The Horrocks Fam

Baby B

2011-07-16T23:50:00.001-06:00

My little Buster is already 7 months old! I am afraid that if I wink I may just miss something important. Here is a little timeline of his milestones, which I am listing more for my sake. At the rate Ben is going, I don't know if I will be able to remember all these special little things by tomorrow.

4 months -
Ben sits up on his own! He rolls over a bit from his belly to back. He fixates on an object or person and follows them until out of sight. He has the sweetest belly chuckle. He licks his chops while watching someone around him eat. He gets his first taste of rice cereal and will not wait for the spoon to come to his mouth, his whole body lunges forward and would rather take the bowl into his own hands (independent lil' guy). Loves playing with toys and rattles and sticking them in his mouth. He drools A LOT! Still no hair or teeth. Sweetest little baby EVER! Weighs 13lbs 12oz (16%) Measures 25" tall (38%)

Loving the Bumbo - AKA "Poo Chair"

What a stud in his little newsboy hat.

5 months -
Loves rice cereal! Gets put on medication for reflux. Sleeps from 8pm -8am with a feeding usually around 4 am. Chuckles hysterically. Finally getting some chub on his thighs - mommy loves to nibble them. Getting better at all the things from month 4. He is momma's little pal and he loves when he sees a familiar face. All the women love him and he doesn't mind the attention. ;)

6 months-
He was sealed to us in the Salt Lake City Temple on June 18th. He was such a good boy and was so excited to see some of his favorite people around him. Boy can this kid roll all over the place! He will sit on all fours but isn't mobile yet. HATES to get his diaper changed. He eats baby rice snacks, loves his sweet potatoes and will kill if someone gets in the way of his bananas. Eats most "stage 1" baby food and loves it. Started waking up screaming and crying every night for 3 weeks almost every 2 hours - needless to say, Mom and Dad are tired and cranky. Loves going people watching in the grocery cart while Momma shops. Takes his very first flight with Daddy to meet me and Grandpa and Grandma Warrick in Sunny California! Ben is the very first grandchild to visit my Maternal Grandmothers grave in Los Angeles. It is the first time my Mom has been back to her grave since the funeral. It was a very emotional and special experience. Ben just knew his Great Grandma Cora was there. He sat on her grave and played peacefully. EVERYONE in Cali was in love with him, his newsboy cap, and his sweet cheekies! He weighs 15 lbs 11 oz (17%) and Measures 26.25" tall (41%) and we love every ounce of him!

7 months -
My little boy is getting so big. He has such a giant personality and is so easy to be around. He makes me want 10 more kids - sorta, but not really. :) I want to be with him every minute of the day because he makes my life so happy and worth everything I've ever lived for. He scoots using his giant big toe to get around on the hardwood floors. He has maybe 2 hairs that are an inch long, but who's counting right? Can say Dadadada. Does a tired cry/grunt when ready for a nap. Ben usually will nap 2 x/day and after being up for 2 hours, he is ready for a rest. Loves, loves, loves, Sesame Street, Yo Gabba Gabba, the Wonderpets, and Baby Genius. We, on the other hand, DO NOT. Grandpa taught him what a deer is, a tree, and a hat. He loves Grandpa teaching him new things. Grandma Karen is giving him crawling lessons. Ben loves the water and loves swimming! Grandma Shawna teaches him patty cakes, Soooo big, how to say Mommamama, and feeds him lots of fresh peaches.This boy is so loved! Oh and we SWEAR he can say "hi".

Phew.

Plain and Simple this guy keeps us on our toes. We love him. And he better be a very good teenager or else!

Where have I been?

2011-07-16T21:26:00.000-06:00

can I really publish my posts?1? i haven't been able to post text along with my photos (as displayed in my last post). if it is so, bring on more blogging! i have so much to catch up on!

Time = Enemy

2011-05-19T23:30:00.000-06:00

Ben's 3rd Month - (so I'm a little late)

2011-04-18T23:23:00.000-06:00

So here's a pic of Ben at a little over 3 months. He is constantly teaching Jens and I new things about parenting and we couldn't be more excited to learn what he has next in store for us. I still can't imagine life without him. Jens and I often catch ourselves racing each other to his nursery to be the first one to pick him up after waking from his nap. That cheeky little smile he gives us as we peek over his crib is completely heart-melting. This boy has some serious charm. Watch out ladies!

During Ben's third month he:

- began sleeping in his own room. I cried the first night we put him down in the crib. Suddenly he seemed like a "big boy"

- was diagnosed with a milk protein allergy from the dairy that I ingest. We noticed small streaks of blood in his diapers along with frequent diarrhea and colic-y belly, we knew something was seriously wrong. After I began cutting out most dairy, we had ourselves a whole new kid. Instead of waking up screaming in pain he, would lie awake and coo to himself. My heart smiled as I would wake up and listen to him on the moniter for a couple minutes before rescuing him from the crib.

- began enjoying tummy time and would play until he was so tired he would zonk-out face-down.

- thoroughly enjoys bath time. I usually get in the bath with him and let him "swim" around. He kicks and kicks and also thinks it's a perfect time to nurse. So convenient. :)

- fixed and followed. He can recognize his Mommy and Daddy. He would turn his head all the way around to watch us walk out of the room.

- belly laughs. Some serious chuckles come out of this boy's mouth. Sometimes I laugh so hard that I cry and nearly pee a little. :) His favorite is when Jens nibbles his ribcage and his whiskers tickle Ben's belly. He lets out thee sweetest squeal and a giggle.

- loves Mama's hair. He is fascinated. He is usually in his little swing watching me while I dry my hair while I have my head flipped upside down. When I flip my hair back he is so startled then laughs while his cute little tongue is partway out. I love that tongue! He also loves to grab on and kung-fu grip my hair. I end up prying each little finger open to release my hair from his hands.

- kicks, kicks, kicks! Those feet go so fast they are nearly a blur.

- began "happy screaming". He could scream for 10 min straight. He especially loves when I mimic him. I'm always down for some competition. My guess is that he is suprised at what comes out of his mouth and then smiles about for a quick second and wants to try again.

- little B's personality is showing brighter than ever. He is so social and gives everyone that handsome smirk. He loves random people. People always tell us he is beautiful and they lurrrrrv his cheeks!

- holding objects. Yes, he could do this somewhere in his second month but now he actually has strength to lift and taste his toys. He even helps me hold his bottle. Ben also got exceptionaly crafty at finding his binky and stuffing it back in his mouth.

I saved the best for last...

- finally got on a good sleep routine. Goes down at 8:30 and wakes up once for a midnight snack and out again til 8 or so. We bundle him up, start the lullabyes and he is out. Love.

A Note to Ben -

Ben, you may never know the kind of love that your Dad and I have for you, even if you feel a small fraction of it, may you know that we are so happy and complete now that you are a part of our lives. You have made each of us strive to be better parents, spouses, advance spiritually, and generally a better self all-around. Your impact on our lives is so great that everyday I wake up wanting to be something more and try harder to be better. I cry when you cry, I smile when you smile, I am at ease when you are at ease, and nothing in the whole world can make me feel the way I do now that you are on earth. I want to savor each little moment with you, for I know you are growing like a weed and the moments we share, while you are so tiny, can't be slowed down. I want to enjoy ever waking moment with my little buddy while I can. We love you Ben and thank you for being more of an example to your Mommy and Daddy than you will EVER know.

-Mom

(more pics to come later)

A Blessing for Ben

2011-04-02T23:25:00.003-06:00

Ben has had one busy month. But that's a whole 'nother post. We were able to bless our little guy on March 13th. Jens gave him such a beautiful blessing and I bawled like a baby the whole time - along with the rest of my sisters. :) We were able to do an intimate in-home blessing at my parents home as they were so kind to let us use their lovely home to accomodate for all the guests. I working in a medical office, being paranoid by all the illness going around this time of year, was reluctant to bring little B into a crowded chapel to bless him, so instead, our Bishop and Counselor were kind enough to make the trip out to my parent's home to be there as witnesses to the blessing.

(patiently waiting for everyone to arrive - this expression kills me!)

Ben was a complete angel while Jens blessed him. He looked so adorable in the little outfit that Grandma Karen bought for him. I am so proud to be Ben's Mother. He makes me a whole new person and everyday I wake up craving the joy that his little spirit has brought in to my world.

One little happy family. The End.

2 Months Young

2011-02-24T00:52:00.002-07:00

Have I ever said that time flies? Well, it does indeed. I can't believe our little guy is 2 months old and soon to be 3. These days it seems hard to get a simple blog post in without being interrupted from this adorable little chubby bald boy that doesn't like to take many naps. Ben is lucky that he's so darn cute to make up for all of the restless days and nights. I know I am late posting this but better late than never.

Here's a tiny recap of Ben's 2nd month of life:

- Road trip to St. George with Aunt Natalee and cousins Cortnee and Emeree to visit Launee and Fam. Ben did awesome and was a trooper in his lil carseat.

- Our first hotel stay. While in St. George we met up with Daddy and stayed in a lovely hotel and lounged around together in the sunlight from the big windows. Ben's new fave. We can't wait for warm weather.

- First walk. The weather was nice a few days in Feb so we went around the neighborhood and Ben loved it for approx 2 minutes and then he was out like a light.

-RSV. Yes. Not fun. At 6 weeks old Ben started out with a minor stuffy nose and the next day he was struggling to breathe. So scary! It made me so sad to see my little baby so miserable. Thanks to saline nasal spray and Grandma Warrick we survived. Grandma is super mom and suggested using my humidifier and (don't laugh) my clothes steamer to steam up our room. It was a sauna. It worked wonders and helped Ben's little lungs clear right up. Thanks Ma!

- Giggle. I heard Ben do the sweetest little giggle while we were playing around with Aunt Natalee. I will never forget the way my heart smiled when I heard it.

-Kicking - While pregnant with Ben, I could definitely tell that this kid would be a soccer player someday. He loves his jungle playmat. We lay him down on his back and he will kick for hours at the toys hanging from it.

- Ben does some pretty gnarly farts and burps. Thanks Jens!

- Bathtime. Ben now enjoys taking baths, especially with me. He kicks his little legs and smiles so big. I could waste so much time just looking at his sweet face.

- We are starting (I know, just barely) to get a routine down. Ben has given us a few good nights of sleep but is still getting up about every 4 hrs.

-Reflux. Poor kid. I was so confused. While nursing Ben, everthing would be calm and normal but in the middle of feeding Ben would pull away and cry so hard. Thank you Mylanta!

-Ben is all smiles. He will smile and squirm when he gets his diaper changed and loves it even more to be naked! I look forward to him waking up because he smiles so huge the moment he sees me standing over him.

-Hands. Ben loves sucking on his hands and also pulling his shirt into his mouth. He loves his binky and when he spits it out, he can usually put it back in his mouth. He is one smart cookie.

Jens and I enjoy being parents so much. I recently went back to work part-time, mainly for my sanity. I was going crazy being home all day everyday, so it is definitely nice to get out of the house and hang around with some adults. Although I miss my little Buster so much, I know he is in good hands with my Mom and Mother-in-Law. They love him so much and spoil him like crazy!

I can't wait to see what the coming months bring. Every day is a new adventure for Jens, myself and Ben. Ben is always suprising us with new milestones and makes us smile more than we ever thought possible. We love you Buddy!

So much to say, so little time...

2011-01-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

Ben has definitely changed our lives. For one thing, we love him to pieces. On the other hand, he keeps us so busy! I can't believe how fast the time flies by. Ben is growing right before our eyes. I love his little face so much that it hurts. On his 1 month mark we got out of the house and went over to the Dutson's house to eat some Rio with Karlee and Perry. Ben was a little cranky pants and Kar being a new Mommy as well, showed me some much-needed pointers to getting him to chill out. It was wonderful! After we got home, I decided to [key word] attempt to get his pictures for his one month milestone. Here's the result:

It's All About The Benjamin(s)!

