A sure sign that I am too busy for my own good is having not even looked at my blog for almost 3 weeks! I have missed it and missed looking at all of the blogs I love to keep up on. Hopefully there will not be another hiatus of this length again! I just happen to be home in the middle of the day because the A/C guy is here fixing our A/C- shout out to Cox Precision Air, they are hooking us up in our time of need- it isn't quite unlivable without A/C yet but very soon it will be! So what better to fill this time than blogging?

First things first- Harli is getting HUGE! She is taller and longer than Herc now. Last time she was weighed she was 58lbs. She is going to be a big dog! We are loving her and are so impressed with Herc's patience- he is such a good dog!

I am so very grateful for orthodontia, someday my teeth will be straight...but until then I will illustrate the concept of "good from far but far from good"...

See the pic below, not too bad, you can tell there is something going on with the smile but it is fairly "Good from far".

Behold the next picture...wow, getting quite a bit closer you can definitely tell there are some train tracks involved.

Thank goodness for blurry pics, it will save you from seeing the cartoon network that is my mouth...as Jas teases from back on that first day..."Its hoowibow" (read horrible from a mouth wherein the lips don't touch the teeth any more).

Just kidding, nothing can save you! You can't tell me that this does not make me look like a cartoon character! and that my friends completes our illustration of "Good from far but far from good!"

When I first got the braces Jason said I looked like a cartoon character. I thought that was ok because I was thinking Jessica Rabbit. I can handle that. What he actually meant was the teenage girl on the Wild Thornberry's... Not quite as flattering, but still ok, I don't mind being compared to her as long as Jas thinks its "cute"...not glamorous, sexy, gorgeous, but cute. Today I think the comparison is particularly appropriate, don't you?

What a terrific week. On Tuesday night I went to Las Vegas to spend the night and Wednesday with my mom since she is out of school for Spring Break this week. We had a terrific time. We talked, laughed, talked some more and went shopping, a lot. My mom is a fantastic lady. I really admire and enjoy her. She is a high school teacher. Right now she is teaching early childhood education, but really she teaches a lot about life, being happy and healthy. She is loving her job, she is at a new school where hopefully they will have a preschool next year and where all the kids in her program want to be teachers when they grow up. It is fun to watch her having so much fun and enjoying where she is at! We were also able to go in together to buy a neat gift for Braxton and Kelsey for her baby shower that is coming up in a few weeks- that was fun!
I've also gotten to ride my bike several times this week and I LOVE TO RIDE MY BICYCLE! We are planning to go on a big ride tomorrow, it should be awesome!

Happy Birthday John Q.

Today is my Dad's Birthday! Happy Birthday Pop. I love you man! My Dad is one of the greatest men I know. He has taught me so much and is a huge part of who I am. People say I look just like him...aren't I a lucky girl? Funny story...
one Halloween I dressed up as my dad, I wore his pants, his flannel shirt (with a pillow underneath it, his hat (with my hair all hidden up underneath it), and drew on a beard with eyebrow pencil...so

Jas and I were at my dad and Karen's house and I was walking down the stairs and one of Karen's sons walked by me and just said hi, he thought I was my dad!!! Jason said I could never dress up that way again--I don't know that he thought it was that cool that I look that much like my dad : )

Let me tell you a few of the wonderful things about my dad (other than the fact that he has the most fantabulous daughter in the world, of course!)...

He tells great stories..."I'll tell you a story of Jack and Madori and now my story's begun, I'll tell you a story of Jack and his brother and now my story is done." I remember as a kid at a ward conference up in the mountains somewhere there was a talent show, my dad's talent was something like stand up comedy...he used the scriptures as a prop and the line I remember is that "It's in the Book!" He is just a very funny guy!

He is also a very loving father, grandfather, great grandfather (I know, he isn't old enough for that is he?), uncle, brother, son, husband and friend. I think Uncle Johnny was one of the favorites all growing up.

My dad is also a very caring person. He works as a Vocational Rehab. Counselor and he really puts his all into helping the clients he works with. He wants to see people succeed and generally can help them figure out how to make that happen, then motivate them to do it!

I love my dad. I hope he has a very Happy Birthday!

The Boy and His Dogs

True Love...

Is Herc giving Harli the evil eye? She has taken to jumping off the couch onto his head or back and then to the ground...he is a model of patience!

These dogs love Jas and Jas loves these dogs. Harli is getting big fast! She weighed 47 lbs at the vet just over a week ago...she is going to be huge!

Can you ask for a better start to your day than to wake up singing a Crank Yankers tune....
"I'm not ugly, perfectly round eyes, cute little nose....I'm not ugly"? That is apparently what I sang to Jas upon waking up at 5 something this morning. It had us both laughing all day long!

On another note, here is a story I forgot to blog... (I also think I forgot to blog that I had a CT Scan in Feb. and it was all clear--isn't it cool that something like that is forgettable now?)

Anyway, we went to a party recently and one of our friends told this story about me...

I spoke at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon about the Washington County Youth Crisis Center and this friend was there...following the luncheon she had to call her husband and another mutual friend to say "Did you know that Tami is smart and educated, and she is the boss?"

Talk about having learned to leave work at work....not only did she not know what I did for a living, she was shocked to learn that I have a masters degree and am the boss!

I say that is an improvement...It used to be that I couldn't talk about much other than work...now people wouldn't even guess that I have my job, let alone an education!!