Congrats Erica!

My darling little (but taller) sister received excellent news yesterday! She was hired as the new Kindergarten teacher at Beitel Elementary in Laramie! This all happened just days before her graduation. I am so excited for her! She did her student teaching this last semester at Beitel and must have made QUITE the impression, because she was up against three other experienced teachers and kicked their behinds! (At least from my perspective.)

I can honestly say that she is in THE most perfect profession for her. Her love of children can be seen daily, and she has excelled throughout her education. Maybe I can come out and help her decorate her room! (I think deep down we all want to be teachers—even if it is just so we can write on the chalkboard.)

Congrats again Erc! We love ya!

My Shame

I almost hate to type this, as it will reveal one of my true loves.

McDonald’s.

I’m loving it. Seriously.

I just have to say one thing before I begin to get hate mail from those who have seen Supersize Me or want to educate me on the damage I am doing to my body….back off!

I know it’s not healthy and I know much of their food is on the disgusting side, but I don’t eat there every day or every week or even every month.

However, there are three things obtainable only at MD that I absolutely adore. Their Sweet and Sour Sauce, Sausage Biscuits, and Parfaits. Most often it is the sweet and sour sauce that draws me in. I order a #9 with a Dr. Pepper and extra S&S. Then I devour the chicken nuggets and fries with all the S&S I can possibly pile on before taking a bite.

In the past week, I have been disappointed by McDonald’s not once, but twice. (I know this goes against the only-every-once-in-a-while argument, but let me tell the story.)

#1. On Saturday evening the S&S sauce began chanting my name, I caved and Ronnie and I stopped by to fulfill my desire. We ordered in the drive through and I accidentally forgot to tell Ronnie about the sauce, but I thought “No big deal, we’ll just ask for it at the window.”

Wrong.

We asked. They were out. Out? Out of the only reason I was there. We had already paid, and I thought I could live, so we drove home.

I was wrong. I couldn’t even finish the meal, because the nuggets and fries were nothing without the sweet nectar of life.

#2. This very morning, on my way to work I was starving! I had forgotten my granola bar and decided that a Sausage Biscuit would hit the spot quite nicely, plus I was confident that friendly workers at my “work” Mc Donald’s would redeem my previous experience.

I ordered, paid and waited patiently for my delicious sandwich. The smiling young woman handed me my bag and I happily drove the two blocks to work—practically drooling with anticipation.

When I arrived I opened the sack.

A FREAKING MCGRIDDLE?!?!?

The most disgusting food on the entire menu.

I know I should have checked before I drove away, but I didn’t.

I know I should have driven back and demanded the correct sandwich, but I had a work meeting in 15 minutes.

I know I should have learned my lesson two days prior, but I didn’t.

Goodbye McDonald’s. I’m sorry it had to end this way.

(But don’t worry too much. I’m sure another craving will hit me in the next month or two.)

I-C-E-C-R-E-A-M

I don’t know if anyone else is sick of opening up my blog and only seeing news about law school, but I am! So it’s time for a trip down memory lane.

At the ripe-old-age of 15, I decided it was time to get a job. Through my many friends I was able to interview at Baskin Robbins and was offered a position. You may be wondering how I was employed in the 9th grade, to which I respond—it was Wyoming-okay?

I was soon dreaming of shopping trips and all of the new CDs I could buy with my outstanding wage of $2.15 an hour.

Yes, you read that correctly. I was making $2.15 BEFORE taxes.

Nevertheless, I was stoked (and I really did use that word in 1998.)

I eagerly donned my white polo shirt and blue apron and started training. I remember scooping and then weighing those scoops for the first four hours. Then came the daunting task of (gasp) helping someone. Through the next month I perfected my scoops and my right forearm. (I really wish I had taken a picture of that at some point, but let me assure you, it was awesome!)

The biggest bonus to this job (aside from the outstanding pay, of course) was that nearly everyone who worked there was LDS, lived in my neighborhood and was my best friend. It wasn’t work; it was a rip-roaring batch of fun. A senior in high school was the manager and we would all beg to be scheduled together.

We carpooled, we joked, we sang, and we scooped.

As time went on I continued to be employed by the “BR” as we called it. I received my nickel or dime raises every few months and trudged onward. Surprisingly it was just under four years later that I finally had to move on. In that span of time, I collected some treasured memories. (I’ll apologize now for the length of this post.)

1. There is only one radio station in Laramie that is not country or oldies. Thus, it was the station we listened to. There was an eternal game of “Name the Artist” at which I utterly failed every night. However, due to Saturday night being “80’s” music, I can sing EVERY song that was EVER popular in that time period. This knowledge has astounded Ronnie on more than one occasion.

2. We closed at 10pm and there was a very specific clean up schedule. We had to sweep, then pre-mop and then bleach the floor. The pre-mop mop (confusing, I know) had a swivel handle that led very easily to dancing. I can name you the song that EVERY person I worked with danced to while mopping. (Ryan-Bailamos; Annie-Walking on Sunshine; Amber-Closing Time, etc.)