2010-12-30T01:36:00.001-07:00

I can't even begin to describe how excited and blessed and lucky and happy and everything else we feel - to have welcomed our little Ben into our lives. I have to keep reminding myself that this is real life and I have my own little family with my own little baby who was in my belly for 9 months and is mine and such a miracle. I catch myself staring at him thinking how blessed I am to have him and Jens as my own little family. I couldn't be more amazed at how he has changed everything since the moment his perfect little body entered this world. Ben has made me a Mom - I say this because I feel like such a Mama Bear now -- careful about everything; germs, bad guys, driving slowly, how much he eats and sleeps, poopy diapers, etc. Everything about this little boy has made my every second of life worth living. He is what I was born for. He makes me smile even when he wakes me every 2 hours. (who would have thought?) I get excited when he wakes up from a nap, just so I can pick him up and be there for his every waking moment. He has given me the ability to love more than I ever imagined I could love something. He makes my love for Jens even stronger. He is such a miracle and I am so happy that he is finally here. I remember wondering what his little face would look like when I met him and I couldn't have dreamt up a more sweet little version of him in my mind, he is simply perfect. I love my little Ben and I couldn't ask for more.

Posh Pads - Milk Mama Hospital Gown

2010-11-29T23:27:00.000-07:00

My adorable friend and co-worker (Jessica) has a Mommy business on the side called Posh Pads. She makes these hip, organic, re-usable nursing pads and they also offer a variety of other Mommy-friendly goods. Their newest product is the milk-mama hospital gown. Such a great idea! Who wants to be stuck in the hospital gown that 300+ people deliver in right? Being that I am preggo and willing to display my voluptuous new bod, Jess asked me if I would be willing to model this gown for her online store. I immediately fell in love with the fabric of this particular gown. It is perfect for the hospital, at home, and has easy-access (woo-woo) snaps that deliver a quick and easy way to breastfeed. Find out more of what Posh Pads has to offer here.

37 Weeks

2010-11-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Only 21 more days. Yikes! Plus I'm pretty excited to see our little guy, if he's anything like his handsome Daddy, he's set.

36 weeks! Baaahhhh!

2010-11-09T22:29:00.001-07:00

Getting so excited, anxious, antsy, nervous, and very very restless to meet our new little man. As I write this, he is kicking me like crazy, it's almost like he knows how excited we are to see him. Here's the latest and greatest maternity pics. We headed down to my Bro-in-Law's photo studio in SLC to play around with the camera and lights and we were lucky enough to have him catch some photos of us. Thanks Jaron! You can see more of his amazing work here

Who's Counting?

2010-10-22T18:24:00.000-06:00

34 weeks. Man, I'm getting ansty to meet this little slugger of ours!

Baby Shower!

2010-10-09T23:52:00.000-06:00

I can't believe how close we are getting to having a special new spirit here in our home! We are so excited to see our little slugger. My mom threw me a shower at her lovely home for close family and a few friends. I couldn't have been more pleased with the selection of food that she assigned (of course I had a little {or a lot} of everything. Each one of my sisters made my favorite foods and it was pure heaven. My amazing Mother and Sisters put forth a ton of time and effort to make my shower special and it showed. The decor and home was amazing, the food (have I mentioned food yet?) was wonderful, and the night was so enjoyable for me. It was so overwhelmingly special, I cried on the way home. Go figure.

Thanks everyone for all of the wonderful gifts and thoughtfulness that you have given Me and Jens and our new little-one-to-be. Dad, I couldn't be more thankful for the beautiful poem that you wrote. It is such a special keepsake and one day "Jace" will be able to read it for himself. Oh, and thanks alot for making almost everyone at the shower tear up. I am so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in my life. It makes everyday so special and Jens and I always feel so loved by you all. We are so excited to welcome our little one here on earth. ETA: December 6th.

Soccer Saturday

2010-10-09T23:13:00.001-06:00

We heard Emmy was a pretty good soccer player so Jens and I decided to get out of "nesting mode" for a day and go hang with the fam and watch Emmy kick some serious soccer trash. She scored 4 goals! This little girl can kick! We enjoyed watching the little 9-year old girls stand there on the field, most of them clueless, but it was pure entertainment.

My belly (and everywhere else) getting rounder and rounder. 8 months and counting!

G-Pa and Cohen being boys

Claire giving me a beautiful flower tattoo like Grandmas :)

Claire snuggling with Uncle Jens

Just 1 of 4 of Emmy's goals!

Go Em! You rock.

We're seeing Blue!

2010-06-27T23:52:00.002-06:00

We found out on Monday that we will be bringing a baby BOY into our family. I knew all along that I would be having a boy and I would have been shocked and confused if they were to tell me it was a girl. My due date is now Dec. 3rd. Jens and I are so excited to finally know the gender and start planning away. I've gotta find a name for this poor boy. Thanks to my Mother-In-Law for the baby name book that I have been thumbing through on a daily basis. Jens and I can't agree on a name so hopefully by the time he's here we'll have him a name and a "plan B" just in case the first one doesn't fit him.

We wanted to keep the gender a surprise for us and our families until we all got together that night to reveal the big news. Unfortunately, our little nugget was spreading his legs and revealed it all to us, there was no question! But we did get to break the news to our families over a pizza party.

P.S. I'm going very lightly on the pics with me in them for a few reasons. A) I don't feel cute and B) I have no energy and you can see it in every one of the pictures.

My Mom, not knowing the sex, had this cake made. As soon as she found out it was a boy, she crossed out the girl. My mother never fails to think ahead. Thanks Ma!

We all brought pizza (one of my new faves) to pig out on and had pink lemonade and blue Kool-Aid (idea complements of Kar) depending on your guess of the sex. After dinner, I walked around the table asking for the "official" guesses. If you guessed boy, you got an almond joy. If you were guessing girl, you got a mounds bar. Why the Mounds and Almond Joy you ask? It's simple, Almond joys have nuts and Mounds do not.

As you can see below, it looks like "someone" is getting ready to be a Daddy. He spent most of his weekend hanging out with the kids. Either that OR I am a really bad wife when I'm pregnant. Either way, he's getting some practice right?

FYI

2010-04-15T23:46:00.002-06:00

I started a new photography class that I am totally excited about! FYI. Thats all. :) Have a good one!

Where Have I Been?

2010-04-06T22:47:00.003-06:00

Goodness. It has been over 3 months since my last post? Pathetic. We aren't that boring. Jens and Ihave been pretty busy these last few months. I swear blogging takes me much longer than itshould... can we say ADD? But now that the weather has gotten my spirits up, I'm ready to rockthis blog. ;)

I am so excited that Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner.Next week I'll be starting a class to "perfect" my photography skills. I really look forward to learning from a teacher rather than trial by fire and the good ol' homeschooling method.

Over Easter weekend I had the opportunity to bring out the Flynn's for a family photo session, Libby's 1 year pics, and Emerson got one on her 9th birthday. It was so windy and rainy out on some random farm, but Em toughed it out until I decided that I was too girly for that kind of madness. Lots of cute photos to come. Promise.

Peace out!

I've been editing...

2009-12-15T00:58:00.007-07:00

It takes me so long to edit photos. I am not even completely done with the photos that I have posted here. I'm trying to hurry and get them all completed. Here are a select few so far. I am so lucky to have such cute nieces and nephews to photograph. I enjoy letting their little personalities come through in my photos...

Emeree

Dawson

Emerson

Claire

Cohen

Emerson

Cohen

I love these cute faces to death!

Penny went to the Doc

2009-12-13T21:30:00.003-07:00

Poor (naughty) little Penny had to go get xrays.

I had the worst feeling the morning after the "coke can" incident. I left her and Stella home alone and I, in a frantic rush, left for work. As I drove, I got thinking about what a little joy Penny has been to Jens and I so I couldn't help but swallow my pride and call for some help. First Jamee and Scott went to our place to check on her. I must have texted Jamee every 30 mins. for an update. Then I called my dad to take her in. Grandpa Curtis came to the rescue. He left work and drove all the way out to our place to take lil' Pens to the vet. All in all, 2 x-rays and a quick $150 later, the vet ruled out that Penny is "OK" and must have thrown up all of the little metal pieces. Phewwwww. I think she (and I) learned her lesson. She #1: hated the vet and was shaking the whole time. #2: got her shots and doesn't ever want to have to go the Vet again!

P.S. I just barely realized that Jens and I are "those people". The ones that talk about their dogs like they are children. Oh dear. Sad. We really should start having kids.

UPDATE

2009-12-09T08:49:00.002-07:00

Penny woke me up this morning. She was throwing up. And guess what??? There were sharp metal pieces in her throw up. SAD.

Naughty? Or Nice?

2009-12-08T23:52:00.001-07:00

You decide.

Stella and Penny have really enjoyed their free time while Jens and I are at work. Penny is an 8 month old fearless freeeeaaaak! She busts down their puppy gate and makes it possible for she and Stella to roam the house and get into my shoes, TV remote, the xbox controller, the Sunday paper, a tube of lotion, my cute new ribbon and pearl necklace, and the latest is this....

Seriously?

I left for work this morning in a hurry and it didn't even cross my mind that "the girls" would find this half-full Diet Coke appealing. So much for using the coffee table for ANYTHING. EVER.

I guess we'll have to wait until we see one of them trying to pass half of a soda can/silver shards to know which one is the real culprit.

Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Code-E-O

2009-11-22T12:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Big Sister! We love you so much. You are such a Special spirit and Jens and I love having you in our lives. Our family wouldn't be the people we are today without your sweet little spirit around. Enjoy your big day sweetie and drink all the Diet Cokes your little heart desires.

Codee is my 2nd-to-oldest sister. She has Autism. She is such a blessing to me and my family in so many ways. It was hard growing up with Codee not fully understanding the way her mind works. My friends always loved her. At sleepovers, Codee would come in my room at night, flip on the lights and typically steal some sort of little thing like their chapstick. She is also famous for hitting redial and calling all of my friends, my parents work, etc. ;) My parents are the best people ever and are so great with her even though everyday is a struggle with Codee. I never really understood Codee's disability until I grew older although I always knew she was "special". I often find myself looking forward to seeing her cute little toothless smile that lights up my whole day, the quirky things she does, and most importantly.... the questions she asks over and over. Ha ha!

In honor of Codee's Birthday, let's share some of Codee's famous (and infamous) lines:

"What's your name?" or "What's your baby's name?" - addressed to pretty much anyone, whether she knows it or not, and whether or not you have a baby

"What'd you get for Christmas?" - said year-round pretty much

"She's thirsty." - mostly said when she wants YOU to buy her a Coke

"She is???" - usually said when nothing has been said or out of the COMPLETE blue

"B!& *H" - usually can be heard from Codee just about any old time, typically when it is the
most inappropriate setting.

"I'm not going to your house, nope!" - whenever I (or my sisters) call home and she answers the phone. In her mind this means I will be coming over to get her or that she will be spending some time at my place.

"Go home Jens." - This typically means that she is sick of Jens' company and would rather hang out alone with me.

"Pervert," - mostly directed upon introduction to someone new, typically said cheerfully with a smile and giggle :)

"I just love ya." - said mostly because she is a sweetie, and sometimes when she really wants you to give her something like food, diet coke, CD's, a magazine, etc...

A few of Codee's favorite things include

1. Diet Coke (or any soda really)
2. Cats
3. Kids Songs and CD's
4. VHS movies
5. socks - she is never EVER barefooted. First thing out of the shower, on go the socks!
6. Combs - this is a newer thing. She loves combing her hair and giving it a "middle part".
7. Tim - her "Boyfriend" from St. George. We will be seeing him on Thanksgiving this year.
8. Cereal - approx 2 or more bowls per day
9. Catalogs - any thick magazine will do
10. Chapstick - or any thing that may look like it including my zit cream. ;)
11. sweeping
12. Music
13. Sitting right next to the fireplace or heater
14. Car Rides
15. Her Family

Happy Birthday Beanie! We love you sooo so much.

