The Dickson's

All Hallow's Eve

2010-11-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

This year's Halloween was SOO much fun! Jess' sister Tammy threw another awesome party and it ended up being such a fun night!

Jess and I went as pirates... and Jess totally took the cake for having the better costume! Notice his missing leg in the picture below. He is quite creative!!

We played a bunch of fun games with other couples, like bobbing for apples and the donut race!Classic Halloween party games!

Jess's sister Tammy and hubby Mike as Fred & Wilma Flintstone

Jess's sister Karlee and her boyfriend Conner as sailors

Jess's sister Jill and her date as.... 80's aerobics girl and afro-man?!

I've never been good at the donut game... Jess had me beat at this by a long shot! But it's fun to play right?!

Jess getting ready to bob for apples!

Group picture! Thanks everyone for the fun night :)

Trials

2010-11-12T19:52:00.001-08:00

Trials come in all different shapes and sizes but the one thing that all of us have in common in relation to trials is that we all have to experience them at some point or another in our lives. We all handle trials differently - some big and overwhelming, and some small and quite manageable. I have had my fair share of trials, believe you me, but nothing like the sweet Sullenger family has experienced. I have been following Patrick and Ashley's blog for a few months now and every time I read a new entry from Ashley, I am overwhelmed with tears and my testimony is strengthened. This young family lost their one year old little girl in a drowning accident this past July - and thankfully Ashley has blogged about her experiences and has willingly shared them with many strangers, myself included.

http://patrickandashley.blogspot.com/2010/09/answers.html

The link above is one of my favorite posts from Ashley. It's about trials and looking at them from a different point of view. No matter what you are going through, there is something good that can come from it. I truly believe this. Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers - not always in the time or way we want, but He answers them perfectly - the way He knows we need them answered... for us to grow.

I encourage each of you to read the link I shared, and if you are interested in following Patrick and Ashley's blog, I have added their blog button to my sidebar along the right-hand side towards the top.

The Miracle of Forgiveness

2010-08-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

What a Christ-like man. I walk away in awe every time I watch this. I hope each of you take the time to view this video - it will change your whole perspective on life.

Summer slow-down!!

2010-08-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been procrastinating lately, and the reason I feel this way is because I am digging my heels in the ground as I see summer come to a close. I do not want summer to end, it seems like it just barely got here. So lately we have been trying to hurry and do all the summer activities we wanted to this year - in a few weeks worth of time.
The first weekend in August, we celebrated my 23rd birthday. Jess surprised me by taking me camping up by Causey Dam and we went canoeing, four-wheeling, and stayed in a really nice RV camper. It was so much fun! I hadn't been canoeing in YEARS and we had a nice time out on the water. We even brought our dog Harli along and let her ride in the canoe with us! That was an adventure for sure! She kept wanting to jump out of the canoe to swim and nearly tipped us over almost every time!

I had a little meltdown episode when we were canoeing and I had every reason to have a meltdown when you see two of these predators (see pic above) right along the banks of the dam as you are paddling merely along in your canoe. Jess and I were minding our own business, rowing and singing, (ok maybe not singing... but having fun) when all of a sudden we hear rattlers close by. We look to our left, and there are two RATTLESNAKES along the side of the dam, right by us! So Jess comes up with this BRILLIANT idea to paddle over next to them and get some close-up pictures! I was actually fine and dandy with that, as long as I stayed in the canoe and the snakes stayed on the rocks. Well, being the bright-minded boy that Jess is, he decides it would be a good idea to try and kill the snakes with the wooden paddle he had in his hand. Of course this idea made me freak out because that would mean we would be taking a chance at the snake NOT dieing and it quite possibly getting into our canoe while it was still alive! YIKES! Needless to say, I started paddling as fast as I could to get the heck out of there! But we did have some pretty cool pictures of these two snakes fighting to remember this special moment =)

We also saw some wildlife while on our camp out. One night there was a really bad rain storm and a baby moose came right up by our camper to drink some water. It was pretty exciting to see a moose that close up!

Jess and our crazy A.D.D. dog.

Then the 3rd night we were there, Jess' brother, his wife, and kids came up to play with us! I promised Steph I would add this picture on my blog...she is one of my very favorite people =)

On my actual birthday DAY, Jess took me to Park City to ride the zip line and go shopping at the outlet malls. He is so wonderful, he is my best friend and we always have so much fun together.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I am SOOO not ready for summer to leave us. I still have a few fun items to check off my list... so I better get off the computer and go enjoy the warm weather while it's still here!

Funny Monday's

2010-07-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

Have a fun-filled week everyone!

Pioneer Trek

2010-07-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, our Bishop asked Jess and I if we would be a Ma and Pa for the Stake Pioneer Trek, and even though we are young enough that we still look like we could be in Mutual - we said YES OF COURSE! It was weird at first because it seems like only yesterday I went on a trek as a young woman - but I had such a good time with my hubby and we got to practice our parenting skills on 8 little hool-i-gans!

The picture above is "our little family." We had four girls, four boys, and a little boy doll that was our baby on the trek. It was SUPER HOT outside, and the trek was up at Hardware Ranch in Logan, UT where there was hardly any shade and temps reaching 100*. We had a few "misfortunes" on the trek.... But that didn't stop our family from having the best time laughing and gaining stronger testimonies together. I had a really neat experience on the Women's Pull that made me appreciate the sacrifices the pioneers made on our behalf so that we can enjoy the blessings of the gospel and temples today.

Mile High City!

2010-07-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had to travel to Denver for a training conference for my work. Somehow I talked Jess into tagging along with me, so we made the LONG 8-hour drive out there and made a little vacation out of it!

We did lots of sight-seeing and even went and did a session at the LDS temple in Denver.

On the way home from Denver, we took the long scenic route, which made our trip pretty fun! We went through Veil, CO; Grand Junction, CO; then down through Green River, UT; and made a stop in Manti to see our favorite temple and watch the Manti pageant with my cousins.

All in all - we had a great time together.... especially because the trip was FREE! =)

Motivation

2010-07-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

"Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil says, "Oh crap - she's up!"

Never forget who you are.

Funny Monday's

2010-06-28T18:26:00.000-07:00

It's only Monday... and I'm ready for a Friday! Hope everyone has a great 4th of July this coming weekend!!

IF...

2010-06-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

If I was a season... I'd be summer.

If I was a peice of furniture... I'd be a porch swing.

If I was a country... I'd be Scotland.

If I was a food... I'd be a raspberry.

If I was a flower... I'd be a daisy.

If I was a song... I'd be American Honey, by Lady A.

If I was an instrument... I'd be an acoustic guitar.

If I was a color... I'd be purple.

If I was a letter... I'd be a love letter.

If I was a book... I'd be The Time Traveler's Wife.

If I was a time of day... I'd be dusk.

If I was a drink... I'd be apple cider.

If I was a holiday... I'd be the 4th of July.

If I was a store... I'd be a consignment shop.

If I was a word... I'd be golden.

If I was a person... I'd be me.

If I could know the future... I'd want to see my posterity.

If you could be anything... what would you be?

Funny Monday's

2010-06-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

This should help everyone to have a great week! Stay positive!

BUMMER SUMMER!

2010-06-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

I really CANNOT wait for the warm weather to get here! It seems like as soon as I start to get excited about summer FINALLY being here, or right after I go wash my car, it pours rain! Summer is my most favoritest time of year... and I hope we get some sunny days our way SOON!!! I love summer because...

Rootbeer & Banana Popsicles

Drive-Inn movies

Taking Harli for walks

Swimming

Laying Out

Fireworks

Camping

Hiking

Boating

The smell of fresh cut grass

Leaving my windows open

Fresh tomatoes from our garden

Otter Pops

Dirt Bike rides with Jess

Corn on the cob... umm...

Wearing Shorts

4th of July

Roasting Marshmallows

Baseball Games

Wearing Flipflops

Driving with the windows down

Shopping for swimsuits

BBQ's

My birthday... of course!

Sunsets

Water fights

I wish I could have summer ALL YEAR LONG!

Funny Monday's!

2010-06-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Funny Monday's! Have a great week!

"Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday."

2010-05-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

My heart still skips a beat every time I see this handsome man... and today marks our two year wedding anniversary! My-oh-my how the days are flying - crazy how fast time goes!! I know that having Jess in my life is one of the greatest blessings I will ever receive and I'm so thankful to my Heavenly Father for the opportunity to be with Jess forever. Here's just a few reasons I am in love with Mr. Jess Dickson:
* He is the reason my heart smiles
* He plans for our future very wisely, yet he somehow still knows how to live in the moment
* He is so confident and positive about life
* Jess has always been very self-motivated and energetic
* I feel so safe with him
* Even if our conversations are only interesting to me - he still listens and shows that he cares because it is important to me
* He is the peacemaker in our home
* He can say something so simple that brings the biggest grin to my face
* The way our minds think alike so often - sometimes it freaks me out =)
* He is a gentleman to me - always opening doors for me and putting me first. I love how we always sit next to eachother at restaurants, instead of across from one another
* He is my BEST friend! I would rather be spending time with him over doing anything else in the world
* The way he makes up his own funny lyrics to songs on the radio
* How my hand fits right into his
* I love that after being together for six years now, I am growing more and more in love with him as the days pass

Happy 2 year Anniversary Lover.... thank you for your amazingness.... if that is even a word.

Scripture Power!

2010-05-11T16:32:00.000-07:00

Funny Monday's!

2010-04-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Funny Monday's is BACK!!!!! Hope this brings a smile to your face =)

Vote for Ty Ty!

2010-04-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

My nephew Titan has been entered into a baby contest by his mommy, and if they win, they get a year's supply of diapers, formula, etc. and a nursery from Babinski's! PLEASE PLEASE help my little sister out, and take just 2 minutes to stop by the link below and vote for Titan! Many of you may know, my sister is going through a very tough time right now, with some life-changing events and could really use these baby products!

http://www.971zht.com/pages/babyidol10/

After clicking on the link, click on the "VOTE NOW" button and if you don't want to scroll through all 700 entries, you can choose # 338 and enter your email address and submit. If you have a few extra minutes, the website counts one vote per email address. So if you have more than one email address, the more votes the better! THANK YOU EVERYONE IN ADVANCE!
... Don't you just want to smooch those little cheeks of his, goodness I love this little boy!

Long time - No see!

2010-03-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been awhile since I've been in the blogging world -but I'm here to update all my friends and family on what Jess and I have been up to over the last couple of months! We have been so busy - but thankfully, still managed to make time for one another aside from work, school, and all the other chores in life! During the cold months, we found plenty of time to do a few of our favorite things... snowshoeing and ice fishing of course!!!
Jess surprised me back in February (yes he did something for ME during his birthday month!) and took me snowshoeing. That wasn't the surprise part -duh - because I knew we were going. But I had packed a lunch together for us and so about half-way into our hike up the mountain we decided to stop and eat our lunches. Well Jess had brought along an extra backpack that I didn't think enough to ask him what was in it. So while we were eating the sandwiches and snacks that I had brought for us, Jess whips out his backpack full of cut-up fruit and chocolate, a thermos, and a pan to heat the chocolate up on - and we had a little fondue dessert up on the mountain; it was so thoughtful of him! He always has something new up his sleeve, I just love him!

(please try to contain your laughter from this awful picture of me, I know I look so stylin', but I had been riding in a car for ...um let's see... 6 hours straight... before this picture was taken)..
I'm not a big fan of winter (OK, I hate the winter) but this year I tried extra hard to find the beauty of the outdoors, even during the below zero temperatures. Jess and I took a trip down to my cousin Nate's house and went ice fishing with him and two of his boys - Ty and Graycen. It was a blast!!! We had to wake up at 3am to drive down to Nate's house (in Spanish Fork Canyon) and then drive another 3 hours to get to Fish Lake... but it was so worth it because we caught over 30 fish in our day trip down there!

This is Jess and my cousin's son Ty. These boys adore Jess!

Graycen caught more fish than anyone else there! NO joke - this kid would catch a fish, then put his line back into his fishing hole, and within 30 seconds or less, he would have another bite!

This was mine and Jess' catch for the day... not too shabby!

Then it was Jess' birthday on the 26th of February, he turned the big 2-5! I wanted to make it extra special since he was turning a quarter of a century old. I may have gone a little overboard on the whole present thing, but I don't care because we had a great weekend for his birthday. I had a present in each of these bags for him that spelled out HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Some of them were small little gifts like a homemade coupon for a free footrub from his sweet wifey, a DVD, or a hunting t-shirt. Then some of the other gifts were bigger and more exciting, like a night stay at the Alaskan Inn on the night of his b-day, two lower-bowl Jazz tickets for that weekend, and a couples massage.

