Blogger's Block!

Yep, I have it.

No new ideas.

Nothing that I want to discuss.

BoRing!

Happy weekend.

Thankful Thursday...Toes!

I have been meaning to post this picture for awhile. =)

Tagged by Michelle

2 names you go by: Von, Vonce
2 things I'm wearing right now: Race for the Cure shirt, frog pj bottoms.
2 longest car rides: Seattle and Tracy, CA
2 of my favorite things to do: blog and scrapbook
2 things you want to do badly right now: another vacation, something fun
2 animals you have or have had: fish and a kitty
2 people who will fill this out: Jill and Jenny
2 things you ate today: pops and a coke (healthy breakfast huh?)
2 people you last talked to:Van and Emilie
2 things you are doing tomorrow: working and cleaning up of course
2 favorite holidays:Halloween and Savannah's birthday
2 favorite beverages: coke and guava rockstars (shocking huh?)

I tag whoever wants to do it!

See I have this pRobLem!!

Don't they say that the first step on the road to recovery is to admit you have a problem. I have a cleaning supply addiction. I can't help myself. I love the way they smell, the way they make my house look, and each one does something completely different...which is why I have to buy one of EVERYTHING!
I started to make a list of my favorite cleaning supplies for each task. Maybe this way I can just stick with my list, and not have to buy the "new" hot products. =)

floors - The old stand by Pine Sol. I have used Fabuloso (I think that is what it is called...comes in a variety of colors...and is fairly inexpensive), but I think I'm always going to be in love with Pine Sol.

cabinets - Murphy's Oil. It has a great smell, and puts that great shine on dusty cabinets.

tubs and bathroom sinks - I've used a lot of different products, but I always come back to Comet Bathroom Spray. I also use a magic eraser in my bath tubs. It makes all the ding go quickly away!

counter tops - I LOVE 409! The end.

stainless steel - They sell these handy wipe thingy's...just like a Clorox wipe, but for stainless steel of course. Very helpful for all of Savannah's little finger prints. I am pretty sure they are made by Pledge.

toilets - I use the Lysol toilet bowl cleaner w/bleach. Some of these have odd smells, but I like Lysol products in general. The only downside to this one is that if you don't get back to the bowl that day (Okay, sometimes I forget...don't judge me!) the blue stuff doesn't come off very easily. =(

all surfaces - I have already admitted to my love for Clorox wipes, but honestly I should say that I like the Mr Clean wipes better. I bought some new wipes this week, and I like them for my desk at work...They are the Lysol Dual Action wipes. They have a scrubby material on one side, and soft on the other. Great for gross germs that men have left at my desk before I get there! =)

dishwasher - I really like the Electrosol Gel packets. I tried the Dawn gel packets, and wasn't impressed. This is Savannah's job, and her little hands sometimes are a little wet when she gets the packet out. The Dawn packets stuck all together with a little water on them, and made for A HUGE mess! The Electrosol packets do not. Savannah can still help out. Yeah for Mommy!

dishes - I really, really, like the smell of the blue Dawn. I sometimes will just wash my hands with this. Weird huh!? But it does clean my dishes well too!

Of course I could ramble about this stuff for hours. I haven't tried the Green Works stuff...does it work? I want the inside scoop! Fill me in on good cleaning supplies...and they have to smell semi-descent (my nose is SUPER sensitive). Hopefully by getting this out I will just stick with what I know works instead of always needing to try something new! (A girl can always hope.)

just van.

I love her.

his softer side.

Paul has been collecting blown glass stuff since we got married. It is his one "unmanly" trait. We have never had a place to store any of them(besides in the boxes they came in)...until today! Paul finally got his curio that he has always wanted. It was exciting to unpack all of his stuff. I had forgotten about some of what we had even bought.

Blogs!

I LOVE to blog! I love taking pictures for my blog, coming up with ideas for my blog, reading everyone's blogs...strangers included! Why doesn't everyone blog? Is it people don't want everyone to know their business? Is it people don't think that their lives are interesting? Are they lazy, too busy, what?

