AMD Halloween - 2009

The biggest holiday at work has now come and gone. Although every year I swear it'll be the last that I end up dressing up for Halloween, I played along again this year. Amy (coworker) championed the "Golden Girls" theme and it seemed to turn out okay. I was just thankful that this year I got to wear a wig... meaning I didn't have to worry about getting color out of my hair.

For those who don't remember last year:

And this year... I was "Sophia"

We had a great "cast"
(From left to right) - Skip = Dorothy, Dave = Rose, Amy = Blanche, Me

Although I never really watched the show prior to Friday morning, by the end of the day, I loved it! I spent much of the day saying things like... "Picture it... Sicily... 1912"... and when I was asked if we had chores in Italy, i wisely replied "It was a chore just to cross the street without getting pregnant!" I then looked down at my ever growing belly and it just seemed comical. Sophia's character fit me pretty well. I enjoyed telling people to "shut up" and just being a little on the ornery side. One of my favorite parts was when Rose (Dave) thought she was my daughter (when it reality it's Dorothy) and "she" called me "Ma". I gave her a little slap in the face and let her know she was not my daughter. Good times.

While I' won't officially count myself out for next year, I certainly won't commit.

Wind Storm

A couple days back, the wind was blowing like crazy. We had planned using our paint sprayer that evening, painting crown molding and a couple of doors. Our original intentions were to take the items outside and then spray them, so we wouldn't have to worry about the mess. With crazy high winds though, painting was out of the question.

Leave it to us to find something "safer" and more "conducive" in the tornado-like conditions. We decided it would be a perfect time for Trent to the roof of our two-story house and install a dish up there. The pictures don't do the conditions any justice... but I figured they should be posted regardless.
I should mention that this ladder was insanely heavy. Shortly after installing the dish and returning inside the safety of our home... we heard a huge crashing sound. The wind blew so hard that the heavy ladder fell... and collided with the ground. Luckily Trent wasn't still on the roof... cause I'm not sure I could have propped the ladder back up against the house.

Who needs to hold onto the ladder while ascending? Not a professional dish installer...
one hand carrying the dish, one carrying the tools.

A close look up top. It looks like he knows what he's doing.

From afar...

Although it's hard to tell... he's still up there.

New Blog

A couple months back, I created a new blog to document our latest adventures. I haven't really shared this new blog with anyone, until now. If you'd like, feel free to check out our new blog:

http://hansenbabyblog.blogspot.com/

Lagoon with Morgan

A few days back, Morgan was riding in Elizabeth's car with her in Farmington. Morgan saw the big ferris wheel and many of the other rides. She asked what they were and Elizabeth said "that's Lagoon". Morgan became very excited and exclaimed "I want to go to the goon!". We decided to take her there and had a wonderful time. I drove to Layton and picked her up from my mom's house. It was kind of rainy and cold. When we were getting ready to leave, she tripped down the stairs and got a tiny scrape on her knee. What a great beginning to our adventure!

It was raining really hard right before we got there. In fact, it was so bad that I somehow missed our exit, concentrating so hard on making sure we were safe. We got off the Centerville exit and back-tracked to Lagoon. We sat in the car for a while waiting for the rain to stop. Morgan ate her Happy Meal while we waited. (side note... did you know Happy Meals are over $4!! What a rip! Inflation has really got the best of them). I tried calling Elizabeth several times but she never picked up her phone. She was planning on meeting us there.

As we walked up to the park, Morgan exclaimed "I'm so excited! This is just like Disneyland! (which she has seen on tv before) I want to go on that big white ride!" (white roller coaster) I told her she could go on any ride she wanted.

