The Woodwards

The Holiday Roundup...

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:33:00 +0000

The Holiday's snuck up on me this year. I'll say it, I'm just not ready for them! I'm glad there here but really, I've been napping far too much which is now painfully apparent as I'm now forced to run around like a chicken with it's head cut off to get everything ready for Christmas. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a planner... Things don't creep up on me! Chances are I start planning for it WAY before I needed to. Needless to say, I'm not loving this new laziness that has overcome me. The up side is that I've been able to spend lots of time doing nothing with my favorite person in the world (Banks) ;).

In other news, we've also been really busy. Thanksgiving was different but also excellent this year. Due to some unfortunate family events, Banks and I stayed put this year and had Thanksgiving with just my parents and siblings. Where we usually travel for Thanksgiving, It was also nice to not have to worry about packing, the dogs, traveling, unpacking and laundry. It was a really nice day. Full of good food and games and naps. Shortly after getting back to real life, Banks was in a car accident, heaven knows I was an angry mess of tears.... but no one was hurt. Thankfully!! Our cute little Mazda was not as lucky, it was totaled. So amid trying to finish finals, get ready for Christmas and both of us being extremely busy at work, we added "Get a new car" to the list of things to do. So, we got one of these....

What, you don't picture us in a bright blue zoom zoom? While it wasn't exactly what we wanted, since owning it we have fallen in love with it, color and all. We love us a good Mazda, I'm a fan for life...

In Baby news - Baby girl is fabulous. She is kicking up a storm to the point that Banks can now see and feel her. We are under 100 days until she is here. (WHAAAAAAATTT???) They've even scheduled the rest of my appointments with the doctor now that "I'm close." It seems so surreal. I don't feel the least bit prepared. While her room is in the process of being arranged and readied for her arrival, this is the only real purchase I've made so far. I bought this before the bassinet, where are my priorities? :)I love it, but something tells me I need to get my act together because I'm on HER schedule, not the other way around.

We are so excited for the holidays and to take some time off just to rest and relax with family. Please excuse me for not getting out my Christmas cards this year, I had the BEST intentions and yet here I am, two days before the big day and they are still sitting on my desk, blank. Please know that we wish you the very Happiest Holiday Season and a successful 2010!

Sugar and spice & everything nice....

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:50:00 +0000

Baby girl was being modestly shy all morning but finally gave up the goods after some jiggles and pokes. We're having a girl and we're over the moon!

She is "baking" ahead of schedule and is perfectly healthy. She's already got her daddy whooped and we are eagerly counting down the days until we get to meet her.

A light....

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:59:00 +0000

I think I'm finally getting a glimpse of the light at the end of this first trimester tunnel! I'm starting to feel better. While there are bad days, hours, and moments there are quite a few good ones too!

In the last week I've noticed some of my energy coming back. I was able to get up and do chores and laundry and only took a small nap in between! I think that is the part of pregnancy thus far that has surprised me the most. I can't believe how tired I've been and continue to be, apparently growing a human is tough.

The 16 week update is that everything continues to look fabulous. The baby's heart rate is at 152 and we set the appointment for our 20 week Ultrasound! We find out if Baby Woodward will be a studly little man or a juicy little girl on November 11th. Just in time for some major holiday shopping!

Cheese!

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Baby Woodward had the first of many pictures taken today!! After much squirming we finally got a few good shots. We also got to just watch for a while and see the little monkey move all around. The baby even did a special little dance for us! It was so funny to watch! We've got a little ham on our hands.

In this picture you can see the baby's head right in the middle and the body is going downward to the left. The baby is looking directly at us, so that little alien shaped head is the face! The doctor says everything looks perfect! The baby is measuring correctly and the heartbeat is strong! Can't really ask for more than that!!

A "Little" News...

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:15:00 +0000

I've been MIA in the blog world the last few weeks but for good reason! I've been busy resting, eating saltines, attempting to diffuse the nausea, and catching a few extra Zzz's whenever I can. I'd heard that pregnancy will do that to you.. and I can testify, it's the truth!!

