A Little Bit of This A Little Bit of That

It feels like I haven't blogged in FOREVER.  Life has been so crazy lately.  It seems the older I get the less time there is in the day.  Things have been extremely busy around the Parker household.  I have been working for two different dentists four times a week and teaching Zumba three nights a week.  It has definitely been keeping me on my toes.  Tyson continues to work out every morning with his dad at 5:45 in the morning.  The have almost completed their 90 days doing P90X.  He also manages to come to my Zumba classes.... reason 4,759 why he is an amazing husband.  Our favorite thing lately is to lay on the couch, after a long day and watch One Tree Hill on DVD.  Yes, I have gotten Tyson addicted to my sad obsession.

Here are two of the great people I get to work with on a daily basis.  I have fallen in love with dentistry.  If I had done things right I would have gone to hygiene school.  The OR is definitely my favorite setting.  

After this week I will no longer be working for Dr. Malan.  This makes me sad.  I absolutely love the girls I work with.  We seriously laugh our heads off all day at work.  I am going to miss them heaps!  But I am grateful for the opportunity to get full time benefits at my other office.  I can honestly say now I enjoy going to work!

On another note, I have never been one for politics.  I have no idea what people are talking about and try to avoid heated conversations anytime I can, however, Tyson and I were invited to a breakfast with Mitt Romney last weekend.  The food was great, the backyard was gorgeous, and well Mitt is a pretty good looking old man if I say so myself.  

 (Yes I look like a creeper, but who knows maybe I can be his personal assistant once he is President!)

Don't worry the little girl has been keeping herself busy as well.  She graduated puppy school this week!  Yay!  We were so proud.  We took her to Petsmart after and got her a toy.  I fall in love with this puppy more and more every day.  

Even if she has now destroyed SIX pairs of my shoes, FOUR in one day!

We of course had to fit in the UTAH vs. BYU game.  I was the only Ute fan in the building, aka house. Oh and how good it felt to be a UTAH UTE!!!! Can you say blow out!  It was disappointing that it was not a better game, but it always feels good to come out on top. 

And last but not least I got a new car!  This has been a long time coming.  I have never had a brand new car, but this was worth the wait.  GIGI loves having lots of room and I love the smooth ride.

Even though life can be crazy it still is great.  This is my favorite time of year and look forward to the holidays and good memories to come!

Cleveland Family Meeting

Over the past 31 years Tyson's grandparents have had a family testimony meeting once a year.  This year was extra special because Grandpa Bob was able to attend.  He has Alzheimers and was unable to attend last year.  We all got together at Tyson's parents house and listened to Grandma Betty share her testimony.  She is so strong and is such a great example to all that come in contact with her.  I hope to be just like her one day.  

After the family meeting we enjoyed a delicious dinner and headed out to get our family picture taken.  

It is crazy to see the posterity that has come because of Bob and Betty.  You know the saying, "All Because Two People Fell In Love."

I love seeing the love that they share for one another.  Watching Tyson's grandparents go through the same thing that my grandparents went through is difficult.  But with the knowledge of the gospel all things are made okay.  I am so grateful for an eternal family.  

The thing that impresses me most in both my grandparents and Tyson's grandparents is that that they never forgot who their spouse was, even when they couldn't remember anyone else.  That is true love!  I know that true love can edure all things. 

One Year Older

Another year has come and gone.  I can't believe I turned 26!  That means I am one year closer to being 30.  YIKES!!!!   I still feel like I am 15.  This year was the BEST birthday yet.  I started my new job, my friends took me to lunch, I taught ZUMBA, had dinner with friends, enjoyed cake batter and red velvet ice cream cake, and went and saw a movie.  Tyson spoiled me like crazy.  I used to not be a fan of birthdays, but after this year I think my mind may have changed. 

I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many great people.  Here is to another year!

Puppy Scare

We experienced our first scare with GiGi last night.  Tyson and his dad had been working on the crown molding in our house all day, while I saw the movie "The Help."  

One of my favorite things about coming home is having GiGi greet me at the door.  Without fail she runs straight for me, however last night was different.  There was no Gigi at the door. I asked Tyson where she was.  He said she was around the house somewhere.  I looked under all the beds, in every closet, under the couch, and everywhere else I could think of.  Gigi was nowhere to be found.  

I started to panic.  The worry settled into Tyson and his dad.  We all ran out of the house yelling GiGi's name.  My worst fears came to mind.  I of course, had to imagine the worst.  After running around the neighborhood for sometime I decided to head back towards our house.  As I approached our house I heard a little bark coming from our house.  I have only heard GiGi bark a couple of times, so I was unsure if it was her or not.  I decided to check the house one more time.  As I walked into the house the barking went away.  I decided to pray, as soon as I finished my prayer I heard a little whimper.  But I still couldn't figure out where it was coming from.  I headed into the kitchen and decided to check the cupboard where we keep GiGi's treats.  Lo and behold GiGI had made her way into the cupboard.  

Tyson said he saw the cupboard opened after he had given her a treat and didn't think to check it before he closed the door.  I guess from now on we will check twice before closing any door.  We can laugh about it now, but at the time I seriously didn't know what to do.  I can't imagine what parents feel like when they lose a child.  We sure love our little GiGi and are happy she was found.

Beach Bums

I  look forward to Newport all year long.  Tyson's family goes every year for their family reunion.  Some family reunion huh?  I'm not complaining.  The weather was outstanding.  The breeze was cool and the sun was warm.  To me, this is the perfect combination.  We spent a week soaking up the suns rays, playing Nertz, eating Pinkberry, Balboa Bars, Cafe Rio, TK Burgers, and more all week long.  I enjoyed reading every page of "The Help."  I couldn't put the book down.  Tyson enjoyed playing FIFA any chance he could get. 

Some of Tyson's friends live near by.  It was great being able to catch up with them.  We were introduced to Susie Cake's by Tyson's friend Bryan.  Next time you are in Newport go there.  The cakes were so deliciously moist.   One night we all went out as cousins to Pomodoro's.  The pasta was divine.  It reminded me a little of Trio.

Afterwards we went to Fashion Island and discovered these little pups.  If I wasn't already head over heals for my puppy,  I'm pretty sure I would have snagged one of these. 

On our night to cook we decided to head down to the beach to roast hot dogs and mallows.  The evening was perfect.  We sat around the fire singing camp songs and even busted out the old cheerleading moves.

Kiersten only lives an hour from Newport, which means I was able to spend time with her.  It was so fun to hang out with the newlyweds.  

You should have seen Jordan try to skimboard.  Tyson convinced me this year to get into the water.  The water was freezing, but well worth it.  I tried body surfing.  I put on quite the show almost losing my swimsuit.

Don't worry that I had three Balboa Bars while being there.  I am OBSESSED!!!!  Good thing we did ZUMBA almost every morning down by the boardwalk.  We even got the boys to participate.  

On out last night we ate at Houston's.  Another one of my favorite restaurants.  The artichokes and salmon are divine.  The evening was followed with shopping at the Spectrum, where I found my birthday presents.  

As you can tell Newport consisted of eating, eating, and more eating.  But isn't that what vacations are all about?  I enjoyed sleeping in and spending quality time with the fam.  I can't wait till next year!