alllmost done!

9 hours left of school
1 practical state board left to take
4 theory assignments left

the finish line is in sight

alive!

We are still alive and doing great! Jordan is about to graduate next week and I will be done around the 20th, and taking my state boards the morning of the 21 and 22! We are for sure moving to Chicago, probably around August so we are moving home at Christmas to spend time with family until then! Life is busy, but we are blessed.

Grateful

I am feeling especially blessed tonight. Even after a 77 hour week at school last week, a 9 hour day today, my husband gone again, I am just overcome with gratitude for all I am given.

I am so grateful to have my sweet Jordan. He really is the best thing that has ever happened to me! We have never once gotten into a fight because he just wants me to be happy. He works so hard to make a great future for us. He supported me so much in going to hair school and following my dreams. He is my best friend and I will love him forever.

I am so grateful for our wonderful families! My parents raised us to be such a tight knit family and my parents and my sisters really are the best friends anyone could ask for! I am also so lucky I married into such an amazing family who loves and welcomes me with open arms!

I am so grateful for my school! I never thought in a million years that I would be grateful for school! I was definately led to this career and I love love love being a hairdresser! It is my calling in life! It makes you close to people in a way most careers don't even allow! For most people it is illlegal to even touch clients when I am allowed to connect with people on a whole different level! I love making people's day and making people look amazing!

I am so grateful for friends! I am blessed with lots of great friends! In school, I have the best group of friends that make me want to go play with them everyday! They make me grow and want to be both a better hairdresser and a better person! I also have great friends from Rexburg that will always be my sisters and my best friends and I will always be their Lil Meg!

I don't know why but it seems like a lot of people are going through the hardest times right now! So many people I know are dealing with the loss of a loved one, sickness, financial instability, and many other hard times. I am so blessed to be where I am and I know I owe that to my Father in Heaven. I love you all so much!

Halloween!

This year I dressed up four times in three different costumes!! First, I dressed up at school for our Halloween party the Wednesday before Halloween. I was Wilma Flinstone, Katie was Betty Rubble, and Ali was Fred Flinstone! We had so much fun! We even made a car for us out of a big box!

Then Friday night, we went to a Zombie Prom. I has custom latex cuts on my face. After having them on for a while, they were reaaalllllyyy irritating my skin so I peeled it all off and my skin was welted and had a rash. I assumedthe irritation was just because I pulled it off but it got worse and got swollen and I got hives! It went down by the middle of the next day, so i guess I have a sensitivity to latex!!


Then we went to our annual party at Jimmy and Kira Secor's house! It was our third year going and they are always so much fun! We dressed as lumberjacks! We always play the funnest games and laugh and eat the yummiest food! I also used this costume again for school on Halloween day and stole Jordan's hat and suspenders then!

keys

Jordan is out of town a lot recently. He went to Dallas and Seattle last weekend, then Chicago last week, and now he is in Boston and DC! He is interviewing with some really great companies so we will most likely be moving to one of those places pretty soon... well, not Dallas or Seattle, but let's not talk about that. He did, on the other hand, get some great news yesterday! He was offered the job in Chicago doing internal consulting for Sears. That is one of his top choices all along so that is REALLY exciting!!

Tonight I went over to my friend from school, Katie's house for Sunday dinner so I wouldn't have to be alone. Her family lives in Orem so there was a big group with lots of people and lots of cute kids! I can't wait to have lots of nieces and nephews (okay, and my own kids...) running around so crazy! It was really fun and Katie's family was so sweet and nice to me!

This is Katie... just a couple months ago, but both of us look soooo different now! Oh, hair school!

When I went to leave, my keys were not where I had put them. All the rest of her family were gone at this point except the ones that live there. They all looked around and tried to find them for a while before Katie called the two families that had already left with their kids. I had to find them because my garage opener (that was inside my car) is the only way I have to get into my house and the spare key is back East with Jordan! Eventually it came out that one little girl out the keys in her cousins purse, because, naturally, that's where keys go! So her sister drove up form Spanish and we met in Provo and got my keys, then went back to Orem to get my car, then to Springville to go home! I felt so bad that

We are here!!

