Last day...

Today is my official last day of working at Provo City Utilities.

It's a sad day. I have really enjoyed working here. I've enjoyed my co-workers. They are the nicest, most geniune people I have ever worked with. They remember my birthday, play with my son, LOVE it when he visits, make him feel so special, and worry about me when I'm sick or stressed.
They've worked with my crazy school schedules and the fact that I am a mom. They let me pick my hours and do homework when it was slow.
They let me have time off when I had my Brody and held a spot for me when I was ready to come back.
I'll miss working there- but at the same time I'm happy to almost be done with school. Student teaching here I come...and then GRADUATION here I come.
I will miss my co-workers and managers...I am not so sure I'll miss the crazy customers anytime soon- but maybe with time!

Thanks for the great almost 3 years! It's been fun.

Here's a few remember whens:

Remember when Leslie gets a Spanish speaker on the phone, and I know it is a Spanish speaker, because she talks louder and louder as she trys to clarify her message. NOTE: loudness does not equal translation abilities
Remeber when I got hired and I was already 4 months pregnant with Brody but I didn't tell anyone. One day I stood up and Tracy exclaimed, "How far along are you??!!" I gave her a look like a deer caught in the headlights. She gave me a look back like, "Oh shoot, she's not pregnant." I stumbled over the words as I told her I was due in July. We still laugh about that one.
Remember when Amanda was training me and I answered the phone very clumsily and awkward by saying, "Helpline, Tara, this is Provo Shity." ha ha. It is still funny.
Remember when I had Brody and the entire staff threw me a huge baby shower and gave me many things that I needed and they all ooed and awwed over him.
Remember when I played on a softball league with Becky and had so much fun getting out of the house and playing ball.
REMEMBER WHEN: I was nominated to put my face on the Provo City Power brochures for the entire city to see. Treasure that lovely picture of me.

I have many more great memories working here and getting to know everyone. It's been the best part time job I could have asked for. Thanks to Provo City and the great employer they have been!

I promise to bring Brody & my new baby in to visit when it is born....around JUNE 25, 2010!! So there you have it people: I'm PREGNANT!!

my days...

What do you do when the grandparents steal your kid for a week and you don't have school or any homework to worry about?

1. You get ALL your last minute shopping done. Fighting the crowds without a kid is about 115% easier than fighting the crowds with a kid.
2. You stay up and watch a good movie with some friends.
3. You vacuum without terrifying a little 2 year old boy.
4. You wrap presents listening to music as loud as you want and sing as loud as you want without judgement.
5. You take your husband on a surprise get-a-way to a quaint bed and breakfast and ENJOY the peace, quiet, and breakfast in bed at the expense of someone else's labor.
6. You get laundry caught up, folded, and put away....all in ONE day.
7. You give yourself a much needed facial and pedicure.
8. Sleep in.
9. You go to church and realize how quiet it is without a kid to wrestle. You also realize that you are the one that makes you late...and not the 2 year old. So much for blaming it on the kid.
10. You realize that your life was semi-organized, quiet, simple, and down-right BORING before you had a kid.

I have a few more days to get some stuff done. Baking cookies, sewing, and sanding & finishing a table are on the To-Do list.
I am am very excited to come down to AZ for the holidays. Its going to be so fun. Family, eating, playing cards, sledding, hot chocolate, and NO school OR work...it's going to be GREAT!!

CAN'T WAIT!!

excited...

I love Christmas.
SO much.
There is nothing like the feeling of getting ready for the big day.
Excitement, planning, making, sending, decorating, baking....and the little stress that goes along with it.
I especially love my new duty: SANTA. (shhhhhhh....don't tell.)
I can't wait to see his face full of excitement and wonder on Christmas morning.
I can remember when I was little and I could hear Santa's sleigh bells ringing as the reindeer took flight into the night.
I can remember waking up at the sound of my oldest brother, Ryan, saying "Wake up!! Santa came!" Of course he had already dug threw his stocking and snooped around everyone else's gifts.
I can remember seeing my shiney new gift under the tree...ALWAYS exactly what I asked for.
I remember calling my cousins and waking them up....we'd been up for hours and they still hadn't even opened ONE present. I thought they were crazy.
I remember wearing my bestest new clothes down to my grandma's house and taking our toys to play and "show off" to our cousins.
I remember my Aunt Molli's cookies. My Grandma's rolls. My mother's burnt Monkey bread (which she stopped trying to make it after the 3rd year of burning it).
I remember listening to christmas music and singing along.
And I remember all of us grandkids putting on the "Nativity Scene" while someone read the story from the bible.
I love Christmas...I sure do!!
I hope I can make such great memories for my kids...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

my goodness

Well: thanksgiving sure came and went in a hurry.

MY GOODNESS. Where does the time go?

To sum up thanksgiving: we drove all night. got to beautiful heber, AZ at 7 am. My dad drove over to show low and picked me up at 7:30. We drove to show low. I took a quick shower, we got in the truck and left at 8:30. We drove to duncan, az. We listened to honky-tonk country THE entire way down. We had an AMAZING feast with all the wonderful fixings. I started to help clean up and then ended up on a bed sleeping for about an hour or so. We loaded back up into the truck and drove to thatcher. At thatcher we met up with my little sister and her inlaws to bless her sweet little boy, cole (triple c).

