Just DandE

3 years!

2010-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Three years is not a long time when you have eternitty to spend with one another, but I am grateful for every moment of our marriage--from January 6th, 2007 to forever! Love you baby! xoxoxo

Fall Things

2009-11-01T05:39:00.001-08:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted! Fall has been a really busy time for us, and it seems like it's just flown by! Here it is the first day of November and I still feel like I should be running around in a tank top an shorts like I was in my last entry. That's total wishful thinking on my behalf though, because if I did that now, I'm pretty sure I'd be fighting some frostbite!

Here's what we've been up to, September and October:

Finally moved into our new house! More pics are coming of the work we put into this place to make it our home--I promise!

But for now, here are some outside shots...
We have a huge yard in the front and back, which I love. But that also means LOTS of leaf raking! It's a good work out though!

We celebrated Christopher's birthday in early October with mini cupcakes and sibling bonding.
I dyed my hair RED
And we went to my first ever Utah Utes football game. I can officially say I am a superfan now since it rained on us the whole time AND the game went into OT.
You can't tell, but I have like four coats on in this picture, plus a blanket, plus a husband to keep me warm. It was necessary.

Hopefully I will be able to squeeze in another post, or several, before I have to do a winter recap! xoxo

First 10k

2009-08-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

I did it! I finished my race today in 55:57:4, 53rd out of 376 runners--I can't believe it! Thanks, everyone for your support, especially my hubby and my sister, who was the first to hug me as I reached the end.
It was definitely an amazing feeling to cross the finish line. Now that I've proven to myself that I can run (in front of other people), there may or may not be more races in my future. We'll see :)

Happy Birthday Baby!

2009-08-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm a day late and a dollar short, but Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband Dustin! Not that he minds either the day or the dollar due to our cheap-skate nature and the fact that he doesn't really love birthdays as much as I do. :)

Anyway, to celebrate my baby's last year in his 20's, there was some of this...

some of these...

(homemade quadruple dark chocolate cupcakes, dubbed the Chocolate Overload by D. Fancy, no?)

dinner at our favorite Mexi place.

and then we went home and went to sleep like the two old farts we are. We just can't keep up with the young whippersnappers these days. 29 is the new 59. Ha Ha. Just kidding Mom!

Rockin St. George

2009-07-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend was ROCKIN......thanks to the hospitality of my brother and sister in law down in hotter than h*ll St. George, Utah. Luckily, we picked the hottest days of the year so far to travel down--the median temperature was 100 degrees with the highs around 115, so when I say that we were a hot mess, I'm not kidding.

We went hiking though Zion National Park and it was gorgeous. Here's my hot mess self and the hubs.

What are we doing in the river, you ask? Well, there's actually a killer hike called The Narrows where you typically walk through a little drizzly stream for a few miles. Evidently the run-off is a tad high this year. We actually waded knee-deep before realizing that we were about to go swimming if we trekked any farther, so we turned around and hiked this instead.

The Emerald Pools

This is us at the end...all dried up, parched and prickly. Just kidding. We survived continued to rock out all weekend. Thanks Kit and Liz!

Letter #8

2009-07-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Peeps at the Gym,
Find the balance. I don't want to smell your BO, but I don't want to smell your cheap-ass vanilla body spray or your knock-off Axe Expressions. Deodorant will suffice. P.S. Note to gym staff: I don't want to smell anyone cooking BACON in your little break room microwave either. That's just cruel. Keep your sodium packed, nitrate laced deliciousness to yourself. I would just wold my breath, but that's impossible while I'm trying to workout for Pete's sake.
Emily

SLC = Compton

2009-06-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

Apparently i live in the hood now.
Check out this monkey business.
Yikes.

Adventures in Housesitting

2009-06-23T20:28:00.001-07:00

Last week, Dustin and I had the opportunity to house and puppy sit for my good friend and ex-boss. She figured it would be great for us to try out being home and doggy owners for a week, just to make sure we were up to the challenge. I have to say, being in a house with a kitchen (albeit a small one) and backyard and neighborhoods with actual sidewalks THAT YOU CAN WALK ON, did indeed make me want a house even more.

Not to mention that I'm already pining for my little puppy (don't worry, she probably doesn't miss me that much--she goes where the treats are).

Probably the best thing about the house was that we were able to use the barbeque grill. There is nothing Dustin and I like to do more than throw a little flame at our food, so we seriously grilled almost every single day we stayed there. We had to have some non-grill days to eat all our yummy leftovers!

We loved our adventures in housesitting, but for now, we'll have to carry on with the much less glamorous adventures of househunting!

Utah Weather

2009-06-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

Utah weather--loves it. And by love, I mean it exasperates.

Yes, this is hail the size of a dime on my husband's poor little tomato plants, and yes, the sun is shining at the same time.

Awesome. But if you'll recall, you just have to expect this sort of thing in June.

Why I'm in love with my husband

2009-06-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had kind of a crummy day. What does Dustin do? Not flowers, not candy. Nope, he takes me to Target. *sigh* Isn't he amazing?

You never know what you'll find...

2009-06-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Browsing offbeat little markets is one of my favorite pastimes, and my husband is indulgent enough to come with me every once in a while like he did this evening. You never know what you'll find there, and tonight I found this:
Ok, maybe I'm just immature, but I thought it was hilarious. I'm not usually one for potty humor, but c'mon! How can you not laugh at this?! Those batty Brits!
P.S. You'll notice, it's also microwaveable...how convenient--and quite the bargain at $5.75!

Adventures in Food Storage

2009-06-09T13:10:00.000-07:00

My husband and his family have an odd obsession with food storage. Not that I don't appreciate it--if there's ever a natural disaster, or escalating gas prices force the minimization of food transport to WalMart--we're totally set. If you ever need some canned tomatoes or whole wheat rotini, you just let me know!

So, anyhow, when we went up to Vernal last weekend for D's beautiful sister's graduation, my mother-in-law thought it would be tons of fun to host a little canning party. Well, tons of fun it was, and I have the pictures, as well as 36 cans of assorted grain mix to prove it!

To begin:

Here's Dustin operating the "heavy machinery:"

Our final product:

In case you're wondering, it's an awesome workout to bend and scoop oats out of 6 ginormous bags into little tin cans and then lift them into your car. ;)

I know there's a facetious tone to this post, but we really did have a great time, and we really appreciate all the emergency food supplies. For more interesting adventures in food preparation click here to see what else I got to experiment with!

