Any Good Ideas?

I'm working on a Christmas present for my 16-year-old brother, and I could really use your help. Can you please tell me.....

What are the best/most creative dates you've been on?

What creative ways do you know of to ask/answer a date for a dance?

Do you know any fun group games?

Just leave a comment or throw me an e-mail....I really appreciate all of your help! In fact, for the friend who gives me the most ideas there just might be some sort of reward. A Rachelpologie, maybe?

Thank you!!

Twisted Sisters and Tasks Completed

What is this? This is my to-do list from today. I know, I know, it's really blurry and you can't read what any of it says....but look how much is crossed out! For some reason, knowing today was my only shot at productivity really lit a fire under me; I haven't accomplished this much in a long time! I even hung a few pictures and squeezed in a Twister death-match with my sister.





We are hard-core.

Halloween

Lauryl, you are such a smart (cute) pregnant lady....I was Medusa for Halloween!

Andrea and I had the most fun last week making our Halloween costumes -- we are so crafty. :) We made her "corpse bride" dress from what must have been an angel costume, which we found at Saver's. I trimmed and tucked, added trims and a sash, then she went at it with the scissors, dye, and dirt to make it look like she'd been buried in it. I tried to make my dress look Grecian, modeling it after some costumes I found online, and using the colorful iridescent fabric because I thought it looked maybe a little reptilian. My hair was supposed to sort of resemble this:



But of course it's a lot shorter than that, so I went a little wilder with it. It was all nasty and ratted, with little braids and almost two dozen snakes weaving in and out. I only wish I'd gotten better pictures of it. In fact, for future reference, never ask a Harmon's employee to take pictures for you. This one would have been my best shot with my co-workers, darn it:



I learned my lesson, and had Kara shoot Andi and me; now all I have to blame is my non-photogenic-ness....



Happy Halloween!

I think fall is my favorite

I tend to get really excited this time of year. The changing weather is exciting (as long as it's not too nasty), and I love the warm, rich colors of the changing leaves. I think fall brings out the domestic diva-wannabe in me, too. The rich, warm colors are my favorite for decorating, and the chilly weather gives me an excuse to make soups and breads to my heart's content.

Halloween, for me, is the perfect kick-off to all of this. I guess I'm just a kid at heart, but I get really into this holiday. I love to dress up -- mostly, I think, because I enjoy making cool costumes. I'm actually a little self-conscious to wear them in public, but I really love to be creative so I bear with the awkwardness. My costume this year is no exception to that -- in fact, I'm probably a little more apprehensive of peoples' reactions than usual, because it may seem a little out of character for me. Still, I'm pretty excited to be a little crazy for a day. I just finished my costume tonight; I won't tell you what it is, but here's a little clue:

Anywhere but here....please!

Well, I don't get sick often, but when I do -- ka-BLAM! I've been lying on the couch since Monday, just going crazy. Colby's been so sweet and attentive, but seriously....I've gotta get up or I'm gonna LOSE it! Hehe, I definitely have a hard time "wasting" time. But the doctor says until I've gone 24 hours without a fever, I'm stuck like this.

So here I am. I think I've now seen every ANTM episode ever shot, and have eaten a whole bag of menthol cough drops. Spurred by the delirium from my unrelenting 102-degree fever, I put on my makeup at 9:30 tonight....just to feel human. Tomorrow I may attempt to shave my legs....or at least bathe. I wish I was anywhere else, doing anything else.

Like maybe here, loving the incredible view and the most amazing lightning storms every night....


Or here, Latin dancing with the locals in the Pto. Vallarta town square....


Or enjoying a random pirate ship and sand sculpture of the Virgin Mary from the boardwalk...




Or playing with the most adorable orphans I've ever met....




It's sad that it's taken this long for me to write about my trip to Mexico; it was so long ago it hardly feels like I ever went. By looking at my already pasty-white skin you'd never guess I'd gotten the nastiest, blisteriest sunburn ever, and Colby's still got a beautiful golden tan. Ha. There's too much to write in just one post, though, so I guess there'll be more to come. I'll post some videos, too, when I can get them to work.

