for Aaron...

Just a real quick video post for my brother Aaron. I just got back from my long-awaited trip to Havasupai Falls this evening. After looking at this post, Aaron left the message, "It looks fake." True, those pix look fake, and I don't doubt that some of the colors, etc., were enhanced. But honestly, when we reached Havasu Falls, I was astounded by the colors. They were so VIBRANT, it really did look fake! Alas, I am unable to alter/enhance colors on videos on my computer. (Perhaps there's a way to do so, but I totally lack the know-how; I'm what some people call "tech-tarded.") Anyway, here's the video. Beware of how DISGUSTING I look there at the end. (In my defense, I was makeup-free, and had hiked 9-ish miles in the heat of the day wearing a 25+ pound backpack...but I felt it necessary to make my point to Aaron).

I'll post the rest of the pictures after I've gathered the pix my friends took. Suffice it to say that my trip was AMAZING! Totally worth the pain. -And I'm here to tell you...my feet and calves are still so swollen that I have cankles! Typically any Tom Dick or Harry can distinguish between my ankles and calves. Well, not TODAY, mister! And DEFINITELY not yesterday! I'm hoping the swelling goes down! If I have cankles for the rest of my life because of this trip, I just might cry...Here's hoping for the best! (Insert confused smile/frown here.)

another weekend with the fam...

I went home to spend some time with the entire fam (minus the brother on the mish) for Easter weekend. It was a lovely time, too! -Except for that one part where I started feeling yucky...

Goose makin' me feel all petite...
by the way, we both look homeless because
we had both done lots of yard work. Okay?

Grampa and his boys, Jackson and Seth


Aaron swinging Seth like a fat little pendulum...

Me and my JenFriend
Jen is a pal I met in Logan, and she's dating Goose now.
The last time we saw each other was over 2 years ago!


Seth really likes to "twist" the blinds lately.
He can't open or close them, but he likes to pretend...or something.
If you look really close, he likes to twist both of his chubby fists.

It really was a lovely weekend! I love my family! Also...on Saturday afternoon/evening, I got a surprise visit from Jules and co. (YAY!) I think she was just as surprised by her visit as I was. It was good seeing you, Julia, Peter and sweet Tayson!

So...I mentioned up top that I was feeling yucky. Turns out, so were Aaron's boys. Jackson was SO not himself, and Seth had a snotty nose. And Aaron's still getting over pneumonia. Turns out, Amy took the boys to the doctor on Monday, and between her 3 boys, they're on 5 different medications...or something like that. I went to the doctor on Monday as well (after Brooke conned me into it) and turns out I have strep. I've never had strep before in my life! So...I asked the doc if I'd be well enough to go on my Havasu trip this Wed (which would be today) and he said I should be fine, the medicine works fast. Welp, lemme tell ya...as of last night, I was still feeling like CRAP. Honestly, I think my fever was worse than ever last night. However...I woke up this morning feeling quite fine (other than feelings of dizziness...but that will fade quickly, me thinks). So...I'm going to Havasupai Falls with my friends, just like we've been planning for several months. YAY!!! -Anyway, I hope that Aaron and clan get well soon! I love y'all! (I'm especially thinking of you, Amy!)

A good weekend...

This past weekend, I grabbed another ride to Utah with Jason and Cameron, as they were (once again) headed to Park City to ski. This time my destination was Centerville to chill with Aaron, Amy and boys. The ride there was...nothing out of the ordinary, I guess. ("Jameron" wanted info from me that I wasn't willing to give them, so in order to torture it out of me, Cam started playing Barbra Streisand! BARBRA! Yuck!)

Anyway...got to A's place around 9:30-ish (AM) and then Aaron left for a business meeting. Amy finished getting ready for the day and then we loaded up the boys and took them to Layton to some playland. (Jackson's preschool does a field trip once a month; this month they went to a playland and we got to play in the bouncy world. Look at the pictures and you'll understand.) Then we went back to the house and had some lunch. Aaron left his meeting rather early because he wasn't feeling well, and we kinda relaxed and visited the rest of the day/evening. I played with the boys and helped bathe them and get them ready for bed. (Somehow bathing them with their momma's help was so much easier than when I attempted it on my own that one time!)

