Twelve Years Ago Today...

This is the story of how Kristin met Tyler (well...actually we met briefly when we were in elementary school but we don't count that). It was a beautiful June afternoon...my grandparents were celebrating their 60th Anniversary and their party with friends and family was winding down. My grandparents asked me and Stacey (she was living with me in Provo for the summer before she started at Ricks in the fall) to take all the ancient aunts home. We loaded them up into my grandparents car...oxygen tanks and all...and delivered them to their homes. Stacey and I felt we needed a little break and decided to take a drive up Provo Canyon. We wanted to drive up to Springdell and see our old house etc. We did and then we decided to drive a little farther up the canyon to Bridal Veil Falls. When we got there we decided to get out and walk around. As we were getting out of the car I heard someone call my name. I looked across the river and there was my friend, Naomi (my childhood best friend and former dell resident). I was excited to see her. She had been away at study abroad in Jerusalem and I hadn't seen her since she had gotten back. She was on a mountain bike and someone was with her...also on a mountain bike. I had talked to her on the phone a few times and knew she was dating someone new.

Naomi and her friend rode across the bridge and met us in the parking lot. Let's just say I was shocked at her companion. He was HOT!! He had wild curly hair, an earring, and a big tattoo on his back. Not the normal boyfriend choice for my return missionary friend. She introduced him to me and Stacey as "Ty" and then we started to catch up. She asked me how things were going with my then-boyfriend, Chad. I told her things were great and that I was so IN LOVE!! All the while casting side-long glances at "Ty". Ty decided that he was going to return to their BBQ and let us chat (a big group of them were having a BBQ at Nun's Park)...Naomi told him she would catch up with him in a minute and he peddled off.

The minute he was out of earshot I grabbed her arm and said "OH MY GOSH!! Is THAT your new boyfriend??" She laughed and said no-that Ty was her boyfriend's best friend. Interesting. She invited me and Stacey to join them at the BBQ. We said ok but that we couldn't stay very long. As we got to their picnic area I saw Ty throwing a football around with a clean-cut bespeckled fellow...THAT was Naomi's new boyfriend, Kevin. AAaahhh...he was much more her type. Tyler and Kevin came over and we all chatted for awhile. I needed to give Na my new address (I had moved during the summer) and Ty said he would get a piece of paper and pen from his car. I watched him jog over to a hunter green Saab...yes...I was shallow enough to be very impressed. (Later that cute green Saab would be a gigantic pain in our butts!!). While Na and I were chatting I noticed that Stacey had disappeared. I looked around and found her to my dismay sharing a piece of cake quite cozily with Ty. I was extremely annoyed...there's nothing like the competitiveness between sisters especially as far as boys are concerned!! Why I was so annoyed I have no idea. Things really were going well between Chad and I...we had been dating for about 8 months. The only problem was that he went to the "U" and raced mountain bikes and that left me a lot of alone time...big mistake Chad!! I decided to go over and turn on the charm to Ty too...which of course I did...much to the annoyance of Stacey.

As we were leaving Stacey and I were whispering to Na about how cute Ty was...she informed us that he didn't have a girlfriend. She looked at Stacey and said "Do you want me to fix you up?" and I blurted out "YES!" I wanted to be fixed up...Naomi looked at me quizzically and then Stacey said very annoyed that "yes" she wanted to be set up!! Naomi looked at me again and said "Are you serious? You want to be fixed up" and I have no idea why but I said "yes" again. She said that she would talk to Ty and then give him our number and he could call who ever he was interested in.

Stacey was extremely annoyed and wanted to know what did I think I was doing when I already HAD a boyfriend. I truly had no idea. I told her to relax and that I was sure he would call her. Good grief I had just been gushing over how "in love" I was with Chad. We waited for that phone to ring for a few days. All the while talking about Ty incessantly.

Finally the phone did ring and the person he asked out was me. Poor Stacey. She was pretty ticked at me for a while and told me that there was no way she was going to cover for me with Chad. Ty asked me out for the 4th of July. Bummer...I already had plans with Chad. Lucky for me this was the year that the 4th of July fell on a Sunday and in Utah if that happens they celebrate the 4th on a Monday. As it turned out Ty was asking me out for that Monday. I ended up spending the true 4th of July in SLC with Chad...had a great time and then went out the next day with Tyler. I know!! I was horrible!