Grammar

2009-05-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

So funny. What's wrong with this picture? Can you tell? Clearly the designer, proofreader and publisher could not. Someone's getting fired for this one!

Requirements

2009-05-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to get very self-indulgent massage. While I waited, I was asked to fill out the standard information forms. One question asked: "What qualities would you like in a massage therapist?" Well, after a great deal of thought, I wrote down only one thing...not creepy!

I think this is an excellent requirement, and really, it makes all the difference.

Bar Review #4

2009-04-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

Clif Nectar Cherry Pomegranate Very chewy! HUGE chunks of roasty-tasting cashews. Definitely tastes like the ingredients listed (all organic-- dates, cashews, sour cherries, pomegranate concentrate)-like eating a handful of dried cherries and nuts. Tart, very cherry flavor. Pleasantly sweet. Not really being a fan of Cliff bars, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this bar. I will for sure buy this kind again and I’m looking forward to trying some of the other flavors. Ingredients: 5 g fat, 7 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Bar Review # 3

2009-04-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Coco Mole Lara Bar
I love lara bars for a lot of reasons. They are so dense, with very minimal processing and ingredients! This one has 6: dates, almonds, walnuts, unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and chili. I actually found a whole almond in this one! This bar is definitely an interesting combo with the chocolate and chili, but I love the spiciness.

Lara bars typically have a lot of fat in them, but it’s all “healthy” from the nuts, so it’s a great source of those omega 3’s! I usually have just a half of one at a time because they are so nutritionally compact, but each full bar contains 9 g fat, 5 g fiber and 4 g protein.

Bar Review #2

2009-04-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

Gnu Glavor and Fiber Bar-Cinnamon Raisin Flavor
Gnu (say it like "new") bars are actually some of my favorite bars and I eat them pretty frequently. They have several flavors, but the Cinnamon Raisin one is by far the best tasting. Super chewy with kind of a nutty taste and really cinnamon-y. Whole raisins, whole oats (which is nice if you like to be sure what your eating) and crunchy little millet pieces. Whopping 12 grams of fiber, but not much protein or anything else, really. They sure are yummy, though, and will definitley help you meet your 25 g/day quota--oh yeah, and banish post-workout hunger pangs until lunch time!

Any way you slice it...

2009-04-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

Cutting up pineapples is messy business. Ever since Hawaii, though, I am in love with them and have to purchase them every time they're on sale (I got 3 for $5 one time!!!). Anyhow, all this fruit finagling has allowed me to become quite the expert on the most efficient way to prepare this rather prickly thing. Observe:

Pineapple in the raw:First, rip off the top. Trust me, it's not that hard :)

Then, slice off the top and bottom so you have a flat surface
Next, slice off strips of the rind all the way around
You then have all these little eye things, so...
You have to pop 'em out. Sounds violent, I know. But you have to do it unless you enjoy tearing your tongue to shreds while you're eating. Which I do not.

When you are finished de-eyeing your pineapple, cut it into halves
Quarters
And strip the core. You really just have to take off a little bit.

Finally, cut into cubes. Ta-Dah!
The End.

Bar Review #1

2009-04-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows more than my first name knows that I'm a very healthy eater. I've been trying to get more nutrients into my diet lately, and have started to incorporate more snacks into my schedule. In the name of convenience, I end up eating a lot of quick things like health bars. So I've decide to start featuring health bar reviews as a regular part of my blog entries, which may also help me to post a little more regularly as well!

My main criteria in a bar is that it is healthy (of course) and provides a good balance of fiber and protein for satiety since that's the main point of a snack--to keep you full. There are millions of bars out there, but my additional complicating factor is that the bars I eat must be soy free. I am pretty sensitive to soy products, and unfortunately, soy proteins are found in the majority of bars.

While I am pretty picky about the way my food is prepared, I will eat/try almost anything that is good for you and not too fatty, so I end up making some fairly adventurous choices sometimes. I'll take the tasting risk here so you don't have to--you can just buy the good stuff!

I hope you enjoy this first bar review :) P.S. Steph, if you end up reading this, try not to gag!

Re Bar
Surprisingly tart with mainly dried fruit-ish flavors--not the 17 or so vegetables listed on the back. Soft, with a good bite quality. This bar is 100%ORGANIC, gluten-free, dairy free, GMO free, and most importantly, soy free! I usually try to select bars with a little fat in them since I don't get it from many other sources, and helps to hold me over for a little longer, so we'll see how this one does in terms of longevity between my snack now (11:20) and lunch (who knows??*) This bar has 6 g fiber, but only 2 g protein. I also liked that this bar tastes pretty sweet, but has no added sugar, not even the "healthy" ones they try to sneak in there all the time like brown rice syrup or cane juice. The only drawback was a slightly bitter aftertaste, but that went away as soon as I brushed my teeth. Overall, I liked this bar quite a bit and would probably purchase it again.

*I ended up eating lunch a little before 3:00, and I was starving by then, but I didn't get a hunger rumble til about 2, so not that bad there!

I've learned one thing...

2009-04-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

...I DO NOT like the opera.

Pink DON'T

2009-04-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm a big fan of pink. But this is just wrong. In the name of all things that SHOULD be pink, please do not ever dye your animal pink. All things pink are a DO, according to me, but this is a big pink DON'T!

Poor baby!

What I love about Sunday

2009-04-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

It's Easter!

This Easter was especially joyous for my family and me. After spending two weeks in the hospital following a brain aneurysm (I call it his "little brain fart"), my dad was released today and was able to go back to Wyoming! Personally, I'm surprised he didn't bust out sooner since all he could drink was nasty blue Powerade and they kept waking him up every six minutes, but I guess he had the good sense to stay put (that, and he had like twenty IVs all jumbled in his arm, which certainly makes escape more difficult).

Dustin and I were very glad to be able to spend a few hours with my family--our first Easter together in four years, as my brother pointed out. I'm truly grateful for all the love that my family has felt and received lately and for our closeness in these difficult times. As much as Easter is about new beginnings, it was very fitting for my dad to be sent home today, along with his new lease on a healthy life.

I'm very thankful for my faith and all the prayers that have given me strength and hope. I know that I have had my savior by my side and that He has carried my family through this trial.

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...