I think that everyone should have a blog, at least give it a chance. Even if you don't update every day. It is a convenient way to keep everyone informed. When something exciting happens I just have to tell the story once on my blog, and everyone is updated. It is a great way to vent frustrations, and when people comment I know that I am not alone. It can also be a substitution for a journal too.

Who do you wish had a blog?

Just For A Laugh...

How talented do you have to be to hold the camera, and take a picture of 4 people (you included)? Apparently we aren't very talented, but had a REALLY good laugh while doing it. It officially took 5 pictures to get us all in, but I deleted one. =)

I'm glad that I work with people that want to be big kids, just like me. We laugh and actually have fun while working believe it or not. Technically Emily doesn't work with us anymore, but she will always be apart of the office.

Goodbye =(

For some odd reason (wink) Emily has decided to leave me for the summer to work in Arizona! She said that I wouldn't miss her...little does she know. I'm already going to be experiencing this weekend an "Idaho Day" without her! Tear. Love you girly! I WILL miss you, and thanks for the Rio!

Willey Great Work!

One More Thing Checked Off The List...

We finally got the counter tops!! Yeah! Only a couple of more things to do, and I am officially calling it quits for awhile! I NEED a break from the STRESS!!

Evonne's Rambling's

After this post you will realize just how random I really am. Don't ask me where this subject came from, but I haven't stopped thinking about it for the past 24-48 hours. It is time to let it out.

You know when someone ruins a name? Like when you are picking a name for your child, or someone else is...they say the name...and you think "I knew someone in high school with that name AND he cheated on me"...well you can't name your kid that now. You get the idea, right?

Have you ever met another Evonne...not Yvonne or Yuvon...an Evonne? Okay, so I was named after my Grandma Yuvon. My parents put a little spin on it, and came up with Evonne. I have never once met another one of my kind. Of course my name has never been in the top 100 baby names (that I know of) and its obviously not very cutsie. I have always thought those were the reasons my name is so uncommon, but is it really because I am ruining the name? Have you ever thought of that? When someone is picking the name for their child...and the wife says, " Evonne, what do you think?" The husband replies, "I knew a girl named Evonne in high school and she was a huge gossip...I don't think so!"

The question is this; are you doing a disservice to your name or are you living up to its full potential? Would people who know you give their child your name or would they be dissuaded based on how you are living your life?

We are goin' way back...

Last night at work I am minding my own business...just doin' some blog browsing. I run across this AMAZING blog. Made me laugh. made me cry. made me think! I decide I'll make a comment...admit I'm blog stalking, and tell her she is amazing. Here is where the story gets interesting. She replies back, and says "Did you go to Bennion Jr High?" WHAT!! I know this person...Random right!? Small world!! I was speechless... she remembered me from oh let's just say 15 years ago. The class we had together and everything.

This post is going somewhere I promise. =) So, I don't have as good of a memory as Kim. I had to get the dreaded year books out, and take a looksy! What do you know I do REMEMBER her! I realize again how horrible my memory is.

Okay, okay...so here is where it's going to get funny. I want everyone to dig through their pictures...find one of yourself in elementary, jr. high, and high school. The one's that people will remember you by. =) Post away. This could be funny! I'll start it...here goes nothing. Go ahead and laugh and even make fun of me. It's okay!

This is around 4th or 5th grade. Could my glasses have been any bigger? They are actually cutting my fat cheeks in two!

This is 9th grade. I actually still can't figure out why I let my Dad cut my hair so I looked like I had a mullet (sp).

You have gotta love the 90's. Who doesn't have a Glamour Shot? My best friend and I got these done I think Junior year or late Sophmore!

This is the last one...I promise!

I saw this on one of my "blog browsing" days. I thought that it would be not only adorable for Savannah's scrap book, but a fun memory. All of the poses were Savannah's ideas...I didn't do anything, but take the pictures! =) Turned out pretty cute huh? You can actually click on it to see it a bit bigger.

Picture Tag

My First Job...

My Favorite Place...

My Favorite Food...

My Favorite Color...

A Nickname Of Mine...

Just take the B off and add a V instead of Y...and you have my nickname of Evonce! =)
A place I will visit...

How Old Will I Be On My Next Birthday...


Tag You Are It!!

Savannah's Daddy!