For Christmas, I had given Jess front row tickets to see Brian Regan! On March 12, we were able to see him perform at Abravanel Hall in SLC. We had SOOO much fun together, we were laughing 'til our cheeks and stomachs hurt from laughing for almost two hours straight! We couldn't get a picture of him because they wouldn't allow cameras, but we both got to shake his hand afterward which was pretty cool!

Then - a few days later, we celebrated my little sister Matti's SWEET 16th birthday! I can't believe my baby sister is old enough to date and drive! It seems like I just barely got my license and that was almost 7 years ago, holy cow I'm gettin' old!!

The following weekend, McKinli, my mom and I were able to go to Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan in concert in Salt Lake. (Matti went to the concert too, but she had tickets with one of her friends). Kinli, me and my mom had 2nd row tickets and we had tons of fun together! We ate at Crown Burger beforehand and had so much fun dancing, singing along, and watching crazy drunk people during the concert! Such good memories were made =)

That's a wrap-up of what we've been up to lately. I'll try and be a bit more devoted to this blog. Only two more weeks of going to school 4 nights a week! So after that I may have a little more free time to update all of you on the going-on's of our lives... until then, enjoy the warm weather... summer is almost here and I can hardly wait!

The Blessings of the Temple

2010-01-30T18:44:00.001-08:00

At a recent visit to the temple last week, I had some experiences that strengthened my testimony beyond description. I felt the impression to post this to my blog, for anyone who desires to go to the temple or hasn't been in awhile. Going to the temple has helped our small family bring the spirit of the Lord into our home and I am so grateful that we have the blessing of having a temple so close.

Dickson's at their finest

2010-01-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest and greatest, Dickson family photos. Jess' cousin Natalie took these pictures for the whole fam right before Christmas. Here's a few and if you were wondering, yes Jess has a big family. Ten kids to be exact, plus spouses and 7 grandkids and 2 on the way.

the girls.

the boys.

Triple the Funny Monday's!

2010-01-13T17:08:00.001-08:00

OK I know I have been THE WORST at posting my Funny Monday's the last few weeks, I promise I am working on that. In the meantime, here are 3 funny clips to get you through the remainder of the week. First two are of my sweet nephew Ty, he would make the noise only when someone would put their hand by his mouth - he is so funny! Off camera, he kept trying to figure out how to do it himself, he would put his hand up by his mouth and make the noise! He's one smart kid! Have a great week!!!

2010-01-13T17:04:00.001-08:00

Isn't my nephew precious? I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! =) This video makes me miss him...

2010-01-13T17:01:00.001-08:00

I'm posting this because I had a blonde moment last night while cooking. It's almost too embarrassing to admit. I was in a hurry to get dinner in the oven before Jess got home and I was making chicken enchiladas. Long story short, five minutes before I had to take the dish out of the oven, I realized I had forgotten to add an ingredient - the chicken! haha - made for a very interesting dinner last night, and a great memory of Jess and I laughing together that we can share =) Jess and I are going to see Brian Regan in March, FRONT ROW baby! Can't wait!

December in a Nutshell

2010-01-10T19:19:00.000-08:00

Wow! Haven't been in the blogging world for awhile now! Sorry friends! December was a definite run around for the little Dickson family. We tried playing the 25 days of Christmas game last month... but it just didn't work out. It has been nice to spend so much time together lately being that I took a break from school for one semester to try and enjoy life for a breath or two... but I start back up to school on Feb. 3rd and I'll be tied down with that 4 nights a week, plus an online class! So my schedule will be booked! But don't worry - if you were hoping to book a photo shoot with me sometime in the near future - I have plenty of minutes and weekends I can squeeze time in for those - they are what make me tick! Here's our fun Christmas month in a hunch:

Every year for the past four years now, my sisters, my mom, and I have gone to the Forgotten Carols together. Last year McKinli and I had our hubby's tag along, but it has always been a favorite tradition of mine. Not to mention my mom gets us front row tickets every year! If you haven't been before - I totally recommend it! This play really gets you into the Christmas spirit and helps to remind you of the whole meaning behind Christmas.

(I know I have the weirdest look in this pic, I think Jess was stepping on my boots when this picture was snapped! ha!) Jess and I went to a Low-Dough Christmas show with our friends Jessica and Dan who invited us. It was at the Energy Solutions arena and Phil Vassar, Bomshel, and Bucky Covington entertained us for the night. We had a blast!!!!!!!!!!! Phil Vassar is a great entertainer, I'm not entirely a fan of Bucky Covington, but the Bomshel girls were amazing - they have got some serious talent! And did I mention we had 3rd row from the stage.... so dang fun!!!

Bomshel Ladies

Bucky (who looks like a lady. Seriously, for all you Bucky fans out there, he is one weird duck.)

And then there's the wonderful Phil Vassar! Even if you're not a country fan, I'm positive that every one of you knows one of his songs. He's written many songs for artists like Phil Collins and Tim McGraw. And yes - he is standing on top of his zebra-print piano - he was so fun to watch!

We also made Gingerbread houses with our good friends Brandon and Jen - two years now we've done this with them and it's so much fun with those two! (yes that is me WATCHING Jess make our house, he was very..... meticulous... about how we made the siding... I guess its a guy-thing)

We also went to lots of fun Christmas parties with our families but I failed to take pictures at all of them. We spent Christmas Eve with my mom and sisters, Christmas morning just the two of us, Christmas Day with Jess' family, and the day after Christmas with my dad's family. All in all - December treated us well. I got Jess some front row tickets to Brian Regan (comedian who I always post Funny Monday's from) and I took him on a fun little get-away the weekend after Christmas to Lava Hot Springs. Jess got me some fun excerise equipment (don't worry ladies, I asked him for it) and some Chaoco sandles! We hope everyone had a Happy Holiday season! BRING ON THE FUN MEMORIES in 2010!

True Meaning of Christmas

2009-12-17T19:46:00.000-08:00

I know I have a lot of playing catch up on my blog to do - it sure has been a crazy Christmas season so far. I promise I will update all of you on our fun-outings this weekend! But I wanted to reflect on the true meaning behind the season. I don't tend to share my personal feelings on here too often because special moments in my life are ones that I like to keep near and dear to my heart, I really don't like to publicize them or share them with too many people. Even though I know I should, because there are many people who I know I could touch their hearts by sharing my testimony, feelings, and experiences with. I have had a lot of tender moments recently where I have realized how much I have been given, and the little amount of gratitude I have shown. I have also come to realize how lucky I have been to help others in times of need. For some reason, this year has been so different for me. I haven't even thought once about what I want for Christmas. All I have thought about is what I can give. And to be honest, I haven't even thought about giving presents. It's more about giving my time. Helping at a shelter. Donating food, clothes, anything to all of the poor, homeless people I have to drive past every cold morning on my way to work. It's a constant battle to keep my composure and emotions under control on the way to the office each morning. I feel so bad for those people who are struggling, and I wish I could help each and every one of them. I have had such a strong desire to help those who are struggling to make ends meet, especially during the holidays. If it's a load of groceries, an annoymous amount of money, a simple smile, a letter, my testimony, anything to help brighten someones day. That is the true meaning of this holiday season. To celebrate Christ by being Christ-like. Here's a poem that I found while working on my Young Women's christmas lesson this week, I hope it helps each of you get in the Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas everyone!!

If The Savior Came to Visit You
by Donna Green
If the Savior came to visit you for just a day or two,
Would you be really comfortable with all the things you do?
Would everything within your home go on the same old way?
Or would you have to change your ways during the Savior's stay?
If the Savior came to your house to spend some time with you,
Would you be prepared to meet Him and a warm friendship renew?
Would you really know Him and long to have Him stay,
Or would you hope that He would wait and come another day?
So you could do the many things that you've been planning to,
But never seemed to have the time or take the time to do?
"If only I had know that he would come today,
I really would have been prepared."
Are these words you might say?
"Please give me but another day and I will use it to prepare,
To read my scriptures faithfully, help those in need and kneel in prayer."
But no one knows when He will come.
Not the hour or the day.
And if we are to be prepared we must begin today.
To take upon us our Savior's name, come to know Him and do His will----
Look forward to His coming, each sacred scripture to fulfill.
For whether His coming for each of us, is a great or dreadful day,
Will be determined by our faithfulness and how we live each day?

Funny Monday's

2009-11-30T16:08:00.001-08:00

Hopefully all of you are recovering from a great Turkey day weekend! Here's a little laugh to start off your week right!

2nd Annual Dickson Turkey Bowl

2009-11-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

Second year the Dickson family had a game of flag football, here's my pix captured from the sidelines:

keep your eye on the ball!

Karlee intercepting!

Jess & Mike colliding!

cute little nephews playing at the park on the sidelines

it was an emotional game!

everyone had to have black lines under their eyes, to be part of the team! even the kidlets!
Mike & Tammy

Matt and his awesome football attire!

Another great action shot of Karlee playing her heart out!

RUN!

Yes, that's my husband all right. Proud of it!

Ready, set, hike!

Go Tom Go! Go Jess Go!

Our Mascot patiently waiting to be untied so she can get her slobber on the football!

Harli is such a good dog, she makes me one proud owner!

Traditional "L is for Losers" picture:
Matt(bro-in-law), Karlee (jess' little sis), Lacee (jess' little sis), Miranda (Lacee's friend), and Jess

"W is for Winners" team: Mike (Tammy's b/f), Tym (jess' mom), Doug (jess' dad), and Tom (jess' older bro). Jess' mom Tym was voted MVP for this year!

Way to go Dickson team! Can't wait for next year... hopefully we'll have more players next time!

Razzleberry Pies

2009-11-27T09:28:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night my mom helped me make her famous razzleberry pies to take to the in-laws house for Thanksgiving. I am soooo glad my mom taught me how to make these, they are the best pies EVER and now I won't have to beg her to make them for me, I can do it on my own!
We made the pie crust from scratch, which is actually really easy to do!

My mom showing me how to make the top layer. (yes I know - my apron is stylin')

Razzleberry Pie:
Pie Dough:
6 rounded cups flour (Unbleached)
3 cups butter flavored Crisco
3 tsp salt
1 1/2 c water
Mix flour, shortening and salt with fingers until it resembles a crumb mixture.
Add water and mix.

Razzleberry Pie Filling:
5 cups water
3 1/2 cups sugar
1 package frozen raspberries
1 package frozen blackberries
1 package frozen boysenberries
**Sometimes you can't find all of these berries so you can replace it with 1-2 large packages of mixed frozen berries.
3 rounded cups of berry pie tone (Must buy at Kitchen Kneads which is now located at 30th and Grant Ave. in Ogden. It comes in a package --get a package that has at least enough for 3 rounded cups)
Bring water and sugar to a boil. Add package of frozen blackberries, and bring to a boil again. Thicken with pie tone that has been diluted with water. After thick take off heat and add frozen boysenberries and frozen raspberries. Remember that it needs to be thicker than what you really want before you take off the heat because the moisture in the frozen boysenberries and raspberries with thin it down a little.
Bake pies on the lowest rack in the oven. Put cookie sheet under the pie to catch any spillage. Bake pies at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until pie shakes loose.
Give frozen pies an extra ten minutes.

The finished product.

** Hint: You can add about 1 tbsp of half & half and probably about a tbsp of sugar on top of the pie right before putting it in the oven. This helps it to come out with a golden crust and the sugar gives it a nice shine on top. Just spread the cream around the pie crust with your fingers evenly and then sprinkle the sugar across the top.
It was so nice to spend some time with my mom although it was a little awkward because we had to video tape the entire process for my mom's new company: http://www.yourfamilypi.com/. If you sign up to be a member on her website, which is free, then you can watch the video tutorial on how to make these, it's about 15 mins long. So thats where these pictures came from, but I also wanted to share this yummy recipe for anyone who loves Razzleberry Pie! Mmmm!

Team Jess!

2009-11-25T13:54:00.001-08:00

Well I'm sure most of you have decided whether or not you are on Team Edward or Team Jacob, but I honestly have not gotten into the groove of the Twilight obsession yet. I read all four books in probably a two-month period while I was trying to plan my wedding last year, and don't get me wrong, I loved the books! but I can honestly say I haven't seen the Twilight movie, nor am I overly-anxious to see New Moon. I guess I'm just too afraid that the movies won't be how I imagined while reading the books - maybe someone needs to convince me the movies are just as good. Anyhow, for all of you who HAVE seen the movies, or at least are Twilight fans, I found this funny version of Twilight scenes on one of my photog's personal blogs. Maybe I should have saved this for Funny Monday's cuz I sure got a chuckle out of this: Enjoy!