Beach Bum

2009-03-22T18:29:00.001-07:00

I realize I've been quite the slacker lately when it comes to blogging! Everything has been so crazy at work, plus....we were getting ready to go on the all-time greatest trip ever--Hawaii! So here are some gorgeous pics to make up for all the non-blogging I've done. I'll try to live more post-worthy life now that I'm back in the real world :(

*Sigh* I miss my flip flops!

Hotter than Beyonce

2009-03-04T07:54:00.001-08:00

This is awesome and has just totally made my day! This man is hotter than Beyonce! Love him. LOVE HIM! Thanks Steph

25 Things

2009-02-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

I got tagged a billion times to do this on Facebook, and a couple times on other blogs as well, so here you go. It should be fascinating. Just kidding :)
I thought it would be kind of difficult to think of 25 things about myself, but it turns out it was pretty easy since I'm so idiosyncratic.

1) I use a really excessive amount of hairspray. It is my favorite beauty product.
2) I love to travel and have been to 40 out of the 50 states and visited 4 foreign counties. My favorite vacay spots are San Diego and Atlantic Beach in North Carolina. My mom and dad took us on road trips every summer and spring break that I can remember and we always visited my family in Pennsylvania and Maine and lots of other cool places like New York City and Washington D.C.
3) There are a lot of foods that I don’t eat or won’t eat, but very few that I actually dislike. Two of those foods: Mayonnaise and shredded coconut. Sick. Oddly enough, I enjoy the smell of coconut and coconut flavoring, but shredded coconut makes me want to gag. I also hate hot chocolate. Seriously, what a waste of chocolate.
4) I love to go grocery shopping. I used to go every Sunday with my dad and now I go every Friday by myself, but I still love to do it!
5) I don’t like ice in anything. Room temperature, please.
6) I am obsessed with magazines. I subscribe to at least 6 at all times so that I always have one to read. One of my favorite lazy day activities is to go to Barnes and Noble and just browse the magazine aisle. (My mom thinks this is an illegal activity like shoplifting or something, but I swear it’s not! Everyone does it!)
7) I love to pluck my eyebrows. Like a lot. I have to limit myself!
8) I generally assume people don’t like me and am always kind of amazed to learn otherwise.
9) I have a childish fascination with the color pink. I am 25 years old and would still love to have a pink bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. You could get me anything that was pink and I’d flip out over it. I have tons of pink clothes, accessories, kitchen utensils and lots of other miscellaneous items. A woman in my yoga class said she recognized me solely by the fact that everything I had was pink (water bottle, shirt, shoes, mat, bag).
10) I get “stuck” in the shower a lot. My husband has to come get me or I would literally stay in there all day. I just like that it’s warm and quiet and I can think in there.
11) This will shock anyone who knows me now: I used to eat chunks of plain butter as a kid. I also used to eat saltine cracker and butter sandwiches, a trick I learned from my Grandpa.
12) Until I went to college, I had never eaten Ramen noodles, Pop Tarts, Taco Bell or macaroni and cheese from a box. I thank my roommate Janay for all these additions to my diet. Incidentally, I don’t think I have actually eaten any of these foods since I graduated.
13) Most times, I really don’t mind being by myself.
14) My biggest academic achievement is the thesis that I wrote for my Gender Studies minor my senior year of college. I logged a whole semester’s worth of comparison research to create an 80 + page paper on the portrayal of women and negative imagery in magazine advertisements. My second biggest academic achievement would be graduating high school. A true feat considering that I probably did not attend a full day of school my entire senior year…or maybe my junior year either.
15) I vastly prefer to watch movies at home instead of in a theater. I get too bored and annoyed sitting in a cramped little chair for two hours surrounded by people I don’t know who eat their popcorn way too loud.
16) My dream job is to run a bakery. Not own, because that would be too much pressure, but I would truly enjoy waking up extra early and spending my morning baking bread and frosting cupcakes.
17) I really, truly, actually like vegetables. Ok I LOVE them. Broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, peppers—yummy! I usually prefer to eat all my food in salad form. Just put a scoop of stir-fry over some steamed veggies and I’m set. Leave the tortillas; I’ll just take the fajita mix. Who needs a turkey sandwich when you can have a turkey salad? It’s strange, I know.
18) I absolutely must wear sunglasses during the day (and sometimes at night) if there is even the tiniest speck of sunlight or I will be blinded. I prefer the ginormous bug eye ones—the bigger the better. Plus it’s good for staring at people.
19) My family members and my husband are my best friends.
20) I am the only person I know who has broken their nose by falling on their face.
21) I really like sour stuff. I used to eat whole lemons when I was little (yes, in addition to the butter—what a weird kid!). I love pickles or anything that is pickled and vinegar is my favorite condiment.
22) My earliest memory is of me sitting in a high chair smearing bananas in my hair and then throwing them on the floor. Brat!
23) I need to have dessert every single day.
24) I am super good at old school Nintendo games. I will kick anyone’s ass at Super Mario Brothers or Donkey Kong.
25) My greatest goal is to be a mom.

Two years later...

2009-02-10T06:41:00.000-08:00

Guess who finally changed their name? Yes, that's right, everyone. You can now officially call me what I've already been calling myself since January 6th, 2007: Emily Brown Wallis. Plus I got to do a fancy photo shoot at the DMV. So hot.

Birthday Princess

2009-02-04T04:52:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to be the first one to wish myself a Happy Birthday! This is my favorite holiday of the year--a day that's actually supposed to be totally abut me! I'm wishing for a pony, a jumbo pack of Happy Hair Bump Its, a never ending bowl of salad and possibly some Botox. I am turning 25 after all :)

All you big hair haters...

2009-01-30T06:28:00.001-08:00

...need to check this out! I can't believe I didn't know about this revolutionary product before. Big Happie Hair Bump Its are the new asymmetrical bob--everyone must go out and get one immediately. I bet they sell millions of these in Texas and Alabama...and to moi. I'm getting one. Seriously. And so is everyone who has ever mocked my huge-ormous hair. There's no turning back to 'normal' hair once you know the truly transformative powers of the pouf!

Letter #7

2009-01-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr. President,
Congratulations. It’s nice to know we’re on the same page. Yesterday, you said :

“We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.”
No kidding.

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.”
I certainly hope so.

Let’s also hope that you are as good a president as you are a media celebrity. You may have managed to secure the adoration of the masses by appearing on Access Hollywood and listing your 7 Marriage Tips in Women’s Health, but remember what your real job is.

Now get to work.

