Precious Ava Kay Laney

For some reason I feel the need to post about my neice Ava. I love her so much and she has brought so much joy to our family. She recently turned one! everytime I see her my heart melts, she truly is a gift from our Father in Heaven. we are so blessed to see her learn and grow and become her own person. So to Ava, I just want you to know how much I love you.

My Adventure To Toronto, Canada

This past week I had the opportunity to travel to Toronto, Canada for my job. At first I was nervous to fly and travel internationally alone, but it ended up being the best experience I have had in a long time. The flights to and from the event were long, but I met some great people along the way. Seeing all types of nationalities opened my eyes to an entirely new world!

I met up with Janelle, one of our designers. Janelle is absolutely AMAZING, and I had so much fun traveling, teaching and laughing with her, she truly is an inspiration to me! I also became such close friends with Jaime Harker and Matt with Bo Bunny. The four of us laughed, had pajama parties, watched some not so great movies (thanks Matt) and shopped for the best Canadian Chocolate at Walmart. I tried Humpty Dumpty Ketchup chips for the first time. It was a great 4 days out of the country, experiences that I will not soon forget. Thanks Janelle, Jaime and Matt for the memories!!!

The best part of Chatterbox

Every six months the scrapbooking industry has two large tradeshows, Cha Winter and Summer. This past week we went to sunny Los Angeles, California where the life is calling my name. I have always had a great love for southern California and I would love to live there and live that sort of life. Me, Brad, Carrie, Kathy and Mel were all able to attend the show and had a great time spending a week with eachother. I have so many close friends in the industry that I only get to see every six months when a show rolls around.

We stayed at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel! Brad and I were stuck on the 13th floor where the beds were hard and the rooms and furniture looked as if they came from the 60's. Cynthia and Jeanne are two of my very best friends, I truly appreciate their loyalty and support. Good laughs, long days, great food and sleepless nights spent talking. We finally were able to meet our 7Gypsies and Ultra-Pro families. Mindi, Amber, Raj, Paula, Debbie, there are just to many to name. We truly are apart of the best team ever!

I have been away for so long.......

I apologize to those who have come to my blog for the past two months and seen nothing new to read. Life has been really busy and I have not allowed myself the time to post and write about what is going on in my life. Work is crazy busy, as we prepare for a big trade show in 3 weeks in sunny Los Angeles, California. We recently moved into a new office out in Nampa and have enjoyed making it feel like our new home.

I think that the main reason I have been away from blogging for so long is due to the fact that I am trying to get my life in order, this means so many things though. From work, school (wanting to go back), family and trying to find a social life. With the coming of this new year, setting goals and keeping them have been on my mind. I'm wanting to become that great person that I know is just screaming to come out and meet the rest of the world.

This last week, my very best friend drove down to Boise from Rexburg. He came down to see our good friend Dan Caine get baptized and to see me of course. Being able to spend time with him allowed for me to remember the importance of friendship, it was so great to see him and to hear his laugh again, it had been six months since I had last seen him. After the baptism, Craig, Jennifer, Krista, Lance, Mel and I all went to eat at GoodWood, we had plenty of good laughs!!! We sat and lauged at Craig tell him life story. I promise to be better at posting this year, and over the next few months to get back on track.

Getting Ready for Christmas....

Now that Thanksgiving is over, the only thing left to do is enjoy the month of December and begin the countdown until Christmas. I love this time of year, the weather is freezing, yet in Boise we NEVER get snow and it's a great time to enjoy with family. Brad and I found these huge stockings in the office so we thought it would be funny to take some crazy pictures wearing them, so freakin' funny!!!

This year I decided that I would send out Christmas cards since I have never before done them. I had always wanted to, but just never found the time or motivation. So to all of you out there, the cards are on their way.

Got to get back to work, I will post later!!!!

The puffy face...

I woke up this morning to a swollen face!!!! It frightened me and made me laugh all at once. About a year ago I was experiencing some type of allergic reaction to some unknown substance. I went to two skin and allergy specialists here in Boise but to no avail, they found NOTHING! I would go to bed perfectly healthy and wake up a few hours later covered in hives and a puffy face. So begins the trend for the second time, atleast I hope not.

Life has been sort of hectic and crazy these days. Family, WORK, friends and my spiritual self are all struggling right now. Maybe all of the stress and unknowns in my life are contributing to my allergic reactions? I slept in this morning in hopes that a little rest would make it better, not so easy. I drug myself into work with big lips and a double chin, so funny even for me to say.

For Thanksgiving me, my mom and dad are all driving to Rexburg to be with Reg, Ava and Jason. Melissa, Lance and the boys are going to Utah to be with the Snyders. It should be fun and adventurous, six of us in a tiny apartment in Rexburg for five days!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The topic of Religion.....

Why is religion such a sensitive subject? Why is it that religion is the center of so much controversy? Lately I have begun to ask myself this very same question. It seems as if so many people are concerned with "what" religion or church they belong to. Why does this matter? We need to remember that we all have the right to worship freely and as we see fit. We are to consumed with the idea and belief that it matters where you go to church and what religion you belong to.

I have some really close friends that are not LDS, yet they are some of the VERY best people and friends that I have ever had. They don't judge and they love unconditionally despite our difference in religion. I feel so safe around their family and I love the peace I feel when I am in their home. So why would someone care that I am spending much of my free time with them and learning from them? This is the idea that I am having the most difficulty understanding. We become so preoccupied with what others believe or don't believe that we loose sight of who that person really is and the potential they have.

I understand that our beliefs differ, yet I also realize that these same differences have made us the best of friends. Who really does care if your neighbor is Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Christian, does it really matter? I am beginning to believe that it's not what church we belong to that matters, it's what's in our heart and the person we truly are. I am in no way saying that what I believe to be untrue. Each of us has the freedom and right to believe and worship how we choose.