mac 'n' cheese...to the ocean breeze

Here's the pictures and a few more details of the events I mentioned below. Paul moved into a new apartment last week and he had a couple of us over for dinner the night he moved in. Mmm, mmm, mmm. Tonight I spent a few hours with Paul moving more stuff in. It's amazing all the furnishings he's been given the past day or two. He's a popular man! He went in with a bed (an awesome bed) and a couple boxes of random stuff, and today he got a dresser, a dining room table, an end table, two couches, a chair, 4 dining chairs, a set of silverware, a set of dishes, some throw pillows, a lamp...maybe more, I'm not sure. And tomorrow he's going to pick up a couple more things. Anyway, when we finished unloading, he took me to dinner and then we went back to his apartment to talk about some decorating ideas. (my favorite part!) I also had some quality fam time last week. We spent a few days at Wolf Creek. Boating, playing games, eating, laughing and relaxing. I'd try and explain what's going on in the pictures, but really, there is no good explanation for my family...at least we love being together!!
Bocce ball is our new family game when we go on this little trip every year. That explains a couple of the pictures below. The others, again, no good explanation.
I left the fam vay kay a day and a half early and flew to Long Beach. Paul was there a couple days before me for work stuff. He picked me up saturday morning and took me to breakfast and then straight to the beach! Loved it. We walked in the sand and all the way to the end of the jeti. Then we met up with Robyn (Paul's co-worker and our awesome friend) and her BF David. Played cards on the beach for a bit then Paul and I headed to his parents house. They are incredible people. Nothing I could type here could explain how welcome I felt in their home. It was amazing. We had dinner together that night and then went to a work meeting Paul had. The rest of the weekend just kept getting more fun. We spent several hours in the jacuzzi in the backyard, had some really awesome convos, a lot of laughs, ate a lot of his Dad's AWESOME cooking, (I wish there was a way you could all try it), went to a Mormon/Evangelical dialog Sunday night (the main reason for his trip), went on a tour of the family business, and had to drive back to Utah way too soon! I had a really fantastic time. It was a good good trip and I'm glad I got a little taste of Paul's California life.

What the 100th post!

This is post #100 on this awesome blog. So, in honor of that I'd like you all...(both of you) to leave a comment with 100 things you love about me. Go.

Just kidding.

I kind of have a lot to blog about right now, but I'm having that overwhelming feeling and I can't pick one thing. But I'm not quite tired enough yet to go to bed, but I'm too tired to commit to a full blog post. So here's a quick update and pictures and details will come later.

I had a super fun family boating trip at Wolf Creek slash Pine View last week. I left a day early and flew to Long Beach Saturday morning to meet Paul for the weekend. He drove out to CA for work stuff last Wednesday and then we drove home yesterday. So. Much. Fun. It was an awesomly fantastic trip and I'll post those pictures in the next day or 2.

I got lasered this morning and it wasn't that bad. I was going to take myself to Spoon Me as a reward for not crying or swearing but I didn't have time. Maybe I'll go tomorrow.

Tonight I went to a study group. We just started tonight and I think it's gonna be fun. We had a BBQ, discussed books we wanna read, and played Taboo. I think it's gonna be good.


Ok, I'm getting tired now...here is one final thought slash wonderment.

Am I lazy and/or a bad car owner if my main motivation for getting an oil change is to have the boys over at Jiffy vacuum my car?

Fun Stuff

I'm not gonna write a lot on this post. It's been a busy fun few days and it's just beginning. I feel like if I don't hurry and post these pictures I'll get way behind on my public journal. So, real quick: Saturday my parents had a Good-bye BBQ for Dave. He was the summer intern at Standing Together. I'm sure I've mentioned him. We had a really fun 8 weeks and he left to go back to Chicago yesterday and I already miss him. The food was great and so was ping pong! Thanks Mom and Dad! In the pictures are, my brothers Taylor and Scott, myself, Dave, Paul and Robyn who both work at Standing Together. Love 'em all.
Sunday night was Worship '08. Standing Together sponsors this event every year. ('08 was #4) They worked really hard on this event and it was a really nice evening at the Gallivan Center. Essentially it was an outdoor concert featuring 3 worship bands. 2 from local churches and a band called Adam's Road. My Steve came and helped out and it was so good to see him. After the long night we (me and the Standing Together staff) went to the Bayou to unwind a bit. Lots of fun.
Monday night my dad took the whole family to the Bee's game. We had dinner and just hung at the game. All of the spouses slash significant others were busy so it was just the original 6. It was relaxing and fun. Thanks Dad!
I guess I wrote more than I thought I would. But there's a quick recap. I just got home from helping Paul move into a new apartment before he heads to California in the morning with Robyn for a couple work meetings. (They are both from the So Cal area so they're excited to spend time with their families, and Robyn with her boyfriend.) Stay tuned for: Greenhalgh vacation for a few days of boating and relax time at Wolf Creek resort, starting tomorrow. Then Saturday morning I'm flying to Long Beach to meet up with Robyn and Paul until Monday, then the 3 of us are driving home. Oh, and laser treatment #2 is the morning after I get back, so maybe be ready for a little complaining about that. Life is dang fun and dang happy these days.