Good luck,
Emily

P.S. As much as I’m not convinced that you’re the next JFK, I am convinced that your wife is the next Jackie-O. Please support her in continuing to make remarkable style choices.

This was me...

2009-01-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

...snowboarding this weekend
Just kidding. It was really more like this:

But we had an awesome time, and after the first run, I actually didn't even fall too much. And considering what a scaredy-cat I am when it comes to anything that could even remotely be dangerous (like water slides!), it's a miracle I'm able board at all. Getting off the lift, however, is a different story :)

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-01-06T06:54:00.001-08:00

Today, Dustin and I have officially been married for two years! In honor of our special day, I wanted to post some pretty wedding pictures, but I was running really late this morning and forgot to grab the disc. Instead, here is a hilarious picture of us doing our best impersonation of White-Trash Barbie and Vernal Utah Ken. This also happened to be the first time Dustin met my Dad...and my Dad let us get married anyway.

I'm so grateful for a husband with a never-ending sense of humor, who lets me post pictures like this on our blog and doesn't get mad; who is endlessly patient with me and my shenanigans, lets me order all kinds of crazy health food online, allows me to stock our freezer with 5 different kinds of ice cream because I couldn't make up my mind at the store, who is so smart, loving, an amazing example and makes sure I'm always taken care of. I love you baby. Happy Anniversary.

Two Christmases

2008-12-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

Wow, I am one spoiled girl! I got to have two Christmases this year, and it was fantastic! Dustin and I celebrated with my family the weekend before the actual holiday. We felt very blessed to have my parents, grandma and bother and sister join us for church, lunch and way too many presents on Sunday. I think it was a little hard for my brother since we were mostly the ones getting gifted, but we got to hand out our gifts to everyone,too.

As you can see, we get pretty excited about presents in my family.

Dustin and I definitely got the best gift of all--a Wii! I have been obsessed with the Wii ever since playing it at my sister's house this summer. I love, love the boxing game and will kill anyone at it. I'm also happy to report that my tennis skills are improving enough to sometimes beat Dustin and not get totally creamed. Unfortunately, I don't think Wii tennis skills translate all that well into real tennis...

We spent the actual holiday in good ole freezing-ass cold Vernal with the other half of our family. All the kids were home this Christmas decking the halls with our holiday PJ's (thanks Tami!) and hanging our stockings with care.

We also all got matching fleece pullovers. Aw...how sweet!

I got to cook my first turkey all by myself, and it turned out pretty well. I'm so lucky to have people who let me experiment my cooking on them. I love hanging out with Wallis' and especially playing card games with them. The sibling rivalry really heats up and I couldn't even worry about winning--I was more concerned about walking away with all my fingers intact and not peeing my pants from laughing too hard.

Wow, look at those ears. Yes, these are my real ears and no, I'm not one of Santa's elves.

Also, the best present next to the Wii and being with family....

I got my braces off!! Whoo hoo! Now I can eat all the popcorn I want and not have people hand me the kid's menu when I go out to eat (but maybe I'll ask for it anyway because I like to color).

Hope your holidays were merry and bright, too!

Really, Rudolph?

2008-12-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

This morning on my way to work, I saw a car decorated as a reindeer. Not kidding. It had big fuzzy antlers sticking out of the front windows and a red nose on the front bumper. Just call me a mean little Grinch with all the sweetness of a seasick crocodile, but that's not holiday spirit, it's tacky...and probably a safety hazard.

Lady Marmalade

2008-12-10T14:31:00.001-08:00

OK, so don't make fun of me, but I'm totally turning into Little House on the Prairie or something! I am so excited about my activities of the last weekend that I just have to share. On Saturday, my sister and I spent the entire afternoon doing two things: knitting! and making marmalade! In case you were wondering, marmalade is an English-style fruit preserve, usually made with citrus, or in my case, pineapple (yummy!).

We used two huge pots for all the ingredients. If you look closely in the first picture, you can see the orange peel and cinnamon (don't worry, you pull those out at the end). It had to cook for like two hours and we had to get up from our knitting and stir it about every 2 minutes. It smelled so AMAZING, which is a good thing because I have to repeat the whole process this weekend. After all our hard work, it only made HALF of what is was supposed to in the end! So I'll be putting on my Christmas music and busting out the knitting again to complete my little home on the range. If you need me, you'll have to contact me by Pony Express messenger and make all inquiries for Lady Marmalade--that's me (only no prostitutes, just jam!).

Ewwww...

2008-12-03T06:49:00.000-08:00

Two things:
First, I actually was craving chocolate milk yesterday. Gross. I hate milk--my maximum milk consumption is about 2 teaspoons in my green tea every morning and other than that, I never drink it or eat it, even on cereal. And don't even talk to me about chocolate milk because normally I think it's a big fat waste of chocolate. I'd rather EAT my dessert than swig it down. It just sounded SO AMAZING yesterday when I saw it at the grocery store. However I refused to buy it purely upon principle.

Second, Keith Urban has produced a song that I enjoy. Normally I think he is super ridiculous and sounds/looks like a woman. Plus I'm pretty sure we wear the same size pants...and the same style, which makes me gag. Check out his song "Sweet Thing." Maybe it's just me, but I think he sounds less pansy-ass than normal and it's got a very catchy chorus. Ewwww...who am I? I will try to keep both impulses under control, but if you catch me listening to that ridiculous song or imbibing any disgusting dairy drinks, please reprimand me promptly.

Happy Monday

2008-11-24T15:49:00.001-08:00

Well, it's never really a happy Monday, so here are some goofy-ass pics to make your day a little more fun. When D and I were in Vegas a while ago, we visited Madame Taussaud's Wax Museum, which was a major dissapointment. There weren't nearly enough famous "people." I kept wondering who the heck everyone was. Whatev. Just so you don't have to spend the $50 (rip off!), here are the highlights:

Two feisty redheads:

My rockstar baby:

I don't know what that face is supposed to be...

I heart Tim McGraw!

This is my "I hate W" face--just for you mom!

I don't think that's helping...

2008-11-18T07:12:00.001-08:00

OMG! While at the gym yesterday, I witnessed the girl on the machine in front of me seriously crack open a Pepsi while she was working out. And...there was a jumbo candy bar perched on the display, too. What are you even doing?! It was so bizarre. At least she didn't have like a box of doughnuts of something. Then I would have had to go steal one.