3. While this will probably haunt me forever—I peed my pants while working. I was 15, was laughing uncontrollably and just could. not. make. it. My two dear friends helped me find an old pair of shorts left there by the owner. I then had to secure them around my waist with a garbage bag and put my shorts out to dry in the back. I still smile when I think about that night—not the peeing my pants part, but the friendship and laughter.

All in all, I learned hard work, how to earn a paycheck and gained some valuable friendships. And, if I ever have the privilege of serving you ice cream you can expect a gigantic scoop for the price of a small (just don’t tell the boss.)

Congratulations Carissa!

My wonderful roommate of three years, Carissa, just got engaged this last week! I am so happy for her—yeah for weddings! This is a picture of the two of us at a Utah/BYU game in Salt Lake—scary stuff!

I finally got to meet the “guy” and have to say I approve. After all, he IS from Wyoming, so what’s not to like?

Shawn and Carissa are getting married in Portland, so I won’t be around for any of the planning (which I consider the fun part), but I know it will be spectacular!

Congrats again!

The Update

I know everyone probably wants an update, but all I have to say is that we

Still.

Haven’t.

Decided.

I’ll let you know if anything new happens.

I don't have any law school titles left...

So we visited UNLV.

It was fine, but we have felt better about a few other options, so we have decided to let UNLV go.

The day that we left, we received an acceptance from Temple University in Philadelphia. It was a school that we applied to based on their invitation and never really considered because 1. we didn’t think we could get in and 2. it is all the way in Philadelphia.

Nevertheless, we are accepted. We weighed the pros and cons and decided that we would call them and ask a few questions regarding residency, etc. Ronnie called and found out that if you are a student in PA, you cannot receive residency. Period. Based on this fact we ruled it out.

That was yesterday afternoon.

A mere four hours later, Ronnie was going through the mail and saw we had received a packet from Temple. This is fairly common with law schools. They send you an acceptance letter and then follow up with a huge envelope with more information. Although tempted to throw it out sight unseen, he decided to open it.

It’s a good thing he did! We were offered a scholarship that brings tuition to the residency price for all three years. That means that a school ranked 60th is the same price as Wyoming.

Temple is back in the running.

Ronnie has always dreamed of living in Pennsylvania and I am getting more used to the idea. It is still a LONG ways away from family, but it is the most prestigious school on our list and that is a definite plus.

As always, I’ll keep you updated as the saga continues. BYU’s deposit (for those accepted) was due last week, so we are hoping to hear one way or the other soon.

A Mission Call!

My brother, Adam, received his mission call last week. He will be serving in the Guatemala Quetzaltenango Mission.

Yeah, we can’t say it either.

He reports to the Guatemala City MTC on August 1st and will be speaking Spanish. I guess they expect him to be a fast learner, because he will only be in the MTC for 19 days! Maybe they confused his last name with mine—just kidding!

I am so excited for him and with this news a lot has hit me. Adam, the Ad-man, will REALLY be gone for two long years. Who will tell all of the stories and keep me entertained for hours with his impressions? Who is going to master Guitar Hero? Who will make up songs on the fiddle?

We’re going to miss him a lot! I’m a little bummed that I will miss out on the Provo MTC experience; I was all ready to provide him with FABULOUS care packages. When I expressed this disappointment to the fam, Jordan, the 10-year old was quick to respond, “Don’t worry KaLee. I’m still coming up!” Which is very true, just a short nine years and we will be doing this again.

Congrats again Adam! We love ya!

Here's a pic of the Ad-man with his elk this fall. (He's second from the right.)

Details

I know I have been a bit neglectful of the blog lately, but I have officially moved desks at work and have been training for the new parts of my position. It is a LOT of work. Not hard work, just work. The funny thing is it is very detail oriented. While you would think I may be overwhelmed, instead I get giddy inside thinking about it.

Yes, it’s true. I am a freak.

I just love little details. The simple, mundane tasks that must get done, but aren’t that exciting. I enjoy the challenge of completing things and knowing that it is done correctly, because I did it.

After I am trained, I will hire an assistant. Ronnie laughed when I told him that. He said that I won’t have the student do anything because I will need to make sure it is done exactly. precisely. right.

The sad thing is he knows me too well. Delegation is a struggle for me, and I suppose I can look at my new assistant as a way to train myself to improve. I have a feeling that the work load will force me to use him/her and then I will be grateful and not freaking out.

I hope.

On another note: We are heading to Vegas! We’re touring the campus, sitting in on a class, and trying to get a “feel” for the school. Of our top three choices currently (Pacific, UNLV, and Wyoming), UNLV is the only one we haven’t visited and think it deserves a chance.

After visiting the campus, we are continuing down to Cali for a short weekend visit with the fam. Yea for beaches and warm weather!

Airport Security

I have never been one to fear flying. I sometimes get a little nauseous, but I never worry about crashing, or dying. I just enjoy my bus-ride in the sky. Nevertheless, there is one part of flying that I, and most people I know dread.

Airport Security.

