Brent and Anne

Gabrielle Giffords

2012-01-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

This woman is an inspiration. She is strong, resilient and has such a sweet spirit. She reminds us that despite the evil that exists in the world, we always have hope. She reminds us that people truly are good at heart. This is the video she released to say she is stepping down. I wish her the best.

NYE 2012 in Denver!

2012-01-03T15:17:00.017-07:00

Brent and I rang in the new year in Denver, Colorado! The highlight of the trip was the Broncos game on New Years' Day! We had awesome seats and it was so cool to be at a NFL game. Neither of us had been to a professional game so we were taking it all in! We cheered on Tim Tebow and Eddie Royal (so cool to see them in person!) but the Broncos lost 7-3 against the Chiefs.

We spent New Year's Eve downtown. We ate dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. It was so good! If you ever go, get the Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp! We saw Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows at the 16th Street Mall. Great movie. We walked a bit downtown then celebrated the beginning of 2012 playing card games and throwing confetti off our balcony at the hotel.

Cheers to 2012!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-29T17:22:00.007-07:00

We celebrated a very, merry Christmas this year! Here are some pics from our family Christmas Eve party.

Christmas morning was so nice this year; neither of us had to work! We opened presents...

... Griz got a present, too!

We went to church and had a wonderful, music-filled meeting. I sang in the ward choir and Brent sang with the young men. What a happy Christmas! We are so blessed!

Ugly Sweater Christmas Party!

2011-12-13T13:06:00.017-07:00

Annie and I hosted another fabulous party over the weekend. Our guests wore tacky vests and chintzy sweaters to our ugly sweater Christmas party!

We served classy hors d'oeuvres... Vienna Sausages, Jell-o Jigglers, Cheese Whiz and crackers, a festive holiday cake, chicken salad and red and green M&M's.

Three lucky guests walked away winners in such categories as the Ugliest Sweater, Most Embellished and Granny's Pick. We played a game of celebrity and had a wonderful time!

Awkward holiday photo

Christmas Lights

2011-12-12T11:42:00.010-07:00

I've been filling in here and there this month at KSL-TV. Last night, I reported on a story about a 15-year-old West Jordan teen who designed a musical light show in his front yard. The lights are timed perfectly with seven Christmas songs that play over the speakers on his lawn or you can sit in your warm car and listen to it on the radio! (This kid is talented!) What makes this story extra special is the reason behind his creation. He hopes to raise $5,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Utah for a program called 'Kids for Wish Kids'. He hopes to provide a Florida vacation to a boy named Carter. I admire the teen's spirit of giving and kindness. I hope we all can take something away from this story and spread the spirit of Christmas to everyone we meet.

Merry Christmas!

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=18458904&title=teen-hopes-light-show-will-raise-money-for-good-cause

11.11.11

2011-11-11T23:15:00.018-07:00

I’ve been hearing from everyone that 11/11/11 is a once-in-a-lifetime event. It’s a big day for numerologists, mathematicians, weirdos, etc. The LA Times called 11/11/11 a "once-in-a century palindrome day". In honor of this rare and momentous occasion, we decided to document our day and capture the exact moment of 11:11 pm on 11/11/11.

We ate at Betos... Mmmm veggie burrito!

Went to redbox and watched "Arthur"

Made gingersnaps

And here is what we were doing at 11:11 pm...

Awesome, isn't it?

There's nothing better than spending time together even if it's doing simple things. We always have fun :)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T22:26:00.022-06:00

'Twas the bewitching hour and all through the night,
not one came without a costume, and oh! what a fright!
A wolf, Lady Gaga and muscles from Jersey Shore,
All came to the party arriving at my front door!
We had a ghoulish time we didn't want to rest,
We'll just have to wait until next year's Halloween fest.

Annie and I hosted a hauntingly good Halloween party! The theme was Haunted Mansion complete with cobwebs, bats and spooky potion labels for all our ghoulish goodies! We had a fun time playing Pictionary and eating treats. Here are a few snapshots from our Halloween bash...

Frightful treats and eats

The cute "mummies" made by Cressie

The party favors

Witches' Brew

Everyone

The Devil and Bieber

Best Witches!

2011-10-26T17:40:00.012-06:00

I simply love Halloween! The colors, the smells, the decor... I can't get enough of the spookiness!

Some friends and I attended Witches Night Out at Gardner Village dressed in our witchiest attire. We danced, laughed and took pictures with some creepy characters!

The following weekend I had another GNO with my mom, sisters, sister-in-law and mother-in-law. We had a blast! If you've never gone to Witchapalooza at Gardner Village, you are missing out! The food is excellent and the show is hilarious, cute and fun! It's become a tradition for us and each year is better and better.

Over The Hill

2011-09-12T21:41:00.012-06:00

Brent turned 30!!! We celebrated his 30th year of life all weekend long! The festivities began Friday with a surprise... mwahaha!

I sneaked into his classroom the night before and decorated his desk with crepe paper, balloons, streamers, confetti, Starbusts and a RIP tombstone ;) He was so surprised!

Saturday we ate dinner with his parents at the Red Igunana. It's one of Brent's faves!

Sunday, we headed to Kamas for a camping trip with Griz. It was a perfect night!

We made dutch oven chicken and corn. We roasted marshmallows and made s'mores for dessert. It was so relaxing to sit around the campfire just us two.

One of the best things about camping is how good the food tastes, especially breakfast! We made French toast, bacon and hot chocolate... yum!

We celebrated his birthday dinner at Ruby River and topped it off with turtle cheesecake!

Happy birthday, B! I love you!

The Up! House

2011-08-16T15:26:00.005-06:00

Val and I spent a Saturday at the Salt Lake Parade of Homes. We had a lot of fun! I took interior design classes in college and love seeing the latest trends in décor. I also like seeing different floor plans and the price of these decked-out homes. What really made me want to go this year is the “Up” house in Herriman. It’s darling!

The home is decorated to a T just like the house in the Disney-Pixar movie. The front room has chairs just like Carl and Ellie’s and the kitchen has the cutest retro-5o’s appliances!

I’m still trying to convince my in-laws to buy it :)

Oahu, Hawaii!

2011-08-04T18:13:00.029-06:00

Aloha!

Brent and I took a trip to Oahu, Hawaii for a week and it was AMAZING! We visited Pearl Harbor, ate fresh pineapple at the Dole Plantation, hiked to a waterfall and the top of a volcano crater. We snorkeled and swam, saw the Hawaii Temple and the Polynesian Cultural Center and ate fresh seafood and chocolate-covered macadamia nuts.

Here are some of the highlights...

Kuhio Beach, Waikiki

Pearl Harbor

Tears of the USS Arizona

Battleship Missouri

Dole Plantation

Diamond Head

View from Diamond Head

Manoa Falls

Polynesian Cultural Center

Hawaii Temple

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

Playing in the waves on Sandy Beach

Beach at sunset

Trapped

2011-07-19T15:30:00.008-06:00

One day before heading into work I decided to take a quick jaunt downtown. Big mistake. Huge!

Here’s why…

I had a super quick audition. Basically, I just needed to turn in my headshot and resume and slate for the camera. I was in and out in minutes. I was feeling good. The audition was downtown on the 2nd floor of the Felt Building located on Main Street. I pressed the “down” button for the elevator, anxious to zip on over to work.

