Happy Birthday Mandy!

Ok... its a couple days early, but since I don't have Internet at home, I figured I'd better get a jump on this before the weekend! :)

So.... Happy Birthday to my favorite little sister, Mandy! You are a great friend and a great sister.... I hope you have the best birthday yet!

We love you!

And guess what I am doing this weekend??? Hosting my first "Exercise Circle" activity! We are having a TaeKwonDo/Self-Defense class and everyone will get to break boards! Craig... I will attempt to get you a video, but with my camera acting up - its not likely. Here's a few photos from the past...

Christmas Tree...

While in Cali last week, we stopped over at Fashion Island after having dinner with my Mom and Dad, for a quick photo op at the Largest Christmas Tree in the US, or something like that... Haha!

Here we are...

I am thankful for...

Ok... so I am a few days behind on posting anything about Thanksgiving but that's ok... :)

So here are a few things that I am thankful for....

I am thankful for my family - they are always a great support system for me and I consider them all friends as well. I sincerely enjoy time with my family, and I love every member of my famly dearly! I am also glad that Troy has had the opportunity to get to know everyone - he always tells me how much he enjoys spending time with my family, and that makes me very very happy to hear.

I am thankful for Troy's family - they have accepted me as part of the famly and have opened their hearts and homes to me without question. I love every minute that I get to spend with them, and I love each and every one of them dearly!

I am thankful for my friends... I have some of the most wonderful friends and I often wonder how I got so lucky!

I think most of all this year, I am thankful for Troy - he not only makes my life complete, but is the other half to my soul. He amazes me each day with how supportive he is of all that I want to do, am doing, and dream of someday doing. He is always so willing to help when I need it, whether I ask for help or not. He is there for me to lean on, and let's me do the same for him. He always reminds me that we are a team, and helps me remember that I don't have to do it all myself. He understands my weaknesses and tries to help me make them into strengths, but is always there to catch me when I fall or stumble. He loves and appreciates my strengths, and all that I am able to accomplish with them (and while he may tease me about them at times, he is also the first to brag about me, or about the things that I have done or am working on). He is truly my best friend. He can always make me laugh, and is constantly making me smile. I love Troy with all my heart and I look forward to spending my life and eternity with him!

Last, but certainly not least - I am especially thankful for the plan of salvation and the atonement.... I am thankful to Heavanly Father for all the gifts that he has bestowed upon me in this life and I look forward to returning to be with him one day.

P.S. We got into a discussion with Troy's family the other night about where Troy and I should get married... none of them really liked the Nauvoo idea, but Colleen liked the Portland idea a lot. And a few seemed to like the New Zealand idea a little too. They also liked the idea of renting a beach house and having the wedding at the NB Temple... so.... who knows where we will actually end up! Oh... and little Sara (4 yrs old) thought we should get married at the SLC temple, because thats where her Mom got married. But then she changed her vote to the Desert Star Theater when she heard us talking about going to a play there last week. Haha!

No fun at all...

Just a quick note for shelly..... we are having no fun at all here without you! The bowling was no fun. Sunday dinner was no fun. Michelle's surprise party was no fun. Our lunch with my old friends was no fun.... well, actually I think Troy had fun, but not me! Our afternoon in San Diego was no fun. Our morning walk with Luke.. no fun! And last but not least dinner and the Christmas tree with mom and dad... no fun!

Wish you were here so we could start having some fun!!!

XOXO

I need sleep...

Wow... sometimes i wonder why no matter when you plan a vacation, it always seems to be at the worst time. Haha! Oh well! Despite the fact that I desperately need sleep.... I AM VERY VERY EXCITED FOR OUR VISIT TO THE OC!!

And I am especially excited for the hugs and kisses that Elliott promised me on the phone yesterday!

We are planning a visit with Michelle and Rob, Adam, Nathan and hopefully we will get to stop by to see Tam, Jas and the kids too!

See you all tomorrow!! :)

My new FAVORITE thing...

Seriously..... I am amazed right now! This morning I pulled out an ivory colored blazer that I haven't worn in a long time so that I could wear it to the ballet tonight. I didn't notice until I was already at work that it had a rather large stain on the pocket and sleeve. I had obviously spilled something on it last time I wore it and didn't notice (probably coke... haha!).