After September 11th, when security was tightened many people had stories of being asked to step aside for additional screening. For the next two years, I was not able to go through security without an extra check. Apparently I look pretty threatening or too innocent for my own good.

My freshman year of college, I had the pleasure of meeting Heather. She is one of the sweetest, most caring, genuinely nice people I have ever met. Case in point: When I had the flu and was running to the dormitory bathrooms every few minutes to throw up, she bought me Sprite and saltine crackers and rubbed my back for over an hour, because it made me feel better. She is THAT kind of friend. (In fact, I haven’t heard from her in a while so maybe this post will bring her out of the woodwork.)

Heather has the most gorgeous, natural curly, thick hair. It is seriously so pretty. She came back from Christmas break and shared a rather unique search which she had to endure.

She was pulled aside from the regular screening process and the security person proceeded to probe her hair with a plastic stick of some sort. Apparently, Heather looked as though she was hiding weapons in her mounds of gorgeous curls and nothing short of scalp-probing (along with an extra sweep of the metal-detecting wand) was necessary before they could clear her to board.

I am no longer able to go through any security screening process without wondering what the lady in front of me could be hiding in her hair.

Law School--Yet Again!

So, the latest news is we have been accepted at Texas Tech and are on the waiting list at Mississippi. I am pleased to announce that we have at least narrowed things down, so below you will find the list of our top six schools. We have yet to hear from Houston, but are still interested, so we shall see. As always, I’ll let you know of any news, or decisions we make.

Work, shmurk

For over a year, my work has been in a state of “transition.” At least that’s the word the management uses to try and calm us. Our General Manager resigned last March and we went through phases of a management team, an acting general manager, and finally two months ago they hired a new General Manager.

With new leadership comes reorganization. In every staff meeting there is an underlying tension of what will be the big announcement this time. They have told us time and time again that no one is being fired, but that they are going to be changing some job titles and duties and if you don’t like it you are free to go.

My job has been targeted for change.

Contrary to most of my coworkers, I was excited to see what I would get to do. I was promised either programming or accounting and looked forward to the change.

You see, my job once had enough work to keep a full-time employee more than busy, but through the years it has evolved (read: I S-T-R-E-T-C-H everything I can to take up more time). I am constantly asked to work on special projects such as:

Supervising a night shift of customer service.

Supervising an editing student. (I had to ask someone where the editing room was during this project).

Helping with international trade shows. (That I do NOT get to attend).

And other various stuff.

I really can’t complain, I am paid well (for Provo), have excellent benefits, get a cool cell phone, and was offered the job without ever applying.

Today I was informed of the “transition” my job would be taking. I am moving to a new department and will have the work load of one former employee added onto what I already do. I know that I will be busy, because the General Manager told me that if I get too overwhelmed, to let him know. That pretty much guarantees I will be swamped.

On the positive side, I still get an office with a window (those are few and far between at our building), I have my own A/C controls (I know I am really reaching for that one), and I get to hire a student to help me (hooray for total domination).

So, here’s to my “transition!”

Hockey and whatnot

On Friday we were invited to attend the Grizzly Hockey game by Josh and Gnickie. I had never been to a hockey game before and since it was something new and different (read: not games and movies), I was excited to attend. Everyone I talked to told me that hockey is way more fun in person than on TV and boy were they right!

We didn’t get just any seats either. Gnickie’s boss is the doctor for the Grizzlies and has a box. So we enjoyed the game with the comfort of tacos, hot wings, quesadillas, and chocolate cheesecake. I have now determined that I would like to aspire to someday owning a box. There really is NO better way to enjoy the game.

Unfortunately, the Grizzlies lost, but we were able to keep smiles on our faces.

Gnickie and Josh

Ronnie and me

We also had the pleasure of my family coming into town for Conference. It was an extremely quick trip but it was great to be with them and to attend the Saturday Morning Session. We’ll see you in May!

Idaho!

Last weekend, Ronnie and I had the privilege of attending Jared and Kara’s wedding. Jared is Ronnie’s second cousin; only the families are a lot closer than the relation makes them sound. Here you can see Jared and Kara outside the Idaho Falls Temple.

Ronnie’s parents, as well as his sister Alisa and her fiancé Alex made the long journey north. Ray was the photographer, so he had good reason to be there!

It was so fun to spend the weekend with them and play a few intense games with the fam!

We love you!

That's Good News! No, That's Bad News!

Okay, not really. We JUST received an email letting us know we are on the waiting list for BYU.

While it is nice that it is not a solid NO, it just means we can’t do anything until we know for sure. We immediately replied and let them know of our interest and now we just wait.

For how long?

They didn’t say. Of course.

Are we ever going to talk about anything other than law school?

Probably not.

That being said, I thought it was about time for another update. (I finally figured out blogger--a little bit.)



And now I will walk you through a few of our thoughts. We just heard from Utah last night and are disappointed. Ronnie is convinced that this means we are definitely not getting into BYU, but I refuse to give up hope. You may notice a full-ride scholarship to Whittier on the list now. It was flattering to receive, but we have since learned that they are on probation with the ABA and may lose their accreditation. This would be a bad thing.