As for right now, my nighttime cold medicine is kicking in and I'm going cross-eyed. I'm going to cuddle up with my hubby and sleep some more.

Reconstructive Surgery

I have a confession: There is a box under my bed, full of clothes that no longer fit me. Old pairs of favorite jeans, the green argyle sweater I got for Christmas in 2006 -- why do I do this to myself? I pull them out occasionally, gaze longingly at the beautiful fabrics, and try to will myself to be ten pounds thinner. Still, with great agony I am gradually emptying the box; I'll let go of all the clothes soon enough, and some lucky bargain shopper will pick them up at the D.I.

Just let me keep these pants...puh-leeze!



I can't give them up. Never mind the fact that they're a smidge too short, and a leetle tight around my thighs. They've managed to avoid the thrift store fate on multiple occasions, and will likely remain in my tender care forever.

Of course, since I can't wear them anymore they will have to find another purpose in life. Too many episodes of Project Runway, and I'm suddenly an aspiring fashion designer....my favorite pants are chopped to pieces; what have I done?!



Ta-da!



That was fun; what else is in that box?

My Little Missionary Man

I missed Swiss Days this year, and I was really bummed. I've only been once since we moved to Utah, and I was really looking forward to it. Other than that, I hadn't planned to go during Labor Day weekend; I really just wanted to hunker down in my apartment and sew. I didn't end up doing that, either. What I did do was way more awesome....

Andi and I took the world's shortest road trip to Boise so I could hang out with this dude:



My awesome little brother Matt postponed his temple appointment so I could be there with him; it was an amazing experience. He's leaving in two weeks for his mission, and I think I might die -- I'm going to miss him so much! I guess that means I will have to send him a lot of packages -- anyone have any good ideas?

I Heart IHC

Today we got a 60-page print-out from the pharmacy, listing all 274 of the prescriptions we've filled there in the past 16 months. Time after time I've waited, dejected, in the Walgreen's drive-through for the little boxes and bottles I've come to loathe. Thus I was acutely aware that they'd cost us more than $5300 -- nearly as much as we pay for 16 months' rent. What astounded me, though, was this: Since May 2008, our insurance company has actually saved us $46,081.05.

Whaaaa--?

Wow, what was I complaining about? And how much does IHC hate us? Because I don't hate them, I love them. They are my new best friend.

How do people survive without health insurance?

Vacation Numero Uno

Summer passed so quickly, didn't it? Anyone feel just a little bit robbed. Of course, I shouldn't feel that way; I did plenty of loafing around, and even went on two family vacations. The first was a trip to Lake Tahoe, and thought it was over a month ago, I've been dying to share it with you:

On my Lake Tahoe trip I.....

....enjoyed driving most of the way so Mom would keep reading Beauty to Steph and me.

....celebrated Jared's 16th birthday with BTS cake and presents wrapped in socks.

....took some of the most beautiful and scenic hikes ever, and some halfway decent pictures to capture that beauty. You know, Colby and I went to Tahoe on our honeymoon five years ago, but somehow I don't remember the scenery that well...

....played in the lake with my big little bro's. The sandbar must have been nearly half a mile long; I could wade out that far before I was even up to my neck in water. Then Matt and Jared gave me piggy-back rides and had fun freaking me out, pretending they couldn't touch the bottom anymore.

....fished in the Carson River with Mom and Jared. No one else around us caught any fish, but we got a ton of them. Jared caught at least 10 of his own. I only caught three, but I had a lot of fun and also hooked a nasty sunburn...

....made cute jewelry with Mom and Steph. I even helped Jared make some earrings and a necklace for his little "friend" Kara. :)

....took the grand prize in a hilarious game of "Sardines," in which I squished myself into the cupboard beneath the bathroom sink and no one could find me until my leg started to cramp and my toes popped out of the cupboard door. In the end, I almost couldn't get out of the cupboard and nearly had to spend the night there.

....basked in the quiet of our secluded resort, and enjoyed every minute of my family's company. It's amazing how valuable that time becomes when it is available so infrequently.

In a Hurry

Here's a quick update, just so y'all know I didn't fall off the face of the earth....

