A Much Needed Vacation

Crystal and Lance at Mexican night!

On of my best friends, Crystal, called me about two months ago now and said, "We'd like to invite you come to Mexico with us! Can you come?" I of course accepted, and by the end of that week already had my plane ticket booked. It was a family vacation with her parents, grandparents, siblings, nieces and nephews. There were 18 of us total. Enough of us to hold out layover plane for when our first flight had some 'technical' problems and we had over an hour delay at the SLC Airport. 

Found this little guy on the beach one night. 

I love traveling, I especially love traveling to places where I get to see a new way of life. I think I'm glad we don't have Puerto Vallarta s way of left hand turns though...from the furthest right hand lane  through two or three lanes of traffic and and island to shoot onto the other side of the highway. They may need to work on that...We even loaded up a seven passenger mini van with fifteen people and all our luggage, and no one even cared. 

Playing in the waves

We stayed at Paradise Village, and they must not have very many big family groups that come to stay because they had a hard time understanding the room situation. I stayed in a room with Crystal and her husband, Lance, and her little sister Hailey. We had to check in three different times and slept in three different beds during the trip. Every time we checked in, we'd come in from the pool or beach and the people at the front desk would be oh so confused at how we'd got on the property.

They closed down the resort every night before 10:00 pm (I guess maybe that's an old people thing) so our group was the group breaking all the rules, swimming late at night, playing cards out by the pool, stealing vollyball's for a late night game or bodyboards for night surfing. (seriously, all that closes at 5pm) 

Pina Colada and Pink Dolphin in each hand! 

Hanging on the beach

For four of the days we were there, we had 'the golden wristband'. At least, Lance, Crystal and I did. So we got treated to the all inclusive package, we felt like celebrities! Workers would ask us as soon as we sat down at the beach or the pool, what they could bring us. We got food, drinks, exclusive dinners, pretty much the works. But then they cut them off and it was as if we were reduced to poverty. Once you live that life, it's just not the same anymore....Even right now, sitting in a freezing cold basement with snow outside, I'm dreaming of the beach and a Pink Dolphin or Freeze Willy drink...those were the days. 

The sun, the sand, the waves and the fun were all amazing. I'm so excited that I went and wish I was back there now! 

One of my favorite things was on Sunday, we flew out around 7 in the evening, but that afternoon we went to an Orphanage that my friends family  had visited before. We had brought some candy and toys, but really we wanted to just go in and see the kids. They let us go in and play with the toddlers, there is about 20 of them and one or two workers so these kids don't get a lot of one on one attention. It was so amazing. They all just ran up to us and wanted us to hold them. Some of them picked favorites and we had a blast! 

Anyway...the trip was a blast and I'm so glad I got to go

Road Trip

First of all, I'm not a slacker.  Let's get that cleared up:-) I am several days late in my post, but I'm sure you can forgive me. 
Secondly, last week had me thinking of the crazy year it has been.  One year ago last week, my husband and I woke up in Anchorage, Alaska for the first time.  Now I know what you are thinking.  All this girl talks about is freaking Alaska!  Well, you are correct.  That is because I live in this amazing place that is completely out of this world. 

Good bye, Utah!

Now. Back to the story.  It took us several days to get from Utah to Alaska, and it was quite the road trip. 
Picture this.  Thanksgiving morning.  You are supposed to wake up to amazing smells, yummy treats, and a parade, right?  Well, we woke up, had breakfast, and got into our crammed vehicle and started to drive.  We made it to Seattle that night, (no thanks to the random blizzard in Washington) completely starved.  We had been so focused on getting to Seattle in time that we didn't stop anywhere for food.  We started to walk through the area directly around our hotel and realized something.  No one was open because, yes, it was still Thanksgiving.  Luckily we had a loaf of banana bread with us in the car.  Banana bread and hotel lobby hot chocolate.  The Thanksgiving feast of champions. 

Driving onto our boat...

The next few days sailed by, literally, because we were on a boat.  We drove our vehicle onto the Malaspina, and sailed to Haines, Alaska.  Those were some fun days.  If you have ever been on a cruise, picture it.  Then think back 50 years and add an attendant named Smiley, and that is the boat we were on.  It was a great time, filled with Alaska documentaries in the 'theater', stopping at a grocery store in port to get some 'real' food,  and some sea sickness.   But we won't get into that. 