Tyler invited me to go with him, Kevin and Naomi up to Oakley, Utah for the 4th of July parade, a BBQ and the rodeo. A big group of them from UVSC (or UVCC as it was called at the time) were going up to this guy's cabin. I went and had a great time. The four of us drove up together and I remember laughing the whole way. Tyler and I had a ball at the parade. Oakley is a really small town up past Park City and instead of candy they threw hostess twinkies and ding-dongs etc. to all the spectators. Tyler grabbed tons of them and we ended up eating them for a long time after. We roamed around town and found a hamburger place called The Polar King. We went inside and I bought us snow cones (I liked to put on feminist aires...it didn't happen again :) ) . We played pool and I kicked Tyler's butt...that also never happened again...he let me win. Ironically they were handing out bumper stickers that said "It was love at first bite at the Oakley Polar King"...Tyler ended up having that sticker on his car for years...I still have it!

We went back to the cabin and sat on the deck and talked for HOURS. I felt so comfortable with him and was completely myself (what did I care...I already had a boyfriend anyway). When the sun started to go down we went to the rodeo. This is a very big and well-known rodeo...in later years ESPN began filming it. I love rodeos and had a ball except for the fact that it was BITTER cold and of course...as always...I was inappropriately dressed. I had on very short shorts, sandals and no coat or jacket. I HAD to snuggle up to Tyler or freeze to death right? We ended up holding hands and I kept getting looks from Naomi!! We drove down the canyon late that night and dropped off Naomi and Kevin. Naomi gave me another look and mouthed "CALL ME!" as she got out of the car.

At my apartment Tyler asked if he could come in...I said ok but only for a little while since it was really late...shortly thereafter he gave me a life-altering kiss and the rest is history....as was Chad!

Interesting side note: A year after we were married my mom decided that she wanted to move out of SLC and live in a smaller town while Kirk and Jordin were in high school. We kept telling her what a cute town Oakley was...we all drove up to take a look...Tyler found her a house...and she lived there for 5 years!! We were regulars at the Polar King and the rodeo! Funny huh?

Tyler and I newly dating...the top picture is at a wedding reception and the bottom is at my apartment in Enclave.

Here are more pictures from our dating years...yes...I did say years...poor guy!! Tyler decided that I was the one for him shortly after we started dating...but it took me awhile longer to decide he was "the one". I was very skittish about getting married and every time he brought it up I changed the subject. (I blame it on my parents!! :) ) I told him I had no interest in getting married. I had things to do!!

During this time my family moved from Houston to Salt Lake City, Naomi and Kevin got engaged and married, Tiffany and I decided that we were going to backpack through Europe so we went to part-time status at BYU moved to SLC, got full-time jobs, lived in an absolute hell- hole (yes... our parents were thrilled), Tyler's dad died, I met Tyler's family--scary!! (I have since grown to love them alot! Hi guys!!), Tiffany and I decided that we would NEVER earn enough money for 6 months in Europe and moved back to Provo and returned to full-time status at BYU, and Tyler and I broke up for 2 weeks while I got closure with Chad. AFTER all that...which was 7 months after we began dating I told Tyler that I would "consider" marrying him. He wanted to get engaged right away...I told him "How about in 6 months!!" Poor Tyler...reluctantly he agreed.

Tyler proposed to me on July 13, 2004. We were on vacation up at the lake. We went to Coeur d' Alene to the Coeur d'Alene Resort. We were walking around on the board walk at about 7pm...the sun was sinking and everything was "golden". Tyler had me sit down on bench on the boardwalk and he got down on one knee and proposed!! It was extremely romantic and people started clapping and cheering. It was awesome! We came back to the lake and my whole family was there...aunts, uncles, cousins...the works...it was VERY EXCITING!! My family has always LOVED Tyler and was extremely happy I had wised up! My mom asked when we wanted to get married and I said..."How about in a year!!" Poor Tyler!!

Here is our engagement photo. Check out the "double denim" look! Scary! Look at Tyler's clean-shaven face. I didn't end up making him wait another year...only 10 more months! I told you I was very skittish about marriage...both of us came from divorced homes and his family REALLY freaked me out! It was a LONG 10 months!! But we did it!

We got married on May 5, 1995 at the Salt Lake Temple. We were married at 10:40 am. We had a few minor mishaps. Tyler got pulled over for speeding on the way to the temple...he was running late. The officer asked him where he was going so fast and when Tyler told him to his wedding the officer grinned, gave him a warning and let him go. He also left without his insulin so my sisters had to go back for it. When I saw him for the first time in the temple in my dress he was extremely ticked off...not the dreamy look I had envisioned him having...his pants were too short!! Poor Tyler in his floods! Our wedding ceremony was beautiful except for my nervous hysterical laughing all the way through it!

We had our wedding brunch at Little America and then had our wedding reception at the Colonial House up by the Capital. It was absolutely gorgeous. I can't find a picture of the Colonial House anywhere so I will have to post one later. It is a beautiful cream mansion with white pillars...I wanted to look and feel like a "Southern Belle" which I did.