Just postin got say we are still alive and kicking! Jordan went to Dallas and Seattle for job interviews with Capital One and with Delliot. They fly him out there, pay for his cabs, his hotels (one was over $250 a night!) and food! He is going to Chicago (Sears), DC (Bates White) and Boston (Analysis Group) in the next week! I wish I could go! But alas, I am at school ALWAYS! But I am so happy to say that night school is really not as bad as I thought it was going to be! The people at night school are so nice and everyone talks to each other because the school is so small at night! It is tiring being there that long, but night school is so great and so different from day school so it changes it up. I am really enjoying to night school and getting through the end of my schooling a little faster!!

busy busy busy

Life will be crazy until Christmas!
I am going to school for 60 hours a week!
Around 50 hours of it is on my feet
My body is EXHAUSTED!!
But, it only last a couple months.
I can do hard things.

I will do this.

So sick

My throat feels like I swallowed thumb tacks.
Sinuses may explode.
Sneezing/coughing constantly.
Joints ache so badly.

I can't miss school!

I need to graduate.

Just stay away from me so you will not be infected.

chchchchanges

How did my house change 21 degrees in four days??
86-65 degrees is ridiculous!
It was so hot up in this joint and now...brrrr!

Where are you fall?? I guess we are just moving on to winter judging by the SNOW covering the mountians past the Y! Hello boots and jackets!

Conference!

My little sister, McCall goes to BYU Idaho.
My b.i.l, Parker also goes to BYU Idaho.
BYU Idaho is four(ish) hours away so they decided to bring a couple friends and come down to stay with us for conference weekend! We are so fortunate to live in a big house with plenty of rooms for people to stay! They may not be the best beds or the most furnished rooms, but, hey, beggars can't be choosers!!They came with us to the BYU football game on Friday! We beat Utah State within the last minute of the game!! We all stormed the field!! We were able to see our friend Devin Mahina who is on the team but is not playing this year because he broke his neck while playing preseason!! After we had pizza and soda back at our house.
Saturday we watched conference at home and ate a big breakfast. When the boys went to Priesthood Session, we went to Target to run some errands and then we met the boys at Olive Garden! They were so excited to the endless pasta bowls! Jordan and Parker each had 6 bowls!! It was a Christmas miracle! We had a not so delightful server named Blaine. He was a treat!
Sunday they all went up to Salt Lake for conference because their ride was leaving from there. We decided not to go because Jordan had a lot of prepping to do for some job resumes and cover letters. We loved the visit and hope to see them again soon!!

heart wrenching

http://13pavements.blogspot.com/
The little girl on this blog breaks my heart. I worked with her sweet aunt Katie. Can you imagine your little girl having cancer and taking her to get her eye removed hoping that it saves her life? So sad! Help them out if you can!!

productive day off

On the fourth Wednesday of each month, my school has a teacher training day and the students have a day off! I woke up at nine and cleaned up my house a little bit. There was a blood drive at my school so I went at 11 to donate. I have tried to donate before but my iron was too low. Today it was good and I filled my bag in only 3 minutes and 45 seconds! It was not bad at all and I hope to donate again soon. After, I came home and refinished my headboard and a cute little side table! They are not perfect at all, but I think they are pretty cute for now! They are painted in grey with blue/green accents that match the accents on our bedding!




Then I failed at this project with paint chips... This is awkward!
Jordan said maybe we can put it in the bathroom...or the guest bathroom! haha. At least he is honest.

Sleep is for the hired...

Jordan has been crazy busy this semester! He is taking his last 12 credits at BYU! He is also working as a teachers assistant for about 12 hours a week, as a research assistant for 8 hours, as an (unpaid) intern at a consulting firm in Orem for about 20 hours and is in clubs (or in charge of clubs) for about 5 hours a week. Needless to say, I feel like I never see him... well, I felt that way until this week. Then he started applying for jobs this week. He is applying for approximately 30-40 jobs at 1-2 hours per application. My poor husband got home form a 14 hour day yesterday only to stay up until 3:30 doing work! I guess sleep is for those who have jobs!

I will be starting day and night school soon. I will have school Monday, Friday and Saturday from 9:00am-4:30pm and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 9:00am-10:30pm. I am excited to blow through the end of my schooling, but I am also so nervous to be at school so much!

