Mike and Holly

2009-09-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking....of possibly...starting to sell...these....fun...HEADBANDS!

Let me know what ya think!!!

2009-09-21T11:43:00.001-07:00

We were able to go down to St George with my family this last weekend (minus my brother Brons) to see the show AIDA at Tuacahn Theatre! Although it rained for the first half of the show...with two different 20 minute breaks due to bad weather...we enjoyed the show and I absolutely loved AIDA and cant wait to see it again hopefully soon!!!! We also enjoyed some swimming, delicious food and some shopping at TJ Maxx and More...it just doesnt get any better than that!

Me and my little sis messing around in TJ Maxx...

Colten checking out the SUU campus!

2009-09-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Labor Day (CORN HOLE) & ("the SWING")

We had a fun BBQ on Labor Day at our house with the Van Tussenbrook family!

We had a great time just eating delicious food and hanging out!

BRING ON THE ...{Fall} weather!

Carly got smacked in the face with a football...{OUCHIE}!!!!

...Good Bye Summer...Hello Fall...

2009-09-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

...A SuMmEr of CRafTinG...

I have stayed very busy this summer

crafting and preparing my classes that I

will be teaching at Heartland this fall!

Some of my new passions include:

*making beaded watch bands*

*Making fabric flowers and headbands*

*Crafting with fabric*

*anything crafty really...*

New classes I am teaching at Heartland Paper this fall...

My cousin got me totally hooked on making these when we went to our Girls Weekend at Bear Lake!!! Now I am addicted!

I have decided I LOVE making different flowers and headbands...so Fun!

2009-08-17T18:20:00.001-07:00

FLAKE FAMILY PICTURES at BARNES PARK in KAYSVILLE! (These are just from my digital camera...hopefully we got some great shots on Mike's parents camera....)

2009-08-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

Davis County Fair 2009

Some of the highlights included:

Kachunga: The alligator show

Smelling all of the fair food...we forgot cash so we didnt partake of any deliciousness!

The free entertainment

Looking at all of the bizarre animals, vegetables ect.

2009-08-14T22:12:00.001-07:00

...Okay...so we have...this very weird...ODD...vegetable...thing...growing in...our garden! We have no idea what it is...WEIRD!!!!!

2009-08-14T22:01:00.000-07:00

What Happens in Bear Lake Stays in Bear Lake...

I had such a great in Bear Lake last weekend with all the girlies for our Girls Weekend! I laughed so hard my stomach hurt, enjoyed the sunshine, ate TONS of delicious food, watched some good movies, learned some new dance moves, learned to make beaded watch bands, did I mention we laughed a lot....It was a lot of fun to just get away for a few days and relax and have a good time!

2009-08-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

A perfect round of golf = $40

A new baseball hat = $20

A delicious steak dinner = $15

............................

Being sang "Happy Birthday" to in a saddle at Texas Roadhouse = PRICELESS

* Colten loved every minute of this, cant you tell?

Happy Birthday "Colt-Dawg"!!!

2009-07-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the cute little wood class I am teaching at Heartland next week! New fall and holiday classes coming very soon...

2009-07-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes...cucumbers...and peppers...OH MY!

When we moved into our house at the end of May I decided that I wanted to put my green thumb into action and plant just a few vegetables. Well...they are growing...and finally producing! I picked two wonderful cucumbers just the other day...they were delicious! My tomatoes are still green...but I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will turn red very soon!!! I think next year I will get an earlier start and plant a few more vegetables!!!

These are my beautiful flowers into my front platner box! Love the pink and red!

2009-07-31T19:42:00.000-07:00

To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. ~Clara Ortega

For my mom's birthday we decided that we wanted to get her a really fun gift that she wouldn't expect at all-so we decided to all get together and do a sibling picture for her! She loved it so much, it was so fun to see her face when she opened up the 11x14 framed picture of all her kids!!! Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-07-05T20:32:00.001-07:00

I LoVe to see the TEMPLE...

The Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

2009-07-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Independence Day Weekend

We had such a great time celebrating America's freedom! Thursday night we spent the night at the cabin...in the rain..., Friday we spent all day on the lake...with only a few minor sunburns...and Saturday was complete with the Kaysville parade, going to the movie "UP", a BBQ at the Flakes and a great fireworks show to finish up the weekend!

Happy Birthday AMERICA!

2009-06-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Our New Home!

We have been in our new house for almost a month now, how quickly time has flown by! We are finally starting to feel settled and its starting to feel like home now! We have four bedrooms and two baths...a fun back yard...and lots of room to grow into! Here are a few pictures of the house!

A bbq is in the works...so we hope to see everyone very soon!!!

2009-06-26T13:40:00.001-07:00

A tribute to Grandpa O!

My Grandpa Ongley passed away last week after a courageous battle with cancer. We love him so much and we will miss him greatly! Love you gramps!!!

2009-06-14T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is for you Brit! Here is a fun little project I have been working on for our living room..its turning out really great...but its still a work in progress! Its so fun to decorate a house!!! Love it!

2009-06-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Hill Air Show!

