Welcome 2012

I always love the new year. I feel like it's a fresh start. A good reason to make some changes. I know that you can change things/set goals anytime... but I think the thought of a new year. It is an excellent reason to set new goals! Last year I think I may have set the bar a little too high (Words of my brother in law Spencer). This year I decided to set more realistic expectations. Last year I had 11 new year's resolutions... This year I cut it down to 5.

1- Write a thank you card to someone once a week
2- Be a better saver/be more frugal
3- Continue school
4- Be more grateful/ write in journal
5- Blog at least once a month

Also, I cannot believe I still have not written about our new addition to the family! On October 21, 2011 this little guy joined the fam...

                                                             Dexter Maxwell Hall

This is the first day we got him. He was 11 weeks old and only weighed 7 pounds. He was like a little stuffed animal.

Now here he is... weighing over 30 pounds. I still try to hold him like a baby. I probably will continue to hold him like a baby until I can't hold him anymore because he's too heavy. I will keep trying though. He's so sweet. I am so glad we got him. Even if he does get a little rambunctious at times and try to bite me, he's just playing. And he's teething, so I have to cut him some slack! Every day when I get home from work he is so excited to see me. He's the nicest dog.

I want a ride

So this morning when Tyler and I were driving to work I saw these guys in the sky. Aren't they amazing? Can I say how bad I want to ride in a hot air balloon? They are so expensive though. I really don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for an hour ride, but maybe I could find a good deal on one. I will one day in my life. I am really looking forward to the forth. I love the patriotic holidays! And I like having a day off. I suppose I just like any holiday really.

I love the Coach outlet

So I must say I had a really great weekend! Right after work on Friday my friend Amy and I cruised up to Park City to the Coach outlet. I have been wanting to go for months. I was so glad she said she was going. Unfortunately, Hillary and Landy were unable to attend. It was quite the little adventure. I hadn't been to Park City since I was a kid. Luckily my iPhone was a wonderful navigator. Let's just say Mapquest failed us. We spent over an hour in there looking at purses. It was just such a hard decision. I almost put my purse down and didn't buy anything. ALMOST. Once I got it home and took all of the packaging out from inside of the purse I loved it! I would have been soooo mad at myself if I wouldn't have bought it. I hate how undecisive I can be. If I wouldn't have bought it I would have regretted it. Then Tyler and I would have had to drive to Park City just so I could buy it. I already want to make another Park City run and buy a wallet this time. I kind of want some sunglasses too. Check out the purse.

Saturday night Tyler and I went out to dinner and the Mormon Miracle pageant with our friends Carlee and Ryan. We had such a good time. We have all been friends since high school so it's not one of those awkward couple dates when you go to dinner then play board games afterward. Don't get me wrong, I love board games... But on the first date? Isn't that a little sudden? Anyways, we laughed and laughed all night long. Even when we weren't suppose to laugh we were silently laughing. We ate at the bowling alley in Ephraim for dinner. It was delish! I splurged on my calories a bit with a chick sandwich and some cheesy fries. I drenched them in fry sauce. The bowling alley has the best fry sauce. I didn't dare weigh myself Sunday morning.

Here is this random protester at the pageant. He brought his own stepping stool. How special. I mean he is only like 3 feet tall. I would probably be taller than him with him standing on his little stool. I guess he is just trying to be the same height as everyone else. Protesters are annoying. Really? Why would you drive a down a couple hours to try to sway people to believe differently? And even make fliers and shirts on your leisure time? Your spending your own money and time to try to get someone to not believe in the LDS church? Now that's just sad.


We sat in the blanket area. Have you noticed how they really cut down the blanket area? There were tons of chairs that weren't filled either. Metal chairs are so uncomfortable. The blanket area is way better.



This is the first year I have successfully made it through the entire pageant without falling asleep. I did take a nap earlier in the day. So I don't think I could have anyways. I haven't met anyone who is as obsessed with zombies as Tyler is. I don't know if Ryan is quite as obsessed with them as Tyler, but he's a close second. Tyler has an entire shelf of zombie/horror movies in our DVD collection. I would take a picture, but they're currently in a box. Ryan likes to drop sporadic zombie scenarios throughout the night. Just to keep us on our toes.

Ryan: You're husband was infected and only has 10 hours before he turns into a Zombie. What would you do for the last 10 hour before your husband is a Zombie for forever (in Utah)?

Amanda: We'd probably go to Seven Peaks.

Ryan: That's really what you'd do. You would go to Seven Peaks?

