.
7. The way we think so much alike! We have very similar ways of thinking, and from the beginning of our relationship we could always tell what the other is thinking from just a look. And we also have similar senses of humor - on our honeymoon we began talking in an accent just outside of Vegas and didn't stop until we reached Provo - and we thought it was SO funny. Anyone listening to any of our conversations would just think we were totally insane, but we just "get" each other, if you know what I mean.

Seven things I most often say:
1. "Dillweed" Anyone who does something really dumb or lame is an automatic dillweed in my book.
2. "Are you freaking kidding me??" It's my phrase of choice when I'm mad.
3. "Check this out -it's highlarious!" I tend to come across a lot of funny stuff...and if something is really funny, it's not just hilarious. it's HIGHlarious. I'm pretty sure I picked that one up in college.
4. "True dat" I don't know how or why, but it just happened.
5. "I love you" I say it every day to my husband and my mama
6. "Seriously." I say it all the time. Seriously.
7. "Ridiculous." Ridiculous = stupid. I don't really like the word stupid. So ridiculous took it's place.

Seven celebrity admirations:
1. Jennifer Aniston. I know as a person she's kinda lame, but I love her on Friends. And I think she's absolutely gorgeous.
2. Tom Hanks. He's such a genius. And he's so family friendly! And SO versatile!
3. Ewan McGregor. Because he can sing and he's HOT! haha
4. Rivers Cuomo - he puts on an awesome show and I've never heard a Weezer song I didn't like.
5. William Peterson. Okay it's really Gil Grissom that I find amazing. But William Peterson plays him. So he makes the list.
6. Rachel McAdams. Because I want to be her.
7. Stephenie Meyer. Cliche, I know. But I really think she's very talented.

Seven favorite foods:
1. Cheeseburgers
2. Cheesecake
3. Salad with Blue Cheese
4. Smarties (not really food, but ya know).
5. French Toast
6. Turkey Bacon sandwich from Gourmandise Bakery
7. Brats!!

Seven people I tag:
1. April (which means you HAVE TO DO IT!!! )
2. Allison
3. Celena
4. Schuyler
5. Trisha
6. Allie
7. Nancy