Mike absolutely loves airplanes! We try to hit every air show when possible! We were able to go to the Hill Air Show with Blake and Audra...and about a bizillion other people! We had such a good time checking out all of the planes, watching the air craft demonstrations and of course watching the Thunderbirds...my favorite part! After the air show we were able to go to an outdoor concert with Blake and Audra and Mom and Dad! Jon Schmidt, Peter Brienholt, Nancy Hansen, and David Tok performed...it was a perfect ending to a perfect day!

2009-06-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

We bought a house!

We have moved into a cute little house in Kaysville just West of Cherry Hill and we LOVE it! We are still getting settled and trying to get everything in order, what a big chore...but a fun chore none the less! We have had some complications with getting internet, so we are still waiting for that...when we finally get internet I will be sure to post some fun pictures of our new home! Thanks to everyone for all of the love and support and help with this new journey! We have the best family and friends ever!

A BIG Thanks Everyone!!!

2009-05-29T14:19:00.001-07:00

Just taking a break from packing...Yikes...we have a lot of crap!!! Moving is such a pain in the butt, I am so glad that we will be staying put for a while...a long while!!! Wish us luck!

2009-05-18T12:54:00.000-07:00

"Geesh ... New Furniture is SO Exspensive!"

We have been busy looking for furniture...These are the pieces of furniture that we bought from the D.I for a screamin good deal! We sanded (technically Mike sanded), we painted, we distressed and we stained...and now they are super cute! I should have taken a "before" picture...but I forgot! I think they will look fantastic in our bedroom!

P.s. These new pieces will look fantastic in our new home!!!!

2009-05-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

I LOVE to see the

{ Temple }

This last week we went down to Temple Square with some friends to walk around the Salt Lake Temple and see all of the beautiful tulips and we also went to the Joseph Smith movie! We had a really great time, its always so refreshing to walk around the temple and be surrounded by such beauty!

2009-05-03T20:33:00.001-07:00

I really really really want THIS!

Enough said right? Well I just LOVE this house...we are going to see it for the second time tomorrow, I am so totally stoked!!! We will just have to wait and see what happens!!!

2009-04-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

What I did this weekend...

This weekend I decided that I needed to get my house back in order after being gone for three months...my house was a mess and I had no decorations up at all! I have been wanting to do some vinyl lettering on my wall for a long time now, so I decided I would do it this weekend! I cut the quote out with my Silhoutte cutter (which I absolutely LOVE) and it turned out really really cute!

2009-04-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Bloom Where You are Planted...

I decided that I wanted to make a cute paper flower floral arrangement for my kitchen table! I wasn't sure how this would turn out, but I absolutely love it! What do you think? Doesn't it make you think Spring? I love it and am looking forward to Summer!

2009-04-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

We finally arrived back home in Centerville Utah late Wednesday night after a 20 hour drive! We are so very excited to be home and get life going again!

Mike started his first day as an "official/permanent" air traffic control on Monday, he is very excited to get going on that! He still has a lot of training ahead of him but he is looking forward to it! I am headed back to work at a local scrapbook store. I am so very excited to be surrounded by scrapbooking and crafting again after a three month mini vacation in Oklahoma City!

Its so nice to be around family and friends again! We missed everyone very very much! We are anxiously awaiting the summer which will include boating, camping, bbq's and much much more!

2009-04-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

"We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity."

On Wednesday we went to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum located in downtown Oklahoma City.

On the morning of April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh parked a rental truck with explosives in front of the complex and, at 9:02am, a massive explosion occurred which sheared the entire north side of the building, killing 168 people.

More than 637 names are listed on the Survivors' Wall on the Outdoor Symbolic Memorial. The granite panels on which the Survivors' names are etched were salvaged from the Murrah Building and are mounted on the only surviving wall of the Murrah Building.

Visiting this museum and memorial was a very sobering experience and the grounds of the memorial provide peace and comfort. I was only 11 years old when this act of violence occured and I do not remember a lot of details so it was very interesting and touching to visit this site. Mike and I enjoyed walking through the museum and learning of this historical event.

The museum is mapped out in a time line starting at 8:00am April 19, 1995 which started out as an average spring day in Oklahoma City...then you procede to go through the days awful events. At 9:01 am they have you step into a court room where there was an actual case taking place that morning...and everything was caught on tape...so while you are listening to this actual tape from April 19, 1995 the lights begin to flicker and it the room goes dark and all of a sudden you hear banging and crashing and pure chaos!!! It made the whole thing seem very real and unnerving! You continue through the museum to see the devistating effects of this event, you get to read survivors stories, and learn about the victims who lost their lives that day. It was a very neat experience!

The memorial grounds are beautiful and peaceful. There are still some remnants of the original Murrah building which they have made into a surviors wall. There is a tree located on these grounds that is over 90 years old and survived the effects of the bombing, this is a symbol of hope and human resilience. The message near the tree reads, "The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us."

The first Fence was installed to protect the site of the Murrah Building. Almost immediately, people began to leave tokens of love and hope on the Fence. Those items now total more than 60,000 and are collected and preserved in our archives. Today, more than 200 feet of the original Fence gives people the opportunity to leave tokens of remembrance and hope.

The Field of Empty Chairs is the 168 chairs that represent the lives taken on April 19, 1995. They stand in nine rows to represent each floor of the building, and each chair bears the name of someone killed on that floor. Nineteen smaller chairs stand for the children.