A & W - Eagles Award!

2009-11-16T00:00:00.016-07:00

A different sort is an Eagle Scout

He’s as good on the inside as the out.

True to his God an his nation’s flag

A boy whose loyalties never sag.

An upright boy with a heart of gold

He can take the heat and he can stand the cold.

An adventurous sort of rough, tough lad

He’d share with anyone, all that he had.

He’s cheerful and good, and he’s filled with fun

He always helps till the work is done.

No loafer is he, this young man with skill

With his disciplined heart and mind and will.

He camps and cooks, he hikes and climbs

He can sing a song or make a verse that rhymes.

You can trust an Eagle with all you own

You can count on him when the chips are down.

He’s a splendid youth with a lifetime goal

He’s the type of boy who’s in control.

A rare breed is this young Eagle Scout

Who’s as good on the inside as the out.

So honor the Eagle and model his deed

He’ll plow rich soil and plant good seeds.

There’s no better young man in this great land,

Than an Eagle Scout with a helping hand!

(Emmy and Cortnee scoping the scene for their future boyfriends)

I'm so proud of my cute twin Nephews. Austin and Weston are our oldest nephews who recently acheived their Eagle Scout Award. Way to go guys!

A & W (hey, I like this acronoym for them!) have been such a great addition to our family since Natalee and Eric were married. They are such sweethearts... most of the time ;) . They have been through a very rough year and have dealt with some things that no 14 year-olds should ever have to experience in their lifetime. I highly respect them for continuing on, holding their heads high, and excelling in everything that they do. They have such an amazing, smart, and genuine Father to teach them how to be great sons, brothers, and future husbands. They may not realize it as much now, but my sister Natalee, their (step) Mom, does so much for these guys. She has learned so much from them, especially about smelly boys, since we grew up with a family of all girls!

Jens and I are so proud of you Austin and Weston. You continue to impress us with all that you are involved in and what great boys you are. I may have spoken too soon... wait'll they turn 15. Yikes! Until then, we LOVE your guts!

Party On Wayne!

2009-11-02T19:12:00.008-07:00

Jens and I have been busy with life in general and I can't seem to make blogging a top priority lately... until this opportunity came along anyway.

That's right, my Mother. My date. Jens has been working weekend evening shifts in his current bid. His promotion pretty much puts him last when bidding for his preferred schedule. Needless to say, he was working on Halloween. Boo to work! Anway, I was confident that my Mother could pull-off "Wayne" and I am pretty much Garth's twin so we were a match made in heaven. My my Mom was such a good sport and said "sure" when I told her she was to wear Jens' mullet wig, a few tattoo sleeves, my dad's skater shoes, and a baseball cap. To top it off, I even made her say "schwing". {PRICELESS}.

For Halloween this year, the Warrick fam got together before the kiddos went out trick-or-treating. It was so fun to see everyone all dressed up in their costumes. They all looked so cute... although some were very ansty to get out of their costumes right after they finished their trunk or treat. Can't say that I blame them.

The rest of the night we tried each others homemade soups and then ate pie. My Dad dressed up as a freak, for lack of a more appropriate word. All of my nieces and nephews were scared to death of him and weren't sure that he was underneath the wig and green makeup.

Until next Halloween...

Party On Dude!

Oh how time flies!

2009-09-20T13:08:00.021-06:00

***Warning - Long Post Ahead.***

And remember to click on the collage of pictures so you can see them a little better. I highly suggest it. ;)

Here are a few of the adventures Jens and (mostly) I have been up to for the last little while. I hope the pics are worth one thousand words because I am such an ADD busy-body, I hate to waste time here at the ol' computer desk typing away. There are things happening in the world today and I just might miss something important while blogging!

{Girls Vacation #1.}

When: Aug 28th and 29th

Location: Park City, UT @ Hotel Park City in Cottage #2 Suite. (delightful place!)

Attendees: Myself, Witney, Danielle, Krista. (My Davis High Buddies)

What/Events: Dinner @ The Cantina, talking, hot-tubbing at our own private deck hot tub and gabbing, breakfast and chatting (lasted for 2 hrs.), lunch and shopping and catching up. How many different ways can I tell you we just talked? We did A LOT of that. It was SO much needed and fun. I love you girls.

Pictures: Only 1. Why? We had way too much to "catch-up" on and not enough camera time. Plus most of the time we were either up late in our plush, white, spa-robes, or in the hot tub. ;)

Moving right on...

{My Birthday and Labor Day Weekend- Very spontaneous Boston Trip}

When: September 2nd - September 7th

Location: Boston, MA; Hampton, Exeter, Portsmouth, NH; Ogunquit, MN; (And all the little places in between)

Attendees: Jens, Me, My Awesome Parents Curtis and Shawna

What/Events: Walking, Boston Freedom Trail (lots of historical places along the trail), Starbucks, shopping, Dunkin Donuts, scouting for knock-off purses (failed), Eating, Walking, Starbucks, Hunting for a Public restroom for Curtis in Downtown Boston, Fenway Park Tour and Red Sox merchandise spending, Dunkin Donuts, me b@!*&ing and moaning about everything, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, exploring Jens' fathers home, Breakfasts and dinner with the in-laws George and Janice and little bro George-y, nostalgic tour of Jens' hometown of Exeter and shopping, Starbucks, walking and enjoying the scenery, beaches, gay people, shopping, food, the BAKERY, cape-cod style architecture and homes, people walking their dogs, the presence of my parents,(deep breath)all in the little town of Ogunquit, Maine. And... nighttime ghost tour of Boston Commons, Starbucks, the Haunted Omni-Parker House Hotel, the local burial grounds, Dunkin Donuts, tour of Old Ironsides - USS Constitution, the underground Subway, walking, visiting the graves of John Hancock, Paul Revere, Sam Adams (cheers!) The old Cheers sitcom bar, The Old North Church (1 if by land 2 if by sea), Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, restroom hunt, walking some more, and lots of time at the old creepy burial grounds. We did so much in such a little amount of time that I can't even tell you EVERYTHING we did. All in all, our feet were sore, my Mother's foot was still broken and swollen, and she still walked and walked like a trooper. Oh, Did I mention that we spent a lot of time at Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, and walking and eating???

Here are some of my faves from this trip.
The Boston Freedom Trail

Highlights include the USS consitution, Old North Church, Little Italy, the Boston Massacre, Cranary Burial Grounds, and much much more.

Here are some "burial ground" photos.

Exeter and Hampton, New Hampshire

Ogunquit, Maine

The Haunted Boston Tour

Fenway -- Home of the Green Monstah and The Red Sox

{Girls Vacation #2 w/Richfield Girls}

When: September 12th-13th

Location: Mesquite, NV at the Casa Blanca Hotel

Attendees: Myself, Mallory, Ashlee, Misty, Kelli, Brinnley, Jessica. (All my buddies since about 3rd grade) Feels like we never missed one Beat together!

What: Arrival on Saturday afternoon with lots of pics and hanging out by the pool and chatting and soaking up some Vit. D, then picture opportunity in our rooms(hilarious), more chatting and then dinner. I proceeded to punk Mallory,Kelli, and Brinnley by faking being passed out on a bench in front of the hotel. (Ash told me to, so I was game). I had so much fun reconnecting with my girls and we are for sure going to do it again next year with much much more time alotted for our vacay. We have way too much to say and do together to make up for lost time. I will never forget these girls, each one and myself have at least a handful of great memories together and they will always be a part of me. These are what true best friends are. I love you girls. I miss you already.

Good times.

Does your pup have style???

2009-07-18T01:28:00.005-06:00

My mom and sister are making these cute and classy collars for dogs. The business is sooo new but already has the interest in some high-end boutiques in Beverly Hills. The adornments are easy to remove yet durable and stay in place when you want them to. The collars shown are for females but they are in the process of adding a "Men's line". Please let me know if you are interested in them. They are so cute and I swear as I was taking the pictures of the dogs wearing them, they loved it. There were so many people that adored these collars and wanted to know how to get them. My sister and Mom are making all different kinds at this point. They will personalize them to your dog, color preferrence, size, type, etc. You may email me or leave a comment with your info if you are interested. audreeann@hotmail.com

Duck Hunt

2009-07-17T23:48:00.009-06:00

So we were in the backyard this evening enjoying the summer weather with the dogs when we heard a duck going absolutely crazy. Needless to say the pups took after it. Jens had to chase them down and gave them a good spanking. But anyway, thats were the real story starts. The reason the duck was a little bit nutso was because all her ducklings had fallen down a storm drain. That is when I raced for my camera for a good shot. Jens, with the help of a neighbor, was able to pull the grate off and started pulling the ducklings to safety. One by one they rescued all 11 ducklings.

It appeared all 11 ducklings were still happy and healthy, although one kept the whole group waiting til' he caught up. Once the mama duck had all of them rounded up, they headed off to the golf course.

And they lived happily ever after... I hope. ;)

Perfectly Said.

2009-07-13T23:52:00.004-06:00

This couldn't have been described any better. My girlfriends and I have had blast so far this season watching The Bachelorette. Check out this hil.ar.i.ous. website for the weekly Bachelorette Round-Up. This is what she thought about tonights episode. Seriously Ed... those shorts had me nervous. And your woman arms, shoulders, and tank top??? We are convinced that Ed is lacking testosterone. I would be happy to draw you up 2cc of it and inject it STAT. I am positive that this should help... in other areas as well. Wink wink.

Here is Mormon in Manhattan's recap on tonights episode:

-kiptyn is completely adorable. i'd date him in a ny minute.
-if i had been on that ropes thing, i'd have completely wet my pants in fear.
-um... did they steal the tablecloth on kiptyn's date from the mirage hotel in 1990?
-since when did they start doing second chances "fantasy suites?"
-please tell reid that his hair is just THIS shy of too long to try the spiky hair thing this episode.

-maybe covering the budding bald spot?
-i am TURD tired (sorry.. that was the spaneesh fork coming out of me) of the freaking helicopter rides. over. 2 in one season? e.nuf.
-she called him cuddly, warm, and sweet. that's even too schmaltzy to even call my dog. (i call her a spicy lady)
-why the 20 questions DTR girl! sheesh jill, chillax!
-WHY are you so surprised that she's asking you to propose? isn't that the point of the show?
-he's (reid) so awkwardly uncomfortable.... NOT READY.
-bubble bubble toil and trouble!! those bubbles were on steroids!
-woooooooah , ed and the tank top and short shorts?! oooooooooh such a bad idea. made denny look fat, gay, and trashy at the same time.
-straddling in a mini jean skirt is never going to be easy, jill. carefee...
-i'm completely over her giant diamond stud earrings that point down.
-"the fact that ed flew his parents out here MELTERD my heart"
-those yellow chicken legs in the short shorts!!!
-sweet quintessential midwestern parents-WHY were you acting so shocked to be in hawaii? did they really bamboozle and fly you down without knowing?
-ed's dad's stash is stellar.
-wait.... lets remember again that ed is in the most unfortunate outfit of the season. i don't

-wanna see THAT!
-on the bed, did he smell his pit or wipe his sweat when jill got up to freshen up?
-i feel totally uncomfortable watching their awkie massage scene...
-hey jill, maybe the "romance" wasn't there because the green shorts stifled his manhood?what does that even mean? were they being cryptic about his prowess?
-nan pointed out j-dawg and kip kip need to tone down the winking.
-kip kip's PRIVATE video was a touch trite, no?
-honeybear?? whyyyyy do you have nicknames like that? gross.
-ed, you pastel clown! are you straight out of miami vice with that suit?
-and the "i love you"?! woah, mr. ed! slow down! lets make sure things work down there first?
-ok... i'm the teensiest bit surprised she gave reid the boot. coulda, woulda, shoulda, reid. he wasn't that into her.
-i think the big "confession" in the teasers is reids profession of love.too little too late? we'll see...