That's right, we're expecting Baby Woodward early April 2010!!

Banks and I are over the moon.. and super nervous. Banks is CONVINCED that it is a boy and while some women have that "motherly instinct" telling them what they are having... I DO NOT! haha I have no idea! We're going to be crazy excited either way.

We are super thankful for all of our wonderfully supportive family who have been so amazing and excited! Especially my mom and dad who help me calm down when I go over to their house and cry about being sick AND hungry. ;) Thanks to everyone else, including the special few (You know who you are!) for the kind words, notes, support and excitement you generate! We're grateful to have you all!

My Favorite Holiday!

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:06:00 +0000

We had an excellent July 4th weekend. I wasn't very good about having my camera with me... having too much fun I guess!

Here is what we did...

BBQ'ed!! We ate way too much, we had lots of BBQ's to go to and ate at every one! Here is Banks enjoying a little time with "Pap" his grandfather from Arkansas.

More family time, Jes and Izzy on the the swings. Izzy is a girl after my own heart, she loves lipgloss and makeup! We're good friends.
I'd be lying if I didn't tell you we spent most of our time laying by the pool! Here is Lola enjoying some time with "Aunt" Liz.
Our dogs are spoiled...
Banks horsing around in the pool with the boys.
We rounded out the day by going to the fireworks and having a picnic with the whole family. It was a wonderful and relaxing holiday, hope yours was too!!

Lake Powell

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:00:00 +0000

I love the lake.. any lake. I especially love Lake Powell. I love the sun and boating and just everything about being on the lake... Here are a few pics from out trip. It was a blast! We camped about 30 minutes boat ride out of Wahweap in a gorgeous canyon. We had a hell of a time getting going, but once we did it was all worth it. Due to various issues we got a late, LATE start so we were leaving the marina just before dusk. Basically, once night set in we were going 5 miles an hour with the flashlights out searching for our canyon and campground! It was a hoot, everyone probably thought we were crazy floating around through the various canyons trying to figure out where we were... Like I said the work was well worth it, and it's a great memory! We camped on a little island so the dogs ran around off leash the whole time and had the time of their life. All in all, we had 6 adults, 6 kids and 6 dogs. That is my kind of trip. :)

Sun setting over our camp spot

The view from our tent... I couldn't ask for better scenery!

Banks and everyone swimming up Cathedral... It's a canyon that gets REALLY narrow and the boat can't go all the way up, so we jumped out and swam the rest of the way. GORGEOUS. Banks looks really happy huh...

Pixie and Boris.. They had a ball! They didn't LOVE the lake, but they loved the boat rides.

I have to throw this pic on here, because I love it. This is my Aunt Holly with her dog Chewie. They both just looked so cute.

All in all it was a fabulous get away. We LOVE spending time with my Aunt and her family (The Lyman's) and enjoyed meeting their neighbors who also came. Can't wait to head back!

Ahhh Vacation.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:24:00 +0000

My favorite picture from paradise..... This was across the street from our condo.

We just got back from an amazing week in the Florida Keys. It was perfect weather the whole time and we had an absolute blast. We got a condo and went with The Carlings. We rented bikes and rode all around the island, we parasailed, snorkeled, ate good food, worshipped the sun, and most importantly spent time laughing and relaxing.

Not the best picture, but this is the four of us waiting to board our plane.

This is Banks and I on our super small plan, I think it sat a total of 18 people. This is the Plane we took from Ft. Lauderdale down to Key West. It was a nasty bumpy ride that made us all sick, but I did get some really cool pictures of the clouds and sun! (Below)

YAY! We made it!! Key West is the Conch Republic, so I had to take a picture of that upon our arrival!

We went and checked into our condo and then immediately went out to eat. After a crazy cab ride it was getting late so we went to the first restaurant that we drove past... Luckily it was an amazing little Mexican place, I got the fish tacos. They were so pretty I had to take a picture.

