This is Annabelle. She was born last Tuesday to my wonderful friends in Arizona, Rusty and Shelley. Rusty and I were best of friends at Round Valley High School. I spent many a day at the Blair household back in our prime. Ah, those were the days. And now look at us...we have kids (or will have kids soon)! Little Belle makes me want to go out and buy something pink. She is so beautiful and I hope it won't be too long before the gang all can get together, meet eachother's kids, and ponder on the glory days. To Rusty and Shelley...good work you guys. She is beautiful.

WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME

For all of you who think running on a treadmill is boring, this could change your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92IWqopETfI

PET PRESERVATION

Yes, you read that right. I found out last night that there is a very disturbing practice going on in the world. Preserving your dead pet was one of the stories highlighted on last night's episode of Primetime's "The Outsiders". It was about people who cannot stand the thought of not having their cat or dog or hamster around so they freeze dry them and then set them out for display in thier home. Apparently there is an entire population of pet owners who find it completely normal to wake up every morning and pick up your dead cat, Sir Lancelot, giving him a quick rub down on your way out to get the morning paper.

There is this guy in Colorado who has been freeze drying animals for years. He asks that pet owners get the animal into a freezer as soon as possible after it has died. Then they send him a picture of the animal in a "sleeping position". In freeze-drying the animal, he removes the animal's internal organs, then fills the cavity with wood fiber, and arranges the body in the desired position from the photo. About $1000 and 3 months later, they can pick up their pet and take them home for display!

Does anyone but me find this disturbing? Granted, I am not going to claim that I am the biggest animal lover in the world. I like dogs if it is mine or one that I know well. I don't do cats or any kind of rodent pet. Fish never stay alive and birds make me feel like I am going to catch some kind of disease. They're just nasty to me. Suprisingly, I love and prefer most farm animals like horses, cows, and sheep over domestic animals. Even with my prejudices, I understand that some people think of their pets as family members. But what ever happend to the urn on the fireplace? As creepy as I think that is, it doesn't even compare to freeze dried Fido, sleeping peacefully beside the couch.

Oh, one more thing, this guy says he does mostly cats, but will do all domestic pets except fish. "They just don't turn out right" he says.

And in case you were wondering, the dog in the picture is well, dead asleep.

Happy Birthday Fernando

Once upon a time in a land of EFY, there was a building counselor named Calli who was training a whole new group of unsuspecting normal young adults who had no idea what they were getting themselves into or that they would soon have to become, well, transformers. Enter Fernando into my group. Yup, that's how we met, all those years ago. I'm pretty sure he thought I was crazy. But we somehow managed to become great friends, neighbors, family.

I can honestly say that Fernando is one person who knows me inside and out, so he is also one person who can get away with calling me out on pretty much everything from my "weird" accent to my bad hair days. And he does. I like to say that I had something to do with finally getting him to tell his now lovely wife Sharon, how he felt about her. I believe we had that conversation after watching Charley. Hmmm. Fernando is one person who never changes for anyone or anything. I like that we can talk about gospel depth as easily as we can talk about a bad tie choice. I like that we've argued. I like that he would tell me when I was dating someone he "just couldn't see me with". I love that he married Sharon and that he has a beautiful little girl. I like that he sings in the car to keep himself awake on road trips. I like that he and Sharon sang at my wedding dinner. I just have so many reasons to like this guy. Here's a shout out to my favorite L.A. busta'--Happy Birthday Nando--

THE NAME GAME

So now that the baby's gender has been identified, the name game has had both Ryan and I completely frustrated. Probably me more than him. I have been the initiator of most of the baby name converstations, I will admit. However, today I got two emails from my better half, and I have to say, I never thought my husband had ever, or would ever, do drugs until today. He sent me four names to consider. And one of them rhymed with Pearl. And he liked it. This poor child.

Races, Rides, and Rivers

I'm tired. I've been tired now for a week it seems. There was the Tim and Faith concert followed by Haiti Days followed by dinner in SLC, followed by a trip to Tooele, followed by more family dinners last week and some serious home organization projects, ending with family outing to Lagoon on Friday, a 1/2 marathon race on Saturday morning, and a company party at Seven Peaks on Saturday afternoon. I am getting worn out just blogging this.

Since I have a baby on board, I didn't do much racing or riding. Mainly just walking, babysitting, walking, watching, walking. Did I mention I did a lot of walking?

I did spend some quality time in the lazy river though, which let me just interject here. It's a Lazy River people. It is intended to be a place where you can just float carelessly around and around and let the current take you and your worries away. Not so. I for one felt that I was putting myself in harms way in that cess pool disguised with kegs of chlorine.