Next day, we played some more and relaxed some more, and Amy made delicious food for us. (Breakfast was this really tasty blueberry cornmeal scone thingy; dinner was homemade egg rolls; YUM!) Aaron was still out of it and he even told us, "I suffer!" Poor chap. I wasn't very sympathetic after a while (although I did make him some Ramen noodles when he requested it), because I didn't get to hang out with him much. (He slept. A lot.) By the way...it turns out that Aaron went to the Dr. on Monday and discovered he's got pneumonia! For real! Sorry, Aaron! I hope you feel better soon!

That evening, Lisa came to pick me up and we met up with "Jameron" and crew at Garcia's while I watched them eat and we visited. Then it was a late drive back to Idaho Falls.

Overall it was a really great weekend. I got to spend some time squishing my nephews and really had some fun bonding time with Amy. (I think you're the best, my dear!)

Amy and her boys going down the bouncy world slide.

Jackson was in his element...
he LOVES to bounce!

Jackson and Amy sliding...

Me and my Jackson...
it really was a lot of fun, especially with my little guy!

Sethington cramming food into his face.
(He can seriously pack it in if you're not watching him to prevent it!)



Jackson was running round and round.
He kept falling in the same spots...cute lil man.

Amy was making dinner and Seth got pouty
so Amy let him "help."
Isn't he SO cute?!


Cute little giggle pants.
Maybe he'll be a chef when he grows up?

I pushed Jackson on the swing Friday afternoon.


And here's a video of Jackson's swing time...


One last video.
Seth was being Mr. Helpful, scrubbing the floor.
Or maybe he was just playing. Either way, he sure is cute!

Yours truly...

