POWERS

Cool Shiz

2011-12-27T13:01:00.005-07:00

i'm horrible at taking pictures lately -- i'm sure that will change when the baby comes and you'll all get sick of me posting pictures -- but for now i only have 2 really awesome pictures to post.

this first one encompasses one of the best nights i've had in a long time. pat, eve and i went to dinner at porcupine and came out to find our car nearly blocked in. this note explains it all (and yes we left it on their car) -

sadly, this is the only picture i have from christmas. regardless, it's definitely worth posting. i woke up christmas morning to find these fabulously wrapped presents under the tree. tyler was so proud of his work, he jumped out of bed when i did just to see my reaction.

Thankful

2011-11-23T11:47:00.003-07:00

there is nothing i love more than this holiday. family gatherings, delicious food, eating until i'm going to pop and then stuffing in just a bit more. what is there not to love?!

this year i especially have a lot to be grateful for.

my husband who works tirelessly in school and work to ensure that we will have a successful future. it's a lot to shoulder and he does it entirely on his own.

parents who truly are the greatest 2 humans on this earth. they do everything imaginable for us and then some. we are all eternally indebted to them. and on top of that, they are COOL. we would all choose to hang out with them over anyone else any day. not many people can say that.

siblings (including in-laws!) who, quite frankly, i'm obsessed with. they're my best friends. life wouldn't be the same without anyone of them.

friends who keep my life fun and exciting! i have the greatest group of friends that date back to high school. pretty lucky.

my pup who is literally glued to my hip. i'm basically in love with him in every way.

my membership in the LDS church. often times i wonder why i was one of the lucky ones to be born into the church. to always have the goodness of the gospel in my life. i cherish it above all else.

i'm thankful for the life i've been so blessed to live. the places i've traveled, the delicious food i'm constantly fed, the warm home i get to go home to, a job that i actually love, and so much more.

and lastly, the BABE that is growing in my belly. tears immediately spring to my eyes as i think of the little spirit that is waiting to join our family. i've wanted this for so long and i couldn't be more grateful that our time has finally come.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

FREE PICTURE!!

2011-09-16T09:41:00.003-06:00

Who wouldn't want a free drawing of your favorite picture from the talented Andrea? YES PLEASE! I can think of several.......Don't miss out! Check out this great offer here.

Some of her drawings --

wowza.

Not a pretty picture

2011-08-24T16:05:00.007-06:00

Note to self -- Next time you want to jump a chain barrier on a dirt path covered in rocks after running several miles, think twice.

*please forgive the hairy legs

It's safe to say I'm in a small amount of pain today. Not the best start to my day.

Got this beaut a week or so ago after my bike fell on me. What is the universe trying to tell me?

I guess Ty's not far off when he jokes about my need to wear a helmet...at all times.

Spudman 2011

2011-08-01T13:45:00.007-06:00

Tyler and I completed our first triathlon this past weekend and I really hope it's not our last. We had a great time (well until the last 2 miles of the run when Tyler started dying a slow death). But we finished it together and feel great about our time. The amazing Horsley family drove all the way up to Burley Idaho to support us and I don't even have a picture with them. Bummer. We were way too out of it at the end and just wanted to sit down. I'll be better about documenting it next time.

This is the only pre-race picture we took. We were just a tad anxious here (and when I say "tad" I mean completely terrified.) The swim was by far the hardest for me even though I trained for months. Ty did just as well as I did without ever training. Don't you just hate men for that reason!? Although he has definitely paid for it the past couple of days.

After crossing the finish line and feeling the relief that it was over.

Showing off our cool new hat. I think the highlight of the experience for Ty may have been finding these hats at a Flying J on the way up.

Sunday night - Pat, the coolest mom in the world, made us a little congratulations dessert. Our little family had a great time blowing out the candles. Doesn't Tate look like she could be our child? We wish. Finn had a ball as well.

In Love

2011-05-10T09:08:00.007-06:00

with 4 little guys. it's no wonder i'm baby hungry.

good job family. you made 4 of the most adorable little boys i've ever laid eyes on.

good thing i have this little stink to keep me occupied

when ♥'s used to replace an O

2011-04-06T10:37:00.006-06:00

when tyler got out to his car the other night after class this is what he found on his windshield. could this possibly be real people? thank you "c" for providing us with hours of laughter.

Park

2011-03-31T10:42:00.006-06:00

I had a park friend take a bunch of pictures of Yuri and send them to me. These are my favorites....

the stare down

the chase

and the attack

i've seen it a million times people. i have a killer dog on my hands. he's a scrappy little thing and can run around and play with the biggest of them. tyler's so proud he's a true man.

2.11.11

2011-02-14T10:27:00.005-07:00

the details of this day i wish to never remember, or forget. it was a simple friday with not much going on.......or so i believed

6:30am - begin the morning by dropping my phone in the toilet. no i was not peeing standing up. i put it on a book that sits on the counter right next to the toilet and it slid off and fell into the toilet. tyler put it perfectly -"hun it wan't your fault, it was gravity's." thank you my dear. i completely agree that gravity is at fault here.
12:00pm - head to my mom's after work to visit eve and baby graham (#1 highlight of the day!) my toilet phone (completely turned off) starts to vibrate.
1:00pm - with vibrating toilet phone in hand i head to the at&t store to purchase a new one.
1:20pm - leave at&t store with my toilet phone quiet once again after the stupid salesman has wasted 20 mins of my time trying to sell me on a different phone. sir, don't you understand how crucial an iphone is for me. what would i do without words with friends?! don't know about this scrabble app? check it out! my current addiction.
1:25pm - call tyler from a pay phone at 7 eleven on state street (flashback to 1995) and tell him i'm heading to a different at&t store to purchase a new phone. his boss overhears our conversation and says "i have an extra iphone she can have." what?! um, yes please.
1:45pm - meet tyler at work to pick up my new phone. new phone is in better condition than toilet phone is before it became toilet phone. i just scored!
1:55pm - head to another at&t store to have them reset the phone
2:20pm - arrive home to meet a buddy of tyler's that's going to help us with a home repair project. #2 highlight of the day. new phone seems frozen on the boot up screen with the apple symbol. must still be resetting i think.
5:00pm - new phone is still frozen on the apple screen. huh, something seems fishy. tyler arrives home and plays with new phone. no luck. we decide i better run to the apple store to have them take a look at it.
6:00pm - arrive at apple store. they do a hard reset and get phone to work. hooray!! have a phone for the first time in 12 hours. i'm frantically calling people to make sure no one called or texted me and couldn't get through. i find out no one really noticed or cared. what. but how could that be?
6:30pm - arrive at my office to sync my phone. i plug it in, and dash to the bathroom. been holding that in all day it feels!
6:35pm - walk back to my office and discover i've locked myself out. perfect. my keys, purse, coat and new phone are all stuck inside.
6:37pm - deflated and feeling like a complete fool i walk downstairs to the company below and use their phone to call tyler. the conversation went like this
D: "hey, you're not going to believe what i just did."
T: "what?"
D: "i went to the bathroom and locked myself out of my office."
T: "are you being serious? well do you need your phone tonight or can we get it in the morning?"
D: "that's not really the problem. i locked my keys in there too."
T: "so you're telling me you have no way of getting home?" - growing a little bit irritated. can't imagine why.
D: "yep. i need you to call stuart (co-worker) and ask him to borrow his office key, and come let me in."
T: "okay, but we'll miss the dinner (we had dinner plans with tyler's friends)."
D: "you'll just have to go without me i guess." silence on the phone.....
T: "i'll call him and call you back at this number."
D: "okay, thanks hun. love you".
click
D: "oh crap."
7:00pm - tyler arrives at the office with just my spare car key. he tells me stuart is down at gateway and won't be back until 7:30. i'm in tears at this point. i hate this day.
7:10pm - arrive home and start to kill time until i can go get the office key, head back to the office and get my phone and then kill myself. just kidding, but at that point it sounded appealing.
8:15pm - finally get back into the office and grab my stuff. i drive straight to artic circle and buy myself a big chocolate malt. thankfully the day ended on a high note!

to my dear tyler, thank you for sticking by me. you are patient, understanding and tolerant of your often times brainless wife. i love you.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO ALL MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

La Republica Dominicana

2010-11-30T10:19:00.019-07:00

i have been putting off doing this post for a few weeks now because i don't even know where to begin. how do you narrow down over 350 pictures from such a moving, inspiring, and life-changing experience? so as a forewarning, there are going to be several collages and even more single pictures. a pictures says a thousand words right?

we flew into Santo Domingo and enjoyed our first 2 1/2 days there. here are some of the things we saw. (take notice to the mannequin's boobies)

we did 5 days of clinics while we were there. if that does not seem like a lot take a look at the preparation alone to setup clinic each day. saying it is a lot of work doesn't do it justice.

tyler and matt each extracted a tooth - here's ty in action

these are some of the things we saw while we were there -

he was right outside one of our clinics

the bathroom's often looked like this

the roads after a rainstorm

this poor horse was covered in mud

the truck that took us up that muddy road - and boy was it an adventure!

a random group of dominican law enforcement

i was fortunate enough to visit the home of a wonderful women named Yocimara who lives about 8 miles up that muddy road. when the road is in this condition she has to walk up it.

her kitchen

her son's home that sits right behind her's

there are 2 rooms. these pictures are of his living/dining room and his bedroom is off to the side. he does not have a kitchen or bathroom in the house.

their spectacular view

their bathroom that is used by 4 families

Yocimara, 2 of her kids and 1 grandchild

the people we met along the way touched our hearts. they are what made this an unforgettable experience

and of course i have to give a shout out to Pateo (mi madre) and Mateo (Matt Crane), who made everyday delightful.

