I'm IT!!! I got TAGGED!

I'm SO excited!!! This is my first time that I've been tagged! I feel so honored! Thanks Christi! :)

4 Places I Visit Over and Over
1. San Diego
2. Bakersfield
3. Lake Tahoe
4. London, England (ok, I guess going there once hardly qualifies as visiting over and over again....but I'm anticipating visiting it numerous times!! heheh!)

People who call/text/email me regularly
1. Sam
2. My Mom
3. Emers
4. Kyle (I guess I see him more than I call him)

4 Favorite Foods
1. Ice Cream
2. Anything chocolate
3. Spinach & Artichoke dip
4. Mongolian Beef from PF Changs! YUM!

4 Places I'd Rather Be
1. London (was that a surprise for anyone?!)
2. Paris (hopefully our next trip)
3. New York City
4. Setting up my classroom!!! I'm getting antsy to start working in my room!

4 Movies I'd Watch Over and Over
1. Pride and Prejudice (ONLY the BBC version!)
2. Enchanted
3. Oscar (w/ Sylvester Stallone)
4. Space Balls

4 Bands/Groups I love to listen to
1. Carrie Underwood
2. Aly & AJ
3. Katherine McPhee
4. The High School Musical Soundtrack (my students got me hooked!! I'm now a HSM geek!)

4 People I'm Tagging
1. Emers
2. Tiffany Zaugg
3. Margo
4. Kyle & Amanda

Our Kitchen Project

Well, Sam and I have had a CRAZY week! As some of you know, Sam and I decided to do a mini-remodel of our kitchen this week. We got new countertops, sink, faucet, and plumbing in the kitchen. We wish that we could've done it ourselves, but Sam has no time. It was a big project, but it turned out GREAT! I can now say that I'm in LOVE with my kitchen. Now that that's done, we need a new dishwasher, floor, and to redo the 2 bathrooms. Ah, it never ends! Enjoy our pics!

A before pic (notice the olive green sink from the 1970's!)

Another before pic (we had white with olive green swirled formica counters)

Monday-First, they ripped off our old countertops and put down a new foundation board.

Next, they put down a metal mesh material.

Finally, they put down a concrete mortar.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, they laid the tiles.

On Thursday, they grouted the tiles.

The finished result!

Ta Da!!!

What a nice lookin' kitchen!!

Sam's Work Video

Here is a video that Sam's work made to show how a new employee can be, if trained properly. Check out Sam's cameo appearance!! Isn't he too cute?! I think the video's pretty hillarious! Enjoy!

Name Fun!!

My Eight Names (this is fun!!)

Perhaps I'm just easily amused, but I thought this was really cool! Feel free to post your answers!!!

1. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle) Marizzle, Samizzle

2. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color and favorite animal) Purple Dolphin, Blue Cat

3. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (your middle name and street you live on/or neighborhood if it's a number) Victoria Edgeworth, Eric Victoria

4. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name) Evama, Evasa

5. YOUR SUPERHERO/CRIMINAL NAME: (Your 2nd favorite color, and favorite drink) Pink Rootbeer, Green Water

6. YOUR IRAQI NAME: (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, 1st letter of your last name, 2nd letter of your mom's maiden name, 3rd letter of your dad's name, 1st letter of a sibling's first name, and last letter of your mom's first name)?aaeeeke, Aaeonjn

7. YOUR WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (parents middle names)? Richins Lewis, Lee Emily

8. YOUR GOTH NAME: (black, and the name of one of your pets)? Black Oliver, Black Hobbes

RIP little tree!!

Sam and I have these awesome Juniper trees alongside our house. We have about 10 of them, they're about 20-30 years old, and we love 'em! They provide great privacy from our neighbors and they're a great wind barrier. A few weeks ago, while Sam was on the roof turning on our swamp cooler, we noticed that one of our Juniper trees has gone back home to the mother tree. We could handle one tree dying, but then we noticed that 3 more trees are looking like they're going to die as well. We think it's some kind of tree disease. So, we wanted to get the dead tree out before it spread to any of our other living trees. So Sam chopped down our little dead tree and then dug out the roots.......it was about 100 degrees that day. Hence all the sweat marks all over his shirt (BTW, Sam's holding a hand saw in this hand). Hopefully that's the end of our tree saga. Stay alive little trees!!!!!!!

Zen Sarcasms

Ok, so Sam just emailed me this list of "Zen Sarcasms". I thought they were pretty hillarious! I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did!! (For those of you who don't know, the above picture is one of Yogurt from the movie "Spaceballs". I thought it was quite appropriate because, like Yogurt, I too am about to give you lots of useful and deep information! LOL!)

Zen Sarcasms

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do

not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.
2 The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt or a leaky tire.
3. It's always darkest before dawn , so if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's

the time to do it.
4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.
5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.
6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.
7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments.
8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you

criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
9. If at first you don't succeed...... skydiving is not for you.
10. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and

drink beer all day.
11. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.
12. Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield.
13. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
14. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put back in your pocket.
15. A closed mouth gathers no foot.
16. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe

together.
17. There are two theories to arguing with a women - Neither one works.
18. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.
19. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
20. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

Motivation or Selfishness?

Have you ever had one of those projects that you know you NEED to do, but you're just too lazy to do it? That's what's happened with our extra bedroom. For MONTHS we've been talking about turning it into Sam's study room. But low and behold, it loved to remain as our storage room. On Saturday, I had had enough and, thanks to Em and Matt for the great executive desk, we were able to turn it into his study. Now of course making Sam’s study room was for purely selfish reasons . . . I wanted my kitchen table back!! As to whether or not he uses it as his study is a different story, but at least I can feel good about myself knowing that I've at least attempted to help my husband with his MBA!