Grandma Geneva and Aunt Wendy,
Thank you so much for your kind notes and the gifts! Jordan was supposed to call and thank you, but I am just going to assume he hasn't. Let's face it, he is not great at getting in touch with people. (But that's one of this few flaws, so we can't be too hard on him)
Thank you and love you!
M and J

Fall dinner!

I am so excited for fall! I love fall weather, fall clothes, and fall food!! Jordan's favorite thing that I make ever is chili. Random, I know. Here is my EASY and tasty recipe.

1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 chopped onion
1T vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 can dark kidney beans
1 can light kidney beans
1 can white kidney beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can dices tomatoes
1 small can sliced olives
2 cups water
1/2 packet hot chili mix
1 packet medium chili mix

Saute pepper and onion in oil, set aside. Brown ground beef in a skillet. Add all ingredients (including peppers and beef) to crock pot and cook for 5 hours on low. It has a very strong flavor so we like it with lots of sour cream and cheese. You can dilute with more water for a more mild chili. It is more delicious the next day which is good because this makes SO much chili!

Doing hair

I know I have said it before, but I really REALLY love doing hair! There are days where I am lazy and don't want to be at school, but I am almost always really excited to do hair! People always want to know what my favorite is thing to do. (I don't think that makes sense but I don't know how else to word it!) I love it all so much that I go back and forth on what my favorite is. I love doing dramatic cuts because it gives someone a whole new look and I am not afraid to take off length. I like a normal trim because everyone loves the feeling of a fresh cut and a cute style. I love doing a basic all over color because it is a quick way to get a big change. I love doing foil work because it is relaxing when you get in the rhythm and is a fun change. My most recent favorite thing to do is facial waxing! I have gotten some compliments from some clients which has made me get into waxing more. I can't wait to do hair all day soon!!

Mirror mirror...

Who is the smartest in all the land?
I'll tell you who!
Me!
Because I made a great decision when I married my studly husband!
And that alone makes me the smartest (and cancels out the bad grammar in this post)

He is going to grad school to get his MBA, but all the programs he wants to go to require a few years of work experience. He wanted to take the GMAT (SAT is to college as GMAT is to business school) to put on his resume when applying to jobs. He studied hard and ranked in the top 4% on his test!! I knew he was pretty smart, but dang! I didn't know he was THAT smart! I am so proud of my cute husband!! I am so lucky!

next (and last) long boring post of summer!

The first weekend in August, we went to St. George to see the plays at the Tuacahn Theater. Grease was a little bit of a let down but they totally made up for that with Little Mermaid. It was AMAZING!! Jordan's Uncle Ryan was Grimsby, Prince Eric's assistance. It was so fun to watch him in it because he had a pretty big part! It was so fun to spend more time with the Robbins in St. George. The worst part of St. George trips is golf. The boys leave for hours every morning to golf. This is bad because they don't want to stay up late because they have to get up so early, they (Jordan) wake me up when they leave, and the girls have nothing to do but wait. As soon as I get an older sister in law, we will band together and demand spa morings when they golf!!
The next weekend we made a very quick, very last minute trip to Lake Mead to meet up with my family for a little boating! It was so nice to get some sun and spend time boating! That is the first time it felt like summer to me at all!! My family was not planning on us so we all squeezed (is that really a word? odd!) into this nice hotel room at the Lake Las Vegas resorts and stayed up late telling ghost stories and playing cards! Okay, maybe not, but we did have fun in the little room!
The next weekend, Caitlin (my sis) made a last minute trip to come to a Blink 182 concert! She has some connections to one of the band members so they hooked us up with tickets to the show! We had so much fun! That is not really our scene, but I had a blast people watching! I even knew one song! haha, but really!
The next week, Pam and Parker (M.I.L and B.I.L[mother in-law and brother in-law]) and McCall and my mom came to stay with us. The next day, Pam and Parker went up to Rexburg, ID where Parker is at COLLEGE! McCall and mom stayed the whole week and we played in my salon and shopped and had girl talk! Then they took Call up to school and Pam and my mom came back down. I did Pam's hair too! Then they all left us.
So I guess we actually had a lot going on this summer! I struggle with being grown up!! Thank you everyone for our summer trips! Keep visiting! We love you! And really love anyone who read all this with NO pics! Sorry!