Amanda: We'd probably go to Seven Peaks then Lagoon right after. I think we could fit both in one day. We'd eat at the the Melting Pot for lunch and Teppanyaki for dinner. After Dinner at Teppanyaki I would kiss Tyler goodbye and we would depart. I would leave Tyler at Teppanyaki to eat the waiters.

Ryan: The biggest mistake you can make is kissing a zombie goodbye. Tyler would eat your face off because he would have changed by then.

I am pretty sure Ryan thinks there is going to be a zombie apocalypse. He is just preparing us for the worst.

On a side note, I have GOT TO GET A NEW CAMERA. My iPhone takes a better picture. Does anyone have any recommendations? I am leaning towards a Canon this time. I am not impressed with Nikon.

Candy, Candy, Candy + Running

Sometimes I wonder, if I were desparate enough for sugar and there was no candy in the house, would I eat a spoonful of sugar? I love candy so much. Too much. I think about it daily. I always go to the same gas station everytime we need gas.. Why you ask? It's not because of the smokin deal on gas. It's because of the rockin candy selection. Mini Big hunks, sugar daddies, Chick-o- sticks, laffy taffys and charleston chews. mmmmmmmmm..... All on my top 10 favorite candy.

Why do I love candy so much? I try to tell myself every morning, "you can't have any candy today, you have to be good." Does it ever work? No. I need some serious help. I am an addict.

I need to be healthier. I have started running, but not as much as I would like to. There is just something about running that I love. I love having my music blaring in my ears and how good you feel after running. Plus it makes it so easy to lose weight! Don't get me wrong. I'm not an amazing runner. I hope to run a marathon sometime in my life though! My brother Fred ran the 2010 St George Marathon. You can read about his awesome experience here. It's pretty funny! I was so impressed that he ran the whole thing because he didn't really have a long time to train and he wasn't actively running long before the marathon. Last week when I was at my parents running on their treadmill my arches and ankles started hurting really bad. I had to stop running. My arches and ankles hurt every time I run. It doesn't matter what shoes I wear. Once this Drug rep told me that he runs barefoot because it is more natural for your feet to fall. Apparently by running on the balls of your feet or the middle of the feet it avoids more forceful impacts. He runs marathons barefoot. Now I'm not that hardcore, but I did run in my socks on the treadmill. I was able to run a lot farther! It did hurt my middle toes, almost to a blister stage, but it didn't hurt my arches or my ankles! I think I want to get some of those finger finger shoes. They are suppose to be similar to running barefoot. Has anyone tried them? I know they look kind of funky, but if I can run without my arches and ankles hurting, that would be great. I was suppose to run in a 5k tomorrow but we're moving. Maybe next time.

And so it is...

I have become a huge believer that everything happens for a reason. This is a lot harder to believe when the challenges in life come. But I have come to truly believe if you pay your tithing and attend your church meetings, you have nothing to worry about. You put your life in the Lord's hands and live day by day. Everything will work out. This doesn't mean that you won't have trials or challenges in your life, because you will. Ever since I realized this, my life has really fell into place, I have gone in a good direction.

It all started with a decision I made to switch into a different department at work. This was a big decision because I had worked nearly four years in my previous department. It was where I was comfortable. Sometimes I will have a bad day and feel negative... But then I remember that I moved for a reason. Because that was suppose to happen in my life. It was what was the best thing for me. Since moving, I have made really good friends with my new co-workers! There is a girl in my department named Hillary I have came to be really good friends with. She really doesn't know how cool she is. I know it sounds creepy, or weird, but we were instantly friends. We have so much in common. Our personalities are very similar. We laugh a lot together at work, but then we bounce serious ideas off each other too. She's the bomb.com. I saw this job as a blessing in disguise. Since Tyler was going to Snow College, it was kind of hard for me to Commute. Especially in the winter on icy roads. I would get so scared, plus I did slide off the road once and also had several more close calls. I looked around for jobs a little bit so I didn't have to commute, but nothing ever worked out. It was really frustrating at the time, but now I completely understand why it didn't work out. Tyler was also able to get a job in Provo a month ago, so we are able to commute together. We are now moving back to Utah County with great jobs! Probably this weekend!

When Tyler and I were recently apartment shopping since we wanted to move back to Utah County, we went to probably 10-12 different places plus we called on a lot too! There was always a reason that it didn't work for us. We decided to be patient and just see what happens. Tyler's Grandma called him and asked him if we would like to live in their house while they were living in Montana. All though it was frustrating going into apartment after apartment, it happened for a reason.