Savannah's Daddy is AWESOME!

day 5 june 13th

This was definitely our relaxing day. We went to see Kung Fu Panda, went swimming, and were vegetables! It was LOVELY! We found a cheap mexican restaurant for dinner, and walked to Cheesecake Factory for dessert. I actually tried a new one...Snicker...Yummo! It was a great way to end a wonderful week!!

day 4 june 12th

This was our 2nd day in Disneyland/California Adventure. We started one of those smashed penny collections, and we were able to finish up the rest of our collector book. It was something fun for us to hunt for in the parks.
Savannah and I went and saw Disney Playhouse Live on Stage. It was interactive, and fun. Jacob and I went on some BIG rides together. One of the rides that Paul refused to go on that Jacob really wanted to ride I went on. I was a little nervous I'll admit...it had throw up splash guard things on the seats. Gross! Why would anyone want to ride this one??! It definitely wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.
Paul had some time with just Savannah, and seemed to enjoy it. They went and saw Muppets 3D and did some rides. Paul bought everyone a Mickey Mouse icecream...it is a must to make the Disneyland experience complete. =)
I do have to say that I was most fascinated by the Bug's Life area. The rides were clever, and it was not as busy as Disneyland. Savannah and I were able to get on and off rides with no wait. The Bug's Life 3D is a must!!
I really got in to the parades. We went to the Pixar Play Parade, and the Disney Parade of Dreams to end our adventure. This is where we finally met up with Arial after much searching the parks. =)
This was the first night that Savannah didn't sleep through the fireworks. We had a balcony at our hotel so it was nice to not have to fight the crowds.
If you didn't notice Savannah's little sad face in the picture above...she was literally a 1/2 inch too small to go on most rides. She was so upset, and would cry every time they wouldn't let her on a ride. She wanted to do all the big scary rides with the boys. I had to photograph this. Next year when we go she definitely will be big enough (or I'm going to put her in high heels!).

day 3 june 11th

We made the drive to San Diego for Sea World. Paul and Jacob right when we arrived decided to go on the roller coaster. Little did they know they would get absolutely soaked!! This put a damper on the day, along with Savannah being a complete brat at first. =)

We all saw the Shamu Believe Show. Savannah and I sat in the "Shamu Splash Zone", and Paul and Jacob had already had enough of getting wet so they sat way above us. We didn't get very wet, which I didn't complain about.

They have the Sesame Street area at Sea World. I think this is new, but I'm not really sure. It's basically a water park area (wish I would have known to bring swimming suits). Savannah was able to meet Bert & Ernie and Cookie Monster.

Every concession stand had these HUGE pickles they put on sticks. Weird! Well, Paul is great at teasing Jacob...so, I decided to join in the teasing. Paul had told me that Jacob said that if he had one that he would never be able to eat another pickle in his life. I went straight to one of those stands, and surprised him with his very own HUGE pickle. We all had a good laugh about it. Paul, Savannah, and I ended up eating the pickle. It was surprisingly delicious!

The temple was only about 10 minutes away from Sea World. We made a quick trip down memory lane. We hadn't been back to this temple since the day we were married. It was way more beautiful than we both remembered. I don't think that you have time to think about much on your wedding day. =)
We got back to the hotel, and decided that we needed to end this day on a good note. We walked down to the famous Bubba Gumps for shrimp. Paul, Savannah, and Jacob all had the fried shrimp. I chose a pulled pork sandwich with onion rings on it...FABULOUS. As you can tell food is my friend!!

day 2 June 10th

This was our first day at Disneyland/California adventure. We split up so Paul and Jacob could go on the big rides, and Savannah and I could get to meeting all the characters. It took the boys a little time to figure out how the fast pass works, but they caught on and were able to ride a lot of the big rides.
Savannah and I went on the famous tea cups and dumbo to start out. =) We waited in multiple lines to meet and take pictures with the characters. We saw Aurora, Mickey, Cruella, Cinderella & her step sisters, Belle, Snow White & all her 7 dwarfs, Captain Hook, Peter Pan, Prince Charming (hottie), and we can't forget Cinderella's mice. I'm not joking when I say Savannah and I made a GREAT friend in every line to make the time pass quickly. Everyone was so friendly...Paul said of course people are nice they are on vacation!