This creek, Sanpete Creek, was named for our
Sanpete County in Utah!! Yay, Canada is cool sometimes:-)

Finally we docked in Haines.  There had been a whopper of a snowstorm earlier that day, so our first impression of this part of Alaska was SNOW!!!!  Our destination was a charming little town in Canada called Haines Junction.  Although it was only a mere 150 miles, the journey took 5-6 hours.  We left the HJ the next morning and traveled to Tok, Alaska.  We met the nicest Chevron attendant, and were so happy to be paying for gas by the gallon instead of the liter. After resting in Tok for a little too long, (we had our own little cabin and Bailee thought it was her knew home) we drove to Anchorage.  As we dropped into the Mat-Su valley, we were greeted by the most amazing view of just one of the many very large mountains in the area.  What a welcoming sight! 
Yay for being in Alaska, tune in next time when we will debunk Alaskan myths!! Fun, huh? 

Where to go from here

I’ve decided to take my portion of the blog into a specific direction (or three).  So my future posts should follow one of these topics: Go Green, Get Clean, Try it!

Go Green: I am currently trying to save money and be healthier by making some of my own cleaning products… And whatever else I manage to accomplish that I think falls under this category!

 

Get Clean: I am horrible at my house-wifely duty of keeping the house clean, it’s mundane, and tiring, and there’s just always something else to do, and do again! But it’s not just that (cause honestly, how boring would such a blog be?) I am also a bit of a pack-rat, a horder, a person who just cannot throw random things away… So my home tends to have MANY ‘piles’ of stuff that I just don’t know what to do with. Quite frankly it’s getting to be a bit much. I found a post called ‘8 Weeks to a Less Cluttered Home’ on KeeperoftheHome.org and I think her plan is pretty awesome, so I’ll be trying it out! Keep in mind I can’t get myself to even clean my house (or a room) every day, so I won’t be accomplishing her de-junking in the ideal 2 months.

Try it!: oh the joys of Pinterest. Whether it’s a craft, a snack, or a meal, I find many wonderful ideas on pinterest, but it’s not so easy to follow through and actually make something! So whenever I get that ‘hoo-ray, I did it!’ I will share with you whether it was a thumbs-up or thumbs-down. I can hear your excitement already. :)

-Angela

The End of the World?

So a few mornings ago, I woke up with a giggle. Why? you ask. 

Well let me tell you. 

In my dream, something awful, horrible and terrible happened! Facebook ended! Not some 401 glitch, website down for repairs. I mean, it ended. No more facebook. For the entire world. 

Really, I mean it was hilarious when I woke up, to think that Facebook ending made it into my dream; but my dream self was absolutely devastated. So just think about it for a minute, what would facebook ending mean to you?  

Did I mention that I was a Psychology Major? (Actually UVU calls it Behavior Science, but whatever) Well, I am. And I'm particularly interested in the Social Psychology field, which I believe Facebook falls under. Besides that, I like to write, and I thought my dream would make a funny little short story so, in order to do a little research....

I DELETED MY FACEBOOK

Okay, technically I deactivated it, so all I have to do is sign in and I'll be there again; but for all intents and purposes, for the time being, I am officially OFF-LINE as far as Facebook is concerned. It's off my computer, it's off my phone. 

It has been a little over 36 hours since I signed off and while things haven't been particularly hard, I do feel an odd sense of...disconnect. 

Who's birthday is it today? Am I missing out on getting invited to an event? What are my friends talking about? Are Political posts still covering my feed? Has anyone noticed that I'm not currently on their friend list? 

I know I missed a perfectly good apology post from a friends' little sister to my friend. And it was all made possible because of my cupcakes. (My cupcakes bring people together, lets face it. I mean, why do you think I made so many friends when I was making cupcakes?) And I missed out on their facebook reunion! 

Five years ago, facebook was pretty new. Ten years ago, I'm pretty sure nothing like it had really even been thought up yet. How did I (we) get to the point where it's an accomplishment to go 36 hours without checking facebook? I have some 400-ish friends on facebook. Ten years ago, I would have lost contact with most of them. We might have met at a class reunion, maybe a mission reunion, or even exchanged Christmas newsletters. Now, there is almost no need of such things because we've got facebook. I know so and so is pregnant before her parents in some cases (that MIGHT be an exaggeration but not by far). 

What are your thoughts on this? Care to join my social experiment and spend a week or so without facebook? 