I suck at blogging

I bet everyone is DYING to know what we did all summer because I didn't blog. Not even once. My bad! Well, we had a crazy busy summer. It truly felt like my first grown up summer because it hardly felt like summer! I had school all week (including Saturdays) and Jordan had an internship at a consulting firm in Orem (RPM) and he was a teacher's assistant on campus. We were busy busy all summer.
We were able to get away a few times though. The first two times were under bad circumstances. Jordan's cousin Nolan Anderson passed away in his sleep from unknown causes at age 18. He was an amazing friend and a great example to everyone. We went to St. George, UT to be at his funeral. On our way back to Provo, we found out Jordan's grandfather, Leath Robbins passed away at age 90. We went up to Pocatello, ID a few days later to be at his funeral. We were able to spend the Fourth of July in Idaho with the whole Robbins clan. It is so fun to get to know them more! They are so kind and welcoming to me!
The first week of July, my school was closed for a week break. My mom and sisters needed their hair done (and I like to think they wanted to see me too) so they flew me down to California for a few days. I worked hard and played hard! So much fun!! It was so odd to be alone with my family for a week! I felt kind of single....but only kind of! haha.

Surrrrrprise!

My sister Caitlin is coming to see me this weekend!
Can you say Blink 182???
We're with Tom DeLonge, no big deal.
Can't wait to see you Cait!


I promise I will blog soon!!

what this girl believes

Sorry I haven't blogged in forever! Lots of craziness going on here to report on soon. I saw this video. Media has twisted and pulled apart our beliefs so feel like I have to share what I believe.

Our church focuses on trying to perfect ourselves to become like our supreme exemplar, Jesus Christ. We strive to not sin, to treat others with kindness, and overcome our weaknesses… basically, we strive to be good. That helps us grow and progress to be better people. We also believe after death we will be able to continue to learn to grow and progress. With that, we can become gods and goddesses as we learn the mysteries of God.

Is that so crazy? What do you think you’ll do after death? Sit on a cloud and play a harp FOREVER? Sounds boring.

Yeah, we believe the Garden of Eden was in Missouri.

Where do you think it was? Why does it matter??

Those two things are not what our religion is about. Our religion urges us to be honest people, to get an education, to improve our community, to cherish our family, to be moral, to serve others, to repent, and to forgive...just to name a few.

So I guess the real question is why wouldn’t you want a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as your President?

California beauties

My sweet parents are flying me to California the first week of July (7/5-7/11)! I think it's mostly because my mom and sisters want me to do their hair, but I can deal with that!! I'm so excited! If anyone wants a haircut or color while I'm there, let me know now. If you already have professional color on your hair and want the same color again, send me a close up picture of your hair so I can get color to match! :)

locks of love

I did a locks of love cut this week. This is the before picture of her long long hair. This sweet girl is very sick and was loosing her hair so she decided to chop it and donate it while she had hair left. She wanted a super fun and funky cut that is super short and choppy on one side and into a chin length a line on the other side. It is not an everyday cut that most people want but she LOVED it! I was so happy!The short side

The long side

The back

Today at school, they were over booked in phase two at school. (I usually work on the phase one floor. Phase two is a small separate salon for just a few of the top students at school.) They asked me to go help out and do a hair cut! It was so fun... I felt so professional! I finished so fast and as soon as I went back to the Phase one floor, they gave me a client that wanted a chemical relaxer. We don't get many opportunities in school to do relaxers so it was kind of scary but so exciting to have the chance to do it! It turned out so great and my client LOVED it! And then I had a basic color and two more cuts! It was such a fun/hard/growing day!

I love being a hair stylist!!

Husband wish list

I don't know why I want to make lists of things we want all of a sudden! I guess I am feeling really poor, which, by human nature, makes you want more things. (Click on images for links)30 for 30 ESPN documentaries


Board game Biblios


This game Agricola

I'm not going to lie, I have loved watching a few of the 30 for 30 on tv. They are old school sport documentary with crazy cool footage and amazing stories. It normally sells for $149 but it's on sale for $50. And still, too expensive. Being poor sucks! But I love my life and my cute (nerdy) husband. If you want to buy any of these for us, our address is...