Isn't this spot on? The girls and I covered all of these issues at least once I'm sure.

{classic}

2009-07-08T23:51:00.006-06:00

As I was beginning to edit our family pictures, (its about time!) I came across this photo. You wouldn't be able to tell from the actual family picture that it was this chaotic to shoot the whole crew. I had to laugh. Who's family is perfect anyway right?

And this one is too precious... my Dad with the grandkids. They love him soooo much!

Family Picture Preview

2009-06-30T00:29:00.003-06:00

The whole Warrick family was here this last weekend. It was the perfect opportunity for us to all get together and get a family photo taken. It was also a prime time for me to brush up on some of my photog skills. I haven't edited any of the photos yet so they will most definitely need some work. But here are a few.... My whole family is so adorable. Thanks for finding our location Pops! I will post ALOT more after editing and picking out the best ones. I need to keep a little to the imagination right???

Father's Day Weekend

2009-06-24T23:29:00.007-06:00

I know... I have been sooo bad about blogging lately! I feel like there is so much to be doing now that the weather is nice out. Jens and I have been busy planting flowers, trees, shrubs, and my very favorite... pulling weeds. ;) The two pups are playing, chewing, and keeping us busy and on our toes. I wonder how much worse having children could be??? Anyway, I hope to keep up-to-date in the blogging world in the future. Here's a start:

Me and our "children" Stella and Penny

Due to the inclement weather on Father's Day weekend, we decided to stay inside rather than hitting up a nearby nature park for a little fishing and some good ol' BBQ. Instead, Natalee my big sis was nice enough to have us over to her place for some din din. Her family has had a rough past couple of weeks with her twin step-sons mother passing away. It was such a sad time for my nephews. Thanks so much Nat for letting the gang chill at your place when all you really needed was some rest! Emerson, my cute lil' 8 year old niece broke her arm last week. She doesn't have a permanent cast but wants a "lime green" one when the Dr. feels it is okay to cast. She was a champ and we had fun taking pictures of her "gimp" arm. Trust me Emmy, I have had a few broken arms in my day. Casts work great as weapons.

Isn't my Dad so cute?

Jens and I love my Dad so much! He is the perfect example of what a husband and father should be. He is so generous, hard-working, kind, and knowledgable. I have learned so much about life from his experiences and stories. He learned a lot on his own and he and my Mom raised our family so well and were always there for us and encouraged us to do things as a family. Our family is very close to one another and we owe that to both of them. Being the awesome Wildlife Biologist he is, my Pa has tought me to be a fisherman, how to drive an old ford truck on an ATV trail when I was 12 (sorry about those shocks Dad!), hunting with a bow and arrow, how to mow the lawn, how to gut a fish, names of about every animal, plant, mtn. range, and so much about my surroundings! I must add that I owe my pretty awesome "catch" skills to him. How do you teach a lefty with a righty's mitt to throw right-handed??? My Father is seriously one of the most amazing people I know and I am so fortunate to be able to benefit from his example.

Claire Bear

2009-06-03T21:49:00.003-06:00

This is my absolute favorite.... I caught this one after they were both all worn out.

My adorable little niece came over to "hang out" at our place the other day. I picked her up after I got off work and we got a treat and went back to our place. For some reason she likes hanging out with Jens and I at our home. Maybe we are just THAT awesome??? Or maybe it is because she loves loves loves our dogs... and Jens too.

We played in the commons area with Penny the puppy. Claire wore little Penny out using all of that 5 year old energy. Jens came across the street and captured some of the action on camera. We had such a good time running and giggling... until it was time to go home.

Being around my cute little nieces and nephews makes me so happy. I feel like a little kid again around them. I don't get to do it often enough and don't realize it until I get a little reminder call saying, "Autsee, can we hang out? I'm bored." It melts my heart.:( Although hopefully we will get plenty more of those days to spend together during the summer. I am the luckiest Aunt ever.

You know what's sad?

2009-05-16T00:54:00.003-06:00

I really don't feel like blogging about our Hawaii trip for some reason. What is wrong with me?!? We had so much fun and so glad we talked my Parents into jet-setting with us. Maybe I am still in "vacation mode" and I feel like blogging about the whole trip is too much effort. How sad is that? Hopefully something will light a fire under my buns to find some time later to post with all the pics and details. Until then you only get a pretty picture I took of this fabulous hibiscus flower... Mahalo. ;)

Sisters... sorta.

2009-04-17T00:09:00.004-06:00

Today my parents brought our soon-to-be new addition to our place for a play date with Stella. They are so cute to watch together. We can't wait to bring the new puppy home. Stella is stoked to have a new sister. ;) We are still thinking of names... any ideas?

{Britney}

2009-04-15T22:42:00.004-06:00

Last night was the Britney Spears concert. Jamee and I got all decked out and went and had a BLAST! She seriously rocked and her body was bangin'! More pics to come just as soon as I can get my SD card to pull up. Dang computer!

You can see her facebook pics of the concert last night right here .

The Proudest Aunt

2009-03-28T23:13:00.010-06:00

Crazy enough, I actually saw these pictures on someone elses blog before I even knew that my nieces had done this photo shoot! Two of my five beautiful nieces had a photo shoot with one of their friends Gracie. Alex Perry is the photographer and neighbor to my sister. You can see her work here.

I can't wait to get good enough with my photog skills to take these girlies out for a fun photo shoot like this. These girls are such naturals and absolutely GORGEOUS. I am so proud of them!

This is Cortnee

And Emerson....

And Emmy again and her cute missing teeth... Oh and her hot pink Ipod.

Cortnee thinking long and hard about something... :) Maybe about all the boys at school that have a crush on her...

Emmy and her friend Gracie listening to some tunes.

Girl talk!

Emmy and Gracie again

and again...

Go DQ! Gotta love those dipped cones!

And then there were 4...

2009-03-22T13:51:00.004-06:00

My Mom and Dad's dog Gracie had 4 pups last Tuesday. Aren't they sweet? If they look like bats to you, don't worry just yet. They are only 3 days old in the pics. The one in the top picture will be coming home with us in about 6 weeks. Stella is all pumped to have a new friend in the house. The pups are purebred schnauzers just like Stella but ours will be pretty light colored. We can't wait to start puppy training all over again... Yipee! Thanks Mom and Dad.

Poor Baby

2009-03-14T01:18:00.002-06:00

Jens had his wisdom teeth pulled yesterday. He took it like a champ and hasn't even needed to take one pain pill! Now that is something! It's a good thing I had mine out prior to being married or else Jens would've had enough of me. I was in so much pain and I coudn't eat for a week. Luckily he is a tough guy and has had no complaint... other than not being able to eat a hamburger.

I really couldn't pass up such a good photo opportunity when I came home to find this stranger on the couch. This "device" is an ice pack holder. To me it just looks like a pair of skimpy panties strapped around his head. :)

Antelope Adventures

2009-03-09T22:16:00.013-06:00

On Sunday my parents called to see if we wanted to go for a Sunday afternoon drive with them. We can never pass that up. The sun was shining and the weather was nice, it was the perfect aftertoon.

Since we live so close to Antelope Island, we thought it'd be a good opportunity to go check it out. We haven't used my awesome camera much and this was the perfect opportunity to put it to use. I let Jens take most pictures. They turned out beautifully. I should give him the camera more often. I was too busy on the look-out for wild creatures. I haven't done any editing to the pics so they are just sooc (straight out of camera.)

Kinda blurry... and cold!

Can you spot the buffalo in this pic? Look at my Mom and I in the mirror! Too fun.

Beautiful!

This guy was so close. Very photogenic. He didn't mind us.

Let me explain. Okay, I was trying to get closer to get a shot of the coyote below. I was out there alone and my Dad thought he was funny and started driving away! I was scared. There was a big pile of bones behind me and a hungry coyote too. I ran so fast back to the truck.

Here is a coyote. I would have never spotted all these creatures if it weren't for my awesome personal Wildlife Biologist, my Dad. He could spot these things a mile away!

This is a cute little chucker.

Thanks Mom and Dad and Codee for entertaining Jens and I. We always have so much fun with you guys. Let's go to Yellowstone!

Audree needs...

2009-03-04T00:02:00.002-07:00

I saw this on J.P.'s blog. You just go to google and type in "Audree needs". I wasn't going to blog about it until after googling "Audree is..." I absolutely had to blog it. It was perfect! Here are the results. Random but so um, correct.

#1. Audree needs to stop being so friggin' gorgeous.

#2. Audree needs more wooden spoons. (In fact I do.)

#3. I think Audree needs a girl.

#4. Audree needs a family.

#5. Audree needs models for her crazy photography ideas.

Now I am sure I have sparked some curiosity in googling your name. Go ahead. Try it.

Be Mine

2009-02-14T19:20:00.004-07:00

I love him and he loves me. It's as simple as that. Happy Valentines Hun!

I spent my saturday afternoon making these babies. Mmmm, they are so good.

Bachelor(ette) Party!

2009-02-06T22:32:00.004-07:00

Who can't resist the Bachelor TV show? Obviously Brittany, Witney, Danielle, and I can't! We've started a tradition of getting together on Monday nights to watch The Bachelor together. It isn't the same just watching it alone or with your Husband. There are way too many entertaining parts to discuss with the girlies that a guy just won't get.

As much as our husbands hate to admit it, they have been watching it as well when the women are watching it elsewhere. The first night we watched it, we Tivo'd the show so we could go get some dinner first. Every one of our husbands knew exactly what happened and we even got some spoilers via text from them because they were watching it in real time. Too funny!

I had the girls over again this week and we added Brittany to our club. It was a blast. Everyone made snacks and brought them over to veg out on. And I could not forget to make sure to set the mood with a plate of roses! Next week we've decide to hold out for Danielle until she gets back from Denver. We will be having a bachelor marathon the following week to catch up. Stay strong girls... I will have a hard time refraining. :)

We died after seeing this pic. We look like couples!

My corny rose platter. Yes!

Reminising through my old photos. Look closely at the one Wit is pointing to. Face masks? Mmmmm... attractive!

Caught my eye...

2009-01-28T23:27:00.004-07:00

I was picking up around the house in Jens' office when this picture came up on our computer screen slideshow. I never really thought twice about it because we have so many other pictures of our wedding day that I am in love with. This picture makes me realize how in love we are with each other and what a special day that was. Sorry for getting sappy, but this picture makes me get the warm and fuzzies. :)

Isn't She a Sweetie!

2009-01-21T22:50:00.002-07:00

She is the best little thing ever. We've been playing around with our new camera and got some adorable shots of Stella. She loves the camera.

I miss the holidays.

2009-01-07T22:56:00.003-07:00

Here are a few of my favorite nights with the fam during December. I'm kinda sad it's over... and that it's January. January is lame.

New Years Eve

2009-01-04T23:27:00.006-07:00

Running... in a circle. (inside joke)

"I have a question... is this a 6 or a 9?"

(I don't know what face I'm pulling haha!)

"Watch this guy twitch, he is schizophrenic."

"Scarce? Um, Scarcity?"

WARNING: Above are some quotes that were said throughout the night. You may be subject to becoming more stupid after reading them.

Here are a few pics of New Years Eve. I tried to use the self-timer but we couldn't get everyone to pay attention for just a few seconds! We laid low and hung out with two of my best friends Witney and her Husband Kory, and Danielle and Danny. We were lucky enough to pull something together at the very last minute and fortunately we had a blast!

We started the night off at Wingers, (boys' choice) and then headed over to Witney and Kory's cute new place for games and snacks. We started just talking then played games. It was seriously the hardest I have laughed in a long time! We played my all-time favorite game, Catch-Phrase. The girls lost by a mile, due to some of our very blonde moments. Danny and Danielle, I can't wait til you move back here so we can start making these game-nights more frequent!

