My silly little brother

As soon as my little brother Chris learned how to write his name it began popping up all over our house. He would write it when ever he had the chance.
Then it started popping up in some pretty random places.

Here are a few of my favorites:

• In pencil underneath the window sill.
• In pencil behind a picture.
• In eyeliner and lipstick in his closet.
  
• In eyeliner in the bathroom drawers.

And my personal favorite

• Mom, Spray painted in dark green on the yellow house, and his name underneath
  

Chris also tried to convince my parents that his brother had spray painted the house to get him trouble. By then we knew he had written in eyeliner and lip stick in various locations. It was not a very solid case against Andrew. It was pretty funny when we we went outside and saw what he had done. He is such a funny guy. I wonder if we took pictures of it...
Eliza and I didn't discover most of the pencil ones until many years later when we were prepping our house to paint it.

Nuclear Free Utah

I received this e-mail today:

WESTERN BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE

Dear Katie--

Utah is going to need a lot more power in the coming years if we are to create new jobs, grow our economy and "keep the lights on" in our homes, schools, farms and places of business. In fact, experts say we will need about 25 percent more electricity generation in the 10 years.

Most Utahans believe we ought to rely on a broad diversity of energy sources to become energy independent like: clean coal, solar, nuclear, natural gas, oil shale, geothermal and wind.

Senator David Hinkins is sponsoring a resolution in the Utah Senate to encourage reliable and affordable new nuclear power development in Utah. Nuclear power is a secure and cost-effective option for Utah's future. Go here to send an instant message to your elected representative in Salt Lake City:

Senator Hinkins' resolution points out that nuclear power has economic, environmental and fuel diversity benefits, in addition to its impressive operational safety and security record. It also notes that construction of a new two-unit nuclear facility in Utah would:

• Create 3,500 construction jobs;
• Inject billions of dollars into Utah’s economy;
• Create 800 high wage jobs over the 60+ year life of the plant; and
• One proposed project would contribute over $2 million in 2009 to the State Institutional Trust Lands Fund in 2009.

Senator Hinkins' resolution also:

• Declares that nuclear power has been shown to be a viable cost effective option, that current rate payer protection laws and regulations are sufficient and that no new legislation or special action is needed for the Public Service Commission to recognize nuclear power as a prudent investment;
  
• Declares that no appropriations for special committees or programs are needed to determine whether nuclear power can be built in Utah; encourages all investor-owned and municipally owned utilities and power marketers and traders to consider participating in a nuclear power project in Utah; and recognizes commercial nuclear power plants as a market-based, commercially competitive enterprise.

Ask your legislator to support Senator Hinkins’s Senate Joint Resolution Supporting New Nuclear Power. Please take a minute and let your elected officials know of your support by going here.

Thank you very much.

Jim Sims
President & CEO
Western Business Roundtable

I DO NOT want a nuclear power plant in Utah. It is just a quick fix. They can create The same amount of jobs through development of solar and wind power plants. PLEASE PLEASE write your Congress, and Senate representatives and tell them you do not want nuclear power in Utah. Let them know you do want things like SOLAR and WIND!!! Usually I am middle of the road on most things. But nuclear power is something with long term problems I don't want my children and their children to live with. High school science classes have taught me that much:)

Also It is OK if we use less power...
Maybe go to bed earlier, use power saving light bulbs, unplug things when you are not using them, and just getting outside and doing something!
What I like best is that those things save me money and I feel healthy!

Super Sweet 16

So I hate that show first of all...
Anyways one of my cousins just had her 16th birthday and it got me thinking about mine.
I know I had a party I remember people came over and thinking to myself "This is the lamest party ever... why did I invite people over...." But I was happy that it was not a huge party with a bunch of people that I didn't know well. They were my friends so that helped me not to feel as lame as I could have. I got a sweet card, that I still have somewhere...
But on my birthday it was a very depressing day.
My birthday started out good.

• I got a CD player and Mmm Bop.
• I had a marching band show, which we didn't do well at.
• My ride forgot to pick me up at the school afterward, I waited there for 3 hours, and nobody would answer the phone at the house when I called to get a ride.
• I had to get a ride home with the band teacher, who I absolutely hated.
• Then I got to baby sit and not go to the Stake Dance on my birthday, where my friends were waiting for me. The dance, I believe Eliza did get to go to...

This was my worst day ever.
I have tried to make sure that my brothers and sister had good sweet 16 parties or at least did what they wanted.
Don't worry, I am over what happened. I just have not thought about those events in a while...