Where were you born? Logan, UT
Middle name: I do not have one of those...
How old will you be this year? 26
Nicknames: Bean, Ginabean, Queen Bee, Brig
Are you taller than your mother or father? A couple inches taller than my momma, a couple of inches shorter than my pops...
Do you cry often during movies? Depending on the movie and my mood...yeah, I do.
What is your biggest pet peeve? Loud eaters. It almost KILLS me...
Favorite color: Toss-up between brown and blue.
Favorite foods: Oh, what a difficult question to answer! I heart lots of foods! I LOVE Mexican food, and I'm a fan of New York Cheesecake, chicken salad sandwiches, fresh Brigham City peaches, crunchy fresh vegetables, homemade apple pie, and a variety of soups. And lots of other foods.
Favorite restaurants: Texas Roadhouse, Costa Vida, Famous Dave's, and...I dunno, I really like the hometownsy places too. And there's a chain in Vancouver, BC, called the White Spot which I really enjoy. (I hope this is the LAST food question, geez!)
Favorite beverage: I'm telling myself that it's water. One day, I hope to believe me.
Favorite cold cereal: Cranberry Almond Crunch. (It used to be Blueberry Morning, but they changed it. In a bad way.)
Favorite smells: Clean babies, the smell of rain, fresh-baked bread and/or cinnamon rolls, and certain hot man colognes.
Favorite time of day: After work when I get to chill with my roommates and other friends.
What brand of shampoo/conditioner do you use? I switch it up. Currently I'm using Fructis
Favorite make-up products? Mostly I'm a Mary Kay girl, but I also like Almay eye shadow.
How many pillows do you sleep with? 1, but I switch off during the middle of the night. Seriously, I go to bed with one pillow (and my other one on the floor next to the bed) and typically wake up with the other pillow under my head. (I can tell because they are very different pillows, and in very different pillow cases.) Strange...
Do you play an instrument? I can play a select few songs on the piano.
Have you ever been skinny dipping? Nope. I was going to go once, but the plans fell through. And I was kind of grateful.
Did you do any sports in High School? I ran track and cross country until I started (and continued) to vomit after every race. Ew. I also did Color Guard...but we were good; military style, not ballet with flags. Make fun of me and I'll bust your chops.
What was the last movie you saw in the theater? 27 Dresses. And I watched it for James Marsden, I will not lie.
What is your favorite article of clothing? Jackets/sweaters
What is your dream vacation? I have already been on my dream vacation, and it was better than I had dreamed (Scotland). So, recently...my dreams have taken me to Greece.
If you were an animal what would you be? I don't really like this question...um, let's go with...a white tiger? Sure. I'd be a white tiger.
What is your favorite "me-time" activity? Napping, blogging, and writing letters/emails to friends and family. And reading.
Favorite TV shows: 3rd Rock From the Sun, House, and The Office.
What is your dream car? I rather like my Nissan Altima. But I think I'd love a GMC Envoy...not because I know anything about its performance, but because it's pretty and I think I want an SUV (if only I wouldn't have to prostitute my blood to pay for fuel, eh?)
What is one of your weaknesses? I get worked up over things I ought not get worked up about. The tension and stress typically doesn't last long, but still...
What do you fix for dinner when there's nothing to fix? Hot pockets, if I have any. Otherwise it's a sandwich or canned soup.
If you could live in a different decade/era which one would it be? Back in the days of Jane Austen...but just for a couple of weeks. And only if I was living in high society. (haha...jk)
Do you consider yourself outgoing? Yeah, for the most part.
What is something you are constantly working on? Relationships with my family and friends, because that's what my life is all about. Also, self-improvement...
Any hidden talents? I love to write poetry, and this is a rather recent development (in the past year or so).
What is a word or phrase you overuse? I know there are some "gina-isms" but I can't think of any right now. I'll have to ask my friends.
What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year? My life is great, actually. And I try to forget the bad...I honestly can't remember off the top of my head.
What is the best thing that happened to you this past year? I went to Scotland!!!
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? Make a difference for the good.
The best piece of advice you learned this past year? "Boys may come and boys may go, but girlfriends are forever..."? I'm kidding. Um...look for the good; and if things look really bad, dig deeper, because there's something good in every situation. (That wasn't so much "advice" as it was "experience.")
Who are the 7 people you are going to tag to do this survey? Whoever wants to play!

At the end of the survey post a picture of you that was taken within the last week.

Me and my cute Aussie friend, Katelyn.
This was taken at our branch St. Patrick's Day party...

Names, names, names...

I was tagged by Heather and thought this looked fun!

1.YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Oreo Altima
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Raspberry Snickerdoodle
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
G-Org (is that pronounced George, or gorge, or...what? :)
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Brown Pug
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) -
Logan (I'm a one-namer, so it seems)
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
OrgGi (oh NO! That could sound BAD if...nope, there's no "if," it just sounds BAD!)
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Blue Cran-Raspberry
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Alex Kyle
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Obession Cinnamon-bear
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names )
Jeffrey
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Quayle Quebec
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Autumn Cala Lily
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Peach Slacksy
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
no-bake cookie Oak
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”)
The Hiking Rain Tour

Well, well...wasn't that fun? Some names aren't as...ah...kosher as I might like. But it was good for a laugh. Okay, I'll tag...Emily, Hillary and Heather W. And Brooke, just in case she ever gets around to it...And because you asked for it, I tag you as well, Coretta. I tag you by name! :)

Lord, give me COURAGE...

I recently purchased a super cute dress. Just this past week, as a matter of fact. This is big for a couple of reasons: 1) This is the first dress I've bought (or worn) since high school. (I'm more of a "skirt girl.") And 2) I got it on sale. The mother of one of my clients sells Layers Clothing, which I really like quite a bit. Anyway...long story a little less long...I got my dress for a good price. NICE! So...Thursday evening when I showed my roommates, Brooke said words I never wanted to hear...she deemed the dress heel-worthy. HEEL WORTHY! As in high heels. I don't wear heels, ever, and never intended to own a pair! But...Brooke insisted that this dress needs heels, and our friend Kelly agreed. (THANKS, ladies...) So on Friday I went shopping and found a few pairs that might work; once Brooke got off work, I took her with me to help make the final decision.

