Tuesday, May 31, 2011

iCe CrEaM DELEMA!!

I'm very upset. As some of you may have heard or read on previous posts or facebook I have an all time favorite ice cream. After all these years of trying flavor after flavor, brand after brand I have found the ONE. And that amazing ice cream is Blue Bunny's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. It is an amazingly creamy ice cream that is swirled with cookie dough ribbon and cookie dough chunks and chocolate chips and it is always just a perfect mix. And it comes in an awesome plastic container which means it stays fresh and the box doesn't get all wilty when I eat it out of the carton. I remember when I found this ice cream. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. All my life I had said my favorite was either vanilla or mint chocolate chip...and then there it was! Perfect. I had to have it. Jake made sure to keep it stocked in the freezer. Sure, I got a different flavor every once and awhile (like 3 times) but I always went back to my one true love for ice cream. And then.....something HORRIBLE happened. AWFUL! TERRIBLE! I went to buy another carton and it was....GONE!! No where in sight. Not just out of stock. It wasn't there. No tag. No nothing. And in it's place? Some disgusting peanut butter crap! Doesn't Blue Bunny know that ice cream is what keeps me going some days? It almost brings me to tears. Every time we go to the store we check....it's been about a month now. No luck. I was forced into getting something new the last time and I got stuck with a stupid brownie bite with carmel swirls. The brownie bites were gross. And tonight I got Beyer's Mrs. Fields cookie dough. The closest thing to the ultimate ice cream. It was ok. Too many chocolate chips, dough was a little gritty, and well, it just wasn't my Blue Bunny. I suppose I should start trying other stores but I doubt it will be there. If Blue Bunny discontinued it I will be very very very sad for a very long time. So here's to asking your support. Cross your fingers. Make a wish. Say a prayer. Whatever it takes to get my ice cream back!!

Monday, May 30, 2011

I thought his name was Warren.

Names that bother me.
Jennifer and I had this conversation awhile back and working in a pediatricians office I see a lot of names I just can't stand. Please don't take offense if any of these are yours or someone you knows name. Its strictly the name and not the person.
Stephen...pronounced ste-ven. Cuz I want to say stef-en.
Sean...Shawn. Seen.
Lincoln...what's with the silent L? But for some reason that's the only way it Should be spelt. I recently saw 'Linkon' and that bothers me even more.
Axel/Aksle...that is a car part, not a person. Also, easily miss pronounced to sound like what you might call someone who is being a jerk.
Chelsea...Chel-see-a is how it sounds in my head.
Kid. No, I'm not joking, people really do name their kids Kid. That being said I should also add...
Guy. Why not just name them Person. Human. Man. Boy. Male.
Mia...is It my-a or me-a? I get it wrong either way.
And then there are the people who name their kid one thing with the intention of calling them another. For example they "go by their middle name". If you want them to go by their middle name why not just save the kid a butt load of confusion and put that name first?! Or recently I've found people are naming their kids one thing and calling them something that isn't even close to their given name. Example...his name is Joseph, let's call him Jack. What? Cuz they both start with a j it's ok? Now sometimes you can get away with this. Like, if there is a sibling who can't say the given name so they get called something else and it just sticks. What I don't like is when people do this intentionally.
And lastly, names that make you go "huh?" These are the kids that just learn to memorize where their name is on the roll so that when the substitute teacher suddenly pauses trying to figure out how to pronounce it they can just say "here." And I don't necessarily mean names in other languages. I'm sure in their language it's a perfectly normal name. I'm talking about the names people come up with just by throwing a bunch of letters together and then pronouncing it completely different than how it's spelt.
I only hope my children will like the names we pick for them and they won't have too much torture because of their name. I love my name but Melissa, Alisa, Alisha gets old. Poor Tyler...I mean KYLER...with a k!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

LAST DAY! I did it!! The End. Finished. Complete. HOORAY! DAY 30!!!!

Blog 1

Something that means a lot to you.

