Bug and Tiny

Moab...or bust!

2009-04-07T12:34:00.001-07:00

We had a blast for my 25th birthday! Jason took me with some of his buddies to Moab. Here they are, the three musketeers: Ryan, Jason, and Travis.

Travis just finished doing some major changes on his truck to be more capable of climbing the rocks out in the middle of no where. He was very excited about showing off his new additions.
Jason was having almost more fun than I was! It was a little chilly outside for most of the trip, but very sunny. In fact, I got burnt to crisp, even after using sun screen!

The scenery was amazing! I was pretty impressed with our little camera too because most of these shots are on the go.

We got a chance to stop every few hours and just chill. That's always nice to do especially when you have the opportunity to get away from work!
On our first run of our entire trip, we we climbing these rocks, and CRACK! There went the drive shaft. It got ripped up on an unconsequential rock. Travis was not happy. We got back to the hotel and they fixed it quickly, so we got back to playing!

While they were figuring out what to do with the truck after the drive shaft was mangled, I was bored. Rocks make great artistry tools on other rocks. So I documented our disaster. :)

On our second day, we met up with some of Travis' friends. We had a range from Travis' four runner, to a Suzuki Samarai, and then this beast:Trucks and their axles shouldn't bend like that!

But we had a blast. Happy Birthday to me! Just remember, when life gets you down,
MOAB OR BUST!

Stick Figure Family

2009-03-15T11:35:00.001-07:00

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

Happy Birthday, Dan!

2009-01-13T01:40:00.000-08:00

Who needs Thanksgiving when you can celebrate Dan!? We decided to forgo the traditional festivities to throw a party for one of our favorite brothers-in-law! We was so happy to have a surprise party and he deserves it! He's been working so hard this year, and what's better to do on a weekend than party? We made all of is favorites: Ham, cheesy potatoes (that his mom used to make) and Cheesecake for dessert!

Congratulations Dan! Here's to another great year!

I can't believe I forgot Thanksgiving!

2009-01-13T01:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that I skipped over Thanksgiving! Here's some of the Leikis' enjoying the smell of the tasty goodness awaiting us and taking snapshots while they're at it!

What a wonderful feast! It is such a blessing to all be in the same valley and be able to enjoy each other's company! I certainly am thankful for family relationships, and the time to celebrate.

Kids, Kittens and their toys...Celebrating New Years!

2009-01-13T01:33:00.000-08:00

Enough said.

The 3rd Christmas is the Charm!

2009-01-13T01:28:00.000-08:00

Since the weather to Sugar City was uncooperative (see previous post), and Greg and Stacy couldn't make it to the Baird weekend, we got together in Logan with Dad and Sheila. We had dinner (I still profess that it was soo good! Stacy rocked it with ham, potatoes and pasta salad) and opened gifts. Three Christmas' were fine, but I'm done. Although, 2 weeks later, the tree is still decorating our front room. We like the soft, constant glow (and are too lazy to take it down!)
Merry Christmas everyone! We love you all!

Fun with the Bairds...and Pie!

2009-01-13T01:21:00.000-08:00

Let there be pie, and there was...and it was good. These are all of the pictures I took during our time with the Bairds for Christmas, but what a beautiful site! We had a wonderful turkey dinner (Heather did a great job, it was delicious!) then topped it with yummy pie. Of course, when I was asked what type we would like, the obvious answer was: Pumkin.

A fun tradition is that Jason's Mom makes two pumpkin pies every year for Thanksgiving; one for the family and one for Jason, plus her homemade whipped cream, is his favorite! Here is Abby enjoying the cream more than the pie!
And Elizabeth is apparently (although sufficiently cooled) burning her tongue with the wonderful pie. Actually, I think she was laughing and of course, I have amazing photographic timing. What fun! We also did presents and got to see the progress on Momma D's house. We also got to visit with Spencer, Graham, Katrina and their baby. I'm so glad we get to be near some cousins, having not the luxury as kids. Thanks guys! It was a blast!

200,000 miles! What a truck!

2009-01-13T01:19:00.000-08:00

On our way to the Bairds for Christmas, Jason's truck (I call it Tony the Toyota) reached its 200,000 mile mark! He was so excited about it, although there was alot of talk about what breaks down after that much use.