I am now the "proud" new owner of black wedge dress shoes. (This TOTALLY deserves its own blog, don't you think?!)

Anyway...I was excited to wear my cute new dress to church, but Brooke telling me that my black ballet flats were a no-go ebbed away some of the thrill. Even more of the joy was muffled when Lisa agreed. (Lisa was my one last hope!)

I have nothing against heels. They look just fine, and supposedly they do something for one's posture (so I've heard). The thing is, I'm 5'11" barefoot, and so, quite naturally, I don't think heels are necessary. God blessed me abundantly with excessive height. And I'm good with it! I embraced all 5 feet 11 inches of me years ago. But...adding another 2 inches on top of that and I'm just going to have to feign all sorts of confidence. I mean, I'm already taller than lots of the fellas anyway...sigh...

SO...I prayed for courage to wear the heels, and I also prayed to be able to pull off an excess of feigned confidence...and it worked. Sort of. I got compliments, at least. (Compliments certainly help a girl feel better about any given situation, it seems.)

Anyway...here is a picture of me in my dress and heels. (Jason said I need to get some more. Somehow, I think this will be my one and only pair...)

A 6'1" Gina...

Nuttin' to blog about...

...but I wanna blog anyway. I haven't taken ANY pictures in the last week or so (because, quite frankly, there hasn't been much going on in my life as of late). Anyway...it's Saturday and I'm home alone all day. (Brooke and Lisa are skiing at Targhee, Cameron and Jason are skiing at Big Sky, and I am not crazy about skiing since I twisted my knee that once, so...here I am).

I actually got up rather early for a Saturday (right around 8am) and then got to work straightening out my bedroom. Then I ran some errands, talked to my Momma on the phone, started some laundry, and as I'm typing this I have a fresh homemade apple pie in the oven. There's really not much else for me to do, and it's not quite 2pm. What's a girl to do?! My brother Vance gave me some edited movies (VHS, so he's not interested in them any more) when I went home last weekend...perhaps I'll put in Con Air and see what that's all about.

Oh yeah, another something I've done today is google pictures of Havasupai Falls. My friends and I are headed there (Havasupai Falls in the Grand Canyon) in a matter of WEEKS, and I cannot wait! So I borrowed some pictures off of their website to post so that y'all can get excited right along with me! We'll be hiking--no wait, BACKPACKING--in to a camping area, which is roughly 10 miles in. Then we'll stay a couple of nights, play around in the falls, and hike back out. I miss hiking so much, but I'm really hoping that this trip doesn't kill me...(I've kinda let myself go this past winter). They say the weather should be in the 70s during the day and as low as the 40s at night. (Hopefully I don't freeze at night, eh?) -I'm going to focus on the positive here though: I'll be surrounded by BEAUTIFUL nature in country where I've never been before, chillin' with my friends, and I won't have to deal with any snow! (I'm SO ready for winter to end!)

Here are some of the pics I found online.

So now you can see why I'm pretty excited for March 26th to roll around eh?! I can hardly wait! The ride down is gonna be LONG, but I'll be with friends. (We're even picking up Janell along the way! Yeehaw!) I'll be sure to take all sorts of pictures and then post them on here, once the trip has come to pass...

Oh, the timer just went off...I better go take my pie out of the oven...

Fandamily...

I took a quick trip home this weekend; Cameron and Jason were headed to Park City for the weekend to ski, so they dropped me off in Brigham on their way. (First they gave me a hard time for skipping out on skiing with them...I think they called it "wimping out"?) Anyway...I got to my folks' place around 9:15am on Friday when everyone was at work, so I took a nap by the fireplace until Janae came to visit me (from Logan). Then Vance called and wanted a ride home from work. And then the three of us chilled for a bit, which was pretty fun. We played on Vance's Wii for a bit and had lunch at the Old Grist Mill (yum-o!) and chatted. Good times.

