This is a test. This is only a test.

Just out of curiosity - click the button to leave me a comment and leave the verification word as your comment. I just want to see what words they give you guys. Totally random.
Have a GREAT weekend!! :D

So far today

4:00am - Alarm goes off, hit snooze
4:10am - Alarm goes off, hit snooze
4:20am - Alarm goes off, hit snooze
4:30am - Alarm goes off, get out of bed
Bathroom, throw on my clothes (luckily I put everything out last night), and grab my stuff
4:45am - Get in car, program GPS, start driving to Salt Lake
Nobody is on the roads - hard not to speed...but I wasn't even late
5:20am - Pull in to a gas station and put on my make-up
5:30am - Arrive (on time) at mandatory staff meeting location
Get in line for "breakfast" - pick up orange juice, fruit, and a muffin
5:40am - Find my coworkers from my office so I don't have to sit alone
Eat breakfast and chat
Look up and realize that, out of the 450 employees there and the hundreds of chairs, my ex's dad, Mark, is sitting in the chair exactly two rows in front of me
5:45am - Just about to get up and go say hi to him (I really adore him and miss talking to him even though his son is...less than perfect) when random lady decides to sit next to me
Didn't want to climb over lady, so I'll talk to Mark later
5:50am - Introduce myself to lady and find out she's really nice
Drink orange juice and find out it's nasty
Nice lady throws away my trash for me and gets me a water (Nice)
6:00am - Meeting starts
Mark gets up with his buddies and moves to the back row (quick getaway perhaps?)
Realize I have to go to the bathroom, but am stuck in the middle of the aisle and don't want to cause a scene
6:30am - Senior VP is still talking about safety on the job site (the job site I will rarely ever set foot on)
6:45am - Starting to wrap things up
Still have to go to the bathroom - bad now
6:55am - Meeting over
Stand up to make a beeline for the bathroom
Realize my skirt has slidden halfway down my bum, and am showing my unmentionables to a row of guys behind me (of course they're still seated and the show is eye-level - no way they missed it)
Notice the guys behind me are holding back laughs and giving each other looks
Flash a weird face back at them
7:05am - Still in the herd of hundreds shuffling out of the auditorium, trying not to make eye-contact with my previous "audience"
7:10am - Finally find a bathroom
7:15am - Search for my car and offer a coworker a ride to the office so I could use the HOV lane
7:55am - Arrive at the office just in time to open by 8:00

The sad thing is that I usually get to the office at 7:30. Today I had been up and doing stuff for 3 hours by the time 7:30 rolled around. It's going to be a LONG day!

Oh Jed...

Jed and I went to talk to my friend Meals last night because she's an accounting student and she was helping us prepare our taxes. Afterward, we were driving home and I was trying to talk to Jed about our refund and what we planned on using it for. All of the sudden he puts up his hand and says "Can we just rock out to Jewel?" and cranked up the radio. We belted out "Foolish Games" all the way home and even sat in the car until it was over. Oh Jed...

Thankful Thursday

Today is my little sister Angela's Sweet 16 Birthday!!

I'm thankful that Angela is in our family. She's my only little sister and I love her.

Angela has her head on straight. She knows exactly what she wants and is willing to do what it takes to get there.

Angela knows who she is. When I was her age I had no clue, but she is strong and not afraid to stand up for herself and what she believes in.

Angela is almost always smiling. She has a gorgeous smile and it lights up the room. Not to mention it's contagious.

Angela is a ham. She is a total goofball and can always make people laugh.

Angela has a strong testimony of the Gospel. She has so much faith and spirituality.

Angela loves Texas as much as I do. Maybe we'll both live there together in the future.

Angela likes to have fun and do exciting things.

Angela is smart. She is in honors classes at school and handles a pretty heavy work load.

Angela is fearless. She meets life head-on and takes challenges in stride.

Angela is beautiful and kind to everyone. She's very popular at school and church and I'm sure she has tons of dates already lined up.

