Sunday, April 6, 2008

Who forgot the button?


So the day was March 21 and we were going to bake some sugar cookies for Easter. I thought, "My kids can be messy so I'll strip them down so they don't get their clothes gross." However, at the time I did not relize that I forgotten to unbutton Ethan's shirt. Below are pictures of how well that went. (Will was no help what-so-ever except for taking the pictures for this lasting memory. THANKS WILL). In my defense Ethan does have a large head and it has gotten stuck before.








Will's note: If you follow the pictures closely, you'll notice a textbook example of a "Maternal-Offspring Inverse Emotional Exchange" (or MOIEE) between mother and son. Ethan starts out with a smile which slowly changes over the course of the event to a resounding grimace. Challene's expression is just opposite. Hence the phrase, MOIEE.

Will's notesd the second: By-the-by, we've been awfully busy what with the trip to Utah and all (more on that later) so we are backed up on blog entries. We try to keep things in relative chronological order with the blogs so we will have several over the next few days (stay tuned). I do find it necessary to note, however, that our main objective in going to Utah for spring break was ultimately fulfilled. I found a wonderful doctor with which I will be able to do a preceptorship (internship during 12th quarter) beginning the first part of October! What's more, he has graciously offered to hire me on after my graduation and obtaining my license to practice! He is Dr. Norman who practices in Clearfield (the new Legend Hill's complex across the freeway from Davis Hospital). He runs his practice with the patient-care prowess and ethical fortitude I have been seeking for quite some time. In a field that even I am relatively new to, he will be a much needed mentor to me. The story is long and will follow in a blog to come. So check back often for updates and more of our exciting adventures in the land of Ewe-Tard.

Monday, March 17, 2008

101 Post

101 things about me (Challene). I hope I still have friends after this.

1. I clogged until around the age 10. My Mom made me (I still love ya Mom).
2. I had/have a crush on David Bowie in Labyrinth (don't ask can't explain it, I just like him).





3. I never got braces because in third grade I colided into a kid name Rocky which fractured my front tooth. We found out in 9th grade that the tooth next to it died from the shock/impact (but it never turned any other color. I ended up having to have around 4 root canals that all failed. They finally did a procedure called "apecoectomy" (basically it is a root canal from the top through the gums). Not fun!

4. I am SOOOOOO afriad of the Dentist because of the mentioned story above.

5. Famous people I have met and have autographs from: Kenny G and the guy who plays Louise in the Passions Soap Opera, and Gunner Hansen the guy who plays Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre .








6. I went to a Grateful Dead (Gerry Garcia was still alive) concert (my sisters choice) and got high from the second hand pot smoke around us. Don't worry my Mom knows she took us.

7. I got my first cavity when I was 25.

8. I HATE the cold/being cold.

9. I was a skater wannabe in Junior High School (had a skate board I never was good on it).

10. My favorite band in High School was Metallica. I will always have a fond place in my heart for old school Metallica and 80's and 90's rock music.

11. My current favorite music artist is Micheal Buble'

12. I would like to travel just about every where in the world at least once with my Hubby.
13. I can not stand my toes touching. I just have to have something between my first two toes. Sometimes I just want to rip off my shoes and stuff my socks in between them.

14. I used to bleach my hair. I stopped because it was expensive.


15. It took two years to get pregnant with Ethan (drugs were included) and only one cycle to get pregnant with Joshua (no drugs, kinda a suprise!).

16. I will only kill spiders if Will is not around. Even then, I have to get the vacuum to get them.

17. I used to have a pair of powder blue knee-high boots.

18. I am a design freak! Sometimes at nights, I slow down in the car to try to see into peoples lighted windows so I can see how they designed their house.

19. I've been to Tijuana with the UofU marching band. Rip-roarin' times.

20. Almost all the way through junior high/high-school my lunch consisted of a candybar, chips, and soda (should have weighed 200 lbs).

21. I've been in a limosine once. It was when Will asked me to marry him. He surprised me on Halloween 2000 with the limo. We went to a the park where we had our first date and after a candle light dinner (complete with gouls, skeletons, and a cow running passed on their way to a house) he asked me to marry him.


22. I hate McDonald's. Sometimes I'll have their breakfast. That's ok sometimes.
23. Of late, I have been told I have a high-heeled shoe fetish. I'm still in denial, though.

24. I was the fastest girl runner in 6th grade. I took track in 7th grade, and after that decided that running is only beneficial if you're running for your life.

25. I used to work for the State of Utah in the Crime Victims Reparation office.
26. I think that Nacho Libre is a very funny movie. Especially the scene where he baptizes Esquilito. Hilarious.

27. I went to Hawaii on my honeymoon and I loved every single minute of it! Well, except for when we walked for what seemed like 10 miles just to get some food.