The Gate of Time are twin gates frame the moment of destruction – 9:02 a.m. – and mark the formal entrances to the Memorial. The East Gate represents 9:01 a.m. on April 19, and the innocence of the city before the attack. The West Gate represents 9:03 a.m., the moment we were changed forever, and the hope that came from the horror in the moments and days following the bombing.

There is also an amazing reflecting pool which is a shallow depth of gently flowing water that helps soothe wounds, with calming sounds providing a peaceful setting for quiet thoughts.

As you can see this memorial is beautiful, educational and peaceful. We enjoyed our visit very much and hope you learned a thing or two from reading this blog. Enjoy the pictures we took of the memorial, it was a beautiful spring day in Oklahoma!!!

2009-04-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Let LIFE Finally Begin...

I am so super excited to announce to everyone that Mike passed his P.V. (Performance Verification) yesterday around noon! I am so proud of him and all of his hard work! We have both looked forward to this day for over three years! Mike and I have always had something to look forward to in this journey. First, we had to get accepted to the Air Traffic Control program at the University of Alaska Anchorage! Second, we made the long journey from Utah to Alaska for a two year adventure! Third, we waited and waited and waited for the letter from the FAA for an Oklahoma City Academy date! Fourth, Mike studied hard and passed his P.V! Yeah! We couldn't be more excited, now we can finally settle down in Utah and know thats where we will be for a long time! To celebrate we went out to dinner with Mike's classmates to a local Sports Bar for burgers! Mike and are also going to celebrate tonight by going out to Outback Steakhouse!!! Yum! Congratulations Michael, I am so so so proud of you!!!

2009-03-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Enjoy Life...It's Delicious...

When I moved to Oklahoma almost three months ago I had a long list of things I wanted to accomplish, some of which were craft projects! I figured since I would have all of this time on my hands I would be able to get a whole lot done! I was going to completely catch up on my scrapbooking, do lots of cooking/baking, make a few home decor items, create a recipe box for my mom, knit a blanket, read a lot of books and the list goes on and on! Sometimes I think that I work better under pressure or a time constraint, I just kept telling myself I have all the time in the world to get things done...well we are down to just over two weeks left here! I have a lot of things I didn't accomplish but many things that I did finish! Take a look at what kept me busy for the last two and a half months!

1. Knitting! It had been a while since I had picked up my knitting needles so I was anxious to start a new project! While here in Oklahoma I decided to make a blanket! I was very excited, because in the past I have only made scarves. The blanket is still a work in progress, but it is slowly coming along and I think its going to be very very cute!

2. Reading! I have always loved to read but while living in Alaska me and a friend read a whole lot of books and I just haven't stopped since! I enjoy reading all kinds of books but I do love historical fiction and fictional romance!

3. Scrapbooking! Anyone who knows me knows that I love love love scrapbooking! It is my number one hobby and I just can't get enough of it! I also get the pleasure of working in a scrapbook store which is so so so much fun! So far I have accomplished 15 layouts here in OK City! Not bad!

4. Cooking! One thing I did not take into consideration when I moved here and had large aspirations of cooking and baking was that I wouldn't have all of my "stuff"! I miss my Kitchen Aid, my good cookie sheets, all of my kitchen gadgets! I did manage to make a few delicious meals here including manicotti and I did make my first loaf of garlic cheese bread...both were delicious!

5. Crafting! I didn't create a whole lot of home decor/craft items here because I was worried about having enough space in our little Honda Civic to bring everything home! One thing I did make here is an adorable recipe box! I love it and I think its super cute! This particular one I made for my mom...I think she is really going to love it!

Let the countdown begin....we will be driving home, back to Utah on Tuesday April 14th!!! We are both very excited to be back home surrounded by friends and family!

2009-03-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

This quote simply states exactly how

I have been feeling the last three days...

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing.
I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick.
I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.
I believe in kissing; kissing a lot.
I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong.
I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls.
I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles."
~Audrey Hepburn

2009-03-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

Oklahoma City Auto Show!

On Saturday Mike and I went to the Auto Show at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds! We had a great time looking at:

* Classic Cars : '68 Camero, Elonore (Gone in 60 Seconds Mustang)

* Futuristic Concept Cars : Jeep Renegade

* Dream Cars : His=2010 Red Camero Hers=2010 TAHOE

2009-03-05T08:33:00.000-08:00

T E X A S

Since Mike's parents came to Oklahoma to visit, we decided that it would be lots of fun to drive down to Dallas Texas and do some exploring and site seeing! It was about a 3 hour drive to Dallas from OK City! I googled "the best bbq in Dallas" and found that Sonny Bryans was supposed to be the best bbq in town, we decided we would eat there for lunch. We pulled up to what I consider a "dump" of a restaurant and we were all a bit apprehensive about eating there. Not to mention that you cant actually eat at the place, so we would have to eat it in our car! Ribs + Car = MESS!!! Plus....it was located in the same parking lot as a homeless shelter! What more could you ask for right?! After listening to a couple of locals talk up the bbq and how this restaurant has been featured on the Food Network...how could we resist? Well, after trying both the bbq ribs and a bbq sandwhich...our conclusion was... it was nothing to hoot and holler about...but we were glad we experienced Sonny Bryans BBQ in Dallas Texas!