I saw Edward!

2008-12-30T20:54:00.002-07:00

Okay he was just a look-alike that happened to walk into our office today to pick up his Mom from her Lipo-Suck. He had the hair, the gray peacoat -- I along with 4 other co-workers took a double take and one finally said "you know who you look like?" but before she could finish, he responded with a shy, "Edward. Ya." Anyway... I was so ridiculously excited about it that I absolutely hadta blog it. So the verdict is in... Edward is way hotter in person. ;)

Christmas... Finally!

2008-12-27T10:21:00.002-07:00

I was feeling the need to blog about our awesome Christmas when I realized that all of my pictures taken on Christmas were with my new NIKON D60! I don't want to attempt to "try" anything because I'm almost positive that I would ruin something. More to come...

Going Private?

2008-12-21T22:34:00.008-07:00

Okay, soooo maybe I'm a little out of the loop but I guess it's "the thing" to de-publicize your blog. Apparently there are people out there in internet land that are looking for more than old friends. Who knew right? Ha ha! I guess it isn't a funny matter so I've decided to, along with the rest of the blog world, to make my blog private. I know, I hate a private blog just as much as all of you who hate to come to terms with a blog you've been stalking for a while and suddenly it is PRIVATE. Bahhh! Anyway, I realize that even if I don't know you, do know you but didn't know you were a blogger, or just someone who may enjoy our little blog, please let me know so I can add you as a reader. I would love to hear from all of you especially if it has been a while. Send me an email to audreeann@hotmail.com All of your requests will be deleted in order to protect you and your information.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve Eve.

Go Elf Yourself

2008-12-17T00:34:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Sporting the Christmas Sweaters

2008-12-16T00:10:00.003-07:00

Thanks so much to Jess and Gordon for throwing this oh-so-hilarious ugly christmas sweater party! Half of the fun was finding the sweaters. Jens and I laughed so hard when we were shopping for them. I'm pretty sure everyone at the second-hand store thought I was on drugs --laughing continuously while browsing the "fashion sweater" racks.

At one point Jess said, "it's wierd how one minute you think you look pretty good and then you throw on an ugly sweater and its all done with." I agree completely. I told Jens, "I don't even wanna go now because my sweater make me feel like I'm 60 and I look like crap." I'm just so glad that everyone else at the party pitched in and "let themselves go" for the evening. I didn't feel so bad about myself afterall.

Anyway, It was so good to get out and meet new people and laugh at the fools people volunteered themselves to be for the night. Even the dogs and kids there rocked the sweet sweaters. There was so much good food and Jess provided her beautiful home for us to kick back in. It's just really too bad that my Mom gave away her awesome sequined santa sweater and matching sequin earrings. Although I'm pretty sure it has already made a few appearances at Ugly Sweater parties all over the world by now. Here are some incriminating photos of the night, enjoy.

Me and the Hostess, Jessica.

Making a festive fashion statement

One of the many attempts at the self-timer group photo.

A Christmas Tag

2008-12-15T23:17:00.004-07:00

Thanks Mrs. Hafen, I love love love wasting time filling these things out. No, seriously.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love wrapping presents! It just really depends on how cute the bag is and how much time I have to get it all done. Sorry if you get stuck with a bag :(

2. Real tree or artificial tree? I will always love a real tree, but the artificial are oh-so-convenient!

3. When do you put up your tree? Right after Thanksgiving. It seems like a longer Christmas season when you've got your tree up early.

4. When do you take the tree down? I agree with you Danielle. I like to prolong Christmas as long as I can so it usually stays up a week after the new year.

5. Do you like eggnog? Heavens no! Raw eggs! Jens happens to gag it down occasionally.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I guess I was a child-ish... my brand new black mustang! ha hah! That thing rocked!

7. Hardest person to buy for? Both my Mom and Dad. They already have everything.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No. I am new to this "having my own place" thing. I will get there sooner or later.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? I am with DANIELLE all the way. My family has never done the whole Christmas card thing and I can't stand the brag letters. I will wait till I have a family of my own before I go that low. ;)

11. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Vacation all the WAY!!! See post below, a tribute to my ridiculous obsession with the Griswolds.

12. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Definitely NEVER before Thanksgiving. But oh, the day after, it is ON!

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No but I'm sure I will!

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I love holiday food in general. The best is all of the different kinds of foods and treats! (Jessica's ugly Christmas sweater party = so much good food and treats = huge butt!)

15. Lights on the tree? Heck yeah. Does anyone let their tree go without??? Grinches.

16. Favorite Christmas song? I hate to say it but its the Mariah Carey "all I want for Christmas is you" and anything Neil Diamond.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home for the Holidays for sure. My Mom would always want to take the family on a tropical vacation for x-mas but I always put up a fight and got my way. It's tradition okay!!!

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, and do you recall... the most famous reindeer of all.... Rudolph

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? A star. If anyone finds an angel that doesn't look tacky, give me a call. Thanks.

20. Do you open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? It used to be a relatives crazy second-hand gifts and pj's, now we sadly just do the jammies. It's definitely not as entertaining anymore.

21. The most annoying thing about this time of year? Freakin' people... everywhere. Going nuts over the dumbest crap. I am a little bitter today, sorry.

22. Favorite ornament theme and color? I like classic, traditional decorations. I have red, gold, white, and green on mine now although I will get more creative when I start adding multiple trees around the house at christmas time.

23. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Actually I mostly look forward to a Christmas eve dinner with the family. It is usually my Mom's awesome homemade corn-potato chowder with cornbread. My Mother is amazing at everything she does. What happend to me?

24. What do you want for Christmas this year? an awesome treadmill, a boob job, a big comfy chair, a dyson vacuum and so many other things that Santa can't afford.

25. Favorite Christmas tradition? As a family, reading a Christmas book on Christmas eve, then opening our jammies, playing games, and all sleeping in the same bedroom (of course that ended a while ago ;)

"She'll see it later dear, her eyes are frozen."

2008-12-05T00:53:00.005-07:00

I just wanted to give you advice in the name of Christmas entertainment. I have absolutely loved this movie since as long as I can remember. If you haven't seen it, watch it! If you have, watch it again. It is hilarious. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the Griswolds:

Todd: Hey Griswold. Where do you think you're gonna put a tree that big?
Clark: Bend over and I'll show you.
Todd: You've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that Griswold.
Clark: I wasn't talking to you. (Todds wife is standing right beside him)

Clark: Burn some dust here. Eat my rubber.
Rusty Griswold: Dad, I think you mean burn rubber and eat my dust.
Clark: Whatever, Russ. Whatever.

Clark: Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?
Eddie: Naw, I'm doing just fine, Clark.

Clark: Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, kiss my (beep). Kiss his (beep). Kiss your (beep). Happy Hanukkah.

Ellen: Clark, Audrey's frozen from the waist down.
Clark: That's all part of the experience, honey.

Todd: Well, something had to come through the window! Something had to break the stereo! Margo: And why is the carpet all wet, *Todd*?
Todd: I don't *know*, Margo!

Audrey: Do you sleep with your brother? Do you know how sick and twisted that is?
Ellen: Well, I'm sleeping with your father. Don't be so dramatic.

Ellen: Clark! I don't want to spend the Holidays dead!

A Good Dentist

2008-12-02T23:32:00.003-07:00

Let me make a long story short. My family, and literally my whole family, has terrible teeth. I've had some dentists tell me it is hereditary and go even as far as saying that I drink too much soda. What? Me drink soda? Never! JK. Anyway after spending thousands of mooooola on my crappy teeth I still have not found a dentist that is actually worth going back to. It is that time again for me to go get a cleaning and a check-up before it's too late. I may just end up toothless before I find my Mr. Right in dentist form! I seriously have nightmares about my teeth! I would love if anyone had any suggestions for me. Keep in mind, I am not terrified of the dentist, in fact i have actually never even had the laughing gas to chill me out. I am just looking for one that does a good job and doesn't just wanna get me in and out of his office as fast as he can. I am afraid that if I don't, I may just end up looking like this... HAHA!

I'm Thankful For...

2008-11-30T20:57:00.004-07:00

This year there are so many things to be thankful for, especially during the current economic crisis that our country is enduring. The most important things to me are what money can not buy. This thanksgiving I am thankful to be able to spend quality time with those that I love. I am so greatful for my Husband, Family, and In-Law's. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people.

Twilight Premier

2008-11-21T11:38:00.007-07:00

Last night my sister Natalee and my good friends Danielle, Witney, Ashlee and I went to the midnight premier of Twilight. When Natalee invited me to go, I didn't really realize that the showing was on the 21st at midnight, which happened to be a Thursday night... therefore I was going to be working bright and early on Friday morning after a long night of vampire love stories. Friday was not a good day at work, I was pretty much useless.

So Wit, Danielle, and I met up around 9 for dinner. Then I stopped to pick up my cute sis Natalee at 10 and we headed straight to the movies. That means 2 long hours waiting with Twilight extremists in the theater! When we showed up, they were just barely seating the auditorium and by the time we got in, there were really only 5 front rows of seats left. So I endured a cramped neck for 2 hours (sigh) just so I could get my bloodsucker obsession fulfilled.

Anyway, to avoid any spoilers I will just say that the movie was okay, stuck to the books' storyline for the most part, and Edward did end up growing on me. It was also pretty funny! I died laughing during some of the cheesy parts. :) It was also a good excuse to get out with the girls, have dinner and a little fun and watch a chick-flick.

Getting prepared for a long night ahead of us with all of the crazy Twilight fans!
Patiently waiting in line.

I don't care who you are, this is FUNNY!

2008-11-13T21:07:00.003-07:00

Jens and I watched this on someone else's blog. At first I was hesitant to watch but a few seconds into it, we were dying! I'm sorry if anyone gets offended but it's all in good humor. Its too bad that the only things I TRULY think are funny are either perverted/gross or when I see someone get hurt. Not that I don't feel bad after the laughter subsides, but my first reaction is to laugh! I can 't contain myself. Enjoy these next few minutes with the farting preacher...

5 for 5

2008-11-11T09:18:00.003-07:00

I was tagged! Good thing I happened to be stalking your blog Nean!

5 FAVORITE PLACES I’VE LIVED
1. St. George, UT
2. Reno, NV
3. Richfield, UT
4. Farmington, UT
5. Syracuse, UT

5 FAVORITE SNACKS

1. M to the Dew
2. just made some pumpkin choc-chip cookies and I'm lovin' em right now.
3. Chili's chips and salsa
4. string cheese
5. starbucks carmel macchiatos

5 JOBS I’VE HAD

(aha ha ha)
1. Medical Secretary at South Davis Hospital
2. Department Coordinator at Lakeview Hospital Psychiatric Unit
3. Medical Assistant/Laser Tech at Mountain West Laser and Medical
4. Abercrombie and Fitch (who doesn't love the employee discount right?)
5. and my current job as another Laser Tech - the stuff amazes me!

IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS I WOULD

1. Pay off my house, on the other hand... buy a new one.
2. buy lots of cute furniture
3. quit my job and finish school.
4. shop, shop, shop
5. travel lots more

5 THINGS I LOVE

1. Jens
2. My Family
3. Stella (our baby)
4. Sunday drives
5. Vacations

5 PLACES I HAVE LOVED VISITING

(I only get 5?)
1. Maui
2. Ogunquit, Maine
3. Cancun
4. New Hampshire/Boston area
5. New York, New York

5 PEOPLE THAT I TAG

1. Wit
2. Jamee
3. Danielle
4. Brit Jorgenson
5. Haley Horrocks

Hangin with the Horrocks'

2008-11-03T18:17:00.005-07:00

My CRAZY, but cute, husband that decided to dress up as a white trash who-knows-what and go all Ozzy Osbourne on my poor little Stella's head. He's beautiful as a blond right? Did the 5 O''Clock shadow give his natural brunette color away?