28. Also at Hawaii, we decided to go to the temple and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Well, we got off the bus about 16 stops early, but somehow managed to find the temple (we were in our nice clothes walking along strange streets in Hawaii). Finally, we got to the temple and found out the doors were locked. We thought that was strange when a man opened the door and asked what we wanted. We told him we wanted to do a session. He kind of laughed and told us that the temple has been closed for a couple of hours. "We're not like the one's in Utah, you know," he told us. So we walked the grounds and took pictures. Then we walked another 6.5 miles to the polynesian center. That was fun.

29. I love having PJs. They have to be cute, though. And they have to match.

30. I LOVE the way my husband smells

31. I love crafts. I love to paint ceramics, toll paint (painting woods), and scrapbooking.

32. I had a house once. It was my dream house. We went through a builder and got to customize it ourselves. I got to do a little bit of design work before Will told me the news that he wanted to sell it all and move to Portland so he could become a chiropractor. He has promised me, however, one of equal or greater value at a future point in our lives.

33. The mailbox you see in that picture above was a $200.00 mailbox. We wanted a sturdy steel mailbox that could not be knocked over or blown over. It was a sexy mailbox.

34. I usually dream about stresses or other things from my day.

35. I used to be a really picky eater before we came to Portland. To quote Lindsey, "You're not picky, you're just not adventurous with your food."

36. I kissed Will before he kissed me.

37. A dog peed on me in junior high infront of a group of boys.
38. After Will first said, "I love you," I said, "ok."

39. The next night, after I said "I love you" to Will, he said, "ok." Life was smooth sailing after that.

40. I took a scuba class with Will once. We didn't end up getting certified because we were saving the money for our house. Lotta good that did me.

41. I love to bake. Not cook, bake. Cookies, brownies, anything. The best part is eating while you cook. Mmmmm.

42. I was a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) in high-school.

43. My husband was a member of the Future Bowling Chickens of America (FBCA) in high-school. They had one meeting.

44. I had to lip sync to En Vogue's, My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) in a class in junior high. Nailed it!

45. I've never been in a physical fight with anyone.

46. I punched through a window once.

47. I've never met my dad. dead beat

48. I love fresh from the vine tomatos! I'll eat them like apples (with a little salt of course).
49. I built a patio all by myself once.
50. I'm a gemini -- and it shows.
51. I almost failed a reading class in 9th grade because I let a kid cheat off of me and we got caught. I learned a valuable lesson that day: Only cheat off others, don't let them cheat off you.

52. I've never broken a bone.

53. I despise Alanis Morrisette with every fiber of my being. My husband has an album of hers. I still married him.
54. I want a victorian garden with hedge mazes and statues. Why? Hedge mazes rule, that's why.

55. I think my kids are cuter than anybody elses kids, and I don't care who you are!

56. My favorite food is Olive Garden lasagna.

57. I currently hold the Green Family Chocolate Milk Chugging Contest title. 36 oz. in 10 seconds. Beat that!

58. Lucerne brand chocolate milk is superior to any other chocolate milk brand out there.

59. I don't like the sound of ribbed metal being scraped. Like when you pull out a new strip of staples. Ahhh... just thinking about it!!!

60. Bob's Deli in North Salt Lake denied my job application. On an unrelated note, they went out of business soon thereafter.

61. My favorite movie is Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I like the Bourne series too.

62. I had a dog named Bandit for 13 years. My mom is taking care of my current dog named Eliza. She's almost 12 years old.

63. A toilet exploded on me in high-school. I was soaking wet, so I just went home. I didn't even tell the front office. Take that admin!

64. I've been pooped on by birds many times. I'm still paranoid to this day.

65. I used to love horror shows. I would watch them by myself. Now I'm a complete wuss. It was "The Ring" that did me in. Now I can't watch hardly any horror movies.

66. I used to have a total of 7 piercings in my ears. I think most of them have closed by now.

67. Will once "clonked" my ankles together and I almost became nauseous because of it. I don't like my ankles "clonked".

68. I think "clonked" is a funny word.

69. I used to wake up at 5:00 a.m. in high school so I could be at Jazz Band at 6:00 a.m. I can barely get up at 8:00 nowdays.

70. I had to have my alarm across the room or else I'd just "snooze" the morning away.

71. I've been active in the church since 1998! Almost ten years. Wow, I don't think I've learned enough in that time.

72. Will and I once laughed for hours at the word "squeegee". No, we were not at a Grateful Dead concert. We just thought it was a funny word at the time.

73. I grew up with my mom and one sister. Will has 4 brothers and two sisters. That took some getting used to, I'll tell you what. But I love them all.
74. I was in love with Jonathan Brandis from Sea Quest

75. I loved the movie The Crow. I was in love with Brandon Lee.

76. A friend's parents banned their daughter from being friend's with me. They thought I was a bad influence. She was the one who invited the boys and didn't tell her parents. My mom knew what was going on.
77. I also loved the movie Footloose. I had my mom rent that movie so many dang times it's rediculous. Sometimes, though, you just gotta dance.

