Along the path...

Wendy nominated me for this award. Thanks so much, Wendy!! She is an amazing cardmaker who loves pretty paper. Her creativity blows me away. I think my favorite post of hers is still her Halloween boxes. So cute! If you are a stamp-er or cardmaker or scrapbook-er or in need of creative ideas or just simply like to look through what other people are making-- check out her blog. As a result of receiving this nomination, I am supposed to tell you 5 things I am addicted to and nominate 5 other fabulous sites. Addictions: * My family (especially nieces and nephews) – they are adorable! I love them and love being with them. If you need proof of their adorable-ness ask. I could go on and on and on! * Books – I love to read, mostly fiction. * Belly dancing – it’s a crazy, fun hobby. There is something grounding about the whirl of colors and the beat of the drum. I love the sisterhood we share in troupe and the creativity that comes from the dance. * Cambridge and Oliver – silly, silly dog

AGI'S RAW FOODS offers healthy fast food to go, ready to eat in pre-packaged containers. FRESH . GOURMET . ORGANIC . VEGAN . RAW . Salads, soups, pates, and desserts that you savour right down to the very last morsel. Meals are also GLUTEN FREE & DIABETES FRIENDLY. Individual Meals - $ 15 Order 6 Meals, Receive the 7th Absolutely FREE Delivery Fee: $ 5.00 - Utah County / $ 8.00 - outside of Utah County FREE DELIVERY on orders $ 150 or more! ALSO: OPEN ONLY ON MONDAYS -- 12 am - 6 pm ORDERS CAN BE PICKED UP FROM 2 PM - 6 PM. 698 E 300 S Provo UT 84606 801-471-0414 agisrawfoods@hotmail.com Or take a class.... RAW FOOD PREPARATION & HERBAL HEALING CLASSES $15/class or buy 3 classes for $45 (Receive the 4th class FREE). Payment must be received by Thursday, January 29. Please send payment to: Agi's Raw Foods 698 E 300 S Provo UT 84606 801-471-0414 agisrawfoods@hotmail.com Tuesday, 02/03 6 - 9 pm $15 - WHY RAW, LIVING FOOD? Easy Start on RAW: Nut milks, breakfast ideas, soup

On Saturday, a cousin passed away. His death was fairly sudden and unexpected. Life is so short sometimes. Yesterday was Jared Beckstrom 's funeral. He would have been 33 this April. I remember him quiet and kind from family reunions. I am glad to know that this life is only temporary and that separations are not permanent. We mourn his void. Jared will be missed . Parents should not have to bury children. Brent and Debbie, you are in my thoughts and prayers. (As they are with Jeff, Jamie, Justin, Jana, and your families.) May your hearts be comforted with your memories of Jared and your knowledge of the Gospel. May this separation seem like a blink of the eye.

These are some pictures that my sister took of her daughters. Aren't they adorable? I wanna be just like you! IC Posing AL posing Together!

My friend Brian asked his friend to tell him about the Star Wars Trilogy plot. She claims that she hasn't watched the movies. His friend turned the commentary into a video clip. Any diehard Star Wars fans , turn away. Now. Seriously. Do not push play. (Unless that play button is the one on your DVD/Blu-ray player, and you have a Star Wars disk ready to go.) PLAY

After nearly 32 years as an employee of American Fork City, Dad is retiring. He was recently featured in an article in the American Fork Citizen and the Daily Herald . You can read it here . I remember some of the dirty movies he brought home to watch as part of the job--camera tours of the sewer lines. Ewwww! (Luckily those movies were usually prior to the line being used.) Way to go Dad! We are so proud of you and love you much!

This is my 100th post! As a thank you to the two or three of you that follow the ramblings of my life, I have decided to commemorate this monumental ocassion with a GIVE AWAY ! Yes, you read right, a give away. One (1) lucky, randomly selected comment-er will receive a complimentary paperback copy of the book The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me by Richard Paul Evans. Contest will be open through January 31, 2009. You are welcome to enter this give away contest as many times as you would like. Offer void outside the continental United States. Cover may vary slightly from the book pictured.