I am so thankful that Angela is my sister. She's a great girl and deserves the best life has to offer.

HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY ANGELA!!!
We love you!

Wednesday Weigh-In

I have this dilemma - I need new clothes, but I don't want to buy them in 'extra fun' because I'm hoping that soon I won't be wearing 'extra fun' clothes anymore. Now that I think about it, I do have some clothes I could wear if I dropped a size or two (or three or four). They're just waiting for me in my own closet. It'll be like a shopping spree and a clothes reunion when I can finally fit into them again! Where's my motivation? It should be in my closet.
Even though that sounds weird... :\

As for this week's weigh-in: 245.8 with a BMI of 39.51!!!
BOO-YAH!! :D
Jed and I fasted yesterday for our good friends' father because he's been having some health issues lately. That might have something to do with the weight loss. Maybe I should fast more often? No, that's not good for you. But to reward myself for losing so much weight this week, we're going out for loaded fries and milkshakes tonight! Just kidding... ;)

Happy Fat Tuesday/National Pancake Day/Mardi Gras!!

...and it's Flag Day in Mexico in case you care.

Free food today:
Pancakes at IHOP (no coupon, but a donation to the Children's Miracle Network is suggested)
Two tacos at Jack in the Box (coupon)

Free food later:
New Roast burger at Arby's with purchase of drink (coupon thru March 9)
Sub at Quizno's (coupon)

Decoration Style

I got this decoration style quiz from Shannon and thought it was pretty interesting. Here are my top 3 styles:

22% - Classic

What's old is new again! The beauty of Classic style is how well it takes all of the beautiful forms, colors and textures of the past and reinvents them in a way that feels both fresh and inspired.

The style itself is a mix of European influences and French, English and Italian antiques and replicas are often used together. Furniture is well proportioned and comfortable and the rooms give off an air of sophistication and grace. Oil paintings depicting still-life or nature scenes and emphasizing symmetry of pairs helps maintain the traditional nature of the room. Windows are often covered with opulent fabric shades and/or drapery.

Traditional rooms give off an air of history that seems to say "I was here long before you, and will remain long after you've gone." And yet, even with this level of sophistication, the rooms are soft and inviting.

39% - Wine Country Style
(This one is so "Texas" to me.)

Tuscan sun, here we come! The Wine Country style reflects the feelings evoked by the seaside regions of Europe such as the South of France, Spain, Italy and Greece. The style manages to be both refined and casual, such that you can mix beautiful antiques with more rustic wrought iron or wood and the result is both sophisticated and cozy.

Furniture is large and comfortable, colors are bright and cheery, and regardless of the color palette the spaces almost always feel warm. You can easily translate the style into the perfect family environment but you can just as easily emphasize the more formal pieces and make your room the perfect adult getaway.

39% - Nantucket Style

Oh how you love the beach! Who doesn't, right? And so your dream home is either perched in your favorite beach town, or you've brought that favorite beach town into your house.

Your art and accessories speak directly to the activities that are found at the beach. Pieces of driftwood you found here, pictures or paintings of the amazing views there. Things that remind you of the coast - surf boards or fishing boats - are found throughout the house. The feeling of the seaside is both abstract and literal in the design of your space. The fabrics are natural, cottons and linens and are light in color and touch. Much of the furniture is wood or wood framed (the lighter the better, think driftwood!) and wicker, when done right, is a must.

And since your true inspiration is the sea, the colors and textures in your home are the same that you would find at your favorite beach: white, light beiges and grays of the sand and driftwood, a variety of blues for the ocean and sky, and greens and vibrant blues of the sea glass, but the key is white! Your space should feel light and airy and give off the mood one has when at the beach: laid back!

Your furniture is comfortable and the layout is cozy. The more it reminds you of actually sitting on the warm sand, the better! And what do you do at the beach? Hang out with family and friends - and your home is just an extension of this play place. And though the space is filled with large white furniture, it somehow manages to feel both durable and casual.