Pat (i just had to post once again the picture in the middle because that is a classic Pat pose)

Matt

the dear friends we made -

marisa, parti, and steph (we ran the front together)

nate huntsman

rebecca hammond (the little sweetheart of the trip)

maribeth, robyn and sunny

the entire group

a few of my favorites of ty and i

at the end of the trip we went to a beautiful resort to wind down for a day. this was the view from our hotel room

we spent the day on an island that was everything you imagine the caribbean to be. secluded, beautiful, soft sand, blue water, etc.

we had to ride this boat to get to it and no one else thought it was important to wear a life vest

the food fish was as fresh as they come and a bit frightening

my hubby

i love the tenderness in the picture. it encompasses all the love, respect and unity we felt for the Dominican people. what an amazing job i have! i can't imagine being anymore blessed than i already am.

Pat, my hero

2010-10-05T09:52:00.011-06:00

One of the best things about living in Salt Lake is the pleasure of attending Pat's sunday dinners. She truly is a gourmet chef. Every person who has eaten a meal of her's can attest to that. This past sunday we had the most scrumptious roasted tomato, caramelized onion, goat cheese tartlet (i have no idea the official name). Behold the beauty of this dish! Homemade pie crust with rosemary and balsamic vinaigrette and fresh basil from her garden drizzled on top. What?! Where did this women come from? Keep in mind this was only a side dish. Not only is the food amazingly delicious, but it's beautiful as well. The presentation is always flawless. One day, I may just have to attempt to make this.

oh the sadness i feel

2010-08-16T16:06:00.008-06:00

summer is almost over. some exciting and not so exciting things have taken place the past couple of weeks. my 10 yr. high school reunion....fun. fun. fun. these first pictures show the fun experience we had when one of the trucks that we loaded up with tables caught on fire (you can see the hood of the truck is burned). something always has to go wrong right? just glad no one got hurt.

some of the details from the reunion. it looked amazing. i can say that because i had nothing to do with the decorating. i have talented friends.

friends reunited. (and the planning committee jumping for joy that it's over.....needless to say, it was a lot of work)

the annual hansen family bear lake trip. we celebrated ty and matt's birthday while we were up there. these old boys turned 32.

love this picture of whitney, kelsey and kirk. my in-laws are beautiful people. i adore them.

and our not so happy news, our poor little man was neutered yesterday and his dew claws were removed. he's not feeling so hot today and its making me quite anxious. i'm such a sucker when it comes to this precious creature.

playing catch up.....

2010-07-27T08:40:00.010-06:00

yuri graduated from puppy school. he was by far the most disobedient puppy in his class. we are so proud. i think he suffers severely from ADHD and i couldn't be happier about it. he keeps us entertained all day long.

(taking this picture was not easy by any means. i was full on sweating by the time we got a half decent one.)

girls dinner at vinto. celebrating the return of chelsea to civilization. these dinners are some of the best nights of my life. no lie.

family vacation 2010 - Del Mar, CA (a little slice of heaven)

delicious dinners

dancing poolside with tate (picture collage stolen from here)

entertaining car rides, thanks to maddie and matt

breakfast/lunch on the deck

saying good-bye, broken hearted

side note - rolfe packed for a 5 day trip with this suitcase. it's a toiletries bag. bahaha. compare the size with the flip flop. he basically wore the same 2 shirts and shorts the entire time. actually i guess that's no different from his life at home.

Atlanta

2010-06-21T13:05:00.002-06:00

visiting eve and matt in atlanta was a hoot. lots of relaxing and driving to all the charming areas.

the Princess Diana exhibit.

the best restaurant we ate at was Canoe. look at that food! the dessert was gone before i could even get a picture of it.

this was a night to remember. i spilled my drink and ended up breaking the glass. i created quite the scene with about 5 waiters scrambling to clean it up. i spilled it all over my skirt (hence the wet spot). and then maddie grabbed my boob for the picture to help take the focus off the wet spot. or maybe that's not the reason but i'm thankful for it nonetheless. what a fabulous evening that was.

best moment of the trip. eve had to go to the bathroom so badly that she stood in this spot (while pat and i guarded her with our sweaters) for about 5 minutes with stage fright until we realized that there was a house or business right behind it and someone was outside. her butt was just hanging out for them to see.

great trip. can't wait for the next one!

the 2 men in my life

2010-06-03T09:54:00.006-06:00

happy that summer is finally here! ty and i went to a wedding last night of some dear friends and i had to post this picture because i think my husband is the most handsome guy! i really really like him. i am one lucky girl.

i'm trying to teach yuri that he needs to sleep in his bed rather than on my lap at work. we're getting there slowly.....even if only half his body actually makes it onto the bed.

this has been a quick work week but i'm already feeling extremely ready for the weekend. and for atlanta! pat, maddie and i fly out next week to visit eve. hallelujah. happy thursday!

seriously?

2010-05-26T12:57:00.003-06:00

dear victoria secret,

this is not a swimsuit. there is no secret left with this lovely piece of merchandise. if i wanted dental floss covering me i'd go to the drugstore.

i'm sick of it

2010-05-14T10:38:00.008-06:00

my family needs to quit moving away! today eve leaves for atlanta and in a few weeks the meekers will be packing up for boise. stop it everyone. time to come back to salt lake.

happier times.

can't wait for july to be here so we can all be together again.

info you probably don't care to know about me

2010-05-11T15:47:00.003-06:00

A - Attached or Single: completely attached at the hip to my puppy Yuri.....and my husband for that matter
B - Best Friends: too many to name - tyler, mom, sisters, high school friends, coworkers, dance buddies, ward friends.......i'm a best friend hoe
C - Cake or Pie: um chocolate cake, no question
D - Day of choice: thursdays - day before the weekend starts and the day my busy week starts to slow down......usually
E - Essential Item: bottled water
F - Favorite Color: don't have one really, i just like color
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: chocolate covered cinnamon bears
H- Hometown: salt lake city
I - Indulgences: something sweet everyday. i definitely don't deprive myself........ever. probably not a good thing most days, but it keeps me happy and active.
J - January or July: july. january is often too busy at work to really enjoy it
K - Kids: want them!
L - Life is incomplete without: the gospel, family and dancing
M - Marriage Date: 10/9/08
N - Number of Siblings: 6 (5 sisters, 1 brother)
O - Oranges or Apples: clementines
P - Phobias or Fears: claustrophobia....and it's bad
Q - Quotes: too long to type - it's by pres. Hinckley
R -Reason to smile: my puppy is okay after a scary incident yesterday when he had a horrible reaction to something he ate. he wasn't breathing regularly or all that well for almost 2 hours so i fled work and took him to the emergency vet clinic. they x-rayed him and found out he had some yucky stuff in his lungs. he's on antibiotic now and is doing much better. freaked the life out of me! insight into dru as a parent......pure hysterics. good luck tyler.
S - Season: fall, mainly for the clothing
T - Tag Three Friends: eve, maddie, erin, chels, sammy (was that 3??)
U - Unknown fact about me: i wish everyday i was a little less responsible. i think it controls my life and dictates everything i do. kinda sucks somedays. tyler agrees. wish i was more carefree and spontaneous, and far less stressed out.
V - Very favorite Store: anthropologie - one day i'll be rich enough to shop there
W - Worst habit: picking my face (a man-made blemish will always be found on it)
X - X-ray or Ultrasound: i've had both and don't care for either.....unless it was for pregnancy which hasn't happened yet.
Y - Your favorite food: pat's asparagus soup...........or any sunday dinner cooked by pat really
Z- Zodiac: pisces

tagged friends.......don't wuss out. do it.

tyler the criminal

2010-05-07T09:19:00.010-06:00

our cinco de mayo consisted of the following activities......

-tyler being pulled over by an undercover cop

-tyler being told that he had two options, move his car off the road or it would be impounded.....a hard decision to make

-tyler being handcuffed and thrown into the police car because he had a warrant out for his arrest

-tyler's arms cramping up after being in the handcuffs for over 20 minutes (not going to lie i laughed out loud when he told me this)

-tyler being driven to jail

-the cop finally realizing tyler was not a criminal after much confusion and pleading on his end and turning the car back around

-tyler driving to heber to pay off a $150 fine for a the following - back in 2000 he got a ticket for a broken tail light that he HAD paid for right after getting it but apparently also had to appear in court for it and didn't know therefore never did. he had a warrant out for his arrest for 10 years.

such a good day. well for me at least. i laughed all day long after learning what had happened to him that morning. i'm not insensitive by any means. he was laughing himself....for the most part.

the best line from the morning -

"i'm not going to lie, while i was sitting in the cop car, handcuffed and buckled in, 80% of me was scared out of my mind but the other 20% kept thinking, "this is so cool!" - Tyler Powers

happy belated cinco de mayo! a day we'll never forget thanks to tyler.