All through the reception Tyler kept whispering to me that he wanted to leave...I said "no way" not until the reception was officially over. When the clock struck at 9:00pm we were out of there. We sped away in our blue Acura Integra (the Saab had been sold to Stacey) decorated with rainbow-colored condoms and the words "To bed or bust!" written on the windows. Our car was decorated courtesy of my Uncle Steve and my cousins!!!

We had reservations at the Anniversary Inn not too far from the Colonial House. I was VERY nervous and suggested we take a drive around the temple and downtown before going to our hotel. Tyler sighed extremely loudly and took the corners around Temple Square on two wheels!! Before you could say "Victoria Secret" he screeched into the parking lot of the Anniversary Inn! (Oh yeah...Tyler forgot his insulin again and a family member had to deliver it to our hotel). The next day we left for a four day honeymoon in VEGAS!! We had a blast...and now here we are 12 years later...14 years after we met!

Happy Anniversary to Tyler...a very patient and loving man!! I love you very much and here's to 50 more years baby!!

Look What The Fourth Grade Girls Are Doing!!

Imagine my shock on Sunday afternoon as Reilly and I were laying on the couch while she read to me from her poetry book and her leg touched mine and I felt the tell-tale feel of STUBBLE!! Here is the conversation that followed:



Me: Reilly!! Did you shave your legs?

Reilly: Um...No.

Me: Reilly! Tell me the truth!! Did you shave your legs?

Reilly: Um...yes.

Me: WHY??

Reilly: Because I look like a hairy monkey.

Me: NO...you do not!

Reilly: Yes I do!

Me: No you do not! And...you aren't old enough to shave your legs!

Reilly: All my friends shave their legs.

Me: I highly doubt that.

Reilly: No...they do!!

Me: Who?

Reilly: ALL OF THEM!!

Me: Yeah right!

Reilly: They do and I'm not going to be the only hairy girl in fourth grade. (large eye roll) Mom, things are ALOT different than they were in the OLDEN DAYS!!



How is this starting so early!! It turned out that she used my razor...no soap, no shaving cream, no nothing! It gives me the creeps just thinking about it. She a did a pretty good job...no nicks or cuts. I was completely unprepared for her wanting to shave her legs. Good Grief!



I wasn't allowed to shave my legs until 7th grade. It never even crossed my mind until about a month before 7th grade started and someone informed me that I might want to do it. I was outside in the dell hanging out and my friend, Kyle, ever so nicely said "Ever think of shaving your legs there, Sasquatch!" (Yes...many years later I can still remember his exact words). Actually I never had...don't you love annoying neighborhood boys! I went inside and told my mom that I needed to start shaving my legs. I told her what Kyle had said and she told me he was an idiot...yes...but he was also a high schooler and therefore VERY knowledgeable in the ways of the world.



She bought me a ladies white electric razor. Apparently she was quite aware of my lack of hand/eye coordination and thought that if I used a regular razor I might just somehow slit my throat! I used that stupid electric razor for a year. It did absolutely nothing but create lots of stubble. Eventually I moved onto my personal fave the pink daisy razor and never looked back!




***When did you guys start shaving your legs? When are you going to let your daughters shave their legs?***


P.S. Tyler has no idea about this...Hi Sweetie...I hope your heart palpitations have subsided!!

Exciting

Our weekend passed by in a blur. We got off to a great start. Ailey and I met Tyler for lunch on Friday. This is becoming a regular thing. It's nice to meet for a little while during the day. We also found out that Reilly got promoted in ballet to 3A which is pre-ballet (that is the year they get toe shoes). She has been in Ballet 3 for 2 days a week this year and pre-ballet one day a week. Next year it will be all pre-ballet 3 days a week. This will be very challenging. They will be working all year on developing their muscles etc to be strong enough support them in toe shoes at the end of the year. Her teachers are very strict and if they haven't warmed up enough they have to sit out of class. Reilly will have to be checked by her doctor at the end of next year to make sure her bones, muscles etc. are strong enough and developed enough that dancing in toe shoes won't cause any damage before those toe shoes are handed over. She is very excited!



Friday night we had a "Girls Night Out" at Jayni's house. Valynn and I both went and we invited any of the YW who happened to be available to come eat pizza, play games, and hang out. We had several girls come including some of the girls who probably needed it most but we expected wouldn't want to come. It was a huge surprise that they were there. We had an absolute blast!! I was seriously sad when it was time for the parents to come and pick the girls up. We played the game "Imagine if" and "Catch Phrase" and laughed like crazy but the best part was that we all just sat around talked. I got more out of those girls in one night than in a year of official activities and church. It was amazing. The girls had a great time and were begging us to do it again!! Who knew?? Then at church on Sunday they were raving about it to all the girls that weren't there. Wow! This has been the best thing we have ever done for our YW. I think our relationships with them grew by leaps and bounds.