Monday Memoirs

FRIDAY - We just stayed in and had a movie night: Little Mermaid. And while we were watching it, I remembered that when I was little, I would start singing songs from Little Mermaid in the middle of church and my mom told me that I had to wait until everyone else was singing. So as soon as the congregation started singing, I stood up in our pew and belted out "Part of Your World" at the top of my lungs. (This didn't only happen once...)

SATURDAY - We had to wake up at the butt-crack of dawn (7:45 on a Saturday!) to go help clean our church building. Luckily when we were given our options of what we could clean, I chose trash and it took less than a half hour and we were out. :) We were going to go up to SLC for lunch and a surprise date I had planned for Jed, but it was such a gorgeous day outside and the date would have been inside. And Justin had called to invite Jed to play frisbee, so we stayed down here and tried a new place I'd been wanting to eat at for a while: Tomasso's in Riverwoods. It was so delicious!! Their menu is super simple - paninis, hot dogs, and Italian ice for the most part. We both got paninis and they were the best I've ever had (I'd pick turkey over chicken though...) and I got an Italian ice - yummy!!

A little while later we met up with Nathan, Justin, Amanda, Jaime, Erica, Ben, and Ethan for some frisbee in the park. The girls laid out on the sidelines while the men-folk played for three hours. This is what we do in spring. Amanda got a sweet new camera and took a bunch of pictures that you can see when you click this word right about HERE. :) Even though there aren't any of Jed or me. No worries; you get the idea. The boys definitely worked up an appetite (and a sweat - you should've seen Jed's hat by the time we left. Sick.) so we all went to Pita Pit!! I heart that place with all my love. ;)

Jed was in need of a haircut so he went and got one (after a long shower) while I did some errands. I'm starting on a T-shirt quilt made out of Jed's and my old T-shirts. My mom made me one in the past and I love it, so I'm making another one for us. I went to Joann to get fabric and picked out this great, warm, inexpensive fabric, picked out the perfectest matching thread, and waited my turn at the cutting desk only to find out I'd picked up a bolt of "pieces" about a yard each. No wonder it was so cheap. So I had to go back to where I got it and find another color. All were awful, but they were warm and inexpensive. So I got lime green. I guess it won't be a "keep out on the couch" blanket after all. :\ But I did find an awesome addition to our house! A Kung Fu Panda Chia Pet!! We just killed our plants and this was only $5 on clearance. His name is Po. :D
My less-hairy husband and I went over to Justin and Amanda's house so the boys could play video games while Amanda taught me how to crochet. It really wasn't that hard, after I got the hang of it. I'm excited to start making things!! I think I'll start with this little gem. I can put it right next to Po.

We went to Redbox to get a movie after I had mastered crocheting and got Fireproof. I didn't really know what it was about, but I had remembered hearing really good things about it. It was alright, there were super cheesy parts and it was a Christian movie, but the underlying moral of the movie was really good.


SUNDAY - I had to be at church early to meet with my visiting teachers, and then I had to speak in church. Luckily I only had to introduce our family and bear my testimony, but I was extremely stressed out beforehand! It went really well and Jed's talk was great. I was so glad when it was all over! Remember how we got a new calling last week? Are you ready to find out what it is?? Drum roll please!!

NURSERY!!!

I requesting being in the nursery, so I'm really glad that we got called to be in there. There are about 10-12 kids who come each week and there's another couple in there with us, along with their aunt, who is like 75 years old. Yeah...don't ask because we don't have a clue either... :\

After our home teacher came to visit, I had a quick nap and then we headed up to SLC for dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Busath's house for my uncle's 40th birthday.

100 Truths Tag

(I did this yesterday, but I didn't want it to over-shadow my food post. Heaven forbid...)