MY SCREENPLAY ADAPTATION OF STEPHENIE MEYER'S "TWILIGHT"
By Eric D. Snider
****Scene 1****
BELLA: I'm sad to leave the hellish, uninhabitable wasteland of Phoenix to live in a rain-soaked town full of rubes. I wish everything about my comfortable and privileged life were completely different!
DAD: Hi, Bella! Welcome to Forks, Washington. I'm glad you've stopped playing mother to your own flighty, irresponsible mom and come here to be my mother instead.
BELLA: It will be my pleasure to cook and clean for you.
DAD: I bought you an old truck from an Indian in a wheelchair!
BELLA: I ... have no response for that.
****Scene 2****
BELLA: It's tough being the new kid in school! Especially when everyone is so friendly and helpful and interested in me. Why can't they just leave me alone so I can sit in the corner and cut myself?
CLASSMATE: You're awesome, Bella!
BELLA: See what I have to put up with? Hey -- who are those hot people over there?
CLASSMATE: Those are the Cullens. They avoid direct sunlight, they don't eat food, they sleep in coffins in a graveyard, and holy water burns them. I think they're Canadians.
BELLA: They sure are spectacularly gorgeous.
CLASSMATE: Yes, they are.
BELLA: I mean seriously, those people are BEAUTIFUL. Especially the one who keeps looking at me. Man alive, that guy is stunning. I mean, wow. He is hot buttered seduction on a stick. I'm not interested in him sexually, of course, because sex is dirty, but wow -- LOOK AT HIM! Yee-ikes! Hubba hubba! If you don't mind, I'd like to spend the next 75 pages talking exclusively about how attractive he is, and then bring it up again every paragraph or so for the remaining 400 pages.
CLASSMATE: Knock yourself out.
****Scene 3****
EDWARD: Hi, I'm Edward. I'm every girl's fantasy boyfriend: moody, humorless, violent, capable of snapping your spine with my bare hands, liable to do creepy things like watch you while you're sleeping, but also really cute.
BELLA: There is something strange about you.
EDWARD: (recoils at her garlic breath) I don't know what you mean.
BELLA: I just can't put my finger on what it is.
EDWARD: (lifts automobile with one hand) You're imagining things.
BELLA: I feel like you're hiding something from me.
EDWARD: (grabs passing rabbit with lightning speed; drinks rabbit's blood) Don't be silly!
BELLA: It's like you're different somehow.
EDWARD: (turns into bat; flies away)
BELLA: Hmm. I bet he's gay.
****Scene 4****
JACOB: You should be careful with those Cullens. Many moons ago, our tribe's elders, who were werewolves, made a pact with the Cullens, who were vampires. They're not allowed on our land, not even at our casinos.
BELLA: What, still? Even after all this time has passed?
JACOB: Nope.
BELLA: Since when do white people honor treaties with Indians?
JACOB: I know, right?
BELLA: Let me guess -- you're a character whose only job is to provide exposition, and you won't be useful until the next book.
JACOB: Yes. At the earliest.
****Scene 5****
BELLA: Thanks for saving me from that mob of guys who attacked me in the street! It's a good thing you obsessively stalk me while simultaneously insisting you want nothing to do with me.
EDWARD: No problem. If anyone's going to tear you limb from limb and gorge themselves on your sweet, delicious, life-giving blood, it's going to be me.
BELLA: Aw, you say the nicest things! I'm pretty sure you're a vampire, that I'm in love with you, and that part of you wants to kill me.
EDWARD: Don't be silly. It's not just part of me.
BELLA: LOL!
****Scene 6****
EDWARD: You know what vampires love? Baseball!
BELLA: Really?
EDWARD: Sure! Haven't you ever heard of vampire bats?(Crickets.)
EDWARD: Anyhoo, these are the vampire friends I live with, the Cullens. They've been very eager to eat you.
BELLA: You mean meet me?
EDWARD: Meet you. What did I say?
ALICE: I'm Alice! I can see the future, but only when it's useful to the plot. For example, right now: Look out for those mean vampires barging in from the forest!MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum! I smell the blood of a human!
EDWARD: Stay away from her! Bella, you'd better go. I don't want you to have to see me fight this guy for your honor, our muscles straining as we grapple, the air thick with testosterone and the sounds of our throaty snarling.
BELLA: Right! I wouldn't want to see that! Especially not if your shirts got torn off!
****Scene 7****
MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: You puny humans are so predictable and weak. Now I've got you alone, free to toy with you and torture you and deliver lengthy explanatory monologues to you! I just hope I don't waste so much time fartin' around that when I finally do decide to kill you it's too late because Edward and the Cullens have arrived to save you!
BELLA: That would certainly be an unusual twist!
MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: I must say, I can see why Edward likes you. Your smell is overpowering!
BELLA: Oh, you can smell that? Sorry, I thought I could sneak one out....
MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: Never mind! At last it is time for me to--
EDWARD: Not so fast, Count Jerkula!
MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES: Edward! And the Cullens! Who could have foreseen your perfectly timed arrival?!
ALICE: I could have! Didn't, but could have!
(Fighting ensues. MEAN VAMPIRE JAMES is vanquished.)
EDWARD: Bella! Are you OK? He bit you! I've got to suck out the vampire poison!BELLA: Edward, you don't have to make up excuses to put your mouth on me. I mean honestly, who ever heard of "vampire poison"?
EDWARD: I'm serious! It's coursing through your veins as we speak!
BELLA: Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Powder.
****Scene 8****
BELLA: Why did you bring me to the prom, Edward? You know I can't dance, and that I hate it when people tell me I'm beautiful, which happens all the time.
EDWARD: I don't want your dangerous psychological infatuation with a vampire to interfere with your regular life.
BELLA: But I want to BE a vampire! I want you to do it to me. It will strengthen our love for each other. I want to become one with you. And what better night than prom night? We can do it in the back of the limo.
EDWARD: Wait, what are we talking about?
BELLA: I don't know. All the metaphors have started to run together.
EDWARD: You're sure you want to be a vampire?
BELLA: Yes.
EDWARD: Well, how about if I press my lips against your throat in an ambiguous way, just enough to ensure that readers come back for the sequel?
BELLA: It's a deal.
(Fade to black; roll credits; send in ushers to mop up audience's tears and drool.)

Funny Monday's

2009-11-23T17:50:00.001-08:00

Here is one of my favorite Will Ferrell clips from SNL. Ignore the Spanish subtitles, I couldn't find one without them =) I love Will Ferrell, he's such a goof! Hope your week is off to a great start!!

Funny Monday's

2009-11-18T18:17:00.001-08:00

I know I totally suck at this Funny Monday's actually being on Monday's --- but if any of you are having a rough week so far - hopefully this brings a smile to your face! This kid is insane - who the heck gave him a Mt. Dew before he started dancing... seriously?!

Pheasant Hunting

2009-11-15T21:23:00.000-08:00

Two weekends in a row now Jess has gone pheasant hunting. I had to show a few pictures since he was so excited he finally had some luck during hunting season ... at least he shot SOMETHING right?!

The first weekend he took my Dad along with him and had some father-in-law/son-in-law bonding time. They went down south with a bunch of my cousins and their dogs. Our little Harli has become quite the bird hunter - she's a huntin' dog through and through now, thanks to Jess! Way to go babe - glad you had fun!

Funny Monday's

2009-11-11T10:12:00.001-08:00

Here's a funny for this past Monday!

Grand Prize Nephew

2009-11-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

So I know that I am totally bragging here, but since I don't have kids of my own, I feel I have the bragging rights as an Aunt...

My precious and handsome little nephew Titan was entered into a baby contest last month by his parents at the Expo center and he won Grand Prize! He won $300 and obviously lots of bragging rights... but I just had to post these pictures because they are so stinkin cute... don't you just want to eat his little cheeks!

Make today the best day of your life!

2009-11-05T17:14:00.001-08:00

This is inspiring!

Temple Pictures... MORE!

2009-11-03T16:17:00.000-08:00

mom, grandma taylor, me, and my aunt shan

silly dickson children

dickson family plus friends dan & jessica turner and mike & julie rhodes

silly sisters

coming out of the temple

Us & My Dad

Funny Monday's

2009-11-02T16:12:00.001-08:00

Hope this gives you a GIGGLE - have a great week!!

Funny Monday's

2009-11-02T16:05:00.001-08:00

Here's one for last week since I totally spaced last Monday to post one... oops!

2009-10-31T15:44:00.001-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Happy-Happy-Halloweeny!

2009-10-31T09:19:00.000-07:00

Jess and I went to a Halloween party last night that his sister Tammy was throwing and we had such a good time! I don't think I have laughed that hard in a long time - my stomach and cheeks were hurting by the end of the night from laughing so much!! I went as a mummy and Jess was a ghost - they were pretty easy and cheap costumes as you can see...

We had a really yummy dinner and then played some super fun games. First we bobbed for apples, which was a real treat! Its a lot harder than it looks, trust me! I got my costume and face makeup ruined a little...

Then we did a donut race where you had to eat the donut off a string with no hands and the first one to rip the donut off the string wins. The boys totally dominated on this game!

This is another couple at the party who we had lots of fun with -Jess' good friend from the valley Adam, and his wife Melanie. They were dressed up as Fred & Daphne from Scooby Doo.

Thanks Mike & Tammy for the awesome party - we had such a good time! Hope everyone has a safe & memorable Halloween tonight!

Sealing Day Pix!

2009-10-30T16:35:00.001-07:00

FINALLY got my pictures back from my photographer - let me know what you think! I promise I will post more later -but these will have to do for the time being =) This first one is my ultimate fav!

Funny Monday's Part 1

2009-10-19T14:54:00.001-07:00

Watch this clip first - then Part 2 below (the funny one)

Funny Monday's Part 2

2009-10-19T14:53:00.001-07:00

This clip is hilarious - just make sure you watch part 1 first and then this clip... this little boy's voice makes me laugh! He memorized this whole speech, except for when he glanced at his notes. I love when he says... "SCREM 'UM!" I just added the clip from the movie so you could watch the difference. This kid is a character!! =)

2 Wedding Dresses for Sale!

2009-10-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

My sister and I are both selling our wedding dresses! I saved mine until I got sealed to Jess in the temple last month because I wore it outside afterwards for pictures. But now that I don't have a use for it - I figured I might as well share this beauty with someone else! My sister is selling hers as well - she was just married in August. She wants a different dress when she goes through the temple with Brian next year - so if you or someone you know is interested in coming to look or try one of them on .... either leave me a comment on here or send me an email at: smudgedphoto@hotmail.com Thanks!

(very long train)

This first one is my dress that I bought in April of 2008 so it's still in style. It is the princess style, very tight in the upper body, and below the waist it poofs out like a Cinderella dress. Tons and tons and tons of bead work, so keep that in mind because you need to be careful who you have it cleaned by since there are so many beads! The back side has a zipper and then covering the zipper is the buttons with the little elastic hooks - you have to use a croche hook to fasten those up... but it makes for a much better appearance than just a zipper going up the back. The bottom half of the dress, below the waist, is the tulle material, I believe there are 10 layers on the dress total - the top four layers are tulle. The train is super long - but also has a hook so that you can pull the train up and make it shorter, much easier to walk with the train pinned up. Dress has been professionally cleaned and pressed and there are no stains on the dress whatsoever. It is a modest, short-sleeved dress, size 4 and temple worthy. Veil is included and is two layers - with beadwork and jewels at the bottom. I'm asking for $1000 for this dress and veil because it is in immaculate care and I paid far more than that only a little over a year ago.

(back of dress)

(close up of front - hopefully you can see the beadwork OK)

Here's my sisters dress: It is a size two - she just bought it in August. She is selling it for $600 and hers is the pick-up style, where bunches of the dress is pinned in different spots throughout the bottom half of her dress. This one has alot of beadwork at the top as well and has a very long train. Her veil is included which has two layers and she has had it cleaned and pressed as well. No stains or smudges - in perfect condition and has only been worn for her bridal pictures and on her wedding day. It is short-sleeved and temple worthy. It is a zip up dress and has a big white bow that covers the bottom of the zipper in back.

(back bead work detail, veil detail, and bow)

(closeup with front beadwork detail)
Talk to me if interested =)

So little time...

2009-10-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

I have about 50 commitments for plans that I have made for this Saturday - but am I still going to this craft market?? You BETCHA! I haven't ever been but for those who are curious, I'll let you know if its worth cancelling or showing up late to other Saturdays plans to go to this =)

Funny Monday's

2009-10-12T15:21:00.001-07:00

This music video cracks me up... Jess and I were laughing so hard! These boys are obviously a little on the fem side - but it's still a hilarious video! Have a good week!!