( Remember this is how memories are created!?!?!)!

After lunch we all decided that we wanted to check out the 6th Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza! The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza is located on the sixth and seventh floors of an early 20th-century warehouse known in 1963 as the Texas School Book Depository. This museum provides information and understanding about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

I must confess that Mike and I were pretty clueless about the facts regarding the Presidents death, but we left this museum with a greater understanding of President John F. Kennedy's legacy and all that he provided our country with in just 3 short years. The museum had a pretty somber feeling, considering the museum was created on the sixth floor where Oswald shot the President from. We were all in agreement that we really enjoyed the museum and learned a lot about President John F. Kennedy.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

-President John F. Kennedy

After exploring the museum for a couple of hours we decided to explore the big city! Parts of Dalls reminded me of New York City because the buildings are extremely high and pretty much jam packed right next to each other, although the architecture is much more modern than NYC! It was really cool though! Dallas is a HUGE city!

Finally as we were leaving town to head back to Oklahoma City...we drove past the old Dallas Cowboys Stadium! That was cool to see and of course Mike enjoyed seeing where the football team (and cheerleaders) play!

We had a great time exploring Dallas Texas and again are grateful for the opportunity that we have to travel to some new places while we are here in Oklahoma City!

2009-02-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

We SURVIVED our first...and hopefully last TORNADO!

Its true, at about 2:00pm on February 10, 2009 Mike and I were sitting on the couch watching television when we heard a noise outside our window that sounded like the Tornado Warning Signal! The only other time I have heard this signal is on Saturday afternoon at 12:00 pm when they do the weekly test! Suddenly panic began to rise inside of me and I felt extremely worried! We quickly turned the tv to a local news station to find out that there was a tornado warning for Oklahoma City and its surrounding areas! It storm that could likely turn into a tornado was about 10 miles North of us...in the city where some of our good friends live! As we watched the news report, they were asking people to get to their shelters, to get away from windows and brace themselves for a tornado. Mike had to leave for work at 3:00pm so I was really anxious to be at home by myself...but I knew what to do if the tornado started coming my way. Pretty soon the storm headed north east of us and we were out of the warning area. As I continued to watch the tv, two more tornados appeard on the map...but all were at least 10-15 miles from me...thank goodness! The local news stations stated that there hasn't been a tornado in February since 2000...we must bring good luck to Oklahoma! Tornado season does not actually start until April! As most of you know, the third tornado absolutely devistated a city called Lone Grove and killed nine people, along with hundreds of injuries and a lot of damage to buildings, streets and power lines! I am truly grateful that Mike and I were not in the line of this tornado. It really opened our eyes to what "being prepared" truly means! We have made a goal to have two 24 hour packbacks in case of an emergency...because you just never know! Our thoughts and prayers are with those who suffered any kind of loss from this tornado!

* Our area of Oklahoma City where we live did not get hit with any tornados..but did get hit with severe thunderstorms, wind and huge hail (reports were made of baseball size hail in parts of the city!)....so these pictures are ones that I found on the internet!

2009-02-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma State University!

On Saturday Mike and I decided to attend an Oklahoma State University wrestling match againt Missouri! OSU is in Stillwater Oklahoma...about an hour and a half from Oklahoma City! We had a really great time! We headed down there early and had a little dinner and then went to the match. Ever since we knew we would be spending some time in Oklahoma, Mike had mentioned that he wanted to attend a wrestling match...so he loved every minute of it! OSU prides themselves on their athletic events including wrestling! Cowboy Wrestling is perhaps the most storied program in all of college athletics. OSU's incredible 34 team national championships are the most collected by any school in any one sport. The Cowboys have also produced 133 individual national champions, including the sport's first-ever four-time champion, Pat Smith. I have to admit, that even though I dont love wrestling I really enjoyed myself very much! The OSU mascot was seriously the coolest...he is called Pistol Pete (he is a cowboy of course) and his face is entirely plastic...he is cool....check out his picture! We hope to enjoy a few more college athletic events while we are here! We also saw the Stillwater Firestation (so naturally I had to take a picture for both dad and Brons!)! Enjoy! P.S....Oklahoma State got their butts kicked!

2009-02-03T13:50:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma is a very ....interesting place... here are a few fun facts to enjoy!

* The world’s first parking meter was installed in Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935!

* Vinita Oklahoma was the first town in the state to have electricity. It is also the oldest incorporated town in the state.

* Oklahoma was the setting for the movie "Twister"!

* The National Cowboy Hall of Fame is located in Oklahoma City.

* The town of Beaver is the Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World. Here that the World Championship Cow Chip Throw is held each April.

* Garth Brooks was born in Tulsa and grew up in Yukon Oklahoma

* The official State Meal of Oklahoma is chicken fried steak, fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, black eyed peas and pecan pie.

* The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist attack on April 19, 1995 aimed at the U.S. government in which the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, an office complex in downtown Oklahoma City was bombed. The attack claimed 168 lives and left over 800 people injured.

* The name "Oklahoma" comes from the Choctaw words: "okla" meaning people and "humma" meaning red, so the state's name literally means "red people.

