Picture Assault!

So we finally transferred pictures onto the computer so I thought I'd go ahead and smack some onto this here blog. Hold on to your hats and glasses....

Thomas Family Reunion, June 2010. Went real golfing for the second time ever.
Luckily we were playing team golf/using the best ball, so I didn't hinder our team (Me, Sean, and my brothers Adam & Andrew) too much. Andrew and Sean pretty much carried us though.

After that we went to my grandparents property up Nephi Canyon and....


...there were guns.

I'm a regular sharpshooter. No, really. I even impressed my grandpa.

Oh, and I can't forget...

... the duck races. Turns out Sean is a champion duck racer. See? He even has a trophy.

Probably because he is so "full of hot air" (that joke got made a lot.)
Lucky for me, I was also a winner, because I guessed how many tootsie rolls were in the jar.
And yes, that is where the tootsie jar from my previous post came from.


Hiking to Stewart Falls with Sierra & Brett. Sean and Brett decided to try and scale the cliffs above the falls to try and get to the very top, only they took off without telling me or Sierra that that was the plan. An hour after wondering where they were, and shivering like crazy as the sun was going down, they came back to inform us that they were super close to reaching the top, but for fear of dying from unsafe hand and footholds, they gave up. Boys.

Sean working on his jeep, getting it fixed up real nice before selling it. Here he is tightening the tie rod ends and putting on a new control arm... or something like that. He's become quite the mechanic lately. It's pretty attractive.

Fourth of July! Outside the Stadium of Fire to watch the fireworks with my family, a huge bag of popcorn (my sister works at Wynnsong and brought a huge bag of leftovers from the night before) and so many glowsticks.


So many glowsticks, in fact, that Sean made a glowing neon ball. (I told him he looked cool leaning against the car like that, so he needed to make a cool face for this picture.)

It then transformed into this. We decided it looks like a knight's helmet, so I call this photo "Soccer Knight from the Future".


Sean then let me wear it on the drive home. Which went slow, due to the
inevitable Fourth-of-July Traffic. My window happened to be down, and I received many compliments.

Tennis Photo Shoot with Dana. The last time we played before she moved to Maine. She taught me everything I know about tennis.

Probably at some point in every game we played one of us would use our racket and pretend it was a machine gun. Not sure how it started, but it proves to be very intimidating for your opponent. So we had to take a picture in remembrance of this pose.
Sad... I can't believe they're really gone.

Well doggone it, if this hasn't taken an eternity to upload all these darn pictures! (Sorry, not sure why I keep slippin into hick talk...maybe all the gun-shooting rekindled my inner cowgirl?) What's frustrating is I haven't even gotten to our trip to California, which is the whole reason I started this post... but I've got to give it a rest. Got laundry to do, clothes to fold, and even more laundry to do and clothes to fold. (We've been really busy and, um, kind of let things get out of hand.)

So look forward to Picture Assault 2: Cruise Control!

The Owls

Last night, I had a dream about a bunch of porcelain decorative owls in a tree. Really cute, really indie. Then, a real owl came along and started messing with them and breaking them. Shattering their cute little faces. Random.

Then today, I come to work, and I'm working on this Alcatraz project (way cool, by the way), and I was having all of these problems with data matching up. Finally, I came across the name that was causing all the problems. The name? Basil Hugh "The Owl" Banghart, prisoner number 595. Insert Twilight Zone music here.

The really crazy part is that this is not the first time this has happened. The first time I can really remember was when I was 14. I had a dream that I was at Disneyland on dance tour, standing in line for Snow White, and I was looking around at my friends that were with me: Alysse, Jentrie, Kelsey... and then some brunette girl I didn't know. I almost immediately forgot about it.

Flash forward six months, when I'm actually on dance tour in California. I'm at Disneyland, standing in line for Snow White, when I look around and totally start having deja vu, like BAD. There's Alysse and Jentrie leaning against the rail in front of me, Kelsey to my right, and then to my left is the brunette girl. Only now I know who she is: Julianne Burr. I had gotten to know her in the couple of months of rehearsals leading up to tour, but before that? No idea who she was. It's almost as if I dreamed her into existence.

Other instances I can remember: dreaming that my cousin was pregnant three days before I found out that she was, dreaming that I was going to be a bridesmaid in the winter before Dana & Dallan were even engaged, and one of the oddest ones was dreaming about pet turtles and then going to work at Sundance the next day to overhear a couple coworkers talking about pet turtles. I mean, really. Pet turtles. How often does that come up in a conversation?

You could call it coincidence, and maybe it is, but maybe, just maybe I have a superpower here. Anyone who knows me knows that I've always had crazy dreams, so I'm thinking maybe there's a reason for that? Maybe I need to learn how to tap into my dreaming potential? I'm contemplating starting a dream journal blog. Maybe there's more things like this that have happened without me really noticing?