I stepped inside and the doors closed. I started digging for my phone to check the time and make a call to my hubby. After a bit of rummaging, I finally found my cell and took it out. It was then I noticed that I could still hear voices. Weird. I hadn’t moved. Even weirder.

I pressed the button for the first floor again, tried to open the doors, 3rd floor, 1st floor. Nothing.

I looked for a service button and debated if I should press it. I didn’t want to be a damsel in distress so I tried the buttons again with no luck and decided to press the call button. Nada. Zilch.
I called out through the doors, “hello?”
“Can you guys press the elevator button?”
“Can anyone hear me?”
”Hello?”
I was trapped inside an elevator.

I banged on the doors some more, pressed buttons, then dialed 9-1-1.
“9-1-1, what is your emergency?”
“I’m trapped inside an elevator.”
“One moment please, I’ll transfer you to the fire department.”
I told the dispatcher where I was, what happened, and all about my attempts to get the elevator moving.
He said to stay calm (Did I not sound calm on the phone?) and a unit is on their way. He adds, “if anything gets worse, call us back.”

Worse? That makes me a bit nervous. I hadn’t thought of it getting worse. I called Brent and say, “Don’t worry, the fire dept. is on their way, and I’m stuck in an elevator.” I keep him on the phone for the next 12 minutes or so. He kept me calm and I had a cake pop in my purse so that kept me occupied.

I eventually sat down and heard banging, “Ma’am, the fire dept. is here and we’re working to get you out. Are you OK?”
I respond and wait. I hear some laughing and talking, so I figure, if they’re not worried, I shouldn’t be.

About 5-6 minutes go by and I hear, “We’re having trouble with the door. We’ve called a service tech but we’re hoping to get it open before he shows up.”
And before I knew it, the doors opened! There was clapping and cheering. A firefighter held the door as I stepped out. I told them thank-you several times followed by, “where are the stairs?”

My elevator ordeal lasted 24 minutes and I was completely unharmed, all thanks to the Salt Lake City Fire Dept.

July Fun!

2011-07-18T15:45:00.011-06:00

I love the 4th of July… and nothing is more fun than celebrating it with my family at the ballpark. The game was great. We ate pizza, peanuts and ice cream :) The Bees beat Las Vegas 10-9 and after the game… fireworks! Stef had to work the game and it’s always fun to watch perform her Honeybee duties. We had a great 4th!

Little bro and Dad

Enjoying ice cream!

The Salt Lake Bees hosted the 2011 Triple-A All-star game on July 13th. Leading up to the game was all sorts of festivities, like the Home Run Derby and the Chris Isaak/Blues Traveler Concert. We went to the concert and had so much fun dancing and singing! Honestly, who doesn't love “Wicked Game"?

The following Monday was the Home Run Derby. I won two tickets from 107.9fm! Brent and I went and had a great time! Stef was also working that night, yay! We had Brent snap this picture. The Honeybee legacy lives on :)

Happy 7

2011-06-21T13:51:00.005-06:00

Brent and I celebrated 7 years of marriage this month! Seven! It sounds like a long time… and well, it kind of is. At the same time, I feel like we were just at Snow College going on a date to the bowling alley and the malt shop. We’ve had our ups and downs, rough spots, and moments of sheer bliss. Through it all, there is no one I would rather be with than Brent. He is my best friend, my husband, my soul mate. I love him so much. I am truly blessed to have him as my partner in this life and the next.

Ok, now that I’ve shared the mushy-love-stuff, here is how we celebrated our anniversary!

Dinner at Ruth’s Diner…

I love eating outside! It was the perfect summer night and the food is fantastic!

Picnic with Griz at Copperton Park…

We packed our picnic basket and went out to explore the west side of the valley.

...And a trip to Hawaii!
Pictures will be posted when we return!

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, and always with the same person." - Mignon McLaughlin

Dirty Dash '11

2011-06-05T18:43:00.005-06:00

Time to get down and dirty! My girlfriends and I did the Dirty Dash at Soldier Hollow and it was tough… but so fun! The course is covered in mud, obstacles and fierce water hoses. The race began with a mud pit, and then we were up against giant hay bales we had to climb over and muddy tunnels we had to crawl through. We scaled walls as giant fans blew water every which way! Near the end, we slid down a ginormous slip n’ slide! (yay!) And for the big finale... we waded through the pig sty in waist-deep mud to get to the finish line.
It was the hardest race I’ve ever done but I’d do it again! We had a muddy fun time!

Before...

After!

Team Tie-Dye

She's 21

2011-06-01T15:07:00.011-06:00

My little sis is 21! To celebrate this monumental occasion, we took a girls’ trip to Wendover. We stayed in a swank room at Montego Bay and that night hit the casinos in hopes of winning it big. I played roulette and blackjack for the first time. I won $4 but quickly lost it :( Wendover is also big on Keno. We played caveman keno… you can play for a penny and a dollar lasts forever! Still livin’ up the night, we ordered virgin daiquiris, the bartender said he'd have to keep on eye on us because we were too wild. We stayed up late laughing and eating cupcakes and ice cream. I am so grateful for my sisters. I love them so much!

Happy Birthday, Stef!

Twenty-6

2011-04-19T19:52:00.008-06:00

My birthday weekend was so fun! I am surrounded with wonderful family and friends and an amazing husband.

My birthday weekend began with my work throwing a little office party. They ordered yummy cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Of course, we had to sample all the different flavors (white chocolate raspberry is divine!) They even ordered my very own chocolate cake to take home!

Brent cooked me a fabulous birthday dinner and then we went out for dessert at The Melting Pot. We ordered the flaming turtle and wow, it was good!

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My family came over the next day for cake, ice cream... and presents!

"The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age." ~ Lucille Ball

Signs of Spring!

2011-03-21T17:54:00.004-06:00

I was utterly surprised to look out my back sliding door and see this...

The tulips I planted last fall are beginning to grow! I planted black, orange and pink ones and cannot wait to see them bloom. We attempted a garden for the first time last year and it was a success! So this year, we plan to grow tomatoes, peppers and cilantro again, plus onions, cucumbers and oregano!

"Earth laughs in flower."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sundance Film Festival 2011

2011-01-28T13:35:00.009-07:00

Each year the stars of independent film gather in Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival.

And Heather and I love to star-gaze.

It's was our second year of Sundance and we had so much fun! We went to the premiere of "Pariah" on opening night. We didn't know what the movie was about, but it turned out to be good. The Q & A session after the film is really interesting. The entire cast and the director answered questions from the audience.

Standing in line for the film on opening night

We took in a second day of Sundance and saw a documentary. Again, not really knowing what it was about. We saw "We Were Here", if you are familiar with the films this year, you can see we had a theme going. It was just OK.

My favorite part of the festival is walking Main Street. It's fun to people watch and try to see someone "famous". We ate a quaint deli for lunch and as we are getting ready to order, in walks Arielle Kebbel. (John Tucker Must Die) She was there promoting the film "I Melt With You".

She was the only celeb we saw that day.
We were told Rob Lowe (who is also in that same film) was eating lunch down the street. We saw paparazzi outside and attempted to sneak a peak... but failed.