Here are some pictures from that night:

Jayni, Valynn, Kristin, Hannah, Kati, Melanie and Nicole

Dogpile on poor Nicole

Handstand Contest

Then on Saturday Tyler and I went for our usual walk with Mrs. Beasley. It is crazy how much I look forward to our Saturday morning walks. We are starting to look around for a house. We will probably not sell our house for another year...we have several large projects we want to complete first...but we are starting to scope out neighborhoods and homes we like...we have several areas that we really like but our ward is about to be split in August and we want to see where those ward boundaries will lie. Oh...and... yes... our big walk ended in us going out for breakfast.



That afternoon Kirk came. He is finally going to make it "official" and is proposing to Jayme!! HALLELUJAH!! It's about time. He wanted Tyler and I to come with him to help him pick out an engagement ring. I was to be the hand model. Hum...spend a Saturday afternoon trying on diamond rings...I'M THERE!! I found quite a few lovely items that I kept showing to Tyler and hinting about. Kirk found a stunningly gorgeous ring. Jayme is going to love it!!

This is not her ring...it is a surprise and I wouldn't want her finding out before the big proposal. We also went all over town scouting out romantic locations where he could propose. I had a ball! I love doing this kind of stuff. I am excited for Kirk and Jayme. This past year has been rough on them but they both have grown and matured so much from going through all they have and I am excited that it's going to be official. I love Jayme a lot and she is such a great addition to our family.

After all our "hard work" we went out to eat at a FANTASTIC restaurant. We chowed down on Teriyaki Chicken, Goyoza, and Kim Chee. Kim chee is an acquired taste but I really like it. We had a Korean couple who lived with us as kids. The wife was one of our nannies. Anyway...they cooked the most fabulous food and Mee hee made the BEST kim chee. It is basically cabbage that has fermented and is really spicy. Our nanny used to make it and then bury it in our back yard to let it ferment and then she would dig it up. It smells atrocious but tastes good although we have yet to find any as good as Mee Hee's... Tyler didn't like it at all. Oh well! More for me and Kirk!

We stopped over at Kelley's for a while and hung out. She gave us some bad news. She is contemplating moving back to SLC. I will miss her like crazy if she does. I also talked to Jordi and she is contemplating moving back here from Kansas City. So who knows what will happen?

Kirk then stayed the night and helped us do a TON of yard work. We cleaned out flower beds and Kirk and Tyler worked on our garden. I am so excited to get planting!! We then watched movies and BBQed by the light of the moon...seriously....Tyler was out grilling with his head lamp on.

The rest of the weekend was busy although I did meet Kelley for a work out. I've got to get those workouts in all I can before swimsuit season! Ugh!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Stacey and John!!! They have been married for 6 years now! I think Stacey is ok with me saying this now...she is pregnant with their second child!! Yay!

My 3's...a little late

1.) Three things I love:

• Dates with Tyler



• Cuddling with my kids



• Sunny days

2.) Three things I miss:

• Old friends



• Provo Canyon



• The South

3.) Three people who make me laugh:

• Kirk



• Tiffany



• Reilly

4.) Three things that scare me:

• Mice/Rats



• Cats



• My kids on drugs

5.) Three things on my desk:

• The Complete Idiots Guide to Choosing, Training, and Raising a Dog



• A scanner



• Dust

6.) Three things I want to do in life:

• Have a long and happy marriage



• Raise loving, hardworking, caring, independent , honest children who have a strong testimony of the gospel



• Travel and see the world with Tyler

7.) Three things I can do:

• Cook



• Accomplish the things I put my mind to



• Make a home cozy and welcoming

8.) Three things I can't do:

• Math



• Drive a stick shift



• Hide my feelings/emotions

9.) Three things I would like to learn:

• How to sew



• water ski (I suck)



• Better parenting skills

10.) Three things I regret:

• Losing touch with old friends



• Getting into debt in college



• Not applying for scholarships...I had the grades but was too lazy to moozy on down to the counselor's office

11.) Three of my favorite foods:

• Thai food: curry, spring rolls, anything with peanut sauce (yum!)



• Seafood: Lobster, crab, shrimp



• Nachos

12.) Three of my favorite TV shows as a kid (so hard to choose):

• Family Affair: Buffy, Jody, Sissy, Uncle Bill and Mr. French (Does anyone remember this show? I think it was on in reruns when I was a kid). I named our dog Mrs. Beasley in homage to Buffy's doll "Mrs. Beasley".

