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!

UVU vs BYU

Last Saturday, Ryan had a rugby game. I arrived at the pitch ready to get angry over the coach not playing my husband or my brother. To add insult to injury, UV was playing BYU...aka a division 1 team ranked 3rd in the nation. Poor little UV was just a little blip on the map next to BYU. Needless to say, I honestly wasn't expecting very great things from UVU. Therefore, I wasn't prepared for the havoc that was unleashed on the field during the second half of the game.

As I suspected, Ryan side-lined it for the first half of the game. However, Jordan got to start and was out there, rucking with the best of them. About 10 minutes in to the second half, we see one of UV's huge Poly players, Manu, get all kinds of beligerent. he starts yelling and mouthing off to one of the BYU players. UV team mates are holding Manu back as he is starting to take swings at the cocky BYU guy, who's being just as beligerent. The game continues and the teams play on.

Not five minutes later, I see two guys come out swinging from a ruck. Low and behold, it's the same BYU kid and this time, my brother. They're not just yelling at each other, they're full on fighting. I stand up and start screaming, "Jordaaaaan!!! Kill him! Kick his ass!" (As I'm now graduated, I no longer have loyalty to BYU...only the women's rugby team...Women's Cougar Rugby for life!) Jordan gets a few good hits in on the guy's face and then his team mates break up the fight. As they're dragging Jordan away, I see a brown fist of fury, in the form of Manu, flying throug the air. All of a sudden, CRACK!!!! The BYU jerk is on his back. Manu laid him flat out! Of course, both Manu and Jordan were ejected from the game. But at least they went out, guns blazing! Plus, Ryan got to sub in. And as icing on the cake, Ryan even got to shove some other BYU kid's face into the dirt. He said the kid kept holding on to his leg, dragging him back down in to the ruck as he was trying to roll away. So, what does Ryan do? He resorts to violence and starts ramming the guy's head into the ground. Good boy! He makes me so proud!!!

All in all, the game turned out to be pretty exciting. The most interesting thing of all, though, was that the fight between Jordan and the BYU kid wasn't actually instigated by Jordan. I think that's a pretty big breakthrough! It seems that at every rugby game, Jordan does anything and everything he can to get into a fight. It's not rugby unless Jordan gets into a fight! But for the first time, this fight actually wasn't his fault. Surprise! I just hope from here on out, all the rugby games will be as exciting.

Give blood. Play rugby.