**Disclaimer: I do not hate facebook. I don't think facebook is evil. :) I just think it's an interesting thing to think about. and I know, this is just about facebook. I'm still blogging, pinning on on Pinterest, writeing on Wattpad, shoping on Amazon and gram-ing (couldn't think of anything else) on Instagram.**

PS: Here is a picture of my Halloween Katniss costume. Please admire my archer skills...

A Brief History part 2 (conclusion)

Daddy's home!!

 

 

 

 

 

Xander did not know what to do

John returned home when Xander was 8 months old, crazy! (In case you’re wondering, I do just fine on my own. My world/focus centered on my baby, I had my own house and money coming in each month, no worries!) About 2 months after his return I got pregnant again, followed by John starting a new job. A month or so before Tabby was born John’s contract with the Marine Corp ended (about 4 months early, it was messed up, people don’t know how to do proper paper work) so we lost that awesome insurance, but luckily his new job’s insurance started just in time. (but not as awesome as military)

cutest siblings!

Xander and Tabitha are 19 months apart. Which works, but I didn’t want to do that again, so hello to birth control. Tabby is now 18 months and we’re ready to start trying for child number 3, eek!

--Angela

Confessions of a school teacher

Hello all!  It has been my week to blog for about a week now, so hopefully Angie will forgive me for cramping her space:) I'm totally new to blogging, so I've had extreme difficulty deciding what to write for you all to read!  This is what you get....
I am the one and only third grade teacher at Pacific Northern Academy, and my class of 8 students keeps me busy all day and keeps me up all night.  8 students, you say?  That sounds far too easy!  Well, some days it is, and some days I want to pull my hair out.  But I love them anyway.  Being a teacher makes me think back to those days when I was a student in elementary and even middle school (I wasn't much of a student after that...).  I thought of my teachers as these amazing people who knew everything, had every minute planned, and were, essentially, perfect.  But now I know the truth....
In a recent before-school meeting, our pre-day discussion turned into a confession session.  One teacher admitted to failing all math tests ever given her.  Another confessed to cheating on a test and later being given an award for excellence on said test.  I divulged that after a particularly trying semester in college, my roommates and I had a book burning.  This meeting was super hilarious and reminded me that I do not have to be perfect to be a teacher.  I just have to pretend really well.

well here we go!

Hello Hello. Im Katie Cleverley, I've never blogged before so this may be slightly retarted but what'evs! 

2 more kidlets have been added since this photo

I'm actually Angela's younger sister which would make me 5th of 6 kids. My family is a little crazier than others I'm sure, but ya gotta love em.

During my senior year of high school I went to Evans Hairstyling College which counted as elective credits and helped me graduate (which was awesome cause I sucked at actually attending school). I graduated from PGHS May 2009, and October 17th 2009 I graduated hair school, then October 22nd 2009 I got married to the coolest dude around (if I do say so myself). So pretty young I know, I was 18 and Jake was 20.

just got sealed

On our first anniversary we were sealed in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and we just celebrated our 3 year anniversary!

 
 We really want to travel before having children and we have a little bit; we went on a cruise to Mexico in 2011, and stayed at a resort in Puerto Rico this past April. We really want to go to Italy so that's what we're currently saving for. 

Cabo, Mexico

Rio Mar beach resort, PuertoRico

  









We just bought a house at the beginning of the month so we're busy trying to fix it up. Its an old home that was built in the 20's and we love it!! Lucky for me Jake is in construction and does home remodels and additions so it's pretty much perfection.

Right now we have two pet iguanas, a female Taz and a male Iggie. We have had them for 2 years and you may ask "why iguanas?!" Well, when we got them we were in a small apartment where we couldn't have dogs or cats and I think fish are dumb, birds scare me and drive me crazy, and snakes creep me out. So for some reason we decided iguanas were good (we both actually had one as a pet growing up) and we don't like to share so we had to get two so we could each have our own. When we got them they could fit in your hand and now they are about 3 feet long and Taz is pretty much a fatty. Anyways! So far that's me and Jake.

And You Thought You Knew Me...

Well hello! Jen here and it’s my turn for an introduction.

I guess some might consider me a girl of contradictions, but here a few facts about me just so you can judge for yourself.

Degree: Bachelors in Psychology from UVU

My Favorite singer: Is and always will be Britney Spears; there’s just no changing my mind about that.