• The Facts of Life



• Thirtysomething (Still one of my all time favorite shows) I wanted to be Hope when I grew up and I was madly in love with Gary.

Need a Laugh Wednesday???

Here is what we have been laughing over for weeks...and quoting again and again and again!

My First Good Mail and Our Weekend

I came home on Thursday and found to my utter delight a package from Andrea...my first good mail! I was so excited!! Good mail is such a great concept. If you want to read more about it click here. I LOVED the stuff that Andrea gave me...a cute Shade shirt, some Dave Ramsey labels, M&M's and sweet note. It totally made my day!! Thanks Andrea!! Now I am excited to send off some "good mail" of my own. I have been busy plotting what I am going to send and to who. It is alot of fun. So...for all you friends, family, and blog readers...if I don't have your address and you would like to get on my "good mail" list send me an email with your mailing address and maybe I'll surprise you with good mail someday.

Bright and early on Saturday morning we had a YW Leadership Breakfast. We "kidnapped" our class presidencies out of bed and brought them to the Church in their jammies. We made crepes for breakfast...with all kinds of fruit, whipped cream, and homemade hot fudge. It was SO good.

Slightly scary early morning shot of me and Valynn! After breakfast we did a few leadership/team building activities with the girls. One was they all had to stand on a tarp and figure out a way to turn it over without anyone getting off of the tarp. Very Tricky!! It took a few attempts. But it was fun to see all the "natural" leaders!

Camry also set up an obstacle course that they had to do with a partner...with their ankles, wrists and thighs tied together. It was hilarious. Valynn and I even did the obstacle course. We about died laughing. Jayni talked to them for awhile about leadership and then we broke off into our class presidencies and set some goals. I think the girls had a great time! It was a fun morning.

After I was done at the Church Tyler and the kids and I went out to the lake. The weather was horrible...rainy and cold...but it was fun to go out none the less. We had lunch out there with my mom, grandma and Kirk. My mom just got a new dog...a Newfoundland...named Griffin and we wanted to see if he would jump in the lake. Nope! The water is getting a tad bit warmer though. Even I was wading around in it.

Here's Kameron playing with part of our lunch...smoked fish from "The Smoke House" in Sandpoint. For all you locals...if you've never been there before they have the best smoked sausage, jerky, and smoked salmon. Delicious!

Finally the sun broke through all the clouds...for about 10 minutes...and we headed outside to enjoy it!

This picture of Ailey and Kirk really "cracks" me up! Lame joke...I know...but I couldn't resist. The poor girl has no butt and her pants are always falling down.

Below is my mom's new dog on the right and the other dog is Kirk's Mastiff named Diesel. Cute!

That night we went to see the musical Bye Bye Birdie! our Stake was putting on. It was great but just a bit too long for the little guys (3 hours). We had to leave early. They had a hard time seeing and then Ailey started yelling "I want to see the birdie! Where is the birdie?" and finally she just kept whining "Mom...this is NOT FUN!" After Tyler and I had all that we could take we got out of there. But good job Lucy!!

I did have an odd statement made to me...President Fredrickson from our Stake Presidency came over to say hello and said to me: "Do you know who you look just like?" "Uh-No" (and I really didn't want to know...I hate it when people say that because it usually doesn't turn out that great for me) He said "You look JUST like Annette Bening!! Every time I see you I think 'She looks just like Annette Bening' Do people say that to you? "Um-No...this is a first". So I'll let you be the judge...

Kameron...Isn't he cute?

Behold...THE BURPER!! It has come to our attention that Kameron is quite a talented burper and likes to use this little party trick to amuse his friends and classmates!! Oh Dear!!

Book Review #6

I read this book this weekend on the recommendation of Kelly A. I really liked it especially after all the heavier/darker books I have been reading lately. A little light chic lit was just what I needed. I finished it over a rainy weekend. I found it quite funny.

The book is about: (from the jacket)

"The Junior League of Willow Creek is tres exclusive. Undesirables need not apply. Fredrika Mercedes Hildebrand Ware is a member beyond reproach...until her life begins to unravel. When her husband betrays her, steals her money, and runs off to places unknown, it's something Frede would prefer to keep under wraps. The last thing she needs is to become fodder for the Junior League gossip mill".

This book is very funny and written totally tongue-in-cheek and over the top. But if you've spent any time in Texas you know that there are people alot like this...over the top characters. I LOVE THEM! You know how I like to "liken" books to my own life...so here it goes...