We went to Fairytale land where Belle told all the kids a story, and then Savannah got to dance with Snow White. Belle gave her a princess crown with stickers, and I don't think that came off her head for the rest of the day. They really do make the kids feel so special.

Savannah and I ate the AWESOME $6 corn dogs. I have never tasted one that was SO good. We rode on the Monorail and train around the park. This place is amazing!

To end the night Savannah and I went to the Electrical Parade in California Adventure. I wish that my pictures turned out a little better. It was awesome. Savannah got a cool necklace that flashed lights, and a Mikey Mouse wand that played music and flashed lights too. Savannah met a new little friend at the parade named Maricelli...Savannah sat on her mom's lap the whole time. It was super cute!

I think that the most exciting thing about day 2 all of this aside...is Savannah conquered her fear of water! Yeah! She swam with no help from anyone. I wanted to cry, because I was so happy!

day 1 June 9th

We got off to a great start, and only had to stop once in St. George for a potty break and breakfast. We arrived early in California, and were able to check in early to the hotel. We quickly got showered, and were ready to explore!! We figured out how cool Downtown Disney was, and how many souvenir's we were not going to be able to live without.

We had reservations at Goofy's Kitchen, and it was money well spent! The food was better than I thought...prime rib, salmon, popcorn shrimp (Savannah's all time fav), tons of good salads, and Savannah tried the PB & J pizza. We got our picture taken with Pluto as a group...turned out really cute so we bought it. Savannah played the drums with Goofy, and did the macarena with a ton of different characters. Overall we were able to meet Pluto, Goofy, Chip & Dale, Mulan, Rafiki, Alice, and Minnie! Very fun!

Savannah was exhausted after this, and the boys had to carry her back to the hotel asleep. She slept right through the amazing fireworks. Paul and Jacob were not ready to call it a night so I stayed with her and relaxed.

So Many Emily's...So Little Time!

It must be the name Emily that attracts me. I have my sister Emilie, My BFF...Emily, my co-worker Emelee, and the one I call Weird Emily to keep them all straight! =) Weird Emily came to my house today, and we were able to catch up. It has been forever. I remember coming back from maternity leave, and she had started in the Customer Service department while I was gone. I thought who is this crazy woman that actually dresses like Rainbow Bright at work. We of course hit it off right away, because I love colorful people like myself...and she had a daughter named Savannah too! I'm glad for all of the Emily's in my life!

Emily took us down to her church so show us the tile job her husband had done...this isn't my house! =)

P.S. My Mom always told me that babies like big boobs...look at where her finger is. I guess it is true!

"The Savannah's"

My Blinds!

There was a few bumps getting the blinds installed today, but I am one happy camper! I love the way they look, and that my neighbors can't watch us eat dinner everyday! =)

Copperton Park...is the BEST!

We met up with Amber, Grayson, and Alora at the Copperton Park. It ended up being a lot of work, with a few episodes of crying! All in all, this is the BEST park with lots of fun stuff for the kids! I took sooo many pictures I couldn't decide which one's were the cutest!

Jacob arrived!

We are excited that Jacob (Paul's little brother) is here to stay with us for 2 weeks, and go to Disneyland. Although he arrived safely, he has no luggage! We hope it arrives before we leave (cross your fingers).

Savannah of course is adjusting well to a new playmate!

Friday's are FaBulOus!

This week has finally come to an end...Yahoo! After having two melt downs (one at home, and one at work) I am so happy to say I get the next 9 days off! Disneyland here we come!

Why is it that we as women put so much pressure on ourselves to be EVERYTHING?! What I mean by this is the best wife, the best Mommy, the best chef, the best house keeper, the hottest woman on the block, the best decorator, the best entertainer, etc. Why is it that we can't just excel in a couple of things, and think we have accomplished something?

After months of exercise, and losing 45 pounds I'm still not happy with my body shape. Shocking huh!? I asked myself this question...at what point do you stop worrying morning and night about this "problem", and just think dang I'm beautiful 45 pounds lighter?! =) Easier said than done.