78. I hate dusting and ironing.

79. I love golfing with my husband.

80. I spent much of my junior high free time at Classic Roller Skating. Nothing says good times like the hockey-pockey skates.

81. I'd like to learn how to sew some day.

82. I'd like to finish my interior design degree some day.

83. I've had callings in nursery, primary, and young womens. I loved them all.

84. I ate a potato bug when I was a baby. Mom wont let me live that one down.

85. I have a terrible fear of heights. It gets worse when I'm in a vehicle driving next to a cliff or something.
86. I never thought I'd live outside Utah. I never wanted to, either. But I'm so glad I did. I love it here.

87. I threw-up in front of Will once. It was after I hit my head while snowboarding many years ago. We were driving home and I had to throw up in a McDonalds bag (see # 22 above). He has thrown-up in front of me once too. It was while driving home from the hospital after his surgery three weeks ago.

88. My favorite flower is white roses. I also love gardenias becasue that was the corsage Will would get me for high-school dances. That was Christmas dance 1997.

89. My favorite temple is the Salt Lake Temple. I got my endownments there and got married there. I'd like to see every temple at least once.

90. I've gotten pulled over once. It was in the mustang and it was for speeding. They pulled me over right at work (Terry's Top Factory). I was only going 45 in a 30!

91. I've been in two auto accidents in my life. Neither were my fault.

92. I love to swim. I've even taken some diving classes. I couldn't do it now, but it was fun then.
93. I've only bore my testimony in church once. It scares me.
94. I do have a testimony. I just don't like public speaking.
95. I used to call manilla folders, "vanilla folders". Seriously, I just found out like a year ago it's not vanilla. Who'd-a-thunk?
96. I have strong, and I pretty fingernails. I've always liked them.
97. I don't like my red splotchy cheeks. (on my face)
98. Ethan slammed the bathroom door on my left big toe last summer. It is still deformed to this day. It's hard to do a French Pedicure when your nail is disfigured.
99. I hate fire. So much so that I wont go near a BBQ. I wont touch matches.
100. My husband and I have tracked every scent that we've spent for every month that we've been married. We still have yet to set a concrete budget, though. But once we do, we'll have 7 years of precedence to back it up!
101. I curently have more friends now than I have ever had in my life and I love them all!
I tag anyone who reads this. Ha, shouldn't have read the whole thing huh?

Saturday, March 15, 2008

My Turn

Tag I'm it! My turn to tell six things that I think most people do not know about me.


1. When I was 18 months old I fell from a bar stool (not at a bar, but a stool at the breakfast bar at my house) and hit my head. That caused me to have a subdural hemorrhage. Doctors had to go in and cauterize the blood vessel. I have a huge horse shoe shaped scare on the right side of my head. Lets hope I never go bald or else I think I might frighten little children!





2. I own a 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang. That was the very first model put out. It is Wimbledon White with red interior, it's a 3 speed stick with a straight 6 cylinder. It was given to me by my Grandparents when I was 16. I LOVE IT!!! I actually ended up taking auto shop in high school, but more so because I found out Will was taking it. We hardly talked but it defiantly made him notice me more.


3. I had a seizure in my first semester of College. We think it was from stress or maybe the head injury when I was little. Anyways that year was stressful because Will left me in Feb. for his mission, I graduated high school in June, had my first job ever that summer, then I started College that Fall where I was taking a voice class. I am quite positive it was this class that put me over the edge. I had never sung in front of anybody and then all of a sudden I had to sing in front of vocal majors. I was having auras (for those who do not know what an aura is... well, for me it was really odd panicky feelings with a flashback to something I had seen in the past, like a random house or something). I was having the auras for around 6 months before I had the actual seizure. It is the one and only seizure I've had since the head injury (knock on wood) and I hope never to have one again. You lose a lot of your Independence when you have a seizure. They wont let you drive, you're constantly getting your blood checked for medication levels, and you have to check in with the doctor every 3-6 months or so. Not, fun. Plus, they had to "inform" the DMV so that was on my permanent record for 3 years or so. The one thing the DMV actually follows up on!

4. After I graduated high school I got my first job ever at a truck parts store. The store was called Teri's Top Factory (nice huh, sounds like a strip club). I installed truck parts like hitches, truck toppers, bug shields, etc.. I did this just through the summer of 1998. Yes I was the only girl working there at that time and maybe ever but I liked it.




5. My biggest regret so far in my life is that I did not continue to play softball through high school. I played my sophomore year but I felt torn between that and playing my saxophone which I was much better at. Practice was always at the same time and I just felt at that time I had to choose between the two. "If I could just go back... I'd take state!!!" - Uncle Rico. But seriously, if I could go back I would figure out how to do both.