I know this sounds kind of crazy... but there's crazier things that have happened, right? Right???(please validate my sanity by posting below)

Things I Should Have Learned by Now

1) I can sunburn. I always think it won't happen, and then ya know what? It does. Not a whole lot, and most of the time it's only a day before it turns tan, but sometimes? It hurts. Like, aloe vera/can't-sleep-at-night hurts. Like even just sitting in a chair at a computer, say, typing a blog, it feels as if there's smoldering embers between my shoulder blades. Why do I continue to think I'm invincible?!




2) I can't drink more than four sips of carbonation without getting sick. I've just got to own up to that. No matter how much I like the taste of root beer with pizza, or Vanilla Coke with anything...it's not worth it. In a future book, called "The Science of Sodas", I'm hoping the authors will use my story as a cautionary tale. Do not stop drinking carbonation for more than three years if you truly love it. You will never be able to handle it again.
(Ok, truthfully, I don't miss soda that much and it does feel way better not to drink it, but just every once in a while I get these cravings... and I really shouldn't indulge. At least not more than four sips. Not unless I'm willing to fully accept the consequences that it WILL turn my stomach upside-down.)




3) How to say 'foliage'. It wasn't until just this last weekend that I realized that sometimes I say 'foil-age'. Obviously, in my mind I get the i and the l reversed depending on my mood. Luckily this isn't a word that has come up too often in discussions, and if you say it fast enough no one's the wiser, but nevertheless, this is super embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as thinking that 'eavesdropping' was 'E's dropping', or that 'soo' (with two o's, as in 'soo much') is a real word. You know who you are.



Anyway, despite these humbling realizations, this last Pioneer Weekend was great. The definite highlight was going boating with Brooke, Preston and Sierra, even if it did result in my uncomfortable state. And, believe it or not, seven years after my last attempt, it turns out-- I can wakeboard! Talk about something I should have learned by now...

Thoughts on Salad, Lakes and Tootsie Rolls

I like tomatoes in salad. I like strawberries in salad. I do not like tomatoes and strawberries in the same salad.


Utah Lake is impossible to find. Sean and I tried to drive to the shore last night (I remembered from high school somewhere by Springville where people would have bon fires...must be gone now?) and about an hour and several scary roads later, we gave up. The night wasn't a complete loss though-- we saw the tiniest baby deer, a baby kitty, and a huge owl. I hadn't ever seen an owl in Utah, so that was neat. I'm a little sad Sean wouldn't let me pet the deer though. He claims it would've just ran away from me when I got out of the car, but obviously he forgets that I used to be a Disney princess.



Oh, and FYI, 'Lake Shore' signs, off of the Springville exit, are not in fact signs directing you to the lake shore. Apparently it's a place. I don't think that's fair.

A few days ago, I suspected someone of stealing tootsie rolls out of my candy jar at work, so I went Harriet the Spy on them and left a hair on top of the lid. That way, I would know if it'd been tampered with. Real slick, I know. The next day, after having eaten a few tootsies, I remembered my plan. The hair, of course, was already gone, moved most likely by me. So the next day I tried it again, leaving a post-it note to remember to check on the tootsie jar. Came to work, and.... five hours and oh, 12 tootsie rolls later, I noticed the post it note. Again, I had spoiled my perfect plan. So at the end of the third day, I counted how many tootsies were left (at this point, only 7) and wrote down that number. Came to work the next day to find.... seven tootsie rolls. Now, you might think this means no one was stealing tootsie rolls. But I think they knew I was getting suspicious.

I need more tootsie rolls.

The First Big Girl Job of the Marriage!

So, a certain Miss Robinson's blog has inspired me to start blogging more frequently. Consequently, to make the task less overwhelming, I'm probably going to go ahead and start writing shorter entries. We'll see if I can actually do that. (Little known fact: In fifth grade we started every class period with 15 minutes of journal-writing. That was never enough time for me, so a lot of times I would have to bring my journal home with me to finish my entries. I think I went through seven journals for the whole year, a record that was still standing 8 years later when my youngest sister Amy was in Miss Burton's class. So I guess you could say I've got quite the reputation at Northridge Elementary.)

So a quick posting about my Big Girl job. I'm gonna make it bullet points even, cut out any unnecessary fluff: (plus I'm at work right now so I should get back to work in a minute here..)