Ever since I was young (like 5 years old, maybe even earlier than that) I have wanted to be a Mommy. Now that I am one, I am constantly second guessing why I thought that I would be good at it! I find myself not having the patience that I thought that I would have, and either being too hard on her or the complete opposite of that. I find myself saying that she really should be an only child. Who would have thought that Evonne of all people wouldn't want any more children!? Paul is baffled, because this is something that has never happened in 9 years of marriage. I am sure at some point that "baby hungry" feeling will come back...who knows how soon, and Savannah is just getting bigger by the day. I feel this pressure that we have to have our children a certain amount of years apart like everyone else. Why do I feel pressure? Why would I care what everyone else thinks, and actually make a decision based on what someone else wants, right?!

The installer is coming tomorrow to put our blinds up. This morning I came this complete "beast" (to put it nicely) to Savannah, because she wasn't cooperating. I wanted everything to be spotless so this complete stranger doesn't think we are slobs. Why do I care what he thinks? Will I even see this guy again in my life? Again the pressure that I put on myself.

Okay, I think that I'm definitely done ranting. Thanks for enduring my post! I hopefully will be able to use a computer at the hotel in Disneyland...no pictures though. At least I won't drop off the face of the earth for a complete week.

Thankful Thursday!

As I was trying to come up with something to blog about this morning I decided

how many little things make me so happy and that I'm thankful for!

So, here is a little glimpse in to Evonne's Simple Life!

*The rain...so I don't have to spend $$ on watering my lawn! =)

*Joshua Radin (singer, and new fav) in the car...blasting of course!

*The TANNING bed...not only gives me peace and quiet for 25 minutes,

but tan fat always looks better than white fat!

*Buttery salt and cracked black pepper popcorn...sounds gross, so good!

Ask Emily about it!

*Chocolate animal crackers...so cheap, and delicious!

*Savannah snuggling with me in the morning. It makes me sleep so much better.

*New underwear! Doesn't it make you feel so much better,

and maybe even a little sexier?

*My cell phone! (How did I live so long without one, so convenient!)

*I love Clorox wipes, and honestly can go through about 1 container a week!

*When Savannah listens the first time I ask! THE BEST!

*Being healthy. (After months of feeling like I wasn't myself, it's nice to be back!)

*Not cooking!

*Magic Erasers...they get anything off, and I have the mop too!

(Thanks to Amber and the coloring on the tile episode with Savannah!)

*My camera =)

Honestly my list could be endless.

There are so many things that I know I take for granted.

I really am thankful for everything I have!

Reader!

Why didn't anyone inform me until yesterday about google.com/reader? One word...SWEET! I love this feature, and will be FOREVER changed because of it!! =)
Does anyone else have any blogging secrets that they are keeping from me? Do tell! I can't say I have an addiction to something, and not even know about google reader! What kind of blogger am I?!

Before & After

After living in a town home for 5+ years...this house has been a lot of work! I have taken tons of photo's along the way (surprise, surprise!). I realized while looking at all of the pictures how far it has come since we first moved in (Sept '07). After getting motivation again from the photo's we headed off to Home Depot. I'm anxious for our next round of projects, and I am feeling renewed. Ask me how I feel at the end of this week...I just might not feel as motivated!

I just added this picture in, because I thought Savannah looked cute!

Memory!

I remember being newly married, in Hawaii, and of course being poor! We splurged on a few outrageously priced things, and thought we maybe would regret them. Over 9 years later I think I should have spent more money. =) (This picture is the 18 year old Evonne on Waikiki Beach!)



My biggest dream was to ride an elephant. Every time the circus came to town I would tell Paul that is all I wanted to do. While in Wisconsin (of all places) driving down a main street...there off the side of the road was elephant rides. For $5 ( I think that is how much I spent?) I got to live out one of my biggest dreams. And might I add that I was like 7 months pregnant with Savannah. Don't regret it, and it was cheap!! It had to be one of my best memories of Wisconsin (besides my awesome baby shower that was at Dale and Jenny's).

Today I made our reservations for Goofy's Kitchen Character Dinner. At $39.64 a person the question came to me...What price do we pay to make an awesome memory? I don't know the answer. Just posing the question for everyone.