(so badly wish i had a picture of this experience! had i been there the first thing i would have done is pull out my camera. and then started asking questions to clear up the situation and get my poor husband out of handcuffs. is that horrible that that would come

second?)

Yuri's BFF

2010-04-22T09:52:00.003-06:00

meet Leonard Curtis, our dear friends Ben and Dana's mini dachshund. he is the raddest dog, no question. tyler has said many times, "i hope yuri's as cool as lenny". i already think he is but apparently ty's not convinced. yuri has a lot to live up to. here is a video of lenny's "stick 'em up" trick. how cool is this dog?!

please do not judge me for taking this picture of myself, but i don't love any other picture i have had taken since i cut my bangs. but i'm loving them! i think it's a hairstyle i'll have a hard time breaking out of so i hope straight across bangs are in style for many more years. fat chance right?

wish i were creative like these ladies

2010-04-16T10:04:00.007-06:00

so basically i'm really fortunate to have really amazingly creative friends who make me look good.......because i clearly don't have what it takes to create something as wonderfully darling as these 3! it's time i brag for them because they deserve all the attention they get!

tatertot by my sister-in-law chelsea (i'm obsessed with the logo!)

these clips are the sole purpose why i want to get pregnant with a little girl immediately. they are just to die for.

londee lou designs by my dearest friend sara samantha samuelson richards (her middle name may not actually be samantha, but we like to pretend it is.)

headbands modeled by her very own london

pictures taken by another talented friend of mine katie dudley

she also makes necklaces that are adorable! modeled by yours truly. i know i look quite busty in this picture.....clearly the reason why i posted it.

woolgather art by my talented friend and sister-in-law's sister (confusing i know) brooke frandsen

are you speechless as well! totally obsessed with this painting. the other reason why i need a baby girl pronto. don't tell tyler i said that. his heart race is increasing at this very moment reading this. sorry dear.

support my talented friends! great gifts for any occasion!

one more thing...........

my mom and sister's (minus maddie and andrea - missed you guys!) went to a new restaurant downtown last night - the copper onion and it was SO DELICIOUS! every plate full of food was scrapped clean by nights end. from the brussel sprouts & ricotta dumplings appetizer to the pasta carbonara (wy you'd love this!) & the trout filet main dishes to the carmel bread pudding & the chocolate tart..............my mouth is watering. must go to lunch!

but seriously check it out! perfect place for a fun date night.

Yuri KGB Powers

2010-04-08T10:55:00.006-06:00

my life is complete. last night tyler and i added to our family the most perfect little creature in the world (despite the fact that he kept us up all night crying. poor guy!) welcome to the powers family, Yuri.

the only way we could get him to sleep last night. we have a snuggler people.

after a sleepless night (for all 3 of us, that's why you only see him in this picture. he's the only one that looked presentable.)

i'm already embarrassed by how many pictures i took of him last night. don't worry, i'll try not post about him as if he is my child. but just in case i do.......i apologize ahead of time.

a typical sunday night at the horsley home

2010-04-05T16:04:00.004-06:00

behold our sunday night ritual.........

okay not really a ritual per say but this was a really interesting activity that had the whole family intrigued for hours. it was fascinating. this cleans out the wax in your ears. i'm not going to go into any other details because it's quite disgusting and i don't want you to loose your lunch. but you can find these paraffin candles at Dave's Health and Nutrition on 3300 s. and 1100 e. man, i should get a free set for that plug! dave you out there? i'd like 10 bags to last me for life. thanks.

back to work

2010-03-30T10:03:00.003-06:00

a little insight into my work day during the months of march-june

i get in monday morning to find this on my desk. a total of 83 letters from the members of the crown council that are participating in our charity Smiles for Life. lucky me right!? i get to open every letter, sort through it all, type in each credit card number and scan every check individually by thursday when the weekly friday fax is generated for the offices with their totals. last week i collected over $80,000. amazing right!? it's no wonder my right hand is cramping up by the end of the week. that's a lot of credit card numbers to type in!

and one more random thought....this is my niece Nora. what a freaking PIMP (as tyler would say). we were driving home from lunch on saturday. i look back to find her in this position. just sitting there peacefully with her arms and legs crossed while her brothers and sister are fighting, yelling and trying to talk over each other. but not nora. she has reached nirvana.

dancing makes me happy

2010-03-16T15:23:00.006-06:00

the concert turned out better than we ever expected and i couldn't be happier. a few pictures from the night. at this point julie, becky, elysha and i had been at rose wagner since 9am and couldn't be more ready for the night to begin!

our wonderful singers in the middle picture (minus jessie clark funk)

(and yes that spill on my shirt happened just moments before we went on stage - well done dru)

after the show, exhausted and happy to be hanging with my friends and family

thanks to EVERYONE that came out and supported us. we appreciate you all so much! you made the night extremely special for us.

A Sojourn of Dance

2010-03-08T11:53:00.004-07:00

this concert is finally coming up! i say finally because i think we're all ready for it to be here. it's been a lot of work in too short of time but we're hoping that all the final details and touches come together. i'd love you all to come! you can purchase tickets here. should be a great time!

calling on all the 80's lovers

2010-03-04T13:21:00.006-07:00

this girl has to be the biggest P.I.M.P. that i know. everyone, meet janie egan. she is a student of mine at prodigy and full on made this sweatshirt for a jazz game. she said it took hours. i died laughing when she walked into the studio.

the
back

the sleeves
the best part is the sleeve on the right that says, i wish i was a jazz dancer.....sike

so much to catch up on.........

2010-02-24T16:34:00.009-07:00

i have neglected my blog for awhile now and there is a lot to share. my dear friend Staci got married February 6th. It was one of those weddings i looked forward to for years, she being my only close greek friend.......and i think it's been a dream of mine to attend a big fat greek wedding! but it fell on the same weekend as my big work event and i had to miss it. something i'll be sad about for years to come.

we did throw her a shower and bachelorette party - and had a great time as always. i have been blessed with wonderful friends in my life and can't imagine not sharing lives experiences with them.

earlier this month the crown council had it's 15th annual event in san antonio and it was a week to remember! we had a great time and worked our little hearts out. the best part about this event was that maddie came to help out. it was a blast spending the week with her! she was such a great asset to the crown council team that she's already guaranteed an invite back next year. can't imagine doing it without her now. it was especially fun for me to share with a family member the amazingness that is the crown council. something you just can't describe.

(interesting note: my big toe on my left foot is still numb from this event. we would be on our feet about 15 hours a day and our feet ACHED by the end of the day. i wore shoes that didn't provide me with much support at all one of the first days and haven't been able to feel my toe ever since..........huh. probably not a good thing i'm thinking.)

plane ride out to san antonio - excitement building

unpacking the workroom. you can see the amount of stuff we shipped for the event. 10 pallets weighing a total of about 5,000lbs.

the group getting ready for check-in.......and the fun begins

standing with Andy Andrews, one of the speakers at our event

one of my favorite people in the world -- Joseph Smith. no lie, that's his name

the entire crown council group

the couples

we flew in a couple of friends from the DR, patricia and angelita. i had the pleasure of taking angelita on a $500 shopping spree while she was in town. we bought her at least 15 outfits, 2 pairs of shoes, jewelry, undergarments and more. probably by far the best moment of the event for me.

after the shopping trip....with one happy young girl

one of the best parts of my job....working with a best friend

tyler's man crushes....the hagstrom men. our dear friends from the DR trip we took last year

Nick Vicujunic has no arms or legs. he spoke to our group the final night. amazing guy!

getting everything packed up to head back home

and by far tyler's favorite part of the entire week. such an odd duckling that one. he had been staring out the window of our hotel room for days, longing to go to Denny's. why might you ask? you got me. after the event had finished and all the pallets were packed up, we headed over there at about midnight. tyler as you can tell from this picture was ecstatic. he got a full meal while the rest of us fought to stay awake and ate shakes. what a gem that boy is. always making things interesting.

and one of the payoffs. gregor splits up all the money we make from selling books at the event among the 4 or us.......happy day in the office

Fun Times

2010-01-05T10:05:00.006-07:00

Celebrating New Years in style.........or a lack of style (you decide)

Happy 2010! I'm sure it's going to be a great year.

New Year's Day the family went to Porcupine Grill to bid farewell to Wyatt and Chelsea. We had a great time chatting, while the boys were glued to the tv. Not even sure what game was on to be quite honest. It was the perfect location and everyone was thoroughly entertained.

We ended the weekend with a ski day up at Park City. It was a blast and had been far too long. We drove home with tired smiles on our faces, sore muscles and a nice older gentlemen flipping the bird and cussing profusely at us. What a great way to end a terrific day. We must do it again soon! Thanks Crochy for the tickets!