The pumpkin carving master! I figured that me and knives and gourds don't go well together after 2 minutes of attempting to carve Obama into my pumpkin. :(

These crazy people decided to come trick or treating to our place. My mom and dad are too cute. We love you guys!

My cute neice Cortnee "packing" stella around. Someone is SPOILED!

Getting our pumpkins ready to go! Claire and Cortnee stopped by to bring us some yummy halloween treats, so we made them help us de-funk our jack-o's.

My big sis Natalee and Emeree watching the girls get their hands dirty.

They love hanging out with their awesomest Aunt and Uncle Horrocks.

So. Cal and Disneyland!

2008-10-26T23:10:00.011-06:00

It's been a bit since my last blog. I almost forgot how to post! We have been out and about enjoying ourselves over the past few weeks. Last week the WHOLE Warrick clan - my family of course - took a much-needed vaycay to Southern California. I enjoy being with my family so much and I am so thankful that all of my sisters and their families could be there too.

I remember being young and my sister with Autism, Codee, could not participate with us on our long family vacations because she was always too anxious to enjoy it. This year, my parents decided they would bring her now that she is a little older and more apt to better controlling her behaviors. I was so surprised at what a champ she was the whole time, she absolutely loved Disneyland and Sea World. She went on all of the big rides with us and had a blast! Jens and I wanted to hang out with Codee all day long, mostly because we loved seeing the excitement in her face, her screaming and laughing on thunder mountain, Matterhorn, space mountain, and also cussing out the ride attendant on splash mountain for "getting her wet!" She made our trip all worth the while. She even toughed out a 12-hour day at Disneyland and only complained a little bit after she got splashed on splash mountain - which literally soaked me, Jens, my Mom and Dad, and Codee. Codee came home with blisters on her little feet and still had only excitement in her eyes. Our trip wouldn't have been the same without her. We love you Codee!

After three days of Disneyland, we played on Laguna Beach and hung out in Newport. My Mom and I loved the shopping in the cute little shops along the coast. I already miss it there! The weather was so beautiful! We're already planning our next excursion.

Here are some highlights of our little adventure. Enjoy!

Jens chillin' at Laguna Beach

Cheesin' it up at my favorite childhood disneyland picture spot.

My Dad and Cute sis Codee waiting for Alice in Wonderland. She looks bored. She only wanted to go on the intense rides!

On a cool night at the pier.

My cute little neice Cortnee and I getting excited to enter the Disneyland gates!

The beautiful Laguna.

Ready to get Wet on splash mountain for the 5th time in a row!

This one is too funny: in the back, my sister Natalee and neice Cortnee, then Mom, then dad and Codee -- riding thunder mountain!

Again at the pier...

Claire, Emerson, and Cohen right after Monsters Inc. ride with Uncle Jens and Aunt Audree

A Disneyland Classic. You probably saw that one coming.

Feeding the birds at the beach. This one's diving in for the kill.

Codee getting ready for thunder! She is so sweet. It is her first time and she is stoked!

Lauren and Damon posing for Aunt Audree

My Hubby & First Tag

2008-10-03T23:44:00.003-06:00

1- Where did you meet? At a gas station right after I left the gym!

2- How long did you date before you were married? 3 years!!! Wow!

3- How long have you been married for? almost 2 1/2 years

4- What does he do that surprises you? After 5 years, nothing suprises me anymore.

5- What's your favorite feature about him? his cute face and his buns.

6- What's your favorite quality about him? He is genuine, sincere, yet a REAL man.

7- Does he have a nickname for you? haha all I can say is that it rhymes with Autsee! guess for your self

8- What's his favorite color? Blue, Red, or Black

9- What's his favorite food? He loves everything but always talkes about Wingers wings. I hate Wingers so we rarely go.

10-What is his favorite sport? Football definitely. Dartmouth wanted him!!!

11- Who said I love you first? He did.... I think?

12- When and where was your fist kiss? Super Bowl Sunday at his house. With our friends like 2 feet away!

13- What's your favorite thing to do as a couple? Sunday drives, fishing, and watching "our shows"

14- Do you have kids? How many? 1, she is black and her name is Stella. See below.

15- What's a hidden talent that he has? He pinches with his toes.... hard too!

16- How old is he? 25

17- What's his favorite type of music? linkin park-ish, AFI, and some Rap.

18- What do you admire most about him? That he is a good husband, he is abnormaly smart, and devoted. 19- What's his favorite past time? nothing before meeting me.... no I'm totally kidding, most def. FOOTBALL

19- Do you think he's going to read this? he won't admit he looks at our blog, but oh yes he will.

There ya go Wit!

High School!

2008-10-03T23:09:00.006-06:00

I just had to do this!

High School: Dear OLD Davis High School
1. Did you date someone from your high school: Yep....
2. What kind of car did you drive? ohhhhh the black mustang. I thought that thing was the BOMB! haha. Lots of memories in that thing.
3. What is your most embarrassing moment in high school? When I fell asleep in Coach Gardners History class and he threw a post-it pad at my desk! I did have a good rest though. :) I could sleep through all my classes. I bet people thought I had narcolepsy!!!
4. Were you a party animal? Definitely not, but had so much fun and got away with a LOT
5. Were you considered a flirt? Maybe so, believe it or not I was a little shy around the hot ones
6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? No. Dang. I shoulda played the flute.
7. Were you a nerd? I didn't have the brains to be nerd!
8. Were you on any varsity teams? uh..... let me check, no.
9. Did you get suspended/expelled? nope, but I wasn't at school enough to get in trouble.
10. Can you still sing the fight song? all of it... DEAR OLD DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL, WE'LL FIGHT FOR YOU.... We're up to stuff we'll never ever ever blufff.... lamest school song ever made!
11. Who were your favorite teachers? He wasn't a teacher but the Vice Principal Mr. Haney. He was smokin hot! I had the biggest crush on him!
12. Where did you sit during lunch? Us girls mostly went to subway or Bomans for a banana and a bagel!
13. School Mascot? Dart. aaahhhhh ahahhahh hahah hahh
14. Did you go to homecoming and with who? Yes, Jeremy Johnson
15. If you could go back and do it again, would you? There would definitely be one thing I would change, and I wouldn't mind going back then because it all would have been different.
16. What do you remember most about graduation? I couldn't wait til the afterparty! I was sick of pictures too! 17. Where did you go senior skip day? Went to Pineview and ran around in our bikinis!!!
18. Have you gained weight since then? not a pound pshhhhh.
19. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Most likely not, mostly everyone that I want to see, I am still in touch with. It would be good for laughs though! I would have to go with Sami, Brittany, and J.P for that!!!
20. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Don't EVER have a boyfriend in high school!

I tag Danielle, Jessica Hardcastle, and Witney.

Congrats Danny and Danielle!

2008-10-01T22:20:00.009-06:00

My cute girlfriend Danielle was married to Daniel Hafen on Sep. 26th. Ashlee, Witney, and I were her bridesmaids. Danielle looked so beautiful and Danny treated her just like a princess. They are too perfect for each other. The wedding day couldn't have been better, it was an outdoor/indoor reception and the weather was phenomenal. I am so happy for these two! Congrats!

It was too fun catching up with some old friends from dear old Davis High at the reception. We need nights like this more often girls. P.S. Brittany, J.P, and Sami... you guys crack me up! I love it.

~The Happy Couple~

Jens and I sampling the yummy treats

The Blushing Bride and I. She looked so gorgeous.

Sami, Jessica,Wit, Brit, Me, and Ash. These girlies are hilarious to be around! We had a ball reminiscing together.

Me, Ash, and Wit.

Who Am I?

2008-09-26T12:24:00.005-06:00

I am: Audree Horrocks
i AM: a pretty darn good judge of character. Don't try and fool me. ;)
i AM NOT: something someone else expects me to be.
i KNOW: what I want and I want it now! (hint: that is a lame old song!)
i THINK: about what our lives will be like in ten years, also I think it is time for lunch!
i DON'T THINK: about what I say thoroughly before I speak my mind.
i WANT: to hurry and finish school.
i HAVE: Expensive Taste! Never sits well with the hubby. :) Oh... and a headache.
i LIKE: my job (most of the time). Especially when I have a day off from it!
i DISLIKE: Shrimp, people that are immature, oh and... illegal aliens.
i HATE: waking up early and going to bed early, and flying coach.
i MISS: the good ol' days of being a kid, floating down the canal with girlfriends, not quite realizing what kind of crap was in that water!!! Oh my gosh! Literally not a care in the world.
i FEAR: losing someone close to me...
i FEEL: for disabled children, their future, and their families.
i HEAR: lots of office gossip at the moment.... love it!
i SMELL: like bath & body's Amber romance (smells like fall time!)
i CRAVE: Starbucks' Carmel Macchiato... Mmmmmmmmm
i USUALLY: am late for EVERYTHING!
i CONSIDER: myself to be a caring, genuine person.
i SEARCH: areas on my husband that can be perfected with my lasering expertise.
i HIDE: from anyone that I once knew and don't feel like BS'ing with. :)
i WONDER: how my autistic sister Codee feels and what it feels like to be her.
i REGRET: being such a little brat in high school.
i LOVE: my life and being surrounded with amazing people
i CARE: about the future of my children (when they arive that is)
i CAN: be a smart mouth... if you really tick me off.
i TRY: to be a good house wife and work at the same time. I try to learn to love cleaning the kitchen floors.
i DON'T CARE: if soda is bad for me.... it makes me happy. Yay for Diet Coke!
i ALWAYS: remember the smallest details.
i NEVER: hold back
i WOULD RATHER: be on a vacation right this moment
i WORRY: too much about the little things.
i RELY: on my instinct and the holy ghost
i AM NOT: ready to be a mother... yet. Even though i get those little cravings!
i REMEMBER: numbers.... random phone, addresses, ssn #'s. FBI here I come.
i BELIEVE: You can do anything you set your mind to.
i DANCE: when there is a big mirror in front of me, and if the music is loud
i SING: Horribly! I belt out the tunes alone in my car.
i DON'T ALWAYS: wear my seat belt. I know!!!
i ARGUE: to prove my reasoning.
i WRITE: on post-its, tons of em' to try and remember things!
i WIN: at bowling when I don't even try!
i LOSE: my mind when I've had a long day at work
i WISH: at 11:11, on a loose eyelash, b-day candles, and shooting stars
i LISTEN: but will forget what you told me about 5 min later.
i DON'T UNDERSTAND: Math. Pretty much not my thing past Algebra.
i CAN BE FOUND: at work, shopping, watching the office, or sleeping
i AM SCARED: of the unknown, especially swimming in the ocean! Sharks!
i FORGET: easily, but remember what's important
i AM HAPPY: to be married to my best friend!

Fall Fishing

2008-09-21T23:19:00.005-06:00

My Mom and Dad invited Jens and I for a Sunday afternoon fishing trip. My cute Dad knows I'm his only daughter that will actually enjoy fishing and take it seriously.... baiting the hook with a worm and all! I can never refuse a day of fishing with my awesome Dad.

We drove to a little town in Idaho on the Cub River and enjoyed the beautiful fall scenery and just relaxed, vegged-out, laughed, fished, and just enjoyed each other's company. My mom and I followed the boys while they picked out good fishin' holes. I must say that my fishing spot was the icing on the cake. Jens was cranking those fish out of their little homes (sigh.) I could spend every day of my life that way. The littlest things in life are what truly make me happy. I love spending valuable time with my family and sweet hubster.

Here are some highlights of the adventure:

Just telling him what to do, as usual. :)

Watching the Master in action.

Sharing some good fishing pastime stories.

Catch of the Day. Haha! I think the worm was bigger than that!

My Dad-e-o

Picking me some pretty fall leaves!

She Bangs, She Bangs!

2008-09-17T22:33:00.006-06:00

I am posting this for two reasons.