Favorite song: Boston, By Augustana

Favorite TV series: Smallville

Favorite Superhero: Superman, but if you consider Lois Lane a hero, I would list her too. ;)

Favorite Book: Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine

Favorite Series (Currently): The Underland Chronicles, Suzanne Collins

These are my cupcakes at a wedding

I like to make cupcakes but hate to eat them. (note: this is how I make friends)

I love Demolition Derby’s

My hobby is archery (Robin Hood Style)

My iPod has about 2GB of Music and 14GB’s of Audio Books

I would love to travel the world, but right now I need to be at home so reading and writing are my escape.

I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and it is central to everything I do. From 2007 to 2009 I served in the California, Carlsbad Mission, it was a fantastic experience and I met the most amazing people.  

Okay, and now for the general stuff.

Jari was my 1st nephew,
born just 3 months after me

I'm the youngest of 7 kids but I prefer to call myself an only child, as the youngest before me was seventeen when I was born. That makes me the aunt of somewhere around 20 nieces and nephews (And one great little niece or nephew on the way!) SO...I have a crazy, busy life, with lots of family and friends.

After High School, I moved away from home for College (Angie and Ruth were my roommates!) and I’ll always say that I was raised in PG but grew up at Snow College. I will be the first to tell you that the experience  was probably the best thing for me. I loved my two years at school and if I could go back, I would in a heartbeat.

Buddies. :) 

A year at UVSC put me at age twenty-one and I then left for my mission to California. I was defiantly blessed on my mission, but to put that into perspective let me tell you why. A counselor at UVSC told me once, “You are so introverted, I’m surprised you can function in society.” Well, function I did, and I was blessed to be able to do everything that was asked of me.

Best Friends!

I finished up school and graduated from UVU, I haven’t decided what I’m moving onto next, so for now, I live at home and help out where I can. I love to write, shoot my bow, and spend time with friends and family.

A Semi-Brief History, part 1

I am the 4^th of 6 kids and grew up on an apple farm (though I know very little about apples or farming). I went to Snow College where I got my Associates degree and had an amazingly fun two years doing so.

Jenny, Ruth, & I sharing a home-mixed Vanilla Coke

After college I got a job for Big-D Construction as a receptionist on a jobsite. One of the foremen set me up on a blind-date with his younger brother John, who was fresh off his LDS mission. From first date to wedding day was only two and half months, and two weeks later he was deployed for Afghanistan. 

saying goodbye...

While he was gone I quit my job at Big-D (one of my most regrettable decisions), moved into our basement apartment, and started working at a nearby gas station.

John got to come home for 2 weeks

  John was a reservist for the Marine Corp, so when his year-long deployment ended, he had to go back to his civilian job, Verizon Wireless.  He convinced me to apply to the Verizon Customer Care Center, where I was hired. Not too long later, I got pregnant, and John got a different job. We put an offer in on a house; I quit my job (poor timing), then finalized the closing after he got back from a 3-week summer training. About 2 months after we moved he was deployed again, this time to Iraq, Xander was born a couple months later...

Sneak Peek...

Hey guys! 

Jen here, and although I won't be giving you my introduction for a couple weeks, I just wanted to say that I love to write. I've posted several of my stories on Wattpad and 2 of them are up for this years Watty Awards! 

If you have a wattpad account, check out my stories, my user name is: hopenlight OR click the wattpad widget on the left side of this page. It will take you right to my profile, fan me and read and vote! 

If you haven't heard of wattpad, check it out! 

K. Thanks. And enjoy Ruth's introduction!

Quote of the Day: Discipleship is believing Christ in seasons of peace and believing Him in season of difficulty, when our pain and fear are calmed only by the conviction that He loves us and keeps his promises. -Elder Neil L. Anderson

The Great Alaskan Adventure

North, to Alaska!    These were the song lyrics going through my mind at     4 o'clock    in the morning    as my husband Tyler and I left our home in Oklahoma to move to Anchorage, Alaska.  I know, right?  Alaska.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I would be living in here.  But here I am. 

I love this place! 

Bailee snuggled between
the blankets

Life is a blast here in Alaska.  We live in a town small enough to have a town square that is actually used for town square-ish activities-sledding, festivals, and other manners of legal frivolity. Tyler is in the Air Force, and I am embarking on my fourth year as an elementary school teacher.  Before you ask the question that I know is coming, let me answer it.  No, we don't have any kids.  Instead, we have a dog named Bailee who is, for all intents and purposes, our kid.  She is the most adorable dog ever and I treat her like she is a person, which probably drives most people crazy.  I also have plenty of friends who are having kids all the time, so I get the fun of holding and playng with kids without the messy details:-)