* The famous cowboy, singer and comedian Will Rogers hailed from Oklahoma

* America's most famous highway is celebrated at the Route 66 Museum in Clinton, Oklahoma. The highway stretched from Chicago to California and was the road used by many Oklahomans to flee from the Dust Bowl of the 1930s to the greener pastures of the Golden State.

* Oklahoma state flower is mistletoe!

2009-01-30T19:54:00.001-08:00

The Christmas Sweater...

For Christmas this year my mom surprised me with a new book from Glenn Beck, The Christmas Sweater. I was saving this read for Oklahoma City since I knew I would have a lot of time on my hands...I finished the book in one day! I couldn't put it down! What a great book, I absolutely loved it! The Christmas Sweater is a story about family, faith and forgiveness. After reading this book, I sat down to analyze my own life to decide what is truly important to me! It made me realize that no matter how awful things in this life can be...our Heavenly Father will always love us and is always there for us....NO MATTER WHAT! I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those who may feel like giving up on life...or just need a little "pick me up"! I am growing to love Glenn Beck ( thanks to my family...especially Blake)...he is truly one of the coolest guys and has such a great attitude about things in life. He hasn't always had a glamorous life filled with fame and fortune...he is a real person who shares real life experiences to benefit those around him. I hope that I can use his example and share my experiences that I have on a daily basis to uplift and encourage my friends and family.

2009-01-28T20:43:00.000-08:00

We are FREEZING out here!

Mike and I have had quit the eventful week! Oklahoma declared a "State of Emergency Winter Blast Ice Storm" Monday afternoon! Of course I was freaking out, thinking that our power would go out, we would lose heat, have nothing to eat and practically DIE! Mike on the other hand was calm and practical and knew we would be just fine! The FAA closed their academy both Monday and Tuesday, all public and private schools were closed including Oklahaoma University and Oklahoma State! Restaurants were closed, malls and shopping centers...closed...practically everything in town was closed due to the storm! No need to fear...Walmart and Taco Bell were open in full force though! The local news stations reported mostly on the storm and little other news, they asked people to not leave their houses unless an emergency...to stay indoors! Tuesday, Mike and I were so sick of being indoors that we decided to walk to our mailbox which is on the other side of our apartment complex....bad idea...it was like 10 degrees outside and our whole entire parking lot, side walks...the grass...yes even the grass was frozen solid! Our parking lot was one giant ice skating rink! We did make it to the mailbox and back with no causalties...but we almost fell on our butts about 2o times! Our car was covered in so much ice, more than I could have ever imagined...probably about a 1/4 inch thick of pure ICE! Today I asked Mike," Why on earth does the FAA keep sending us to cold miserable places? Why cant they send us to sunny Florida or better yet Mexico!" Who knows why we keep taking these grand adventures to cold places, but I am truly grateful for all of the experiences that Mike and I have been able to be a part of! We have made some amazing friends, made life long memories and grown to depend on one another and love one another more than we could ever imagined! P.S. We are slowly thawing out of our ice cubes and the weekend looks promising!!!! Enjoy these crazy pictures of ICE!

2009-01-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

Holly's Top 10 Things To Keep Her Happy
in Oklahoma City for 12 weeks:

10. MOVIES

I love watching movies, while in OK I have the chance to catch up on all of my favorites including Mama Mia! I have also had the chance to watch some "oldies but goodies" including 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'A Walk to Remember'!

9. BOOKS

I {LOVE} to read...what can I say! Some of my favorite authors are Nicholas Sparks and Anita Stansfield! Right now I am reading Throstleford by Susan Evans McCloud...I am looking forward to The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck and Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella as well!

8. RUNNING

I am not a die hard fitness freak by all means...but occasionaly I like to put on my running shoes and go for a jog! Jogging give me a chance to be outdoors, enjoy some fresh air and think about where my life is headed.

7. KNITTING

While living in Anchorage Alaska my friend Brittany taught me how to knit! I love it! Its a great way to keep yourself busy, especially while watching tv! I have knitted scarves for me and my family and friends...but now I am working on a blanket!

6. BAKING

I enjoy cooking and expirementing with new recipes...but I LOVE baking! I enjoy making fresh pies from my mom's recipe and I love baking cinnamon rolls!

5. BLOGGING

I have recently joined the blogging world and started a blog for Mike and I...as you can see!!! I enjoy blogging about what we are up to and its a great way for our family and friends to stay in touch with us and see what we have been up to! I also enjoy facebook, because it helps me to keep in touch with our loved ones and I have reconnected with so many old friends as well!

4. TELEVISION

I hate to admit it, but I love television! Although there is a lot of trash out there...I am the first to admit that I am addicted to reality television! Some of my favorites right now are Grey's Anatomy and The Bachelor!

3. HOUSEWORK

Sometimes I feel like I am cleaning an already clean house....since we dont have much to fill our apartment there isnt a whole lot to clean either! I dont mind doing the dishes, our laundry...so that fills up a lot of my time here in OK City!

2. CRAFTING

I love nothing more than finding a new craft and creating something new for our home! You would not believe how fun decorating something with paper could be...I love it!!!!