TPOW

2009-12-29T13:19:00.005-07:00

Today i am reminded why i love this person so much. he brings such joy into my life, and he's such a handsome boy. these pictures depict him in his true element. sitting in the cockpit of a couple of planes that were flown in Vietnam.

Playing with the meeker kids and holding his "favorite christmas present" his new Lance Armstrong book. if you ever need to buy tyler a gift, know that you will score a home run if you get him anything to do with Lance. there's a slight man crush going on there.
i don't judge. i only mock profusely.

we had a wonderful holiday. can't wait to ring in the New Year with friends and family.
( i was not willing to post any pictures of myself from the holidays because they are all hideous. )

GIVING THANKS

2009-11-25T10:04:00.009-07:00

my life is good. i feel there are many, many reasons to be grateful this holiday season. let me start out with a few trivial things. (trivial but still oh so fabulous)

thanks to anthropology. not only for producing such amazing clothes, shoes, accessories and furniture, but for giving my family the friends and family discount (thanks to chels mainly for that one!!) i am getting the following items for christmas and i couldn't be happier about it.

thanks to the producer of the movie "Coco Before Chanel". honestly this movie is amazing. i dare say i enjoyed it more than New Moon. don't be a hater.

thank you to the state of california for the beautiful island of coronado. we will be visiting all weekend with my parents, sisters and the matts. i can't wait. this place is like a second home to us. now that's something to be grateful for!

lastly and most important, i'm thankful for all my friends and family. without you, these things i've listed above would not be as wonderful as they are. i wouldn't enjoy shopping, traveling and seeing movies if i didn't have you all to share it with. can't wait for the fun times ahead of us! and the yummy food i will devour tomorrow.

Zack the Zit

2009-11-02T15:21:00.004-07:00

my day has been ruined by this little bugger. oh yeah, that's the one right under my nose. he's hard to miss. it's not fair to say today only was ruined when i've been dealing with him all weekend. tyler actually named him last night and tagged him as a "he". just in case you were wondering, zits are male apparently. this bump appeared on my face days ago and of course i couldn't leave it alone. so i picked and picked at it and then just picked a little more to make sure i had gotten it good, and this is what it's turned into. i wish so badly my adult achne would one day go away. (and it's a lot worse looking than it appears in this picture. i do have some close ups of it, but my self-esteem is just not good enough to post those.)

this is my best, "i'm ticked" face. pretty good huh!?

Weekend Recap.....

2009-10-12T15:19:00.006-06:00

Friday was our anniversary. Congrats to us! We've made it past the first year. It was a great one and it went by super fast. Ty did an amazing job and surprised me with a night at Stein Eriksen Lodge and dinner at Riverhorse. That place is amazing. If you haven't been there before.......go. You won't regret it!

Highlights from this year - 

*Buying our first home
*Humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic
*Crown Council's Annual Event in Las Vegas (seriously thank heavens I have the best job in the world!)
*Establishing our day to day routine. I love working all day knowing that in the evening we'll both come home, excited to see each other.
*Flight School
*All the firsts as a married couple - holidays, our ward (which we couldn't love more), family vacations, making new couple friends, etc.

Sheesh, how lucky am I?!

Saturday night we went on a Ghost Tour with a fabulous group of people! It was a great time........mainly because Matt Lloyd came along and made it entertaining for all of us. Best quote of the night "I have orbs, tons of them!" - Matt Lloyd. It's a great Halloween activity if anyone is looking for one. The Salt Lake tour is better than the Ogden tour oddly enough. That wasn't meant to be mean. I love O town.

And after a great weekend I was dreading another long work week, but I chatted with Chels for a few minutes this afternoon and it turned my whole day around! Man I miss that girl! Love you Chels. You too Wy and Tate. I stole this picture from their blog. What!? Could there be a more beautiful family on the earth? I think not. Can't wait for Christmas when you'll be back home with us! Now i just need to chat with Maddie to make my week complete! No more family move away. It's too hard!

Flight School

2009-10-07T10:01:00.002-06:00

i've been thinking a lot about this new adventure we've embarked on. ty is in full swing studying hard every night, waking up (before me might i add which is something i never thought would happen) getting to school by 7, rushing to work after school to get in a few good hours.......and then doing it all over again. i just have to sit back in awe some days as i witness his hard work and dedication. he's nonstop every moment of everyday. i'm grateful for the future that lies ahead of us.

and then i think about nienie. if you don't know who she is check out her blog and read her story. it brings me to tears every time i stumble upon it. she's going to be on oprah today and share her story. i've been excited to watch it, until i realized how much it scares me. she is burned on 80% (i believe) of her body from a near fatal plane crash. her husband was also in the plane, but came out in a lot better condition than she did.

sometimes i wonder if i'm crazy to be supporting this dream of tylers. what would i do if i lost him? i can't even allow myself to think those thoughts. they hurt my progression. i'm proud of him for going after what he's always wanted. i'm proud of him for getting in that plane and taking a risk everyday to pursue what he loves most. i proud of myself for not having a nervous breakdown from worry and fear. because i do worry, a lot. but i pray and pray some more and then go about my day knowing that his life and mine are in the hands of our Heavenly Fathers. that's all i can do. in God we trust.

Celebrating Pat's Life

2009-09-23T10:08:00.005-06:00

Happy Birthday Pattie!! I sure love you!

The definition of Pat - a women with the always impeccable outfit, sitting peacefully with her ensign or scriptures while the grandkids run recklessly around her or on top of her as she lovingly plays with them and gives fully of her time and self to them.

She never raises her voice or gets upset. Can you imagine growing up with this kind of mother?! Well let me tell you what it was like - - HEAVEN! Pat, you are the glue that holds this family together. We all crave to be in your presence. Thank you for being the kind of mother and woman i'll forever strive to be.

Bon Voyage Cranes

2009-09-14T10:10:00.004-06:00

this weekend kind of sucked. i'm not going to lie. having to say goodbye to maddie and matt has been harder than i ever imagined. i love these two! they are such an intricate part of our family i think we're all dreading life in salt lake without them.
matt - we are so lucky to have you in the horsley family. i love how never ever once can you be serious about anything, therefore it's very difficult to believe anything you say. we'll miss your witty personality! take care of maddie!

maddie - i'll miss your sense of humor as well as your kind heart! you've kept us laughing throughout the years........and i'm sure will continue to do so. you embody every sense of the word 'classy'. you are graceful and beautiful in all you do. you will always be one of my best friends and no matter where we live, that will never change. i just adore you. i guess i'm lucky that i haven't lived in the same city as you for sometime now because that would make this move that much harder. i will miss you dearly.

thankfully i'll be seeing you in a few weeks! don't know how i'd be handling this if i didn't have that to look forward to. safe travels!

Goodbye Brother Brigham

2009-09-03T11:53:00.004-06:00

this is my husband. i like to call him brother brigham. i'm sure you can all see the resemblance. i got home last night from YW's to an empty house, no husband around. couldn't get ahold of him and started to suspect something was going on.

he suprised me with this.........

i'm not trying to be hateful, but i'm not super sad to see brother brigham go. love the short hair ty. your hairstylist is extremely talented. thanks samanth and jas.

Depeche Mode

2009-08-27T14:11:00.009-06:00

you betcha we went to Depeche Mode and tyler had the time of his life. they are his favorite band and he couldn't contain his excitement. my enjoyment of the night came from watching him dance, sing, jump around, bob his head......you name it and he did it. couldn't sit still for 2 hours straight. plus we go to hang out with 2 of our favorite people. love you dana and ben!!

the lead singer Dave Gahan (that's right ty, i pay attention) had some serious dance moves. i couldn't contain my laughter - in the most respectful way of course. now i see where ty got his moves.

and happy birthday rachel

here we all are celebrating at Mikados. love these girls. too bad we had to cut lunch so short. i have to tell rach that even though i call her names and tease her relentlessly, she better know in my heart i admire everything about her and desire to someday be the kind of woman she is. oh how i love my crochita. (i wasn't going to mention the nickname but half the people in my life only know her as that.) sorry scrapes.

Market Street Goodbye

2009-08-19T10:44:00.011-06:00

wyatt and chelsea are leaving on friday for med school on the wonderful island of Dominica. what adventures await them. far less fashionable clothes that are necessary because of the climate, no car to drive around and a lot of walking (which i love!), beautiful beaches on a beautiful island, a cute little rental home, furniture that is not anywhere near their taste, unfamiliar food in the grocery stores, looking forward to subway and kentucky fried chicken as the only american restuarants on the island, and much much more! i sort of made that all sound bad which was not my intention at all. like i said "an adventure awaits"! we had one final dinner with the entire horsley bunch. pretty soon we loose maddie and matt as well. our family's "too good to be true years" are ending with everyone living within an hour of each other. sad days ahead. oh how i'm going to miss them all! i had to post pictures from last night. not because i have some many great ones, but because matt crane somehow managed to make his way into 80% of them. so here is a tribute going out to matt.......your goofy faces have finally got you noticed!

the tush picture

A couple that he didn't make it in, but are still keepers.

all the girls - what a great bunch. apparently my older sisters are quite a bit shorter than me. something i always knew but is very apparent when i'm standing in the middle of them.

and one final mosaic. my friend jeanette soffe took amazing pictures of my little dance group. here are a few of them. embarrassing that the only one that would fit in the larger slot is a single picture of me. she's amazing and so fun to work with! so if anyone needs a photographer, come talk to me!