1. Real name: Alison Busath Goodell
2. Nickname: Ali, Lil' Allister, Keen Ween, Albee, Albee-saurus, Al, Ali-Boop, Al Breezy
3. Status: Married
4. Zodiac sign: Capricorn
5. Male or female: Female :\
6. Elementary: Searles, Hidden Forest, and Encino Park
7. Middle School: Dwight D Eisenhower and Barbara Bush
8. High School: Ronald Reagan
9. College: San Antonio College and Brigham Young University
10. Natural Hair color: Dark Brown...pretty much like it is now - I haven't dyed it in a while
11. Long or short: It's long now, I prefer shorter.
12. Loud or Quiet: Loud!!
13. Sweats or Jeans: Jeans
14. Phone or Camera: Both :)
15. Health freak: Ha!
16. Drink or Smoke: No thanks.
17. Do you have a crush on someone: Well there's this guy.... His name's Jed.
18. Eat or Drink: Eat.
19. Piercings: Ears
20. Tattoos: No thanks.
21. Music: Everything except smooth jazz.
22. Comedies or Horror: Comedy, but I like horror too.

FIRSTS:
23. First piercing: Ears when I was 12.
24. First best friend: Ashley Peterson in Union City, CA
25. First award: Probably something to do with knowing how to read before I started Kindergarten...
26. First crush: Oh so many!! I'm thinking it was either Josh Erikson or Andrew Sousa.
27. First Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Fourth grade...Jordan Boland
28. First pet: Charkie?
29. First big vacation: Disneyland? Knott's Berry Farm? Utah?
30. First big birthday: My fifth grade party was pretty sweet - it was in our bakery.
31. First Car: '93 Isuzu Amigo
32. First Favorite Song: Barbie and the Rockers theme song on my Barbie and the Rockers cassette tape! ;)
33. First phone: Freshman year of college... it really was hard to live without a cell phone - I missed out on a lot of fun things because I "didn't get the call".
34. First Surgery: Sophomore year of college... I have no gall bladder.
35. First time on an Airplane: I think it was when I flew to Utah(?) with Laurel and I was like 15.

LASTS:
36. Phone Call: Grandma Busath
37. Instant Message: Amanda McDaniel
38. Text Message: Jed
39. Song you listened to: Almost Home by Hootie and the Blowfish is on my Pandora right now
40. Time you cried: Yesterday - some video on Jackie's FB

CURRENTLY:
41. Getting on your nerves: This boredom at work
42. TV: No clue - I'm at work
43. Drinking: Ice water
44. Hair: Bangs pulled back in a clip.
45. Wearing: Ballet flats, skirt, top.
46. Eating: Apple
47. With: My teeth?
48. I'm about to: Call a girl about a meeting on Sunday.
49. Listening to: Pandora Radio - Ants Marching by DMB
50. Plans for today: Gym, dinner, homework, Kath & Kim

YOUR FUTURE:
51. Want kids: Of course
52. Want to get married: Sure...some day. Oh wait...
53. Careers in mind: Mom
54. Place of Residency: Texas
55. Car or Truck: SUV

WHICH IS BETTER:
56. Shorter or taller: Taller
57. Romantic or spontaneous: Spontaneously romantic
58. Sensitive or loud: Sensitive
59. Serious relationship or casual dates: Serious dates
60. Trouble maker or hesitant: Stir the pot!
61. Young or old: Young

HAVE YOU EVER:
62. Lost glasses/contacts: Yup.
63. Ran away from home: Got down the block.
64. Held a gun/knife for self defense: Nope
65. Killed somebody: Not that I'm aware of...
66. Broken someones heart: Yep
67. Been arrested: Nope
68. Cried when someone died: Yeah
69. Kissed a stranger: :)
70. Had someone ask you out and you said no: Yeah...you gotta cut the stalking somewhere.
71. Laughed until you cried: Yesh
72. Met someone who changed your life: Of course.
73. Fallen in Love: Yes sir
74. Found out someone was talking about you: Yeah...
75. Been Cheated on: Let's not talk about it... teeth may get lost.
76. Cheated on anyone: Nope
77. Lost someone special: Yeah
78. Broken a bone: My arm

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
79. Yourself: Most of the time
80. Miracles: Yes
81. Love at first sight: Nah
82. Heaven: Of course
83. Santa Claus: Sure
84. Holding Hands on the first date: Depends
85. Kiss on the first date: Not usually