GO WORLD

My favorite thing about the Olympics is that I feel like it kind of unites the world a little bit. I know it's really just all the best athletes in the world getting together to try and beat each other, but there's something comforting about seeing all the nations flags waving in the same place and athletes from all over in the same building, competing, but not fighting. The olympics help us find similarities in each other instead of differences, which unfortunately being quick to find differences is something we all naturally do. Whether it's race, income, religion, whatever. We all seem to stick with our little groups of people who are "like" us, and we push away people who are "different." I hate that really bad.

I'm lovin' the Morgan Freeman Visa commercials. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from those:

"Maybe it’s not where an athlete is from that makes us root for them, maybe it’s not the flag on their back or the anthem that we hear when they win that makes us cheer. Maybe it’s simply that they are human, and we are human, and when they succeed, we succeed."

"We don't always agree, but for a few shining weeks we set it all aside. We come together to stand and cheer and celebrate as one. We forget all the things that make us different and remember all the things that make us the same."

Love those a dang lot. Go World.

organic-y and green-ish

I'm kinda starting to care about the planet and my body. I've always kind of cared but I've become more aware lately. I think it happened when I decided I might have skin cancer. I don't know why that did it to me but for some reason it got me thinking. I was paying almost $1500 for my skin treatments and when I heard about the all natural sun block they sell at Avanti (which is about a third the size of an average Banana Boat bottle of sun block and costs like $36.00 I think) I figured, why not? It's weird that if you just walked in and said "how much is your sun block?" and they said, "$36.00" you'd be like, "Oh, H no." but when they're like, "Ok, your total is $1467.52, and would you like this tiny bottle of 36 dollars sun block?" you're like, "H yes I would! Throw it on there!" I love it though. I went to lunch with my friend Braden a couple days ago and we were talking about my skin. Riveting, I know. (he's so good to me) Anyway, anyone who knows me at all and more specifically anyone who has ever been in the sun with me, know that I HATE HATE HATE sun block. I've probably used a teaspoon of it in my entire life. (Which is why I'm now spending hundreds of dollars to fix all the damage I've done...I always learn things the hard way.) Anyway, I was telling Braden how much I use sun block now. I'm so aware of my skin and how much I'm exposed to the sun. I use to think that when I was a mom I'd have cute little bronze babies who loved being in the sun. Nope. Not anymore. They will be pasty white and cancer free for life. Well, this skin stuff has made me think about my health in general and how much better I feel when I eat healthy and drink a lot of water. I've started eating less meat and drinking less soda. And I drink a ton of water and eat organic fruits and vegetables. My body seems happy. I don't think I'll go all fanatic about it, but I'm definitely more aware of what I put in me. Our bodies like simple and natural I think.

I'm also getting into the reusable bags. If I forget mine, I buy a new one at the store. Soon I'll have enough to have a few at home, a few in my car, and one or two in my purse. I'll get in the habit sooner or later.

One thing that I am in the habit of, (FINALLY) is exercise. My body hates me when I miss a day. I love that it's a habit now, like peeing and eating ice. Gotta do it everyday. Taylor and I went hiking last night. Utah is pretty.
P.S. I was at Costco yesterday waiting for some pictures to print and I tried this organic ice cream. I'm not a fan of ice cream but this was really good. Try it. I bought a box of 2, Strawberry and Chocolate Chocolate Chip. It's not "organic priced." That's the one downfall of super healthy living, you gotta have a little money. But the box of 2 cartons was less than 5 bucks.

lympics, micros, friends, and the deep desire to trip a kid...all while I should be asleep.

1. I'm not watching much of the-lympics. My DVR is almost full because I'm recording them, but I might never watch them. Probably not. I was sad to hear that China locked up all the stinky and balled cab drivers for the duration of the olympics, also that they had a 'pretty girl' lip sync to an 'ugly girls' voice during the opening ceremonies. That's mean. I watched a little tonight with Dave, Paul and Robyn, and I cheered for the China girls gymnastics team because I'd heard this news, and they won the gold. Good job China. I have more O-lympy thoughts that I'll share at a later time...maybe.