For starters, the river isn't wide enough to accomodate all those tubes. Rather than laying back and taking in the rays, you are constantly trying to manuver youself around others. I spent a good portion of my floating experience just trying to keep my feet out of one large man's behind and out of another lady's face. Then there was that old creepy guy at Lagoon that kept threatening to tip my tube over because he said I didn't look wet enough. Don't even get me started all all the 8-14 year old brats who go "tubeless" and don't get the fact that this isn't a wave pool. They have no problem pushing you into the water falls or tipping you over and it is quite alarming when you feel one of them swimming under your tube, brushing up against your bottom side. Then there's the PDA. Since when was a crowded current pool designated as a good place to make out? I guess they figure with all the crowding and splashing, their public display of affections would go seemingly unnoticed.

If you are looking for serinity, the Lazy River is not your best bet.

HAITI DAYS 2006

I promised a post of our 1st annual Haiti Days Celebration, so here it is! My wonderful friend Michelle headed up the whole thing and together, I must say, we pulled off a pretty good bash. I enlisted the help of Mark's wonderful photography skills and this is just a few of the pics he produced from the bash. We had about 100 people there, not bad for our first reunion. We had five of our families there with the children they had adopted from Haiti. It was a good time!

This is John. John was actually the first orphan adopted from our orphanage. After wandering the village alone for days, villagers brought him to our director as a two year old and said he had no home, no parents, and no one knew who he was. He had been eating dirt to stay alive. He and another orphan were adopted together as brothers and now live in California with their forever family.

This is Jyms. Jyms and his sister Sylverta were adopted by a family from Idaho and came home just a few months ago. They were the youngest of 9 children and their parents brought them to the orphanage to be placed for adoption because they couldn't feed them. He is a happy little boy!

This is Andrew and Maillie. They were adopted by a family in American Fork and brought home just a few months ago. Their parents say they are picking up the language well and adjusting to life in Utah. I must say, these two had us all wrapped around them at the picnic! What a fun sibling group! Me & Maillie

The Volunteers

Michelle (middle) broght along the girls from the store to help out with the kids carnival games! They loved it and I am pretty sure the girls were smitten with the Haitian kids! (Can you spot the pregnant volunteer?)

My favorite volunteer...getting his payoff.Ryan stayed up the night before cutting onions and slicing 35 tomatoes from out garden. Then Saturday he hauled coolers, ice, catering & he even helped man the Tony-the-Tiger bean bag toss! He's Grrreat!

All in all, it was a great time for everyone! The kids won treats, had ice cream and had their faces painted while the families all cought up on how their children were doing and adjusting.

What a priviledge it is to be a part of such a wonderful thing and a part of A Child's Hope Foundation. Haiti is the 2nd poorest country in the world, and the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. When I look at this picture of Andrew, I think of how different his life would be had he not been adopted. Truely, we are blessed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

JEFF

J.C.L. is turning 27 today. There are many reasons why I love Jeff...for one, he's family, and gosh darn good family too. I must say, he is one of my fav's when it comes to the bro-in-law department. Jeff and I happen to have many things in common. He's a Loveless, I'm a Loveless. He plays basketball, I play basketball. He was born in '79, I was born in '79. He likes cheerleaders, I was a cheerleader at one time (a long, long, time ago). Can I just say "Ninety-eight, Ninety-eight, 90,90,90,90,NINETY-EIGHT!"

Some people may not know Jeff very well because he is a pretty reserved person, but not stuck up. He's just quiet. So let me share some of Jeff's best qualities (besides the obvious dashing good looks and athletic build). Jeff is clean, very clean. He is obsessively clean, which if you are going to be obsessive about anything, being clean is a good one to be. He loves mashed potatoes and gravy. He doesn't like it when other people brush their teeth in front of him. He likes to be around outgoing people. He doesn't care too much for movies. He sometimes runs 10+miles, swims, and lifts weights, all in one day. Yes, he is a bit compulsive about working out too, another good thing to be obsessive about. Jeff likes home. He likes going home. He likes being at home. He loves his family and being an uncle. He's just an all around good guy. Happy Birthday Jeff! Hope it's a good one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

EMILY

Birthday wishes to you my dear. I cannot even recall the exact moment I met Emily because I think I must have known her forever. Or so it seems. We were roommates at EFY, roommates at Utah State, roommates in Provo when she let me crash at her place because my pad was not air conditioned and it was infested with spiders. There are so many reasons why everyone should celebrate the birth of this gal. For one, hot jello water. It is a cure for the common cold. Who knew? Emily did and she would bring me hot jello water whenever I was sick. She also always had an endless supply of apple cider on hand for those chilly fall days and cold winter nights. I love apple cider and I love it even more with Emily. She always leaves gifts, and not just run-of-the-mill gifts. Unique gifts, and she leaves them on your bed with a note. It doesn't have to be a gift for anything special...just because she saw something that reminded her of you and so she got it for you. I plastic fork one time from Em. I don't know what made her think of me when she saw that, but it was a suprise none the less. This girl loves chocolate and Cafe Rio. She likes volleyball and and Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. She loves being an aunt and now a brand new mommy. She throws princess parties with the best of them and she is an awesome photographer. Most of all, she is an awesome friend and truely one of the best people I know. I love you, IM-I-LEE! Have a rootin', tootin' good day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