Funny Monday's

2009-10-05T19:51:00.001-07:00

Have a great week everyone!

I Want to See This!!!!

2009-10-02T18:54:00.001-07:00

Anyone wanna come with me?

Funny Monday's

2009-09-28T16:42:00.001-07:00

OK these people are my very favorite radio station DJ's. I listen to them EVERY single morning.. they have a talk show every day for 4 hours. They are honestly the funniest people! Happy Monday everyone! This made me laugh so hard =)

Finding our Talents

2009-09-27T14:55:00.001-07:00

I am stealing this from my mom's blog, because I wanted everyone to see this. It is so uplifting to me, especially while I am trying to develop my own business right now. But this message is for each of us - and it can be in any area of our lives.

Bountiful Temple

2009-09-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

My mom and I went to the Bountiful temple on Thursday night to do a session together, since Jess is off celebrating hunting season. I wanted to find things to do to keep me busy while he's off playing, so I asked my mom if she would go to a session with me since I'm still so new to this and not yet comfortable with going by myself if I had to. We had such a good time together and I felt the spirit so strong for some answers I have been searching for. Thank you Mom for going with me - I am so thankful you and I enjoy spending time together =)

And yes the girl with dark hair is me, I know, weird. I colored it super dark a few weeks ago and I'm still trying to adjust to the new look. I chopped 6 inches off and I haven't had it dark in 4 years!

Funny Monday's

2009-09-23T19:57:00.001-07:00

I know.. I know.. I'm late again on my weekly clip! So sorry! I have been so caught up in work lately that I totally forgot about the computer for a few days =) Hope this brightens your week

Funny Monday's

2009-09-15T20:47:00.001-07:00

I really needed this clip to start off my week... sorry its a day late. I started a new job yesterday, its still with the same company, just a different position and learning everything brand new, from scratch! I don't deal well with changes like this, so for the most part, it was a rough day for me. But this clip is SO the truth! Everyone knows SOMEONE who is like this, who loves to talk about themselves! BEWARE OF THE "ME" MONSTER!!!!

WE MADE IT!!!!

2009-09-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Jess and I were sealed for time and all eternity on Saturday, September 5th in the Manti, Utah Temple. I cannot think of a day in my entire life that was better than this one. Honestly the VERY BEST DAY I have ever had. Even if I tried, I don't think I could put into words how incredible this day was. It has been a long, hard year for us since we made the decision last summer to be sealed in a year, but it was worth every minute that tried our patience or was difficult. Our relationship is so, so much stronger than it was before, and I am so grateful I have Jess forever. Thank you everyone for your advice, your testimonies, your support, your friendship, and your love. If it wasn't for our friends and family, it would have been so much more difficult to strive to reach our goal. I am so glad we made it to the temple, and that we are now a forever family! Thank you also to the friends and family who came to our endowment session as well as sealing; it made it that much more meaningful and special to us. More pictures will be coming, but it won't be for at least a month or two, until I receive them back from my photographer. I am now a DICKSON forever!!!!

Funny Monday's

2009-09-09T20:02:00.001-07:00

We were outta town on Monday, so here's your funny clip for the week. Hope you all had a great Labor Day on Monday! Enjoy watching these crazy people on their wedding day!

Funny Monday's

2009-08-31T19:33:00.001-07:00

HA HA HA HA HA! This clip is hilarious! Make sure to watch when the little boy gets out and runs away from the cops! What a little .. you know what! HA HA! Happy Monday!

Car For Sale!

2009-08-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is a sad post for me, but its time to face the facts: I am selling my 2002 Dodge Neon for $4200. Jess and I purchased a new vehicle a few weeks ago and we just don't have room for four vehicles in our drive-way! HA! Jess is purchasing another vehicle shortly, and we don't want to look white trash with a drive-way full of cars, so I have to turn in one of the best cars I've ever had... until our new one we just got of course =) This car has had ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS whatsoever! I have owned it for just over three years and was not planning to sell it for a very long time. We purchased our new car a week after I renewed my Dodge's registration and I just put 2 brand-spankin new tires on it about a month ago! So buying our new car was obviously not planned, nor was selling this car. Anyhow, I knew the previous owners, they took care of it just as well as I did, in mint-condition! It will be an excellent buddy for whoever purchases this. I have never had to fix anything on it besides regular maintenance and changing the battery and alternator belt once. Please leave me a comment if you are interested and I will get in touch with you shortly! Here's the fun facts:

2002 Dodge Neon

97k Miles

$4200 OBO

2 Previous Owners

White exterior, black interior

Automatic

Single CD player

Amazing! Air Conditioning power! (just had to throw that in there)

Manual Locks & Windows

Perfect condition, will be a VERY reliable and great car!!

Talk to me if interested =) Thanks!

REAL Soccer!

2009-08-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

Wednesday evening, our good friend Adam asked Jess and I if we wanted front row tickets to a REAL soccer game! Of course we couldn't pass up the offer since we had never been, so surviving on three hours of sleep from the concert the night before, we headed to Sandy to support our local soccer team!

We had the sweetest seats, right behind the goalie and the game ended 4-0, REAL the winners!

I was so amazed at how talented the athletes were, bouncing the soccer ball off of their heads from one player to another. They would body slam right into each other and then bounce right back up!

Two super sweet dates, two nights in a row! Marriage life couldn't get any better. And we have some AMAZING plans coming up in the next week, just wait, stay tuned!

Def Leppard & Poison Concert!

2009-08-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Jess and I went to the Def Leppard/Cheap Trick/Poison concert ... yes three bands in one night ... at the USANA Ampitheatre. We had been anticipating this day for a couple months now and we were so excited to see these bands! Best of all, we had 8th row from the stage, seriously the best seats I've ever had at a concert! Jess loves these bands and I think he was just a tad bit more excited than me about that night!

C.C. from Poison - so talented! WOW!

We went with another couple that had 2nd row seats, so half-way through the concert, while Poison was up, we swapped them seats so that I could sneak in a few good pictures.

Yes that's the famous - Bret Michaels.

Our sexy "rock-on" faces - notice the attractive blue tongues & teeth from our delicious cotton candy ... wouldn't be a concert without it! =)

I brought my crappy (sorry mom) camera because I didn't want to take a chance at ruining or breaking or scratching or bumping my good camera =) so the pictures are horrible quality but they will do for memories sake!

We had SOOO much fun together, it was such a fun date night!

Funny Monday's

2009-08-24T15:08:00.001-07:00

This clip is kinda long but it is SO worth watching... this will definitely make your Monday brighter! ENJOY!

My Sister is a MRS!

2009-08-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

My little sister got hitched last night down in Lindon, Utah... here's some pictures to recap the moment; I was totally bummed that I didn't get to play photographer for the night because I was one of her bridesmaids, but here's a few that I was able to snag:

Check out little Ty man in his handsome tux! =)

My Dad and Will getting ready for the ceremony.. Will was the ring bearer!

Funny Monday's

2009-08-17T18:25:00.001-07:00

I'm starting a new posting tradition because Monday's always seem to be a rough day for me. Getting back into the groove of things after hanging out with my husband all weekend has its ups and downs (I usually have a hard time on Monday's since I'm not with Jess 24-7 like on the weekends) So if any of you feel my pain and share the Monday-aches with me, you'll enjoy a funny clip from my blog every Monday. Who honestly let this girl talk so long? What an idiot! She should seriously consider running for the Miss America Pageant!

Bear Lake Burffday

2009-08-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

For my 22nd birthday, I took the ENTIRE week off work! And can I just say how FABULOUS it was to have a whole entire week of no work, no cleaning house, no homework... just relaxing and relaxing and relaxing! My family and I went up to Bear Lake almost the whole week, from Sunday to Thursday evening... my burfday was on Monday.. it was a very much needed vacation away from it all! Here's some snaps from the trip, check it out:

Jess ate the whole thing of watermelon he's holding, and he didn't even bother to share! This was one of his prouder moments!

Scenic View, I just LOVE how blue Bear Lake water is! Mmmm...

Jess enjoyed a week off work just as much as I did!

He sure loved that sand!

Jess giving me the "Elvis" look...

This is my pout face... Don't ask. I find myself making this face in a lot of pictures we take together, I'm not sure why, just a bad habit I guess. And oh -don't mind the nasty beach hair-do... I didn't bother to do much with it while I was soaking up the sun...
I just love my little sis Matti... her and Jess made everyone laugh throughout the trip!

Jess' version of "sun-block"...

We had such a fun time up there... my mom, my Aunt, my Grandma, McKinli, Titan, and Matti's friend Abby came along too... We rented waverunners one day and goofed around on them for forever! Although it was hard to get any pictures, I was too afraid I would ruin my camera.. but it was such a great get-away... I think I'm ready for another trip before summer is over!

28 Reasons I Love My Mom!

2009-07-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today, July 28th is my mom's birthday, so I wanted to make a SPECIAL post because I have the greatest mother a girl could ask for, so since she has 28 days for her birthday month, I wanted to list 28 reasons why I think she is so great:

1- We can talk for hours on the phone. I am so grateful I have a mom who loves to listen, and loves to call and chat with me.

2- She motivates me to be an entrepreneur. As far back as I can remember, my mom has thought of a dozen different companies that she could start a business with. She has such a creative mind

and comes up with some AMAZING ideas!

3- She can cook! Her razzleberry pie is to die for!!!!

4- She loves people no matter. I find this to be one of the greatest qualities about my mom - how Christlike she is. My mother is very compassionate, and forgives people constantly.
5- Along with #4, she is very tender-hearted, and sees the good in others that most people wouldn't see on the surface.

6- She is funny funny funny! She has a laugh that brings a smile to your face and has the best sense of humor!

(mom: BFPinkW... think about what that stands for!)

7-My mom brings out the best in people, she believes in you when no one else will.

8-She has a unique relationship with each of my sisters and I. We are all so different and she makes sure that she has a special bond and strong relationship with each of her girls.

9- My mom takes good care of her mom. I hope to have just as strong of a relationship with my mother as she does with hers.

10- She loves dogs!! My mom loves animals, especially her dogs. She treats them as if they were her own children.

11- My mom has a great relationship with my husband, and I love her so much for that. She treats him with so much respect and loves him as if he were her son.

12- She is beautiful both inside and out, she has the light of Christ in her and you can see it in her countenance. Her actions speak far louder than words, and she is a constant example for me to follow.

13-She is a fantastic housekeeper, she cooks great, cleans immaculately, and can tell when her kids just need a shoulder to cry on or a friend to talk to.

14-My mother has a strong testimony. I have never questioned her faith in the gospel or worried about her straying from the church. My mom has again, set a remarkable example for her kids. I am so glad she is a constant in the church.

15- She does fun stuff with her kids. I love that about her. Whether its going to get an ice cream cone, (remember when I ate the wrapper mom!?) going for a walk, taking us on a vacation, she always makes such great memories w/ us!

16- I love how special she makes us feel on our birthdays. She has never forgotten our birthday, and always tells us about the day we were born and makes our special days memorable!

17-She encourages us to do our best.

18-I love how my mom values friendship. She has so many good, close friends that she keeps in touch with and is a great friend to me as well.

19-My mom has been through a lot, and it amazes me each day to hear how strong, motivated, determined, and overall happy she still is with life, even with some of the bad cards she's been dealt. I love that she loves life and can find the good in any situation, which helps me to keep chugging along, her happiness is so encouraging to me. Her will to continually be happy even when life gets you down is something I look up to her so much for.

20-She is so knowledgeable, and in so many areas. She loves to read and to learn, this is such a great quality to have.

21-She has sacrificed many things on our behalf, which is something she is still doing. She is always willing to lend a hand and give service to others.

22-She is a wonderful grandma to little Titan. I am excited to have children one of these days... because they will have an amazing Grandma to spoil them! She is so good to her family!

23-She is a great leader in the gospel, she has always magnified her callings, and is always going the extra mile when it comes to serving in the Church.

24-My mom has always been a great picker-upper. On many occasions, she has sent me cards, flowers, notes of encouragement, and advice to express her love to me. She knows exactly when I need those words of love and it's always RIGHT when I need a boost the most!

25-My mom NEVER gives up, she is not a quitter! Her life theme I guess you could call it, is centered around the children's book, "The little engine that could."

26-She is one of my best friends, along with my husband of course. =0) She knows me better than probably anyone else, and can help me in any situation.

27My mom is an EXCELLENT party planner... she is such a great hostess!!!!

28-My mom is our cheerleader. Whether its a game, talk in church, graduation of some type, anything, my mom is sitting front row cheering her team on! I'm so grateful to have a mom that is so involved and supportive of our lives.