Anyway... I rushed over to Wal-Mart at lunch and grabbed some Oxi-clean spray away Instant stain remover..... and low and behold.... worked like a charm! The stain is completely gone and I could not be happier!! That stuff rocks!!! :)

Just saying hi...

Ok... so i have to start off by saying that every time i go to Shelly's blog, i laugh when i see the link for "Grandma Streiff"..... just cracks me up! i know that Mom is technically Grandma Streiff to the kids, but i can't help but imagine our Grandma Streiff (Inell - in case that was confusing) trying to set up a blog. :)

Anyway... we have lots of fun things going on this weekend... i will try to get some photos. We are going to the Ballet tonight. It's The Three Musketeers and i am very excited! Tomorrow night we are going to the Symphony to hear The Rite of Spring and attend the fun After-Party that Vivace (one of the arts groups that we belong to) is hosting. Saturday we will be on the search for inexpensive travel size shampoo bottles to put into the Christmas packages for the Havasupai Project. Wish us luck with getting 1000 bottles for $700. :) And then Sunday, after church, we will be making an appearance at the Jewish Art and Food Festival. As many of you know, i sit on the Board for one of our local Dance Companies. Well, the company is performing at the Festival on Sunday, and the Board Members were all asked to make an appearance... we are looking forward to it Should be lots of fun!

I have also started my Christmas shopping! Yeah! Of course i am at a loss on whether or not i have Craig & Carly this year, or Mandy & Jason... so if anyone knows - please tell me. :) Also, Janice— will we be seeing you and your little ones in the OC at either Thanksgiving or New Year's??? (Yes, Troy and i are coming for New Year's too! You will all be sooo sick of us! Haha!)

Happy Birthday Brad!

Happy birthday to my favorite little brother!! :)
I hope you have a wonderful day of celebrating!! Love you!

Busy weekend...

Hello all! What a fun and crazy weekend we had! Colleen (Troy's Mom, in case anyone didn't know her first name) has decided that she needs a new car - and I think that all the rest of us agree that it is definitely time for that. So Troy and I have spent lots of hours this last week and weekend looking at cars and getting all the pricing worked out, etc. It actually made for a fun Saturday... we took her a car to test drive and then took her Sunday to see a few of the other cars we had picked out. I think we have it narrowed down to 3 different blue cars.
Dad's new car is next.... we hope to work on that when we are in the OC the week of Thanksgiving.

In addition to the car shopping we started on our Christmas shopping... well Troy did and he is very excited that for the first (and probably the only) time, he is waaay ahead of me on the planning ahead. Haha! And yes, "waaay ahead" means he has bought one Christmas present and I have not purchased any yet. By the way.... anyone know who's names I have this year????

We just got our plane tickets for Thanksgiving.... we arrive the morning of the 17th (the Saturday before thanksgiving) and leave on Friday the 23rd (the day after Thanksgiving). Troy's family is all doing Thanksgiving together, and while we will be in CA on that day, we thought it best to try to get back to see the out-of-towners during the weekend. But we are very excited for our week long visit!! It will nice to be a little less rushed, and I hope that we will get to see a few of my friends this trip too (yes, Tam and Jas, I do mean you!)

Anyway... so Uncle Rick got the cabinets put in last week... don't they look great?? :) Yeah! I am excited to see the basement looking MUCH BETTER! And now there is even a stove down there... but, yes, the walls still need to be painted, the sink put in, etc.

Little Firefighter!

OK... I look a little silly, but I LOVE this photo of me with my little buddy, Elliott! Doesn't he just look adorable?!? Thanks for sending the photo, Mom!

Cabinets are going in today!

Yeah! I just got off the phone with Rick and the cabinets are going in today! I can't wait to see them when I get home after Spanish class!

Ok... I am dying to see Halloween photos.... let's get posting people! :) Trevor made such a cute Dinosaur... I want to see all the other costumes too! And I know Elli was a pirate for the ward party... did he dress up for trick or treating too?

Here is Avery in her little fairy outfit... Sadly, I didn't get to see her in it yesterday but doesn't she look cute? :)
The one in black is Madison (Avery's older sister)... and she is growing up way too fast!