It's all about the tree

2010-12-11T11:19:00.005-07:00

This year Brent and I bought a REAL Christmas tree! We've always put up our fake tree and the cats love it. But, this year we sprung for authenticity.

We bought a tightly wrapped, six-foot Douglas Fir.

When we untied it... poof! The tree expanded. (The picture hardly does it justice.) We decorated it with white lights and orange, brown, gold and green ornaments. And, for the finishing touch... a glittery star at the very top of our real, wonderfully-scented Christmas tree.

Baby, it's cold outside and it won't stop snowing!

2010-11-28T18:04:00.003-07:00

Just took this picture outside. 10 inches of snow and it doesn't show signs of stopping...

Black Friday

2010-11-28T17:41:00.005-07:00

I arrived a little before 4 AM at Jordan Landing and already people were lined up around the building! I was not looking forward to working that day but it turned out to be not as bad as I thought.

It was actually kind of fun. (Except that it was below freezing and I wore snow pants all day.)

I talked to veteran shoppers, ask them what they bought and what would possess them to spend hundreds of dollars on things that will probably go on sale next week.

I don't understand the madness but it was fun to be a part of it.

First snowfall

2010-11-25T11:17:00.005-07:00

The first big snowfall last Saturday night...

Brent shoveling snow in the backyard.

We had more snow from this storm than from the so-called "great blizzard of 2010" that hit Tuesday night.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T11:03:00.004-07:00

"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more."
-D&C 78:19

I have so much to be thankful for! I have a sexy, wonderful and hard-working husband, a beautiful home, a loving family and great friends! We are so blessed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween

2010-11-13T07:51:00.005-07:00

Here's what we did this Halloween...

A few of our friends came over for games and treats... costumes were a must!

Witches' Night Out!

2010-11-09T14:45:00.004-07:00

I have some fun and amazing friends!
We dressed up as witches and made our way to Gardner Village (seriously, the best place during Halloween) for Witches' Night Out! We had a blast! We danced, ate Carmel apples and even took part in the witches parade. We had so much fun, there's talk of making it a tradition!

Witchapalooza!

2010-11-07T18:34:00.006-07:00

It was girls' night out at Gardner Village! We went to see Witchapalooza and it was so fun! It's dinner and a show at The Gathering Place. Here are some highlights!

Cupcakes!

2010-10-06T10:46:00.009-06:00

My mom and I are on the cupcake train.

We recently took a decorative cupcake class through Granite Peaks and it was two hours of sheer happiness!
We decorated cupcakes using three techniques. On the first cupcake we used tip 2D and created a hydrangea. It was super easy and looks so fancy!
Our second cupcake was my favorite... a cute orange monster!
We used tips 3 and 18. The eyes are gumballs with a dot of frosting. The crazy antennae are made with lollipop sticks and gumdrops... cute!
The last cupcake we made was a chrysanthemum. This one took some time but looks like a pretty Christmas flower. We cut mini marshmallows in half diagonally and dipped them in colored sugar sprinkles.

We had so much fun... I think we could open our own shop ;)

End of Summer

2010-10-02T09:14:00.012-06:00

Without looking at the calender, you'd think it was still summer. Temperatures have been in the 80's, the sun is out and my dog doesn't need his coat. (This piece of clothing is necessary because he has fine hair and is small. I do not condone dressing up my animals as children.)
Sadly, I look at the calender and see that it is October. So, I must post my end of summer pictures.

Last Bees game!

This season went by so fast! This was my last week as a Honeybee this year. Go Bees!

Labor Day

We spent Labor Day enjoying a picnic at the Tibble Fork Reservoir with Brent's parents. It was a perfect day! Griz NEVER goes in the water, but he saw a duck and tried to go after it! We took a drive on the Alpine Scenic Loop to Cascade Springs. Water here flows out of the ground. There is a little path you can walk to see the springs.

Boldly going where no Griz has gone before.

Cascade Springs

Pay no attention to the outfit I am wearing. I was going for comfort.

How does your garden grow?

2010-08-26T19:09:00.004-06:00

It's the first season we tried to flex our green thumbs. Our little patio garden is green and growing!

A luscious tomato

Tomatoes, cilantro and peppers... the making of salsa! delicioso!

311

2010-08-21T19:16:00.004-06:00

Rockin' out to 311 and The Offspring at USANA! Brent is a big fan... and I actually knew a lot of their songs! It was so fun!

Cheers to 6 years

2010-07-10T12:47:00.012-06:00

Brent and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on June 15th! 6 years! We stayed at the cutest bed and breakfast in Midway. Johnson Mill is such a romantic place and overlooks a little lake and waterfall. Our room had a beautiful view of Mt. Timpanogos. We took paddle boats and a canoe out on the water and the breakfast in the morning is delicious!

Johnson Mill, Midway, UT.

We ate dinner at the Blue Boar Inn, a stunning restaurant in this Old-European style chateau.

We loved the fondue for two!

The salmon is superb!

"True love stories never have endings."

Blonde

2010-05-07T23:08:00.008-06:00

I have sadly neglected my blog... So, here's a look back at some fabulous Springtime moments!

March 26
It was a girls night out with my mom and sisters. We had a fantastic time at Legally Blonde!

We were really excited to be there!

Easter

Dyeing eggs

Easter Sunday

Air Force BMT graduation!

2010-03-26T13:51:00.009-06:00

Brent graduated from Air Force Basic Military Training... with honors! He spent eight grueling weeks at Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas. It was definitely hard for him... and me, but I was so proud to see him in his uniform at graduation. It's a big accomplishment! He had two days after the ceremonies to spend with me. We ate dinner along the Riverwalk, visited the Alamo and got to take in a Spurs game! It was so great to spend time together. Now we just have to get through another two months...

Airman's run
Coin Ceremony
Graduation parade

My airman

The Riverwalk
The Alamo

Valentine's Day

2010-02-21T13:08:00.004-07:00

"If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair. Because five minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty."
-- Jeff Foxworthy

I'd bet money that I have the best family in the world. Sure, everyone thinks that about their own family, but mine is the best. No battle.
I don't believe it's accident who ends up as our brothers and sisters. From each of my siblings, I have learned little lessons. Whether they knew it or not, each one of them has taught me something. The best part of our relationship is that we actually get along. Notice this is in present tense. We won't bring up the past...
Which brings me to the actual topic of this post. This Valentine's Day was one of the best. I thought I'd be wallowing in self pity... my valentine is not here... waaaah, waaaah.
My brother, and my sisters and I went to Winger's for dinner then to see Valentine's Day. (wings!) The movie was cute and funny. I really liked it... much better than Dear John (I did not like that movie!)
The next day I made Valentine treats with my mom and sis. We decorated cookies and made heart pastries.
Valentine's Day is not just about romantic love it's about all kinds of love. It's about spending time with those you care about... or thinking about those you can't be with at the moment. :)

Tuesdays

2010-02-09T18:04:00.006-07:00

I have grown to love Tuesdays.
It's not because it means the dreaded start of the week is over... or because I'm that much closer to Friday. I love Tuesdays because it means I am one week closer to going to Texas to see Brent.
Brent left on a Tuesday, so each time the day rolls around, I'm that much closer to seeing him. On Tuesdays, I perform my weekly ritual of crossing off another week on his training schedule. To say his training his eight Tuesdays makes the time seem shorter that we are apart.
Time is flying by, which I certainly did not expect. I've started to go to yoga on Tuesdays which has turned into something else to look forward to.
That is why I love Tuesdays.