All the places we ate had such great food, but the best part was the beautiful scenery. This was our view from the table we had Sunday Morning Brunch at. It doesn't get better than this!

The next morning we set out on our first bike ride around the island. It was so gorgeous and riding bikes was such a fun way to get around!

Rachelle and Jes as we are about to board the boat for our day on the ocean.
Here we are getting ready to go parasailing.

The view was AMAZING!
Boys will be boys - Banks and Kody out jumping on the water trampoline... Kody has a REALLY funny story about the floating rock wall... I still laugh hysterically when I think about this day.
Relaxing after a full day on the boat.
Random photo-op. I LOVED all the green. I guess I'm just too used to being in the desert?
On our last night we went to downtown Key West and had dinner and messed around. The whole Island is beautiful, but I really like all the buildings, everything looks so fresh and clean.All of us during sunset.

Final picture! Isn't the sunset gorgeous?
We had SO much fun. We can't wait for our next trip, we hope we can convince the Carlings to go with us again, because we couldn't ask for better travel buddies!

We've been busy.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:48:00 +0000

Tap.. Tap.. Tap.. Anyone still out there??

Did everyone think we were dead? Yeah, we've been so busy I haven't had a moment to think, let alone do any blogging...I'm so behind. So please don't mind the looooong post.

In February, yes February I TOLD you I was behind! Banks' Dad and Step-Mother came for a visit. It was a short visit but we made the most of our time together. We picked them up and headed straight to one of our favorite Mexican place, The Red Iguana. I think that Bill and Ellen were a little nervous when we drove up since it looks like a shack, but they LOVED the food. Here are some pics of our "short and sweet" time together.Banks and his Dad with the dogs.
I love this picture because this is how Bill and Ellen always look. They are a lot like Banks and me, always picking at and irritating each other because it's fun!
Bill with Lola.. I love this picture.Ellen and I went down to Primrose Retreat for pedicures while the boys did whatever they wanted to do....
We got the Gelato Pedicures, so they served us some yummy Gelato while we were being pampered. After that we headed out and got massages. It doesn't get better than that!Then we rounded out the visit with some good eats at Outback. It was a great little trip and we cherish our time with them since we don't get to see them as often as we'd like to.

March was my Birthday and Banks did SUCH a good job. He took me out to the Cheesecake Factory and bought me a new Juicy Purse. I get compliments on it all the time! (Even my dentist told me it was nice... that's saying something!!) I have to tell everyone what a good husband he is to get me such a perfect gift!
Lastly, I headed to Las Vegas with my mom and sister for a quick trip. My cousin was graduating from dental school and my other cousin is getting married so we threw her a bridal shower down there. It was a wild fun weekend. Here are some pictures to document the madness!The start of the roadtrip.. Cheese!
Good thing I was driving...We did some shopping, of course! The Three Musketeers (Jes, Jonathan, Cecelia) with Deke.

The girls, getting ready for the shower - Britt, Ali, Becca and me.

The Hot Seat- It was so fun, big thanks to Stephanie and Stacia who put the whole thing together!The Blindfolded Bride-To-Be!Fast forward to the end of the scandalous shower... ;) The bride with her Line of Lingere!

It was a fabulous WARM weekend with lots of laughs and good times.

A Little Shout Out....

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:33:00 +0000

My husband applied to graduate school a few months ago. In his usual style he did the majority of everything last minute. I tried to stay out of it because I can't stand it when he does that! In the end, he turned everything in and we just had the awful task of WAITING. I wasn't expecting any sort of answer until April 15th, but he just received an e-mail informing him that he's been accepted!!

University of Utah, Here we come!

To make this all a little sweeter, he has a group of guys that he's been taking classes with and they also got accepted and are going to try and have the same schedules so they can continue together. They work really well together so we are super excited about all the possibilities.

Best of all, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! The program he got accepted to is a year long accelerated Masters Degree of Accounting (M.Acc.). So, this time next year all he will have left to do is his CPA Exam. Hallelujah!!