I used to totally want to be in the Junior League!! Sounds horrible I know!! I'm cringing too. When I lived in Kansas City I lived in an affluent area and my best friend Mary's mother was in it and completely gung-ho! She used to talk about it all the time and try to sell Mary and I on joining some day. Mary's parents also belonged to the country club and we used to go swimming there all the time and layout, have lunch, and get drinks brought to us poolside and sign everything to her dad's account. I thought it was seriously the life!!

Then we moved to Houston and I envied that lifestyle even more. I worked for two summers at a place called Chambrel in the Woodlands (Stac and Kell worked there too). It was basically a very ritzy upscale retirement community for BIG MONEY. The residents lived in cottages, rode around in golf carts, and had a big old black cadillac with a driver to take them anywhere they wanted. It also had "apartments" for those that wanted them and then when you got sick and feeble you would move to the assisted living building with their own dining room and everything.

My sisters and I were "waitresses"...I use that term very loosely because we were truly horrible. We learned to wait tables at Chambrel. The "restaurant" part was amazing. Gourmet 4-star chef, 2 dining rooms (the formal one that you had to "dress" for dinner and over looked a pretty pond/lake thing and the Veranda Room that was more casual). The dining rooms were open to the public for Dinner Theatre and the food was so amazing it makes my stomach growl just thinking about it: Seafood crepes, Tortilla Soup, Triple Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Chess Pie, Sweet Potato Pie, Eddie's Famous Banana Bread (We got to eat for free and EAT WE DID!) It was there that I encountered my first "Southern Ladies"...living at Chambrel there were ex-politicans, famous musicans, important people and the extremely RICH...like Mr. and Mrs. Forbes for instance.

I love southern ladies...dewy skin, colored hair, perfectly manicured nails, jewels and their southern drawls. Everything was "Sugar this...and Darlin that". I was called by everyone "Miss Kris" and they loved to give me tips on how to be more of a "lady". I loved the line in the book that said "A Texas woman can tell you to go to hell, and make you think you're going to enjoy the trip". So true!

It then goes on to say:

"...It's not that in Texas women don't have opinions or share them. We do. It's just that we wrap them up in honey and smiles and hugs until a sharp rebuke can feel like a compliment, the true meaning not sinking in until later, hitting like a left hook to the jaw".

I remember being told many times things like "Miss Kris a lady doen't chew gum. It's vulgar", "Miss Kris a lady doesn't use the word c-r-a-p. It's very coarse", "Listen sugar...you NEVER serves a gentleman before a lady. It's common" and about a million other things I learned that a lady never does!! I was also taught the difference between being rich (old money) and being rich (nouveau riche)...which by the way was "vulgar"!! :)

This book reminded me of those southern ladies that I knew long ago. I rate this book as: GOOD with a disclaimer...if you are looking for serious literature...don't read it. But if you are looking for a funny book to read at the lake or poolside...you'll like it.

Happy Belated Birthday Tiffany!!

Several days ago it was my friend Tiffany's 35th Birthday!! No- I did not forget it! It just required lots of scanning of pictures and so it was put off until tonight. I hope you had a WONDERFUL birthday and I love you and miss you like crazy!

I was talking to a friend of mine awhile ago about how you just don't make friends like you did in college...and that has been true in my life. I have wonderful friends who I love dearly but once you are married your first loyalty and obligations are to your husband and children. Gone are the days of answering to no one...especially if your family is hundreds of miles away...and you are in college and feeling footloose and fancy free. Tiffany and I met in the dorms and lived together our whole college experience except for one miserable semester. Tiffany and our time together in college had such an impact on me and truly made me the extremely sarcastic smart-a#@ that I am!! I wouldn't trade it for the world!!

Onto my trip down memory lane:

It was a very cold January day when I moved into Deseret Towers and started college at BYU. I had had to wait a semester because my housing had gotten screwed up. My family had just moved to Houston from Kansas City and I spent the summer and fall working and lusting over cute southern frat boys...delicious! I was anxious to return to the "motherland" and reconnect with my pals from Utah and Springdell in particular. Let's just say that after being gone from Utah for 4 years coming back was a bit of a culture shock. The first night I was in town was New Years Eve...I hung out with some old friends from the dell. The first sign that things were different in Utah was when we hit an ice cream place and I was flirting away with our waiter. My friend, Kyle, told me that I might want to "tone down the old Kristin charm" a bit and start checking for wedding rings...WHAT?? He was right... our waiter was married! That was the first of many shocks to come. But I digress.