I just got back from a fun little road trip to Lake Tahoe. It was the first time I'd been on vacation with my family, so even though some of us were missing it was wonderful. We caught lots of fish in the Carson River, and played a ton of games....who could ask for a better time? I'll have pictures to post a little later.

On Tuesday I had lunch with my dearies Teann and Lauryl. It was so fun to visit and catch up on each others' lives. I can't believe how amazing these girls are; I've missed our little barbershop quartet so much! It was a good time for all, little Jaron's toe-biting incident aside.



I also had a date with my dearest Vanessa last night. Ahh, I love that girl. So does Joshy; they're getting married on my anniversary (five years already?!?!)....I am so excited for her!



I'll have more time to share pictures and stuff in a couple of weeks, but right now I've got to jet. I'm on my way out the door....to go to MEXICO!

See ya.

Kind of a Disaster

I gave Colby a haircut last night (coughing nervously).

It's not my fault it turned out that way!

Though I managed to salvage it okay, this is undoubtedly the worst haircut Colby's received in our five years of marriage. After oiling my electric clippers, I forgot to replace the attachment. I shaved a 6" strip up the back of his head before I realized my mistake; I almost swore. It took over 40 minutes of careful blending and snipping to recover my blunder and produce a semi-decent-looking, military-short new 'do.

The huge bald spot only shows when he turns his head to the side.

They should put a warning label on those clippers.

A Week in Review

Last week was a bit of a nutter, and I'm still trying to catch up.

First, I made a whole lot of this....


Then, I helped a little with this.....


Colby and I also took a little trip to Boise (our first this year), where I spent some quality time with Grandma, playing this:


While in Idaho, reckless abandon with the hair-cutting shears resulted in drastically new 'dos for many -- including myself. I'll expound on that another time. Right now I am too bugged. I just caught up on the Bachelorette and am a tad upset: how is it that the sweetest guy gets the boot, while the jerk of the world gets to stick around? Wes has already gotten the publicity he wants -- I hoped he'd man up and bow out of the competition, but no such luck. In my frustration, I unwittingly inhaled half a bag of Sun Chips....and now I'm really mad.

I'm going to bed.

A Big Accomplishment

Yesterday was a big day for me -- I ran my very first 5K! About a month ago I joined a group of church friends who'd been training for the race since April. Coming in late, I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up. I hadn't had to run since middle school, and even then I was a sissy and usually walked half of the required weekly mile. My kickboxing class must've kicked my butt into shape, though, because I've definitely held my own.


1627 -- my new favorite number! Sadly, they were out of my t-shirt size. When I picked up my race packet I got a shirt two sizes too big! It went halfway down my thighs and made me look huge....not very sexy....


My cute running friends. I've discovered that it's much more fun running with other people. We've gotten to know each other better, and have definitely pushed each other to work harder.


Crossing the finish line....


My proud little sis came to watch me, along with my brother and his girlfriend.

The race was harder than I'd anticipated. The huge hill in the first mile nearly killed me, as I hadn't trained on hills and didn't pace myself very well. A couple of times I almost stopped running, especially as people around me slowed down to walk. I just couldn't bring myself to quit, though, and I managed to finish in less than 30 minutes with only a couple of stroller-pushers beating me to the finish. I was a little disappointed with my time, as I'd completed my last practice run in 24 minutes. I guess that means I will have to keep training, so I can do better at my next race!

A Little Free Time

Thanks to all of you for your encouraging comments. The search for a hygiene job is still on, but I've got my third and fourth interviews this week and should be hearing back very soon about last week's working interview. Hopefully something pans out quickly; I hate job-hunting! In fact, if I had my choice I probably wouldn't work at all -- not in the traditional sense, anyway. I could keep myself plenty busy just sewing, crafting, and decorating, with only occasional breaks for food and water. I guess I'll just have to enjoy the extra time right now while I've got it. I'm working on some new blessing dresses and would love some ideas of where to sell them. Someone suggested to me that I put them in hospital gift shops, which I may do. My Etsy shop will be up and running soon, as well.....I hope. In preparation for this, Cassidy took some beautiful photos of my finished gowns. I've been dying to share them with you:

Hygienist For a Day

Today I had my first working interview for a job as a real hygienist...I was SO stressed this morning, but it ended up being lots of fun. I spent the day at an office near my apartment, treating patients and trying really hard to impress the doctor. Having come straight from hygiene school (where we have 3 hours to treat a patient), I felt a bit frenzied at times trying to squeeze everything into 50-minute blocks; at the end of the day I was proud of myself for finishing only 10 minutes behind schedule.....and I got to give someone an injection -- one of my favorite things.