Congrats to my super husband who is working so hard to juggle heavy loads at school and at work! I'm so proud of you!

The Tax Season Blues

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:32:00 +0000

It's March which means one thing for me. The Tax Season Blues. The main reason for my serious lack of posting is my serious lack of a life. You'd think I'd be used to this by now coming from a family of accountants but I'm not. I don't think I ever will. Bottom line, I can only take so much of my husband coming home at late hours completely exhausted mentally and physically. This may sound selfish, but it's totally boring. I eventally resort to lots of reading and lots of shopping and lots of cleaning. Unfortunately, the urge to clean hasn't hit me yet as it doesn't feel like spring here in Utah. It snowed last night. One popular ski resort received a heaping 16 inches last night! A radio announcer commented on this and said we'll probably be able to ski there into July. JULY!!! That fact does nothing for my case of the blues. Anyway, I digress. Here are some of the things I've been up to while my husband is away, a slave to our future.

BOOKS! I recently saw this on another blog and found it really interesting. It is BBC's list of the top 100 books. The BBC estimates that on average, most people will have likely read about six of these works. So, I scanned the list and was glad I had read more than six, but depressed with how many I HAVEN'T read. So I've started to reread some of my favorites, and gear up to read some new ones. I'm currently on Persuasion by Jane Austen, I have read and love this book, but it sounded the best when I started out on this venture. I'm slowly working through the rest of the list! I've bolded the ones I've read and starred the new ones I've purchased to read.

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Harry Potter series - JK Rowling (some, not all)
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Bible Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Complete Works of Shakespeare (I've read most, I went through an obsession stage in highschool)
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Middlemarch - George Eliot
*Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell*
The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
Bleak House - Charles Dickens
*War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy*
The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
*Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy*
David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis Emma - Jane Austen
Persuasion - Jane Austen The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
*Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden*
Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
Animal Farm - George Orwell
*The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown*
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Atonement - Ian McEwan
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Dune - Frank Herbert
Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
*Brave New World - Aldous Huxley*
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
*Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez*
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
*Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov*
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
On The Road - Jack Kerouac
Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
*Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding*
Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
Moby Dick - Herman Melville
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
Dracula - Bram Stoker
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
Ulysses - James Joyce
*The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath*
Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
Germinal - Emile Zola
Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
Possession - AS Byatt
A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
*Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert*
A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Charlotte’s Web - EB White
*The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom*
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Watership Down - Richard Adams
A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
Hamlet - William Shakespeare Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I'm also getting so excited for summer, so I'm buying summer/tropical fragrances for my house, sunglasses and of course sandals! My next purchase will be a pair of these fabulous gladiators by Sam Edelman.Seriously, how cute are those? Have I ever mentioned how much I love summer?

And lastly, Banks and I are getting ready to move again. We are trying to figure out if we should sell the house or just rent it. If any of you have any opinions on that please let me know as we need all the help we can get on this particular decision!!

She Kissed A Girl.....

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:35:00 +0000

When a few of my girlfriends and I found out Katy Perry was coming in concert, we jumped at the chance to see her live. We went and got our tickets and eagerly awaited her arrival. Come February 10th, Rachelle, Kristy and I stood in line in the freezing cold in silly anticipation to see her. When we finally got into the building we were frozen solid, but let me tell you right now, it was so totally worth it!

Here are the two cuties that I went with. Don't they look like so much fun? I love these ladies!
Don't be fooled, even though we are smiling, we are frozen solid! Those smiles were FROZEN in place.

We weaved and wiggled out way up as close to the front as we could and jammed out to the tunes until the show started. Her opening band was The Daylights, They were pretty good. The reminided me of a mix of U2 and Coldplay. They definitely had some good energy.

Here we are waiting as patiently as possible for Ms. Perry to make her entrance.

FINALLY!
Look at how close we were to her. We literally were in the perfect place! The concert was really fun and full of excitement. Katy put on an excellent show. In fact, there were a few people who actually started a mosh pit. Utah concert-goers never cease to amaze me.