My mom, brother, and sisters all accompanied me to BYU. I was dreading saying good-bye and spent most of that last day in tears...as you all know...I am VERY co-dependent on my family. My mom came with me to "check-in". It was a motley crew of girls who were checking in 2nd semester. I got my assignment. My mom took a quick persual of the girls and who I was assigned to and went to have a little "chat" with my dorm mother. My assignment wasn't the best. I was assigned to room with a "little person"...yes a midget. Now 5'9" inch me and a "little person" just wasn't a good fit for starting college off right according to me and my mother. I was reassigned to a girl from no other than the town I live in now. It seemed a much better assignment and I thanked my mom profusely. I moved into U-Hall at Deseret Towers and I was assigned to the 7th floor...the very top. I opened the door and me, my family and all my junk piled into the room. My roomate was a bit ordinary to my disappointment...a "molly" as I called girls like her back then...but she seemed nice enough. Let's call her Ms. B. She joined my family for lunch and my mom took us to Shopko and bought us cute things to decorate our dorm room: plants, matching decorative baskets etc. She rented a refrigerator and got us stocked up on some snacks. Then it was time to say good-bye. My whole family was crying and I was hysterical and went into the bathroom to get a grip.

I came back to my dorm room and started unpacking. I had a bulletin board full of pictures of my boyfriend, Aaron (who didn't get accepted at BYU and was going to Ricks)...MANY party pictures from high school...movie stars...bands... etc. I turned on the radio and the SWEET sounds of KJQ (a radio station) and The Violent Femmes, Depeche Mode, and The Smiths filled our dorm room. (Utah radio stations played GREAT music...after spending 3 1/2 years listening to heavy metal in K.C and 1/2 a year listening to country in Texas). I took a glance over at Ms. B's side of the room and horror of horrors her bulletin board was full of pictures of the General Authorities and the Prophet!! Houston we have a problem!!! All the pictures from the Gospel Art Kit were present and accounted for...I went to the bathroom for another sniffle...and when I returned my music had been turned off and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was filling the room. Back to the bathroom for another cry. How did I get stuck here while all my friends were having a GREAT time at KU and enjoying Greek life...and I was here at BYU and hating it.

We continued unpacking and as it approached dinner time I heard a voice yelling something on our floor. The voice said "Helloooo!! Yoooo hooo!! Is anyone on this floor? (Not many girls had returned yet from Christmas Break). Ms. B and I just looked at each other and ignored the voice. The voice got louder and louder and then our door burst open!! Like a whirlwind Tiffany blew into the room and flounced down on Ms. B's bed. She was from Colorado Springs and had just checked in as well. She didn't have a room so she was bunking in the common room on the 6th floor until rooms and roommates could be sorted out. My prayers were answered... someone normal...and a little bit loud and a tiny bit obnoxious...my kind of girl. We decided to head on over to the cafeteria (The Morris Center...aka the Morbid center) and get some dinner and then we would all go to our Y-Group Orientation together.

We got our food and expressed our disdain...the Morbid center served extremely gruesome food...the worst offender was the infamous "Dinner Dog". This was a 1/4 lb pale, limp, and extremely phallic hot dog. To actually take a bite was nearly pornographic...and not to be done...and thus began my life-long love of cold cereal as breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had quite a love affair with the "captain"...Captain Crunch that is! The next shock was that all around us people would sporadically seem to nod off as they sat down with their food. Tiffany and I were confused. Then it dawned...Oh my goodness...are they praying??? Again shocked! Tiffany shared my shock and as we quietly mocked everyone (we weren't that nice) I realized that this girl was "friend material".

As we attended our Y-Group activities Tiffany and I really hit it off. People thought we had known each other for years or were related or something. They couldn't believe that we had just met a few short hours ago. Eventually Tiffany was assigned a roomate...a horrible one...let's call her Ms. P. She was apparently in love with her brother and had many slightly disturbing pictures of him up on her wall. Tiffany and I used to bemoan the cruel fate that stuck us with Ms. B and Ms. P. Then an evil plan was hatched...we would ditch the dorks and share a room together. We approached our dorm mother "Ragin Junie Hancock" as we called her and told her what we wanted to do...she said it was fine but there was one hitch...Ms.B and Ms.P had to agree to it. Hum...a bit of a problem. Tiffany and I each went to our roomies and tried to get a feel for what they thought of each other. Ah...they didn't care for each other and were quite happy with who they were rooming with...well mine wasn't so happy...we had had a few "issues". She suggested that she and Tiffany could share a room. Uh...No! That was not the plan. After several days of wheedling and I do believe a bit of threatening they begrudgingly decided to share a room. Neither was happy about it but we were ecstatic. I moved down to the 6th floor and Ms. P moved up to the 7th.