I couldn't ask for a better mother if I wanted to-which I don't! Even through my teenage rebel years =) if that's what you'd call them, she has been by my side through it all and I'm so lucky to call her my mom!

Happy birthday Mom... i love you so much! I hope your birthday is as SPECIAL as you are!!!!

Grand-duke

2009-07-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Its been one year since my Grandpa Taylor passed away, I can't believe how fast the year flew by. I had a really hard time with his passing last July, possibly because I looked up to my Grandpa a lot. He was such a neat man, a hard worker, and was a great joke-ster, always in a pleasant mood and could make you laugh so easily! He would do these funny little dances, I remember him and my Grandma coming to our house each year on Christmas Eve and staying for a few days, and all the fun motorcycle rides we would go on with him when we went to visit at their house in Almo, ID during the summers.

He was always a man who honored his priesthood, treated his wife with a remarkable amount of respect, and took care of his family financially no matter the circumstance or sacrifice he would have to make. My Grandpa had the best personality and accepted and loved his family no matter their struggles or trials. My sisters and I used to call him "Grand-duke" from the movie Cinderella, and that nick-name always stuck with him. These pictures I posted were from our wedding last May, two months before he died. He was very sick at the wedding, and he went home shortly after the ceremony ended. But I'll never forget his sweet, quiet little voice whispering to me at the wedding, when he gave me a hug goodbye, "I came here for you Whitni. I wouldn't miss it for the world." That was the last time I saw my Grandpa before he passed away, and I will be forever grateful that he was able to be there for me on my big day, and escort my mom down the aisle.

Our family talks of my Grandpa all the time and all the great memories we had with him. I miss you so much Grand-duke, I know you watch over our family constantly and we think of you so often! LOVE YOU Gramps!!!

Recent Festivities

2009-07-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Well I have had no time whatsoever to make posts lately, but Jess and I have had quite an eventful summer so far! We have both had our fair share of busy days and lazy days, but all in all the summer has been good to us... minus all the rainfall!!! We have both been working lots of overtime and comp hours at work to try and save up for the vacation days that are coming our way in August and September; I have been going to school throughout the summer - 15 credits this term... Yikers! Plus with photo shoots and keeping up with our yard and housework, we've managed to stay occupied! So in a nutshell, here's what our little Dickson family has been up to:

1- Back in the middle of June, we went camping with Jess' family to a place up the Logan Canyon, just a ways from Bear Lake.. here are a few pix I captured, and NO I'm not in any of them, I looked hideous up there because it poured rain on us quite a bit...

Here is Jess and his nephews Bradon and Trent...

Jess and his older sis Katie cutting down trees for our log bed. Jared, Travis and I helped haul the trees down the mountain side. ** Jess just finished making his nephew a log bed for his birthday, and now we are starting on a log bed for us, which Jess says I am apparently learning how to make this time.

My hot hubby....

2- Lots of boating trips to Pineview. I think that all boating pictures look about the same, but here's a few so you can all get a taste of the fun times ...

My Pop skiing...

My brother Will being a goofball

Cute sister Matti on flag duty

And Jess showing off his sexy white, muscular legs!

And no - I didn't get a picture of me riding the Grandma tube... haha sorry!

3- We lucked out and got ourselves FRONT ROW at a Josh Gracin concert for South Ogden Days two weekends ago! Last year, my mom worked for Crossroads Fitness (who was hosting South Ogden Days) and she hooked us up with backstage VIP passes to see Sammy Kershaw front row. Well this year Jess and I were way bummed out because we didn't have tickets to the show at all. So we showed up that night about half way through the concert.

I smoothe-talked my way in by talking to one of the Security dudes about how bummed out we were that we didn't have tickets and last year we had great seats. He snuck Jess and I in and the next thing we knew, we were front row staring at Josh Gracin as he sang, "I Got Nothin to Lose!" It was so awesome, but unfortunately we only got pictures from the camera on my phone and I can't figure out how to download them onto my computer... sorry! But it was a blast!

4- We had a really fun 4th of July weekend! Our tradition has been to go up to Liberty Days every year... and it is my all time favorite holiday! I love everything about Independence Day!!!

I didn't get many pictures of this event either (I know, what a great photographer I am, huh!?!) but I was too busy savoring all the fun times to worry about snaping away! Here is the only picture I took from the 4th of July, of Jess and his nephew Trent on some sort of truck... thing:

5- Yesterday we celebrated 5 years since our first date! Everyone was making fun of us yesterday because we have an anniversary for something almost every month, haha - but every year up until our wedding we celebrated July 5th as our anniversary because that is such a special day to us. July 5th, 2004, we were set up on a date by our good friend Dan Turner, for Liberty Days. In 2004, the 4th of July fell on a Sunday, so everyone celebrated it the following day, on the 5th. That is why the 4th of July is our favorite holiday and we do something fun together every year on the 5th. I cannot believe I've already known Jess for five whole years! Whew - that's just about a fourth of my life! Here is one of the earliest pictures I have of us together, don't we look so young?!

6 - Also yesterday my little nephew Titan was blessed in church by his Grandpa. It was an emotional day for our family and we felt the spirit very strong - I really believe we grew even closer as a family than we already are.

Doesn't he look like a little glowing angel, sent straight from heaven! Although his angel attire is a bit big on him... oh well, he's still such a handsome stud!

(sorry I posted this pic twice, oh well he's fun to look at!)

So that is our summer so far... many more events to come! Hopefully it won't take me as long to post them next time!

Smudged Photography

2009-06-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Check out my new photography biz by clicking on the link to the right >>>>
and let me know what you think! I would love to hear all of your opinions! =]

Anniversary Adventure

2009-06-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago ...May 16th to be exact, was mine and Jess' one year wedding anniversary!! We decided to go on a little camping/roadtrip adventure and to be honest - we had no idea where we were headed. The Thursday before our anniversary, we packed up a weekend's worth of clothes, food, camping equipment, and his brother's four-wheeler and hit the highway. It was so much fun to go off the seat of our pants and not really have an idea of where we were vacationing - we just looked at the map and picked our next destination.

Our first night we got a little lost, well .... at least I will admit we did. We drove up the Spanish Fork canyon and by the time we got up there, Jess had to look at all of the elk and deer for a good hour or two - so it was pitch black outside by the time he realized we needed to set up camp. So there we were at 11 0'clock at night trying to put up our tent using the headlights from our truck to see our way around. It was stressful, cold, and a little scary... but we laughed the whole time... that is, right up until Jess told me we were in bear country. Needless to say, I didn't sleep a wink the first night. Every noise I heard outside our tent, I would wake Jess up to make sure he heard the same noise I did.

We had no idea where we had camped the first night, just because it was so dark and freezing! So when we opened our tent the next morning, this is what we found!

A gorgeous scenery, our tent covered in frost, and a grumpy husband... because SOMEBODY kept him up all night listening to bear noises! =0) Hmmm... who could that be?!?!
***Notice our red-neck camping style! Whoop - whoop! We didn't care, we had a blast together!We drove farther south the following day, through Helper, Price, and into some state park (I can't remember the name) We went four-wheeling, shot clay pigeons, and drove around looking for a SAFE place to camp the second night.

In the picture of me above is the cliff we found to each lunch at; it was so peaceful and beautiful up there to just relax and have a little picnic on the edge of a 6,000 ft cliff!

I was Jess's "assistant" during our camping trip, which pretty much meant that I threw the clay pigeons for him with a hand-slinger thing.... while he had fun practicing his aim! Then it was my turn! Jess set up the clay pigeons in the trees and bushes, and I actually hit EVERY SINGLE ONE! (but not on the first time of course!).... but it does mean that I earned my right to go deer hunting with him this fall,... how exciting!!!!!!

Our favorite part of the entire trip came towards the end, on our actual anniversary day, Saturday. Some of you may have heard that we were planning on being sealed in the Manti Temple on our one year anniversary. Which is true, we were planning on it, until we decided to wait until this fall because my sister's due date to have her baby was only a few days after our anniversary. We were too worried that her labor and our temple date would fall on the same day, so we decided to give everyone the opportunity to see my sister have her baby and wait until the fall to be sealed. It was a rough decision to make - but our anniversary still turned out wonderful and this is why.....

We still made it to the Manti Temple, only it was unfortunate we were not able to go inside. It was such a neat experience for Jess and I to see this temple. As we turned around a hillside and drove into the tiny town of Manti, the temple stood out beautifully and the light that radiated from it was incredible. We took pictures on the grounds and it was truly a testimony builder for us to recognize how badly we really want to go inside.

The entire time I was there I was humming to myself, "I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday." It was a very emotional experience for me and the pictures we took there have helped us so much to remind us of our goal.

This last picture is my favorite that I took... See below.

I'm an AUNT!

2009-05-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Tytan was born today at 9:01 am weighing 6 lbs. 11 ounces and is 20 inches long! He is beautiful in every way, he looks so much like my sister and I cannot describe how much I admire her and how proud of her I am right now.

Her water broke at 3 o' clock in the morning and my mom called to tell me she was putting towels down in the car and driving McKinli up to the ER because she was getting ready to have little Ty! She had her epidural around 5 am and was pushing by 8:30 am. (She only pushed for a half hour... what an easy labor! Only six hours from the time her water broke til the time she had her little peanut, and hardly any contractions! Can you believe it?!?) Matti and I hung out in the waiting room while my mom had the privilege of watching her first grandson's birth. I am so glad my mom was able to be in the room and be there for my sister.

My sister was so incredibly brave... I cannot believe my little sister has a baby, she will be such a wonderful mother! Great way for her to celebrate her first Mother's Day this Sunday... as well as my mom with her first Mother's Day being a grandma!

Stay tuned.... many more pictures to come! We are so happy Tytan is finally here and that him and McKinli are healthy and happy!

A Pea in a Pod...

2009-04-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

... A Bundle of Joy, McKinli Fennell is having a BOY!

So for those of you who don't know, or haven't heard yet, my little sister McKinli is having a little pea pod and she is less than a month away from having her little boy, Tytan. Last Saturday, April 18, I threw my sister a baby shower and it was such a fun day for her.

We invited a bunch of her friends from school, her co-workers, all of our extended family from the Taylor and Fennell sides, and family members from the father of her baby. For those of you who came and supported my little sister at the shower, I wanted to thank you all personally for coming to the shower and showing you support. It means more to McKinli and our family than you will ever know. Support is the one thing my sister needs from people more than anything else right now. McKinli is a very strong-willed girl and I know that the trials and rough days ahead will make her stronger and better because of the good choices she is now making - especially the decision to keep her baby.

Anyhow - the shower turned out really well. There were people constantly coming in and out of my mom's house (where the party was happenin') and McKinli had a grin from ear to ear as friends and family gathered to show their love and support.

My mom helped out tremedously with party favors, food, and a fun house! She is such a great party planner and helped to make it a memorable day for Kinli....

There was tons and tons of good food, and my mom created the coolest looking baby basinett out of a watermelon and an assortment of fruit. She also created sugar cookies as party favors that were decorated in the shape of a onesie that all of the guests were able to take as their dessert.

I am in the process of creating my website and blog for the photography business I have recently been working hard at... so once that is up and running I will let all of you know so that you can see the fun pictures I took of McKinli for her maternity photo shoot out at Antelope Island on the beach. The pictures turned out great and I will give you a little sneak peek at some of the pix... just because I'm feeling generous today... haha! =)

BUT PLEASE, SINCE I AM LETTING YOU IN ON SOME OF THE PHOTO SHOOT PIX, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT OF YOUR HONEST OPINION OF WHAT YOU THINK OF THESE... I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR FEEDBACK! Thanks everyone!

Fireproof

2009-03-28T16:29:00.001-07:00

** Turn off my music before watching this clip**
This is seriously one of the best movies I have seen.... EVER!!!! Jess' dad had the whole family watch it one night, and I honestly thought it sounded so lame... but after Jess and I saw it, we went out the next week and bought it! We loved it! My family watched it as well and it is such a good movie, whether you are married or single - you will fall in love with this movie! If any of you live close to me that wanna borrow it, just lemme know cuz you are more than welcome - its such a good show!

Ten Months Married!

2009-03-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

It shocks me that Jess and I have already been married almost a year... ten months today!!! That means we have been together almost 5 years... which absolutely blows my mind! It has been the best five years ever, and I am indescribably grateful for the amount of love and patience Jess has shown me - I am so lucky to call him my husband.

I decided to post some pictures of our engagements for our 10-month mark today because they were taken about this time last year. Also - we won't be in town on our one year anniversary, so I figured I'd better post them now while I have a bit of extra time.