RANDOMNESS:
86. Righty or Lefty: Righty
87. Last time you saw your Dad: Webcam a week or two ago
88. Do you like the snow: NO!
89. What's your favorite season: Autumn
90. Can you swim: Neighborhood Swim Team!
91. Ridden a horse: Yup
92. Ridden a bike: Yesh
93. Photogenic: I was when I was thinner...
94. Have siblings: 3 sisters, 2 brothers, 2 brothers-in-law
95. Beach or Mountains: Beach
96. Hot or Cold: Hot

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
97. Is there one person you want to be with right now: Jed
98. Are you seriously happy with where you are in life: As happy as I can be - "Makin lemonade"
99. Do you believe in God: Absolutely.
100. Post as 100 truths and tag at least 5 people.

***If you are reading these words, you are unofficially tagged.***

Food

Who doesn't love food? Especially when you hear news like this:

1. One of the most delicious fast food chains in America is coming to cities near ME! They just built one last year in Southern Utah and now IN-N-OUT BURGER will be coming to Northern Utah!! That's right - In-N-Out burger without a 4 hour drive! I think Jed and I will be waiting a few weeks after the opening (whenever that will be) to venture out to the fast food joint, but we are way excited!! :D

2. Have you been to restaurant.com? If not, head on over there and pick up some great coupons! Normally you can get a $25 "gift certificate" to specific restaurants for $10, which is a good deal in and of itself, but now through February 28th, you can get $25 "gift certificates" for only $2 each!! All you have to do is enter in the code DINE at check-out. This really is a GREAT deal and there's no rush on using the certificates because you have a whole year to use them! (I'm buying a certificate that I'm planning on using for our anniversary in July...) Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for my sister, Laurel, who encouraged me to pick up a hobby to do while I'm at work so that I won't be so bored.

I'm also thankful for my friend, Amanda, who is a craft guru and knew exactly what I could do for a hobby. As of tomorrow, I will be crocheting. Don't laugh. You can make some really cute stuff! Like this and this and this and this. But seriously, you can make cute things and crocheting isn't just for grannies.

High School Tag

1. Did you date someone from your school? Not while we were both there.

2. Did you marry someone from your high school? Not even close

3. Did you car pool to school? Yeah, sometimes.

4. What kind of car did you have? '93 Isuzu Amigo, but mine was black.

5. What kind of car do you have now? '98 Toyota Avalon

6. It's Saturday night now, you're... with Jed. We could be doing any number of things.

7. It's Saturday night then, you're... out. Either cruisin downtown or at a party or something.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school? I worked at my neighborhood pool, McDonald's, Chuck E Cheese, Six Flags, Cookie Bouquet, and taught preschool.

9. What kind of job do you have now? Receptionist/Student.

10. Were you a party animal? Not as bad as some, more than some.

11. Were you considered a flirt? Absolutely. ;)

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? Varsity Choir

13. Were you a nerd? No, but I was in AP classes.

14. Did you get suspended or expelled? Nope, just detention and Saturday school for being late and skipping too much.

15. Can you sing the fight song? Not all of it, but part of it is "Strike 'Em Rattlers!".

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Shaefer, and the Home Ec teacher, but I forgot her name :\

17. Where did you sit during lunch? The Mormon table. I hated it. None of my friends have the same lunch as me. Luckily I didn't have to go to lunch there my senior year.

18. What was your schools full name? Ronald Reagan High School

19. When did you graduate? June 2, 2004

20. What was your school mascot? Rattler

21. If you could go back and do it again, would you? No thanks.

22. Did you have fun at prom? Of course! Good times!

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to prom with? We don't talk often, but I'm friends with them on Facebook... :)

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? Probably not if it's a 5-year (that would be this year).

25. Do you still talk to people from school? Yeah, of course.

26. School colors? Dark green, Black, Silver.

27. What celebrities came from your high school? None?

Wednesday Weigh-In

Take it away!! All of it!!