Tiffany and I were loving our room #622 and it's supposed "history". Rumor had it that several years ago good old room #622 had housed 2 girls who had started up a prostitution business (very highly unlikely) and the sign that they were open for business was a tennis racket in the window! FABULOUS! We loved #622 supposedly checkered past and a tennis racket went immediately into the window!

And thus began our freshman year...we were shocked again to find out that boys our age were balding??? That girls our age were getting engaged...WHAT?? That "nice" girls from Texas and Colorado were actually rebellious and wild and that suited us just fine. We didn't want to blend in...we wanted to stand out! We also had our goal of kissing as many boys as possible to accomplish that semester! I do believe Tiffany won that contest!

Do note that we arrived at BYU with bangs...mine were extra big...Texas Style!! We quickly grew them out that summer. We also wore extremely embarrassing things like leggings and chiffon bows...I have chosen not to post those pictures...the bangs in this picture are bad enough. We met a bunch of characters...Jerry's kids, Harry the Horn Dog, Treevor, the Freaking Duker and his gang. We did alot of dancing at the Palace. We walked to Kents numerous times for "supplies". We went on horrible dates. We recorded offensive answering machine messages which we found hilarious...and annoyed our parents. We had an obsession with Clayne Pope, one of our professors, and stalked him. We established the "First Ward of Kiwanis" (what? It is a sunny Sunday...Church Smirch...we were laying out at Kiwanis Park). We got enormous pleasure flashing people on our walk back to our dorms with our DT issue blankets and our bikinis. We tried to break into the laundry room numerous times...what was with the "no laundry on Sunday rule"?! We played numerous pranks and got away with them all until we had a huge water/shaving cream/hair styling mousse/anything you can get your hands on fight and I broke my foot! We met more "evil girls" just like us...and got in more trouble. See below photo. Had to sign a disciplinary form that we would "respect other people, and their property and not verbally abuse anyone". We found this highly amusing...

Jennifer, Heidi, Tiffany and Kris...we all moved off campus together in the fall. Below the infamous shaving cream fight...moments before I broke my foot!!









We used to ride the bus to the mall because we didn't have a car. The bus stop was right next to the MTC and we used to try use our feminine wiles on any missionary we saw. We sweated out getting our ecclesiastical endorsements signed!! We snuck boys up to our room...Tiffany caught her hair on fire with one of the said "boys" in our room as she was blowing out candles on her birthday cake. We loved visiting hours and got a thrill from annoying our RA by always shutting our door...a big no-no. We did like that the boys would have to "call" us on the house phone from the lobby if they wanted to see us. Unfortunately we then would have to spend time down in the lobby with the other awkward couples and the sign that used to read " no eating " and was changed to "no mating". We lived for mail and care packages from home. We dreamed of setting up our parents...my divorced mother with 5 kids and her widowed father with 6 kids. It was a nice fantasy until they met and we realized a love connection was "not " going to happen. We went on our famous "road trip" via the ride board and the Greyhound Bus to Colorado Springs over Easter.

Kris, Junie Hancock (our dorm mother) and Tiffany. "Kris! I don't care if you did break your foot just make sure you don't bleed on the chair's upholstery!!" (She was very loving...um...Not!)

We missed our sad and pathetic boyfriends from high school Aaron and Bryant. We learned that hot guys studied down on the 2nd floor of the library. We learned that BYU was serious about their rule that shorts must come to your knees even if you had a HUGE cast and that arguing wouldn't change anything. We learned that the International Cinema was the BEST. We learned that the movies they showed at the Wilkinsen Center where they removed all inappropriate words and scenes were the worst. We learned that we loved to talk with New Jersey accents and that we were EXTREMELY good at it. We learned we could think of a nickname for everyone we encountered. We learned people thought we were extremely obnoxious. We learned that we wanted to move off campus ASAP!!

That was our time in the dorms in a nutshell! I will save our escapades over the next 4 years for another day! I have included some extra photos from our time at BYU for your pleasure in your leisure...as we used to say in the day.

Enjoying Sunday Meetings at the First Ward of Kiwanis...this was the next year when Tiffany returned with "Lillith the Super-Beetle". Tiff...you will note that I didn't post any of the pictures of us in our bikinis...who knew that was our "peak" . We should've walked around in thong bikinis when we were that age...little did we know it was all down hill from there.

Tiffany... picking me up from the Lake one summer on our way back to Provo for yet another year of fun!!

Christmas at Enclave year one...minus all other roommates! "Kohei say he need $25 from each of you!!"

"Pon" Singing...you've got to love Air Supply. We were really good too! We even had dance moves!!

After we had settled down a bit and found the men of our dreams...Tyler and Oliver!!!

Happy Birthday Lavoine!!