Jess is everything I could ever ask for in a best friend and companion. He sets such a remarkable example for me to follow and anyone who knows Jess can agree with me when I describe the sincerely giving man that he is. I have never met anyone in my life who serves more than Jess. Anytime someone calls to ask for his assistance, he is there at the drop of a hat. And more than that, he offers to help in situations where people haven't asked for his help either - he thinks of others far more than he is ever thinking of himself.

I am so anxious for the day when Jess and I are able to start a family together because I already know the type of father Jess will be. Jess is so good around little kids, especially his nephews. He still knows how to be a kid, and makes great relationships with everyone he meets. Jess has so many good friends and is constantly calling them just to see how they are doing. I believe that really shows the character of a person and I know his friends will second with me on that.

These last ten months have RACED by right in front of me, but I am so glad I can savor every moment with Jess and that we can enjoy each others company. I love you LOVER and I cannot wait for May 16, 2009 - the huge step in our journey together FoReVeR!!!

Matti Moo is Fifteen!

2009-03-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

My little sister Mattisyn is 15 years old today and I wanted to make a short post about her to let her know how much I love her and look up to her, even though we're almost seven years apart! She is seriously one girl who has her head on straight and knows what she wants. She is bright in every way and genuinely cares about people. Matti and I have always gotten along and had a very close bond as sisters. I can call her any time of the day just to see how she is doing and we chat for the longest time!!! Well even though her b-day was on a Sunday this year, we still had fun together as a family celebrating Matti at my mom's house. Here's a recap of Matti's fun day:

Matti, my mom, and my other sis McKinli

Jess showing off his moves on the court!.... or drive way =]

McKinli and I surprised Matti by decorating her room with streamers and making a birthday sign that we put on the garage door when Matti and my mom came home from church.

Happy Birthday Matti-moo! One more year and you'll be cruisin the streets and catchin some hot dates! We Love YOU!

Make You Cry?

2009-03-14T12:50:00.001-07:00

** Be sure to turn my music off first. If I didn't already send this to some of you through email, you have to watch it! I was laughing so hard I was crying! Hope this brightens your day! ENJOY!!!

Birthday Month is OVER!

2009-03-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

This post is LONG overdue, but I have been extremely busy with work, photography, school, and life in general. Jess and I had such a great time on our little get-away for his birthday, I just had to post some pictures! Jess had to work on his birthday-day, but I told him to take the following day, (Friday, Feb. 27th) off because I was taking him on an overnight surprise trip. So when Jess finally got home from work, I had our bags packed and anxiously waited while he showered and got ready to hit the road. Right before we left, I let him open his birthday presents, which he LOVED LOVED the quilt by the way! I don't think I've ever been that excited in my life to give someone their birthday present! I also got him a movie, dominoes and a poker set (he'd been wanting both) and some church pants. haha - he NEEDED some new ones!!!

After Jess opened his presents, we went to one of Jess' favorite restaurants for dinner, Famous Dave's. Once we finished eating, we started on the road towards his surprise get-away!!!! I took him to the Anniversary Inn in Logan, UT (which we called the 'Birthday-Inn' while we were there) and stayed in a room that was themed around cowboy/hunting/Wild West/outdoors, which is totally fit for Jess' personality. Our room was called, "Jesse James Hideout."

There was a cool looking barrel that had rootbeer and treats for us when we first walked into our room. There was of course a GIGANTIC bed and huge jetted tub that was next to a big screen TV, a fireplace, and it even had a pool table. So Jess and I stayed up late playing pool, watching movies, and enjoying quality time together. He loved the relaxation time, but little did he know that was only PART of his surprise trip!

The next morning we woke up and I had packed a duffle bag full of our snowclothes. I had surprised him with a 4-hour snowmobiling ride! He was so excited!!! Well our reservation wasn't until one that afternoon, so we slept in late, had breakfast in bed served to us, and went to Pier 49 Pizza for lunch... then started our drive up the Logan Canyon.

We went to a place called Beaver Creek Lodge, which is right down the road from the turn-off to go towards Beaver Mountain Ski Resort, if anyone knows where that is. I had never been snowmobiling before, so I was a little nervous at first, but my New Year's resolution has been to try new things, so by the time we put all of our snow clothes and helmets on, I was totally pumped!!!! It was such a beautiful place to ride around at, the scenery was breath-taking! We only rented one snowmobile, which we both preferred, because then I could protect myself from the crisp, FREEZING COLD wind that hit our face if we weren't riding in the direct sunlight.

It was so fun up there, we had a blast together! There were trails all over the place and then big open meadows that you could play around in. My stomach was practically jumping out of my skin a couple of different times... because I forgot how big of a dare devil Jess is! We went up AND THEN back down some pretty steep hills, and once we even got VERY DEEPLY stuck, and ended up trying to dig the snowmobile out of 3 feet of fresh powder. Needless to say - that part sucked. I didn't realize snowmobiles were THAT heavy!!!!

Yes this is a self-portrait of my husband, with his still-attached "mexy-stache." I just loved the background full of trees in all of our pictures. We found some really cool places up there and we are definitely going to ride up there again because we made some amazing memories over his birthday weekend!

We are just hoping next time we can go with another couple or bring some friends along with us, just in case we have to dig ourselves out of a snowbank AGAIN!

Well now that Jess' birthday month has come to an end, I hope he knows how much I deeply love him and I hope he enjoyed the month of February that was full of birthday surprises 4 him!!!

Take MY Advice!

2009-02-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

I have decided to share with my fellow bloggers a few tips on what NOT to do when creating a King Size Denim Quilt for your husband's birthday! Granted - I feel this has been one of my greatest accomplishments because I had no clue what I was doing, nor did anyone help me, and yet I still managed to complete this before Jess' birthday (tomorrow). I amaze myself. So listed below are TEN TIPS FOR TORTUROUS SEWING (if "torture-ous" is even a word!?!)

1. Procrastination is not a good trait. DO NOT wait until 8 days BEFORE your husband's birthday before you start on an ENORMOUS project such as this.

2. Make sure you can devote every waking minute to sewing. No excuses.

3. Do NOT try to cut 300+ squares in one day, by yourself. It is not a good idea and you will SORELY regret it when the day is over. Literally - you will be sore. I am not joking.

4. Make sure you wear thumb protection, have bandages on site, and ensure that you can stand a great deal of pain in your fingers. Advil does not help. Neither do bandages, but I used 4 or 5 so I had to include that.

5. You WILL get pricked by pins over one hundred times, plan on it because it's just a given.

6. Schedule an appointment with a massage therapist as soon as your quilting project is completed. I don't care how much it costs, just do it. You will thank me deeply.

7. Plan on making no other plans BUT sewing. It is impossible to complete this task in a week's time if you have any other commitments whatsoever. This can include but is not limited to: school, house cleaning, a job, homework, a church calling, eating food, a life...... etc. Sewing will occupy all of your time.

8. It will feel as if you are a crippled 80-year old woman by the time you are done - arthritis in your hands and osteoporosis every where else.

9. Have a CLEAN-UP game plan. If you are attempting to SURPRISE your husband with this oh-so-thoughtful gift, make sure that when he calls to tell you he's on his way home from work, and will be there in five minutes, you have the time to put EVERYTHING away immediately!!!

10. Remember to sew every stitch with LOVE!

Draper Temple Glimpse

2009-02-16T12:11:00.000-08:00

Thursday night, Jess and I went down with the Dickson family to see the open house of the Draper, Utah LDS Temple. It was such an amazing testimony builder to be inside the temple and a great reminder for me of how important it is that I am sealed to Jess and my future children one day.

Even though the temple has not been dedicated, I cannot describe the amazing feeling and strong spirit I felt knowing I was inside the Lord's house.

There were so many people there which made the tour go quite quickly, but it was a great experience to see how beautiful the temples are on the inside and just how worth all of the hard work will be when Jess and I are able to be sealed as a family forever soon.

If any of you have the chance to visit this open house, I recommend taking the opportunity to drive to Draper and see it for yourself. I know you can still get tickets online at www.lds.org/reservations and I believe the tours are running through the middle of March until it is dedicated.

I Married a Mullet

2009-02-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

Being this is Jess' second attempt to wear a mullet fashionably, I have decided to let him have his fun with this 80's hair-do and a "mexy-stache," as he would call his mustache. We have always been known to give nick-names for each other and I hate to discriminate, but his lastest nickname has been Nacho Libre for the last couple of weeks since he adopted this new look.

Here is the BEFORE picture of Jess. My little sister is in beauty school and needs as many boys-haircuts to practice on as she can - so I convinced her that cutting a mullet would teach her alot. Of course Jess couldn't possibly pay someone at Great Clips to cut such a ridiculous style, he had to find someone who would do this for FREE-99!!!

Jess tried sporting a mullet last year a week before we were supposed to get our engagement pictures done. Boy did I have a hay-day with that one! Of course, being the stressed out bride that I was, demanded he return to his stylist and fix that disgusting "thing" so that our pictures would look somewhat normal! Well - since we don't have any pictures coming up for a few months, I gave myself a serious talk and decided it was OK to be a good sport and let Jess enjoy the whole "business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back."

The whole time McKinli was cutting his hair, Matti and I got our giggles out of it saying to eachother, "I'm glad that's his hair and not mine - hahaha!" It was fun to watch McKinli try to keep his hair short on top and long and wavy in the back... Jess was so picky with how he wanted it cut!!!

I knew Jess wouldn't wear his hair like this to work and since he's had THE MULLET he has worn a hat to work everyday, which he usually does anyways, and you cannot even tell that "THING" is under there! So I told myself , "Alright - he'll wear this around for fun for a week, but come Sunday, there's no way Jess would wear a mullet to church! He'll go get it fixed before then. I only have to put up with it for a week!"

BOY WAS I WRONG! Sunday came and he styled his hair with THE MULLET and all. I was shocked because not one person in our ward said anything to him about it! But then again - I'm sure they all WANTED to say something -but didn't!

Well if any of you who read this went to high school with me, you know EXACTLY which group of boys did this exact same thing... and it was hilarious! Only the boys at Bonneville would cut their hair in mullets for PICTURE DAY! (aka Steve Okey, Kevin Wade and Jesse Martin... just to name a few) They were the funniest group of boys and their pictures in our yearbooks are SO SO funny, I still laugh every time I see them! Jess has the exact same personality as those boys... that's why I had to post these pictures because I'm so glad that Jess has such a humorous personality and can enjoy life (with his mullet).... and I can make jokes about it!

Jess' Birthday Month

2009-02-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to REMIND everyone that it is Jess' birthday month, in case you have forgotten! He has been reminding me every day for the last four days... since February 1st. He made up this rule, I think before I even met him, about birthdays.

This is how it works: whatever day of the month your birthday is - that's how many days you get to celebrate your birthday. For example, mine is the 3rd of August so I only get three days to celebrate my special day. So since his is Feb. 26th - there is 26 days of hel...... I mean JOY in our home because every time he wants something or has to come up with an excuse, he uses the ol' "Well its my birthday month" excuse on me. If you know Jess and his personality, maybe it will make this a little more amusing.

Well - 4 days down.... 22 more to go! Wish me luck cuz I'm gonna need it!!!!!

Oh ya - I just had to throw in this picture of him ..... haha he taped his upper lip and it just cracks me up every time I see this picture! Love you LOVER!!!!

Flashback: One Year

2009-02-02T10:43:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe that today marks one year since Jess and I were engaged! It was Groundhog day, Saturday February 2, 2008 and I hadn't the slightest clue what I was in for that evening. The week before, Jess had been stressing and planning out how to make the perfect proposal, and it was beyond anything I had ever imagined.

You know when you're younger before you get engaged, and you picture how the love of your life is going to get down on one knee and pop out a ring and say those magic words, (ok well maybe I'm the only girl who's ever dreamed of that) but this day was better than all the awesome ways I had imagined! Jess did SUCH an amazing job!

A few days prior, he had gone to ask my dad for permission and show my mom the ring he had picked out. He had actually began planning his proposal months in advance because he had taken me snowshoeing quite a few times before the big proposal - so that by the time he was ready to propose, I was used to snowshoeing and wouldn't complain the whole time =0) haha he was smart!!!

Well the day before he proposed, he sent my mom and I away to go to a day spa to get makeovers (which was really just a cover-up to keep me busy so I wouldn't clue in on what was going on). He spent that whole day making a trail in the woods up in the Ogden Valley with him and a friend of his, carving out the tree that said, "Whit Will You Marry Me," and preparing all the goodies he was going to take up on our little adventure.