Taken his first week at training

Sundance Film Festival

2010-02-06T17:38:00.009-07:00

Heather and I spend an awesome Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival!
We went to a screening of "Twelve" starring Chace Crawford and Emma Roberts. It's based on the book by Nick McDonell. It was a gritty film but I really liked it though. After the movie was over, the director Joel Schumacher, Chace Crawford and Charlie Saxton (who is also in the film) came out for a Q & A session. It was sooo cool!
We did lunch at the Red Banjo Pizza Parlor. It was good food but bad service:( We stopped by a Banksy' original... painted on the side of the Java Cow.
All in all, it was a fantastic day with my sister.

Crawford, Saxton, Schumacher

Banksy was here.

Farewell

2010-01-28T12:49:00.005-07:00

We invited our families over to say goodbye to Brent before he heads off to basic training. We had a great dinner... compliments of everyone bringing a yummy dish or two! It was nice to have everyone over at our place to send him off in style.

Brent and his cute niece

I already miss him like crazy

Cheers to 2010!

2010-01-19T15:53:00.007-07:00

We rang in the new year... with my family. I know, we're exciting. We had so much fun! Sus was in town and we wanted to spend more time with her. My mom had new years off for the first time, in like 7 years. We had a blast playing games and eating new years goodies!

Staying in is the new going out.

Tripoli!

Sus and Jack

Isn't he cute?

I love this pic

Cheers!

Christmas '09

2010-01-03T20:29:00.010-07:00

What a great Christmas! We spent time with family, ate delicious food, and opened fabulous presents! It was our first Christmas in our new house and so fun to decorate for the holidays! There's nothing better than spending Christmas with the fam and those you love.

The Royall's

Ally, Stef, Jackson and Mom

Our little Griz

Brent's new WW2 rifle

Do you have the time?

2009-12-18T10:33:00.002-07:00

We just bought this clock and hung it on our orange wall. I love it! It's huge and kind of old-world looking (it's a theme I'm going for). We splurged a bit but it looks awesome!

Festival of Trees

2009-12-13T13:32:00.007-07:00

My sisters and I spent last Saturday morning at the festival of trees! I love going and they are only people who will come with me. For some reason, battling the crowds for two hours to look at Christmas trees doesn't sound like fun to some people...
We had a great time! All the trees are beautiful and the gingerbread houses are so creative!

Cute sisters!

My favorite gingerbread house... from Up!

BYU vs. Utah, Cougs win it in OT baby!

2009-11-29T09:01:00.008-07:00

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

2009-11-27T17:41:00.005-07:00

"I promise that this will be the last time you’ll see me. I won’t come back. I won’t put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I’d never existed."
--Edward Cullen, New Moon

My mom, Ally and I saw New Moon opening weekend and it was SO good! I loved every minute of it. I've read all the books and although New Moon wasn't my favorite book, the movie lived up to all the hype. I found myself rooting for Jacob in this installment. (Edward had my vote in the first movie). I'm dying to see it again! Anyone want to go with me? ;)

BYU Football

2009-11-22T13:52:00.005-07:00

Going to BYU football games is a long standing tradition in my family.
For as long as I can remember, we've made our way down to Provo several times during the football season. We eat at the same burger joint before the game (which is the best ever!) and then get to our seats to watch Cougar football.
On Saturday the tradition continued.
We went down to Provo to watch BYU take on Air Force. The day was perfect for watching football but at halftime the wind started to pick up. Luckily the weatherman was wrong and it did not snow. Ally and I kept warm most of the game with our hot chocolate BYU mugs but with a few minutes to spare in the 4th, we headed out.
It was a good game, the Cougs beat the Falcons 38-21.
Next week is the big one... Utah vs BYU and you can bet we'll be there mugs and all.

First Snowfall

2009-11-15T20:14:00.006-07:00

Saturday morning I woke up to snow! My little tree in the backyard has nearly lost all its' leaves, except for a few clinging to the branches. I'm not ready for a ton of snow but a few snowflakes are perfect.

Movin' On Up

2009-10-10T22:31:00.003-06:00

The day finally came that we moved out of our one bedroom, 700 sq. foot apartment. I'll admit I was a bit sad. We had lived in that place the longest and had so many memories... buying tamales from the lady selling them door-to-door, being awaken by the neighbor's music, and by the lady upstairs who could only play one church hymn (and not very well). In all seriousness, there are some things I miss about living in an apartment, but I LOVE owning a house more. So, it's official. We've moved on up and are the proud owners of a very cute townhouse.

Above all...

2009-07-22T16:00:00.000-06:00

Brent joined the Air Force Reserves.
I couldn't be prouder of him! He's wanted to join the military for so many years now. After much conversation, and I mean much (since the time we were dating), he decided to enlist in the AFRC. I am so happy with his decision. He is super excited to serve his country.
He signed and was sworn in at Hill Air Force Base.
We'll keep you posted on what happens in the future!

Getting sworn in

The recruiter

Brent's parents

He's here!

2009-07-22T10:12:00.000-06:00

Jackson is here! My little nephew was born Wednesday July 15, at 5:57 pm! He weighed 8 lbs 5 ounces and was 20 inches long. Isn't he cute?

Visiting Susan

2009-07-19T12:19:00.000-06:00

Our cruise was beyond awesome! But one of my favorite parts of our vacation was seeing my pregnant sis, Susan. I hadn't seen her in months! She and her husband moved up to Washington so this was the first time I had seen her in awhile. Though our stay was short, we had so much fun!
Here's the quick version...
Susan has a dog, named Sam... and he's big! Actually really big compared to our little terrier. He's a bit rambunctious so we made Brent play with him outside.
While Brent was playing with Sam, us girls thought we'd be "domestic" and bake a cake. Only she didn't have a cake mix, or frosting, or powdered sugar. So we made due with what we had and made a cake from scratch. The cake actually turned out not too bad. The frosting on the other hand tasted like butter with food coloring. But at least we made the finished project look good, right?
One night we went to watch the Seattle Mariners play at Safeco field! It was a great night and the Mariners won. I absolutely love baseball games.
The night before we left, I was lucky enough to get to go to Susan's baby shower! She got a ton of cute things and I was glad I got to be there for her.

Brent with Sam on the rock

Vancouver, BC - the Olympic city

2009-07-19T11:54:00.000-06:00

After our cruise, we decided we just had to make a trip to Vancouver, BC. The city will host the Olympics in February so we really wanted to see the sights. We rented a car, drove from Seattle and across the border to our northern neighbor. Our hotel was right in the heart of the city. We walked downtown, made a trip down Robson Street (a famous shopping street), saw BC Place, GM Place (where the Vancouver Canucks play) and walked a ways down to Gastown, the historic part of Vancouver. The next day we were feeling adventurous, so we rented roller blades and spent the afternoon blading around the seawall in Stanley Park. I thought I was this awesome blader but apparently that was when I was 14. It took some getting used to, but by the end, we were total pros!

Just after we crossed the border

Robson Street
>
BC Place

GM Place - home to the Vancouver Canucks

The famous steam clock in Gastown

Gaining some speed...