SHARON

and last but not least, a very special birthday wish to another kindred spirit, Mrs. Sharon Seminario. She is one of the kindest, most genuine people I know, and she married one of the greatest boys I know (I will always think of Fernando as a boy, like Peter Pan). I one time took a trek w/ Sharon and her family from Utah to Illinois. I think I can safely say that I was officially inducted into the Belnap family, one of my greatest accomplishments I must say. Anyone that knows this girl would want to be considered family to her. She has an amazing sense of style. Mix and match pieces somehow seem to be reborn when this gal puts them on. She always has the right shoes, for the right occasion. Thank goodness she had the right shoes on my wedding day and she actually took them off her feet and gave them to me in the lobby of the temple to wear. I did not have the right shoes for the occasion as it turned out. Did I mention the voice? It's like she stepped out of a Rogers and Hammerstien classic. I still am waiting for her to do White Christmas at our annual get together. She's quick witted and such a good friend. Happy Birthday Shar! Hope your hubby is good to you this birthday!

I Love My Life.

FEATURING LOVELESS #1, #2 & #3

A certain blogger friend of mine may have posted a picture of a certain Loveless wearing a certain shirt that was the cause of a series of comments that lead to this very important question: What are the best features of Loveless #1, #2, & #3? I feel that I am not only qualified (for obvious reasons to most and not so obvious reasons to others) to address this issue, but feel that ultimately it is my responsibilty. Why, you might ask? Well for one, I am the wife of one of them, and two, I am the sister-in-law to the other two. Who better to be able to brag on the trio and give a fair analysis of what the good Lord gave them. Here we go, let's break it down, shall we?

LOVELESS #1
For starters, great hair. He also has full lips. A runner by day and night, this Loveless has great calf muscles. I might have happend to be privey to a certain photograph taken before I knew this Loveless, back in his "Sparks" days. I think he might have been wearing Girbaud shorts and no shirt. Whatever he was doing in the gym was working well for him. I'll just leave it at that. Also, this Loveless isn't afraid to take chances with style and fashion, and it mostly pays off.

LOVELESS #2 This Loveless can grow a sexy 5 o'clock shadow to match his dark hair and eyebrows. Let's just talk about eye color for a moment-he has those eyes that look greenish in some lights and brown in others. Love that. He has great smile lines and a cute nose. People have told him that he has nice feet. A little time in the gym and this Loveless can show off his great shoulder and deltoid definition as well as some stellar pecs. An avid runner, he has great quads.

LOVELESS #3
Good height and great skin. He has that skin that browns in 15 minutes of sun. Stunning eyes and can we just discuss his muscles for a minute. Well, he has them, and lots of them, and they are big and strong. His biceps I must say make honorable mention.

So that's it. For all those inquiring minds, these, in my humble opinion, are just some of the Loveless' boys best features. And now that it's out and it's on the blog, they are all going to drown me at Lagoon on Friday.

TOO MUCH FUN

I would like to give a little update so that you all know that my life does extend beyond finding out the gender of our baby. We do have other things going on. Last weekend was full of fun and I am just now recovering from it all. It included two major events: The Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert on Friday night (with the girls...pics and a post to come in the near future) and A Child's Hope Foundations 1st Annual Haiti Days celebration (more also to come on this wonderful event)!

Michelle and Maillie. Michelle volunteered with us to organize the whole she-bang, complete with a little carnival for the kids. She was quite taken with this little one, as we all were.

"AND THE ULTRASOUND SAYS...."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOLEA

I love Jolea for so many reasons, and especially today because it is her birthday. Jolea and I are very close, and we always have been...I mean we are only 15 months apart. When you're that close in age, you might as well be twins, at least our mother thought so. She always had us in matching outfits. We hated that. A purple one for me, a pink one for her. Mom, what were you thinking?

Anway, here is a shout out to my slightly older sister and just a few reasons why we love her:

1. She always has us over for dinner
2. She throws bug parties, pirate parties, space parties, and cowboy parties for her kids' birthdays--complete with a theme cake
3. Jolea takes care of the whole family. She is like the mother away from mother. We call her house the Beatty Bed & Breakfast
4. Speaking of breakfast, she is a mean cook
5. She can laugh at herself
6. She looks good in self tanner
7. Her hair, need I say more
8. Her children-- adorable
9. Her musical abilities (and this has nothing to do with voice or instruments)
10. She can go from calm, to furious, to calm again in less than 5 seconds
11. Popcorn shrimp and OJ...remember that?
12. She can do the splits, both ways
13. She can't curl up her lip like I can, but it's funny when she tries
14. She squats like a Dominican
15. She owned a Get-in-Shape Girl when younger

Happy Birthday Sista! Hope it's a good one!

LAST CHANCE TO CAST YOUR VOTE!

Tomorrow at 11:00 am we will be finding out if it's going to be Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice or Frogs, Snails & Puppy Dog Tails!