Words we make up

2008-11-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favorite games is Scrabble. I’m good at spelling and vocab, and before I met Dustin, I always won. We don’t play very often, but when we do it’s always very fun. We like to play until absolutely all the tiles are used, and we usually refuse to turn in our tiles for new ones. This mostly results in some ridiculous words and word cop-outs, like adding an “s” to the end of a word. Here’s our latest: adding an “er” to the end, i.e. “taxer”—one who taxes, “axer” one who axes. What? That’s a word right?
Here are some others that have come about without the aid of Scrabble:
Ranch Sauce:
(Noun) aka Ranch Dressing
This is Dustin’s creation since I think ranch is disgusting and would never eat it. Somehow, he thinks ranch sauce sounds more appealing than ranch dressing.

Skankily:
(adverb) Trashy, slutty. As in, “that girl sure was dressed skankily.”

Crunchy:
(adverb, adjective, noun, whatever) Used to describe any of several things or traits associated with being overly into nature, sporting activites and disregard for personal hygiene. Often applied to persons seen shopping at REI, wearing Tevas (with or without socks), sipping coffee in Sugarhouse, perusing the dried goods section at Whole Foods, driving a Subaru, or sporting dreads in a carefully crafted attempt to appear socially apathetic (belied by their $500 backpack). This one is mine, and I wasn’t even aware I made it up. I just thought it was commonplace.

You know...

2008-11-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

...sometimes I just want to eat the WHOLE box of banana flavored Teddy Grahams. They're just. that. good.

God Bless America aka VOTE

2008-11-04T07:03:00.000-08:00

I almost didn’t vote. I just couldn’t decide. I felt so overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time due to the complete lack of logic the nation displayed in choosing their candidates—and then the candidates choosing their running mates. What a mess.

With the rise of news media and the internet blaring “election updates” 24/7, I just couldn’t get away from all the hype—or the fact that I couldn’t wholeheartedly endorse either candidate. Every comparison I saw for months held the candidates at virtually the same level on most political issues, the only clear division standing on civil matters.

I was accused of being jaded (thanks Mom), but I can’t help but feel that it won’t matter who becomes elected because the heart of their policies are so similar that by the time any act is dragged through Congress and “porked” to death, we will end up with virtually the same watered-down mediocre policy without any major change. People get all riled up about the “liberal news media” and name-calling and whose funds go where, but all candidates engage in the same dirty, nasty, underhanded behavior regardless of which party line is drawn.

So I researched and researched and made my tick marks on a piece of paper, going back and forth and back and forth until I could form my own logic where the logic of the nation had failed me. After all, you can’t depend on rednecks clinging to their guns and religion, the “liberal news media,” your husband or your mom to formulate your opinion. I did vote. I voted early, and I was proud of my decision and my fulfillment of civic duty. If you haven’t already, please vote—be proud of your decision, too.

Reading

2008-11-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

A looong time ago, I posted about starting to read the Twilight books. With the release of the movie approaching, I thought I should mention that I actually finished all four of them about a month after I started reading. I promised that I would let you know what I thought, but I ended up being fairly disenchanted by them, so I neglected to mention them any further. It’s not that I didn’t like the series—if anything it was a very fun read and a good distraction. Nothing too heavy (or realistic for that matter) and a little silly. I kept having to take silliness breaks. Like, that’s not really happening is it? She’s not really going there, right? She can’t be serious, can she? But, of course, the answer was always yes, and it really was that silly.

With some incredulity, I waded through all four. I did not become seduced by Edward, but I found Jacob to be quite attractive—what can I say? I like big, broad-shouldered guys with inordinate facial hair (love you babe.)

I think the biggest disappointment was Bella. She had the opportunity to be such a strong character, but ended up a little flat for me. I felt like her entire self-worth was based on a pattern of male affection, either from Edward or Jacob, and it was more than slightly off-putting for this Gender Studies thesis minor.

One thing I did love about reading Twilight, though, was that it reminded me how much I adore reading. I mainly read magazines now (which I love, love, love) because I don’t feel like I have time to sit down with a whole story, but I’ve been making time lately, and it feels good. After a couple other wholly unsatisfying book reads between Twilight and today, I finally finished a very good one last night: The Book Thief. Amazing. Read it. Thank you Markus Zusak, for restoring my faith in good writing, and my re-found desire to read more, more, more.

Accessorize

2008-10-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Look what I'm wearing today! This is a big deal because I typically don't wear jewelry at all--just my wedding rings and MAYBE some earrings if I feel like I need a distraction from my face. Dustin's sister, Jessie, made all the girls these for Liz's wedding and I liked it so much, I really wanted to try to wear it again. Perhaps in the future, I'll make an effort to decorate myself a little better, but I wouldn't hold your breath :) Unless someone keeps making me cool jewelry...

Lovely Liz

2008-10-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend, D and I were happy to be down in St. George where it's warm and sunny even in October. We were even happier because Lovely Liz finally got officially added to our family. I'm super excited because I like her a lot--she's completely down-to-earth and totally rad to boot. It's always fun to add more sisters! The wedding was beautiful and a lot more relaxed than I remember mine being (for me anyway!). It was nice to see all the relatives--I'm finally beginning to remember who is who! Here's the day:

These are my other two "added" sisters, pretty Jessie and Sophie:

Here are the Wallis brothers posing next to thier dad's Harley. We had our moments of sadness missing Dustin's dad, but we all knew he was there and this was a great way to remember him.

This is one of my favorite pics of the day--it's pretty reflective of their personalities. Gotta love my strong-man.

Busy

2008-10-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

K, so I haven’t blogged in quite a while, but I’ve been highly occupied with a few things:

Work:
Sometimes it sucks to be in charge of stuff

May the best loser win 2008:
Decisions, decisions…but more on that later.

Weddings:
Everyone who is anyone is getting married October 25th, so there have been lots of showers and gift buying and planning. Unfortunately, D and I can only be in one place at a time, so I’ll miss the pig roasting at my friend Cassidee’s wedding (boo!), but we’ll be making a pit stop in Vegas (yay—buffets!) before heading to St. George for my bro-in-law and lovely Liz’s.

Don't worry, future posts coming very soon.

Cake Guilt

2008-10-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

Definition: the quadrangle that occurs when
A) there is a huge hunk of cake sitting in your refrigerator calling your name and trying to convince you to eat it before it goes bad
B) you want to eat THE WHOLE THING, but are quite aware that THE WHOLE THING contains a bazillion calories
C) you know that your mom will be disappointed and hurt if you avoid temptation by just throwing the darn thing away
D) you go ahead and eat it anyway *sigh*

At least I only ate half THE WHOLE THING. I had to share with the husband (but I did steal some of his frosting).