Saturday morning came and Jess casually asked me if I wanted to go snowshoeing for the afternoon. Being the stubborn girl I am, I told him that we were not going to do anything fun that day until all of my homework for school was done! haha - so by the time we got up to the valley, the sun was setting and Jess was beginning to panic because things were not going according to plan. (but I was STILL entirely oblivious to it all - suprising, I know) On our drive up to the valley, he had the trunk of my car full of balloons, flowers, a CD player, a picnic basket and lots of goodies. I was still clueless.

Jess dropped me off at his sister's house and told me had to go do a plumbing job for an hour and as soon as he got back, we would go snowshoeing. Well this really ticked me off because we had just gotten all of our snow gear together and then he randomly tells me we can't go until after dark and he dumps me off at his sister's house. I was still clueless.

(the whole time I was at his sister's house he was setting things up to pop the question)

About an hour later, he picked me up and I could tell he was a little antsy, not really himself. I was still clueless.

Well we go up on this trail in North Fork, (if any of you know that camping area) and I thought it was a little odd that there was already a trail made -but again, I was clueless. So we start along this trail and the only light we have is the headlamp I'm wearing in the picture. After about 10 minutes of hiking, I start to notice that there are rose petals along the trail.

Now rewind a few days... I had been complaining to Jess that every time we go and do something fun it has to be with friends. I explained to him that I didn't mind hanging out with other people at all, but I would prefer that every now and then, I would like to do something fun... just the two of us.

Now fast forward to me seeing the petals on the trail. The thought that came to mind was, "Oh that's so sweet, this is his way of doing something romantic for me, ... just the two of us." I was still clueless. Well I keep going along the trail, Jess is behind me, and I start to notice more and more rose petals. All of a sudden, I see these red paper hearts that Jess cut out that are tied onto the branches, sort of marking the trail. Again I keep thinking, "He's doing this to make up for what I said." Clueless again.

Finally we get to a point in the trail where it forks off in two directions, and I had to choose which way to go. So I pick one direction and it takes me a short distance to where there is a chocolate covered rose in the snow. The trail leads me around the chocolate rose and back the way I had came. (Indicating I had chosen the wrong direction) So I followed the trail in the opposite direction and it led me along for awhile, with more rose petals along the path and paper hearts tied in the trees. FINALLY, I stopped and sat down to take off one of my snowshoes because my sock had fallen down around my ankle inside of my snow boot and I told Jess I needed help fixing it. It worked out absolutely PERFECT because the very spot that I sat down to fix my sock and boot, was right in front of the EXACT tree that Jess had carved out. I was still CLUELESS!!!!

Keep in mind, it was probably six or seven o'clock at night by now, and completely dark outside, and all I had was my trusty headlamp. Anyhow, Jess began to help me take off my snowboot and sock and help me fix it and I noticed he was being extremely slow. As I tried to wait patiently while he fixed my boot, I tilted my head back to look up at the stars and low and behold I looked up at the tree in front of me and there it was!!!!!

I quickly jumped up to take a closer look and there was a beautiful diamond ring hanging off of a nail in the tree! I started to cry and Jess grabbed the ring off of the nail and got down on one knee and asked me!

It was so sweet and 150-percent absolutely perfect, romantic and wonderful... all at the same time. After mushy time was over, I put my snowshoes back on and assumed we were heading back to the car to go tell everyone the exciting news. Jess led me down the trail and told me he knew a shortcut to get back down to the bottom. Obviously, I trusted him and followed right behind him and shortly after, I began to notice a bunch of balloons tied to the trees. I thought to myself, "Oh my... what does he have planned next?!"

Soon we came to this big opening where Jess had previously stomped the snow down in the shape of a heart and had a picnic table set up with treats. Balloons were surrounding us in all the trees and there was a big bouqet of daisies (my favorite flower) and he had a CD player that was playing our song, "She Will Be Loved," by Maroon 5. I started to tear up once more. It was the perfect moment. ( I was no longer clueless) So we sat down in the cold, dark, and peaceful scenery and had a nice little picnic complete with carmeled apples, fruit and veggy dips, and sparkling cider. We sat there for a long time together just enjoying the moment before we hiked back down the trail to go tell everyone the fabulous news.

It was truly a day I will never forget and I am so grateful for Jess. I am the luckiest girl to have him as my husband.

Ice-Ice Fishing!

2009-01-26T10:57:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend on Saturday, Jess took me ice fishing with him and his bestest friend from high school, Adam Olsen. We went up early that morning to Echo, expecting alot of people to be there... and we were quite surprised! Maybe there weren't that many people because it was raining, cold and not too many bites.... who knows?!

It was my first time ice fishing and I was surprised to find it isn't much different from regular fishing... except the temperatures outside! Thank goodness we brought plenty of clothes to bundle up in, tons of snacks, and most importantly... a good attitude!

Here you can see my teeny tiny hole that Jess drilled with what is called an augger. We tried both nightcrawlers and jigs to see if we could catch something... but we had no luck! Jess and I didn't even get a bite!!!!! We already had our own fishing poles from all the camping/fishing we do in the summer... but we got these nifty LITTLE fishing poles you use just for ice fishing.

Do I look nice and toasty in this picture above? Haha - because I actually was!

I had a really good time because I was with some funny boys and Jess always makes the funniest comments.. especially when he is around his friends! There were also some other groups fishing during the first part of the morning while we were up there who were cooking hotdogs and shared their goods with us!

Here is Jess and Adam... quite the pair! Adam actually caught a good size fish, he was the only one who had any luck that whole day! We ended up leaving after about 3 or 4 hours of no bites... frustrating I know. It started pouring rain on us and we figured since we weren't bringing in fish by the dozen, we better head back home!

I had to get this picture with Adam's catch of the day, since I had no luck whatsoever! Oh well... it turned out for a fun day and I love that my husband is willing to take me along on his fun outings!

Make Your Home a Food-Filled Ark

2009-01-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months now, Jess and I have been working tremendously hard on gathering our food storage and supplies in case of an emergency. Well, actually we have been doing this more because the prophet has asked us to. Last month, we took our first trip down to the cannery and had quite the experience trying to learn the process of canning dry pack foods. It is a tough job to try and do the calculations for how much a small family like ours needs, but it has been fun and Jess and I have really bonded throughout the process.

Jess brought home a bunch of shelves to set up down in our basement, and a few weekends ago, we stayed up late into the night cleaning off the shelves and organizing the supplies that we already have. We almost have the amount of water we need, and are getting close on the amount of food to last us three months in case something were to happen and we could not get to the stores (or they were empty). I cannot describe the amount of peace I have felt over the last few weeks because Jess and I are doing what the Lord wants us to.

I have been trying to learn many different trades so that I can be of more use if there were an emergency or natural disaster. Learning how to REALLY sew has become one of them, as well as cooking. (a real challenge for me .... at times) So I have decided to learn how to make bread. The amount of wheat you are supposed to have for a year's supply is insane, but we are doing it because that is what has been asked of us. So I have decided, if I'm going to have a ton of wheat, I might as well learn how to bake something with it. I am going to be taking classes at Kitchen Kneads on Saturdays, and if anyone would like to join me, lemme know! =0)

I took my Aunt's advice on a few things about food storage and decided I was going to put them to use. First, every time I go to the grocery store, I am going to buy two of everything I need. This can get expensive at times, but then when I run out of something I need when I'm cooking, I have another of the item downstairs. Secondly, Jess and I are going to be using the money we get from our tax return each year towards food storage instead of buying some new toy or vacationing.

The reason for this post is because I wanted to share a link for Food Storage tips that has come in very handy for me lately. Maybe some of you will benefit from it, and hopefully for any of you who have not started your food storage, this might inspire you to start! =)

You can click on the link below for advice and helpful hints when creating the ark within your home... food storage!!

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/

My Score: 33 out of 100...

2009-01-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Wow… I REALLY haven’t lived! =(

Rules: Anything you have done has to be in colored, bold, and/or underlined. How much have you done? It only takes about 5 minutes…Just do it…

1. Started your own blog obviously
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland … going this spring/summer!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched an amazing lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill guilty =)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping it was with my hubby ok people!
27. Ran a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community Oh-hi-o!
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business I’m starting one SOON, does that count?
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt Working on that right now
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Visited Italy

Grab your balls.... we're goin bowlin!

2009-01-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

OK everyone that just got offended by that comment, I was just trying to be funny =)

But on a serious note... we went bowling last night and had a blast! It was my little brother, Will's, 4th birthday yesterday and my dad and stepmom took our family bowling and then had dinner and cake/ice cream. Amazingly enough, Will beat almost everyone else's scores, with the fact that he used bumpers and the rest of us must just suck at bowling...
My little sisters, McKinli and Mattisyn.... were not pros by any means, but they sure dressed cute for a nice game of knockin pins!

Thanks to my dad and stepmom - we had such a good time, I haven't been bowling in ages!

Jess had to keep a close eye on his score the entire time, because it had the coolest thing on the scoreboard where it tells you the m.p.h. of how fast you bowled.... pretty nifty!

I'm such a cheeser when it comes to taking pics... lovely.

Snow-shoeing!

2009-01-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday Jess and I decided to go snowshoeing to get out of the house for a few hours. Man is it a workout!! We took our pup Harli and had quite the time freezing our tooshes off ... but it made for some great memories!

It was so beautiful with trees surrounding us that were covered in snow... and so peaceful because there was no one else up there! Jess really helped me enjoyed this SPORT last winter when we were able to go at least a dozen times... which is also the way he proposed to me.

So since we were up in that area, we decided to go in search of the very spot that Jess got down on one knee and bawled like a baby... well sort of! =0) The tree that he had carved out, "WHIT WILL YOU MARRY ME" was a little weathered, but you could still make out part of it. Man - I cannot believe it has been almost a year since we were engaged! Time really does fly and I have enjoyed every bit of it with my love!

(The tree behind me in the pic above is where he carved out last Feb.2 before he popped the question)

Our dog was being a bit of a complainer, whining the whole time... she is such a girl! Maybe it was just that this was a new experience for her but we had a good time and enjoyed the fresh mountain air for a change!

YES is the new NO!

2009-01-06T14:32:00.001-08:00

Yesterday afternoon Jess and I decided to do something we have not done in ages... which would be to go to dinner and a movie! HAHA! I am so grateful to have a husband who doesn't take me to the same-o lame-o "dinner and a movie" every time we want to go on a date. Jess usually takes me on some crazy adventure ride but yesterday we were both bums sitting at home not working and we both wanted to see the new Jim Carey movie. So we ventured out into the blizzard and went to our favorite restaurant, Famous Daves, for lunch and then went and saw this movie. I have decided this movie is themed around my New Year's resolution, which is: to say YES to more opportunities that come my way! I am such a poor sport when it comes to trying new things and people really have to push me to try something new that is completely out of my comfort zone. But every time I try something I haven't done before, I NEVER EVER regret it! So that is my goal for 2009 and to live my life more freely by saying YES to opportunities that present itself! =)
PS - I highly recommend this movie, Jess and I were laughing and laughing and laughing through the entire show... gotta love Mr. Carey!

The Night Before Christmas...

2008-12-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

Jess and I decided we were going to start our own family traditions during the holiday season and on Christmas Eve, we ventured out to the city of Layton to see the beautiful display of lights. There were so many people waiting in a long row of cars attempting to drive through the park to see the lights from the inside of their toasty car. We, however, thought it would be fun to walk around the park to get a better view... little did I know the treat Jess had in store for me!

After walking around the park and seeing all of the animals and characters that were lit up, we headed back to the car (or so I thought) to drive home. The next thing I knew, Jess had the trunk of our car open and was carrying a big duffle bag and two camping chairs?!?! I began to think "what on earth does he have up his sleeve now?" He set up our chairs underneath a big tree in the middle of all the lights and popped out an electric heater, a few bottles of water, some hot chocolate mix and a pan to heat up the water with. "HOW CUTE!" I thought to myself, we were going to drink hot cocoa and watch people come through to see the lights and sit in the snow. It was so romantic. Well... unfortunately, something did go wrong and that was the electric heater was a peice of ... work.... and did not end up coming through for us. So we could not heat up our water. But it did not matter to me one bit; it was such a thoughtful and romantic idea, Jess never seizes to amaze me.... he is so creative when it comes to showing his love for me! It was definitely the thought that mattered most to me... I love my husband so much! =)

Wrestling Matches at a Christmas Party?!?

2008-12-26T13:18:00.000-08:00

The fabulous Dickson Christmas party was held this past Sunday at Jess' parents house. It was quite interesting as we all gathered together to eat some good grub, exchange white elephant gifts, and enjoy a few delightful rounds of Ultimate Fighting - Dickson style.