Summer threads

I want summer clothes...and clothes that are not black because that's what I have to wear every single day at school! These are a few things I LOVE from eshakti.com! I want them all! Someday, when we are not starving students, I will get cute clothes. Until then...longing.

(The saddest part is the clothes are very reasonably priced...but still...)

Let's start at the very beginning..

Shampooing. Now most people think they know how to clean themselves in the shower but in fact, most people do it wrong. Scrub shampoo into your scalp and hair roots. Massage it all around and make sure your head is very clean. You can run it through your ends right before you rinse if your insist, but really, it is not necessary. All your oil is right on or by your head and the shampoo has traveled to your ends a little without applying it directly.

Next is conditioner. Wring your hair out so there is not quite as much water trapped in your hair. Make a pony tail with your hands and apply a good amount through your ends. Do not put it on your roots or scalp unless you have very dry hair. The hair further down the shaft has been on the planet a lot longer and needs that love. Let is sit for a few minutes and rinse for a few minutes really making sure the conditioner is out of your hair.

Shampooing your ends makes them dry and brittle(unhealthy and will break). Conditioning your scalp or not rinsing enough makes your hair oily(looks dirty and hair is flat).

Hope you'll pass your first lesson!

Easy dinner (or lunch/snack)

Cold veggie pasta

1 package of twirly wheat pasta(anyone know what I mean??)
2 cucumbers
4 tomatoes
1/4 red onion
1/4 mozzarella cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper

Cook pasta al dente, run under cold water and drain. Cut cucumbers and tomatoes in slices and then halves. Dice red onion and cheese into small cubes. Put in all in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and mix until the pasta is coated. Sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper to taste. Cool for a couple hours and eat!

Too much information.

After an uncomfortable afternoon, I am realizing those four loose pills in the bottom of the medicine bin were not Advil, but laxatives.

My head still hurts.

FAIL
...if you'll excuse me....

Bring it.

Ask me you hair questions. I know you have them.

Want to know why your hair always breaks? Ask.
Want to know why your hair is oily/dry? Ask me!
What product is best for straightening curly hair? I got answers.
Want to know what hair cut is best for your face/hair type? Let me know!

I think you get it! If I don't know the answers, I'll research it at school!

I'm a professional.

...future professional but whateves.

Y hike

Today I was home alone and Jordan wouldn't text me back to tell me when he'll be home. It was soooo sunny and pretty outside FINALLY so I decided to hike the Y mountain. Ya, NBD. I'm legit like that.

Easiest dinner part 1

One of my favorite easy dinners is enchiladas! It seriously only takes like 10 minutes to make and you only need a few ingredients. Poor Jordan had to ask me to stop cooking it for a while because we had it SO much for a while!

8 Small corn tortillas
Large can of green enchilada sauce
Lots of cheese
Small can of chopped green chillies
1 cup cooked chicken (I usually use canned or leftovers)

Preheat oven to 350
Dip the tortillas in a bowl of enchilada sauce.
Fill with 2ish tablespoons of chicken, 2ish tablespoons of cheese, and a teaspoon of green chillies.
Roll up and put in a greased 9X13 Pyrex.
Once they are all full and rolled, sprinkle the top with cheese and pour remaining sauce over the top until they seem pretty wet.
Cook for 20 minutes or until cheese is melty and delicious!

Clean up kinda sucks but all over, I love making this and think it is very yummy.

this is how we do

This is how you will find us almost every night! Oh, yes! We are crazy party married people watching sitcoms in our snuggies!! Jordan sports BYU and I rock the pink.

We also love playing games. My favorite is Settlers of Catan with a group or Lost Cities with just us. Jordan's favorite is probably Settlers too in a group or Bang and his favorite two person is Carcasone. We play average of one game a day!

We have recently gotten interested in camping and hiking!

I love playing catch because I was so so sooo bad at it and I am starting to get better!! I am really enjoying it now and Jordan has fun throwing me pop flys and grounders!

