I'm the winningest loser!

Just a quick brain dump for your reading enjoyment...or for my entertainment.

• Since beginning my diet 3 weeks ago, I've seen some major changes. While I still want to eat everything I'm not really supposed to, I have noticed that my cravings are a lot less frequent and I'm feeling more full and satisfied between each meal. Who thought I'd ever be able, or even want to, live and actually thrive on 900-1000 calories a day? Before, I could knock out 900 calories in one sitting! (Cue Five Guys and See's Candy.) But the best change so far? I've dropped 15 pounds. So excited and proud! Shedding that weight already makes me physically  feel better, has improved my athletic performance, and has even gotten me back into a pair of my skinny jeans. Word to your mother, Medifast!!

• Along the lines of Medifast, my friend who is also a health coach was holding a giveaway to promote the program. Long story short, I won the giveaway!!! A $50 Target gift card. I FREAKIN' WON!!! I never win anything!!!! Seriously!!! I have the worst luck with these kinds of things. But dang it, the tides have turned. Lady Luck is on my side! Anyone wanna head to Vegas this weekend?

• Lalea started school this week...FINALLY. She's going to Little Readers in Spanish Fork 4 days a week for 3 hours a day. I am ecstatic!!! As a mother, you love your children to pieces and enjoy spending time with them. But also as a mother, you want to wring your kids' little necks if they don't stop crying or whining for just one second. Finding alone time is hard to come by most days. But preschool...glorious preschool. I'll pay whatever amount of tuition required, just please, take my child. Mama needs to go spend her Target gift card in peace.

Hope everyone is doing well and you're enjoying these last few weeks of warm weather. As for me, fall can't get here soon enough. Bring on the cool weather.

Take care, my lovelies.

Dia de Los Padres

In keeping with tradition...

So proud of this guy!!! A master, a GQ model, and the best daddy in the whole wide world!!

Happy Father's Day! We love and stuff!!

Your to stupid to get it's meaning

As an English/editing major, I hold a special place in my heart for grammar. I love diagramming sentences, identifying parts of speech, and studying punctuation. I love love LOVE the Chicago Manual of Style and at one point, I even had the thing practically memorized! Copy editing is one of my most favorite pastimes.

My dreams of working as an editor for a gossip magazine have come and gone, but that doesn't mean I've let my love for grammar go. That also doesn't mean that I ALWAYS author posts that are grammatically correct.

The thing that I love about blogs is that you can be as formal or as casual as you want. With email, texting, social networking site, whatever, I hardly ever use proper grammar. Half the time, i dont even capitalize or punctuate correctly. Usually I'm in such a rush to send out an email or get a post up that I have a million typos in whatever I'm writing. Hell, this blog post probably already has like 90 typos. So don't worry. I'm not judging your texts, emails, or Tweets. I don't pick a part everything you type or write. I don't really care and I don't really have the time.

NEVERTHELESS...

There are a few flagrant grammar mistakes people make that aggravate the hell outta me and just make you look stupid. In no particular order:

Your/You're
AHHHHHH!!!! I can't stand when people get these two mixed up! What don't you get? One means you possess it the other means you are. Get it straight!

There/Their/They're
These are 3 different words, people. They're not meant to be used interchangeably.

Lay/Lie
Lie is an intransitive verb whereas lay is a transitive verb and requires a direct object. Too geeky for you? Try this: You lay your head on a pillow when you lie down. Your head is the direct object. Down is simply an adverb, describing where you're resting your head. Not that hard.

To/Too
Too is an adverb with two different meanings, 1. excessively, You're too stupid and 2. also or as well, He's stupid, too. On the other hand, to is a participle. To meets up with a verb to create an infinitive like to punch. Or, to can be used as a preposition as in I learned proper grammar by going to school.

Its/It's
Its is possessive, Hawaii is known for its beautiful women. (heehee!) It's is a contraction, meaning it is or it has, It's been a pain in my ass trying to read your grammatically incorrect term paper.