This little devil is ranked at the top of my "favorite people" list. Jamel Patton (aka Jess' best friend and best man at our wedding) is one of THE FUNNIEST people I have ever met. He currently lives in Florida and was out visiting us for a couple of days before Christmas. Jess and Jamel can be quite the pair when they are together and there isn't a time that goes by when Jamel comes to visit- where the two of them are not found wrestling eachother.

Well after these two crazy cats battled it out, they decided they wanted to see a few of the Dickson GIRLS wrestle. Yes - that's right, girls wrestling. I thought this was all fun and dandy until Jess wanted me to wrestle one of his sisters. Of course I could not refuse.

If any of you know these Dickson girls- seeing this picture of Julie and Jill wrestling is not the norm. Jill - maybe. Karlee- definitely. Julie - no way would I ever guess she would wrestle! I was quite impressed with how tough Julie was and how she fought to the end, although Jill did come out winning the set of 3 matches victoriously!

Next came my turn to wrestle Jill. Yes that is me on bottom. Yes I did lose, ... all 3 matches.

Everyone was shocked that I lost so poorly, being I am married to a high school region wrestling champ and all.... I think that made Jess a little disappointed that I lost so poorly. Yet at the same time, I know I made him proud that I accepted the offer to wrestle in the first place. It just became a bit frustrating when he was shouting moves at me the entire time; I guess I better learn the wrestling-lingo pretty fast so I can have a rematch with Jill ;0)

One quilt down... One more to go!

2008-12-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

I'm sure all of you are so very anxious to find out whether or not I ever found a quilting frame ......(NOT)..... that's OK.... I'm proud to say that I did not use a frame whatsoever and still managed to complete this quilt in only a matter of about 8 hours of blood, sweat and maybe a few tears ;)

So here is what the final masterpeice looks like. I chose this fabric that has deer, moose, bears and fish on it because it looks like something Jess would pick out and I made it solely for him to take hunting. (Plus it was an easy grid pattern that I could follow along when I was tying my knots.) He always uses our good blankets to take camping and I figured this way he could always take the same quilt hunting with him and think of me while he was gone =) haha just kidding. But if any of you would like to make a quilt in a short amount of time and don't have a quilting frame handy... just give me a jingle, cuz I've got the secret solution! (Jess' sisters Jill and Julie helped me out with this project tremendously with their sewing skills- thanks ladies)

It's a twin size which I think is just perfect to take camping/hunting. Plus it reminds me of a sleeping bag and it has really thick batting. On to project numero dos - a KING SIZE denim quilt, complete with photos of Jess and I through the last four and a half years together.... which should be finished before his birthday in precisely two months... so I will keep you all updated on pictures... I'm sure you all can't wait! =)

Fudge-Fudge

2008-12-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

My grandma Colleen came down to Utah to spend a couple of days at my mom's house while she recovered from a surgery she had last week to remove some skin cancer on the side of her face. I had been asking her for months now to teach me how to make her famous homemade fudge so that I can pass the recipe onto my children and grandchildren one day as well. Thankfully, she was feeling up to the challenge during her time spent with my family and I am so grateful I was able to learn how to make one of my favorite Christmas treats!

Making this fudge really made me miss my Grandpa Taylor. He passed away this past July and my grandma was telling me that he was always the one to help her beat the fudge. You have to lay out the fudge on a marble slab and beat it over and over until it gets thick enough that it won't fall apart and dissolve back into sugar.

She is such an amazing cook - especially when it comes to making candy!

Christmas Card

2008-12-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

In case I decide to be too lazy to send our Christmas cards, or if I forget to send this to one of you (accidentally) here is a sneaky-peak at what it looks like:

Quilting Frame anyone?!?!?!

2008-12-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have a quilting frame by chance? Or have any idea of who might own one? I bought this fabric to make Jess a big blanket to take hunting with him and I would really like to have it completed to give to him by Christmas... if not, its going to become his birthday present. Since I'm not working (AGAIN) I have plenty of time to finish it... I am just struggling to find a quilting frame! I don't know too many ladies in my ward yet well enough to ask them to borrow something... so I'm wondering if any of my family or friends out there who read this might have one??!?! Please leave me a comment or give me a buzz if you can help me out with this!! Thanks!!

Jess is in the Dog House... Literally!

2008-12-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

To find out what happens in the doghouse.... click on the following link =0)

http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/video.aspx

Another SCRUMPTIOUS Turkey Dinner!

2008-12-05T16:43:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my mom decided that since her and her girls couldn’t all be together on Thanksgiving, she was going to make her kids a turkey dinner on Sunday after church. She is such a good cook; I have forgotten how yummy her meals are because I haven’t lived at home for so long…

My amazing mom made us the best dinner: turkey (of course), stuffing, peach jello, potatoes and gravy, green beans, and rolls! MMM! She even made the dinner table look beautiful, I love her!

One of the best things about my mom is her creative side! She came up with these adorable name tags for everyone around the dinner table. She cut out pictures of each of us and attached them to tags with little pilgrim outfits! It made it that much more fun! =)

Jess makes for a very attractive pilgrim.. wouldn't you agree??

Thanks Mom... You are the BESTEST!

1st Annual Dickson Turkey Bowl

2008-11-29T09:31:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, Jess' family decided that they were going to play a simple game of Flag Football. Little did I know that it would turn into such a big deal... and it was so much fun to watch! (I was the photographer on the sidelines =) The entire family joined in (minus Katie since she just had a baby 3 days ago, and Tym because she has been in Texas with Katie and baby Zeke for the past 3 weeks now) Everyone met up over at the park right next to Doug and Tym's house. Jess' older brother, Tom, took this whole game pretty serious - he even made a trophy for the winning team; it was a wooden football that we gave to the MVP (Jared) after the game.
Notice the goofy wardrobe that Jess and his sister Tammy are wearing, it cracks me up!

Also - Jess sticking out his tongue, that shows his personality in every way!!

Here is my husband's UNIQUE football outfit, not too sure why the shorts are over the sweatpants?! I didn't think that would really help keep him warm with how chilly it was outside, but what do I know?!?! Lots of the Dickson kids were wearing gear like that. I just couldn't stop laughing at how creative this family is - they used those long winter socks, the real thick kind, as their 'flags' and stuck them in their pockets. It was quite the show!

Any suggestions on how to get these groady grass stains out of his sweatpants would be greatly appreciated =)

Team Huddle

I thought this was a nice action shot of my hubby - quite the athlete when he wants to be!

"Winners" - Doug, Jared, Karlee, Tammy, Jess, Matt and Trent.

"L" is for Losers - Jill's friend Jedd, Jill, Juston,

Tommy, Lacee and David (Dickson cousin)

Group Photo

It was so much fun to watch this game go on for a little over an hour.. I think Jess really had a good time. Apparently this is going to become a Dickson tradition and I can't wait to see what they come up with to wear next year!

Its Christmas Time Baby!

2008-11-27T21:35:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Can You Spot Jess?

2008-11-21T17:07:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, my FEARLESS and ADVENTUROUS husband decided that after many unreturned phone calls from Rocky Mtn Power, he was going to take matters into his own hands and attempt to trim the towering trees we have in our back yard. We both hate these trees because they shade all of our surrounding neighbor's houses - but of course, our house receives no shade from them whatsoever. The leaves are another thing we hate because of raking duties... and the fact that many of the biggest branches hang right over our powerlines... some are even touching them! The power company has yet to respond to our calls so Jess got out his extension ladder last weekend and climbed to the tip-top to see how many branches he could get rid of with his trusty DeWalt chainsaw! I don't think I remembered to breathe the entire time I watched him up there and it was probably one of the longest prayers I've ever said... pleading that he wouldn't fall! Thankfully Jess made it back down safely each time - now I'm just hoping our future children don't have that same wild hair that Jess will never get rid of! =)

New News

2008-11-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

Just a little update on our fam... I am going back to work on Monday! Hallelujah! I am so excited because I have been so bored here at home the last couple of weeks... except I'm sure Jess has enjoyed me cooking dinner for him EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! I also got my first calling in our ward, I am the Mia Maids advisor - so I teach girls from 14-16 yrs old. I'm pretty stoked because it hasn't been too many years since I've been out of YW's and I would be more than happy to go to Girls Camp all over again! Yaye! Jess is working like crazy, plumbing his little heart out and working an extra one or two side jobs a week! What a hunk!! I have also decided to start my own photography business after Christmas and I plan to get things moving at the first of next year... In the meantime, I am working on getting my website built, doing alot of trial-and-error work with my family as models =) and marketing to really get my name out there for weddings next summer. Hopefully by this time next year I will really be moving with my business. I plan to snap shots of weddings, families, babies, senior pictures... you name it! I am so excited about this and cannot wait to get going! SO the reason I am rambling on about this is because I would love all of my family and friends opinion on what you think I should name this new company of mine???? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated by leaving a comment! I have came up with a few ideas but would like to hear any creative ideas you folks may have. Thanks - love ya all!

2008-11-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

MAN TAG!!!!!

I saw this on someones web page and thought it was a fun little questionairre ...
•What is his name? Jess Forde Dickson
•How long have you been together? Married almost six months! I know.. time flies!
•How long did you date? 3 1/2 years
•How old is he? 23
•Who said I love you first? He did, but I already knew I loved him.
•Who is taller? Jess- but just by a couple inches, I'm 5'5" and he's 5'10"
•Who sings better? Neither of us. Jess will try singing in church with a really deep and VERY loud voice, I don't know if he is doing it to embarrass me or just be funny, or if he doesn't even realize it, but it makes me laugh every time because people always give us the weirdest looks. Oh well, I guess I should just be grateful he sings, alot of husbands won't in church :)
•Who is smarter? I'm probably more book-smart, school smart, but that is probably just because I like to read alot more than Jess does; but common sense wise, definitely him!
•Whose temper is worse? Most definitely me. Jess says I am the one to try and pick fights and even though I try denying it to him, I know he's right. He has the calmest temper, he is the peacemaker in our home for sure.
•Who does the laundry? I do the wash - but when we have more than two baskets of clothes to put away, we usually watch a movie together and Jess will fold the clothes and I'll put them away; its become sort of a tradition I guess.
•Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Jess because he has to sleep closest to the alarm clock, otherwise if I sleep on that side I turn it off the second it starts beeping... and Jess is not happy when he is late for work... oops...
•Who pays the bills? We both make the money, I pay the bills. I am trying very hard to teach him though, in case something were to happen to me, (knock on wood) he would have no clue as to where to even begin paying them!
•Who mows the lawn? Both of us
•Who does the dishes? We made a rule that whoever cooks, the other person has to do dishes. I cook 90 % of the time, but somehow I usually end up as the dishwasher too... how does that work? I guess its because I'm a clean freak and have to make sure everything gets cleaned the way it should.
•Who cooks dinner? Most of the time me. Unless we're grilling, that is Jess' job.
•Who drives when you are together? Jess - it bugs when the girl drives, too weird.
•Who is more stubborn? I say Jess - Jess says me ;0)
•Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Depends on whose fault the argument is
•Who kissed who first? It was a joint effort
•Who proposed? Jess did on Groundhog Day, (Feb 2). He took me snowshoeing late at night and carved "Whit will you marry me" in a tree and had a nail in the tree with my ring hanging off of the nail. He had set up a picnic with lots of goodies, flowers and balloons and had our song playing... I know, I was beyond shocked, he's the best! Very creative!!!!
•Who is more sensitive? Me, hands down. I would be worried if he was more emotional than his wife.
•Who has more friends? Him, but that is probably because we hang out with all of his married friends from his high school. I don't see my friends as much as I'd like and most of them are still single, so its usually a girls night when I get the opportunities to see them.
Who wears the pants in the family? Goes both ways, we listen to each others opinions and concerns, and making each other happy is important to both of us.

ALRIGHT - I'm tagging Karalee, Jessica, Joni, Lauren and Lanae! HAVE FUN GIRLS!

Homemade Onion Rings

2008-10-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Last week Jess came home with about 4 or 5 huge bags full of onions! He got them from a friend that works out in an onion field and we have so many I don't know how we will ever use them all up!! We have been trying to give some of them away to family and friends because we have so STINKIN many! So last weekend Jess suggests we try making homemade onion rings... and they turned out to be so good! We made them before eating dinner - so we ended up eating a bunch of onion rings on an empty stomach and got sick, but they were so tasty that we kept making more and more! So I thought I would share the recipe I found for them with all of you ... in case any of you have a love of this yummy appetizer! And.. if any of you need onions ... just give us a call! I would be glad to get rid of a few!

Homemade Onion Ring Batter:

1 egg

1 c milk

1 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Beat egg & stir in milk. Add sifted dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Dip onion rings in batter. Fry in oil on med. high. Drain on paper towels. ENJOY! ;)