Oscar Night

So I didn't watch the Oscar's last night.
They are kind of boring. I love movies how they are made etc. In the last few years the writers have done a super crappy job. It is not funny. So I don't really watch it anymore. Anyways for those of you that would like to know who won, here is a list:

The Associated Press

Picture: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Actor: Sean Penn, "Milk"

Actress: Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

Director: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"

Foreign-Language Film: "Departures," Japan

Original Song: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Original Score: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Jerry Lewis

Film Editing: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Sound Mixing: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Sound Editing: "The Dark Knight"

Visual Effects: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Documentary, Short Subject: "Smile Pinki"

Documentary Feature: "Man on Wire"

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"

Short Film: "Spielzeugland"

Makeup: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Costume: "The Duchess"

Art Direction: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Animated Short Film: "La Maison en Petits Cubes"

Animated Feature: "WALL-E"

Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"

Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"

Supporting Actress: Penélope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"

I was very happy with all the people who won this year! Usually I very dis-satisfied.
I really would like to see Slumdog Millionaire!

Taxes DONE!!!!

Last night Justin and I did our taxes! It feels good to have them completed!

We were nervous about how we were going to do them since we did them last year at my parents house, and my parents computer has died since then. I was ultra worried we would have to do them by hand. I tried that one time. Scarrry!!!!!

Then Collin told us that Turbo Tax has an online tax thing. So we used that! It was super easy!

Three Cheer's for the internet!!!

Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!
Hip Hip Hooray!

A visit from Mom and Dad T and Valentines/Presidents day fun!

Here are some highlights from last week. In no particular order:

Justin's parents came and visited us and Collin.

• Justin got some much needed advice and help with careing for the Roses in our front yard.
• We had a cousin dinner with all of Justin's cousins that are in town. I think I used all of my cooking dishes! I still don't know how I was able to prepare dinner for everyone on that tiny stove ;) It was very nice to have room for everyone! I love having a bigger place!
• Dinner at Red Robbin! Yeah for Burgers!
  
• Re-decorated our bathroom!!!!! I can't express how grateful I am for a new shower curtain!!
• Ran and walked at BYU's indoor track. (I ran 2 miles!!!!)
• Borsht. Justin's mom made this soup. It was really good. I am eating the leftovers right now. It is better a few days after it has been made!
• Dinner at Bombay House, twice! Thank you again Collin!!! (you must try their food it is FAB!)
• Justin's mom helped me pick out fabric and make some curtains for my home! They look so good!!!!

Valentines Day, Justin and I took it easy.

• We went to our ward dance. It was fun because the children were also invited. They really liked dancing and poping the ballons.
  
• I made Valentines Day cookies! It is the easiest cookie mix ever. 1 cake mix, 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of butter. I made red velvet cookies and strawberry cookies. They looked super cute. They also tasted good too!
  
• We did laundry! I know super exciting and romantic. But it needed to be done:)
• I made a flower bouquet for my brothers girl friend.
  
• SLEPT IN!!!!
  
• Watched the new episodes of Flight of the Conchords! (I love that show!)
  

Presidents Day

• Slept in again!
• Went to Jude and Eliza's
• Eliza took me, Jolene and Laura to the Quilting cottage. It is a fantastic shop! Lots of really pretty patterns.
• Worked on finishing the curtains for my front room. I spent a LOT of time measuring and thinking before I cut or sewed.
• Made enchiladas.
  
• snuggled with Justin.

Friday the 13th

So today is Friday the 13th!!!
oooh scary!!!!

I was thinking about traditions on Friday the 13th.
Most people watch a scary movie, or avoid certain places.

Personally I have never been a fan of horror movies. I choose not to watch them. I don't think showing all the blood and guts and gore is always necessary. (mind you one of my favorite movies is Shawn of the Dead and one of my new favorite books is World War Z. Go figure :)

I would like to know the details of what happened without actually seeing what happened.
I prefer a psychological thriller. I really enjoy a good Hitchcock movie.
I miss doing one thing on Friday the 13th. In Young Womens we would do a camp out. It was fun to ride together to the camp site. (I remember one year watching Casper in the Mellon's Van.) We would have dinner and a camp fire. I think we tried to tell ghost stories but they usually ended up silly. ( Mary Crase "And they ran." oh man that still makes me laugh. Oh and the time eliza told Mary to be louder while she was telling a story....) good times...
We would also ride this train thing... I think we paid the guy who owned it in pennies.
In the morning we would swim and then go into town do some shopping, try apple cider.

Anyways I was thinking that I liked that tradition of going on a camp out on friday the 13th. And thinking that that would be fun for our family. Its not to scary and a lot of fun. Oh and listening to the song thriller every Friday the 13th. I am deffinatly going to do that today when I get home.

I hope you have a Happy and not to scary friday the 13th!