Slowing down as I round the corner

And he's off...

Made it all the way around the seawall injury free!

Victoria, BC

2009-07-15T19:06:00.000-06:00

Our last port was Victoria, British Columbia. The city has a strong British influence- and I loved it! The must-see attraction is Butchart Gardens- it's stunning! It is full of all kinds of plants, flowers, trees, shrubs, you name it!- from all over the world. People from everywhere come to visit.
After a walk through the gardens, we made our way downtown to see the Empress Hotel, Parliament (Victoria is the capital of BC) and buy some Canadian souvenirs!

The Empress

On the steps of Parliament

Formal night

2009-07-14T21:49:00.000-06:00

Our last formal night on the cruise was so much fun! The dessert was baked Alaska... yum! To present the dessert in all its' glory, the servers paraded through the dining room. Our server stopped in front of our table and lit the baked Alaska on fire! It was a fabulous night!

Baked Alaska!

Savio getting ready to light the baked Alaska!

Our server, Ender!

We loved everyone at our table!

Juneau - the capital city!

2009-07-07T22:45:00.000-06:00

Our next port was Juneau, the capital of Alaska! We had a packed day planned so we jumped off the boat and got on the bus. Our first stop was Mendenhall Glacier. This glacier is about 20 minutes outside of downtown. It's not as big as Hubbard but still really cool and off to the side of the glacier was a huge waterfall!
The Macaulay Salmon Hatchery was neat to see. The hatchery raises different types of salmon and we learned a lot about the different types of marine life in Alaska.
We took in a bird's eye view from the top of Mount Roberts. We rode the tram to the top and hiked around the mountain.
Downtown Juneau was fun to see, too. We ate lunch at the Red Dog Saloon, an old saloon that's been in Juneau since the town's mining days.
Before we knew it, the day was over and we got back on the Infinity to sail away. But before we left Juneau we sat in the hot tub and enjoyed the scenic views. Juneau is so beautiful, it's breathtaking.

Mendenhall Glacier

Brent touching starfish at the hatchery

Macaulay Salmon Hatchery

Acting tough at the Red Dog Saloon

On top of Mount Roberts

Downtown Juneau

In the hot tub

The days are long in Alaska. No joke, this picture was taken at 12:15 am!

Hubbard Glacier

2009-07-05T12:03:00.000-06:00

One of the highlights of the cruise was sailing to Hubbard Glacier. It was amazing to be that close to a glacier. The area is desolate but the view is gorgeous. The water is green with ice chunks floating everywhere, kind of Titanic-esque. We saw sheets of ice fall of the glacier followed by a loud booming noise. Our cruise director told us if you hear the noise, you already missed the ice falling. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen!

Stunning scenery

Yummy soup bowls!

Hubbard Glacier

Ketchikan

2009-07-04T12:05:00.000-06:00

Our first port was Ketchikan, the salmon capital of the world! We went canoeing on a beautiful lake up in the mountains, ate smoked salmon, and visited historic Creek Street. Creek Street was once the city's redlight district during the its mining days, now is a big tourist sightseeing spot.
Ketchikan was our favorite port. If you ever have the chance, go there! The city is actually an island and can only be reached by plane or boat, but the scenery is stunning as you sail into Ketchikan.

On deck.

Keeping warm in the morning with hot chocolate.

The views are amazing!

Canoeing!

Our adventure guide, Brian!

Totem poles

Creek Street

Overlooking Ketchikan

Seattle - love this city!

2009-07-03T14:05:00.000-06:00

First stop... Seattle!
I love it here.
So much, that I want to move here. It's an awesome place. Bars, cafes, quaint shops and trendy stores line the streets. People stay out late, especially in Belltown.

We took in an amazing 360 view from SkyCity Restaurant at the top of the Space Needle and enjoyed their famous Lunar Orbiter dessert :)
Pikes Market Place is so fun - and home to the first Starbucks.
Our cruise disembarked from Pier 66 and we set sail for Alaska!

That's me standing under the Space Needle.

Famous Lunar Orbiter... yum!

Flowers at Pike's Market.

The first Starbucks... the mermaid has boobs.

Bon Voyage!

Meet Grizbee

2009-05-24T14:24:00.000-06:00

This is Grizbee.

His story began one Wednesday afternoon when he appeared on the noon show as the pet of the week. He was to be one of the hundreds and hundreds of cats and dogs at the Super Pet Adoption that weekend.

I sent a picture message and jokingly added, "I'm bringing him home". Little did I know I actually would.
I went Friday afternoon to get Griz (Animal services called him Mikey) and fought off half a dozen mom's and teenage boys to get him. I got their first so he was mine!

I put him in the car and drove home.

Griz is a really good dog. He is a 1 year old silky terrier mix. There are a couple of issues we're working on but he's well on his way to being a well-trained pooch... sort-of.

This isn't the first time I've brought home an animal (i.e. the rabbit) and sometimes I still can't believe we're dog owners. It's a really big commitment but how could you not love this face?

His first bath....

And first hair cut...

KSL investigates

2009-05-06T09:39:00.000-06:00

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Someone tracking your every move, listening to every coversation and knowing where you are at all times--
A gadget from a spy movie?--Try your cell phone.
Check out the investigative piece I produced on how your phone could be used against you.

The Hot Springs

2009-04-26T13:16:00.000-06:00

The weather was so nice last weekend, we decided to hike to the hot springs. The trail takes about an hour but it runs along the river and it's a pretty scenic route. There are five hot springs, all surrounding a water fall. The pools are actually really nice and clean! It's amazing how warm they were! The temperature is like a hot tub. It was so relaxing to sit in the pools and watch the river run by you. It's a great hike, not too strenuous but a good enough trail to feel you got a work out. We hit it in the morning which seemed to be the best time, it was less crowded, but we met some interesting people along the way.

Note: The area is kind of a hangout for hippies/granola's. Let me clarify... I meant nude hippies/granola's. In one pool there was a nude hippie covered in mud. Needless to say, nobody joined him.

Lesson: If you sit in a hot spring, naked and covered in mud, you'll have the pool all to yourself.

Circus Tour 2009

2009-04-22T20:46:00.000-06:00

Britney Spears' Circus Tour was the best concert I have ever been to! It was like a Vegas show! The Pussycat Dolls opened the show with "Buttons" and they were amazing! I'm a huge Pussycat Doll fan and love their songs even more so now.

After singing a lot of their hits, the girls left the stage and circus performers took front and center. There were a lot of crazy acts like these two big body builders that did basket toss-like tricks with this girl. It was pretty cool.
Finally, Britney took the stage! yay!

I missed seeing Britney when she came about five years ago, but this totally made up for it! Her dancers were awesome and the effects and props were crazy. She performed Circus, Womanizer, If U Seek Amy, Gimme More, Toxic, I'm a Slave 4 U and a ton more! The icing on the cake was her last song, Hit Me Baby One More Time! classic.

The best part of the night was that I went with my two sisters and had a fantastic girls night out!

A Wicked Easter

2009-04-19T17:57:00.000-06:00

The family spent Easter night watching the sold-out show, Wicked. (Thanks mom!) Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz, and it is so good! The cast is amazing! I really like the part when Elphaba rises above the stage at the end of Act 1! It was a fantastic show, everyone enjoyed it!