I had to throw this pic up here because it was so awesome! She changed her outfit for her encore and it was amazing! She is in this skin tight leopard print little number and let me tell you, it was really working for her. You have to be pretty hot to pull that off!

Thanks to the ladies for going with me and making it such a fun night. These girls are for sure the best to go to concerts with. I cannot wait until it's time to get together again for Brittney Spears! :)

A little Valentine's Day Reminiscing...

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:52:00 +0000

On Valentine's Day, I try to remember all the amazing things I love about my husband, not that I forget, but sometimes it's not in the forefront of my mind like it should be... So, here's a little tribute to my rock of a man, who in hindsight, was always the only one for me.

1.- Banks is the best gift giver... It really shows how much he pays attention and how much thought he puts into giving a gift. He remembers things that I said MONTHS before the gift giving event. He's sly about it too, I'm always surprised!

2.- Banks and I broke up about oh, a million times citing new reasons each time. I was stifling him...he was being overbearing... we weren't going to end up together anyway... we lived too far apart...we had too much history... that damn girl Sharly...who marries their high school sweetheart now days anyway?.. You get the drift. We made pretty dang sure that we were together because we absolutely wanted to be.

3.- He is so smart. I know you all probably think I'm biased, but I can't tell you how impressive he is. He picks things up quickly, he is logical and thorough in all his decisions (he's the anchor to my flighty impulses.) He hasn't even finished school and he is already better at his job than most new CPA's. This fact is also supported by every boss and supervisor he's had. :)

4.- He is honest to a fault. People just trust Banks. It's like there is some quality that you can't name or describe, but people see it in Banks. They trust him and are loyal to him because he is a good person through and through.

5.- I dated a lot of guys, before, between and after relationships with Banks and even during our bad times, I never clicked with anyone as well as I did with Banks. I got so used to that, nothing else would ever be as good. He's just my perfect blend of intelligence, humor, crazy-good-looks, level headed, clean (you know this is a bid deal to me) attractive, honest, loving, mature, capable, totally considerate, did I mention he's hot?.. yeah he's pretty much perfect.

6.-Some people know that I am a little crazy sometimes, and Banks takes it all in stride. He accepts it all, he lets me be crazy. Just a quick example, I went on this craft kick, and I really wanted to make this craft, but it involved specific sizes of wood, and sanding and staining it and fabric... Banks went with me to both a fabric store and home depot to help me the wood cut, the sandpaper blocks and the stain for it, not complaining once. To date, I still have not started the project. I'm sure he knew this is how it would go down the whole time...

7.- We compliment each other. We work well together and we really put the effort into our relationship. I love that I know we both value our relationship and all the work it's taken to get us where we are.

8.- Banks loves me, and really isn't that the most important thing? He loves me so much, he watched Pride and Prejudice with me for the millionth time on Valentine's Day and did not complain, or roll his eyes once. What a sweetie.

I feel pretty lucky to have found my guy so early on in life. I couldn't ask for anyone better than him.

A Little Something...

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:38:00 +0000

I don't usually do this, but I picked something up at the mall the other day that warrants it's VERY OWN post - If you have not already purchased and reveled in the delight of this new little gadget, please, please go get yourself one, or twenty.

Introducing....
These are a new item at Bath and Body Works - The Scentportables. I am in love! I bought one in the Pineapple Orchid scent and put it in my car - It's the PERFECT little air freshener. It's not overpowering and when you get into your car for the first week, you think to yourself "Oh what is that good smell?" forgeting all about this little gem. This simply designed little device can be stashed almost anywhere, I'm heading back to pick up ninety more for closets and other smaller spaces that would be overwhelmed by a regular Wall Flower. Also, any of you ladies out there who hate to get into your husbands car because of that slightly odd smell.. This is the perfect fix. I hid one in my husbands car!! It lasts for weeks and it has a handy clip, so I clipped it somewhere he doens't look often so he can't mess with it. It won't spill or make a mess like the other oil/liquid air freshners out there and it comes in the broad range of Bath and Body Works Fragrences. Obviously I can't say enough, go out and get youself one!! Or order online here.