She had a great time on several of the rides. I thought she would be really scared to go on many of the rides. Surprisingly, she wasn't afraid at all. Her favorite ride was the "fish ride"... also known as Odysea. She went on the "lady bug ride" which looked pretty scary. She was hesitant near the beginning of the ride but by the end she yelled out "let's go on that one again!" Morgan also enjoyed the show in the Rock U 2 the Top theatre. She especially liked listening to the two songs from The Little Mermaid. She got up and danced around for part of it. Overall, Morgan loved Lagoon. I think taking her may have even elevated me to "favorite status".

On the train

Morgan insisted on riding the zebra.

On Puff the Magic Dragon... while two kids in front of her in line chickened out and decided not to ride, Morgan didn't even flinch.

The favorite ride of the day. The rider can control whether it goes up or down. The decision on which way to go can leave you pretty wet. Morgan controlled the direction... and Elizabeth's pants got pretty soaked as a result.

After this ride, it started to rain a little. That was our queue to leave... even though Morgan really wanted to go one more time. Look how little she is compared to the chair!

Elizabeth & Jeff's Wedding

My youngest and only sister married Jeffrey Toone yesterday in the Salt Lake Temple. Jeff and I served our missions together in Mongolia. It was fun seeing them date and get to know each other over the past 16 months and even better to see them marry each other. We are very happy for them and wish them the best.

Everything went perfectly. Despite bad traffic and road closures, no one planning on coming missed the sealing. The luncheon was at the Rodizio Grill in Trolley Square. The reception later that night was beautiful.

Congrats to Elizabeth and Jeff!

The bride, groom, Justin Alaris, Morgan, Maddie & Kelsi at the reception

The coolest cake in the world... courtesy of my mom, Aunt Colleen & Aunt Juanita

Trent eating a chicken heart with the bride and groom in the background

Efusjon

I've always wanted to join an MLM as a "business venture" and today I decided to do it. I've looked at a variety of multi-level marketing companies and never found one that I was terribly interested in. The closest I came to joining one was with ACN. Unfortunately, ACN seemed to be extremely penetrated in society. After speaking with some friends, I concluded that "timing" is everything with multi-level marketing. I wanted to do something that wasn't completely overwhelming (time-wise) but that had potential to be successful. So what company is lucky to have me? Efusjon.

Efusjon is an energy drink company. Anyone who knows me well would probably guess I wouldn't be a good consumer of energy drinks. Initially, that's what I thought too. This company makes a very healthy drink called "Raw" which has no caffiene and is made of the acai berry, among other things. I found it surprisingly good. More than the taste of the product, the opportunity was the convincing factor for me to join.

I'm hopeful I'll find some degree of success with this "experiment"... but rest assured, I'll be grateful I did it regardless of the outcome. More frustrating than attempting something and failing is not trying... thus not knowing what could have been. If anyone has ever done an MLM and has any advice, I would be most grateful to hear it. Additionally, if Efusjon sparks your interest and you want to learn more... don't hesitate to ask. I don't claim to have all the answers... but I'm interested in learning them. If nothing else, be hopeful, as I am, that this will be a great decision!

Happy Easter!! - A little Late

We had a great Easter a few weeks back. It has always been one of my favorite holidays. Growing up, my siblings and I anxiously awaited Easter. I dare say that I was typically the most excited for it. We never missed a visit from the mythical bunny who brought us baskets filled with all sorts of goodies. To add to the fun, our baskets would be hidden somewhere inside or outside of our house for us to find.

I would wake up early and begin my search. After ransacking the entire house (spotting my brother and sister's baskets along the way) I would be left empty-handed. It wasn't that I was forgotten by the bunny, just that I could never find my personal treasure. I think it (the bunny) had it out for me. My basket was always hidden at least 100 times harder than anyone else's. I can't even remember a single year where I was able to successfully locate my basket without hints from my mom. Some years, there were tears filled with frustrations. It's a wonder I like Easter at all!

Let the tradition continue... I begged my mom to get me an Easter basket this year. She told me, since I am now married, that wasn't her job anymore. With enough pleading and persuading, she was convinced. This year, just like every other, I had to have help to find my basket.