1. SCRAPBOOKING

Everyone who knows me knows that I love to scrapbook! It is an absolute passion for me! I find so much satisfaction in finishing a scrapbook page or mini book! I absolutely love when Mike wants to look back at our "old" books...we have so much fun remembering old times!

2009-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King Jr. Day = No School for Mike!

Oklahoma City Zoo here we come! We decided that since Mike had the day off from the FAA Academy that we should do something fun and enjoy the nice weather outside! After searching the internet, I found that the Oklahoma Zoo is totally free on Mondays in January! I was super stoked, because we have never been to the zoo together, isnt that crazy?!? We called up a few of our FAA friends to come with us and we all met at the zoo Monday afternoon! I dont particulary {love} animals as most of you know...but I do enjoy a day at the zoo watching all of the animals. Some of our favorites this trip were the GoRiLlAs and the oKaPi (which is half zebra....half giraffe). We had a great time exploring the zoo and seeing all of the animals!

This is the Okapi..isnt it totally rad looking?!?

Apparently EVERYONE in OK

are Sooners fans!

I love Zebras....they are my favorite!

Me and Mike just "monkey-ing" around!

This gorilla was loving his banana!

This little baby monkey was clapping with us!

Lions...tigers...and bears....OH MY!!!!

2009-01-15T08:37:00.000-08:00

Oklahoma: Day 2!

*** We didn't have any furniture...no cable...no internet....So we decided to get out of our apartment and do some ExPlOrINg!

We decided to drive downtown which is about 15 minutes away and explore BRICKTOWN! Its a fun little area in downtown with lots of unique restaurants, a little taxi way and some really pretty walking paths! We really enjoyed the 65 degree weather and the beautiful sunshine! We explored on a Sunday afternoon, so we didnt eat at any of them...but we will be back!!! Our first impressions of Oklahoma City are pretty good! The people here are a bit "hickish" but they are super friendly! We have almost all of the restuarants and shops that we do back home, with a few new ones that I am dying to try! This weekend, we are going to do some more exploring and possibly hit a Oklahoma City Thunder game which would be pretty fun!

Oklahoma City here we come!

2009-01-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

I { LOVE } our Apartment!!!

We really love our apartment! It is a nice gated community with great apartments! We are about 10 minutes from Mike's acedemy and about 5 minutes from a great part of town which includes Walmart (how could we survive without Wally-World)! We are very happy here! My biggest fear was that I wouldnt feel safe when Mike was at work, but our place is awesome so no worries there! We only brought our little car, so we left almost everything back in Utah! We were without furniture for four days and three nights, what a drag! Luckily our furniture finally came on Tuesday! We rented a bed, a couch and a kitchen table....everything else we ended up buying once we got down here! Can you say adventure?!?! I CAN!!!!!

Aren't they just so cute!?!

Here are a few more pictures of the inside of our apartment!

Notice that we dont have any decorations

or pictures or anything, they wouldn't fit

in the car, so we didn't bring them....

kind of sad. Luckily its only 3 months!

2009-01-14T14:29:00.001-08:00

Our GRAND AdVEntURe to OKLAHOMA CITY OKLAHOMA!

We drove 1200 miles in two days! What an adventure! We feel so blessed that Mike made it into the FAA Air Traffic Control Academy here in OK City and the timing was great! We were so thankful that it happened right after the holidays! After much thought and prayer we decided that I would quit my job at Heartland Paper and embark on this adventure together! We arrived in Oklahoma City on Friday night around 9:30pm and stayed at the Best Western hotel. We got into our apartment Saturday morning! We LOVE our apartment! It is a one bedroom place, with a TON of storage...not that we need storage...since we didnt bring much...but its great! Our place was not furnished, so we lived without furniture for three days and without cable and internet for three days! Lets just say it was a LONG three days! I am so grateful to now have a couch, a bed and a kitchen table...plus cable and internet! You dont realize how nice it is to have all of those things until you dont have them!

Mike started his academy training on Tuesday January 13th! It was a long day for him, lots of paperwork and jumping through the hoops, but overall he enjoyed it! I am so grateful that he is willing to work so hard for our little family! He LOVES air traffic control and airplanes! I am blessed that he found a career that makes him happy and that he can enjoy doing on a daily basis. Although the moving has been difficult at times, first moving to Alaska and now to Oklahoma City...we feel so blessed and have enjoyed some amazing experiences together!

As for me....I am not working while here in OK City! I am taking advantage of this time to enjoy my hobbies, such as reading, scrapbooking, crafting, blogging, watching movies, working out and enjoying each and every day! Here are a few pictures of our adventure driving to Oklahoma City! Hope you all enjoy!

MORE TO COME SOON.....

2008-12-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

Playin' in a Winter Wonderland...At the Cabin!

On Friday we went up to the Flake cabin up near Causey Resevoir! We had so much fun relaxing...playing games...eating yummy food...and snow mobiling! We missed Bronson and Dad....hopefully they can make it next time! Here are a few pictures of our grand adventure! Happy New Year!

2008-12-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

"Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree."