We are waiting to hear back from a few more schools (namely: BYU, Houston, Mississippi, and Texas Tech) before we begin weeding things down and hope to get those letters in the next two weeks. (Ideally before next Monday so I can save on deposits that are due.)

Check your Mail...

…but not because you will see anything from me.

I currently own no less than five different designs of postage stamps.

Why the variety you ask?

I enjoy matching the stamp to the type of mail or person I am corresponding with.

My categories go something like this:



Happy Birthday Stamps. These are used for the obvious—birthdays. It’s a nice way to brighten up the outside of the envelope and ensure that the recipient is aware of the contents.


Elegant Stamps. These are used for wedding cards, thank you cards, sympathy cards and the like.






Wonders of America Stamps. I like to use these when sending information or if I feel the person would enjoy learning what the largest rodent in America is (American Beaver.)






DC Comics Stamps. I use these for the young and old alike. I enjoy picking out the most applicable hero (Flash for Adam, or Supergirl for Sarah) and sending that message along with my card.





Regular, Old American Flag Stamps. These are reserved for my bills. Nothing as insignificant as the electric company will receive a stamp that took some thought.




My love of the upper right corner of an envelope was inherited from my mother. When I was planning my wedding she took great care to select stamps that would correspond with the wedding colors (and succeeded.) Everyone who was perceptive enough arrived at my wedding already expecting black and white with a splash of blue.

So the next time you receive a piece of mail from me, check to see how it was classified. (Unless I’m out of everything but the American flag stamps and just had to get it out.)

Gimme a D....V....R!

We were introduced to the magic that is DVR over a year ago when we got our HD television. Once we had the possibility of watching things in HD of course Ronnie HAD to have the HD channels.

Ronnie lives for sports in HD.

I don’t even know how to find the HD channels.

When we went into Comcast to add the HD channels I found out that we could get a DVR for just $5 more and had to have it.

It has changed my life.

I no longer deal with appointment television and can watch an hour program in forty minutes. Although this is all marvelous, it also means that I watch more shows—since they each take less time. I thought I would share the shows that I enjoy.

“24” Jack Bauer is the bomb—I don’t think I need to say anything else.

“Prison Break” I have to admit that I was leery about this one at first, but the characters grow on you and it has made me really think about our government on several occasions.

“The Unit” Now that I look at this list I think Ronnie has influenced me a bit. This is a great show about families in the army, plus it has David Palmer in it.

“Heroes” As out there as this show may appear—IT. IS. AWESOME. I love how one minute I am on the edge of my seat and the next I am laughing out loud.

“America’s Next Top Model” This is my guilty pleasure. I actually hate watching the entire episode but love the photo shoots and ending pictures.

"Amazing Race" This is a recent addition but one that I love. It is entertaining and surprisingly family friendly (except this year I have seen men kiss three times so far.)

“HGTV” Any time I do want to watch live television, this is what is on. I know I am a typical girl, but I love it.

*****Edited to Add*****

"LOST" Thanks, Bethany for the reminder! I can't believe I forgot our Wednesday night show! This is a great show, but I believe its one downfall is that you could never join in at the beginning of a new season, you have to watch it from the start. This season has been a bit of a drag, but I hear that this weeks episode is amazing (we'll watch it soon.)

Any recommendations for shows we are missing?*

*Before anyone kills us—we know “The Office” is awesome, but haven’t watched it from the beginning. We are in the process of catching up through the DVDs and will add it to our regular line-up soon.

Happy Birthday Grandad and Grandma!

Both of my maternal grandparents have birthdays in March and they both happen to fall on the weekend, so while I technically missed Grandad’s birthday, I’m going to catch them both before Grandma’s. (No one should be allowed to have their birthday on the weekend; I have a much harder time remembering those.)

I have been blessed with the most wonderful grandparents ever! They are quick to show their love and supportive of everything I do. I have wonderful memories of spending one week each summer at their house (surprisingly those memories consist of the chores I had to do and dinner—nothing else.) They also took Erica, Adam and I to Nauvoo and the surrounding areas and it was amazing! Each room in their house has a specific memory and now that I live there, I relive my childhood daily.

I had the pleasure of living with them for a summer when I was single and grew to know them more personally. Grandma is a wonderful listener and Grandpa has profound advice (practically every time he speaks.) They are currently serving their third LDS mission on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona and learning about a whole new culture.

We love them and miss them! Happy Birthday!

Returns

The weather has been beautiful here and last night after dinner, Ronnie and I decided that we needed to get out of the house. We weighed our options….a walk, a drive, the park and made our choice. Where did we end up, you ask?

Costco.

I don’t know how “enjoying the weather” led us to a large, concrete warehouse, but we were there nonetheless. We are in desperate need of a printer and after some online research, decided that we needed to peruse Costco before we made any decisions.

I’m sure our decision to shop at Costco is the same as most—the return policy.

There is nothing simpler than returning ANYTHING,

for ANY reason,

at ANY time.

It even makes a slightly higher price worth it—especially when you are buying electronic (and prone to break) items.