I just love being with that cute man!

Timp cave

We had already made reservations and paid for the Timpinogos Cave hike before we found out that we would not be able to camp. We woke up Saturday morning at drove back up to American Fork canyon to go to the cave. It is a very fun 1.5 mile hike up to the cave. We had a cute old man tour guide ranger starting his 20th season at the cave. He was GREAT!!We had so much fun with our sidekicks Andrew and Clarissa!!

A for effort

...or at least a solid B.

I have wanted to go camping for four weekends now. It has been so cold that most of the camp sites are still closed but this weekend was the first weekend the Timpinogos Cave hike was open and some of the surrounding camps. There were no camps available for reservtations but there were walk ups available so we told Jordan's cousin Andrew and his wife Clarissa to pack a bag and tag along.

Long story short, after 1 hr of sitting in traffic and road construction, trying 3 different camp sites, and calling a dozen or so more, we gave up on camping.
We settled for cooking our tinfoil dinners at a picnicking area. It was starting to drizzle but we stayed and threw baseballs and frisbees. We roasted s'mores and Starbursts. If you haven't done that, it is deish, but be careful because Clarissa's stick broke trying to get it on and she stabbed her hand and I dripped boiling Starburst sugar on my hand and it is blistered!

So I guess it turned out pretty good...all the fun sruff of camping but no port-a-potties and you get to sleep in your own bed!

roomies

I had the best roommates at BYU Idaho. We will forever be best friends. We are spread out now in different states, doing different things, and in different places in our lives. Some are married, some are on missions, some are working, and some are college graduates. The great thing about best friends is we can go long periods of time without talking or seeing each other, but when we do get together, it's like we never left. We are back in apartment 509, staying up all hours of the night, making fun of each other, talking about all our inside jokes, laughing at those we used to date, wishing we could get a soda and penny candy from the gas station.

ANYWAY, my roommate Sydney came down from Idaho for our other roommate, Mikalyn's bridal shower. It was so fun to be together!!Syd, me and Mikey, the beautiful bride to be!!


We played games and there was so much delicious food! We were also the annoying people that sat at the table and talked (read:gossiped) about everyone we know and laughed and laughed. It was so fun and I hope we can all be together soon!!
LOVE these girls!!

Just a heads up...

Both Jordan and I graduate in December. If anyone wanted to give us a graduation present vacation to wherever this picture is from, I would not object. Thanks, love you guys!

Truth

That is solid truth. I love going back to California to my familiar house, friends, church, etc... but home for me is my mom. Most people that are very alike and have similar personality traits butt heads and do not get along. Although we are sooo very alike, we just understand each other and click. When we talk, I can tell her all about a situation and without telling her how I feel about it, she knows. When I am having a bad day and trying to be strong, she knows and lets me talk it out. We even have very similar medical issues like migraines and hypoglycemia (thanks for that by the way).
There is not another person in the world I would rather have as my mom and best friend. I can hardly wait for the end of school everyday to call my mom on the way home. Everyday. 4:30 on the dot.
Just wanted to tell you I love you mom!

And she may or may not be the only person that even reads this soo... haha.

One year of wedded bliss

We celebrated our first wedding anniversary the day before Easter. We went to dinner alone to North Wood's Inn where we went to my birthday dinner with my family last year right after we got engaged. Funny story about that actually...Jordan proposed right before we went to dinner and we decided we would not tell my family who were already waiting for us at the restaurant, but we were just going to wait until they saw my ring. Well, we walked in and I saw my family and I immediately threw my left hand up and squealed, "I'm engaged!"(The egg says 4*23*10, our wedding date)

Well, after begin married to his guy for a year, I still feel the same way! I am so lucky to be with him. He is so way out of my league! Let me brag. He is so handsome (obvi), so smart(3.9GPA holla), such a hard worker (he is in 3 econ related clubs outside of school, 20 hr internship, 25 hrs working on campus...), and he is so kind and level headed (he has never once fought with me. Ever). Seriously, I could go on forever but I know you already skimmed over that so I'll stop.