Christmas was a little different this year, we slept over at the Van Tussenbrook home and got up at 5:00am to celebrate Christmas with the Tuss family before dad went off to work at 6:00am! Christmas was so great, Santa spoiled us all rotten! Mike surprised me with a new CAMERA, a new pair of Dansko shoes...and lots of other fun stuff! Mike and I got a new computer too! I surprised Mike with lots of new clothes, a new football and a miniture foosball table! Our families also spoiled us...Thanks to everyone for everything! After eating Christmas casserole with my family we headed up to Kaysville to spend some time with Mike's family! Geesh, we are so stinkin blessed, we have two of the greatest families ever! Later Christmas Day we went back to The Van Tussenbrook's and had French Dip, spent some time with the family...and just enjoyed the spirit of Christmas. I hope that everyone had a Great Christmas! Thanks to everyone for making our holiday season so wonderful!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2008!

2008-12-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

PAJAMA PARTY WITH THE TUSS FAM!

Every Christmas Eve my family gets together and had a pajama party on Christmas Eve! This consists of EVERYONE wearing their pj's, eating yummy homemade soup, playing the candy bar game and exchanging white elephant gifts! This year the party was at Sandy's house...it was such a blast! All of my mom's siblings and their families (minus a few...we missed Bronson, Candace, Luke & Ty and Kyle & Nicole)were all at the party! It was really great to see everyone and spend some time with the family just laughing! We did have a star performance from the girls in the family...we all did a sing along to "Dancing Queen" from Mama Mia!!!! I was so so so so so so nervous...did I mention that I was nervous! I seriously thought I might vomit right before we danced and sang in front of the family! Needless to say, we all laughed our heads off and had a great time! Carly, Mattie and Stacie have a history of dancing and singing....so they all performed a little Beyonce number...which was so stinkin hilarious...I love all of them so much!

Gramps and his four daughters!

I LOVE my Grandpa SO SO SO Much!

Me and my little Bro Colt Dawg!

Stacie, Carly, Mattie, Audra and ME!

Mom Rockin' her air guitar!

Mom, Me, Carly and Audra...
after our star performance!

The whole gang singing and dancing!

These are the three
cutest girls ever!

Carly shaking her groove thing! hahaha!

After the Christmas Eve Party, my family all went back to my parents house (minus Bronson...who was working his firefighter job) and had a big sleep over! My dad had to be to work at 6:00 am on Christmas Day, so we all slept over so we could spend a little time with him on Christmas morning! Merry Christmas!

2008-12-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

SoMe Of mY BeST FriEnDS Are FLAKES!

This year our Flake Family Christmas Party was at the Jackson's house in Centerville! Just imagine ScOnes, WhItE ElepHant PreSenTs, and LOTS of LaUghtEr! We had such a great time just relaxing with the family. I LOVE Christmas time and all of the family get togethers! Thanks Connie and Gaylan for a great Christmas party!

Mike with his cousins Tyson and Jeremy!

The Flake Cousins!

Mama Flake...

2008-12-22T15:53:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas Tracey Family!

Last night we went to the annual Tracey family Christmas Party! We had so much fun playing the right-left game, eating a delicious dinner of ham and cheesy potatoes, and exchanging white elephant gifts! The hot items this year were the i-tunes gift card and the wet/dry vac! Mike and I ended up with a sandwhich maker, which we were very pleased with....and some cozy socks and dish towels. We were very happy!

After our Christmas party, we went to my parents house to wish Carly a Happy 19th Birthday! We had fun celebrating with Carly and the family Saturday night! We went shopping out at the gateway during the day and went to the Olive Garden for dinner! YUM! Happy Birthday
little sis...We Love You!

2008-12-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy Birthday to ME!

Well, I am finally 24! Yeah for me! I had a great birthday! I spent the day with my little sister Carly...we went to lunch at Paradise Bakery ( my favorite) and went shopping at the mall. Later that night, my whole family went to Red Robin for dinner and back to my parents for Confetti Cake and Moose Tracks ice cream (my other favorite thing)! I had such a great day! I also got a Silhoutte for my birthday, its a scrapbooking digital cutter...its awesome! Its so much fun! Thanks to everyone for making my birthday so special!

2008-12-16T14:51:00.001-08:00

Walking in a Winter Wonderland!

I absolutely love the Christmas season and all of the activities that accompany it! While living in Alaska I missed walking around Temple Square at Christmas time and looking at all of the beautiful lights! Saturday night we had the chance to walk around Temple Square with some of our friends and take in all of the lovely sights. It snowed all day long, so when we arrived everything was covered in a fresh blanket of white snow, it was absolutely magical! The temple was just glowing and the night seemed magical! We had such a great time! Here are a few pictures of the night! Merry Christmas!

We also went and saw the Layton lights for Mike's little brother's Birthday!

It was pretty chilly, but we had a great time!

2008-12-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

The Gift

The wise men came from many miles away to see what prophecy foretold a miraculous surprise, tears came to their eyes, and they said...He’s got the gift Shepherds from afar, followed true the star and the king shook his head in disbeliefhear the angels sing, let salvation ring...He’s got the gift Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, oh come ye, oh come ye, to Bethlehem The people gathered round to hear his voice the sound of truth and prophecy foretold with loaves and fishes fed five thousand people said....He’s got the gift Merciful and kind, he even healed the blind and caused the lame to walk again His fame grew far and wide, well it could not be denied...He’s got the gift. On his shoulders bore, the cross and so much moreand on his head a crown of thorns and his death it had to be for all the world to see...He’s got the gift! ‘Cause only he could give and only he could live to rise again to conquer death and sin so hear the angels sing, let salvation ring...He’s got the gift Sing Choirs of Angels, sing in exaltation... Christ the Lord born.

Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, oh come ye, oh come ye, to Bethlehem

Saturday night we went to the Ryan Shupe Christmas conert out at UVU with Kellie and Dennis Morris! We has such a good time, I even caught myself laughing out loud! Kellie bought a HUGE bag of kettle corn and I enjoyed every minute of eating that too! After the concert, we met up with the Altoms and had icecream and just chatted until 11:30pm! We had such a great time!

The Gift, is one of my favorite Christmas songs by Ryan Shupe so I posted the lyrics so that everyone can read them. I love this time of year because it reminds me to reflect on my life and on how Christ came into this world, what he accomplished on this earth and how he performed so many miracles on this earth. I am striving daily to be more

Christ like and remember him in all that I do.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Give Thanks

2008-12-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

* I wanted to take a minute to express my gratitude for everything that Mike and I have been blessed with. After living in Alaska for the last two years, and having our first Alaskan Thanksgiving ! We had Thankgiving dinner at Sandy and Lynn's which was such a TREAT! I LOVE Thanksgiving dinner....yummy turkey....mashed potatoes....homemade rolls....and PIE! We enjoyed spending time with our family, watching Hancock and Mama Mia....and just relaxing!

* I am so thankful for: a supportive family, fun friends, a nice cozy home, a hard working husband, food to eat, a great job, two nice reliable cars, being home in Utah for this holiday season, The Savior, freedom, good health, a healthy family, technology so I can keep in touch with loved ones.....AND SO MUCH MORE!

* Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy -- because we will always want to have something else or something more.

Thriller and Mystere Here We Come...

2008-10-30T08:51:00.001-07:00

Mike and I were so excited to go to St. George and see Thriller at Tuacahn! We drove down to Cedar City on Friday morning and met up with Candace and baby Ty and went to lunch at The Pizza Factory..one of my favorites when I went to school in Cedar! It was really great to see Candace, Luke and Ty! They were gracious enough to let us crash at their house Friday night! Thriller was really fun but not what we were really expecting. It was really fun to see all of the characters and dances but some of it was a little bit different and a little weird...but we had an awesome time! I loved watching the zombies sneak up on people and scare them...but Mike does not enjoy being scared, and he didnt love the zombies so much!

( My camera was having issues taking pictures in the dark, so all my zombie pictures came out blurry...but it kind of gives the zombies an even "creepier" look!)

***After our really fun night in St. Geroge, we woke up early Saturday morning and drove 2 1/2 hours to Las Vegas! We were really excited because we havent been to Las Vegas since our honeymoon almost three years ago! We know that Vegas is known for being dirty, evil, nasty, a party place....etc....but Mike and I love the warm weather there, we love all of the fun shows...and we love to just walk around and see all of the cool things. The Bellagio is one of my favorite casinos, they have the prettiest lobby ever! Every season they change their lobby for the season! I am in love with fall this year and their lobby was amazing! We saw 'Mystere' at Treasure Island while we were there! It is a Cirque Da Soleil show where the performers do things such as the trapeze, jumping and tumbling, muscle man tricks....and the list goes on and on! It was the coolest show I have ever seen, not to mention we had amazing seats! It was a really fun night! We also enjoyed the warm 80 degree weather, the yummy buffets....and just relaxing! We had such a good time and we are so glad that we took a little "mini vacation"....because who knows where life may take us in the next couple of months!!!

P.S. I am still learning how to add pictures to my blog...so be patient with me...I will eventually figure out how to do this!!! ENJOY!

Fall is in the Air!

2008-10-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see I have not been very good at keeping up with this blogging business! I still cant figure out how to make our blog "cute"...but at least I can post a blog! This weekend we were able to go to the Flake family cabin with Mike's family! We had so much fun 4 Wheeling, playing basketball, playing board games, and just relaxing! This was probably the last cabin trip before snow comes...so it was fun to go up one last time before snow mobile season....Mike's favorite time of year! The leaves were all starting to change color, so needless to say it was beautiful up there this weekend! Here are a few pictures from this weekend...and a few of past cabin visits as well! Happy Fall!!!

Mike LOVES flying his new radio control helicoptor, thanks to Uncle Joel! Mike flies the helicoptor outside and in our living room (because there always seems to be too much wind outside)!

Tonight, after returning home from our cabin we got some horrible news that my cousin Kara and her husband had been in a car accident last night. Kara's husband, hutch, did not survive the accident, he will be truly missed. Kara did survive with some minor injuries. Although Mike and I never did get the opportunity to meet Hutch, our thoughts and prayers are with Kara and her family tonight! We love you Kara and Hutch!

I Just Couldn't Resist

2008-09-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

Well, what can I say...I finally caved in and created a blog for me and Mike! I am so super stoked about it! Hopefully I can keep up with blogging to share some of our memories with our friends and family! Remember, I am new at this whole blogging thing, so be patient with me as I figure everything out over the next few days!!!