Happy Birthday Christopher!

2008-10-07T14:59:00.001-07:00

Today is my brother's birthday and he's turning 23 which means that I'll be 25 soon, and that just makes me feel incredibly old! Not that 25 is ancient, but the fact that I've actually been alive that long (and picking on my baby brother for most of that time) seems phenomenal. Our family had the chance to celebrate last Saturday in Ogden--very fun and very yummy thanks to my mom's chocolate cake! Happy Birthday Christopher! I love you.

Letter #6

2008-09-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Giada di Laurentiis,

I know that you are very beautiful and a killer cook, and you are so fantastic that you have your own show on the Food Network (my fave). On Saturday, you were incorporating a little Sicilan-style cooking into your segment and you explained that Sicily is a hot place and people from warm climates like spicy food. Ooookay, but I just wanted to clear one thing up for you: Sicily is not hot because it is close to Africa as you so ridiculously asserted. Sicily and Africa are both hot because they're close to the Equator, not each other. Even I know that.

Sincerely,
Emily

For dinner last night...

2008-09-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

We had a very autumnal meal and it was fabulous: Pork tenderloin with potatoes, roasted pumpkin and baked apples. I am Martha Stewart. Just so you know.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-09-25T09:07:00.001-07:00

I know I'm totally cheesy, dedicating a video, but this one's for you Dad! This song always reminds me of you. I won't tell you how old he is, but I will tell you his favorite quip about aging: "This isn't anything an 18 year old kid with 45 years experience can't do." (So that gives you a clue)You are my hero and I love you. xoxoxo

I looked in the mirror this morning...

2008-09-23T08:41:00.001-07:00

...and after I seared my corneas, it became painfully obvious that I will need to continue the application of self tanner long beyond the summer months in order to avoid also damaging the eyesight of those around me. My apologies to those whose vision has already been irreparably harmed. *sigh*

This is embarrassing…

2008-09-11T12:54:00.001-07:00

But I totally used to LOVE Hootie and the Blowfish. Cracked Rear View was the first CD I ever got, and I even loved it so much that I actually went out and purchased a new one after the old one became scratched beyond all read-ability. So when I heard that Darius Rucker, the lead singer, was back in action, I was very excited! Just the kind of gravelly-voiced, pop-tinged, soul-infused angst country music has been missing. Go Hootie! xoxo

Mt. Olympus

2008-09-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Dustin and I hiked Mt. Olympus. I didn’t really want to go, and Dustin really had to talk me into it because I’m lazy and would rather go to the gym than hike up a humongous mountain. It turned out to be really awesome even though it took about 5 and ½ hours total (which included me waiting impatiently on the way up and falling into a tree on the way down). I have to admit I felt pretty bad-A after scaling all these rocks to get to the tippy top.

P.S. Don’t look at my hair—it’s not poufy in these pics

Letter #5

2008-09-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Clueless Metro Cheeseball in Serious Need of Yoga Class Etiquette,
Ujai breathing is only appropriate if everyone else is doing it. If not, you just sound like some pervry-perv making an obscene phone call. I just thought you’d want to know. Also, don’t match your head bandana to your tank top. It’s just silly.

Namaste,

Emily

Rondez-view? Ew!

2008-09-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like kicking off Labor Day weekend with a trip to the mountains...or the dusty desert. So D and I went to the "mountains" on Saturday, and lo and behold, we encountered some mountain men at the famous Ft. Bridger Mountain Man Rondezvous. This usually isn't my thing, but I thought it would be funny to go, and it was.

First of all, if you ever want to piss off animal-rights activists, this is the place to be:

Miles of fur....

...stacks of skins.

Also the place to be if you want to see a bunch of weirdies dressed like they probably dress in normal life:

Buy some "authentic" mountain man gear:

Big belts are in this season...

And this hat is cool, too, right? If you're Amish?

And my favorite part--the most common view from the (rondez)Vous! Totally ew!

We saw this guy everywhere, and there were more like him. Fantastic. As if people needed another excuse not to wear pants.

Last Weekend

2008-08-29T14:44:00.001-07:00

I always take pictures of the things that we do throughout the week and on our weekends with the intention of putting them up on the blog ASAP. Obviously that usually doesn't work out because I get all busy at work and have to be an adult and not play on the computer.

These pics are from last weekend at the youth conference I helped plan. We went up to Snowbird to stay the night, have a very yummy breakfast the next morning, and do all the little summer activities they have up there the next day. It was tons of fun and everyone seemed to like it, so congratulations to me for being a good planner. Here are the highlights:

This is my Bishop. He's pretty rad and you can see why they must have chosen him to be in charge of such a young ward :)

This is a fun game--see if you can tell the difference between the YW and the YW leaders...

...at breakfast

And here's the hub. We ended up with some extra tickets, so he and another spouse came up to join us on Saturday. I was super glad he came, and even more glad the he got to ride the mechanical bull.

I’ve succumbed...

2008-08-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

...to the dark side. A million years after everyone else I know, I’m reading the first Twilight book. I’ve had absolutely no desire to read this series because fantasy of any sort really doesn’t appeal to me. Dragons, fairies, Star Trek, Star Wars, paranormal, vampires—whatever—I’ll take reality. But almost every single girl I work with is obsessed with these books, and they finally convinced the other skeptic (traitor) to read the first one. So when she finished, she plopped it on my desk and said, “Your turn.” Yes, I gave into peer pressure, and I’m about three chapters in now. The first ten pages were probably the worst ten pages ever written, but I persevered. I’m not totally impressed so far, but I’m no quitter, so I’ll probably have to finish the whole thing. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know what I think and whether or not I become seduced by Edward.

Letter #4

2008-08-22T09:48:00.001-07:00

Dear Old Nasty at the Gym,
Boxer briefs are NOT gym shorts. I'm sure you're aware of this and I don't know why you continue to make your underwear multi-task. You'd probably like it if everyone else pranced around in their panties, too, but I can assure you that no one else thinks that's a good idea. Ew and gross. Just gross.
Sincerely,
Emily(who wears a ginormous baggy t-shirt and boy's soccer shorts while working out and does not appreciate random displays of underwear nastiness from ANYONE)

Solo Hike

2008-08-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

Dustin went on a solo hike Tuesday after work, and when he got home I was totally jealous because it looks like a beautiful area! He was kind enough to take pictures for me...and pictures of him with a beard for everyone who requested. Sexy.