Merry Christmas!

2009-01-13T01:12:00.001-08:00

All I gotta say is...10 $#!* inches? In one day?! It was a white Christmas after all! Dang it.
Let's just say, Christmas wasn't all it cracked up to be. I would suggest that in order to avoid a very depressing and frustrated story, don't bring up food processors to us, ever. But, Jason did get a few things he liked: a Crockpot from Travis (thanks Trav!), some pants and new boots.
I got more fun stuff, per my request. I got a game console for Donkey Kong Country games. That's another long story, but DK was all I really wanted it for. Our kitties enjoyed it too.

Thank goodness it's over! Merry Christmas, and Bah Humbug!

San Fransisco, California

2008-11-27T10:52:00.000-08:00

The original plan was going to San Fran for personal salvation, but since that fell through (for the time being), we just went to play. And boy, did we play! Mostly we spent the day on Pier 39--all the interesting shops, the food, the coast. You can see everything from the pier.
We shopped until we dropped! All day long! It was a blast! We even bought the oysters, cracked them open, got the pearls and made our own jewelry! It got expensive at the end, but now it is a close memory in my heart. What fun! It was gross! Mom even got a blue pearl!
We ate at the end of the Pier and had fresh sea food. Still not my favorite, but the view was impressive, to say the least. At the end of the pier, you can also see Alcatraz, the light house, and the bay where the sea lions like to bask. In fact, from where we sat in the restaurant, we even had a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
Well, and of course, you can't visit San Fran without seeing all of the cliche tourist sites. We hit the Golden Gate Bridge (not literally), walked down Lumbard street-the crookedest street in the world, and sat in Adam's park across from the Victorian houses. Sad, but all I could think of was Full House. What a trip! We had such a good time, even though it wasn't what we were planning, it was bonding and I loved it!

Kitties...they friends!

2008-08-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Tasha and Sophie, being the territorial kitties that they are, have come to a compromise. They will be best of snuggly friends and completely unperturbed by each other....until mom and dad come home! Then, it's time to wrestle, growl, kick, bite, play tag and any other annoying and disruptive behavior that they can think of, especially when it is bedtime.

But, at least, I'm glad that they are getting along better than in the beginning, and playing more than fighting....I hope that's what it is. Without one another, however, they are so compassionate. Sophie has been learning the hard way that being lazy and peeing on the bedroom floor is not acceptable, so we have been "grounding" her to the laundry room. When she's in there, of course she is not happy about it, and will actually whimper. It's more of a puppy-like sound than a meow. This draws Tasha's attention, and she will actually attempt to reach under the door to free Sophie. It's soooo cute!

I love my babies!

Our Anniversary

2008-08-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

So, as many people enjoy their anniversaries, sharing memories and spending time together, that has been anything but us! Our anniversaries have been put on the back burner, so to speak, and half of them, we've not even been together. So this one, our 5th, by far, was the best. It was simple, and cute. A very good memory. We went to watch Hellboy II (I know many of you don't like that movie or it's predisessor, but Jason and I have a fedish for unique movies) and then came home and made a steak, for Jason of course. He is the carnivore in the family. So, being so simple, there are only two pictures, but again, remember, this was the best so far. Maybe next year will be candles and a nice place to stay overnight, but for now, this is great! And check out my man cooking in his natural enviornment!

24th of July in Mendon

2008-08-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

The 24th of July is a holiday only celebrated in Utah, as it is officially known as Pioneer Day. Mendon had a few activities that the Leikis family took advantage of. First, there was a parade and Uncle Merlin brought up his rendition of the Beverly Hill Billies truck, at least that's what it looks like. Dad joined in to through candy to the awaiting kids.

Then, they have a refreshing water fight in the park for all of the kids (and even Uncle Jason) to cool down. At one point, they spray out some bubbly foam with the water for some interesting antics. The kids love Uncle Jason, especially when he plays with them. In this case, he got his new tshirt doused. (please pay special attention to the text on Jason's shirt, for a laugh) Taya and Triston were loving it, but Andrew kept getting cold, so we got some snuggles.

Then, pony rides....

Russ and Hilarie were able to come too. We had some dinner at the softball stands, then went back to Nana and Papa's house for fireworks.