For the boy, on his birthday

2009-08-12T16:05:00.005-06:00

my sweet husband is turning 31 tomorrow and i wanted to express my love for him in the most public manner i can think of. here are 31 reasons why i love him

1. All the random facts floating around in that head
2. Your ability to make me laugh everyday
3. Your smile and eyes
4. Your drive to accomplish your dreams
5. Your love of everything that is manly and macho
6. Your attention to detail
7. Your ability to make anyone around you comfortable in any situation
8. The way you always find an opportunity to meet someone new and talk to a complete stranger
9. Your obsession with your hair...........please refer to the mosaic below
10. Your world famous french toast
11. Your ability to fix anything
12. Your desire to serve and take care of your friends, family and anybody in need
13. Your love for the gospel and dedication to your sunday school class
14. Your desire to listen and understand me even in my irrationality
15. Your love for the world and all God’s creations
16. Your love of adventure and travel
17. Your looks.........I think you’re the most handsome guy on the planet
18. Your brain - it is so full of information about everything and anything. You pretty much know it all. Luckily our kids will have one intelligent parent to help with homework and teach them cool stuff
19. Your dancing abilities - favorite memory of this was our first date.....thought you were a little weird, not going to lie
20. Your perspective on life.......you always help me to see the positive in every situation
21. Your contagious laugh that honestly scared me the first time I heard it
22. Your desire to help around the house, clean up after every meal and especially clean the bathrooms and vacuum because you know i don't enjoy doing those things
23. Your obsession with anything that has an engine
24. The way you’ve befriended my friends and made them your own best friends
25. Your love for your parents and constant concern for their well-being
26. The love you have for my family! Never did I imagine marrying someone who would embrace my family the way you have
27. Your secret love and adoration for Rolfie (only secret to him because he’s oblivious much of the time)
28. Your love for children. You are at complete ease around them - you will be the most incredible father........so let’s make babies :) Just kidding, don’t freak out
29. The things you say to me on a daily basis that melt my heart. I know you’d do anything in the world to make me happy
30. Your support in everything I do in my life and participate in. I can always count on you to be right by my side through it all
31. The fact that it took me 5 minutes to write this and I even had to cut things out

in deep respect, reverence and honor for your head of hair and "the stuche" i have created this mosaic

thank heavens i married the worlds biggest nerd. what would i do without the laughter you bring into my life everyday? i love you ty guy. happy birthday!

blessings. gratitude. happiness.

2009-06-23T12:23:00.010-06:00

"Our realization of what is most important in life goes hand in hand with gratitude for our blessings. Said one well-known author: “Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend … when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth." - President Thomas S. Monson

i am reminded once again that my true source of joy in this life is the gospel and my family. nothing else will ever reach such a level of importance, nothing else matters without them in my life. my heart was touched over the weekend by support, hope, encouragement, love, faith, and kindness. i wake up today with new perspective and a full heart. i know God loves me because He sent me to my family and blessed me with a husband who is the love of my life.

i love you all. i am grateful for you this day and forever.

dengue fever in my body

2009-05-01T09:16:00.005-06:00

so these past couple of weeks have been........well weeks i hope to never repeat again. it all started with ~

getting the flu
throwing up a couple of times and spending days in bed
going to the doctor
getting tested for malaria
tests results showing i don't have malaria (yipee!) but that i have had the dengue fever in the past (what?) - which i was told is a virus i will have for life......
feeling a little better after a week
getting my third gardasil shot (hurt so bad - like injecting poison in my arm!)
waking up in the middle of the night with horrible pains in my right arm, leg and chest. thinking i'm having a heart attack or that i have a blood clot that's headed to my heart
going to the doctor again - get sent the IMC for a CT-SCAN, to find out if it is a blood clot

sitting in the waiting room with tyler in pain and a bit scared
being hooked up to an IV and told that they will inject a concentrate into my veins that will make me feel like i've peed my pants.........totally thought i did! it was such a strange feeling
learning that no blood clot was found (yipee again!) but that i'd just developed an infection from the gardasil
going home to ice my infected arm and dope up on ibuprofen
waking up the next morning and feeling a ton better

now it's been a day and i think i'm almost 100% back to my healthy body. or this i hope! being sick is crap and i realized these past couple of weeks how much i take my body for granted. there is no better gift than health and the ability to run, dance, laugh and enjoy life. health is the greatest gift in the world. this has taught me to thank my Heavenly Father everyday for my healthy body and do what i can to maintain it.

thanks to my patient and wonderful husband for suffering through these last couple of weeks with me. he took care of me and did whatever he could to make me more comfortable - and i'll love him everyday for it.

Dominican Republic

2009-04-02T10:07:00.022-06:00

Tyler and i just got home from a wonderful humanitarian trip......that will change and shape our lives for many years to come, and then some let's hope. We took this trip with a group of Dentists, their team members and families that are a part or in someway affiliated with Smiles for Life. (This is the charity that we run at the Crown Council - where I work). We served in 5 different communities during our time in the DR and were able to do dental work for over 550 people. It was amazing to go into these communities, visit with the people, hear about their lives and play with their children. They were kind and humble and we felt honored to be in their presence. Sorry for the length of this post, but it was SO hard for me to narrow it down. I took a total of about 515 pictures, so I really had to cut out a lot.

Here we have the first hotel we stayed at for 2 nights. Hotel Europa in Santo Domingo. It was darling and lived up to it's name with it's European charm.

Trying on our wardrobe for the next week. We were pretty anxious at this point to get working.

Sunday we had the opportunity to go to church and then walk around the temple grounds. It was beautiful and reminded me of the Houston temple. Which I'm very nostalgic about as you can imagine.

This is the new cover for the Santo Domingo Temple Brochure.

Standing in the ocean - something we wouldn't be able to do again for many days.

The best meal we ate

The second hotel we stayed at for 4 nights - The Howard Johnson in San Pedro. What a beaut eh!?

The rooms

Bathroom - this makes it look a bit nicer than it really was. The shower head fell on my head as dirty sewer water ran down the shower. It was lovely.

Hotel art. We tried to purchase this but it wasn't for sell. It would look so good in our home!

These little guys were everywhere. They kept me company at night when I sat in the business center doing work.

The days at the clinic begin. We had to load the bus every morning with all the equipment, take it all down at the end of the day, reload the bus and then take all the stuff into the storage room at the hotel when we got back. It was quite a bit of work as you can imagine, but thankfully there were about 25 of us so it went fast.

Set-up

The crowd waiting to come in

And so it begins.......

She was not happy. She had 3 extractions and was extremely scared. Poor thing.

Lunch - rice and chicken. We ate this for about 75% of our meals.

The sterilization corner

And the days continue.......

Dental students from Santo Domingo that came and helped out.

These girls were from Haiti. We met many people from there. They come and work in the sugarcane fields, 15 hour days at $1 a day.

The handsome group after a 10 hour day of work. Isn't this pink church pretty? I love pink.

Breakfast at the Howard Johnson. Tyler and I had to have eaten 15 pineapples between the two of us while we were there. They served them at every meal and I couldn't get enough of it.

Morning huddle. We'd yell:
"uno, dos, tres, equipo!" (One, two, three, team!) Sounds way lame in english.

This women came in and was just devasated with how "ugly" her front tooth was. She spoke with me about it for quite awhile before I sent her through to the dentist.

They did a great job fixing it and she was elated!

Tyler had some fun with his nametag. This day he was Wannabe Richard. (One of the Dentist's name was Richard and he and Tyler had a total Bromance going on!) Here Tyler is with his son Sage.

This day he was LDS Certified. I guess you can say we took some heat for being "Mormon" but Tyler showed them here how proud he is to be one.

They loved having their picture taken! This was a "mosh pit" moment if you will. I totally got taken out by these kids after this picture was taken.

Tyler's boyfriend. They hit it right off because this dude is into 50 Cent - the rapper. Did I even type that right? I have no idea.

Lunch please. This was the first day we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I thought I was in heaven!

Our transportation for the week.

Sugarcane. Yum.

Bromance

Coolest kids ever

My favorite picture from the trip. The hygienist had to at times clean teeth on the waiting chairs, because the kids were too nervous or small to sit in the seats.

Awards night. Tyler and I got Mr. and Mrs. Dominican Republic. (That's a joke of course.)

Singing "As I have loved you" Did I mention we are Mormons. Last day
My friends that kept me company all day

The Powers + The Youngs = Dream Team

Bromance again

And to the resort for 2 nights. They had ice cream. Bubble Gum and Raisin flavored. Yum.