So excited for the show to begin!

The girls in our Easter best.

The Ting Tings

2009-04-15T10:21:00.000-06:00

The Ting Tings put on a super fun show at In The Venue last week! I love them! There one of my favorite new groups. Hottub, a girl group from Oakland opened the show. They were pretty good, kind of reminded me of Salt-N-Pepa. Brent and I both enjoyed the show, here are some pics...

A sweet birthday

2009-04-05T19:44:00.000-06:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks, so I need to back track a bit.

March 27th I turned 24!

I was excited for this birthday, I don't know why. But then again I'm always really excited when it's my birthday. Isn't everyone? To celebrate, we went to Red Lobster with my parents for dinner. It was really good! I can't believe I've never been before. Later, Brent and I went to see Knowing. It was good, but kind of creepy. The next day we went to Red Iguana with his parents for dinner. (We didn't cook all weekend!) And we ended the weekend with a family party. Cheers to 24!

Birthday girl!

yum!

I was so excited to get luggage! I'm ready to travel!

Idol and the big 6-0

2009-02-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love spending time with my siblings. My sis, who is up from Snow College spent the weekend at my place. We spent the night flexing our golden pipes on American Idol. (the game, not the show) We even got all decked out in costume, sort of.

The big event of the weekend was my dad's 60th birthday! Yes, 60th! But he doesn't look a day over 49. Because this was such the occasion we celebrated in style with a very elaborate, very decadent and very yummy cake from Mrs. Backers! It looked amazing!

Pretty icing flower.

Clearly, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Cutting the cake, before the carnage.

Sisters.

Me and my dad.

Overall it was a really good weekend. :)

Cool School

2009-02-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

Last week's cool school of the week was Joel P. Jensen! Big Buddah of Fox13 came to the West Jordan middle school and got a little lesson in foreign language. Brent's students were really excited about being on tv! His students worked hard all week preparing their Spanish song.

family picture

2009-01-24T20:55:00.001-07:00

Our two kitties, Pep and Elle!
They're actually looking at the camera. Amazing.

Physical Therapy

2009-01-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

Today was physical therapy day. I love my PT days because it's so relaxing, especially when I get my massage. The electrode-thing they do (I don't know what it's called but I love it) helps to loosen my neck muscles. Rocky Mountain is fantastic! The staff there is great and really nice.

So it's been two months since my accident and for the first time I feel I'm finally on the mend. For those who don't know, this is what happened...

I was in a bad car accident in November. I had just left work and turned onto 6th north. A truck had hit ice and had spun out, then hit the wall. When I reached him, his vehicle was facing traffic, blocking the lane. I hit ice and cruised into his truck. The damage wasn't too bad on either vehicle. My car had a dent in the bumper. It was a little bit scary. The guy came to see if I was OK. I opened my door and said, "I'm fine". That's when I got hit. A lady slammed into the back of my car. I was thrown out of the vehicle and onto the road. I don't how long I was out. When the lady hit me, my car hit another vehicle's bumper. The two guys (one from the truck and one from the other car) helped me up. The back of my head was pounding, my leg hurt. I had cut my leg but it wasn't bleeding.

It took about 30-40 minutes for the police to arrive. A tow truck came a couple hours later and hauled my car away. I went to the hospital that night for x-rays and to get checked out. The x-rays came back negative. I had a bone bruise on my leg, I was bruised from my ankle to my knee. It's was so hard to walk on it. I couldn't do anything for days. I had muscle spasms in my neck and bad whiplash.

The lady who hit me drove off. Just hit me and drove off. Her car must have substantial damage. My car was totaled. The entire back end was crunched. The two back doors don't open. It's beyond repair.

It could have much worse. The doctor reminded me I'm lucky the car didn't run over me. It's been painful and I've been very emotional the past two months.

But now, I'm recovering. And I'm so happy there's physical therapy. :)

Better Know A District

2009-01-07T21:49:00.001-07:00

For all you fans of the Colbert Report, Utah's "fightin' 3rd" was part of Steven's 434 part series! Take a look at Jason Chaffetz's interview and leg wrestling match! I laughed right out loud!

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Better Know a District - Utah's 3rd - Jason Chaffetz

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

How to be Happy...

2009-01-04T16:45:00.001-07:00

I came across this video and thought it was entertaining. So pull up a seat, make some popcorn and learn how to be happy

How to Be Happy

First Night!

2009-01-01T15:08:00.001-07:00

Happy new year!
Brent and I celebrated the end of 2008 downtown at First Night. There were bands, fire performers, a hypnotist and dancers. I love being downtown on new years!
We were really entertained by the guy on stage, not the band, but the painter. You can see him above. He painted random things while the band performed.

Starbucks to keep warm!

Fireworks to start 2009 off with a bang!

Valkyrie, Bajio and Apollo

2008-12-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

Brent and I met his parents at Jordan Landing to go see Valkyrie. I had seen the previews and thought it looked good despite what the critics had said. But I was feeling under the weather so if I happened to doze off, so be it.

I didn't doze off

The movie was really good! I knew there had been several assassination attempts on Hitler's life but this movie chronicled "Operation Valkyrie" and the man behind the attempt, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Tom Cruise did a good job. I thought the eye patch would be distracting but it wasn't. The movie moved along quickly for being two hours long. I wondered how it would end, though I knew how history played out, but hoped Hollywood would take some creative license so the good guys would win. My eyes watered in the end and after the movie was over those words pop up on the screen explaining what happened after the "movie" part. It was kind of sad but a bit inspiring. Just good overall.

After the movie, we were all feeling a bit hungry so we went to Bajio. I love Bajio! I got my usual: chicken enchiladas. We talked a bit at our table and guess who was sitting right behind us? Apollo Anton Ohno! Of course, I knew who he was. When the Olympics came to Salt Lake I did a report on him and speed skating. And who could forget Dancing with the Stars? I looked at him but didn't go say anything, but of course my mother-in-law did. (She loves Dancing with the Stars) She asked if he was going to dance anymore and he said he's too busy to have time for dancing right now.

O Christmas tree

2008-12-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

Our Christmas tree! I had to make the tree kitty-proof this year, so a couple of light strands, ribbon and unbreakable ornaments...and viola! I've already caught Elle scaling the tree multiple times, but I guess that's what cats do.

Looking so innocent...

when you've seen one... you've seen them all

2008-12-07T15:38:00.001-07:00

Ahh, the festival of trees. Rows and rows filled with elaborately decorated trees, gingerbread houses dripping with icing, homemade chocolate.... the girls loved it! We couldn't think of a better way to spend two hours. The boys, however, would have been fine after seeing about five trees. My dad, Zach and Brent were all good sports about it, so to that I say thank-you.

It really was fun. My favorite tree was the pink tree done by Good Things Utah. I liked the gingerbread houses, I couldn't believe the detail on some of them. Ally and I took turns saying which house we wanted to live in. I'm still living in the castle.... Ally gets the Christmas cottage.

New addition.....

2008-12-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

Meet Olive! or Elle, for short. She's our new kitty! She was only eight weeks old when Brent brought her home. We have another cat, Pep, and the two get along famously. But they can be trouble... like when they knocked over the fish bowl a few days ago... I was not happy.