So we wander through the electronics section at Costco and I am noticing stickers on most of the merchandise. I stop to read one and notice that it explains a 90-day return policy.

WHAT!?!?! Why am I here?

In my rage, I stopped one of their helpful associates and stammered through my questions. I just wanted to let all of you know that all televisions, cameras, camcoders, ipods and MP3 players at Costco now have a 90-day return policy. (Lucky for us this did not include our printer.)

The change went into effect on March 12th. Anything purchased before that time has the old (and much preferable) return policy, but from the 12th on Costco is the same as EVERY. OTHER. STORE.

After catching my breath, and trying not to kill the Costco associate with the laser beams shooting from my eyes, we purchased our printer and went on our way.

I may have to rethink my Costco membership the next time it comes up for renewal and that saddens me immensely.

Law School--An Update

Due to the number of questions we have received regarding law school and where we are on a decision, I have decided to post a list. Those of you who know me, know the first thing I did when we were applying was create an excel document with information for each school, so this list is taken from there. Note: Blogger is dumb and won't let me create a table of any kind so I apologize that this list is a pain to read. I've bolded the schools we HAVE heard from.

School (Ranking) Accepted (Scholarship)
Akron (3rd Tier) Yes (15000/yr)
ASU (53) No
BYU (34)
Campbell (4th Tier)
Cardozo (53)
Connecticut (50) Waitlist
George Mason (37) No
Houston (70)
Indiana (37)
Marquette (3rd Tier) Yes (15000/yr)
Mississippi (97)
Pacific (97) Yes (10000/yr )
Santa Clara (87)
Temple (58)
Texas Tech (3rd Tier)
UNLV (3rd Tier)
Utah (57)
Washington & Lee (22)
Whittier (4th Tier)
Wyoming (4th Tier) Yes

Now you can all feel “in the know” in regard to our pending decision.

If any of you would like to sway our decision, we are accepting outside scholarships. This can be in the form of trips, free food, money, etc. Just so you know what you are up against, my dad has offered Ronnie a Cowboy Scholarship (read: one pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat) if Wyoming is our final decision.

Rascal Flatts

Ronnie and I were married very close to Valentine’s Day and as a result, we struggle celebrating both V-day and our Anniversary. This year, we decided that instead of spending money on presents for each other, we would buy tickets to the Rascal Flatts concert in Salt Lake. It turned out to be an excellent idea.

I loved it! Our seats were dead center, in the second row of the balcony. The best part was when they lifted up the front part of the stage and brought it to the back, right below us!

The view right over the balcony. I know the quality is bad, but that's what you get with a camera phone.

Ronnie and I loving our country music!

50 things about KaLee

I know most people do 100 things, but I was feeling lucky to get 50, so here we go...

1. I HATE the sound of Styrofoam on Styrofoam. I had to leave the room when Ronnie was unpacking some of our Christmas decorations this year.
2. I scored a 35 on the Reading section of the ACT. (I’ll never understand why this wasn’t a 36, since it reported I got 18/18 correct.)
3. For me, texture is the most important part of foods. For this reason I hate watermelon. I know I’m un-American.
4. I took ballet for over 10 years and danced on Pointe for two. (I then realized that short of anorexia, I would never have the body to go much further.)
5. I taught clogging for one summer and LOVED it. Someday I want to have a studio in my house so I can teach again.
6. Breast-stroke is my favorite swimming stroke, mainly because I am really good at it. My swimming instructors always asked me to demonstrate it for the rest of the class.
7. I have never been snow-skiing.
8. When I walk alone I chant jump-roping rhymes in my head (Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack).
9. I have never gotten a speeding ticket.
10. I always get compliments on my eyes when I wear green, but have never received one when I am wearing any other color.
11. I never had braces or a retainer.
12. When I am heavily medicated I cry uncontrollably and for no reason.
13. At the age of 16 I heard a commercial on osteoporosis and was so affected I single-handedly drank a gallon of milk every 3-4 days for the next three years.
14. I now have to force myself to drink milk because I know I should.
15. I have had my ears pierced since I was 15, but have not worn earrings in two years.
16. My ears are so sensitive I can only wear platinum or 18-karat gold earrings.
17. I sleep with my tongue folded backwards on itself. (I also catch myself doing this when I am concentrating.)
18. I only eat Peeps when they are stale—delicious!
19. My favorite time of day is the afternoon; I hate getting up, and hate staying up late.
20. I shot an antelope at the age of 14.
21. My recurring dream is falling through the leafless branches of a silver-plated maple tree.
22. I bite my fingernails.
23. I sang in Carnegie Hall with my high school choir. (I didn’t fully understand how cool that was at the time, but do now.)
24. I stubbed my toe on a security door when I was five, and it grows with a crack straight down the middle to this day.
25. Tulips are my favorite flower.
26. Anytime I read a book or watch a movie, my brain truly believes that it is real. While this is cool when I am reading fantasies, it is horrific when I am watching scary movies.
27. I could shop online and in catalogs all day long, but can only be at the mall for two hours or less.
28. I was born close to Christmas and came home from the hospital in a giant red stocking.
29. All of my height is in my legs. Due to this, I have an extremely hard time finding pants that are long enough.
30. I have permed my hair three different times in my life and have loved it every time. The growing out of the perm is not so fun.
31. I have worn socks with my sandals. (It was junior high and I’m trying to move past it.)
32. The first CD I ever purchased was Garth Brooks: The Hits.
33. I lived in Mississippi for two years and obtained a true southern accent. It only lasted for a few weeks once we moved to Wyoming.
34. I don’t know all the words to Ice, Ice, Baby or the theme song from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but do know the words to Ain’t Going Down til the Sun Comes Up.
35. I was co-captain of my high school cheerleading squad.
36. One of my college classes (of about 250) was stopped so the teacher could lecture me about talking during class. (I sat in a completely different location the rest of the semester.)
37. I don’t have a passport.
38. I had a summer job giving surveys over the phone, and as a result ALWAYS take surveys.
39. I broke out with shingles the fall of my senior year due to stress. (Yes, that old man disease.) They are HORRIBLE!
40. The doctor threatened me with the return of shingles if I get too stressed, so I now I get stressed about getting shingles again every time I am stressed.
41. I love eating sea creatures, but hate the thought of them swimming below me when I’m in the ocean.
42. I regularly talk in my sleep. All of my roommates and Ronnie can attest.
43. I have an uncanny ability for remembering numbers. Anything from the exact total of my last trip to Wal-Mart to the phone number of a store I called four days ago.
44. I play the violin. I haven’t picked it up since I left for college, so I am extremely rusty.
45. Sweeping is my most-detested household chore.
46. I was nanny for a family of millionaires at their ranch in Colorado for a summer. They are so rich they flew out Michael Bolton for a private concert at the ranch.
47. My fingers are tiny. My ring size is a 4 1/2.
48. The only bone I have broken is my pinky finger. I was blocking a volleyball from hitting my face.
49. I’m the oldest of five kids and have most of the cliché “oldest child” traits.
50. I hate melted cheese.