Who thought it was a good idea to hide it up in the tree? I'm way too old to be climbing in trees. It was quite a struggle for me. I'm just grateful I didn't injure myself.

After the Easter basket triumph, we went to my brother's house for dinner. Trent and I played with two of their girls, Morgan and Maddie, outside. They loved it when Trent blew bubbles for them and we had a good time in their playhouse as well.



That house was "cozier" than any other house I've ever been in... even in Mongolia. Morgan and Maddie really love it though!

Photo of the Day

We woke up to a snowy surprise on April 14th... according to some, it shouldn't be snowing in the middle of April. The "surprise" element of weather is what makes it so exciting. However, after only two weeks without snow, people had already seemed to forget how to drive in it.

Photo of the Day

This was supposed to be my photo of the day a two weeks ago. I finished the 2000 piece puzzle on 4/5/09... one week after starting it. I think Trent was especially grateful when I finished. I tend to have a one-dimensional focus whenever I'm working on a puzzle.


Doing this puzzle made me excited about puzzles. I haven't started any new ones yet but I did purchase a new one which I'm looking forward to doing. It'll be a hard one so I'm waiting until I have a lot of free time.

Photo of the Day

Trent & I spent Saturday skiing at Deer Valley. We met up with my friend Tiffany and Uncle Phil & Tanner. After my third attempt... my skiing skills still leave a lot to be desired.

I lost control in the powder. One of my ski poles was lost in the wreckage. Luckily, with some effort, we were able to dig and recover it.

It was a nice powder day. What's that in Trent's hand? You don't think he'd try to hit me with that, do you?

Lastly, while my ski skills (or lack thereof) still leave a lot to be desired, Trent tends to forget that he's not on a snowboard anymore and things are done a little differently. Nice air though :)

Photo of the Day

Bryner Mission Reunion... after returning home more than three years ago, it's fun to see these people every so often.

Photo of the Day

2,000 Pieces... One person's pain is another's pleasure

Photo of the Day

I just want to bring your attention to the fact that Trent's carrying two boards... what a gentleman.

Photo of the Day

Although this picture has nothing to do with the occasion... happy wedding day to Jenn & Jack!

Frequent Posts

After a lot of thinking... I've made the decision to increase the frequency of my blogging. Since coming home from my mission, I've been terrible at writing in a journal. In fact, my mission was the only time in my entire life I've been completely dedicated to documenting any sort of journal. I didn't miss a day while in the MTC or in Mongolia. It's fun looking back through it and reading about my successes and struggles. I wish I was always that dedicated to documenting. In an effort to become more committed, I'll start with the blog.

I'll also be posting a "photo of the day". Some days this will a picture taken that very day... and others it will be something from an "archived collection". Either way, it should give me more reason to take pictures. If a picture is really worth a thousand years words, that can't be a bad thing, right?

Today's Picture: The land I love!

Khailaast Branch... one of the very best.

A new addition!!

Baby Kelsie was born Friday, February 27th in the afternoon. She weighed 5 lbs 6 0z and was 20 inches long. Trent & I visited her for the first time two days later. By that time, she weighed in at a whopping 5 lbs 2 oz. The blankets wrapped around her seemed to weigh more than she did. Big sisters Morgan and Maddie are very happy about their new addition. Morgan is often heard saying "Kelsie is my best best friend!!" When others ask if they can be her friend too, she says "No, Kelsie is my friend". Congratulations to Justin & Alaris.

What we love about winter...

This video is from last season. We did a little hiking... and needed a break to rest. Trent didn't want to take a break... so he occupied himself doing other things.

New Job

Tomorrow, I will begin my new job. I'm extremely excited for it as I've been looking forward to starting over the past month. I'll be working in the "Client Retention & Growth Group". I'm looking forward to helping construct the overall vision and direction of the group. It is a very needed element the company. I believe the formation of this group will help facilitate increased client satisfaction and provide many opportunities to grow our current client base.