2. It's late and I'm awake. I was so tired for the last 2 hours hanging out with the 3 mentioned above and now that I'm home I'm wide awake.

3. I had micro dermabrasion, (maybe spelled wrong) treatment yesterday. It was just gonna be on my face, but my shoulders, chest and back are have hyper pigmentation so they abrasioned all of me. Also, pretty painful. I won't get all dramatic like I did on my laser post, but this all better be worth it. Right now I feel like I'm over-paying for unique torture methods.

4. Last night I went to ensign peak and the state capital with 2 of my favorite Utah transplants. Dave, who is interning at Standing Together for the summer and goes back to Chicago on Monday...(tears splashing on the keys). And Paul who moved here a year ago from California and works at Standing Together. Here are 16 of the 127 pictures we took last night.
5. **WARNING** This is going to sound like I'm annoyed and being negative, and that's because I am. Actually, I'm just sending out a message/reminder and promise to myself. When I'm a mom I will NEVER pack a cooler, throw swim suits on my kids, (or just let them stay in their clothes) and grab the beach towels and head down to the Gateway shopping mall to spend the day at the fountains. IT IS NOT A WATER PARK! I had to run down there today during lunch to grab a gift and I could not walk to the stairs to get the the upper level. True story. There were towels, kids, chairs, moms, coolers, umbrella, screaming, running, splashing, puddles, beach balls, cameras, piles of clothes, you get the idea, EVERYWHERE. It blew my mind. I was taking the long way around, but I didn't go far enough off the normal route cuz a kid still ran into me. Go to Raging Waters, or Lagoon, or 7 Peaks, or your back yard! But for the love, don't use a public shopping area as your hot spot for summer fun in the sun. I'm gonna call...someone...who owns it? Maybe Larry H. Miller. He's familyish, he seems like the type that would allow that. But he's recovering right now. I let it go this year cuz it's almost time to get those little rug rats back in school. But next year I'm taking a stand.

Ok, sleep now.

RHS Class of '98

Last night was my 10 year high school reunion. I graduated from high school 10 years ago! (I use the term "graduated" loosely.) I did walk and get the diploma with everyone else, but I'm pretty sure I waited until the very last minute to get all the papers in and attendance credit make-up fee's payed, etc. There's a handful of us that owe a certain someone a big thanks for getting our butts in gear the last few weeks of high school, but we all made it and we all turned out fine! (I also use the term "fine" loosely.) It was a really fun night. We had it at this cool botanical garden park in Ogden. There was a catered dinner, live music, prizes, a pole dancing contest (kinda weird), and our senior class video playing over and over and over. A few too many close ups of me and Bryan singing "Forevers as far as I'll go" at home coming. I had a mega crush on him when we got picked to sing the home coming song our senior year. And last night I got to see him kiss me on the cheek several times. That was so cheesy. Speaking of cheesy, what ever happened to it being cool to have a super curly up-do with babies breath stuck in your hair?

It was fun to catch up with old friends and it was good to see that the little dumb high school things don't matter at all and we can all get along and like each other. As a whole I'd say we all did pretty good at maturing 10 years. It kinda made me miss high school. We had way too much fun. There were a few faces missing that I would have loved to see, but there were quite a few there that I didn't really expect to see.

Here are the few pictures I took. I felt a little pressure from this post to get them up!

I don't really know how to end this, so, Go Royals, Go Royals, Gooooo! (sing it)

She Said YES!

The youngest Greenhalgh proposed last night. It was really fun. Taylor, Megan, Paul and I staged a double date at my house. Then Scott and Laura stopped by to get some bread to go feed the ducks at Sugarhouse Park. Taylor and Megan went with them and the Paul and I went and set up the spot with roses, a card, and the ring. They went for a walk and we all hid in the bushes and watched and took pictures. There were a lot more details and planning that went into it but it went really well.
Congratulations Scott and Laura! Love you both so much!!!

camping

The Greenhalgh's went camping last week. It was relaxing and fun. I read an awesome book that maybe I'll do a book report on later. My dad made a lot of good food and we just hung out and had a really good time.We both don't really like hot dogs, but we ate 'em anyway.
These two were totally committed to the 'pig-in-a-blanket' process...me and Laura cheated and used buns.
I guess I wasn't cute enough for camping...Laura 'trying' to help me out.
Mom is a little girl scout.
So romantic and cute.
S'mores.Some more S'mores.Fishin'. I like my brothers.
We burned a lot of stuff.Dave was proud of his fire so he did a fire dance.

It was a fun trip. My mom and dad do a great job at putting these little family camping trips together. We pretend like we don't know how much work it is, but we know it is. Thanks mom and dad!