The Winter Blah's

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:58:00 +0000

I'm sure most people understand what I'm going through right about now... It's no longer Christmas or the New Year, it's just cold and ugly outside with nothing to look forward to but spring - The Winter Blah's!

I have a pretty bad case this year, so while I was dreaming of far away lands with beaches and lots of sun, I happened to mention it to a close friend of mine. We decided it would be totally fun to take a little trip together in May after our husbands graduate. So... after a few hours, we booked a couples trip to Sunny Key West, Florida!

Having something to look forward to always gets me through these last few months of gloom here in Utah - I'm so excited to spend a week in Paradise with a few good friends. Who could ask for more??

Grizzlies Hockey!

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:59:00 +0000

Hands down, one of my favorite parts about the Winter season is hockey. I just love to watch hockey, while I prefer it live, I even like watching it on T.V. We are lucky to have the Utah Grizzlies so close. I love going to the games, they are always such a good time. The fans are crazy and the games are always exciting. So far this season, Banks and I have been too busy to make it to a game, but we finally got to our first on Saturday Night and what a perfect game to start our season off with! The Grizzlies beat the Las Vegas Wranglers 5-3. The game was the perfect blend of intensity and fun. We sat on the 7th row behind the players, specifically behind the Wranglers. We were sitting close enough to smell the players! Banks doesn't like the smell of "Hockey" but it reminds me of when I used to go watch him play back in the day, so while it's not a pleasant smell, I love it!!

Look how close we are to all the players! Oh how I love hockey players!
Another reason I love hockey is the fans, it brings out all kinds. We always make new friends at the games. We sat by some really fun people this time. There was a group sitting a row behind us and one of the guys was just a hoot! He was calling out to and yelling at all the opposing teams players all night. He wasn't one of those typical annoying fans, he was actually really funny and amusing. It was also great to see that there were a few players he was really getting to. They kept telling him to shut up and telling him how annoying he was. I'm just glad he was on our side!!

We had a great time, and while one day we hope to get to a NHL and Stanley Cup game, we love going out and supporting our local teams, especially the Grizzlies!

Tradition

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:19:00 +0000

Every year for as long as I can remember my family gets together the week after Thanksgiving to "Dip Chocolates." The name of this activity is misleading, as it does not fully encompass the ginormous undertaking that goes on in a 48 hour period. Let me give you a run down. Basically everyone decides how many batches they want (We did eleven this year). Then everyone has to bring three pans of pre-made caramels per batch to the event. We all use the same recipe, and a pan, is a jellyrole pan. Yeah, that's a lot of caramel! We start by turning off the heat and opening the doors - breaking down the chocolate requires a certain temperature otherwise it won't melt right and it won't set right. Basically we freeze for 48 hours! We used 190 pounds of chocolate this year. We start out by making the centers, we make Almond Rocha, Mint Truffle, Raspberry Truffle, Almond Truffle, fondant covered cherries, rum balls, chocolate covered caramel along with just regular caramel rapped in individual pieces, almond joy's, 100 Grands, Cashew Clusters.. I could go on, you get the picture. We make everything from scratch. Here are a few pictures to document this year's madness.

The set-up.. Three tempering machines with the rack to hold the chocolate while it sets.

The caramel wrapping table. We sepcify which caramles get cut and dipped or cut and wrapped - You can see both activities going on here.

How it looks - We station people next to machines to dip, others are preparing the centers to be dipped

These are the peole who are preparing the centers, I believe this is mint truffle center.

This is the tempering machine. My aunt designed this machine especially for this purpose. It keeps the chocolate moving and it keeps it's temperature steady.

This is me dipping the center in the chocolate. We dip, completely cover and keep it moving so that all the sides are covered equally, once a fair ammount of chocolate has come off, we set it on the tray and swirl the top of the chocolate to achieve a decorative effect.

