Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Since I no longer work on Mondays, Tuesday has become the beginning of my work week.
The weather was so warm that I had to bust on the AC! In Utah! In March! It probably has a little bit to do with the fact that my car is black. And has black leather seats. Sun magnet. But whatever the reasons, it made for a happy Alyssa on her way to work.

When I got there, I had prepped myself for the days events. I love my job for many reasons, but the biggest is because every day is different. I see many of the same people on certain days of the week, but their stories are always changing.

We see ALL sorts of people. The ones who are super shy about their reasons for coming in (like, they refuse to tell me. Even when I tell them I don't need to know the specifics, but just a broad spectrum in order to set them up with a counselor. They refuse.) But also the ones who are willing to spill the beans about EVERY little detail. For instance, "My husband cheated on me with my sister. My sister is now pregnant. My mother is counseling my husband to leave me, and be with my sister. Me own kids are on drugs. I have addiction issues. I was abused as a child. We're currently living on welfare. I can't find my keys....etc.....etc...etc"

So needless to say, we get some crazies! But there are also some of the coolest people ever. Like this cute older lady (when I say older, she's probably in her 50's) that I see almost weekly. Her husband is in the service, and has been serving overseas for the past 6 months. She stood in front of my desk and told me all about how excited she was that her "sweetheart" was coming home in a few days, and she would be seeing him for the first time in a LONG time. I hope that I'm still that in love with Riley when I'm older. I'm talking the whole schmeal. Hand holding, pet name calling, and forehead kisses.

After work I headed home and saw Riley for a few minutes. This last week he has been in training at America First and has had really long work days. He'll be at work at 8, come home at 5. Hurry and change out of his shirt and tie, and put on some grunge clothes. Leave for FedEx ASAP, and be home by 9:30. I've gotta admire him for going out and being incredibly busy like that. But on a high note, he aced his tellers test! 95%! Phew. We studied for a little last night. Good to know it paid off.

I took off to the dreaded grocery store after he left. I hate going food shopping. I feel like everybody around me is watching everything I put in my cart. Like the organic food freak that watched me put in a bottle of Diet Coke and some Poptarts in my cart. Yeah, I eat junk food sometimes. I feel like it evens out the fact that the only other things I have in my cart is spinach, two cartons of strawberries, a pineapple, and skim milk. So stick that in your juice box and suck it.

Maybe it's because I've been listening to the Mamma Mia soundtrack relentlessly in my car for the last few days, but I'm pretty sure a few tracks were made specifically for me. This week, I feel like "Does Your Mother Know" would be an appropriate theme song. I realize I'm not that old myself, but lately I've been hit on by the youngest looking guys! The ones who haven't realized that a ring on my left hand means I'm MARRIED. Sometimes I just randomly want to break out into that song when they approach me!!

Anyways, I got a lot accomplished today. At least it FEELS like it.

Those days are always the best. I got groceries (including cereal that Riley actually likes. Sometimes I purposefully buy things he doesn't care for, just being bitter about him not coming with me ;) I finished ALL our dishes. Put away some laundry, vaccuumed, and tried to coerce my mother and Aunt (Yes. YOU!) into going to see a movie with me tomorrow. We'll see how that goes... I swear if I get another raincheck..well..I'll just go by myself. That'll show 'em, right?

Well, Benny is currently fast asleep on the bottom of our bed. Riley is patiently waiting for me to finish with this post so we can watch The Office. So I guess "there's my sign" to wrap things up.

'Night!

Weekend at Home!

Lately it feels like my weekends fly by. Probably because we usually call it an early night on Friday because I work Saturday morning. Then in turn my Saturday feels like a Friday night...

Friday night we went and saw Shutter Island with Jared and Sammie. GREAT movie. We all really enjoyed it. It's an intense thriller with a bunch of twists. Let's just say it's nothing like the previews would want you to believe.

Most memorable quote: "Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man?"

