A Year in Review

For the last year if you asked me what I'd been up to my most common answer was simply "school." Going back to school was certainly the best decision I've made, even if it did mean I turned into a rather boring conversationalist. However, life at Salt Lake Community College was anything but boring. Between my studies in the ever fascinating field of marketing, Collegiate DECA, and Student Government I was constantly moving! I got to do amazing service projects like Shriners/Build-a-Bear and Family Promise, work on student activities like the Jabbawockeez and Michelle Branch shows, and win national awards for my work in the marketing program. My efforts and accolades earned me a spot on stage at graduation as a "Graduate of Excellence"

as well as a SLCC website profile that included posters with my picture all over campus.

SLCC was definitely an amazing experience! The teachers there were phenomenal and the school in general simply can't be beat. It gave me the opportunity to experience success as I never had before and prepared me for the next step, and one I'd always dreamed of embarking on, a bachelors degree at Westminster College. I am so excited to be at Westminster. The Business Administration degree I am currently working on is a great compliment to my associates degree in Marketing Management. I miss all the involvement I had at SLCC, but I have internships and other activities to keep me busy. I am on the Collegiate DECA state team, which so far has been a great adventure. I am excited to to see where life will take me next!

Build-a-Bear is Back!!

Last year the Collegiate DECA(formerly DEX) Shriners Hospital/Build-a-Bear Service Project was so successful that we decided to make it an annual event. Our original goal was 75 bears and in the end, 174 bears went to children who are patients at Shriners Hospital for Children. This year our goal is 200 bears. We know we will able to achieve this with the excited response from the community we have already received. Donation kick off starts Monday November 1st and will continue until December 4th when we will gather at 5:00pm in the Fashion Place Mall Build-a-Bear to build animals together.

What An Amazing Morning

When I went out to the pond this morning I found this little guy in the shallow end. I quickly scooped him up and brought him inside to clean him up and dry him off. He was shivering violently and looked pretty beat up so I called Wasatch Exotic Animal Hospital to ask for advice. I explained that I had found what I thought was an injured baby woodpecker. Amy was very helpful and said to bring him in as Woodpeckers are a protected species.

I put the little woodpecker on a heating pad in my bathroom while I got dressed to take him to the vet. When I came back he had dried off and fluffed out his feathers. He looked much perkier so I called Amy back to see if she thought I would be alright to simply put him back outside. She said if I didn't see the parents after a while, and he didn't take off I might still want to bring him in.

When he hopped up my bathroom towel, in true Woodpecker fashion, and flew over to my curtain I figured he would be just fine.

I placed him on a crabapple tree in our yard and it was then that I saw his very handsome dad. He was black with white spots and a beautiful red quest. I wish I could have gotten a picture.

This last place I saw him was high up in one of our scrub oak.

Meet Wattson

This is Wattson. We adopted him from Utah Animal Adoption Center Tuesday night. After visiting him twice at the shelter and then taking Stigma to meet him, we knew he would be a great addition to our family. The folks at UAAC said animal services found him roaming the streets very hungry and wary of people. Because he was so timid he was scheduled to be put down. UAAC decided they could work with him and brought him to their facility. He definitely has some trust issues and is very submissive, but he's coming along bit by bit. He's truly an incredible little dog who needed a second chance.

Wattson loves to cuddle and will push his little head against your neck when you hold him. When he wants your attention he will head-butt the back of your leg. He follows Stigma around and mimics everything she does. It's too cute!

Wattson on the ride home from Utah Animal Adoption Center

Stretching out

Exploring the back seat

Home at last

Such a pretty boy

Sharing a pillow with Stigma

Laying in the sun

Gracie and Wattson meeting for the first time

Not entirely sure how she feels about that

Wattson checking out his new yard

NV, OR and WA

We had so much fun on our two little vacations this summer. I've gotten really bad about taking pictures, but here are the few I ended up with.

First we went to Las Vegas to see Crosby, Stills and Nash. What an amazing concert!!!

At the top of the Stratosphere.

In Planet Hollywood. Of course Jason had to get a picture with Jason

Some really cool flowers in the new high end shopping center.

The next trip was to Portland OR to see Sunshine (aka Alex Wrek) and then on to my brother and sister in law's newly finished home in Winlock WA. Their home turned out so beautiful and the scenery was breathtaking. How I managed to not get any pictures of Matt, Michelle, Una, Russell, Norah, Poppy, or the house is beyond me!

Look it's my X

Sunshine

Some Really cool Statues in WA

Although this one really creeps me out!

J in front of the Winlock Mason Temple

The amazing landscape that I couldn't get enough of

Matt and Michelle's tractor hanging out beneath the trees was just too picturesque.

Our Future Yard

Since the yard was possibly the biggest selling point when we bought our home, and we had tons of outdoor gatherings last summer, Jason and I decided to spend this spring making it really spectacular. I was going to wait until all the work was done to take pictures and post about it, but well I'm just too excited about what's in store so I figured I'd list some of the things we've done so far and plans for the next couple weeks. A couple weeks ago I planted a Bleeding Heart. Luckily our freak spring snow storms haven't done any real damage.

Plants that have been patiently waiting through this erratic weather to go next to the pond are:

A pink/orange Lily

Sweet Potato Vines(both colors)

Stone Crop

Snap Dragons

Labrador Violets

And New Guinea Impatiens

In addition to the pond, which I'll post a step-by-step about when it's done, we started planting our vegetable box. So far we've planted four types of tomatoes, jalapenos, and Crenshaw melons. I'm also planning on adding some watermelon, lettuce, and spinach.

I put a little box of Chocolate Mint and Peppermint on the brick pyramid that was there when we moved in. They smell SO yummy! I wish I could've found Spearmint too.

A slightly sad little Fuchsia.

Petunias in the pyramid. We also planted strawberries, basil, and Rock Cress here.

Items that are in the mail, or about to be, include:

50 Peacock Orchid/Lily bulbs

10 Ostrich Ferns.

10 Wild Ginger plants.

10 Trout Lilies.

10 Trillium plants.

25 Hosta Plants(2 different kinds).

And 100 Lily of the Valley Plants.

Plants I'm considering for the pond include:

Monkey Flower.

And Bloody Dock as well as several others.

* Note - not all photos were taken by me. Some are from garden stores/websites.