1. I just got some cute new bangs cut. I'll work on getting a picture that you can actually see them well enough to decide if you like em'.

2. Jens now thinks that if he makes ugly faces in ALL of the pictures I take, I will be less likely to post them on our blog. Well... think again honey because from now on, every picture that is not-so-flattering" of you will now get posted and blown up into an 8x10. Smile and put your best face forward! He is too funny though. I love him.

Don't you think we should use this pic as our Christmas card this year?!?

My Girly Girl Must-Haves

2008-09-16T00:03:00.005-06:00

This is for Danielle (and thanks for your "fave list" as well). I too love hearing what other girls favorite beauty products are and I thought I'd share mine. I am going to a dinner seminar for work next week at Market Street Grill for none other than BOTOX! Maybe it will be my next addiction??? Hopefully not, but who knows. At the very least, you may become addicted to one of my simple pleasures. We girls gotta stick together and spill our secrets!

My Newest: Marc Jabocs Daisy Perfume. It goes on light, with a subtle hint of floral and spice. I love that this stuff isn't overbearing and actually lasts all day without reapplying. Thanks to the annoying saleslady at Macy's. You actually did your job and lured me in.

My oldest: Mary Kay Timewise Microdermabrasion Kit. This stuff works wonders. It is super gritty and exfoliates so deep. After you apply the exfoliant, you apply a lightweight serum which is a heavy-duty antioxidant. My skin feels so smooth afterward. It also helps nightcreams or serums to penetrate the skin more easily.

Never turning back: Pureology Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner. I have such fine, straight, hair so finding the right shampoo and conditioner is vital! I love the sudsy shampoo that never weighs my hair down but keeps my blonde fresh and never brassy. The conditioner is minty and light-weight and you never have to use more than a dime size of it. I also love that it never makes my hair feel greasy or stringy. May I add that Jens hates being in the shower at the same time when I use this stuff, I think the powerful minty scent burns his nose-hairs :)

Mid 20's Must: Skin Medica TNS Illuminating Eye Cream. Now that I'm into my mid 20's (sigh), I guess it is time to start using a light eye cream. I put this stuff on every night and have loved it ever since I started using it a year ago. It is a light cream and doesn't sting or irritate my sensitive eyes. Makes your eyes brighten and diminishes under eye circles. Thank goodness I don't have that issue... yet. It is a little pricey but well worth the money.

Everday Stuff: MAC lipstick in Eden Rocks. This is the perfect color for not wanting to look over-done. It adds a soft "frost" to your lips and stays on through out the day, even after a few much-needed Diet Cokes.

More stuff: MAC eyeshadow in Jest. Again, perfect color to look polished, yet, not overbearing. It doesn't crease easily and lasts throughout a loonnnnggg day at the office.

Copycat Fave: Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna. Thanks to you Danielle. I ordered online from Sephora and dove right it. I love the stuff. It compliments any skin color and leaves a hint of shimmer and doesn't look orange or fake. P.S. I will also add that there is a Sephora in the JC Penney in Riverdale and an ULTA right next to it. Who knew? Love the place.

More to come.... I have so many that I am overwhelming myself with ideas! I'll save it for a later post. Goodnight girls!

9-11-01

2008-09-11T13:02:00.008-06:00

Today is a day to honor all those lost and who fought for others' lives on September 11th, 2001.

We will never forget.

Meet Stella

2008-08-26T09:21:00.005-06:00

Jens and I now have a black child. Her name is Stella and she is thee cutest little miniature schnauzer ever. She melted our hearts from the moment we met her.

David Cook and Stella just watching a movie. Oh wait, that is Jens!

Ever since I was 12 years old we have had a schnauzer in our home, Jack, Rose, and now Gracie has been added to the mix. I love them! I am so allergic to every animal with fur but schnauzers and poodles are "hypoallergenic" if you can believe that. We weren't about to get a poodle so we opted for the schnauzer.

Family Photo: Tucker, Gracie, and Rose. Rose has been around since I was 13 and Gracie was added the mix shortly before we had to put Jack to sleep last year. Tucker is Jack and Rose's pup and just came by to play.

Welcome to our family Stella! Haha.

A Quickie!

2008-08-14T23:46:00.002-06:00

No, you pervs, not that type of quickie! I just wanted to quickly update our blog about our crazy new lives. Currently we do not have the internet at our home but the direct TV and broadband guys are coming to our house on Friday next week to install. Hopefully I can get some pictures posted on here before then. Until Friday rolls around (soooo long) I will fill you in the best I can. This is how crazy our lives have been this past week... Week one... got a new job and quit the one at IHC on a spur of the moment, went to L.A. to a laser aesthetics and plastic surgery workshop conference and made Jens come with me so I wasn't all alone in the big city. Came home and went to Pocatello, ID for a day in the office with Dr. Warren Willey who is the founder of a program called "Walk-in Weight Loss." I spent the day with him and his dietician seeing their patients in order to get a better understanding of how he runs his clinic. The office I work for is now offering the same service for medically managed weight-loss. My Mom came with me that time. Does no one trust me to be on my own in a new city??? Haha. I was so glad my mom was there though, we had some fun laughing at the weirdos in the mall at lunch. She also kept me awake during the boring drive to and from Idaho. Next off, we closed on our home, moved in, bought a washer and dryer, brand new car, and a cute lil' black mini schnauzer pup named Stella. She is so adorable! I can't wait to post some pics. Stay tuned. Until then, peace out.

Lunch with the Gals

2008-07-31T00:16:00.004-06:00

I love these girls! Danielle, Witney, and I spent the afternoon at Chili's just chatting our little hearts out and catching up with each other. It was so good to finally get out with my fave girlfriends and spend some time filling each other in on our ever-so-exciting lives. Danielle is getting married in September and Witney got married a few months ago and is now living close by. I am so happy for them both. It is so nice to have these girls close to home again. We are now trying to get together at least once a month because we have such a good time when we do, coordinating our crazy schedules is the hard part!

I really enjoy our time spent together reminiscing and just being girls. I feel like nothing has changed -- except for, as Danielle said, our interests have shifted a bit since high school:)We no longer anticipate our spring breaks in St. George but it's so hilarious to look back and laugh at our crazy teenage selves.

Catching up at Chili's last weekend

This picture makes me laugh and I thought I'd add it just because we are all in it. This was taken about 6 years ago at a friends wedding shower. Good times!

A Much Needed Update

2008-07-26T02:08:00.008-06:00

So here is the finished product. We are moving in on Tuesday next week... thanks to the ever-so-thorough Countrywide Home Loans. NOOOTTTT! Last minute, after Countrywide was taking their sweet time, Jens and I made a very smart move and decided to go with a different lender for our housing loan. I can't believe how irresponsible the people at Countrywide are. I am so thankful that we figured that out before we closed on the home. Now all we are looking forward to is moving in... FINALLY.

The lawn just got put in. We'll landscape once we're in.

The kitchen.

Front entry way.

Just trying out the tub!

No comment

Pantry and kitchen.

Master Shower and bath
Guest Bath
Guest Bath.

Summer Fun

2008-07-16T23:28:00.009-06:00

Last Friday Jens and I met up with the family at Bear Lake for the Annual Warrick Family Reunion. We had so much fun spending time with my whole family, soaking up the sun, tubing, biking, playing tennis, and of course... eating really good food.

The WHOLE Warrick Clan.

The weather ended up being really good -- other than my allergies that were out of control -- and on Saturday the wind had died down and was perfect for a day out on the water and at the beach. One of the funnest things we did was play glow in the dark frisbee with my 12 year old nephews Austin and Weston. It was hilarious. We felt like such kids again. Grandma brought a whole bunch of glow sticks for fun and we decided to shake it up a bit. Weston taped the glow sticks/necklaces around the frisbee and everyone that played had to wear a glow necklace so you could see them in the dark. I have never laughed so hard! We also played a lot of tennis and rode our bikes everywhere. Scott forgot the wakeboards so we just ended up doing a lot of tubing behind the boat. That is always fun too... but a little too safe for me. I've gotta admit though Jens and I were pretty beat after a long day of tubing on the rough water. Bear Lake is always a favorite though, even though the water is cold, I love it because it is clear enough that I don't have to freak out about what is right beneath me (like a bunch of huge ugly fish)!

Jens taking me on a "relaxing" boat ride.

Cruising on our beach cruisers around town.

Spinning Cortnee, Emerson, and Lauren til' they got sick!

Jens helping Claire and Dawson build an AWESOME sand castle.

Our last day at the beach was Monday. We went out with the whole family (all four of my sisters and their husbands and kids and my awesome parents) and hung out at the beach while everyone took their turns on the boat. In the meantime, Jens and I made up a game called "shark attack" with my 5, 7, and 8 year old neices. We would go out into the "deep" water and Jens would lurk around our huge float tube (like 8 feet across!) and the girls would all sit around the tube with their little feet danglin' in the water. Jens would swim under the tube and pop up in the middle and randomly grab one of the little blondies, pull them into the center hole of the tube, dip them in the water, then toss them way in the air where they'd land perfectly in their seats. Ah ahahaha hah! Good thing I was in the water because I laughed so hard I was coughing and literally peeing my pants. The girlies loved it and kept asking Uncle Jens to play shark attack "one more time." Maybe next year girls.
Good thing we were planning on leaving on Tuesday morning because after we got back from the beach on Monday evening, we all had these little notes on our condo doors saying that the Rich County main water line broke and could be up to 2 days before more water came!!! Dang. The rest of my fam toughed it out and were back with water the next afternoon. That is why I CAN'T do camping.

Such cute lil' boogers.

Cute little Cohen exploring everything.

My Dad and the Bro-in-Law's trying to act tough.

Emmy and I ready to play glow in the dark frisbee!

Playing at the condo.

Jens and his best bud Claire with their cool glow sticks.

All in all, it was yet another great year at Good Ol' Bear Lake with the Warrick Family. Too bad we couldn't stay longer, Jens and I both had to work. Boo to that. I love my family so much and wouldn't trade them for the world. We had so much fun together and it was sad to leave for home and get back into the daily grind again.
Thank you Mom and Dad for making every year and this year so special for everyone. We love you. Until next year....

House Update

2008-06-30T22:24:00.005-06:00

Thought I'd post some newer pictures of the home. We close so soon! Ahhhhh. More pics to come soon. These don't do it much justice. I can't wait until they get in there and clean it!

The VERY dirty kitchen

Master Bathroom

Note: the house has NOT been cleaned yet. (see my footprints on the ledge??)

Just testing out the carpet. I don't think I shaved my armpits that day either. Ooops.

The view out back.

House-Zilla

2008-06-29T23:20:00.005-06:00

WRONG RIGHT

With all the confusion and frustration of building a new home, I seem to have caught myself between a rock and hard place.... that hard place would be our granite counter-tops. You see, the surface on the bottom is a picture of the granite that I CHOSE to be put in our home. The sorry sight on the top is a picture of the granite that was actually installed in our new home. I tried to tell myself that I was being too nit-picky but after doing a side by side, I am positive that I am ONCE AGAIN right.

As soon as I saw this counter top, I made Jens get right on the phone with our contractor to discuss this "little mishap." Low and behold, our contractor was out of town for a few days longer and could not be reached. In my woman mind, this was an emergency. So I had Jens call the cabinet/counter top place to tell them about it. Jens was very good and calm and told the guy that this counter top was completely wrong. The guy then said he'd send someone out to look at it to make sure it was "Venetian gold" granite. A few hours later (that felt like forever) Jens called me and told me that the cabinet guy "confirmed" it was the venetian gold that we had ordered. At this point, I'm pretty much house-zilla. So I get on the phone and as nicely as I could put it, basically I said "Dude, the house I live in everyday of my life currently has venetian gold and THAT is not venetian gold sitting in my house." He said, "oh, right, um yeah, I already told your husband that it is venetian gold (ok folks... brace yourself for this part) it just happens to be a 'darker version' of it." I just laughed. A darker version? If I wanted a "darker version" I would have had to order something totally different! Agggghhhhh.