The two most imporant things in my life right now are my boys, Jake and Kyler. And since I talk about Kyler a lot with everything I think this one will be Jake's turn.
I love him so much and don't know what I would do without him. I am so grateful for him everyday. He is so wonderful and i'd say more than the average husband. I wouldn't be surprised if some of you ladies out there were a little jealous lol. He works hard to support our family and he's a hard worker at home too. His parents raised him right. I am SUPER spoiled. Jake loves to cook so I hardly ever cook. Even if we aren't having the same thing he will still make mine for me. And then he even cleans up and does the dishes. He does the laundry more often than me and he does all the yard work. He is an amazing dad to Kyler and Nala. And he loves me no matter how crazy and emotional I get. He very rarely gets angry or annoyed and he never yells or says unkind things to me. He has a strong testimony and he knows how to make me laugh. I am soooooooooo blessed to have Jake in my life. I still don't know what I did to deserve him but I'm not complaining!

Blog 2

Whatever tickles your fancy
10 random facts unique to me

1. I have sleep paralysis (and yes, Jennifer, I did jinx myself).
2. I am super scared of ants. They creep me out really bad.
3. I didn't get my license until I was 17 1/2, I got my first kiss that summer too.
4. I have never broken a bone or had stitches.
5. My original due date was Feb 29 so I was almost a leap year baby.
6. My honeymoon was my first time on an air plane.
7. I love wind mills. Its weird but its because we always pass them on the way to cali.
8. I was an only child for the first 7 1/2 years of my life. Now I'm the second oldest of 8.
9. I have depression/ anxiety and monophobia, although I haven't confirmed that last one, I'm pretty sure I have it.
10. I don't like roller coasters or the feeling of your stomach dropping.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Dia Vientinueve

Blog 1

Your family

Well, there's my cute little family, which consists of:
Me, Jake, Kyler, and Nala. We all love each other and spend our time fighting over kisses and loves. :)
Then there are my in-laws. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. And best of all, they're Normal! They're always so laid back and cool about things. They may not always agree but they work it out without all the drama. Their family consists of:
Mom and dad, Allyson, Chris, Mike, Jake, Bobby, and all of their spouses and children.
Next is my family. Divided in two, which makes for more to love.
My mom's side: Mom and Joe, Jimmy and Kathleen (steps), Mandy, and Issac (half).
My dad's side: Dad and Cece, Kayla (step), William and Mason (half's).

So as you can see I come from a big, confusing family. And if you're looking at that and saying, "it's not that confusing" well, you don't know the half of it. And those of you that do know my family history are either saying, "yeah, I still don't get it" or you must be related in order to completely understand it. Let's just say my ancestors are going to have a blast doing my geneology.

Blog 2

Hopes, dreams, and plans for the next 365 days

Well they say the world ends tomorrow so I guess nothing! Haha! Ok, I don't really believe that. I guess my plans will be to just keep living. I hope to be happy and for my family to be happy. My dream is to somehow do something towards my wedding planning career and make more money. Gain a stronger testimony. Go on a vacation (please, oh please!) And just try to be my best possible self. Practice what I've learned in therapy and maybe go to some more.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

For The Love

While sitting in the lobby of a car dealership a man saw Kyler on Jake's lap and said, "Looks like you guys did things the hard way. We got ours on Ebay. We have 2 little boys from China." Obviously joking about adopting his sons I found the conversation we had after that interesting. Jake told him that we are planning on adopting from Russia eventually. He said it wasn't really all that easy to adopt. We agreed and said that's why we were waiting awhile, to save money and be more prepared. He then asked, "How do you feel about fetal alcohol syndrom?" I told him it would be rough but we know that adopting from Russia comes with a lot of challenges and FAS is pretty common." The next part is what surprised me. He told us that China didn't have things like that and his kids were super smart. His 4 year old was using really big words and is in advanced preschool. I felt like he was trying to sell the idea of adopting from China to us. Like Russia is not a good place to adopt from. If you want a really good kid go for China. I'm sorry but adopting is Not like buying a new car. I don't plan on inspecting the child I adopt and saying, "well, his head is a little big and his teeth are crooked." I'm adopting for love. I'm going to accept whatever child God thinks I should have. I wouldn't rate the children I give birth to and adopting is no different. I know that people might think we are crazing for adopting, especially from Russia. We are able to bear children, we aren't rich, and Russia is one of the most crazy places to adopt from. Their government is crazy, making the process complicated, and regulations for adopting are crazy as well. We could "pass" all the tests and get to the court system and the judge could say no just because he doesn't like our smile. And like the guy at the dealership pointed out there is a lot of FAS and other health issues to contend with. And despite all that I still plan on adopting from Russia in my life time. I can't tell you exactly why I want to. I just know its what I need to do. I know of people that say they are done having kids and then later get this feeling that there is one more waiting up there. Well that's kind of how I feel. I have this precious baby girl who will be waiting for me when the time comes to adopt her. And no one can change that.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

DAY 28! day 28! dAY 28! DaY 28!