It was pretty to say the least

Back home to America, filling out custom forms

It was nothing short of amazing. I truly hope this is a yearly occurence. I'd go back today if I could. Who's with me next year?!

A Week Long Overdue

2009-03-09T13:00:00.014-06:00

Last week was wonderfully exciting. I had a fabulous dinner with the girls one night and dinner with my family the next. I love spending time with these peeps and I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such high energy, positive women (and men).

Here we are at Wild Grape - a new bistro downtown that's fabulous! The food was devine....but the company was even better.

Some of us were picture hungry this night. I'm not going to name names.

After dinner we asked a cop to take our picture, and handcuff annie. Not sure where that idea came from, but he didn't do it. I'm sure he thought we were 17 yrs. old.

At Gourmandise for dessert. It was yummy as well. It really was. Ignore my face.

Dinner at Rio Grande Cafe with the Horsley's

This guys were as happy as they look in this to get their picture taken. Thanks guys for being such great sports.

And the girls..........NY 2009!

Tyler ditches me for the weekend and this is what I miss out on...........

2009-02-23T14:32:00.007-07:00

Hanging out with his buddies........and KIM!

Going to the AMGEN Tour of California

Seeing Tyler's obsession......Lance Armstrong

Taking care of Kate (he told me that he loves feeding her.........a little PIT - Parent in Training - time)

Oh and worst of all.........meeting Jason the Bachelor!! WHAT. So lame.

He said he was really nice and talked to him until his ride showed up. Then a bunch of girls saw him and ran over but Jason told them he had to go. Tyler was the only one that got a picture with him. SUCKERS! :)

Hot Tamale Train Express

2009-02-11T11:36:00.016-07:00

We just got back from the 14th annual event for the Crown Council in Las Vegas........and it was nothing short of a good time (and of course 12 hour work days as well.)

just getting things ready to go

ty was so proud of his gloves

i'm going to let you in on a little secret here.......i was thoroughly annoyed in this picture. it had been a long day, working on an extremely long project, and i was mentally done. :) so that face is me trying to act happy. didn't pull it off too well did i?

beatles love baby

the event begins.......preparation and play time is over!

oh yeah, elvis and marilyn monroe came back to life for our event. marilyn full on stuck her boobs in everyone's faces. our male members loved it!

the crown council team

the biggest treat of the event......mary murphy. we just couldn't resist doing the "for real" with her. i'm sure she thought we were totally lame.

MY HUSBAND

2009-01-19T16:54:00.003-07:00

Oh husband, no one is quite like you! I'm so happy to be married to someone that makes me laugh everyday. This is often what Ty looks like when he comes home from work. The best part about it is that he doesn't know he looks like this and he'll talk to me for several minutes in complete oblivion until I can't contain myself any longer. This is what I consider a tender mercy. Something to brighten my day. What a stud. There is no better word to describe him.

time for another mosiac

2008-12-29T16:14:00.004-07:00

christmas was great this year! lots and lots of running around, trying to do everything and not miss out on anything.......and i think we did a pretty good job. we spent equal time between the hansen/powers clan and the horsleys. i sure love my family (both immediate, extended and in-lawed) and am so grateful to have such amazing people to spend holidays with.

oh and did i not mention......i changed my look. so so hot. i think it's a keeper!

CHRISTMAS TIME IS FUN

2008-12-22T14:18:00.008-07:00

i do love this time of year. it has sure passed quickly but thankfully this past weekend we were able to really enjoy it. here are just a few pictures to document our special nights.

friday night - the crown council christmas party.....amazing! trio for dinner and then we had our "special activity" which was shopping and wrapping presents for a secret santa family.

annie

kristin, ava, rach, and addi

the crown in all its glory

where did all his hair go? oh yeah, he chopped it off. i'm actually quite a fan of this look (considering how much i LOVE his longer hair.)

saturday night - we did a fun little christmas exchange with the richards. we drew names and went to walmart to buy $2 gifts for each other.

pulling out my gift......totally excited

"are you serious!" i love festive socks! these ones were shoe socks. only $1.50!!

the other part of my present was gum....london was most excited about that!

i got j babe this killer beanie.

although it didn't go over too well with london. she cried everytime someone put it on. oops! sorry londy.

ty gave sammy these awesome granny panties.

and of course the perv jason gave ty this thong.

the flash suprised him a bit. what a sweet thing cam is. so smiley these days!

sammy and london having a sweet moment

and i just have to say to these amazing girls....... i love ya all so much!! you're are the best of the best and i'm grateful and humbled to be your friends. this little group has been tight for many, many years and we've shared some of my favorite nights, experiences, trips and memories together. i don't know what i'd do without wonderful girlfriends to laugh and share life with. thank your for standing by my side through all my good and bad days. i love ya skinny bitches! sorry for the swear, but i just had to add that in. :)

just a little shout out

2008-12-09T10:23:00.011-07:00

I have wanted to do this for awhile now. I had such a wonderful experience picking out my wedding invitations. It was a creative process for all involved and they turned out better than I'd ever expected or hoped for. They were created by Bridgette Richards (Jason and Sara Richards Aunt). She does this on the side and is so talented, inventive, creative, insightful and easy to work with! She comes highly recommended and I would love to refer anyone to her. She does all different types of invitations and they always turn out amazingly beautiful! This is our invitation. I absolutely fell in love with the monogram of our initials (T & D). We did letterpress print which is so beautiful and the paper was fabulous as well.

This is me after seeing my invites.........so so happy!

Thanks Bridgette for the most amazing invitations ever!

We also LOVED our photographer. The header picture above is one he took. He's young and so fun to work with. He loves what he does and is the most talented photographer I know. His name is Leo Patrone - check out his website - http://www.leopatronephotography.com/

Our First Home

2008-11-20T10:22:00.007-07:00

I am in love with our little home. I couldn't be happier with it. We finally have it put together (for the most part) so I thought this would be a good time to do the tag from Chels. There are a couple of elements of our home that I would love to post but I don't think it's the smartest thing (like our front porch that has our house number on it and the view from our balcony that has a street sign in the picture. Too bad because they're really darling pictures.)

So here are a little less revealing pictures of our place.....

Our Kitchen. Not the biggest room by any means, but it's perfect for just the two of us....and where I'm finally learning to cook. Tyler's such a great sport!

This is part of our family room but what i really want to highlight here are the darling windows behind the couch. I absolutely love these windows and the light.

Can I just put in a little plug for KSL.com right now? This is where I found this love seat, amazing deal and it's my FAVORITE piece of furniture in our home. Good thing I bought it without Tyler's approval because he now loves it too! He's learned to just trust me now when it comes to furniture and decorating. Lesson had to be learned at some point right?

Our bed. Probably my second favorite thing in our home. I love this headboard that I found on costco.com (once again another great find!) and the darling pillows and bedspread are from Pottery Barn. Not such a great deal there, but worth the money. The prints above the bed are done by my FAVORITE local artist Erin Westenskow Berrett. Check out her website: http://www.ewbpaintings.com/

Um yeah. This is our spare bedroom/grey room/man room/storage space/throw anything you don't know where to put yet in there room. At this point I don't even care it's a disaster because I'm so grateful to just have the space to put stuff for the time being.

Bedside table.........love IKEA

Another favorite of mine. I love this little yellow poke dotted chair in our room. Adds such charm to the room.
Our walk in closet. Always a treat! Although I don't think that Tyler every believed I could really fill the whole thing myself. I was very gracious though and made a little room for him.

Master bath. I have a love hate relationship with our bathtub. I love the size of it but hate the look of it. So we'll eventually get rid of it. Tyler just hates it.

I think one of my favorite parts about our home is the layout. It is extremely open with vaulted ceilings.

So there you have it. The Powers Residence unveiled.

Tagged, Honeymoon & Condo Pics

2008-10-29T09:33:00.019-06:00

Warning: extra long post! And sorry to all of you that are sick of reading about me. But i thought this one would be fun to fill out and i really liked reading Sammy's. Who knew i could learn new things about one of my very best friends from it! So here it goes.........

8 Things I like a whole lot

my husband
dancing
eating delicious desserts
my family & friends
fixing up my house
the holidays
working out
going to lunch with girlies

8 Things I say often

"Oh dear!"
"Can we afford this?"
"We have so much gargabe." (We've been paiting, unpacking, unwrapping wedding gifts, etc. for weeks now and EVERY DAY we have a huge pile of garbage to get rid of.)
"I'm freezing" (it hasn't even started snowing and already i'm wanting to take a bath to de-thaw every night.)
"Crown Council, this is Dru" (all day long)
"You left the TV on again all night."
"We're married.....are you freaking out yet?"
"My body's sore."