Up slightly this week (.7), but I'm working on it... I know what I need to do. I just need to do it, ya know? Any words of encouragement throughout the week would really help. :)

Did I ever mention that I have stopped getting my B-12 shots? Yeah, I stopped going about a month ago. I might go back after I've made some headway on my own, just to get a professional analysis and maybe some more shots(?) but I won't be going every month like I had been in the past.

Una Palabra

USING ONLY ONE WORD

Where is your cell phone? Desk
Your significant other? Jed
Your hair? Ponytail
Your mother? Lady
Your father? Mike
Your favorite thing? Sleep :)
Your dream last night? Odd
Your favorite drink? "Pepper"
Your dream/goal? Babies
What room are you in? Lobby
Your hobby? Cooking
Your fear? Fat
Where do you want to be in 6 years? TEXAS
Where were you last night? Home
Something that you aren't? Healthy :(
Muffins? Warm
Wish list item? Chef
Last thing you did? Phone
What are you wearing? Skirt
TV? Rarely
Your pets? Fishes
Friends? Love
Your life? Hectic
Your mood? Lethargic
Missing someone? Always
Drinking? Hydrated
Smoking? Gross
Your car? Avalon
Something you're not wearing? Socks
Your favorite store? Navy
Your favorite color? Blue
When is the last time you cried? Yesterday
Where do you go over and over? Work
Five people who email me regularly? Jed, Carla, Tom, Mom, teachers
My favorite place to eat? Pita Pit
Favorite place I'd like to be at right now? Texas

Monday Memoirs

I can't even tell you how glad I am that I'm done with last week - it was awful! Every day seemed to bring one more problem or thing I had to get done. Here's how I ended the week:

As I mentioned before, Friday was my Grandpa Busath's 75th birthday. They had a big party for him up in Salt Lake and Jed and I were able to go. This is my grandma roasting my grandpa:

Did I mention I had to sing a song I taught myself in a week?

Blowing out the 75 candles. [Little bit of a fire hazard.]

Us with the handsome birthday boy! He's such a stud! I love my grandpa.

On Saturday morning, I woke up to a snow storm and tried to study a little bit. Then I "played Cupid". My aunt lives in Mexico (her husband is serving as a Mission President) and she has two single kids living out here and going to school. I picked up cookies at a local bakery (that shall remain nameless because they had bad customer service - sorry you don't get the free advertisement, X-Bakery.) and surprised my cousins with them. Jed and I even got our own Valentines cookies (Thanks Deb!)! :D
Of course I had to go back home and study some more for my second midterm of the week. Blah. And then, even worse, I had to go take it. Jed drove me and I broke his windshield wiper motor (it was still storming and I tried to clear off the snow with the wipers instead of waiting for Jed to wipe it off with the brush). And to make matters worse, I got a 77 on the non-written part of the test. Happy Valentine's Day to me... :(

Jed and I went out to lunch at Winger's because he loves that place. I'll have to admit it's really good, and pretty much the only place I'll eat wings... But this time I got a burger. BIG mistake. You know that homemade, off the 10" grill, taste you get with gross hamburgers you make at home? I found where you can get it at a restaurant. :\ So I took the meat out and ate it as a veggie burger.

I'm not rally a winter/snow type of girl, so Jed went sledding with the McDaniels, Heidi, and Nathan while I cleaned up the house and wrapped Jed's present. It was supposed to be a birthday present, but his birthday isn't for 3 more months and I couldn't wait that long to give it to him! We did decide not to make a big deal of Valentine's Day, so I told him it was a 10% Valentine's/90% early birthday present. I wrapped it in plain brown packing paper and left it outside our door when I went to pick him up from sledding.

All of the sledders and I went out to dinner at Beto's (I think that place is nasty - I got chips/salsa) and then we went back to our place to hang out. I didn't anticipate having everyone over when I put the present out - I just thought we'd come home, Jed would find it, and he wouldn't think it was from me. (I love surprises!) Anyways, we get home and Jed finds the present and then opens it right before everyone else comes in. I didn't mean for it to be a show.

