Happy Holidays

Hello All!
Our little family is back in Omaha for the Holidays. Ben finished his final on the 17th, and right when he came home, we were in the car and off to Nebraska! We have had so much fun here...we walked across the "Bridge to No-Where"...it's a Omahan's inside joke...but we really did walk across this footbridge from Nebraska to Iowa in the Freezing cold!...and we spit over the side trying to hit the ice burgs floating in the Missouri River!...heehee....We have gone to the Winter Quarters Temple Trail Center to see the Ginger Bread Houses display, Dad has taken us to UNO where he teaches and we have invaded the rec center almost everyday playing racketball, basketball and volleyball.....and I go running, and we even went to our family favorite restaurant, "Three Happiness"!!!!....

Christmas Eve was spent with the Zendejas side extended family at my aunts house....with some Amazing food!!!...Christmas day we all decided to sleep in since Charley wouldn't really know the difference...but mom set an alarm on her phone to tell her it was her Birthday (yes, my mom's b-day is on Christmas), but we had to tease her she needed a reminder...but the alarm was set for 7:50 (it does it automatically when you don't pick a time yourself) so Charley heard it and was up, and there was no getting her back to sleep. We opened presents...It is so much fun having a kid on Christmas, I had more fun watching her than anyone else....I don't even know what everyone else got, i was to busy watching and filming and taking pictures of Charley. She actually kinda understood Christmas...now that she is almost 2!!!!

After presents Dad made his famous omlets....which he only makes on Christmas morning, then the boys went to play basketball with some cousins and another uncle at the church, another family tradition. Then we were off to Uncle Eddies house for Christmas dinner with the Rosenthals...my mom's side. It was a nice, big house, but when you try and fit over 100 people in a house, it doesn't seem so big!....yes, we have a huge family! (and they all live in Omaha, with a few exceptions, us being one of them) Then it was back home after a long day to relax!

This is my first Christmas being home since being married. Normally on the years we are supposed to come home, my parents come out to Utah. It has been fun being home. I have loved visiting with family and enjoying spending time with my parents and siblings. I have missed all the craziness of being home, and as I get older have come to love my family even more and understand how much family means to me.

Ben and I were supposed to head out to NC to see the Schramm's for the weekend, but things didn't work out and our flight was canceled. We are sad we wont be able to see them this holiday, especially our niece and nephew.

We have had a great time here in Omaha, and hope that where ever you are, you are having a great time as well!

The picture is from my aunt who took pictures on Christmas of everyone at the Rosenthal dinner!

My thing I am going to do this next year....

Last year I made a goal to run a marathon. I have been wanting to run a marathon since high school. Finally after talking with Ben, I just decided to do it. I registered for one, and there was no turning back....I paid $90, and no refund...so I had to do it.

This coming year I decided that I am going to compete in the National Hoop Dance Competition down in Arizona. I have been dancing for almost 9 years, and I have talked about going for the last 6 years. Every year around the time of the competition I always find some excuse not to go....Living Legends 10 day tour, no money, pregnant...I always find something.

Well this year, I have no excuses. Especially since gas prices are falling, and my sister just moved to Arizona, about a mile away from the competition...I have to go!

When I dance at Pow Wows or for other events, people always ask if I ever have, and when I tell them I haven't they tell me I should. I am not expecting to go past the first round, but I think it will be a good experience. I will be competing against both females and males (there still isn't a big enough showing of females to have our own competition...that is why I don't think I will make it very far.) I have a very different style of dancing, and I don't know yet how well I will be preceived at a national level with other great hoop dancers.

But I tell you this because I can't register prior to the competition, I have to register there. So by telling people I am going to compete is my way of registering. I have to now complete my task! The competition is at the beginning of February, and I still haven't started training hard....I should start! Wish me Luck!

Santa's little Helper

We had our ward Christmas Party tonight. It was a nice evening with tons of friends, and good food! ...And a special visitor came...I didn't know he was going to come or I would have brought our real camera, and not my cell phone, and I wouldn't have let Charley roll around on the ground (she was playing with her friends...and she messed up her hair, and in the picture it looks all crazy...that is not how we brought her!...heehee).

Charley loved Santa. We have been practicing a few Christmas words, and that was one of them....so she was very excited to meet him! She liked him even better after he gave her a little bag of candy!

In case you didn't get enough last time...

here is another NKOTB clip and a Natasha Benningfield clip. Enjoy!

Thanks

We sent all of the responses to the principal at Timpview, and he is working with the Native advisor at UVU, who is Hop,i to make things right! Thanks to all those who helped. If anything more comes out I'll let you know!

Timpview's New Mascot

Check out the article I wrote and vote! I need your help! Pass the word along!
Thanks

www.honorindians.com

If the link doesn't work, click on "Dad" on my Friends and Family list on the right side of this page.

I'm still "Hangin Tuff"

Tonight I got a call at 6:00pm from a good friend telling me that her friend had 2 extra tickets to the New Kids on the Block concert and if I wanted to go. Ben was a saint and not only watch Charley, but Liz's kids as well so she could come! The show started at 8pm, so we got fixed up, and headed up to SLC! Natasha Beningfield was the opening act...I was actually really happy to see her as well, I really like her.

We had great seats....18 rows up, right next to the stage....I could see the group perfectly! It was a 2 hour show, and they sang EVERYTHING....all of their old and new songs. I was so happy I was able to remember all of the words!

It was a great night!

I only had my camera phone, and I tried to take videos of the concert but since my camera phone doesn't do the best indoors, plus with all the crazy lights, it just looks like a big light blurb. But if you listen closely you can hear some of the song behind the screaming fans!...enjoy....you know you all were jealous! :)....you all secretly used to love NKOTB!! I am not ashamed to admit that I had the works....the dolls, the night gowns, the posters...

Frustrated!!!!

Ben and I buy a lot of bottles of water. It is really cheap to get them at Costco. After a few months, I noticed that our trash had a lot of empty plastic bottles in it, and I started to feel really bad. I decided that I would start saving the plastic bottles and eventually take them to a recycling center. I was really excited and felt good about doing something good!

After two months we filled 2 trash bags with empty bottles. So I looked on-line for the nearest recycling center. I got the address and phone number, called to make sure they accepted plastic and went on my way to drop off my load. When I got to the address listed they said that they only took recyclables at their drop off site (would have been helpful to know over the phone, but oh well...it was only a few blocks away). I go to the site they said and there was a big sign that said "Metal Only". So I asked, and sure enough...they only took metal.

I went home and found another place on-line and when I went to take it there....I couldn't find it. I drove around for 40 minutes trying to find it. I found the address where it was supposed to be, but no building?!!!! ARRGGGGG!!!

My neighbor finally took the bags with her to SLC when she visited her parents and set it out with their recyclables. But in the mean time....we accumulated 2 more bags of plastic bottles....

Okay...so 3rd times a charm....I looked up BYU's recycling, but they only took paper and aluminum cans...but they had a link to a place here in Provo where they took plastic....so I went and there was NO BUILDING!!!!....are you kidding me. It was an empty lot. And there was no phone number, so I couldn't call! So FRUSTRATING...I am just trying to be good, and it is all back firing. I was so mad that I saw a dumpster and just threw the bags in. I felt bad, but I was just so mad!

So if you know of a real place where I can take my plastic bottles, please let me know....otherwise I may just end up throwing my bottles away again!