We decided to stay traditional and get paper gifts. I got Jordan The Economist Magazine he had been talking about for months. Geek. He got my a picture of the necklace he got me. (Mine says m+j) I love it! And birds for the Robbins! So cute!


Thank you for an amazing first year Jordan! I love you.

My new career.

Jordan and I were both born and raised in southern California and neither of us has ever surfed in our lives! McCall's good friend from BYU Idaho, Clare Facer, is a surf instructor so we made her take us surfing! We went to her house in Mission Viejo. She takes us to the garage where there is rack after rack full of surfboards...with more out in a shed! So she picks out boards for us and we load them in her truck. Just as I was thinking we may be cold in the water, she gets us each a wetsuit that fits and we head out. We went to Doheney beach a few minutes from her house. After some practice on the sand, we ventured out with our boards in the water.

Trying to get up on my first wave, my left hand slipped off the board and I slammed my face into the board. I split open my lip and cracked my tooth. So what I'm trying to say is I'm going pro next week. Jordan and McCall did great and it was so fun to watch them get better. Clare was SO good and she could ride anything and just sit down when she was done. We had such a fun day at the beach!! THANK YOU CLARE!!

Need for speed!!

Jordan and I went home to California for a visit at the end of April after BYU’s semester ended. We had tons of fun adventures that I will tell you about!

One day we went to Irvine Lake with Jay, (my father-in-law) Parker and Avery (my b.i.l.s). Jay had some sweet hook-ups and so we spent the day riding jet skis and boats. I haven’t been on a personal watercraft for probably 8 years so it was fun to see how they have changed! One went so fast (we went 65mph on it) and was so smooth because it cut right through the water. Then there were others that were more fun for jumping waves and tight turns. We had so much fun there!

Another day, my dad took us riding with my mom, McCall (sister), Parker, and Conner

(family friend) to the Barstow outlets. We took some dirt bikes, a quad, and a razor 4x4. We had so much fun! I love watching my dad ride. I think seeing someone in their element; doing something they love so much and are so good at is so amazing to me!! My dad is such an amazing rider and it is so fun to watch him. We took some fun trails to the outlets, ate lunch, and rode back. It was such a great day!!

More of the trip to come...

get your hairs did

People in Utah County ask me about school tentatively. I get it. I went to the same hairstylist for 10 years even when I lived 13 hours away. I did not trust anyone with my hair. Friends in the area are trying to get a feel for how good I am and kind of want me to do their hair, but they are scared. I have been in school for 7 months, 6 of which I have been working on real people in the clinic at school. I know that is nothing compared to what I will gain in the next few years, but I really do have a lot of experience. I have confidence and I love it. I know what I'm doing and I am good at doing hair. Sooooo, I'm not saying I want you to leave your favorite stylist to come see me, but if you are looking for someone new, come visit me at school! I promise I won't mess up your hair. Even if I don't know everything, I have to run everything by my teachers so you will have a professional there too! Plus, the prices are super good!
Call 801 374 5111 and ask for Meg 55 for an appointment or just stop by!

I forgot to blog to months...

...and then it seemed to hard to catch up so I kept putting it off for longer, but I am finally up for the challenge but I wish you luck reading it! I think I will break it up a little so it is not so bad. Well, here we go...

For Jordan's birthday I wanted to do something that Jordan would love. He loves trying new things, doing crazy (read: dangerous) things, and he loves adventures. I stick to the things I know and I am very cautious (read: overly anxious and scared) and afraid of heights, so this was a true present for me to go! I took him on a hot air balloon ride!!
There was a 1/2 hour ride before us (where a boy proposed awww) so we got in a van and the driver had a walkie talkie and he was talking to the driver of the balloon about where they were going. So we followed them to a park where they were going to land (I don't think I realized before that there is absolutely zero steering ability besides up and down so you just go where the wind takes you) but they did not get down quick enough so they landed right in the middle of a cul-de-sac (Did you know the plural is culs-de-sac?) and people were looking out their windows and coming out side to see it. How cool would that be to wake up to a hot air balloon landing literally 20 feet from your house??

So we get on and are waiting to take off. I look out and I realize that we are already way up off the ground!! It was so smooth and felt like we were just floating around! It was not scary, even for me!! We had so much fun and would love to do it again someday!!