Oh, did you want to know what the present was??

Yesterday, we were called in to the bishop's office and asked to speak in church next Sunday. Great... I haven't spoken in church since I graduated from high school, some 5 years ago. I was just telling Jed that morning that if I were asked to speak in church that I would say no; I have anxiety issues. I told the bishop's counselor that I really, really didn't want to, but if he needed me to, I would. He gave Jed the topic he should speak on and told me, thankfully, that I just needed to be prepared to share my testimony of the Church. Phew!! I can do that. I haven't shared my testimony in church for a while, so it'll be good for me. Poor Jed - he has to actually prepare a talk. Sorry, buddy. :( The good news? We finally got a calling, after being in the ward for over 6 months! It's something that I'm really excited for. I'll fill you in next week... ;)

We had Jed's brother, Nathan, over for dinner and then the boys played video games for a few hours (at least it felt like that long) while I read the book the McDaniels gave me for my birthday - The Education of Little Tree.

Happy President's Day!!

Click HERE to see what I would have done for President's Day if I were that creative/talented.

Free Fries at Arby's

Today only, no coupon or purchase necessary. Go to Arby's and get a free order of fries. You're welcome.

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year, Jed and I decided to down-play Valentine's Day. I think it's a great idea in theory, but it's just too over-done. I'd rather have our own "Valentine's Day" where we dedicate the day to showing our love for each other on some random day and not have to 'fight the crowds'. Or better yet, make every day a "Valentine's Day".
So instead of listing all the things I love about Jed, I'll just do this couples survey. :)


♥ How long have you been together?
13 months total; 6.5 months married


♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
A week

♥ Who asked who out?
Jed asked me out. Our first date was dinner and bowling with Mike & Kim.

♥ How old are each of you?
22 & 25

♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most?
Jed has a brother, Nathan, who lives in town. We used to hang out with Tom quite a bit when he lived here too.

♥ Do you have any children together?
Not yet. They'll be here in about a year or so.

♥ What about pets?
A goldfish and a black/red "rainbow shark".


♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Truth? Financial. :\

♥ Did you go to the same school?
Yup. Still do.

♥ Are you from the same home town?
No, sir. I'm from Paradise (TX) and he's from West Virginia...

♥ Who is the smartest?
It's a tie. I think Jed is brilliant and he thinks I'm a genius. In reality we're both really smart, but I'll stop my bragging there. ;)

♥ Who is the most sensitive?
I honestly think Jed is. I've got a thick [candy] shell and he tends to allow himself to be more vulnerable and sensitive than I do. (Don't tell him I told you, but I've seen him cry during movies [ie Secret Life of Bees - go see it!] and it melts my heart to see him so sensitive - he's got a heart of gold!)

♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We love Pita Pit, but we also go to Little Cs (does that count?), Hickory Kist, and Quiznos.

♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
I'm pretty sure our cruise to Key West/Cozumel was farther than the others - Las Vegas, California, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia. [Thank you kind stranger who didn't even bother to check if my eyes were open when you took the picture...]


♥ Who has the craziest exes?
Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner! Ali, hand's down! Oh the stories I could tell.

♥ Who has the worst temper?
Ali :(

♥ Who does the cooking?
Both of us, but mostly Ali does because she loves it. And Jed does the dishes (I unload). [www.goodellgoodies.blogspot.com]

♥ Who is more social?
Ali. Jed is just a little bit more reserved.

♥Who is the neat Freak?
We take turns. Neither of us are "neat freaks", but we let the house go for a while and then we walk in one day and realize how bad it's gotten and we both clean. Or else Jed cleans while I'm running errands and he's stuck at home. He likes to surprise me like that - I love it! :D

♥ Who is the most stubborn?
Ali. Jed has more patience and is much more calm about things. (I think I get that from my mom...)

