Crocheted Sweater for Baby Girl Platypus!

I made a cute little sweater for a cute little girl! I am pretty happy with it. Now on to bigger and more challenging crochet projects!



The pattern (which I found on Pinterest) is from http://www.yarnydays.com/2009/01/bombay-love.html

Alison's Wedding: Road Trip to Wyoming, The Ranch, Being Classy in Wyoming, and the Reception

Alison now lives in Pinedale. They had a reception there, and, as the Maid of Honor, I felt it was my duty to attend. Also, I have never been to Pinedale.

This matters because Al has two uncles who live there, and that's how she met Kendall.

All my life, I have heard about what a magical place The Ranch is, and I knew that I needed to go.

Our descent into the Bear Lake area. The lake was covered with clouds and it was so beautiful!

The view at Andy's place. This is not The Ranch. This is a view I would love to have.

Wildlife! We saw a bunch of deer. And a bunch of pronghorn.

I'm on The Ranch! That's Scott in the background. He was trying to get me to ride a "horse". But it was really a bull. I am not as stupid as Scott thinks I am. I can milk a cow.

Me feeding the critters! Take your pick of names: donkeys, burros, or asses. Scott and I both prefer the term "asses."

That little ass was a pushy little bugger. He tried to eat my coat cuz I wasn't giving him the grass fast enough.

This could be on a calendar.

Dad and Scott getting into the BMW on The Ranch.

A herd of buffalo apparently live next door to The Ranch. They made me want to eat some buffalo burgers.

And now I have been to The Ranch! It was everything that I dreamed of and more! I stepped in animal poop, petted some critters, saw wild animals, and drove in a BMW on a ranch.

I am classy. But wait, it gets better!

There was a parade, so Dad and I went into town before so we would actually be able to get to the reception. So we spent the evening on the town.

Imagine: Dad in his suit, me in my beautiful black dress, driving around in the BMW in Podunk, I mean Pinedale, Wyoming.

I told you that this evening would get even more classy.

Me in front of the Cowboy Store.

Me in front of the wall of boots at the Cowboy Store.

We joined the parade. :) I waved at the people.

Alison and Kendall--happily married for two weeks.

Table decorations. Dad and I were decorators. Those lovely vases are from my wedding.

Lucy and Ariane!

The wedding party.

So us non-Pinedale people were the most dressed up. I have never been to a wedding with so many blue jeans. 

Me and Lucy. She doesn't usually like me, so I guess that I was pretty enticing because I let her take over my camera.

Lucy had to take my picture by every single tree at the reception.

Donuts.

Ariane from a four-year-old's view.
Before deleting all the pictures Lucy took, I appreciated how the world looks when you are three feet tall.
I'm 5 foot 2 inches. I wonder what the world looks like for people who are six feet tall?

Lucy's shoes and my shoes.

Alison and Lucy! Such a cute picture!

Me and Alison. Such a cute picture!

Dad holding Jack again. He likes holding babies or something.

Cutting the cake, round two.

Lucy getting her piece of cake.

What a great day. I had a fun time in Pinedal. I will miss Alison because she lives all the way out there!

Alison's Wedding: The Reception

The wedding reception was at the Wight House in Bountiful.

Al's colors were hot pink and black. I was in charge of the guest book, music, and bubbles at the end.

Lucy holding Alison's dress.
There are several funny things about this picture.
First, Lucy is wearing the "goth dress". She did not want to wear the dress because it was goth and goth is bad. Finally, Ariane got her into it. And she wasn't even too angry about it.
Second, Lucy holding Alison's dress. It reminded me so much of when my Aunt Louise got married. I was four and I was like Franc from Father of the Bride. I helped Louise with her dress, told her and Brent how to kiss, and on and on. So funny. Four year old girls and their aunts' weddings. So funny.
Third, Alison's face. I don't know what she is saying or who she is bossing around, but it is a great face.

Uncle Paul (the father of the bride) holding his grandbabies, Beckham and Jack.

Uncle Paul with all his grandkids. From left to right: Britain, Beckham, Uncle Paul/Grandpa, Lucy, Jack, and Brayden. They are all really cute. Uncle Paul looks so happy.

Me and Greg, looking a whole lot like a couple. Which makes me think of the picture below.

Me, baby Lucy, and Greg at the Fourth of July parade. We make such a cute little family. Too bad we are cousins and that is DISGUSTING!!!!

Now, back to the wedding.

The chaos of a family picture. Brooke and Tyler holding Beckham, Brayden and Britain in front of them; Kendall and Alison; Greg and Stacy; Scott holding Jack, Lucy and Ariane with rose in teeth.

Me and Alison!
You can finally see my beautiful dress! I love it so much.
I also love Alison. We are best cousins/friends.

Me and Alison again.

Me and the top of Al's head.

Dad holding baby Jack. He will be a good grandpa someday.

And I would have taken more pictures, and specifically a picture of me in my beautiful dress and Andrew wearing is studly and handsome pink tie, but my camera ran out of battery life. So thus ends the chronicle of the reception.

Happy Randoms

I am quite happy today. And that is really nice. Not that I've been unhappy, but I've been quite stressed. You know, reading three academic books a week, plus trying to write a master's thesis, be healthy, and give your husband some attention can get a girl down. But today I am happy. And I have several thoughts.