When were going down to land, the surface winds really started to pick up. When you are trying to land, a 10mph wind is huge!! So we got down to like 5 feet off the ground and we were sailing north! So eventually the driver told us to brace ourselves. Half a second later, we hit the ground and the balloon hopped back up, flew north and then hit down again. Then back up, more north, then back down... you get it. Eventually we stopped for real. haha.
It was so much fun!! Happy birthday Jordan... two months ago!

Awesome cinnamon roll recipe...

For Jordan's birthday week (actual birthday is Wednesday), I decided to make him his favorite treat, cinnamon rolls! I never make anything from scratch (like with yeast and stuff with no shortcuts) but decided I could this time... make sure you have HOURS of time on your hands! They were pretty delish but a lot of work! You can see in the pictures that Jordan couldn't wait to eat them so there are a few missing! This recipe makes a TON or rolls! That's okay because they freeze well either before they rise in the pans or after they are cooked and frosted. I split the dough in half and made half a traditional cinnamon roll and the other half as orange rolls because my cute husband LOVES those.

Ingredients for dough

• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together.

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. I did half of the dough with cinnamon filling and half with orange filling.

CINNAMON FILLING:

• 1 stick Softened Butter
• 2 cups Sugar
• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

ORANGE FILLING:

• 8 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade
• ½ cup Softened Butter
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. (You have the option to freeze now, or bake!) Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

MAPLE FROSTING:

• 1 bag Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
• ½-3/4 cup Milk
• ¼ cup Melted Butter
• ⅛ teaspoon Salt

ORANGE GLAZE:

• 2 pounds Powdered Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• ½ cup Milk
• ½ cup Orange Juice
• 1 dash Salt

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. (Maple frosting on cinnamon and orange glaze on orange) You have the option to freeze now, or invite everyone you have ever known to come eat them! It made 52 rolls for me!

Five hours of my life...

I have done a few perms at school on cute little ladies with short white hair. Yesterday, I permed very long hair for the first time and used tight spiral rods that I have never even seen anybody use before. It took five hours start to finish. It was fun to do something different and that would make her look so different, but kind of time consuming and tedious at times. She loved how it turned out so that makes it all worth it in the end.

Looonnngggg hair!

Crazy looking perm rods, huh??

I did a pretty good job wrapping if I do say so myself!

Her luscious locks!

Yes, we were the last people left in the whole school!

I really love my school and I really love being a hair dresser! It feels so good to find something that I enjoy so much that I am also good at!

Homemaker Meg

Goal for the night:
Use pressure cooker to make dinner

I started by rinsing out a WHOLE chicken...with bones and skin! Off to a good start!

After 2 minutes, I figured out that the blades and lids in the box with the pressure cooker went to a magic bullet and this magical kitchen appliance does not double as a food processor. Dang.

After 7 minutes, I figured out how to open it.

After 10 minutes, I got the food inside and cooking. Perhaps I started this too premature. (See below)

After 11 minutes, I burnt my right forearm trying to close the lid.

After 18 minutes, I finally got the lid on...


I have the feeling we may end up playing a game called who gets sick from dinner first!

life changing advice

I hate cooking with tortillas!! They always break! But my mom taught me some tricks to keep them whole!
1 There is a right side to every tortilla. Look closely and one side has a few stripes on it. That side should go on the inside.
2 Wrap the tortilla along those lines

Yes, check out my awesome paint skills! haha. But, ya, like that.

Someone named Kate called my school to make an appointment with my today, but I had class when she wanted her service. I have no idea who Kate is! I really can't think of a Kate I know in Utah!! Oh, well, I'm kind of a big deal! Make another appointment with me, Kate... if I'm not already booked then!

stench

So, as any good housewife does, I pour any grease into a jar so it does not clog up my drain. Today, the jar was full so I asked my wonderful superman of a husband to take care of it. As he starts to spoon it into the trashcan, he starts to gag. He runs over to the candy dish and shoves chocolate covered acai up his nose to stop the terrible smell! I was cracking up for so long. I love my husband! He is so sweet to me!

hahaha...seriously, try to look at that and not die from laughter!!