Look, it's a walmart smiley. lol

Life is crazy. I am now officially a day shifter. Crazy work schedule. To be ready and at work I have to be up by 4 a.m. Thats when I used to go to bed. :( But it's going to worth it to be able to have a life now. And to be able to travel when and where I want to without having to fight to get friday night off. :) I miss the guys on 2nd shift, but I am excited to be meeting new people. Plus luckily most of my girls are on this shift so I have people to chill with on breaks. All in all it's a good move.

So, apparently it's been awhile since I've updated. I just haven't thought too much about it. What's been going on? Not much!! People moving out, people visiting, baptisms, new piercings, super busy at work, almost got the jeep paid off, etc. So basically life! :)

I have a ton of pictures to add, but I will probably never get around to it. lol! Sorry! But I am still alive! :)

All right, I guess I should update this. I don't have much to say. I'm just waiting for my fingernails to dry, painted them hot pink. :) The week before christmas I took TLO(temp. lay off), planned for 3 months, suppose to go back March 13th. Well, a lot happened in that time. After 3 weeks of vacation, being screwed over by unemployment, I decided to go back to work on the weekend shift. Totally different atmosphere. Getting up at 4 am so I could be at work by 5:30. And work 12 hours, but we really haven't been busy, so I haven't worked a full 12 hours. And it's been hard not being able to go to church. After being extremely inactive for the last year, I made a resolution to start going every sunday that I could. One sunday I couldn't go because it was the super bowl and everyone wanted to done by a certain time, so I couldn't leave, another sunday they had to be done by a certain to do some kind of work at the warehouse, so I couldn't leave. And I just decided it's only for a few more weeks, and if I can't get off early enough to go and not have to come back after sacrament meeting, then I'd just stay at work. Then they hit us with a little bomb, that we kinda have been waiting for, we are all surprised they waited so long. They decided to shut down the 2nd shift(which is where I was). All the areas but receiving, and gave us all 3 choices for where we wanted to go. I chose an area on first shift as my first choice, one on weekends as my second choice and as my very last choice I chose receiving second shift(my old shift), I was hoping with everything that I wouldn't get that because receiving is not for chicks. It's so hot in the trailers in the summer and freezing in the winter. That's the one that I got. But I have 90 days to hope a better position comes open to be first in line for it instead of going by seniority since I was displaced from my position. Which I doubt will happen, since there were so many people on my shift. So march 13th, I will go back to my shift just not my area. :( At least I will get my weekends back. I have 2 more weeks on the weekend shift, it's ok. I am now starting to get used to getting up at 4 am. But it's only for 3 days. I have no idea what to do with my time on the 4 days off. It's crazy, so it will be nice to get back on my shift. So I just watched the new Twilight movie. Wow, not obsessed about those movies. Plus I am totally team Jasper. I love Alice and Jasper. But that movie is so weird. I haven't read any of the books, I tried the first one, but I just couldn't get into it. Then the last one, I just read the last chapter. Oh-well. At least I'm not totally out of the loop. I might get my braces off next week. I still need to have my surgery, but who knows when that is going to happen. Plus my priorities keep changing. So I'm just not going to worry about it. I'm just tired of getting those horrible canker sores while wearing braces. No fun. Plus making out with braces, that's scary stuff. ;) Anyways, that's whats going on in my life. Fun stuff. lol

Favorite Pictures of 2011

Melinda Lou, playing with my camera.


Me chilling out in the back yard after they ordained Bryce to be a deacon.


One of my ALL time favorite pictures. This lamp was given to my mom as a set from my grandma. Now I use one of them.


What adults do after the kids are done playing with the toys on christmas day. lol


What we Leavitt's do while camping. :)

I read this poem a few years ago. And it's the reason I do most of the things I do, I could do better, but I always think of this poem during every day things.


I don't want God to be ashamed of me. I don't want him to blush when I walk into the room. I don't want Him to point me out to one of the angels and say "Yes, he's one of mine, even though he doesn't act like it."
So I'm glad I don't have to be uncertain to answer to the question, "is God ashamed of me?" The answer is completely under my control. It all depends on whether I consider myself an alien and a stranger in this world and anxiously look forward to heaven. If that is my attitude, then I'll also live like it.....
As children of God, we are citizens of heaven. Earth is no longer our home, we long for heaven.

This just made me laugh......

Only in Utah. :)

Not much going on right now. Just wanted to update my blog background. Life has been crazy. Several people I knew(either by working with, neighbors, family members of people I know) have died in the last 3 months. Several of them suicide.
How can someone's life be so depressing and horrible that they can do that to themselves. As someone who has experienced depression and anxiety, I still can't even fathom doing something like that! I just hope these people's families have the help to get through a loss like that.
Then Jack being in the hospital, the stress and worrying over that, crazy. Luckily he's home and doing good. And Jamesons home and getting better. Annie is going to have her baby soon.
Work has been SUPER busy getting stuff ready to send to the stores for black friday. Luckily for me I have a nice long thanksgiving weekend. Now I need ideas on what to do. :)

Sterling Trip

So a really close friend of mine was diagnosed with bone cancer over the summer, they are like other parents to me, so I went up to visit them in Sterling(up by Manti), they are trying to sell their house so they can move to SLC and be closer for treatments. Before they move I know I am going to go visit again. I love it up there! Because when they move I will have no reason to go up.
I wish I had gotten more pictures, but I can't find my camera and all I had was my phone.
I drove up to my grandma's after work friday- got there around 3:30-4 am, found a dead mouse on the kitchen floor. Slept for a little while, drove up to Richfield, did a little shopping. Drove up to Gunnison, called Barbara, told her I was so busy running errands and going crazy so she wouldn't know I was coming(her husband knew). It was so fun! We hung out that night, visited. Good to catch up.
Sunday, we were so tired, that we didn't get up in time for church, but I did run over to the church to make sure Barbara's husband made it home ok(across the street). Talked to some of the bishopric. One of them knew my uncle Dave.
While Barbara's husband(there are 2 Jim's involved in this story) did his chemo treatment, went to hang out with the other Jim and his horses.