A long time ago, my grandpa told me if you work hard... focusing on your responsibilities... while not letting the "politics" of a situation affect you, you will always be recognized and rewarded for your efforts. I've tried to apply his advice and it has paid dividends for me. While I will likely miss certain elements of working in finance (mostly the people I worked so closely with), I'm looking forward to growing my own abilities and working in a more "client facing" department. I'll have opportunities to dabble in all sorts of different organizations (sales, marketing, client services, product management, etc). Tomorrow is day one... of many many more days to come.

Jamaica!!!

I just returned from an "all girls" cruise adventure. I went with my mom, Grandma, two of my mom's sisters (Colleen and Juanita), my grandma's sister (Linda) and her daughter (Michelle). We had all sorts of fun adventures on the cruise.

I will likely post more on our trip later but to start off, I wanted to highlight Jamaica. We loved Jamaica. Grandma & Aunt Linda wanted to shop in Jamaica and Michelle wanted to work on her tan. The rest of us wanted to see a little of the culture. We hired a "tour guide", Jeff, to drive us around and tell us about his country.

While there may have been a little skepticism about getting in a complete strangers car in a foreign place... especially when some people associate "dangerous" with it... Jeff was incredible and definitely a highlight of the trip.

Jeff drove us all over... to the jungle,
to the beach, he drove us through a small city, we saw the falls (with some nice "Rasta" guys),
we ate jerk,

and then we shopped. The people were very laid back and kind. Jeff's favorite thing to say (from my viewpoint b/c he said it in nearly every sentence) was "I understand... no problem mon". Jeff is 62 years old and has never left Jamaica. He said that people come from all over the world to Jamaica and tell him how beautiful it is... so what reason does he have to leave? Jamaica has some of the most beautiful horticulture I've ever seen. Crazy flowers were growing everywhere.

The weather was fantastic and by the end of the day, I felt like I could live there.

Beyond Cold

I'm very convinced that I live in the coldest place in all of Utah. While I'm sure the folks up in Logan might have an argument against this, I'm willing to venture that Lehi is worse.

I have "proof" from my drive this morning. Two degrees??? Are you kidding me? Who lives in a place that's two degrees? Are we in Mongolia? This morning it sure did feel like it. The most amazing part of my morning commute is that as soon as I go over the Point of the Mountain, it's at least 15 degrees warmer.

Here's your proof:

Two freaking degrees... brrrr!

A driver's view of Thanksgiving Point. Cold and Foggy...

Four minutes later... over the point, the temperature jumped to 19. It must be nice to live in Salt Lake Valley

1st Christmas

I realize that I have done a very poor job updating the blog. There is a legitimate excuse though. Shortly after Halloween, my computer hard drive decided to die. With no warning, I was out a computer. The screen on Trent's laptop doesn't work either. This predicament left any sort of blogging out of the question. I have since purchased a new computer so we should be good to go :)

We survived our first Christmas together (just barely, according to Trent). I think he's very happy it is over. I suppose I put a lot of pressure on him to make sure I got a lot of presents (and good ones at that). What can I say, my parents always got me everything I wanted. I suppose that makes me a little demanding and a little spoiled.

Regardless, it was a good Christmas. I'm already looking forward to Christmas 2009. Trent's excited for springtime so we can "get rid of this crappy weather". Our house seems to have more snow than Park City Mountain Resort. We thought Lehi didn't get much snow. I guess we were wrong. Trent is great at shoveling the driveway. He was really motivated to shovel it after his truck got stuck one morning and it took over a half hour to get it out. The fact that we got it out at all was a Christmas miracle.

Here are a couple pictures from the holiday. Enjoy!!

Thanks to Aunt Camille for the Christmas ornaments. Even though Katelyn says they're "old lady" ornaments, I thought they looked great and I love the concept of "free".

Trent admiring one of his many Christmas presents.