Blog 1

Yourself in high school

High school. Good. Bad. Best 3 years. Worst 3 years.
Sophmore year...mostly bad. I was still in my awkward stage. I wore glasses the first half of the year. I had no sense of style at all and I still thought I wasn't allowed to talk to boys until february, when I turned 16. I had a bad teacher that caused problems part of the year. My locker was in the worst place possible. I was still getting lost after a few months. There just wasn't a lot of good that year.
Junior year...getting better. I knew what I was doing for the most part. I bought a straightener for my hair. I was finally getting out of my awkwardness. I had a boy friend or two. I had good teachers. I was finally having fun.
Senior year...loved almost everything about it. I could drive myself. Definate plus. I had great friends. I had free classes to do whatever I wanted. I got a job. Money is always good. Boys. Fun fun fun. Although sometimes I look back and think I should have been more serious and got more done before college. But then I think no, I'm glad things happened the way they did.

Blog 2

This year, in great detail

A year ago today was jake and my first anniversary of being sealed in the temple. Jake was so sweet and got me a very pretty necklace with Kyler's birth stone. I was pregnant at the time and we knew I was due in Oct so after he gave me that necklace we just prayed I would actually have the baby in October.
In June we found out that Kyler was a boy. That was very exciting.
We went camping a few times last summer. In July I quit my job at orchard park and started working for my dad at his car dealership and started training for my current job at a pediatricians office. In Aug Jake and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary and Courtney and Alec got married. September 30 was Jennifer's birthday and the day I started to go into labor. October 4 Kyler was born. In November we went to cali to visit family for Thanksgiving. Dec was Christmas, of course. February was my 23 birthday. In March my grandpa passed away. April wasn't too exciting and now here we are to May again and I can happily say I celebrated my first mothers day and like I said in the begining, today is our 2 year anniversary of being sealed to my amazing husband.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

SOME PEOPLE!

What is with some people? I know we're all different and there's always someone else out there that thinks you're just as weird as you think they are...but some people are just extreme. And some people just drive me nuts!
Some people act like they are rich and famous when they clearly are Not! You know the type. Cocky. And they are either too happy, because everyone loves them and they know it, or just plain rude.
The happy guys like this are super flirty, calling the waitress by name and telling her how much everyone loves him. And the girls like this will call you "hon" or "sweet heart" or, if you're in the south, "sugar pie". And they are always sure to thank their fan club.
Then there are the mean ones. The ones that really must have something up their bum because how else could they look like that? And even though they've never seen, talked to, or met you before they act like you did something really rude. You say hello with a smile and they can barely muster a hi while avoiding eye contact because you're so far beneath them they can't see you anyway. And then its like everything you ask of them, no matter how small, is just absolutely ridiculous. Nothing you do or say could ever please them.
It's people like that, that make me crazy. But I guess everyone is someone and together we make the world go 'round.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

dDd aAa yYy 27

Blog 1

Something that upsets you, and something that makes you feel better

Lots of things upset me. The ones I can think of now are...
"Friends"....people that used to be my friend but aren't anymore. And sometimes I think I miss them but then I remember why we aren't talking and realize its probably for the better. Even if we are just being stubborn. I have a hard time because I want to trust everyone but I just can't keep getting hurt.
Family ....mine can be a little crazy at times. Divorce. Teenagers. Extended family. Jealousy. Opinions. I know everyones family is a little messed up but I think I am right in saying my family got a little extra dose of crazy.
Money ....there is never, ever enough. And trying to always manage it is a pain-in-the-BUTT.
Rude people ...this includes rude drivers, rude customers, rude everyone. Just be nice!!
Memories ....sometimes I would just like to forget the hurt.