What a fun time, and it was great to be able to spend time with everyone! Happy 24th!

Family Reunion (mom's side)

2008-08-28T19:27:00.001-07:00

Our family is not known for our family reunions: after all, no cousins wed, we don't rent an entire ski resort, we don't even send out official reminders. But when the family on my mom's side does get together, it's a blast! My favorite part was seeing my Uncle Randy and Aunt Diane, whom I personally have not seen since at least 2002. It's been a while.

Everyone else that was there knew who I was, especially after having to refer to myself as "Lisa's youngest daughter", promptly followed by comments such as "OH! You were just a baby last time I saw you!" etc. It was a lot of fun for me though. I've heard different stories about different people and putting faces to the name helps.

The highlight for the kids (and me, I'll admit this was fun!) was when ground squirrels decided that the bbq potato chips were the thing to get at, of course skattered all over the ground by the kids. Abby had the most fun of anyone; she's scream and laugh and point everytime one would rustle out of the bushes to get some dinner.
Lastly, my cousin Kim suggested that we stay one extra morning and have breakfast at IHOP, one of their favorite dining excursions. It was fun remenising about old time, learning about other family members and I even got some stories out of mom and Randy about their mom, who died before I was born. I loved the whole trip, and it was fun to hang out with mom and Randy at the hotel afterwards. What a hoot!

I got a Job!

2008-07-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Great news! I am leaving Qwest! Okay, that is part of the great news. I am now officially the newest store manager for the local Motherhood Maternity clothing store! I had heard about the job from my store manager at Bath and Body Works. I went in, filled out an application and had an interview with the district manager for the area. I hadn't heard anything back from her for a couple of weeks, so I assumed that I hadn't gotten the job. I called to follow up, but was only able to leave a message. Then, out of the blue, she did call me back. She'd been flying around to Wyoming. We got another interview set up with the district manager for the north east region. That was a great interview, if I do say so myself. Jason sat on the bed the entire phone interview and encouraged me along, which I appreciated so much. Again, I didn't hear anything back from her for a while. For that time, she had been to the emergency room at the hospital! Yikes! But, she did complete the processes she needed and called me yesterday, 7/10/08 to offer me the position of store manager!!!! I had so much adrenaline pumping that I had a dull headache the rest of the day, but it was worth it! Motherhood Maternity, here I come!

4X4NROX

2008-07-06T21:02:00.001-07:00

After not being able to spend much time together while Jason and I have both been working our two jobs each, the first opportunity we had to hang out was trucking up the mountains with some of his buddies, Dan, Daniel, Nick and Travis. It was so much fun, bouncing up and down in our truck, trying to climb rock showing the not so usual way for a truck to move and watching his buddies do the same. They climbed 3 foot tall rocks, tree limbs at a 45 degree angles and a waterfall. Trudging through snow and getting stuck in the mud was fun too. Thank goodness for seat belts. We almost made it to the summit, but came short when we hit a large area of snow just before the last bit of climb. It's July, so reaching a lot of snow tells you just how high of an altitude we had been. We walked the rest of the way, seeing the valley from a bird's eye view. We also threw rocks down a slope that would have killed anyone attempting the dare. Beautiful view, nonetheless. On the climb back down, seeing the same path with a whole new perspective (meaning looking down cliffs and steep drops. I hadn't seen that view on the way up, on the wrong side of truck. Yikes!). At the bottom of the canyon sits a beautiful and breath taking waterfall. After a long day, dragging 2 tons of metal up a mountain in the middle of the summer, a dip in the freezing cold water of a natural spring fed waterfall felt great. Then Travis decided that taking the truck in for a dip was a good idea too. Boys. What an adrenaline blast!

more 4X4N

2008-07-06T20:56:00.001-07:00

A Kitten, our Newest Addition....