This is the rack, it gets filled several times over - it's a beautiful sight.Just one of the finished products - the Raspberry Truffels.

We usually get done late Saturday night and everyone is exhausted, loopy from a sugar high, sore and ready for bed - But its so much fun that we do it year after year. I love spending the time with family and friends. And I love giving out the fruits of our labor to friends or Christmas.

Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 22:05:00 +0000

Our Thanksgiving was very nice this year. We stayed in town and had family visiting from out of town. It ended up being a very relaxing weekend! We started our thanksgiving feast over with my family and then rounded out our day with Banks family. We had lots of good eats at some fun with our families. We are very thankful for our families and their close proximity so that we can spend the holiday's with them. I didn't get too many photos this year as I was using my iPhone, so these will have to do.These are my cute sisters...

My mom and sister

My freakin' cute Grandma - Have I mentioned she doens't like to have her picture taken? This is the look I get when she's about to kill me for taking her picture...
Sister photo - Notice we're in a church, yeah our family is too big to comfortably fit into a single dwelling now. And we like to be close so that's saying something.

My mother-in-law holding Courtland

Twilight

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:01:00 +0000

OK, I was basically taken as a hostage to the Thursday Midnight Premier of Twilight. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to see it, but I was not in a rush to sit in a crowded theater with a large number of underage girls who were screaming and crying! My mother on the other hand was more enthusiastic. So, she went through all the pain of getting our tickets etc and I told her I'd go with her. I went not expecting much, I had seen interviews of Robert Pattinson and was less than excited for his portrayal of Edward. We got there, hours early and waited around for our movie to start. When it finally started, I was immediately sucked in. I LOVED it. It had it's cheesy parts - but I was so surprised! I loved all of the Cullens and thought Robert Pattinson was an excellent Edward!! It didn't get very good reviews, and I could see some of the reasons why, but overall I absolutley loved the movie. Those who know me well know I don't generally watch the same movie over and over again. However Twilight will be different. I'm already ready to go see it again - even in the theater. So any of you all who need someone to go with, you know my number. :)

Oh how I love Twilight...<3

P.S. The Sequel is due out 2010. Horray!!

Women In Philanthropy Annual Gala

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:38:00 +0000

On Saturday the 15th, Banks and I were able to go to the second annual Women in Philanthropy Gala, "In Her Shoes." United Way of Utah County - Women in Philanthropy was established in October 2006 to provide a place for Utah County women to create change in their community through philanthropy and leadership. The Women's Philanthropic Network was created with the idea to empower Utah women to pool their money for a common cause - Women and children in need.
This year my mother chaired the committee and invited us to the event. Let me just say, it was SO much fun. They started things out with a silent auction and hors d'oeuvres, then we had dinner and a gong auction. They also presented a few awards to local women who are doing their part to serve the women in Utah County. Not only was it a fun reason to dress up, but it really opened my eyes to some of the cirucmstances that need attention right here in Utah County. This organization is doing everything they can to get the word out that there are people in our own backyard who are in need. There are so many different ways that we can help, I felt inspired to find ways to do my part. I can't help but feel blessed around this time of year but it's easy to forget and get busy during the rest of the year. I hope to find something that I can do year round to serve our community.

This comes with a few questions for you all, what do all of you do to help in your community...? (I need some ideas!) And what do you do to remember to do service all year round?

Hollywood!!

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:42:00 +0000

I just got back from a nice little extended weekend in California with some of my family. Banks ended up not being able to go, so it ended up being a great weekend with my mom and sisters. California was gorgeous, 80-90 degrees every day! I'm already missing all the sunshine. Please excuse all the bad pictures.

We took a trip down to Sunset BoulevardSaw a few Hollywood Stars...

Me, Mum and Liz on our way to Hollywood...Taking a lunch break in Hollywood, Mum, me and Britt

"The Kids" at the Tower of Terror in California Adventure.