Saturday I worked till about 3, and came home to Jordan and Riley playing XBox at our house. They played for a good 2.5 hours and I took a nap. Alyssa came to pick up Jordan after she got off work, and we all ended up going to dinner. That was an adventure in itself. We first wanted to go to The Pie up by the U but it was jam packed. It was snowing pretty hard so we didn't want to wait outside for a seat. We ended up driving around looking for random restaurants for about an hour. Finally our hungry stomachs took over and we stopped at Applebee's at the Gateway.

After dinner we went up to Mitch and Amanda's house and played games. We played Farkle and Battle of the Sexes. I'm writing this down HERE just so no one forgets that the boys lost Battle of the Sexes to the girls, and they owe us ice cream. This way there's no confusion as to who's picking up the tab next time we all hang out ;)

Sunday night we went and had dinner at my parents house. Carter and Riley played a few games of "HORSE" outside and had a fun time till it got too cold to stay out. Then Riley and I headed over to his parents house to watch the Amazing Race. The married couple, Joe and Heidi, got eliminated due to a U-Turn from the cop team. We're still just happy Jet and Cord (the cowboy favorites) are still in the race!

(Benny and Cooper hanging out at my parents house. These guys are just the best of buds)
Right now the 11 o'clock news is playing in the background, Riley is on his way to work, I'm updating the blog, and Benny is intently watching the ground management workers trimming the trees behind our condo. It's a nice day so we'll probably end up heading for a walk here in a bit...

I can't wait for the spring and then eventually summer. We have a few projects around the house that will come with the change of the season, and our cars could definitely use some attention cleaning wise. But in the meantime, I'm just enjoying the birds singing outside (at least the ones that haven't been uprooted by the tree trimmers...)

Hope everybody is having a great spring day!!

And this is what my life has come to

I just want everyone to know where my main sources of happiness came from this week:

Wednesday-I had accrued enough points on my Subway card to get a free footlong!

Had my essay peer reviewed by 3 people in my philosophy class, and they all gave it great reviews.

PLUS: My first philosophy exam went amazingly well. I scored in the top 3 of the class!

Today-I went in to take a test I thought I had...turns out it's not scheduled till NEXT Thursday. So all my cramming was for nothing I guess. But at least I'll be more prepared for when I actually have to take it.

I got a free meal at Cafe Rio with my frequent visitor/stamp card thing.

AAANNNNDDD to sum it up, I found a cute pair of jeans, that just "happened" to be 40% off! LOVE it.

Looking forward to the weekend. We've got some fun things planned! Stay tuned for an update on that ;)

New Calling!

Just thought everyone should know...that Riley and I got a calling in our ward on Sunday.

Are you ready for this?

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primary teachers!

Sunbeam age kids!!

Riley is tickled pink,

and I couldn't be more excited.

I may be more excited about being in charge of treats than the actual lessons.

butttt....

It'll be a blast.

My Life is (anything BUT) Average!

I've had a lot of things on my mind lately.

Fast approaching is my 2 year anniversary of my graduation.

I can't even wrap my head around that!

I had some of the BEST times in high school.

It's hard for me to think that all my friends are so spread out.

Everyone seems to be going in so many different directions.

Whether it be with school/missions/getting married, etc.

Anytime I drive by Davis High during lunch, a tear or two comes to my eye.

Which is saying a lot.

Because I'm NOT an emotional person.

Visiting old places we all hung out...

It seems I can't go anywhere without thinking of a memory or two I had there.

All the crazy/stupid things we did.

(There were a LOT)

But I wouldn't take back a single one.

I have been SO blessed.
To have such AMAZING friends.

I look up to everyone of you as an example.

You've all impacted my life in a positive way.

I wouldn't be where I am without all of you.
As each year goes by, we all get more spread apart.

However, only in a physical sense.

I could think of a a bunch of friends off the top of my head.

That no matter how long it had been since we last talked,

would do anything for me.

You have no idea how much that means to me.

So here's you YOU,

my friends.

May I wish you the BEST of luck in ALL your endeavors.

Here's to reminiscing on old times.

And for all the GREAT times we all have in store.

Whether it's together,

or with new friends.