HE IS ADORABLE...and he loved me. He was all smiles and I just wanted to hold him ALL day, every day.

After the blessing we drove back up to show low. I put on some sweats and did nothing besides eat pumpkin cake and watch a movie and chit chat with my wonderful parents.

The next day Trace and Brody came over to show low to chill. We put up some decorations and just hung out. Then we headed over to visit the Porter 12 tribes....except NO ONE was home. We waited for everyone to get home from the "black friday" shopping. It was great to see some of them- I promise I'll spend more time during Christmas.

We flew home the next day, courtesy of Porter Flight Inc. It was a wonderful and quick holiday and I enjoyed the time I had with friends and family.

This brings me to my point:

I'm so thankful for family and loved ones and the comforts that they bring.

I love my inlaws and I'm very thankful for them.

I'm thankful that I got a break for a few days to regain my sanity.

I'm thankful for my husband and 2 year INDEPENDENT son.

I'm thankful for our jobs and the opportunity we have to finish school.

I have A LOT to be thankful for.

Ok now an awesome picture of my cute lad:

I love him....i really, really do.

looking forward to THANKSGIVING.

I love Thanksgiving.
I love food.
I love family.
I love laughing.
I love football and yelling at the TV.
I love building crafts.
I love food.
I love the weather.
I love that I just get to eat with no sight of stopping.
I love the bargains of Black Friday.
I just really LOVE Thanksgiving.

What's even better is that I get to go to Arizona for Thanksgiving.
I've had a lot on my plate these past couple of weeks and it will be nice to get away for a while and enjoy a mini-vacation.

I'm looking forward to relaxation, food, fun, family, and all the festivities.

I'm just dreading the drive...

BUT- it will be worth my Aunt Molly's *famous sugar cookies!

*deemed famous by me and my brother, Rustin.

i just have to say...

Sunday:

Woke up with and intense MIGRAINE. The kind of migraine where all you want (or should I say CAN) do is sit in a dark room and try to sleep it off.

Monday:

Woke up on the recovery of a bad migraine. Felt pretty good. Got dressed for school. Packed mine and Brody's backpack. Hauled everything out to the car. Started the car. Loaded Brody up. Put him in his carseat...only to realize 2 seconds later that it was FREEZING and he needed a jacket. Run back inside to get a jacket. Come back outside to find Brody in the front seat "driving" AND with the doors LOCKED. First thought: Where's the spare key??? Second thought: I hope he doesn't know how to put it in drive. Third thought: *&%!%^*%#
So after 30 minutes of trying to point, explain, playing peek-a-b00, and trying to remain calm he finally figured out which button UN-locked the doors.

Tuesday:

I'm on time. Dropped Brody off at the sitters. Things are going good. I'm on the freeway. Cruizing. Not in a huge hurry. Just mindin my business. THEN all of the sudden, traffic is stopped....and I'm not. Screeching hault with a big BOOM at the end of it. The "big BOOM" happened to be my poor little carolla (that I've loved for a long time) smashed against another car. It pretty much sounded and looked like the front end of my car exploded all over the road. First thought: I sure wish I could just rewind time. Second thought: Am I ok? Is the other driver ok? Third thought: *&%^!#$*&@
We have insurance. Everything will be ok. I will miss my car....and going "rollin' in the ROLLA."

Needless to say, my week is off to a pretty good start. (sarcasm people, SAR-CAS-M)

cute stuff & good deals

My mom and little sister put on their creativity hats and have made A LOT of cute stuff.
They have many good deals and GREAT gifts for Christmas.
Take a look HERE: MY MOM'S BLOG

Take advantage of some great holiday bargains!

Halloween 2009

Meet my little caveman.
He sure LOVED Halloween...or should I say the candy.
He LOVED the candy. This is the caveman war cry...He would get right up on the edge of the door step and wait patiently for more candy.He was VERY successful at getting candy.
Fun fact: Whenever he would get a Reese's he would hold it up high and say, "YEAH!! POPPI'S CANDY!" Trace was proud.Halloween was great. It was fun, candy filled, and time spent with loved ones.

Until next year...

gooses and ducks

When my mom & dad came up to visit we took Brody to feed the ducks and geese.

They were as big as him.

They nipped at his fingers and he didn't even flinch.

He threw the bread right in their face...and then he let out an evil laugh.

Oh to have the mind of a little boy...

things i love...

I felt that my last post was a little bit NEGATIVE...

there is actually a lot to love...

1. when Brody wakes up the first thing he does is crawl into my bed, put his arm around me, gets right in my face, and says "Hi mom."
2. when Trace unloads the dishwasher.
3. when a due date is extended.
4. take-home tests...much love.
5. when family comes to visit.
6. oreos with a big glass of milk.
7. surprises of any kind. (flowers, love notes, visits, & when i get home Brody covers his eyes to "hide" and then yells SURPRISE!)
8. the first snow...and how i got slightly excited for Christmas.
9. health.
10. the bond of a good friendship.
11. date night with the hubby.
12. ok....and this: Last night my visiting teachers came over. Brody was upstairs. We were having a nice little visit. I could hear Brody playing...he was supposed to be building me a castle with towers. Well- as I was telling one of the "expecting" ladies how much I love being a mom- I look up and see Brody standing in front of me...BUTT naked. There wasn't much to say. I just pinched his bum cheeks and told him to go get so clothes. I sure LOVE him.