• I have been working at Ancestry.com since October 09, right when we got back from our Honeymoon.
• It was/is a huge blessing. I had been looking for a different job (no offense Tucanos... actually yes, you can take offense) since May of 2008, when I graduated from BYU. A year and a half later this worked out, and right when we needed things like benefits. Ancestry.com has awesome benefits.
• I started as a Content Editor, and two promotions later I am now a Project Lead. It's hard to describe what I do, especially cuz every project is different, but pretty much I work with databases/use sql/write configs/normalize data/oversee editing/check images... and anything else that needs to happen before projects go live on the website.
• It sounds super nerdy, and it kind of is. I never thought I would in anyway resemble a computer programmer (what my dad does) but it's not too bad. And I actually really really like it. I actually have to use my brain and problem solve, it makes me feel smart.
• I work with really fun people. Everyday during lunch we play games like Werewolf, Killer Bunnies, Guillotine or Family Business. Or we watch Wipeout. And Fridays are Wii days. Well, we play everyday unless we're too busy with project deadlines coming up.
• I have a nice big cubicle. I love it. Also, two big monitors. Having two monitors has completely spoiled me, and now one feels like way too small of a space.

Shoot, this is too long already. Ok, I'm shutting up now and heading back to work.

THE END

**Possibly what my workplace would be like if it were 70 years ago. (Photo courtesy of Ancestry.com of course)

The First Christmas of the Marriage!

Ok, yes, I'm fully aware that it is four months after Christmas, but seeing how it was our first Christmas together, I thought it should be at least somewhat documented via blog.

So... Christmastime of 2009... it was so fun. Magical even. One definite highlight was putting up our own Christmas decorations and Christmas tree! (Thanks to Mother Greene for spotting a sweet tree for us at D.I.! Way nicer than what we were planning on.) Our place looked so cute all Christmas-ed out, we didn't want to take down the decorations! So... we kind of didn't. Until we moved. In April. It wasn't planned that way, but that's just how it happened. I don't regret it. It was cute.

Then Christmas Day? It was so awesome to have Sean there with me for all of the Thomas family traditions... the little girls waking us up way too early, the kids waiting in my parents' room for them to groggily wake up while sword fighting with empty wrapping paper rolls, looking for our hidden stockings in the basement, heading upstairs to see what Santa brought, opening presents, eating muffins and ham and eggs, playing games...

Then that night we headed over to David (Sean's older brother) and Tami's house and got to hang out with the Greene side and eat Christmas dinner. It's always fun, and the nieces and nephews were especially high on Christmas cheer. So cute. Little kids definitely make Christmas great. Oh, and I learned little kids have bigger heads than you would think! I crocheted the little guys beanies and the little girls flower headbands, but um, yeah... I think like half of them were too small. Like, just barely. The best was little Davin (three) who squeezed his on anyway but couldn't get it over his ears, so they were just poking out. But he didn't seem to mind. So anyway, I learned my lesson, and I now own a measuring tape just for such occasions.

Probably what made this Christmas so great though was that Sean and I decided not to worry about getting presents for each other. Due to unforeseen circumstances money was a little tight right at that moment, so instead we started a Christmas Box, and wrote each other a letter to put inside. Kind of a tradition we're starting. Maybe you think that's cheezy, and maybe it is, but it was awesome. Cuz, well... not going to lie, I love getting presents. But I've realized it's not really because of the actual present I'm getting, but the thought that went into it. So Sean was awesome and wrote all of the things he would get me if he could and ya- he nailed it. I pretty much have the greatest husband. So anyway, it turned out to be the most stress-free Christmas ever, and it was a lot easier to focus on what Christmas is really about.

Ok, this is way longer than I'd anticipated, so I'm going to post some pictures and call it good.

Our Christmas Decor. We have an owl motif going on in our Christmas Tree and Sean repainted some old bulbs that look awesome. Oh, and I modpodged/stained those wooden stars so they are just, like, adorable. It turned out awesome.

My improv-ed last-minute craft idea-- fabric hot-glued onto cardboard.

Turned out kinda cute for a $3 and 20 minute craft project.

Christmas morning! My family all chipped in to get us an Xbox, which was awesome, we were totally not expecting it at all.

Another great part of Christmas-- seeing the lights at Temple Square

with Dana and Dallan.

The First Post of the Marriage!

You know, believe it or not, I was really excited to get married. Spending forever with my best friend and the love of my life, living together in our own home, starting our own family together... it was all very exciting. But the part I was most excited for? Starting a blog. See, I've noticed around here that's what you do when you get married. So here it is, "the first post of the marriage!!"

See, that's a thing Sean and I say about a lot of things... a long-running joke that started who-knows-how, but it comes from Polar Express. You know, the part when Santa gives the little boy the jingle bell, lifting it high into the air and announcing in his deep and grandiose voice, (very dramatically), "THE FIRST GIFT OF CHRISTMAS!!" And we've been saying it a lot lately. For example, a few weeks before our wedding I found a cool floor lamp and we moved it into our apartment. It was, "The first furnishing of the marriage!!" I ordered us some awesome checks, (old world style, with "Sean & Tiffany Greene" scrolled all fancy in the corner, very classy), and these were, of course, "The first checks of the marriage!!" And obviously you can't forget last week's event, "The first use of the rice cooker of the marriage!!"

So coming up, expect to see a lot more "firsts of the marriage"!