Sacramento!

We have returned from the land of sunshine! I loved the weather—but who doesn’t love it? Friday was spent at McGeorge Law School. We were impressed with the classes, atmosphere and the fact we got to hear from the Attorney General, but were unimpressed by the fact that their school is ridiculously expensive.

My Aunt Nat and Uncle Jeremy showed us around the sights of Sacramento and I loved the feel of the city. It is surprisingly “country” feeling—it’s actually hard to describe. We got to eat in Old Sacramento and stopped for delicious salt water taffy.

Saturday morning we went to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairview and met my other two aunts in the area, Jill & Dan and Denise & Robert (with their two kids). I was amazed at what they had for sale in the shop and the process that goes into one little jelly bean.

Ronnie, me, Jill, Dan, Nat at the Jelly Belly Factory.

Ronnie and I sporting our sweet tour hats.

We even made it down to San Francisco (my first ever visit to the city) and did all the usual things, Lombard Street, Fisherman’s Wharf, etc.

The view of Lombard Street after our death-defying drive down.

Me and the Seals...there weren't a ton out, but they are still awesome.

Ronnie and I petting a shark. (I didn't actually touch it, but the picture sure looks like it huh?)

After all of our adventures, our decision is….

…we still don’t know. We have decided to pay the first deposit for Wyoming, due mainly to the fact that they need to know insanely soon, and then we will continue to try to narrow down our choices. We did get some excellent advice from a professor at McGeorge. She told us that if they had flown us out, they want us to be there and we should ASK for more money. I’ll continue to keep you updated.

Happy Birthday Katie!

Katie is turning the big 1-9 today (this is a very cute young Katie) and is a great sister-in-law. She is going to chef school (culinary school? what is the politically correct name?) and is loving it. I especially love her parmesan chicken—delish! She always has magnificent hugs ready for me when I visit and I love when we can get her laughing--it’s contagious.

Have a great day Katie! We love you!

I'd give my right hand for some Kleenex with lotion

I apologize for my absence lately, but the winter bug of 2007 has gotten its dirty little paws on me. I have not had the flu but instead an aching body, sinus headache, lung-shattering hacking, and running faucet (that is my nose). Things seem to be looking up, so I hope that I can at least loose my man-like voice before this weekend.

Why the deadline?

Cuz we are going to Sacramento! A last-minute trip out to University of the Pacific for an orientation, etc and the best part is they are paying for Ronnie—I’m just tagging along to visit my ultra-cool California aunts! When we booked the trip, we were hoping that it would up our chances for scholarships if we flew out and met them in person. That very same evening we received a letter in the mail letting us know we would get $10,000 a year (with some stipulations). Now, we are hoping that after meeting us they will realize that their school can’t function without the likes of our little family and give us everything we could ever hope for (read: a full-ride scholarship).