Mr. Forester

2008-11-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

Brent in his classroom - he just finished his first quarter of his first year teaching!

Are the facts being swept under the rug?

2008-10-28T11:12:00.000-06:00

I was forwarded this article written by Orson Scott Card. As someone who works in TV, I hate how most people generalization that we are all part of the liberal media, because there are conservatives in this field. But Card has a valid point and I do side with him on this.

And remember to vote on Nov. 4th!!!

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?
By Orson Scott Card

Editor's note: Orson Scott Card is a Democrat and a newspaper columnist, and in this opinion piece he takes on both while lamenting the current state of journalism.

An open letter to the local daily paper — almost every local daily paper in America:

I remember reading All the President's Men and thinking: That's journalism. You do what it takes to get the truth and you lay it before the public, because the public has a right to know.

This housing crisis didn't come out of nowhere. It was not a vague emanation of the evil Bush administration.

It was a direct result of the political decision, back in the late 1990s, to loosen the rules of lending so that home loans would be more accessible to poor people. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were authorized to approve risky loans.

What is a risky loan? It's a loan that the recipient is likely not to be able to repay.

The goal of this rule change was to help the poor — which especially would help members of minority groups. But how does it help these people to give them a loan that they can't repay? They get into a house, yes, but when they can't make the payments, they lose the house — along with their credit rating.

They end up worse off than before.

This was completely foreseeable and in fact many people did foresee it. One political party, in Congress and in the executive branch, tried repeatedly to tighten up the rules. The other party blocked every such attempt and tried to loosen them.

Furthermore, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were making political contributions to the very members of Congress who were allowing them to make irresponsible loans. (Though why quasi-federal agencies were allowed to do so baffles me. It's as if the Pentagon were allowed to contribute to the political campaigns of Congressmen who support increasing their budget.)

Isn't there a story here? Doesn't journalism require that you who produce our daily paper tell the truth about who brought us to a position where the only way to keep confidence in our economy was a $700 billion bailout? Aren't you supposed to follow the money and see which politicians were benefiting personally from the deregulation of mortgage lending?

I have no doubt that if these facts had pointed to the Republican Party or to John McCain as the guilty parties, you would be treating it as a vast scandal. "Housing-gate," no doubt. Or "Fannie-gate."

Instead, it was Senator Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, both Democrats, who denied that there were any problems, who refused Bush administration requests to set up a regulatory agency to watch over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and who were still pushing for these agencies to go even further in promoting sub-prime mortgage loans almost up to the minute they failed.

As Thomas Sowell points out in a TownHall.com essay entitled "Do Facts Matter?" ( http://snipurl.com/457townhall_com] ): "Alan Greenspan warned them four years ago. So did the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to the President. So did Bush's Secretary of the Treasury."

These are facts. This financial crisis was completely preventable. The party that blocked any attempt to prevent it was ... the Democratic Party. The party that tried to prevent it was ... the Republican Party.

Yet when Nancy Pelosi accused the Bush administration and Republican deregulation of causing the crisis, you in the press did not hold her to account for her lie. Instead, you criticized Republicans who took offense at this lie and refused to vote for the bailout!

What? It's not the liar, but the victims of the lie who are to blame?

Now let's follow the money ... right to the presidential candidate who is the number-two recipient of campaign contributions from Fannie Mae.

And after Freddie Raines, the CEO of Fannie Mae who made $90 million while running it into the ground, was fired for his incompetence, one presidential candidate's campaign actually consulted him for advice on housing.

If that presidential candidate had been John McCain, you would have called it a major scandal and we would be getting stories in your paper every day about how incompetent and corrupt he was.

But instead, that candidate was Barack Obama, and so you have buried this story, and when the McCain campaign dared to call Raines an "adviser" to the Obama campaign — because that campaign had sought his advice — you actually let Obama's people get away with accusing McCain of lying, merely because Raines wasn't listed as an official adviser to the Obama campaign.

You would never tolerate such weasely nit-picking from a Republican.

If you who produce our local daily paper actually had any principles, you would be pounding this story, because the prosperity of all Americans was put at risk by the foolish, short-sighted, politically selfish, and possibly corrupt actions of leading Democrats, including Obama.

If you who produce our local daily paper had any personal honor, you would find it unbearable to let the American people believe that somehow Republicans were to blame for this crisis.

There are precedents. Even though President Bush and his administration never said that Iraq sponsored or was linked to 9/11, you could not stand the fact that Americans had that misapprehension — so you pounded us with the fact that there was no such link. (Along the way, you created the false impression that Bush had lied to them and said that there was a connection.)

If you had any principles, then surely right now, when the American people are set to blame President Bush and John McCain for a crisis they tried to prevent, and are actually shifting to approve of Barack Obama because of a crisis he helped cause, you would be laboring at least as hard to correct that false impression.

Your job, as journalists, is to tell the truth. That's what you claim you do, when you accept people's money to buy or subscribe to your paper.

But right now, you are consenting to or actively promoting a big fat lie — that the housing crisis should somehow be blamed on Bush, McCain, and the Republicans. You have trained the American people to blame everything bad — even bad weather — on Bush, and they are responding as you have taught them to.

If you had any personal honor, each reporter and editor would be insisting on telling the truth — even if it hurts the election chances of your favorite candidate.

Because that's what honorable people do. Honest people tell the truth even when they don't like the probable consequences. That's what honesty means . That's how trust is earned.

Barack Obama is just another politician, and not a very wise one. He has revealed his ignorance and naiveté time after time — and you have swept it under the rug, treated it as nothing.

Meanwhile, you have participated in the borking of Sarah Palin, reporting savage attacks on her for the pregnancy of her unmarried daughter — while you ignored the story of John Edwards's own adultery for many months.

So I ask you now: Do you have any standards at all? Do you even know what honesty means?

Is getting people to vote for Barack Obama so important that you will throw away everything that journalism is supposed to stand for?

You might want to remember the way the National Organization of Women threw away their integrity by supporting Bill Clinton despite his well-known pattern of sexual exploitation of powerless women. Who listens to NOW anymore? We know they stand for nothing; they have no principles.

That's where you are right now.

It's not too late. You know that if the situation were reversed, and the truth would damage McCain and help Obama, you would be moving heaven and earth to get the true story out there.

If you want to redeem your honor, you will swallow hard and make a list of all the stories you would print if it were McCain who had been getting money from Fannie Mae, McCain whose campaign had consulted with its discredited former CEO, McCain who had voted against tightening its lending practices.

Then you will print them, even though every one of those true stories will point the finger of blame at the reckless Democratic Party, which put our nation's prosperity at risk so they could feel good about helping the poor, and lay a fair share of the blame at Obama's door.

You will also tell the truth about John McCain: that he tried, as a Senator, to do what it took to prevent this crisis. You will tell the truth about President Bush: that his administration tried more than once to get Congress to regulate lending in a responsible way.

This was a Congress-caused crisis, beginning during the Clinton administration, with Democrats leading the way into the crisis and blocking every effort to get out of it in a timely fashion.

If you at our local daily newspaper continue to let Americans believe — and vote as if — President Bush and the Republicans caused the crisis, then you are joining in that lie.

If you do not tell the truth about the Democrats — including Barack Obama — and do so with the same energy you would use if the miscreants were Republicans — then you are not journalists by any standard.