Things that make me feel better...
Skittles ...hand me a bag and see if I can help smiling.
Ice cream ...its just my favorite
Dr. Pepper ...same as the skittles. Jake's choice method of cheering me up.
Hugs ...from Jake are best but I do like other hugs too.
Therapy ...haha I'm laughing because I know it helps but I usually dread going.
Kyler's giggles ...I can't help but smile when I hear them, even if I'm crying my eyes out.
Jennifer ....listening and talking through my problems with me. She is the bestest best friend.


Blog 2

Your month, in great detail

I had a hard time remembering my week and now I have to do the month!? Let's see...what happened this last month? We had Easter breakfast at our house with my mom and family and then Kyler and I went to dad's for dinner. Kyler got his first ear infection. We cleaned up the yard and planted flowers. Ummm......I can't think. I quit my job at Shamrock. We bought a new tent. I had my first mothers day. I had, and got out of jury duty. That's really all I can think of. My life is So exciting!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Blog Day 26

Blog 1

15 facts about you

1.I have a photographic memory
2. My cousin is also my step-sister
3. I am a perfectionist
4. I am afraid of needles
5. I don't know how to drive a manual
6.I am afriad of deep water
7.I like pepperoni and olive pizza
8. I do not like peanut butter
9. I wear contacts
10. I am exactly (pretty close) 5 ft tall
11. I am a romantic
12. I like school, including math
13. My favorite color is purple
14. I went to 4 different elementary schools
15. I want to/wish I could write movies

Blog 2

Your week, in great detail

Monday- I went to work. I picked up kyler from moms. I came home and cleaned up the house. Jake came home. We went to Taco Bell and they gave us crappy food. I called and told the guy and he was all "yeah, whatev". We went to costco and got a new tent and wipes. We came home and watched tv before going to bed.
Tuesday- we got up and got ready. Went to Ross and got some clothes for Jake. Went to Cafe Rio for lunch. Went to walmart. Came home and did some weeding. We went up the canyon with the scouts. Had wendys for dinner and that was about it.
Wednesday- I went to work. Came home and watched Jake fix up our flower bed. It is now beautiful. We went to dinner with Jake's mom, Bobby, Emily, and Landon at Ruby River.
Thursday- Jake went to work at 10. Kyler and I hung out. We went for a really long walk. Went home and watched tv while waiting for Jake to get home. When he got home we went to walmart and bought my mom some plants for mothers day. Then we took them to her. Came home and finished the flower bed.
Friday- I went to work. Then I don't remember....weird.
Saturday - Jake went to work at noon. Kyler and I went shopping with Jennifer and hung out at her place for a bit. Then Kyler and I came home and vegged til Jake got home.
Sunday - you can read about that in my previous post.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

day 25 52 yad

Blog 1

An animal you'd like to keep as a pet

I always wanted a tiger. Like Jasmine in Aladin. But mine would be a white tiger. I think they are prettier.

Blog 2

Your day, in great detail

Wow. Just had to be today's. I'll try to be happy about it, it was a rough day.
Woke up around 10. Did my hair and make-up. Jake made breakfast. We ate eggs, bacon, and toast with OJ to drink. I went and got Kyler and fed him breakfast. Realized he wasn't ready, Jake was just starting to get ready and I still wasn't dressed and we only had 15 before church started. Decided we weren't going to church. Finished feeding Kyler. Sat on the couch and watched TV. Put Kyler down for a nap. Ate some Oreo's. Got kyler up from his nap. Played with him for a bit while Jake took a nap. Kyler started to cry, he was constipated. Jake and I took turns trying to make him more comfortable and get him to stop crying. He finally relaxed. Jake went to work. Kyler and I decided to take a nap. I couldn't sleep but tried until Kyler woke up a little over an hour later. Put on the movie 9 and made myself some ramen noodles. Ate while watching the movie. Fed kyler. Then he pooped (finally). Held him while we watched the rest of the movie. Text Jennifer. Got a bath ready for Kyler. Bathed him. Got him dressed. Sat on the couch. Started doing my blog. And here we are...