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug." -- Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemens

People looked at me crazy, and as a black man you were never really allowed to say: "You know, I don't think America is a racist nation. I think there are racist people that live here, but I think as a whole America is not a racist nation. You were Uncle Tom if you ever said that... I think [Barack Obama's election] completed a cycle of African-American citizenship. It was like the last stamp on African-American citizenship, and no longer are we African-Americans. We are Americans of African descent. - Will Smith

(Image is Tropical Storm Andrea) I saw this tag on my sister-in-law's sister's blog and thought it was cool. Check out her results here . Instructions: Go to Google (or whichever search engine you prefer) and type in your first name and the phrase. Copy and paste the first sentence/phrase you get that makes sense. Please keep in mind that these are search results and not actual facts. You can get some pretty wacky stuff. I tag anyone who wants to do it! (trust me, it's fun) Q: Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search A: andrea needs some help finding stalker songs Q: Type in "[your name] looks like" in Google search A: Andrea looks like me! I'm not a fan but she really looks like me! Q: Type in "[your name] says" in Google search. A: Andrea Says Revolt Q: Type in "[your name] wants" in Google search A: Andrea wants parents to keep their kids in rear-facing car seats longer.... Q: Type in "[your name] does" in

My dad is retiring at the end of this month and I have been racking my brain to come up with a cool retirement gift. He's already got his own set of Mardi Gras beads. LOL Any suggestions?

I stopped at IKEA in Draper today after work to pick up a few things. This Saturday, January 24th, from 10-4 IKEA will have organization experts on location to help you put everything in its place.

Nadhirrah of Summer Bear Life Balance Education is teaching a raw food class at Beehive Health Essentials in Spanish (Next to K-mart) Fork Saturday 1pm - so basically right now! The topic of the class is 'raw on a budget" because of the generosity of a donor there is no charge for this class.

Out of the mouths of prophets...

For sale or rent - one "house trained" cat.

Jamba Juice is expanding their offerings of yummy goodness to include oatmeal! Go here to print a coupon to purchase a cup for a buck.

“If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change you will get results.” - Jack Dixon Courtesy of the KLAS Newsletter

Just in time for 2009, Richard Paul Evans will be presenting his world renowned: THE FIVE LESSONS A MILLIONAIRE TAUGHT ME: FOR WOMEN (Women’s Financial Seminars) in the following cities. (Sponsored by Citadel Radio.) Tickets are FREE but seating is limited. For Free Tickets (or more info) call Karen at: 801-673-2114. Jan. 21 - SLC, Utah. Hilton Hotel City Center (7 pm. Doors open at 6) Jan. 22 - Ogden, Ut. Marriott Hotel (7 pm. Doors open at 6) Jan. 23 - Provo, Ut. Marriott Hotel (7 pm. Doors open at 6) Jan 24 - St. George, Ut. Dixie Center (7 pm. Doors open at 6) Jan 27 - Boise, Id. Doubletree Riverside (7 pm. Doors open at 6) Jan 28 - Phoenix, Az. - Phoenix Convention Center (7 pm. Doors open at 6)

I received a newsletter today with the following quote. Isn't it awesome! When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it. --W. Clement Stone, businessman and philanthropist

I'm joining the team . Looking for additional motivation and support. Care to join me? Motivated Melters All Team Standings

A link until I upload it properly....

Searching the blog world, I crossed paths with Pioneer Woman Photography . She offers some excellent tips about photography and Photoshop. Looking for tips on how to make your photo pop, remove red eye, add clarity, and make your images the best they can be? Pioneer Woman Photography.

Love these homemade pinwheels Jenifer found...

I was browsing the "Magazine" ( AKA Jenifer's blog) and came across an entry for a fun trivia games site .

Several years ago, a friend decided to change her diet. She's a raw foodie! I must admit that the concept had me concerned at first (raw chocolate, raw meat, raw cake, raw milk, raw veggies...), but I've tried several of her recipes and they are quite good. And, no, she doesn't eat raw meat. Angie began a blog recently to share her joy of the raw food world. Eventually she plans to make a raw food recipe book. If you are interested, she would love you to try her recipes and give her feedback. This image came from her blog for a wrap recipe . Hmmm... I think I need a s'more or maybe a crudite.

Here are some suggestions for getting past the winter blahs.... Holiday Blues Buster #1: Don’t Break the Bank Holiday Blues Buster #2: Do Something good for Someone in Need Holiday Blues Buster #3: Celebrate with Friends and Family Holiday Blues Buster #4: Focus on the Years’ Successes Holiday Blues Buster #5: Get Excited about the Coming Year

This article was somewhat interesting. But it got me thinking. Do women really prefer the "Bad Boy"? Is there such a thing as animal magnetism--with a GOOD guy? Do nice guys really finish last? For me, the jury is still out. What's your vote? What Draws Women To Bad Boys You might not see it yet, but women often unconsciously feel that magical emotion called ATTRACTION for men who have the behavior and traits of a “bad boy.” Of course, I don't believe that men have to be jerks to make women feel attraction with them. The truth is “bad boys” often create inviting and intoxicating forms of drama - often perceived as playfulness, sexuality and fun. And it’s often the inherent UNPREDICTABLE nature of a “bad boy” that becomes so fascinating and addicting to want to be around. Women have a deep attraction mechanism that's triggered by men who behave indifferently, have high status, know lots of women, and the list of “bad” behavior goes on. You probably know from exp