Facial Hair

2008-08-13T09:04:00.001-07:00

My husband is growing a beard and I love it. It's so hot! Don't shave honey!

Look!

2008-08-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

We finally grew something in our jungle/garden! We actually have several of these little baby tomatoes--cute!

Happy Birthday Dustin!

2008-08-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

Dustin's birthday was this weekend, so we celebrated Friday, Saturday and Sunday with friends, family and lots of yummy food. We got to hang out with all of our old "college crew" for a bonfire to kick things off--it was so great to see everyone all together again (and thanks for the marshmallow roasting tips, Chris!). Dustin's family came down on Saturday for lunch and shopping, and then we got to have just the two of us on Sunday to relax and be together. Thanks to everyone for helping us celebrate. Love you!

Stop Trying To Kill Me

2008-07-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

I'm up in Rock Springs for work this week, so I'm staying with my parents, and I think they're trying to kill me with cheese, cake and 2 percent milk. The lighter side, guys, the lighter side.

4 New Things

2008-07-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

I try not to be a party-pooper, but I’m not exactly adventurous. I honestly think I have some type of OCD that requires me to perform the same routine in order to function properly. So when I say I tried 4 new things last weekend, it’s a BIG DEAL. I’m proud of myself, so I’m sharing:

I went to Raging Waters and went down a couple of the water slides (normally, I wouldn’t attempt this sort of thing—too dangerous, plus the risk of getting my hair wet).
Dustin and I tried a new restaurant and a new type of food—Thai. We usually go to the same places where I know I can get a yummy salad, so it panics me to go somewhere new, but I was able to order my favorite thing—vegetables—so it was ok J
I finally got to play a Wii!! I love it so much, and I’m kind of glad we don’t have one because I would seriously be addicted! We went over to my sister’s house to play and I totally kicked ass at the boxing game. It was a really good workout—my arms were sore the next day!
I made a tuna noodle casserole on Sunday. I know probably everyone in America has eaten this before, but I think the idea of it grossed my mom out, so we never had it growing up. I made kind of a gourmet version out of Better Homes and Gardens with whole wheat pasta, lemon and dill. Very good!

Cheers and applause for not being a stick-in-the-mud. (Clap, clap)

Tag: Things as they really are

2008-07-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

This is a tag from my friend Amanda. I guess it’s kind of like a game, or one of those emails that gets forwarded, only you blog it instead. I usually think this kind of thing is a little silly, but this one sounded fun. The object of this “tag” is to show people the way you really live and/or make you feel better about the condition of your own home/life. Since I like both my home and life, I’m happy to show it off for you. Here are the rules: take pictures of the following things just as they are without stopping to clean, straighten, or to wipe a child's nose: the kitchen sink, the fridge, the toilet, the closet, the laundry room, your favorite shoes, your favorite room, and your kids.

Since I did this without the rules in front of me, I missed a couple things, but here you go anyway:

The Kitchen Sink: As you can see, there are only two dishes--ice cream dishes. We have dessert pretty much every single night after we clean up from dinner. Yum.

The fridge:
The toilet: This is MY bathroom. I didn't take any pictures of Dustin's--no one wants to see that.
The closet: Again this is MY closet, and only half of it because the whole thing wouldn't fit in the frame. Dustin gets his own closet (which is usually half full of my stuff, too--and camping gear :)
The laundry room: This one is funny. We don't actually have a washer and dryer, but we just have the hookups in a little closet thing so I made it into a pantry that we use for food storage. And also a place for Dustin's mountain bike, which isn't in the picture. If you need a can of tomatoes or cream of mushroom soup, you know where to come!

Since I don't have any kids, I took a picture of my husband instead. He was busy studying for a test. He's so cute.
I forgot about the favorite shoes and favorite room, but we can just go ahead and say that the fridge is my favorite room. I spend a lot of time in there! As far as shoes go, my favorites are probably my gym shoes since I use them almost every day, but they are kind of ratty so you can probably forego a picture. There you have it--my life on a Monday night! I'm "tagging" anyone else who reads my blog (all two of you!), so Steph, I better at least see this on yours!

We Heart Hiking

2008-07-14T11:35:00.001-07:00

We finally got to go hiking this weekend—our first time this summer! Hiking is one thing that Dustin and I really love to do together, and one of our favorite places to go is up at Brighton Ski Resort. It’s amazing how different it looks when it’s not all covered in snow! This hike is Lake Mary to Catherine Pass, in case anyone wants to try it. It’s a little steep, but very, very beautiful and a good team building experience with your spouse when you both forget where the trail is supposed to be because it’s still covered in snow.

I'm Old

2008-07-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

I look old today. Really, it’s so sad because I’m only 24. Plus with the braces, I usually look about 12. But today I think it’s more like 112. Worse than Courtney Love--totally haggard. Ew. Feel free to extend your sympathies for my early aging.

Cowboy Up

2008-07-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend, we went up to good ol’ Wyoming to hang out with my mom and dad. It was a super good time and very chill. It’s a much slower pace of life than we’re used to, but I guess that’s the fun in it. We had a lot of good food (my dad makes the best breakfasts!), took a lot of walks and spent a lot of time just talking and sitting on the back porch—that’s just how we roll in Rock Springs.

We also got to go shoot some guns and be all cowboy. I know it’s probably funny to see me holding a gun, but I’m really not that bad! I can actually aim a little bit and I WILL shoot your ass if you’re breaking into my house, so don’t mess. :)

Eat This

2008-07-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Guess what this is?

It’s a pickled turnip! Dustin, my sister and my sister’s friend Jess, went to an absolutely amazing Mediterranean restaurant called Café Med a little while ago, and this little guy arrived on top of my salad. I’ve been accused of being a picky eater, but I’m actually pretty adventurous, as long as the food isn’t fatty, fried, covered in cheese or otherwise fat-panic inducing. Plus I love pickles, and who eats turnips these days? It actually tasted a lot like horseradish—not too bad.
Also--Jess, you are very delightful and permanently always invited!