Thursday, May 5, 2011

DAY24

Blog 1

Something you would never get tired of doing

Everything I think of sounds good until I think about doing it forever. I guess it depends on how the question is being asked. Like is it something I just have to do non-stop or something I do daily? I don't think I could do anything non-stop, 24/7 without getting bored. I get bored easily. So I think I'll go with the every day thing.
Things I could do everyday without getting tired of it-
Kissing Jake
Kissing Kyler
Making Kyler giggle
Checking Facebook
Eating ice cream
Eating skittles
Sleeping in

Blog 2

Whatever tickles you fancy

Hmm....how about the opposite of the above. Things I will always be tired of.
Things I wish I never had to do-
Laundry
Dishes
Floss my teeth
Get sick
Pay bills
See ex boyfriends
Pee
Pull weeds

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Day 20 + 3 = 23

Blog 1

Your favorite place to eat

Mmm....I love food and I love eating out. So I don't think I can pick just one place.
Fast Food- I can almost always go for Wendy's
Mexican - Cafe Rio
Italian - the food is good but the service sucks but I have to say Olive Garden
Asian - Asian Star
And finally I have to put a restaurant that I know Jake thinks I would say is my favorite because I crave it all the time. The Blue Lagoon. Never heard of it? That's because it is on a cruise ship. They were the perfect place to go for comfort food at all hours of the day or night. They had chicken fingers and French fries and wonton soup and cheesecake and pound cake and deliciousness! Mmm, now I'm hungry.
Also, a restaurant in Mexico called Cynthia's. So yummy!

Blog 2

A YouTube video

Well I don't watch much YouTube but the other day Jennifer and I were watching these really funny animal videos. And I know I'm going to sound ridiculous but I can't remember what they're called. I'll have to post the link to one on here the next time I use her computer.

Monday, May 2, 2011

22 Days of Blogging

Blog 1

Somewhere you've been

I am very fortune to have been on a lot of vacations in my life. One of my favorite vacation spots is Santa Cruz, CA. Its right in the middle of the California coast line and it has the best beach boardwalk ever. Its got an arcade, an amusement park, which is better than lagoon, food, shopping, and the Beach!! And at the end of the pier is a very yummy ice cream shop. And we always stayed in a motel that was literally right across the street. And then, if that isn't enough, its only about a half hour scenic drive to Monterey and Carmel. Carmel is so beautiful and so is Monterey. I love going to Monterey for 3 reasons. 1) Bubba Gumps. A restaurant that is themed around the movie Forrest Gump. And even if it is a fish place and I don't like fish its just fun to be there and they have really good views of the ocean. 2) Monterey Bay Aquarium. I love that place. I love the ocean. 3) The Silver shop. I can't remember exactly what it's called but they have a ton of silver rings and jewelry. I always wear 3 rings, my wedding ring, my promise ring, and my silver ring from Monterey. OK, now I'm going crazy and want to go there right now. We were actually planning on going last year but that was before we knew I'd be pregnant. And it just wouldn't be as fun not being able to ride rides and the long drive out there. But I do hope we can go again soon.

Blog 2

A website

Two fun websites are:
Not Always Right....the customer isn't always right
My Life Is Average....random happenings in people's lives

And of course my most visited websites are:
Facebook
Hotmail
Blogger
MACU

Sunday, May 1, 2011

My blog is an adult now. Day 21 :)

Blog 1

The meaning behind your blog name

I'm a little hesitant to do this one because I like that not many people know. My blog title, Alyssa's Empire: Open til Midnight, is from my favorite movie, Empire Records. In the movie they answer the phones, "Empire Records, open til midnight." So I just made that my own (with a little help from my best friend, and person who introduced me to the movie, Jennifer.) At first, all the blog titles were lines from the movie but when I started doing the 30 days of blogging that didn't really work out.

Blog 2

A recipe

One of my favorites growing up, which makes it one of my comfort foods. Something I actually don't mind eating left overs of. And one of the only things I seriously craved while I was pregnant.

Tuna Casserole

3 c Cooked macaroni noodles
1 can tuna fish
1/2 c milk
1 c grated cheese
1 can cream of chicken/ mushroom

Combine all ingredients in 2 qt. casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake 20-30 min at 375°.