8 Things I want to do before I die

Have kids
Serve a mission with Tyler
Do several marathons and triathlons
Open my own boutique or start a clothing line with my sisters & mom
Travel to Korea to visit Tyler's mission
Take Tyler to New York so he can learn why I love it so much
Backpack across Europe (I want to spend at least a couple of months there.....or even live there for a few years)
Own a summer home in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

8 Things I learned from my past

The past is best to stay in the past
Do what the Lord asks of me and He will take care of me. My faith will exceed my shortcomings and fears.
Say prayers morning and night and i will be blessed with the ability to accomplish all i need to do, and enjoy my busy days.
There is only one way to look and live life: with an eternal perspective
Spending time with my family and best friends is what makes me truly happy
Never stop dancing. My hardest years yet were when i wasn't doing what i love most.
Tyler is the love of my life, and i'm SO grateful to be married to my best friend.
The gospel is the constant in my life. I will always hold fast to it. My faith will carry me through anything.

8 Places I would like to visit

Venezuela - one day i'll finally make it to the place i was originally called to serve my mission.
Seattle - and visit Pacific Northwest Ballet
Switzerland, Austria, London, Czech Republic, Maltese Islands (there are so many places i'd love to go in Europe but these are a few i'm dying to visit.)
Australia/New Zealand
Alaska
Africa/Egypt
Thailand - see crochy's mission
Jerusalem - I would love the do a US church history trip, but i'd go to Israel over that in a heartbeat.

8 Things I want or need

New tires for the Mini
A TV for our living room
A puppie
Tyler to go to flight school, since it's his dream
Not stress out about money anymore (but i'm sure that never ends)
Finish painting our home
More energy everyday to work-out longer, concentrate better at work, and play harder with my husband at night.
I want more than anything for Tyler and I to feel contentment and have peace of minds every day. Wouldn't that just be the greatest blessing in the world?!

These are some pictures of our honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. We had a great time while enjoying the sunshine and thunderstorms! We spent a lot of time on the beach, in the ocean and swimming pool, ate great food, enjoyed walking around the cities and little towns, saw some crazy looking creatures and went to a tequila distillery. That was definitely the highlight of the trip :) Also, here are a few shots of Tyler getting the condo ready before the wedding. Thanks Carleen for all your help with the painting! She's a pro and we couldn't have gotten it all done without her. The yellow/gold rooms are the master bedroom and bath. The gray room is the spare bedroom or "the man room" as tyler named it. Also you'll see my car filled with garbage. One of our many nightly garbage runs. A larger car would have come in handy these last couple of weeks!

10.09.08

2008-10-21T09:44:00.016-06:00

here are a bunch of random and extremely disorganized wedding photos. in a nutshell, it was the perfect day for me. exactly what i wanted. simple, enjoyable, relaxing, and a bit chilly!

TAGGED

2008-09-30T15:32:00.003-06:00

Tagged

My sister Eff (Eve - as some of you may know her) tagged me. Here are 6 random facts about me.

The rules:

1. Link to person who has tagged you: Eve
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Write 6 random things about yourself
4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog

I've been thinking about this all day and i'm having a hard time coming up with anything that's really neat and unique about me.........and i'm not coming up with much. So this is what you get.

1. I'm an annoyingly structured person. I think it's more annoying to me than anyone else. my sweet fiance may agree with me more on this one in a few days when we're married and he has to live with me. I have a morning and nightly routine that i almost NEVER skip out on no matter how tired i am.

Morning: wake up by 6:30 (i usually try to get up at 6 but that often doesn't happen) go to the gym where i try and get in at least 35-45 mins of cardio and then lift weights. Come home and shower, eat cereal (which is always a mixture of at least 2 and sometimes 3 different kinds of cereal - it's SO good i promise!), put on my makeup while i either watch the Today show or my current TV show obsession that i'm watching at the time on DVD. Be at work by 9am.

Night: Pick at my face for at least a good five minutes (no matter how tired i am i will always sit in front of the mirror and pick until i'm bleeding in at least 2-3 areas. it's a total sickness i know and i'm really trying to kick the habit.), change for bed, brush my teeth, wash my face, read my scriptures (often when i'm really tired it's less than an effective study) and say my prayers and then fall asleep to my current TV show that i'm watching.

2. I have learned throughout tyler and i's engagement and buying a home, he's much more patient than i am. with life in general and with me! if it were up to me, we would have been married months ago and our home would be painted, cleaned and furnished by now. the condo has taken forever because the closing was prolonged by the previous owner so we didn't have much control over that. but even so tyler's much more hands on than me and wants to save us loads of money and do everything himself, which has been wonderful........but it prolongs things. i told him i wanted to hire someone to go in and deep clean the whole place after he was done painting and before we moved in and he looked at me like i was crazy. "why would we hire someone when we can do it ourselves." my thought was because we both work insane hours at our jobs and by 10pm when we would finally have the time to do it i'm ready to keel over. i'm also extremely impulsive and hate putting things off so i would have bought everything for the condo weeks ago if it was all up to me. he's so good for me. he makes me slow down and really think about things.

3. i'm psychotically clean and organized. this may not come as a huge shock since i'm so strictly structured with my life. i can't leave the house unless my room is picked up. i won't get out of my car if it's not tidy and everything is in it's proper place. i especially hate having garbage in my car, so i'll hold it in my hand or lap until i can throw it away just so i don't loose it in the car or forget about it. the oddest thing about my obsession with cleanliness is i don't really care if someones life/room/car is in total disarray around me, as long as my life is neat and organized.

4. i used to think that i really only loved fabulously expensive and high quality stuff but now that i'm getting married, bought a home and am in the process of furnishing it........i discovered that i love a good deal!!! i will be much more inclined now to buy something that is cheap and affordable even it's poorer quality. sometimes i'm convinced that ty is the bigger prude and much more high maintenance when it comes to home furnishings. i love feeling so down-to-earth.

5. my favorite season is fall. i love it because of the change that takes place in the world - weather cooling off, leaves changing color, school starting up again which means it's football season, etc. but i think the main reason why i love it so much is because i love the clothes i get the wear!! i know this is a consensus among many of my family members and friends, so you'll understand exactly what i'm saying. i love scarffs, coats, gloves, arm warmers, etc. i love all the little accessories that i get the wear during this time of year. i wanted to get married in october because i think it just sounded "sexy". that was my reasoning. i'm sure tyler thought i was a complete loon. although i think he already knew that about me.

6. if it was up to me: we'd all eat dessert first (just so we were never "too full" for it), we would all be at work by 7 and off by 3 so we could have time during the week to actually get somethings done, we'd all get a two hour lunch so we could have some real time to travel somewhere, eat, relax and get back in time, cell phones would never drop a call (which happens almost every conversation i have - wretched iphone/AT&T!), and chocolate would be fat-free and have 0 calories so i could eat as much as i want to of it and never get fat.

Now i tag: Sammy, Annie, Abi, Julie & Hollie

Playin' Catch Up

2008-09-23T13:19:00.005-06:00

Andrea this post is mainly for you and your work buddies. I want to help entertain you all........because I too know what it's like to be cooped up in the office everyday, all day, all week. Luckily my job rocks. Please refer to the below pictures:

Annie and I at the new Harley Davidson store in Lindon. It's pretty much the coolest place (if you're into that stuff). We were launching a big motorcycle ride that a bunch of our members participate in at the Crown. Because our charity raised over $100,000 dollars this year The Gregor had to buzz his head. He looks great.

Gregor with his saved head, was feeling charitable and bought Annie and I one item of whatever we wanted from the store. Seriously my boss is basically the coolest. I got a way pimp shirt.

This is a somewhat old picture of the girls at Chandler and Hailey's wedding

The guys........always looking cool

It's also shower season for Tyler and I. We've already had some amazing showers! Here are some pictures from the couples shower

My best friends.......and the baby I'm completely obsessed with. I'm holding Sammy's baby Camden.

And lastly, September is the birthday month in our family. We celebrate Eve, Wyatt and my Mom's birthday. We ate dinner last night at Settebello's and it was heavenly!! I would recommend it to anyone who loves fabulous authentic pizza.

Eff & Matt

Maddie Squared (Maddie & Matt)

Big T & Lil D

Wy & Chels

Nate & Ern

Rolfie & Patty

We missed you Andrea, Dori & Brian! I have to say that I have the coolest family in the world. We would drop anything to spend time with each other and especially our parents. How many kids can say that!?! We're very lucky!

Today is my mom's actually birthday........so happy birthday mom! You're truly the most amazing woman in the world. I love you!!

State Fair

2008-09-15T15:34:00.006-06:00

I think one of my true loves is the state fair. I know I'm what some people may call white trash but I'm okay with that. I'm not the least bit shy about my admiration for stinky, ornery farm animals, fried peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and mullets. Weird I know but I just love it. We always have a wonderful time.

This honestly was the largest cow I'd ever seen in my entire life. Ty was scared here he was going to get kicked in the head by it. I was must more composed as you can tell.

Grand Champion! Ty always takes time to congratulate the winners.

I was happy to find a goat named after me.

Childhood memory: riding down the giant yellow slide on potato sacks over and over again. It was still as much fun this night as it was back then!

The guys and loony Annie. She really was a loon that night. But we all enjoyed it!

The girls

And yet again......another mosiac. I just love making these things. We sure had fun on that tractor. Thanks friends for a spectacular evening!