2008-07-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

We have now added a new baby to our family, a kitten who is a tabby like Tasha, our first, but she is all gray scale. We have decided to name her Sophie. Jason found the name online using a baby naming website, most appropriate. It all started with a co-worker named Chris. Chris decided that he needed a new addition to his household, and after sharing his findings with Jason of kittens just 6 weeks old, owned by the secretary at his work place, Jason fell in kitten love. We both have an especially tender spot for kittens. They are, after all, the epitome of cuteness and we succumb easily to cute. Chris showed Jason pictures, and he just had to ask me if it was okay to adopt. My first instinct was having issues with the amount of money involved spaying and declawing a cat, then that we wouldn't be able to have another feline in our townhouse. Yet, I gave in. Well, as if I am going to say no. I have mentioned on several occasions that I am going to be the crazy lady when I'm eighty with a million kittens/cats, knowing each by name and never being able to have too many. So, I said yes. With anticipation building, I went to Wal-Mart to purchase the essentials: kitten food, a food bowl and....toys! Jason brought her home the day before the 4th of July, so we have had a 3 day weekend to enjoy her. Jason and I are the only ones enjoying her. Tasha is resistant to the change. She has had many fits of hissing, spitting and growling at the innocent cutie. Sophie is complacent about the matter. I must admit, Tasha is coming around. It's slow, and the advice on the internet was to let them take their time getting to know one another. At first, Jason was trying to make them stay within the same proximaty, but gave up on that to take the unoffensive approach. I have been sitting with the two of them, and now Tasha will allow Sophie to get within a few feet of her without becoming hysterical...a big step in the right direction. We are still trying to figure out why Tasha isn't just proving her dominance about the matter, seeing as how this is her house, after all. Only time will tell. For now, we are enjoying every minute we can with the two of them, seperate nonetheless. It also suggested on the internet that the original cat needs additional attention, and it is true. Without Sophie in a direct line of sight, Tasha is being especially snuggly and loving. I can certainly appreciate that as long as possible. Oh, and they even have matching collars. All of the above describes sisters perfectly, no?

Jason and me, how cool would that be?

2008-05-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

I can't even believe it, y'all! August 1, 2008, Jason and I will have been married for 5 years! Okay, maybe we should run through some of the anniversaries that are important in our lives (and also to have them published so that Jason can reference them if he needs to :)
~Friday, May 30, 2003--Jason and I met for the first time at First Dam in Logan, Utah. He was late because he had been shaving his head. The night consisted of bridge jumping, camp fire talk, dancing and getting to know you. He forgot to get my number, by the way.
~Thursday and Friday, June 5-6, 2003--Our first unofficial date at Wal*Mart, and our first kiss in his Grand Prix at the top of Cliffside.
~Friday, June 6, 2003--Our first real date to Firehouse pizza and then to watch Finding Nemo in the theatre.
~Monday, June 9, 2003--Jason met my sister and her family for Family Home Evening. That night, we decided that we should be man and wife.
~Tuesday, June 10, 2003--Fasted and prayed to find inspiration for our marriage. Met and Bluebird Resturant, Logan, Utah.
~Wednesday, June 11, 2003--Moved my CTR ring to my left hand and we became unofficially engaged.
~Friday, July 11, 2003--Jason officially proposed to me at Bluebird Resturant with red roses and white daisies (also the anniversary of our unofficial engagement).
~Tuesday, July 29, 2003--We decided, at my brother's wedding, that we were going to get married that Friday so my Mom could attend, as she would still be in town.
~Friday, August 1, 2003--Jason and I were married in his parents backyard.

What a fun time to remember. That time flew by for us. After that, Jason went into the Army for his basic training, we were sealed in the Bountiful, Utah Temple and we have lived happily, and crazily, ever since.

Here's another idea too for those of you who need a little reminder for important dates like this (I am going to sign Jason up for this too, so don't worry, you are not alone):
http://www.noodleminder.com/

Cheezburger? I can has one?

2008-04-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

I must confess, I love random and seemingly funny things that can be found on the internet. And a perfect example of that is the website www.icanhascheezburger.com/. Something else you must know about me, I have a feddish with cats, kittens, kitty cats and felines. These pictures are some of the funniest cat pics ever! My favorites list for this site grows exponetially everytime I visit! What I need to do is work on my witty and fun comments in order to make some silly creations of my own.

The Day We Were Born....

2008-04-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, this has nothing to do with a real birth, but I am feel like a "blog baby". I've never done these before, but I was so impressed with my sister-in-law Krista's blog, that I couldn't help myself. Hello? Online scrapbooking! It's simple now, but just wait until I get a hold of my digital camera.....