♥ Who hogs the bed?
Our bed is in a corner and if I'm on the inside, I spread out over the bed, but if I'm on the outside, I hug the edge and hang a leg over the side. It's weird...that's why we switch places every so often. (Oh, did I mention I kick and turn in the night? And even though we each have our own blankets, I steal Jed's sometimes.)

♥ Who wakes up earlier?
Jed. For work during the week and naturally on the weekends. I could sleep in until past noon on the weekends, and I do if he lets me.

♥ Where was your first date?
Dinner at Hickory Kist, bowling at Fat Cats, ice cream at Sonic, and movie/Rock Band at the Keays'.

♥ Who has the bigger family?
Jed. He has 7 siblings and I have a mere 5. (FYI- we are not planning on following in our parents' footsteps. 3-4 kids for us is the plan.)

♥ Do you get flowers often?

I did when we were dating. Jed is super sweet and thoughtful like that. I think he would still get them for me a lot if I hadn't told him that he didn't need to spend money on things that would die all the time. :)

♥ How do you spend the holidays?
It will depend more on where we end up living later, but for right now (what we've done this year):
Birthdays - presents, dinner/party with friends
Valentine's Day - low-key...maybe just going out to lunch together
Easter - who knows?
Fourth of July and Pioneer Day - fireworks in SLC
Thanksgiving - extended family in SLC
Christmas - alternating Jed's family and mine

♥ Who is more jealous?
I don't think either of us are ever very jealous. Sometimes I get jealous of Jed because he has more "free time" during the day to spend as he wishes, while I'm stuck at my office all day. But that's not even a big thing.

♥ How long did it take to get serious?
A month or two. We were engaged within three months... [I found this picture online. Nobody in our family is in love with Vanilla Ice.]


♥ Who eats more?
Jed. He often finishes what I can't.

♥ Who does/ did the laundry?
I do, for the most part. I've recently started making Jed do his own laundry because he often leaves things in his pockets and I don't want my clothes to get ruined. :\

♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Jed! No contest. He does that for a living and he loves working on computers. He knows how to fix any problem I've ever come across, and he can always find incredible deals on electronics.

♥ Who drives when you are together?
I usually drive, especially if it's longer distances. I love driving and sometimes Jed's driving stresses me out. :\


I hope you all have a fabulous Valentine's Day (or Singles Awareness Day, if that's your thing this year) and let the people you love know how you feel about them.

Friday Foto Fix

A few months ago, Jed and I were in the Wilkinson Center on BYU campus and this picture caught my eye because my Grandpa Busath was a "Yell Leader" (not a cheerleader) when he was at BYU. [Sorry for the bad quality...the lighting there was not helpful.]

So I take a closer look and sure enough, my grandpa is one of the guys in this picture, hanging in the student center on campus, some 50 years later. How cool is that?

He's the one in the middle. Today is his 75th birthday! February 13th, between Lincoln's birthday and Valentine's Day - that's why he claims he's so honest and lovable! ;)
Happy Birthday Grandpa!! You're an amazing man and an inspiration to those who have the pleasure of knowing you. I am so grateful that you are in my life and that Jed and I can spend this special time with you.




Ping Pong Tournament
I was so surprised by how many of the contestants had their own paddles. So of these guys were incredibly good. And just so you know, there is a ping pong club that meets every Tuesday night (7:00 I think) in the Wilk, in case you just want to play a pick-up game or something. FYI.

Jed did pretty well, considering he didn't practice and hadn't played in months - he was just a little bit rusty. He lasted a few rounds, but eventually he lost to the guy who ended up getting 3rd place, out of 70. Not too bad. I'm very proud of Jed. He did a wonderful job!

These are just a few random shots I took at the tournament. It is Friday Foto Fix afterall. :)

This guy had a really crippled hand and severe limp - we think Cerebral Palsy - but he was really, really good. Good for this guy!

Waiting our turn...

Can you see the ball on this one?

This was the trophy for the winner! I got a kick out of it.

Jed's paddle case. He picked this little gem up in Chile. Can ya tell? :)