What do I do??? Basically, I told the guy I was positive he was wrong and to send somebody back out to open their eyes a little wider this time and tell me that it was not the right granite. I was supposed to get a call last week from them. Still haven't heard a word. Little do they know, they have a little surprise coming for them when they prance into work on Monday morning. :)

Now you tell me who's right!

My New Favorite Dessert

2008-06-24T20:30:00.007-06:00

I've decided that everytime I try making something new, and successfully doing so... I am going to share the recipe with you all. This will not happen very often as you know I don't LOVE to cook or bake. I received several compliments on this yummy dessert and thought I would post the recipe. Its super easy and good for big groups of people like Jens' work party and Courtnee's Baptism luncheon.

1. Cookie - make your favorite sugar cookie dough (or mix) and bake as directed in a greased

cookie sheet. Let it cool completely before adding frosting.

2. Frosting - Mix one 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese with 1-2 small tubs of cool

whip in with 1 c. of powdered sugar. Mix well. Add more powdered sugar for thicker frosting.

Spread thin layer of frosting on the cookie

3. Cut up lots of your favorite fruits and put on top. I like strawberries, peaches, kiwi,
raspberry, and/or grapes.

4. Shove down your throat and enjoy.

2008-06-24T14:49:00.000-06:00

4 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago...

1- Still going through my akward stage.
2- Got my first real boyfriend.... this is where it all started!
3- Moved from the good little town Richfield to Farmington.
4- Making new friends at Farmington Junior high in 9th grade.

4 Things I Was doing 5 Years Ago...

1- Attending my first year of college
2- Hanging out with my girlfriends (and guys of course) until about 3 am daily!
3- Got in my first fender-bender in the black mustang!
4- Met my future husband after leaving the gym. Awww.

4 Things I’m doing this year…

1- Building our first home
2- Starting a new job working for IHC - ahhh scarrrrry!
3- Working on going to nursing school
4- Trying to become more active by working out ALOT and playing lots of sports! Wish me luck.

4 Things I Did Yesterday…

1- Had the day off and slept in until 9:30.
2- Went and checked on the new house - like 1 more week people!
3- Went shopping and to lunch with my cute mom and sister.
4- Completed my cute little "entry way table"

4 Shows I Like…(okay, well, love)

1- The Office
2- Desperate Housewives
3- The X effect on MTV (that shizz is hilarious!)
4- Currently -- The Bachelorette (Graham rocks my socks off!)

4 Biggest Joys Of the Moment…

1- My cute husband!
2- Starting a new job on Monday!
3- Summer and Warm Weather! Woo Hoo!
4- Plan on planning another(haha) a getaway vacation - maybe Hawaii... again.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-21T00:56:00.006-06:00

Okay, so I know its a little late but I have had a lot going on in my life this past week so I haven't posted the well deserved tribute to my wonderful Dad yet.

My Dad is the best role model I could ever have. He is the hardest working, most knowledgable, generous, witty, well spoken, and most amazing father ever! I believe that the reason our family is so close and structured is because he set the example as the head of the household. If I ever need someone to help me with my resume, or a school project, my Dad is the one I think of first. He has set such a great example of a father and husband for Jens and I for when we decide to start a family of our own. My Dad has taught me everything I know from puttying baseboards to tying a hook and putting a worm on my fishing line. He is truly the heart of our family. He has kept my family so close, always planning fishing/boating trips, dutch oven dinners, vacations, and all sorts of other family get-togethers. I feel so blessed to have been born into such a wonderful family with great values and a closeness that can not be topped. I am so honored to say this amazing man is MY DAD. After raising five daughters and his share of family pets, he has dealt with more emotions, more clothes and make-up, more bad boyfriends, and car accidents than most men will ever see in their lives. After my parents had four girls, they thought they'd try for one more... maybe a boy! Last but not least, out I came and was the last child, the fifth Warrick daughter. I think that my dad needed a buddy to take out on fishing trips and hunting ventures. Honestly, some of the best memories I share with my Dad include gutting fish, letting me driving his "hunting truck" at age 14 while he sat in the passengers seat scouting out the deer, him speaking at my elementary school about Wildlife (he is a wildlife biologist), and videotaping me and my friends for our back to school fashion show! I can honestly say this man is amazing and has always been there for me... whether I wanted him to be or not! Haha. I love you Dad.

The two most important men in my life!

My dad and my sisters (couldn't get Codee to look at the camera!)

The day my Dad gave me away.... sniff sniff.

This Fathers Day our family went to the Layton Duck Park to open presents and have a picnic and pie to celebrate our AWESOME Dad. We had so much fun just hanging out in the park together. Wait... only until Dawson, my nephew (4) got pooped on by a seagull on the arm. I know it definitely ruined his weekend. We were trying so hard to stop laughing!

Damon and I feeding the geese. Those things are pretty determined to eat.

The granddaughters helping G-Pa open his gifts.

Here I Come!

2008-06-15T10:05:00.002-06:00

I finally took the plunge and tried for a new job. After a few grueling interviews and near nervous breakdowns, I was offered the position last week. I will be leaving my current job on Friday and starting all over on Monday the 23rd! Ahhhh. I hope everything goes over well. I am really looking forward to my advancement in the healthcare industry. 100% paid tuition here I come!

Making Progress

2008-06-13T14:41:00.005-06:00

When will the day finally come to move in? Two weeks ago they said "2 weeks". This week they say "2 weeks." Now it is on! I am ready to go all UFC on our contractors any minute. Yesterday we went to the house and it finally looked like they did something. The cabinets are in and the lights just got installed. I have got to say, I am proud of my selections. The cabinets absolutely look beautiful and once the granite counter tops are in, it will be gorgeous. Here are a few pics we took a couple of days ago.

So anyone that has been to the house with me recently knows that there is one little problem.... or should I say a few dozen of them. Once the roof was on, I started noticing birds flying in and out of our attic. Lets just say those cute little birds are now on my hit list. They have made nests, reproduced, and are now at maximum occupancy for my attic. We were walking around inside the house in the master bedroom then and I heard tons of baby birds chirping and it literally sounded like a terodactyl was flying around up there! The builders have not put the soffit and fascia under the eves of our roof yet. All I can say is they better get all those dang birds out and seal the heck out of the roof before we are in the house. I am feeling a little guilt considering there are baby birds at risk just because they annoy me, but the last thing I want is for them to get trapped up there and die. I may have to take the matters into my own hands because I'm almost positive the contractors don't care about the well being of the little birds.... if not R.I.P Tweety birds!

Our Wedding Day, 05.12.06

2008-06-05T13:52:00.006-06:00

I thought I should post some of our wedding pictures because I am so proud of them. I married my AMAZING man on May 12, 2006. Our Wedding Day couldn't have been more perfect so I thought I'd should share the special day with everyone. It was truly the most happy day of my life this far. I'm sure we'll share many more precious moments in our future together as husband and wife.

Memorial Weekend in Boston

2008-05-29T15:47:00.014-06:00

Once again, Jens and I decided to take another completely spontaneous trip to the other side of the United States. Friday evening we flew to Boston, MA to visit Jens' Dad George, his wife Janice, and my youngest bro-in-law George Jr. Also visiting was the oldest of the Horrocks boys, Jesse, and his wife Haley, and their adorable baby Ian. We got into the Logan Int'l Airport at about 12:30 am and drove an hour to the house and went right to sleep.

We spent Saturday in New Hampshire lounging around at the in-law's home, which is a beautiful 18th Century plantation-style home, with servants quarters, 12 fire places, and about 10 bedrooms. It sits on about 3 acres of property that consists of beautiful gardens, lush trees, and even a cemetary with about 20-30 graves (all from the same family, only few are legible because they are so old!) The only headstone that I was able to read was someone who died at the age of 70 in 1848. Here are some pictures of the house and property.

The back of the home.

One of the many ornate bathrooms that I loved!

The beautiful, long drive up to the house.

Next off, Jens and I drove to Hampton Beach and then into Exeter, NH (about 5 mins. away) and drove past his old elementary school and the house he grew up in prior to moving to Bountiful.
Later that night, Jesse, Haley, George Jr., and Jens and I went to see the new Narnia movie. It was so good. Thankfully we all got pulled over that night, but only got a warning. The officer asked for all of our ID's and I couldn't find mine anywhere. After searching everywhere I realized it was lost. Thankfully, Delta found it on our incoming plane and put it in baggage claim for our flight the next day!

Here is Jens' old house. So cute.

On Sunday afternoon we took an afternoon drive with the whole fam to Ogunquit, Maine to go on a scenic beach trail walk on the coast. It was beautiful! I was a little upset we were so short on time because I wanted to eat some famous Maine Lobster. Oh well, maybe next time. Here are a few pics of the cute little beach town, Ogunquit.

Jesse and cute little Ian in his "homemade" baby bjorn. He was such a trooper!

After a long day of exploring, George, Janice, and lil' George cooked us up an amazing dinner. It was my first time trying Janice's incredible strawberry-rhubarb crisp. Mmmmm mmmm!
It was so fun to get together with family and relax for the weekend. We loved seeing Jesse, Haley, and Ian again and being able to spend a little time with them. Thanks for a great time George and Janice!

Who will it be???

2008-05-20T23:29:00.000-06:00

The next American Idol is...

I am so scared for tomorrow night! I want both of them to win because I like them both! I really like David Cook and his style of singing although David Archuleta is our fellow Utahn and he fits the "American Idol" mold precisely. It is a total toss up. Here is my prediction... Archie is going to win. Cook will get a record contract and do awesome. It is a win-win situation for everyone. You also have to ask yourself, who is more marketable and who would you buy a CD from? David Cook all the way. Props to Archie for being so young and having an amazing voice, he just hasn't grown into his own skin yet. I would like for Archie to say something other than, "Oh gosh, thank you! (gasp followed by a lip lick)" I think Cook has more to offer an bring to the table. Who knows? I am excited for them both and would hate to see either of them lose. May the best MAN win!

Not for a LONG time!

2008-05-19T12:08:00.001-06:00

I hope I don't have to see another paint can or paint brush for a long time! Jens and I decided to do our two-tone paint in our new home at the very last minute. Saturday we went and got our paint matched and mixed at Lowe's and headed out to the house for a day of painting. After 8 hours of slaving away it was time to go. The frustrating part was that the paint looked bad and we had only almost done 1 coat throughout the whole house! We were so exhausted. We ended up breaking down and asking Jens' Mom and two younger brothers Jay and Jordan to help out. They headed over on Sunday afternoon and went right to town. By that night at about 6:00 we were done! To top it off, Jens got a call from our Foreman early today. Bob, the foreman, said he was so impressed with our work and how good it looked in the short time we had. It made it all worth it! Thanks so much to my wonderful Mother-in-law and awesome bro-in-laws for helping us out. We are so excited to be in our house in 3-4 weeks. Woo hoo!

My First Post

2008-05-14T12:14:00.000-06:00

I have managed to make myself successful with blogging. Here it goes... Jens and I were married two years ago on May 12, 2006. We met in January of 2004 and have been in love ever since. We don't have any kids yet but we intend on making a family in the next few years. Currently we are building our first home and it should be done in June. We are ecstatic about it. Last weekend for our anniversary, Jens and I decided at the last minute that we wanted to go somewhere different. That we did. We ended up going to Minneapolis, MN for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Random. We caught a Boston Red Sox vs. Twins game at the Metro dome and spent a long day at the Mall of America. I enjoyed all of the fun stores and spent hours at H&M! I love it. Jens is from the Boston area so of course we rooted for the Sox.... and they won. It was such a fun experience. We hope to do more random outings a lot more. And as far as our anniversary went, I had so much fun just being with my AMAZING husband. I love you Jens!
<