Our futures will consist of whatever we choose to make of them.

Do not walk in front of me, I may not follow. Do not walk behind me, I may not lead.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.

- Albert Camus -

We all take different paths in life but no matter where we go,
we take a little of each other everywhere.

- Tim McGraw -

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

"Friends are the most important ingredient in this recipe of life."

"Though our communication wanes at times of absence, I'm aware of a strength that emanates in the background."

-Claudette Renner

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

"The best mirror is an old friend."

- George Herbert "Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with."

- Mark Twain

"I count myself in nothing else so happy. As in a soul rememb'ring my good friends."

-William Shakespeare

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."

Henry Ford

"The happiest moments my heart knows are those in which it is pouring forth its affections to a few esteemed characters."

- Thomas Jefferson

"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose."

-Tehyi Hsieh
"I no doubt deserved my enemies, but I don't believe I deserved my friends."

- Walt Whitman

"Friendship without self interest is one of the rare and beautiful things in life."

- James Francis Byrnes

"Do not save your loving speechesFor your friends till they are dead;Do not write them on their tombstones,Speak them rather now instead.

- Anna Cummins

"Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what you don't say."

"Friendship is the golden ribbon that ties the world together."

"Money might make you wealthy, but friends makes you rich."

"A faithful friend is a strong defense and he that hath found one hath found a treasure"


"No lapse of time or distance of place can lessen the friendship of those who are truly persuaded of each other's worth."

- Unknown

New Job!!!

Unbeknownst to us, Riley and I ended up applying for the same position within America First Credit Union. There was a position available within the North Salt Lake branch just a few minutes away from our house. We had both had interviews with the head HR Representative in Sandy, and he ended up forwarding both of our applications to the same branch.

We decided to look at it in the most positive way possible! It doubled our chances of ONE of us getting it, right?!

Our prayers paid off and they ended up calling Riley back and offered him the job!! To top off that good luck, his manager at FedEx said they'd be happy to work around his new schedule. Basically said they'd love to have him when he can come in, and if he can't then that's fine, too!

His training starts on Monday so I'll keep everyone updated on how he's liking it!

The Weekend/Monday!

This weekend was pretty lazy. After I got off work on Saturday, Carter came over while my parents went to the Celine Dion movie. Riley told him to bring his BB gun, and he took him up the mountain to shoot some targets. I tagged along and brought Benny and we just went for a walk while the boys shot their empty bottles, etc etc. Saturday night we took it easy and didn't do anything! We sat around the house, ate junk food, and watched movies.

Sunday we took Benny on a 3 mile walk on the fire break road up behind Riley's parents house. He LOVED it, but got super muddy and wet. So he had to have a bath when we got home. He's always such a good sport with baths. Doesn't try to jump out or anything, just sits and takes it. He looks pretty pathetic and small when he's wet though, so I can't help but feel bad for the poor little guy. We went to my parents house for dinner and pie, then hit up Riley's parents house for cake! It was Neil's birthday on Thursday so they had to celebrate. We also watched this weeks episode of The Amazing Race. Seriously...I love that show almost as much as The Office. Everybody LOVES the cowboy team. They're so cute, courteous, and funny! They work so well as a team, so we're hoping that they win it!

Monday was a HUGE cleaning day. We did ALL our dishes and laundry. We vaccuumed, cleaned our windows (inside AND out), hung up clothes, cleaned the bathroom, even Clorox'd the tub and tile! Go us!!
This picture is Benny watching Riley wash the windows.

We had Jared and Sammie over for dinner. I made a homemade lasagna and chocolate cake from scratch! It's a really yummy recipe for the cake, the icing has sour cream in it so it's a nice combination between that and the sweet of the chocolate. Jared had a quiz to take, so we went over to the clubhouse where we get free wi-fi. Our internet connection in our condo is spotty and I didn't want it cutting out on him.

Wednesday night my family has tickets to go see the BYU vs. Utah basketball game! I'm hoping that I'll be able to get in to take my quiz for class real quick and bust outta there to see the game! Looking forward to that!