I have been so much happier in my life since I have learned patience. I can't say that I am the most patient person in the world, because I'm not. I struggle with patience. Everything always works out in the end. Yes, it's frustrating and discouraging at times, but it will get better. Sometimes you'll get something better than expected to begin with. It is just so easy to be negative. Sometimes I have to give myself pep talks and tell myself things really aren't as bad as they seem. Things really could be a lot worse. I am actually extremely blessed. Things in my life are really good! I really couldn't ask for a better husband, family or friends.

I know this is kind of cheesy, but I ran across this on someone else's blog and really liked it.

Everything Happens for a reason

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be, your neighbor, your coworker, a long lost friend, or a complete stranger. When you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.

Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good luck.

Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved,straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become.
Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.
If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and actually listen.
Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don't believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.

You can make of your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

Most importantly if you Love someone tell him or her, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store.
Learn a lesson in life each day that you live. That's the story of Life.

I can't really even describe how sad I am that Steve Carrell left the Office. I do understand why he left. He needs to keep his reputation. Let's face it, the Office is on Season 7. 7! It's about time for them to bring it to and end. They should have just stopped it after Steve Carrell announced he was leaving. I can't even believe NBC is trying to keep it going.

I cannot even bring myself to watch the Office now that Steve Carrell has left. I couldn't have thought of a worst person to bring onto the show, then Will Ferrell. Will Ferrell is the second most annoying actor, right next to the guy who plays Borat. He plays the same character in nearly every movie, a pervert, with the exception of Elf. He's not even funny, he's just crude. Don't get me wrong, I watch crude things. But he's not funny so I can't excuse his crudeness. He totally ruined it for me. I did hear he may just be temporary. Maybe he's just guest starring. Maybe Dwight will be the next Michael Scott? I guess I have to give it some time, then I will finish up the episodes.

On another note, May I say how funny Parks and Recreation is? P&R is directed by the same people as the Office. It's definitely in my top 3 favorite TV shows. I can't really decide which in my favorite between Parks & Rec, Dexter, and Breaking Bad. I really can't think of anyone that doesn't play their part to perfection. I suppose they could technically replace Ann (Rashida Jones). Her character is pretty universal and could be played by anyone. But Amy Poehler is the perfect star role. I can't even believe that she is married to Will Arnett from Arrested Development. They have to be the funniest couple in the history of.... Funny couples??? I always try to make people watch Parks and Rec because it's so funny! I love to laugh. If anyone has some amazingly funny TV shows, please let me know.

So Tyler and I both have been commuting to Utah County for work. We wake up at 5:30am, Monday through Friday. It can get really tiresome. We will be moving to Covered Bridge Canyon in a couple weeks. Covered Bridge Canyon is just off of Highway 6 in a little gated community right before those giant wind mills. We will basically be house sitting Tyler's grandparents house while they live in Montana for a couple of years. It works out for us, we will be able to save for a house while living there. Since we will be living in a house, I was thinking... Drum roll please....

I want to get a dog. I guess I should say I am very specific on the dog I want. I want a yellow lab that will grow to be really big. I want him to have a boxy head. His name will be Dexter. Yes, Dexter from the TV show. I did say I loved that TV show!

When I was younger my neighbors had this dog name Max. He's in the picture below. It's not the best picture, but it's the only one I really have. He was yellow, big with a boxy head. He was a very friendly, hyper dog. Yes, he had a very loud, powerful bark... Some people hated it, but I loved it. When my neighbors moved to the other side of town Max would always find his way back to our house. He was basically our dog because he was there all the time! In a sense, he was like a doorbell. He would bark whenever someone came over. Well, he was poisoned which broke my heart. I loved that dog. He was a really good looking dog too.

30 Day blogging Challenge

So I really need to be better at updating my blog. I have really been neglecting it. I am going to do a 30 day blogging challenge like Hillary did so I have something to blog about, If anyone else wants to feel free! It's fun to read other people's responses. I am pretty sure mine will just be a 30 blog post challenge... I highly doubt I can blog everyday.

Here is the 30 day outline. This should be fun!

Day 01 - A picture of yourself with ten facts

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Day 04 - A picture of your night

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

Day 10 - A picture of the person you hang out with the most

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

Day 24 - A picture of something you wish you could change

Day 25 - A picture of your day

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of
Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile

Day 30 - A picture of someone you miss