Then Janae and I went back to my parents' place and Janae left shortly after my folks got home from work. Vance and Abby graced us with their presence, and when Goose got home from work, Dad took us all to dinner at Wingers. After that, we went home and played my FAVORITE game of all time: Loaded Question! It was so much fun!

On Saturday I went to the Ogden Temple with my folks and then went back home and relaxed. Chilled a bit more with Goose...a rather relaxed day.

Then my friends came to pick me up and take me back to Idaho Falls. It really was a most excellent weekend in B to the righam City. I love my family!

Momma pestering Papa Bear while he was on the computer.
Ah, this makes me feel good. :)

More pesteration...

Goose's self portrait...
Ah, he's so happy!

And this was a little gift from Goose this past weekend...

I was taking a little nap on Saturday afternoon and heard Goose enter my room, so I opened my eyes and watched Goose retreating. Then I noticed this little fella on my pillow. I am currently growing him in a glass in the kitchen. :)

Bancroft/Lava Hot Springs

Two weekends ago (Feb 23, I think it was) we had a branch activity. Some went to Pebble Creek to ski, and the rest of us went to Bancroft to ride some horses and chill. Then we all met up at Lava Hot Springs to relax our muscles in the hot pools, and then dined at Pizza Hut. It was pretty fun.

In Bancroft, we started off with a sleigh ride, then made our way to an indoor arena (not sure what term is used for where horses run, sorry). Now I've been on a horse before, but I was 3, and the horse was pretty old; Ringo was his name-o, matter of fact, and my dad was right there beside me, guiding the horse around. So...fast forward to 22 years later, and here I sit on an entirely different horse (Ringo is long gone, I'm quite certain). I got on the horse like a pro (I'm sure it has something to do with my long legs), but once I was there I didn't quite know what to do. I took the reigns and told my horse (Misty, I think?) to "go." (All the people who've ridden horses laughed at me for that one. GEEZ! It's not like anybody gave me a run-through on what to do! And as far as I can tell, horses don't speak English, so does it really matter what I tell the horse in my native tongue? Apparently it does, in fact, matter). Anyway...I got my horse to go, although I had a hard time directing it in specific directions. And then she started to trot. Mm-kay, for you cowboys out there, you probably don't think this is as scary as it was for me...but when horses trot, they pretty much bounce you around, especially when you've not a clue what you're doing. So I bounced around and told my horse to stop, which, of course, she didn't. So I pulled on the reigns and it worked! Shortly thereafter, I got off the horse; I'd had my fill for the day. I realize that the rider is supposed to be in charge of the horse, and such was not the case with me...and I'm pretty sure that the horse picked up on that. I think she liked being "in charge" of this stupid human on her back. Maybe I'll try again sometime...?

Anyway...here are some pictures of the day's events...

Me and Heidi on the sleigh ride.

Here we have Jeremethius!
(Jeremy knighted himself a Greek God, which inspired the Greek spin on his name.)

This Clydesdale was prancing around,
showing off for us while we were on our sleigh ride.

Yours truly on the horse that wouldn't go
(initially, at least)...

I skipped taking pictures at Lava (on purpose. Most people aren't a fan of having their pictures taken while in their swim suits. Especially since it's winter and lots of us were pasty white and not as in-shape as we typically are in, say, the summer). But I took some pictures of friends at Pizza Hut, just for fun.

Jeremethius, acting all "thug"

Jason and his 90's...ah...troll hair?
I liked it and touched it...
It was very soft and stand-uppy.

And here we have Paul, also known as "MacAdoo."

Lisa enjoying her salad...yum!
Oh, and that's Jessa right next to her.

And here's a salad-eating Brookey!