Letter #3

2008-06-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

Dear United States Postal Service Mail Carrier,
Please stop stealing my mail. I am OCD and need my grocery store ads every single Tuesday, not just when you feel like it. I also want my economic stimulus check, granola bar samples and Glamour magazine back. Thanks
Emily
P.S. I’m pretty sure mail theft is illegal bee-yotch

Travel "Partner"

2008-06-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I got to go to Las Vegas for work. I was there for less than 24 hours but I still had fun, and even got to stuff myself at a breakfast buffet, which made the trip totally worth the time and pain of Jet Blue. Yum. Here's my travel "partner" Steph gambling my dollar at the airport slots. She is very fun and hilarious and even more hilarious to take on business trips.

Just So You Know

2008-06-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

In case anyone was thinking it might be a good idea to try MetroMint Chocolate-Mint flavored water because, hey, it's only a dollar and it could possibly taste like drinking a delicious York Peppermint Patty and it has ZERO calories which is fantastic--DON'T DO IT. It's seriously sickening and doesn't taste anything like chocolate. Just so you know.

Farmer Dustin

2008-06-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

People who know me know that I’m a serial killer of plants. I have never, ever been able to keep anything green from turning brown and dying—even if I try really hard to nurture it and read it books and stuff. For example, when Dustin asked me to marry him, he brought over some sort of plant, which I promptly killed. I put one of those clay worm soil-dampness checkers in it, watered it faithfully, literally cried when it withered up and prayed fervently that it wasn’t an omen for the rest of our marriage.

Luckily, our marriage seems to be thriving, but Dustin has decided lately that our apartment is a haven for at least two dozen potted plants, sprouts and seedlings. It’s a little excessive, and more than a little difficult for me to try to stay at least ten feet away from all foliage in order to prevent it dropping dead from my mere presence.

However, it really is darling to see him portend such a nurturing instinct as he transplants zucchinis and lovingly spritzes everything with water and brings everything inside when it gets too windy.

For everyone who doesn’t believe me, here’s Farmer Dustin with his plant jungle on our little teeny-tiny deck. I keep trying to explain to him that we can’t possibly grow all these plants, but he just tells me it’s food storage. :)

Yes, those are milk jugs. We're ghetto.

Letter #2

2008-06-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Dear Nosy-Nelly Pharmacy Technician,
Yes, I agree that my insurance should cover more of my prescription. Yes, I already know that we have a “hecuva” deductible on our plan. What I don’t know is why you happen to think this is an excellent topic of conversation in the middle of Smith’s at the front of a 10 person line. And no, I don’t think that we should get sick more often, or “have a baby to go ahead and meet that deductible.” The prescription I’m picking up already takes care of that, thanks.
Sincerely,
Emily
P.S. Duh

What a Hunk!

2008-06-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

Dustin got to go on a business trip this week, which was very exciting for him, and a little lonely for me. He had a good time, and really enjoyed the idea that he only had to endure one three-hour meeting in exchange for two days of sightseeing in Washington D.C. He promised me that he would take a picture of him in his suit, all dressed up for his bureaucratic adventure, and here he is. What a hunk!

It's Magic!

2008-06-11T14:20:00.001-07:00

So let's just say I have pretty bad luck with khaki pants. I am on pair number three or four this year because they always seem to garner really unfortunate stains like eyeliner, or newsprint, or stains from stain remover. And last week I thought I'd completely ruined another pair because, for some reason, daisy pollen is REALLY hard to remove.

But I loved these pants, and was unwilling to give them up, even after I'd washed them twice to no avail. So I looked online and found this crazy tip to put items with a pollen stain directly in the sunlight, and magically the stain would be gone. I thought, "Yeah right!" But given my undying love for these pants, I gave it a shot, left them out while I went for run, and guess what?!? An hour later, the stain was totally gone! It's magic!

Everyone should know this, just in case you happen to have a run-in with an overly aggressive lily or something.

Vernal

2008-06-09T11:54:00.001-07:00

This is what else happened:

We visited my sister-in-law, Jessie, at the plant nursery where she works for the summer and got some more plants for the jungle that Dustin is trying to grow in our apartment.

Dustin slogged around in some huge rubber boots and fixed his mom’s sprinkler system.

We ate some yogurt that Dustin’s brother Ollie makes from actual live culture bugs that he brought home from his mission in Mexico. It was actually pretty good, and he even put Splenda in it for me to make it “diet”—what a sweetheart!

Dustin and I kicked ass playing Apples to Apples.

I got super glue all over my hands. I’m fine now.

Also, this is hilarious! These things are ALL OVER in Vernal. They're just chilling. I mean, why? It's not like you can milk a llama, or like, make a steak out of it...gross.

Oh wait. Maybe it's to make llama-wool coats for everyone when it snows in June for pete's sake.

This is ridiculous

2008-06-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Traveling up to Vernal on Saturday, this is what we encountered. Yes, that’s snow. Yes, it’s June. Clearly Utah has no regard for seasonality and I’m living in the wrong state.

Letter

2008-06-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Moms,
No, this is not like MySpace or Facebook. That is so 2005. Ew.
Blogging is so much more sophisticated. Obviously.
Love,
Emily

Perfect Picture...

2008-06-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

This picture from our recent trip to San Diego is the most perfect representation of who we are. There’s me, trying to be the pretty princess. And then there’s Dustin, goofing off with a mouthful of chips. We are quite the pair, aren’t we?

MY FIRST POST!!

2008-06-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

So, we’ve finally decided to do it—Dustin and I are starting our very own little blog! I was inspired by (ok, copying) my friends Steph and Rachel who have their own darling blogs, but we decided to begin a family page for many reasons. This is for my family on the East Coast who I miss dearly and don’t see very often. It’s for our moms so they can see all our vacation pics and feel proud of their technologically savvy children. It’s for our friends as a good way to keep connected through all our busy lives. And lastly, it’s for me—so that I have a hobby, a showcase and a record of all the good in my life.

For everyone wondering how we came up with the blog title—we contemplated and joked about and made up all kinds of names. The silly: She Cooks, He Eats, Big Hair and Big Head, Chips and Oatmeal (our favorite foods), the cheesy: Wonderful World of Wallis, and the boring: The Wallis Family. After all that, we finally settled for something plain and only mildly clever. The name of the blog is "Just Dandē,” which stands for our initials, just D and E.

I’m excited to keep you all updated on the happenings in our life, and look forward to hearing from you. So leave a comment or just say hi, and for all those who wonder how we’re doing, the name says it all. We’re fine…and just dandē!