You're just the public relations machine of the Democratic Party, and it's time you were all fired and real journalists brought in, so that we can actually have a news paper in our city.

This article first appeared in The Rhinoceros Times of Greensboro, North Carolina, and is used here by permission

What a Relief!

2008-10-25T18:55:00.000-06:00

Check out the I-team story from last Thursday! Lots more are coming up in November!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

beLIEve & superstars

2008-10-20T20:03:00.000-06:00

We saw Criss Angel Believe with Cirque du Soleil at the Luxor in Vegas and... it is awesome!!!

Criss is the headliner and does mind blowing demonstrations throughout the show, just like on his A&E series "Mindfreak". I was mesmerized by the dancers from Cirque, they're amazing. You may have seen one of the numbers, 'Homage to the rabbits' on "So You Think You Can Dance". It was choreographed by Wade Robson, as was the rest of the show. Anyone who is a fan of Criss Angel would LOVE the show! And Criss is hot.

We also saw American Superstars at the Stratosphere. It was a fun show - complete with Vegas dancers and the celebrity tribute artists were SO good! Celine Dion was probably my favorite but Michael Jackson was the best dancer!

Game on!

2008-09-03T16:03:00.000-06:00

First BYU game of the season and it was SO HOT! It was an afternoon game so we grabbed lunch at Burgers Supreme (a pre-game ritual for as long as I can remember) then headed to the stadium. We all thought we were going to melt by the end of the first quarter so Brent and I got Snowies (and waited in line for like 30 minutes) and everyone else had ice cream. Stef came up from Snow and made the game that more fun. Plus, BYU won 41-17.

This is American Idol.... on tour

2008-07-27T10:41:00.000-06:00

I've always wanted to go to American Idols live. After religiously watching A.I. this past season we just had to go see Utah's idol, David Archuleta. The concert was really good. The idols put on a great show complete with pyrotechnics, I might add. Chikezie kicked off the show with three numbers and then the countdown started: Ramiele, Michael Johns, Kristy Lee Cook, Carly, Brooke, Jason, Syesha, David A. and then David Cook.

Ramiele was mediocre, I was never really a fan of hers. But when Michael Johns hit the stage, the women went crazy, including myself. He really is a talented singer and he's good-looking. Queen would be proud. Kristy Lee is really good, I voted for her several times. I had hoped she'd make it further in the competition, but it's America's choice. Brooke brimmed with confidence which is more than I can say during the competion. She has a good voice though, I'll give her that. Jason was really mellow, kind of like Jack Johnson, but the time he was done I had had enough. Syesha sang some songs she didn't sing on the show. She reminds me of a lot of singers out there but her part of the show was really high energy. And now for the Davids.....
What can I say about David Archuleta? Utah loves him! Whether or not you voted for him, you can't deny his voice is of a higher caliber than those he competed against. The girls went crazy! My ears were ringing the next day. My bet is that David A. will go far in his career, he's no one-hit wonder.

David Cook is awesome. He sang his new single and a few others he didn't sing on the show. He's a performer. The girls were equally taken by D.C.'s performance as they were by David A.'s.

Overall the idols were entertaining, even Brent enjoyed the show. And to cap it all off, the next day David Archuleta performed on Studio 5 and I got my picture with him! Me and David!

Two days of pure Idol mania, it's a great thing.

South Dakota

2008-06-21T16:00:00.000-06:00

Brent and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on June 15th. 4 years! It's hard to believe...
It's been tradition for us to always go somewhere for our anniversary, so this year we went to romantic South Dakota. Brent had never been to Mount Rushmore so we thought it'd be different. We stayed in Rapid City, the drive was long but worth it when we saw how pretty it is up there. We went to Mount Rushmore, Jewel Cave, drove through Black Hills National Forest, visited Deadwood and Thunderhead Falls.

Save FOX's "Back To You"!

2008-05-21T10:25:00.000-06:00

May 15, 2008 from KCRA 3 in Sacramento, California:
LOS ANGELES -- Kelsey Grammer said that it's a surprise and a shame that the Fox television network is canceling his sitcom "Back to You."

It's so much of a surprise that on Friday, Grammer taped an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show promoting the series had been canceled.

Grammer told The Associated Press that prior to that call, he'd been told the show was coming back.
Grammer doesn't agree with people who say "Back to You" -- which also stars Patricia Heaton -- is costing Fox too much.

"That's rarely a stumbling block if they really want a show. There are ways around that," Grammer said. "They just really didn't want it."

A comedy about a news anchor who returns to his former station years after he left for the big time, "Back to You" had a strong debut last fall but its audience has slipped.

Brent and I have never enjoyed a show as much as this one! It's hilarious, well-written and very entertaining.

Sign this petition to save "Back To You"

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/back2useason2

more California pics

2008-05-15T22:08:00.000-06:00

scam at the home show

2008-05-07T18:43:00.000-06:00

I produced an investigative piece last Thursday. But that's not the coolest part... I've gone international!

Here's the story:

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3207020

A few days after our report aired, we (the I-Team) got an email from CBC News in Newfoundland, Canada saying, "The fraud artist in your home show story is in custody in Canada". How cool is that? Turns out, our salesman was at a home show and one smart shopper took in that whole 'buyer beware' sentiment and checked him out on the Internet. Authorities were notified and viola - here's what happened.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2008/05/05/utah-warrnt.html?ref=rss"

CaLiFoRnIa

2008-04-30T23:08:00.000-06:00

Brent and I spent a week in Southern California. He's done with school and I needed a to get away from work for a bit. It was great weather - we came back with a nice tan (and a slight burn). I went to my first Angels game and Brent hadn't been in years. We stayed in Huntington Beach and were just steps away from the ocean. Brent hit a few waves and we built a sand castle. We spent a day in Universal Studios Hollywood. The Mummy ride is a must! Disneyland and California Adventure were fun too! The Tower of Terror is awesome!

27th

2008-04-01T19:13:00.000-06:00

March 27th was the big 2-3 for me and it was also Brent's last day of student teaching! Brent did his student teaching at Taylorsville High. He has a few weeks left of classes as he finishes up his senior portfolio. That night we went out to eat at Ruby River, one of our favorite places. We then went to my parents house and celebrated with family.

listening?

2008-03-17T20:35:00.000-06:00

Anne: You wanna go to a show?
Brent: What show?
Anne: Drop Dead Julio.
Brent: Who?
Anne: The band that Gene's in.
Brent: huh, sure.

Climbing the corporate ladder (sort of)

2008-02-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

Monday Brent met with a HR representative from the school district. The rep said he would 'highly recommend' him to all high school and junior high principals in the district. He's about half way done with student teaching and he's loving it so far. He's teaching six classes - four world and two American history. He likes that he can teach both subjects but likes U.S. history the best. Wednesday and Thursday were parent-teacher conferences. The teacher he's working under told Brent he was one of the best student teacher he's had!

Wednesday night was my big producing debut! I've been working with the investigative team and produced my first piece! Families fighting to keep their homes, check it out at http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=2744120

Investigation: Families face losing homes after home auction win
February 27th, 2008 @ 10:12pm
Debbie Dujanovic reporting Produced by Anne Forester

wedding pics

2008-02-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our wedding day!