Do any of you share my sentiments when it comes to these grammatical errors? Or am I just anal? What are some of your grammatical pet peeves?

2009 Faves

With another year coming to a close, it's time to whip out my list of favorites and not-so-favorites of 2009. And in no particular order...

Favorite Moments
Lolli's 1st year luau
Baja Cruise
Ry's graduation from UVU and being accepted into Westminster's MBA program
The birth of new nieces and nephews
Lake Powell and the creation of the LPK
Weekend trips to the farmer's market
Beach hopping in San Diego
Signing up for a marathon

Not-So-Hot Moments
Almost getting shot up at the Olive Garden
Lolli's RSV hospitalization
Getting kicked out of the 9th East house and being temporarily
homeless
Summer trip back to Sacramento
Family drama
Swine flu
Breaking up with Joaquin

Disappointments
Buying the BMW
Senate health care bill
Chicago Olympics fail
Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol
Being slighted by Goldman Sachs
New Moon and Where the Wild Things Are
Losing the King of Pop

Greatest Songs - According to the Billboard charts
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Thinking of You -Katy Perry
Please Don't Leave Me - Pink (Though, the music video was disturbingly psychotic and creeptastic. No me gusta!)
Fireflies - Owl City
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga (This music video was just as psychotic as Pink's but some how, Gaga's level of crazy is more sophisticated and palletable. I loved it! But really, who wouldn't love Gaga in Alexander McQueen?!? Epic!)

Most Awesome Movies - There's actually quite a few movies that came out recently that I haven't seen yet; but if I had, they'd probably have made the list. As for the movies I have seen, these are the few that I actually enjoyed. Also, some movies listed were released prior to this year, however, I didn't actually see the movies until 2009. So, I figured I'd include those, as well.
The Blindside
Goodfellas
Zombieland
The Hangover
The Soloist
The Boondock Saints

Best Reads
Got Fight - Forrest Griffin
Mafia Dynasty: The Rise and Fall of the Gambino Crime Family - John H. Davis
Moloka'i - Alan Brennert
Skinny Bitch - Rory Freedman
Homeless Bird - Gloria Whelan

Now 2009, I bid you eff'ing adieu!!!!!

Alma Mater

(Yay! We're finally back to blogging!!! We got internet installed yesterday and I feel like I can breathe again!)

So, Ry actually graduated from UVU this past December. However, since there's not a commencement ceremony in December, Ry had to wait until the spring to walk. Since Ry and I are the only ones in our families to graduate college, it's a pretty big deal.

When I graduated, I had just had a baby and felt like a beached whale. I wasn't about to prance across a stage, looking like a heffer, in front of hundereds of people. So, I actuallyopted out of walking. I totally regret it now, though, and made it known to Ry that he'd better walk at his commencement.

Well, Ry procrastinated ordering his cap and gown, so he broke the news to me that he wouldn't be walking. I wasn't too happy with him, to say the least. But, two days before commencement, he had contacted someone at the school and found out that they bring extra gowns and stuff just for people like him who didn't order one. So, $50 dollars later, Ry had himself newly rented graduation regalia! But because he waited last minute to walk, we didn't have any time to send out invitations or to prepare a party. My original plan was to So, I quickly had to throw together a couple of things. Behold...my creativity!!!



Not gonna lie. I'm pretty proud of myself. Seriously. I am NOT crafty whatsoever. That's probably why it did take me 3 whole hours to make that thing! But he was definitely the bell of the ball with that lei. Sure it wasn't the 17 fresh flower leis that I had envisioned preparing for him, but it was still as impressive!

When Ry graduates with his MBA, I'll have to do the fresh flower leis. I should probably start planning his graduation celebration right now so we'll have ample time to get things in together. I'll need to plan the parade. Book a marching band. Call in some midget contortionists. Order 3 tons of confetti. Anyone know where I can find an ice sculpture in the shape of a Jeep?



Thanks to everyone for all your support!