Happy Birthday Tyler & Matt

2008-08-13T11:28:00.006-06:00

Today is Tyler's Birthday. What a special day! Ty's a twin so I wanted to give a little shout out to Matt as well. You guys are really getting up there in age.......but remember 30's the new 20 so you can continue to act as immature as you already do :) I'm only kidding, your wisdom and maturity far out number your years.

My darling Ty guy as a little tyke. Good thing I'm marrying someone with such great genes!

Ty and Matt

I have so many fun pictures of Tyler in his element............

His favorite toy - Rolfie's mini helicopter. That thing keeps him entertained for hours!

Disneyland at the Lego's store. He was like a little boy in there.

I think if I would allow it, Ty would have a farm full of animals in our backyard.

His #2 love (of course after me)......motorcycles.

On the boat. Tyler would live in this thing if it had a bathroom and kitchen.

So So handsome that future husband of mine on the beach in Hawaii.

The famous "Chester" look

He wears his glasses far more than he normally would because he knows how much I love them.

Tyler - you fill my life with so much joy and laughter. I can't imagine a day without hearing your voice. It always lifts my spirit. Thank you for the man you are and the way you treat me. You are held in the highest regard by all those who know you because of the wonderful person you are. You are my best friend. Let's get hitched babe!!

The Boy Proposed and I Said YES!

2008-08-12T09:49:00.005-06:00

It is finally official and we couldn't be happier. This has been months in the making but I can now cheerfully announce that Ty and I are engaged and getting married Oct. 9th. Hooray for the ring that finally came. Because the ring was taking so long, Ty kept me updated on what was going on with it every step of the way so I was convinced I'd know exactly when he was going to propose. But that little sneaker got me. I was completely surprised! What an amazing job he did with the proposal.......and all I can say is I'm glad he, Jason and Jerm made it through alive to tell the tale.

Saturday morning at about 12:00 AM they climbed up Suicide Rock and painted this:

It took them about 3 hours to make it look this wonderful.

This picture is to highlight the special three letter message to the left of the marry me.

Saturday at around 9 AM we went for a walk before our weekly Saturday breakfast at Ruth's Diner. Tyler said he wanted to walk by the new bridge that had been built over I-215. Now if you know Tyler you wouldn't think this was at all out of the ordinary because he's fascinated by these kinds of things. He was born to be an engineer is what I've always told him. So we drove to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. As we're walking he engages me in a conversation about the newest distraction/obsession of ours - the condo we are buying. This topic always sidetracks me to the point of total oblivion of what is going on around me which is exactly why he brought it up. He stops on the trail right in front of the rock and turns me so my back is to it. He then starts acting kind of funny and gets nervous. At that point I had somewhat of an idea what was about to happen. He tells me to turn around and close my eyes. When I open them I stood there waiting for him to give me permission to turn around for about 10 seconds before I noticed the rock. I about died. When I turned around he was on his knee..........and the rest is history. It was the perfect proposal! He couldn't have done a better job!

A relieved Ty after I had said yes.........(as if I would have ever said no.)

I'm only posting this picture for Eve since she's not home right now to see it. Miss you girl! The ring.......which is exactly what I envisioned. I'm so thrilled with how it turned out.

I love this boy so much! I can't imagine my world without him and I truly can't wait for him to become Mr. Tyler Horsley :) Okay, so I guess that's not exactly how it works. I'll change my name. I'm mean who wouldn't want to be a Powers?!?

Parents in Training

2008-08-04T10:55:00.007-06:00

Last night was such a great night. We always have fabulous Sunday dinners prepared by the oh so talented chef Pattie. But seriously my mom is the most incredible cook, so i'm not at all exaggerating. It only ended up being Roflie, Pat, the Meekers and the Powers-to-be. After dinner we went on a walk and then played in the backyard with the kids whilst enjoying popsicles and a yummy chocolate mouse dessert. The kids were having a great time beating up on Ty and I. Seriously we were both SO tired after.

Here are a few shots that captured the moment:

These kids make me laugh so hard!

And after we were wasted and completely lethargic we had a little fun of our own.

THE RAGE

2008-07-28T14:15:00.006-06:00

Is there anything better than Raging Waters?! I think not. We had a fabulous time there and have decided that our next family outing will have to be at 7 peaks. We're hitting up all the water parks.

It was so fun when my parents finally showed up with Tate! She was so cute and would not hold still. She loved being in the water. Those top two pictures are of Tate "shaking her bum" and saying "cheese" for the camera. She always puts her fingers on her cheeks when you take a picture of her. Priceless!!

Brave Rolfie went on the scariest slide. Us girls wouldn't even dream of going on it.......call us wimps if you must, but it was freakin' scary! He's such a champ. My parents were really excited that they got in the park for only $8 because they were considered Senior Citizens! Love it!

These were taken at the end of the day. We were beat by then! Although that didn't stop the guys from showing off their muscles........seriously how funny is Matt!

Thanks family for a great day! Let's do it again soon.

How many pieces of bubble gum can you fit in your mouth?

2008-07-21T14:51:00.005-06:00

We went to a couples shower for our good friends Chandler and Hailey and ended up playing Texas Hold 'em and having a contest who could chew the most pieces of bubble gum. Guess who won?............

OF COURSE Big T did. That boy was chewing 14 pieces by the end. GROSS! I only had 6 and I was about to puke! I don't know how he did it.

Friday night I went to the wedding of my most beloved mission companion Hermana Dado. Isn't she the most beautiful bride! It was a fabulous reception! Te amo hermanita!

Utah Arts Festival

2008-06-30T16:48:00.008-06:00

I think one of my favorite events that takes place in Salt Lake is the Arts Festival. We went down to it Saturday night and saw some amazing talent!! I only wish I had more artistic ability and could participate. Tyler has as much interest in it as I do which I absolutely LOVE!

Here are a couple of my FAVORITE artists there this weekend.

AAron Fritz
http://www.aaronfritzart.com/

Erin Westenskow Berrett
http://www.ewbpaintings.com/index.html

This woman is SO amazing! She won best of show which was completely deserved in my opinion! These are some of my favorites.

What a great night!

Tyler and I sported our favorite shirts that night...........Tranformers and Def Leppard!

Thanks Samanth and Jas for what was one of the greatest nights we've had in awhile!! We love you guys!

Eventful Weekend

2008-06-23T10:06:00.009-06:00

Eve's Wedding

At the Temple......

I put this on for Tyler

At the Reception....which turned out to be so incredibly beautiful!

The bride and bridesmaids

Thanks friends for coming!

The beautiful Wiscomb girls - minus one.

Silly Bethany

My favorite guys

and they're off..........

Johnny's Cabin

Saturday night we went up to Johnny's cabin for some good old fashion fun.....and let me tell ya, it was a blast.

Seriously.........what a dork!

Hiding in hopes to scare the rest of the group....but it sure didn't work out because poor Sammy was back at the cabin all by herself. So we ended up bailing. They were being TOO slow.

I don't know what he's doing:)

Enjoying the beautiful scenery....even though it looks as if Ty was in pain!?

Ty in his element.

T & D Mosiac

2008-06-17T15:38:00.004-06:00

I was playing around with this awesome website and made this for fun. Here's to ROUND 2!

Check out the website and make your own!

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/

Memorial Day Weekend......sure was memorable!

2008-05-27T12:09:00.009-06:00

This weekend was everything but relaxing. While my sister and her husband are in Thailand (a much needed and DESERVED vacation) my mom, sister Eve - and whoever else is available - are babysitting their four beautiful children. This is no small feat! My mom is a champ!!! There is not a more patient person out there. I guess raising 7 children of her own may have something to do with it.

Here are a few of the things we did this weekend:

FINGER PAINTING....

Tessy's beautiful creation!

By the end, Nora was completely covered in blue and black paint. It was awesome....and a bit messy.

After finger painting we messed around a bit. I truly believe that their favorite thing is to be thrown in the air and hung upside down. So a lot of that took place.

David.......what a pimp!

Memorial Day & Rolfie's birthday.......

We took the kids to the Discovery Center at Gateway which was a blast. The adults were for sure more exhausted after that adventure than the kids!

Then we went to Spaghetti Factory after to celebrate the wonderful life of Rolfe Purdy Horsley.

Happy Birthday Rolfie!

This wrapping was perfect for him!

Maddie & Matt - really much happier than they look here.

Doesn't it look like Will could be our child. I'd take him any day! He's the biggest sweetheart!!

The twins

When the food came the kids were so excited and scarfing down their food, we joked that it looked as if they hadn't eaten for days. But no fret Erin and Nate, that was not the case. I think they had worked up an appetite from their fun filled day of playing.

PEACE.

Best Boss Award!

2008-05-21T12:38:00.004-06:00

So basically I have the best boss in the world! Last Wednesday he called Annie and I into his office at 11 AM. He handed us an envelope and told us to open in the car. This is what was inside....

I pose the question.........is there a better boss out there? I think not!

Here is Annie and I celebrating our $100 (each mind you). We sure did have a fabulous lunch and an even better time shopping for new clothes!!

Thanks The Gregor! We love you.