I won't know for about another week whether I'll get this job, but either way it was a good experience. I've got an interview on Friday at another office; keep your fingers crossed?

Done!

I know it can be bad to just wish time away, but sometimes I can't help it. I'm really grateful that the last few months have flown by, as with their passing has also concluded two of the most stressful years of my life. I'm finally free, and am soon to be Rachel Hunsaker, RDH! Although work at the credit union still takes up a lot of my time, I'm thoroughly enjoying no homework, no bedtime, and full days off -- luxuries I haven't had in a LONG time. Here's what I've been up to lately:

In the past month,

I graduated......



.....I passed all of my dental hygiene boards.....

(Here I am looking not-so-hot, but oh-so-happy.)

......and I started training for my first 5K!

I'm really serious about the 5K this time -- shin splints aren't gonna stop me! Last week I joined some friends in the middle of their 9-week training program; surprisingly, I've had no problems keeping up. I'm really excited about this, because I've already set some personal milestones in preparing for the event and have discovered that I actually enjoy running. One of the girls in my training group is using this 5K as a springboard for training for a half-marathon; call me crazy, but I think I might join her!

Ahhh, I'm so glad to be done with school (for now, at least), though I'm really gonna miss my girlies....



.....now I just need a job.

Happiness Is.....

....a new friend. Seventy-five bucks and the muscles of half the Elders Quorum can buy a girl a whole lotta awesome!

Playing Catch-Up

Well, my written boards are over -- thank heaven! I won't know until May-ish whether I passed, but I'm just thankful to be done with that part of my life. Now I'm just praying that I'll make it through my anesthesia and clinical exams. Since the conclusion of the exam, I've let my brains turn to mush. School's not done yet, but I'm finding it hard to study any more. Instead, I've been much more agreeably occupied, working out like a madwoman and catching up on missed episodes of ANTM. I've also made about a dozen pairs of earrings for one of three upcoming Etsy shops and am dying for more time to be crafty.

Perhaps my biggest triumph lately has been the completion of Whitney's Christmas present. I wish I could say this is her present for next Christmas, but no; today I finally finished the coat I started for her 4 months ago. Fortunately for me, it snows in Rexburg until mid-July, so she'll still get some good use out of it this year.



Also, Cassidy just brought me her pictures of my christening gowns. She did a fantastic job on them, and I'm so excited to share them with you. I'll post previews sometime this week; I hope to have that shop up and running by mid-May. Can't wait!

Stress-case

I'm so stressed, I think my brain is melting! Coming up quickly I have the first of three huge tests for my dental hygiene licensure, and I think I'm starting to have a nervous breakdown. Whenever I try to study I turn into a complete zombie.....nothing's sticking....room's spinning....starting to panic.....

Pray for me, okay?

Lunch With An Old Friend

I am sentimental and love to keep in touch with people, so today I was really excited to meet up with my cute friend Mary Ellen. We were in a singing group together at BYU-Idaho several years ago, and really haven't seen each other since. We had a fun little lunch date at Mimi's and got all caught up.

Apparently, I am unable to smile like a normal person....


Good thing seriousness is lost on her, too!


I'm not hurling, just really enjoying my orange...


Ahh, how I've missed Mary Ellen -- she is such a crack-up! I am really excited to have her nearby so we can play more often!

