Call me crazy...

Or call me an addict, I think it might be true. I am thoroughly addicted to Chex! Not your average every day corn or rice Chex, but the irresistible flavor of Chocolate Chex. If you haven't had the chance to try it yet, oh boy, you are without! Sometimes I eat a bowl as a meal, and sometimes as a treat. The caloric intake is much less than your average binge snack, and it's enough to satisfy any nagging chocolate craving you may be having. I'm in love! I admit it!
Have a try, and tell me what you think.

* Or this could possibly be just one of the many passing fads in my ever-changing ADD life. Oh, but I love it. Today, I love it.

Good friends

While in D.C., I got to see a few very dear friends. I've known Scott since High School (his lady friend, Katie, I met there). Jenny I've known since our mission days in NYC. She was also a roommate back in the day. Her husband, Eric, was our home teacher. Lo and behold, they fell in love and now have two adorable little boys.
I love these dear friends. I'm so glad we got to see each other - even if for a short time.

District of Columbia, I love thee.

I'm in D.C. for the next few days for a Meeting Planner's Convention, and I'm happy. I love my country's capital. I love my country - period. Tomorrow is 9/11 as you know, and it's strange that I'm in one of the places where those horrid events took place all those years ago. It's still so surreal to me. I just have to say that I'm proud of my country, and proud to call myself an American.

God bless~

Weekend in California

My sister Shannon and I decided to head to Glendora, CA this past weekend. We went with one intention only; to attend our cousin Wendy's wedding reception. We were unable to go to the wedding and reception in Minnesota, so we (with Caiti's encouragement) decided to take the drive and surprise them with familiar faces at the second reception where the groom's family lives. We had a great time seeing Wendy and her new Steve O'Bryant, as well as Aunt Carol & Uncle Steve. We love them dearly and really enjoyed our time with them. I was reminded how important family is - no matter how distant. Their family has been a blessing to us throughout our lives, and we just felt like it was important to show them how much we appreciate and love them.

Sister bonding time wasn't bad either. Since all of my sisters are married, it's hard to get them away from their families to spend a little time with their single sis. Thanks to Ryan for letting Shannon get away for a couple of days. It was fun - except she was really bugging me! Haha! That's a little joke between little sis and me. It's nice that we like all of the same music (for the most part), and we enjoy singing in harmony together (my only complaint is that Shan doesn't like to share the alto part). Fun was had all around.

Because it's Friday

One of my faves. Enjoy!

Gimme rain.

Tonight as I've been listening to the amazing (and most infrequent) rain storm outside my window, I've been aching to pull off a Gene Kelly dance moment. I might just run outside and do this...

Boyz II Men... B-B-Boyz II Men

Last night I had the crazy opportunity to see a singing group that I enjoyed from my jr. high and high school days. As a matter of fact, I went to their concert my senior year with my little sister Caiti. As luck would have it, the boyz and I were re-united once again last night. No, no, they didn't come to the Delta Center (Energy Solutions Center) to thousands of screaming fans. They came to our beloved Scera Shell in Orem, UT. Oh, bless them. However, they did put on an incredible show! I was amazed to see that they really hadn't changed much. Their dance moves were in total sync and were absolutely flawless. It was pure entertainment! You know their songs - you KNOW you do! You're humming "End of the Road" right now, and you wanna break out and dance to "Motownphilly" in your desk chair! Yep, you do. Stand proud, dear fans! You must have a memory or two linked to one of their songs. Maybe you had your first kiss while slow dancing to "down on bended knee". Share! Share! I want to hear them... however scandalous they may be!

Conn can sing!

For those of you that know my family, you will know that for the most part, we all grew up singing - especially the four of us girls. My brothers were never quite so eager to share as we were. However, as you can see from this video, the youngest brother can certainly sing! They all can, in fact. However, Sean still maintains he only raps (and does it well, I might add).
Here's a little diddy you might enjoy from his most recent performance at the Scera Shell last weekend. He's a single 25 year old, and handsome as they come!