We topped of our weekend with a trip back into Hollywood to see Wicked

California I already miss you.... I'll be back soon!

Photo Tag!

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:05:00 +0000

Ok, Rachelle tagged me on her blog to do a photo post. The directions are to go to my photos, pick the 4th folder and select the 4th picture from that folder and post it with an explanation...

P.S. Ladies of Mountain View Marketing - I apologize in advance for this, I'm just following directions.

Mountain View Marketing Halloween 2005
How appropriate that it would be Halloween pictures! So, from left to right there is Lani, Jes, Chelsey a.k.a. Beaker, Kristin, Laura, Kaylene, Mari and I forgot the last chick's name. *sorry* Everyone but Mari and I dressed up in their favorite 80's outfit and came to work. Mari was tinkerbell and I was a Pirate. It was a total blast. As you can see these girls went all out, and Lani got voted best 80's make up... To this day, these girls are some of my absolute favorite people. I'm glad I got tagged so that I could crusie through some of the memories.

Here are a few more for your viewing enjoyment.The Pirate capturing Tinkerbell...

Strike a pose...

And I saved the best for Last... Lani please don't kill me.
I caught Lani dancing... the face says it all.

Ok, now I tag Laura, Lauren, Sarah Glines and Ashlee. Get to it ladies I want to see your photo post!

Furry Visitors-

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:13:00 +0000

This last week has been hectic, but in a good way. We dog-sat for some friends of ours while they went on a family vacation. Meet Sophie-Sophie is a boxer and such a fun girl. There's always some awkwardness as the dogs all get to know each other, but after just a few hours Sophie was was part of the family.

This picture was taken the same night she came to stay. She settled in quite nicely. We probably taught her some bad habits - She's not aloud to get up on the furniture at her house but we allow our dogs to. She didn't seem to mind that change. :) I happen to love dogs, so having all four dogs up on the couch with us was a regular occurrence all week!

Above: Sophie and Lola cuddling on Lola's bed. This quickly became Sophie's favorite place.Sophie wasn't sure about the LoveSac at first, but eventually she loved it too! Pixie was so curious about Sophie that they were joined at the hip all week. I think Pixie liked having a big "sister."

Sophie got along so well that she went everywhere with us. On Sunday we took her up to Highland to visit family. They have a large property with another dog and horses and we really wore Sophie out! She ran and ran and ran... She was a big hit. We even had some of Banks' really good friends from Texas in town and they wrestled around with her and played with her. In short, Sophie was the perfect guest. We were sad to see her go. I think Banks is worried I'll be asking for a boxer next. :)

-Oktober Fest at Snowbird Resort-

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:37:00 +0000

This last weekend we headed up to Snowbird with some friends of ours to check out the Oktober Fest-ivities. It was an absolutely beautiful day. The sky was clear, it was cool in the shade and perfect in the sun, not to mention the GREAT Beer and Brats. I even came back with a little sun on my face and shoulders! Here are some pics of our day trip.

I love Cottonwood Canyon, beautiful.

The friends we went with, Vicki and Russ.
I hope we make this a yearly tradition!

Updates - in a hurry...

noreply@blogger.com (The Woodwards) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:13:00 +0000

We've been pretty busy with summer winding down. Here are some of the things we've been up to in the last few weeks...

We like to get up the canyon with the dogs whenever possible. The local track is nice, we all like to get out and check out new scenes. A few weeks ago we headed up the canyon to Bridal Veil Falls with the dogs and a picnic.
That same weekend I took my favorite shopping buddy out. My Grandma. Ever since I was a kid her and I have been able to have some serious fun and do some serious damage when we go shopping. We usually go out in the morning, make a stop for lunch and don't stop until we are out of money! I took my Grandma up to Tia Pan and then we hit Gardner Village for some lunch and of course more shopping!!

Grandma isn't the biggest fan of having her picture taken, so I had to be fast...:) We had a great time and I'm already excited for the next trip.