In other good news we learned that we were accepted to the University of Wyoming in my hometown of Laramie. We are excited! The only snag is that they want us to decide by March 16th. A mere two weeks from now. I know the person who would be the most excited about this news is my 10-year-old brother, Jord-man (who has literally been praying nightly for us to come to school in Laramie), but after consulting with my mom, we have decided not to tell him until we make a final decision of where we are going. We just can’t bear to break the little kid’s heart!

Randomness

Just wanted to let everyone know that we heard from University of the Pacific. We are in! It is a private school in Sacramento that is prrrrrrrricey, so I don’t know if we will end up there. Hopefully this is a sign that we will start hearing from lots more schools soon. (otherwise I may not be able to take it).

This picture is one of us taken while we were snowmobiling at the ranch.

And here is a little something that was kind of entertaining:
YOUR REAL NAME:
KaLee

YOUR GANGSTA NAME (1st 4 letters plus izzle):
KaLizzle (the e didn’t make any sense)

YOUR DETECTIVE NAME (fave color + fave animal):
Green Giraffe

YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (middle name + childhood street):
L. Thomes

YOUR STAR WARS NAME (last 3 letters of your last name + first 2 letters of your first name + first 3 letters of Mom's maiden name):
Lopkanic

YOUR SUPER HERO NAME (2nd fave color + fave drink):
Pink Lemonade

YOUR IRAQI NAME (2nd letter of your first name + 3rd letter of your last name + any letter of your middle name + 2nd letter of your Mom's maiden name + 3rd letter of your Dad's middle name + 1st letter of a sibling's first name + last letter of your Mom's middle name):
Aplieal

YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM NAME (Grandma/Grandpa's first name + Jones):
Darylene Jones

YOUR GOTH NAME (Black + name of one of your pets):
Black Little One

If you've seen one rock...

We had a great time in the Moab area this last weekend. We traveled down on Saturday and drove straight into Arches National Park. It was late afternoon, so we only spent about two hours, but were able to see the Visitor’s Center, and Balanced Rock.

Ronnie at Balanced RockOur Remodeled Motel Room!

We then drove into Moab and checked into the Best Western. Lucky us! The rooms had just been remodeled and for once I felt like I could walk with no socks or shoes on. Unfortunately, even the remodel was not enough to convince Ronnie to sit on a Motel bedspread, but I’m hoping to trick him into it one day. The flat panel TV seemed to keep him pretty happy though.

Ronnie with the TV

The next day we got to the park around 10 a.m. and went straight to the Delicate Arch to do the big hike. I’m just glad we weren’t there in the dead of summer—cuz it was PLENTY hot for me. The greatest part of the hike is that the whole time you can’t see the arch, you feel as if you are hiking aimlessly and then you turn one corner and… BAM!!! There she is.

The Beautiful Arch

Great big arch---little-bitty KaLee!

Ronnie was able to test his brand new (to us) camera and took many beautiful pictures. If any of you are interested, I could put together a 20 minute slideshow.

No takers?

Okay then.

We hiked to lots of other stuff, like Sand Dune Arch, and the North and South Windows and then decided to venture on over to Dead Horse State Park—a place as fun as it’s name suggests. No actually, the views were spectacular, and history of the park is cool.

Ronnie and Sand Dune Arch

The view of the Colorado River from Dead Horse Point

Ronnie at Dead Horse Point

Stupid Roads

So, we were supposed to go to Laramie for the long weekend, but the heavens are working against us (literally). There are insane gusts of wind across Wyoming —capable of blowing over cars, and so the roads are closed. We are now going to fulfill our long weekend desires by trapsing down to Moab and Arches. (I guess after living in Utah for almost six years it’s about time we check them out).

I’ve been meaning to get this picture up forever!

Back row: Matt, Laura, Ronnie, KaLee, Gnickie, and Josh

Front row: Clay, Jessica and Madison

In Memory of Deseret Towers

I just received the following email:

As a service of the BYU Alumni Association, we are offering a piece of your BYU history. Our records indicate you are a former resident of Deseret Towers. As you may know, several of the towers have been torn down, and we have salvaged a limited number of the buildings' bricks.

If you are interested in obtaining one of them-at no charge-you may get one by coming to the reception desk at the Knight Mangum Building, the temporary home of the Alumni Association.

Regardless of whether you come by for a brick, we hope you have fond memories of your stay at Deseret Towers.

While I met three of my very best friends during my stay at Deseret Towers, the absolute LAST thing I desire is one of the bricks laying around my house. What would you use one for? A doorstop? A paperweight? A grinding stone for your wheat? A decorative piece on your mantel?

Wait.

I just figured out the only logical use for these bricks of remembrance.

I would go pick one up if I could throw it through the window of my previous room in T tower. (In hopes that it will convince the administration to hurry up already and tear down the rest of the buildings).

Happy Valentine's Day!

No, this isn't our child...but can you think of a better way to say Happy Valentine's Day?!?

P.S. This is the adorable Madison Shorter.

Happy Birthday Alisa!