6. I play/played the alto and soprano saxophone (currently my Mom is holding on to them at her house in Utah so it has been awhile since I've played). I was actually really good. Good enough that in high school I was highlighted one concert with my own solo with the band as my back up. I also received a scholarship to the U Of U and marched there for two years. I was trained in classical saxophone, but I dabbled in jazz. Also to continue to express how geeky I am/I was band president my senior year in high school.
Now I am tagging Lindsey Woolsey, Melissa Turner, Triple L and who ever is up for the challenge.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Twilight Update

So if you will recall my friends Lindsey, Amy, and I went to the casting call for the movie 'Twilight'. Will and Jared (Lindsey's husband) thought it would be fun to try to be in the movie as well so they signed up on-line. They actually signed up to be a stand in or a double for the character Dr.Carlisle Cullen. So here we are all waiting anxiously for a call an email or anything when the guys get a call to come in and get their pictures taken with a horrible blonde wig (Carlisle has longer hair that is blonde. Hence the blonde wig). Will's pictures are hilarious (don't worry pictures are included in this blog at the bottom). Needless to say us girls are happy for them but very jealous. In the end Jared was chosen and got the opportunity to be a stand in for a couple days as Carlisle. He said it was an opportunity of a life time but that it was not at all glamorous. I guess all he was doing was standing/kneeling in certain positions for hours while the lighting and camera people set up for the shot. He never did get to be on camera because once they were ready to shot the real actor that played Carlisle stood in. The actor who plays Carlisle actually ran through the seen with Jared to show him where he was going to stand, walk, kneel and so fourth so that Jared knew where to be for the Lighting and Camera crew. FYI for those who know the Twilight books the scene Jared helped out with was at the end where Bella has been injured by James in the dance studio and Carlisle is trying to fix her up. He got to see the special effects people tear James' body apart and set it on fire. I guess Jared was able to bring home that part of the script and Lindsey said it is really close to the book. Jared was also able to meat Robert Pattison (Edward) . Jared said that both Robert Pattison and the actor that plays Carlisle are very nice. This was all three weeks ago or so.


The update on Lindsey and me: We just received an email on Sunday that they are considering us as extras for a "teacher position". Wait, don't get too excited. The position specifically said 4 TEACHERS (CAFTER.). So I really think that means we will be a lunch lady. The word (CAFTER.) to me looks like it says cafeteria. But whatever, I just really want to be in the movie! I know I am a geek! So I put that I would be available. Here is the down fall of it all though. If I get lucky enough to be chosen they are shooting on March 25 & 26 which is when Will, the kids and I are supposed to be heading for Utah. But I can't not do this so I guess we will just have to go a couple days later.

I just hope they can make me look as good as this lunch lady.
Well I am sorry Will did not get the opportunity to do it, but you never know he might still have a chance. They are filming until April 15. Here are the much anticipated pictures of Will. Also if you think he looks like he is in a little bit of pain it's because he just had his surgery 4 days earlier. It is probably best he did not get to do it, I really doubt he could have knelt down for that long of a time. They had him come in to take pictures and his measurements. They told him to pose different ways ("look natural", "now serious", "stare off into the distance" those sort of things). Well, the product is below:








I saved the best for last! Good stuff LOL! This is what the Carlisle character really looks like. (3rd one from the right).

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

February's Random Pictures

I just thought we would do a post that had random cute pictures of the kids from the month of February.



We babysat the Marshall's kids one night and Will snapped this shot of Chole and Joshua (Joshua being his usual cheesey self).


Ethan wanted some of my drink aren't we cute! Well at least he his.

I wonder were he gets his face pulling ideas from?

Just playing in the Tunnel

I personally love this one with Joshua's face smooshed against the ball.
This one is of the boys all dressed for church. They were definately the most styling that week.

Will thought we all looked so nice that we needed our picture taken. Too bad the kids would not cooperate for the photo. But it is still pretty cute.

Another picture that I love. Ethan looks so business man like with my phone. I am not sure pink is a good power color though


I just love when our kids are old enough to eat corn on the cob it is so cute.

Ethan got "Kaa-chow" (Lightning McQueen) bath bubbles for his birthday and Joshua was trying to eat them, so this is what you get... a bubble beard.
Sharing can be a fabulous thing when the kids decide to do it. So here is one of them on the car popper.

Joshy's famous "look-at-me-I'm-feigning-surprise" look.

Ethan just loves the camara he always has to do something and then some!

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Portland Temple


Will and I took the kids to see the Temple this last Saturday. So here are some nice pic's Will snapped.


The pictures of the flowers really do not do them justice, they are much prettier in person. Also this pink flower plant smelled so absolutely good.

And finally a picture of one of our little cheeses