Tidbits

It seems as though I'm always thinking of things to blog about, but I can never find the time to just sit down and write. Then, of course, I miss the opportunity....who wants to read about something I cooked three weeks ago or sewed for my sister last March? I'm going to be better -- if only to document my life for posterity, and at the risk of upsetting those already acquainted with my long-windedness -- starting with some random thoughts from this week:

First, one of my biggest fears about becoming a dental hygienist is that I won't be able to talk to my patients. Sure, I can scrape stuff off your teeth -- I'm getting pretty fast, too! But I get so awkward when it comes to talking to people about important things (smoking cessation, nutrition counseling, even brushing and flossing technique have me tongue-tied on occasion). I had a good experience with a patient this week: a single mom of a low-income family, whose entire life revolves around her three small children. She works so hard to give them what they need, but neglects herself in the process. Though she has a seemingly decent attitude about her situation, I just wanted to hug her and cry. I even thought about copying her address from her patient chart so I could leave money on her doorstep, but figured that the HIPAA people would frown upon that. Maybe it was because of my feelings of personal empathy towards her, but with this patient (unlike any other patients) I was able to address my concerns about her health, explain what is happening to her, and teach her how to take better care of herself. I think she got it....I even think she'll do it. Suddenly, I became a hygienist.

Secondly, today was awesome. For the first time in what seems like months, Colby came to church with me! I sometimes worry that our neighbors think he's gone inactive, when really he's just sick in bed most of the time. Sundays always seem to be the worst. Needless to say, I was thrilled that he made it through 3/4 of sacrament meeting before he was too sick to sit any longer. I came home after the block to find him snuggled up in bed with his oxygen on; he must have been really ill this morning. I'm letting him sleep for a few more minutes, then we're going up to Kaysville for the holiday. Colby's little brother gets home from his mission tomorrow!

And finally, I got my taxes done -- woo-hoo! Happily, we are getting about twice the refund we got last year, though my income was roughly the same. Sadly, most of our refund will probably be applied directly to our credit card.

A Welcome Distraction

I think Colby likes it when I'm bored, and today I was. I seriously sat around all day, studying tobacco cessation and watching WAYYY too much TV. Finally, around 5 o'clock, I decided I couldn't just sit any longer. Inspired by the culinary wizardry of my Food Network friends, I whipped up something tasty for my sweetie. This was a bit of a challenge for me, as I'm on the tail-end of the low-carb torture stint from Hades and have been battling the flu, but I've really missed cooking and desperately needed to do something productive. Plus, I've felt this crazy need to "make up" for last week's tasty-but-ugly homemade lasagne....I made up my own recipe, and Colby really loved it; however, its glaring unattractiveness necessitated its omission from my blog.

For dinner, I made an Italian chicken pot pie, a slight adaptation on the Barefoot Contessa's recipe. I didn't have all the same vegetables, so I used potatoes, corn, and asparagus. I added about 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and a packet of dry Italian dressing mix to the sauce, then sprinkled a shredded Parmesan/Asiago mixture on the crust before baking it. I think it looked pretty; Colby said the cheese made the crust a little crunchy. He really liked it, so I guess I will add that to my list of regulars. I may have to invest in some smaller oven-safe dishes, though; I really like Ina's suggestion of making individual-sized pies rather than one large one. I actually ended up with a lot of extra crust and am not sure what I'll do with it.



Dessert was a batch of Tyler Florence's Amaretto Chocolate Brownies. I substituted slivered almonds for the walnuts, and used 1 teaspoon of almond extract in place of the amaretto. I wish my picture looked prettier. When I watched Tyler make these on his show today, his were all huge and chunky....mine looked perfect when I pulled them out of the oven, but as they cooled, the middle caved in. Does anyone know how to prevent that? Either way, they smelled good and were ultra-tempting to me. Colby said they were delish, so I will have to attempt these again as soon as sugar and flour are legal again.



So, it was a fun diversion and only made a little bit of a mess. Hopefully it'll keep Colby from complaining that "we don't have any food" for at least a few more days. Unfortunately, I still feel like dirt. My throat is killing me and I sound like I swallowed a bag of nails. I have to go to classes in the morning, but I think I will skip out on my early-morning weight training class so I can get a little extra sleep before my DH4 test...