So---I live in Logan, Utah. Usually it snows in September. There is a light powdering on the mountains, but it hasn't snowed here. Crazy. Not once. And it is November. It is barely getting cold. The trees are starting to drop their leaves. Some of the trees still have green leaves. The people I talk to think I'm crazy for wanting snow, but seriously? I've lived in this town for six years, and I know that the longer the weather is nice, the worse and more cold and bitter the real winter will be. If you want a mild winter, pray that Logan doesn't throw an Indian summer at you. But I am still happy. I love the way the mountains look when they just have a little snow on their tips. I also love crunching leaves. And I love walking through the trees as the leaves fall around me and hit the ground with a little ptt sound. I remain optimistic that I will live through the bitter winter and I will be prepared and everyone will complain and I will say, "I told you so."

I'm also rocking a new hair-do: The side bun. It is way cute, and it's a change from the normal lazy bun right in the back. As one who isn't much for doing my hair, and one who doesn't have much time to do my hair, this was a great way to feel somewhat stylish. Granted, feeling stylish has never been a priority for me.

Rockin' the side bun.

We had six trick-or-treaters that we know and four trick-or-treaters that we don't know come to our apartment on Halloween. Awesome. We have never had them come before. Little kids in costumes are so cute.

Andrew got a job offer from Boeing! We will move there in the spring. I will move there probably in May. We are so blessed to have a job offer, especially since so many people are looking for jobs. So, let me know if you want to visit us, cuz we would love to see your beautiful faces.

I gave blood today. I love to donate blood (what is wrong with me?). I have O+ blood, and I wish I had the problem my mom has, which is being O-, cuz then people would beg me to give blood. Anyway, I love giving blood. I went in, they poked my finger and my iron was good! This is often a problem for me, I guess I should eat more steak. Then I didn't have to wait cuz I was one of the first people there. I sit in the chair, the vampire iodines my arm, and the vampire sticks the needle in me and gets the vein right away (yay!). I go go go, as per my father's blood donation motto: "Five-minute bags." And I did so. The vampire was surprised I was so fast, and she took the needle out and put on my bandage. She made a cute little bow to match my outfit. Awesome! I'm really glad that I donate quickly and rarely get dizzy. The girl in the chair next to me started before I did and she finished way after me and then she was still sitting in the chair looking unwell when I left after eating my treats. I love donating blood. I love feeling good about helping others. I love that I don't get dizzy. I love the bow the vampire made for my bandage.

My bow on my bandage! I love it!

Did you know that adults have about ten pints of blood in their bodies? So then we donate one pint. It takes four weeks to replenish your fluids and eight weeks to replenish your iron levels. Now you know more about blood. (fact from http://www.americasblood.org/go.cfm?do=page.view&pid=12)

I am going to be an aunt! My little sister is having a baby and she is due April 15. I call my new niece or nephew Frances the Fetus. Frances is a good name cuz it could be a boy's or a girl's name. I am the best aunt already because I bought Melanie prenatal vitamins and milk to drink.

This is amazing. Watch the video. Listen to the music. Love the cello. And remember the families and soldiers who are out serving us. It's John Schmidt and Steven Sharp Nielson being awesome.

And another happy thing is that I got my dress for my cousin Alison's wedding! I love it! Here is a bad picture on my web cam of the dress. It is so beautiful and I think I am hot in it. She is getting married on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I am her maid of honor.

My dress!

So with all of these happy things, you should be happy to. If you aren't, you can just go sit out in the freezing cold until you think of something to be happy about.

Remember that Dress?

I'm really really hard on jeans. I go through them like tissues. I think, on average, I buy about 3 pairs a year--every year--cuz the ones I bought last year died. I just wear through them really really fast, mostly in between my thighs they just wear through. It is sad. I also really hate buying jeans cuz I have such a hard time finding ones that aren't too long, fit my thighs, and don't fall off my butt. Usually these shopping trips include tears and frustrated grunts in the dressing room.

Anyway, when people are trying to lose weight, they hold their high school jeans as their goal. That won't work for me. They fell apart years ago. As did the ones from all through college. So jeans aren't a realistic way for me to measure weight loss.'

I have to use dresses. I have a bunch of dresses (15 full dresses and 21 skirts--not including formals or the wedding gown) and should probably get rid of some, but I can't. I fluctuate so much in size, that I wear different ones all the time.

Anyway, this last year I have not been happy with my weight and size.


Unflattering Easter picture. Not happy about this.

More flattering Easter picture--but still...

So instead, I have to measure my size by which dress I fit into.

I made this super super cute dress as a freshman. It fit on-and-off well and sometimes snug over the years. I haven't been able to wear it since 2009.

Today, I tried it on. And it fit! Snug, yes, but it fit. I even think I could have zipped it up all the way, but I had no one to zip the top up for me (the sleeves were tight, I need to tone my arms). YAY! I was really really really excited and happy.

Other dresses to fit into in the future include:

My wedding luncheon dress (and corresponding underskirt so it is modest).


And this beautiful girl--which I fit into at the most athletic and toned part of my life ever.

You may think, wow Sarah, you aren't even that skinny. I do not care. I don't believe that skinniness determines health. I know plenty of 100-pound women who cannot lift anything, swim a mile, run a 5k. What matters to me is muscle and tone, which actually weighs more than fat, so if I weigh 150 pounds because of muscle, that would be awesome.

And if it doesn't happen, that is OK. But I felt so good and healthy when I wore those dresses, why wouldn't I want to aim for that state of health again?