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Jim(and his dog- she is the sweetest dog ever).


Barbara says this is a hens and chicks plant, but it doesn't look like it. But it was really pretty. She had a ton of them.


one of Jim's horses

So after annoying the heck out of Jim for a couple of hours(he is so funny, and really nice to talk to). Went back to my friends, then packed to head back to my grandmas. Stopped in Richfield again to see my aunt Viola, who is the sweetest old lady ever. Got some chinese food, went back to Junction, changed the shower curtain, watched Fast Five, went to bed.
Got up, did a little weeding, picked some apples. Found another dead mouse(whatever they are doing is apparently working to kill them). By then I was like no way am I staying another night. I was planning to stay till tuesday but I just wanted to come home.
So I stopped and visited Bree and Travis for a little while, which was fun!
Stopped in Cedar at Starbucks. And came home!
While I was at my grandma's I went into her bedroom to make sure everything was good, I just had this urge to sit down and cry, I miss her so much. She was such an amazing person. I love that old house.
Anyways, this is such a journal entry. I am totally printing this, since I don't write in my journal! lol!

Sterling, utah

Just quick little post. Its 3:30 am. I'm in Sterling Utah. I fell asleep around 11, which is miracle for me.
Then I woke and now I am wide awake. This trip has been so good for me. I will post more after I get back
Home. Right now I am just on my phone. Now my next feat will be getting up for 9 am church. Lol

My new favorite picture. Taken up on the Northwest Coast. Makes me miss it up there. As soon as I get my jeep paid off I am going to start saving for a trip up there. I already know where I want to go, what I want to do. $2,000 left on the jeep. Better get crackin'. :)

lately...

Not much going on! Super awesome storm today. Back to work. And working a ton of hours, love it.

9/11. Flag during the storm we had today. Loved it.


Family reunion, Melanie and her daughter.


Newly weds!


reading the paper while camping, Ipson thing! lol!


During the storm, we were all out on the front porch.

recent pics

Here are some pictures taken over the last few weeks.

I think this looks like someone got a paintbrush and swiped it across the sky.


The fire from last week. Scary. Bad picture. This was during the backfire. At like 3 am. It was cool! :)


I made a potted herb garden on our front porch, I sprayed water proof stuff on the insides and outside, but apparently for some reason the green one(rosemary) started bubbling up. Looks really cool. It reminds me of a frog. Lol!
Anyways, thats whats been going on lately!!!

New Recipe

Here's a recipe that I make every so often. I LOVE it. I love the lemony flavor, I always add more lemon juice than called for. But it depends on your own likes and dislikes. I always use fresh lemons(I can't stand lemon juice in a bottle).
I got these recipes out of Taste of Homes Quick Cooking 2002(page 216)

Read my tips in the end to see how easy it is to make it.

CHICKEN IN CREAMY GRAVY
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cans(10-3/4 oz) cream of chicken(or cream of chicken with broccoli)
1/2 c. milk
4 tsp lemon juice
1/3 tsp pepper
4 lemon slices

In a nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes; drain. In a bowl combine soup, milk, lemon juice and pepper. Pour over chicken. Top each chicken breast with a lemon slice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken juices run clear, about 5 minutes.
4 servings


LEMON LINGUINE

8 oz uncooked linguine
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil(I wasn't a fan of it with basil in it, so I don't put it in at all)
1/2 tsp garlic powder(Again, I love fresh stuff so I use a garlic clove)
1/2 tsp salt free lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, cook pasta in boiling water until tender(8-10 minutes). Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine butter, lemon juice, basil, garlic and lemon pepper; cook and stir till butter is melted.
Drain pasta; add butter mixture and toss to coat. Add Parmesan and toss.
4 servings

So here's what I do.
1- put pasta on to cook, since it cooks the longest, but as soon as I get it in the boiling water, I put the chicken to cook, so they get done about the same time.
2 while pasta and chicken are cooking get sauce gravy ready for chicken, juice and slice the lemons.
3 pour gravy over done chicken, cover and let simmer/light boil while preparing everything else.
4 drain pasta in a colander, using the same pot- make the pasta sauce(making sure the garlic is cooked, if using fresh garlic). Once that is done I add pasta and cheese.
Then your done....
We like putting the gravy from the chicken on the noodles, it's SOOOOO yummy.
I should have taken a picture of it. So easy.

Happy Fathers Day

MY DAD

Random Pictures from the last little while----

Here are some random pictures I've taken in the last 6 months. Just an update. :)

The eagle/owl. Long funny story.


Travis and Kevin with their daughters at D.J.'s wedding a couple of weeks ago.


Tanner, helping me make dinner for work.


My grandma, she's so funny. I personally can't believe she let me take this picture.


My lamp, my phone was on the negative setting. I just thought it was kinda cool.