Ladies and Gentlemen... Conn Curran!!

(sorry about the two separate videos. My wee camera does that.)

Facials make me happy

This is what I looked like today...

And you know what, I loved every single minute of it. Please go to Sanctuary Spa in South Town Mall. Truly, I've never had a spa experience like it. Go treat yourself for once in your life. You'll be amazed.

Today's Horoscope

For my fellow Aquarians...

Don't be afraid to extend your goals far into the distance. Look out beyond the horizon and set your course.


Ah, yes...

{a game}

Every now and then when I get restless and want a change in scene, which let's face it is about every few weeks, I play a little game. If you dream of living and traveling to far away places, you too might enjoy it. It's very simply, really. If you are familiar with craigslist.com, you've already got a head start!

Here's how it goes:

1 - Go to craigslist.com and choose a location, or someone can choose a location for you (my co-worker Stephanie and I choose for each other).

2 - Once you have chosen your location, you will find out everything you can about this city/state/country. Particularly, you will want to find a place to live, naturally. So, find housing and take a look at what is available. In your mind, this may be just a vacation or temporary living arrangement. It's up to you. Money is not object.

3 - After finding a place to live, of course you will need a means of making income, yes? Look under the column that bolds the word jobs. Since there are so many skill sets you have, and this is just for fun anyway, choose whatever you like! I tend to choose the jobs that will give me the most time off to enjoy the area and travel about.

4 - As you are getting to know your area, look under community and find out about all the ways you can get to know people in your community. Perhaps you want to take an art class, or even volunteer in the area. So many opportunities!

The prospects are endless. I know it may seem like a silly way of passing time, but actually it helps me get out of my day to day, sometimes uneventful life. It allows me to dream of possibilities and helps me more happily enjoy my life where I am. Even if I don't take the vacation or begin the new life I planned for myself, it doesn't matter. All that matters to me is that I'm still dreaming.

Model for a moment

Here I am trying to look model-ish. Actually, I think I was just about to break it with a laugh!

Shannon (my sister) is an amazing photographer. Check out her blog for all of your photography needs: www.shannonhaddenphotography.blogspot.com

Phelps! Phelps! We love Phelps!

This guy is amazing! Without a lead until the last lap in the 200m butterfly, I was fearful. However, as he always does, he came out a champ in that last lap. The guy is incredible!

I saw a streaker!

The streaker was my beloved roommate who will remain nameless (starts with an m and ends with an elanee). Bless her. I haven't seen any streaker roommates - or roommates at all for that matter, for at least two and a half years. But recently, I decided to make the move from being solo to a quartet. I was unsure of how it would be sharing quarters with more than myself, but I have found my transition to be quite painless and rather pleasant. Each time I've mentioned to someone that I've gone from being alone to sharing, they usually gasp and think we're going to be at each other's throats. That is simply not how it works - at least not with our lovely house of ladies. We are all working professionals and we enjoy each other's fun company. I didn't realize how nice it would be. Luckily I've shared a house with two of the three before. It makes things so much easier to adapt!

Anyway, not only do I love my roomies, but I love the location. I am only a couple of blocks away from where I lived for so many years in Orem. The difference in this home is that we have a lovely canyon breeze that blows freely through the house at night, which is just incredible! I love that I can hear the trees blowing in the wind at night, and can enjoy the wonderful rain falls (I was in a basement before with few windows). I'm excited to watch the seasons unfold from my bedroom window.

Seasons and streakers... it's all good fun!

Down dooby-dooby down!

It is day 7, and I am down 10 pounds! I know what you're thinking 'you're losing too fast, you'll never keep it off'. Al contrario! You see, it is expected with this particular weight plan. I'll tell you all about it... when I finish. You only have to wait two more days. M'kay?
Thanks for your encouragement!