Sick Days

Right now I am curled up on the couch in a blanket, watching Nick Arrojo work his magic on a school teacher's froufy fro. I feel like poo. My head hurts, my body aches, my back is killing me. My throat hasn't been this sore since I had mono in the eighth grade. And, seeing as this is the position I've assumed since Friday morning, I am excruciatingly bored. I wish that I felt well enough to do something productive, but as it is, all I want to do is sleep. I keep forgetting that with my DV-R, I can fast-forward through commercials now. I think I've seen the Kaboom! commercial 3 times in the past 40 minutes...man, that guy bugs me!

I think it's gonna be a long day.

Entertain me?

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Rachel

Okay, first of all, you guys are awesome....I've never had so many comments in one day on my blog! Thanks for making me feel special. :)

Now, if you'll indulge me for just a moment, I'm feeling the need to brag...but just a little. I am taking a kickboxing class this semester -- both to fill my schedule so I can get more financial aid, and to aid myself in my skinny-and-sexy goal. This class is not what I thought it'd be. I was expecting a Tae Bo-imitation with a perky instructor, like the classes I'd taken at the gym with friends. I almost dropped the class when my teacher, a jiu jitsu champion, said we'd be sparring with each other. What? I have to buy shin guards, a mouth guard, and boxing gloves? This is hard-core, and I really don't want to lay the smack-down on any of the cute little girlies in my class. I'm sticking with it, though, and I think I'll be glad.

Today was something of a triumph for me. We were learning some new sparring techniques that were a little tricky. When I fight, I feel absolutely ridiculous. I giggle incessantly with a silly grin on my face, even when I'm really going at it. So, I was surprised when the girls in my class kept asking me for help...my teacher even used me as an example for the class. Woah, maybe I'm gonna be all right. Maybe Clint Eastwood will make a movie about me. I'll be doing flying-double-twist-jump-roundhouse kicks by the end of the semester.

Move over, Jackie Chan...I'm the next martial arts master.

A Quick Update

School is once again off to a running start. I think if it wasn't my last semester, I might be losing it already, but somehow I am managing the insanity with a fairly cool head. At this moment, I am bundled up in bed with my lappy (affectionately known as "Hugh"), enjoying a reprieve from the madness and missing my sister...

Andrea dearest came down last week in great hope of finding a job here. We've been hoping for her to move to Utah for months; a hope spurred by the apparently lousy job market in Boise and a desperate need to play Pinochle. Unfortunately, nothing has panned out thus far. She was offered a job in Boise today, which she accepted. I'm happy for her; she's been searching fruitlessly for employment since her graduation in April....still, I'm secretly wishing that some Utah company will offer her a fantastic position, and she'll dump her lousy Boise boss and come play with me. Now, I normally wouldn't condone that kind of irresponsibility, but after last week's Tai Pan trips and Sister Movie Date Nights, I've remembered what I'm missing...I am in despair.

Fortunately, I've got a lot right now to distract me from my woes. My national board exams are quickly approaching, and I am stressed out. When I haven't felt like studying (which has been most of the time), I've busied myself cleaning and reorganizing my entire apartment to make room for our new addition...yes, that's right. We bought a couch; a couch and a love seat, actually (what did you think I was going to say?). They are used and slightly worn, but they're leather and infinitely prettier than our previous scruffy-hide-a-bed-and-crumpled-slipcovers look. Yay for new-old furniture and awesome KSL bargains!

Miss Me?

Hello again, from the world's boringest blogger. I swear I've become just a blob lately as, Christmas presents aside, I've failed to exert an ounce of effort towards anything productive. It's been really nice, though. I spent the last two weeks working in Ogden, setting up hundreds and hundreds of mortgage files for the credit union. The work was a little monotonous, but I enjoyed the mindlessness of it. Plus, we got to stay with my in-laws for nearly the entire Christmas break, which made it really feel like a vacation. We played games every night and ate all kinds of rubbish. Whitney and I discovered our true calling in life: rock stars. Well, guitar heroes, actually...we really tore it up on the Wii. Pretty impressive for two girls who don't like video games. I also enjoyed whipping up some sweet Rachelpologies for Christmas, like the jacket I made for Andrea:




And now I'm back to school. Blah.