i'm still here

at the request of Phil, I am updating my blog so here it is--this ones's for you, Dad!

warning: LONG POST-LOTS O PICS

It's no secret I don't really like January and February. They're dreary and cold and dark. However, this year, while still not at the top of my list, they've been pretty awesome.

here's a recap of the last month or so.....

1. work party with my friend Jared. He cleans up real nice and he was a good sport to hang with the work peeps and the crazy lady running around making sure everything was going ok... it was a smashing success. some say our best yet. we had a performing group come in that pretended to be waiters and then just jumps into this whole opera duel/perfomance thing. it was pretty good.

there's really no reason to post this pic other than i loved the big flower in my hair

2. Christmas with the Dunns--they were so great to adopt me into their family Christmas

3. NYE with the gals and fellas at K's house. mega twister and a pyramid really were the highlight of the evening. first activity of the New Year-IHOP. It's gonna be a great year.




4. Sledding—first time I’ve sledded in YEARS. It was a lot more fun than I remembered—just glad no one got hurt. That’s always a possibility with this group :) not quite sure why we wanted a jumping pic but this is as close as we could get...

1, 2, 3....

jump! Haylie misunderstood the assignment

5. Bear Lake with the gals over MLK weekend. might be one of my favorite trips to date. we ate, and slept in, put on fake tatoos, played rock band, wore one-piece snow suits, hung with Bob at Glady's place (convenience store) while we played Lotto tickets, and most importantly, participated in the Bear Lake Monster III--a challenging obstacle/relay race. Here is this year's course:
1. jump off mini-tramp--doing some sort of trick/pose in the air
2. walk sideways, with your eyes closed across the balance beam
3. fill a bucket with snow
4. search for yellow ping pong ball in baby pool full of snow
5. run around a tree
6. snow angel
7. run up the stairs to the deck, crawl in children's cardboard fort
8. with your two teammates, eat one snack bag of chocolate pretzels and drink one can of soda*
9. run off the deck and through the tunnel made of boogie boards
10. grad your sled, run up the hill
11. make a train with your 2 teammates and sled down the hill
12. jump up and throw your hands in the air.

*way harder than you think.

Also, a pirate/musketeer mask had to worn by one member of the team at all times--we rotated between the 3 of us.

We were the first team to go so we were at a bit of a disadvantage. we were so disappointed in ourselves, we did it AGAIN. and we would have had the best time on our 2nd run but our sledding went terribly awry. oh well. it just wasn't in the cards for the Dirty Girls. maybe next time at Bear Lake Monster IV.

thanks to Marilyn for my homemade mustard yellow scarf. i love it!

6. Our very own Miss American pageant (to coincide with the real Miss America pageant). There was a cookie identifying portion (we had to recognize ourself in cookie form), talent and question. Questions and talents were drawn out of a hat. When I pulled out "20 second rap about Miss America" I briefly panicked but apparently my freestyle skills are a talent untapped. i think it was that high score that won me the title.

can you tell which one i am?

my nickname was pants. i'm now known simply as Lil' P. I'm a soldier, a rider, a ghetto survivor :)

kelli just found out she took 5th runner up

the awful fake cry, i'm so humbled, thank you face

7. Molly and Kimi's birthdays: For Molly, we had a big dinner at the DODO and saw Dear John. it was okay--hated the ending. Happy Birthday Molly! and for Kimi (don't judge us) we had a funeral. When we went to St. George back in October, we went to that Mexican restaurant in Beaver that advertises with a very tall off-the freeway sign that simply reads MEXICAN FOOD. Kimi was somewhat lamenting her approaching 31st birthday and something like "I might as well be having a funeral" came out. So right then and there, her funeral was planned out on the back of a MEXICAN FOOD paper place mat. All the ladies participated and we held it in my spare bedroom which luckily for us houses an old organ. They really should take away my key to the church but 12 padded Relief Society chairs, a lace doily, and a podium really set the scene. A luncheon that even the compassionate service committee couldn't top was served and it was really just a fine afternoon. I realize this is somewhat creepy but to know us is to love us! it was done in good taste and was a joke from start to finish. We really are quite normal and a dinner at Texas Roadhouse that night (like how normal people celebrate birthdays) was in order.

molly's nickname is kitty.

molly and mo did a rendition of "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and BoyZ II Men

the eulogy

grief-stricken alli

tap tribute

the digs

the funeral director

texas roadhouse

sadly it took a funeral to get the first ever photo of all 12 of us

just a quick scan of the guest before the service started

8. Jack’s Mannequin concert. Fun and Vedera played as well. Terrible venue but excellent concert—like the other two bands. JM were awesome. Worth a parking ticket? Probably.

9. coming up? Presiden't Day weekend in Sun Valley. Hilarity and antics will undoubtedly ensue.

Phil and Marilyn are rarely surprised at my long list of activities and most of the time I'm met with a "Don't you ever stay home?" To which, my answer is yes, Dad, but as little as possible :)