Today we celebrate the day that Alisa entered the world! I’m sure Ronnie loved her to death as a baby, even if he did beat her up as they aged. Alisa is very considerate and is studying to be an expert librarian. She graduates this year! Yea for being done with school! In thinking about my dream jobs as a child, librarian was always at the TOP of the list. You get to stamp cards, and scan barcodes and read ALL. DAY. LONG. I’m sure that my dreams are not very realistic, but that is what I imagine.

Alisa is engaged and getting married in July and will be a beautiful bride. She is so great with kids and always has a book to read to them. She even lets me run all her errands with her! Hope you have a great day! Love you!

Snowmobile--no more

As the oldest child, I naturally compare my childhood to that of my younger brothers and sisters. As expected, they have and have done things that we would have not been able to do when I was that age.

This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy my childhood—I loved it! My greatest treats were Barnum Animal Crackers for being good in the store or Handi-Snacks as the ultimate reward. I loved dressing up, and would play house, school, library or ballerina all day long. We watched old Disney movies like The Gnome-mobile and Family Band, and sang along to the bands my parents listened to (Kenny Rogers, Chicago, Carpenters and America).

As time passed, my family’s situation changed. We were not rich by any means, but had some money for the “extras” in life. This meant that I could have Lunchables for my lunch occasionally. Such was the situation when I left for college. I’m not trying to get pity. In fact; my mom is quite honestly the captain of the fair police and is constantly trying to make everyone feel “equal.”
After I left the house, (at least it seemed that way) my family began getting things I would have loved to have: snowmobiles, 4-wheelers, flying turtles, a ranch, etc. I have had to appease myself by using these toys when I am home for brief amounts of time. Surprisingly, I have learned that I am deathly afraid of snowmobiles. Every time I ride one, I feel completely out of control—as if I will die at any moment. For example: at Christmas time the family went riding and I screamed like a little girl for the entirety of my 20-minute ride. Conversely, my ten year old brother was dragged by a rope behind the snowmobile for a considerable while and had a grand-old-time.

I recently found out that I have no need to fear the snowmobile anymore. My brother, Adam, and his friend (let’s call him JJ) were enjoying an afternoon ride when JJ unfortunately met with a tree.

JJ survived.

The snowmobile didn’t.

Since it’s not too safe to snowmobile with just one machine, our family snowmobiling trips are at a minimum until we can get a replacement. Naturally most of the family mourns—I am just a little relieved. Now I can spend more time 4-wheeling, flying on the flying turtle and shooting guns on the ranch—activities I absolutely love!

Solemn Oaths

Overheard: I made a solemn oath to myself today—that I would not buy ANYTHING out of the vending machine.
Co-worker: I made a solemn oath to myself today—that I would not eat all of the Crazy Bread I bought for lunch…I failed.
KaLee: I made a solemn oath to myself last night—that I would get up right when the alarm went off this morning…I also failed.

The casual comment of a student at my work caused me to ponder solemn oaths. I make anywhere from 5-10 of these daily. Strong statements in my head that are never said out loud. Little goals to get me through the next day.
I will do all of the dishes when I get home from work.
I will unpack my jewelry so I can accessorize again.
I will go to bed earlier.
I will finish the book I am reading.
I will get my valentines made.
I will plan next week’s menu.

Does anyone else find themselves doing this? Am I alone, or part of the norm?

Superbowl Party

We were able to gather with many of our close friends for the Superbowl yesterday. Go Colts! It was fun to have everyone come—we really need to get together again soon. Now that we have the space (Thanks Grandma & Grandad) we can host anytime.

Stephanie, Chip, Gnickie, Josh, Scott, Emily and Cheryl.

Clay and Madison, Ronnie, Matt, Laura and Barbara.

As you can see-it was a time for extreme relaxation!

Ronnie and I with the always adorable Maddie! We love this little one!

Happy Birthday Alex!

I am a day late on this post, but we are living a little more frugally and don't have the internet at home anymore so when I forgot to post at work, today was the best I could do.

Alex is my soon-to-be brother-in-law (man, that was a lot of hyphens). I consider him the genius of the family. He is getting his degree from Caltech and although he has told me what he is studying, it has escaped me at the moment. I do know that he wants to save the world--one step at a time and work to improve the environment somehow.

We are excited to welcome him into the Cali clan and as a fellow "outsider" I know how welcome he will be. Have a great day Alex (yesterday)!

Roommates and Sugar

I come from a long line of dessert lovers. Lovers of chocolate, sugar, coconut, pecans, and sprinkles. When my mother or grandmother is invited to a party, they are always asked to bring one of their delicious dessert recipes. When I was growing up, we had a dessert after dinner five or six times a week, and it was the motivation of the sweets that enticed me to eat some of my most detested meals.

At college, my habits did not change. In the dorms, my cravings were easily satisfied by the cafeteria, and in apartments I would bake cookies or cakes for all to have. I even have two roommates that blame me solely for their need for dessert now. In the words of Cher, “You have ruined me! A meal isn’t complete without dessert!” My old roommates and I got together last night for dinner at Bajios and I’m proud to announce that we all resisted the urge for dessert! We had an awesome time and I'm so glad that we have remained close friends through the years (with or without treats).