Wedding? As You Wish...

"Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder tooday."

--The Impressive Clergyman, The Princess Bride

For those of you who are interested...here are the wedding details!

Who: Kary and Jen
When: Saturday, January 17, 2009
Time: Dusk (You can get there around 5pm)
Where: The Tavern de Leiker, Ogden, UT

We are excited to finally tie the knot! Now all we need are our friends and family to join us for our awesome day, or night ;)! If you plan on coming let me know via email (cagrl127@gmail.com) or comment on this here post so we can plan accordingly! I can also send you the address and directions (I don't want to post them online for the whole world to see, if you know what I mean).

We have opted for a fun, casual experience. Kary and I will NOT be dressing up, so come in your comfy-est jeans (or whatever you fancy). We will have an awesmoe Hot Chocolate Bar and other yummy refreshments so come prepared for great food and engaging company!

The Newest Gedge

A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided.
--Tony Robbins

Kary and I have taken action and found an apartment in the Cottonwood Heights area of the Salt Lake Valley. Thus, it is official. We will be getting married and I will officially be changing my last name on Saturday, January 17, 2009! In fact we went ring shopping last night and took care of the bling factor ;). We are excited to get married and move on with our lives, together. We have both had many life experiences that have brought us to where we are today. We have learned many lessons in the past and look forward to creating a life, home and family together now, and in the years to come. (And don't worry, Noah and Blake LOVE Kary! In fact, on a trip to Hogle Zoo, in October, Noah asked Kary, "So when are you going to marry my mom?" Yes, it's a true story!)

We aren't quite sure where in the Salt Lake area we will be getting married just yet, but you are all invited to the wedding ceremony and the Open House (or whatever you want to call it). Not sure what time yet, but the Open House will be at the Tavern de Leiker (or in other words, Uncle Bob and Aunt Joni's house in Ogden, UT). When we figure out the particulars, I will blog it!

In the mean time, I will entertain any and all suggestions for places to get married EXCEPT for any chapel that has the words Las Vegas in the address.

Love to all!

Oh, Did You Want to Leave a Comment? Good Luck With That.

"Woo Wee!!!"
--Jen Robinson

Has anyone been trying to leave a comment on my blog and you haven't been able to find the link to click on? Well. You are not alone. I have been on a three week quest to find it. Somewhere. Anywhere. But with no luck. Until tonight! If any of you are familiar with "lurking" (Lo...I know you are ;)), I have become an official Blogspot.com message board lurker. Why you may ask. BECAUSE! I have been dying to figure out how to enable the comment link back to its original state--before I had the urge to customize my blog. I have now fixed the problem I hope. I may just have to post a comment to break in the new excitement! If it wasn't almost 11pm, I'd probably run outside and yell to all my neighbors the step-by-step instructions on how to restore the comments link to their blog!

This, with the exception of spending the day with Kary, has been the highlight of my day! Sundays can be wonderful relaxing days. However, they have become one of the only days that Kary and I have daylight to spend with one another to drive around looking for a place to live. Salt Lake City. Expensive. Land of outrageous "Pet Deposits" and even more ridiculous "Pet Rent". So, for those of you cheering us on in the quest to find a place of our own, I would ask for you to pray for the following:

1. Pray that Kary's Shih Tzu, Kyia, magically turns into a human.
2. Pray that the landlords in the area decrease their rent.
3. Pray that Kary and I BOTH get a raise.

As I see it, I think that #1 & #3 are probably NOT going to happen. (And yes, WE ARE very grateful to even have jobs these days.) Thus, we will continue hoping that we are able to find someone, a landlord, or an apartment complex that is in dire need of great renters that have a cute dog and two totally handsome boys, all at an affordable price. Until then, we continue our search for a place close enough to the boys school, in a safe area, AND within a reasonable distance to Happy Valley, where Kary works.

Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words?

"Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum."
--Ansel Adams

So I was reading a friend's blog a few days ago. She had been "tagged" to post the fourth picture from the fourth folder on her computer. I love the idea of being tagged, because if I am being completely honest with you all, I sometimes have nothing exciting to blog about. The result of being tagged with specific instructions allows me the opportunity to either share the given information with you, or it gives me the jump start I need to get my own content idea. Well, I thought I would follow the instructions on the tag, when I got there this is the picture I found. I wish it was a close up, but I guess I can still tell the story ;).

For those of you who have never met my kids with long hair, this would be Noah. This was taken in May 2007. He was 5 at the time...with a mom who thought she would let him decide the length of his hair. Hmm. It was cute for a while. Until it started taking as much shampoo to wash his hair as it takes to wash mine. He loved the longer hair. Why? I'm not really sure, but everytime I bring up getting a hair cut, he says he wants to let it grow out. Yep. He proclaimed this last week. I'm not sure if he says this because he is already trying to keep up with the hair fad for boys of growing long wavy/curly hair (which he has neither type of hair...maybe I should break this to him gently) or if he just hates the sound of the clippers next to his ears. I should ask ;).

As I was looking for the assigned picture, I ended up going through many other folders to see what treasures I could find. Here are some other pictures. These are from two folders around the same time as the picture above.

Noah, I don't remember why you are crying, but this is the long hair I speak of. Too much shampoo needed.

Blake (Or as I call him, "Bigs") with long hair also. Only about half as much shampoo required, but still too much.

The boys. This was after the South Ogden Annual Easter Egg Hunt in 2007. They decided it would be funny to race each other without being able to see where they were going. Hmm...

...and this is how it ended up after they pulled themselves off their stomachs.

The boys with their dad.

On the Road Again

"Death, a friend that alone can bring the peace his treasures cannot purchase, and remove the pain his physicians cannot cure."

-Mortimer Collins

Thursday began a road trip that was inevitable at some point. You never can tell when a friend or family member will pass to the next stage in life. But it seems no matter where we are in life, we are touched by the passing of loved ones, young, old and everything in between. My Gram, Adele Cecelia Leiker, passed peacefully in her sleep, on Tuesday morning, November 25, 2008.I came to know of the end of Gram's journey here on Earth early that morning. It was also the morning my parents and sister were due to come into town for the Thanksgiving holiday. I called my dad to inquire as to whether they would still be coming to visit. During the conversation, I quickly realized my father had not received word that his mom had passed. What I describe now is the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I was in mid-conversation with my dad, when he said that his last update on Gram had been the Saturday prior, 4 days earlier. As soon as I heard this, I came to the realization that I was going to have to be the one to tell my dad that his mom had passed on. I told him. I could tell he was upset and we said our goodbyes. I wasn't sure if my parents would still come to Utah with this news, but about an hour later, my mom called and let me know they were on their way to the airport. During the week my family was here, there were many memories shared between my dad, Uncle Bob and Uncle Joe, two of my dad's nine siblings. I expected the news of Gram's passing to bring a somber feel to the week of Thanksgiving, however, I was pleasantly surprised to hear stories and fond memories from my father and uncles that I had never heard before. Arrangements were being made by all ten children, in regards to Gram's funeral arrangements.

Last week I was informed of the celebration of Gram's life. All family would meet and gather in Lancaster, CA for a funeral and graveside service on Saturday, December 13, 2008. Which brings me to the road trip I mentioned above. I was offered a seat in the Bob and Joni Leiker Taxi (also known as the Highlander) to get to the high desert of California. But early last week Kary expressed interest in going with so we decided to drive down. What an adventure! Our first road trip together. We left on Thursday night, pretty late. We made a couple quick stops and then we were on our way. We stopped a couple times to sleep before getting on our way before 8am. We stopped a few more times, as we had Kary's dog Kyia with us.

She had fun exploring the different areas we stopped at, always plunging her head into the dirt/sand/asphalt. What a trooper though! She is a great travel companion as is Kary. We had a great time, even though the GPS in the MDX sent us the long way...which caused concern about our fuel reserves...the low fuel light came on. I had planned the trip to the mile and gallon, thus knowing exactly where we would have to fill up and about how much per gallon we would be paying. We were caught a little off guard with the detour, but made it to the gas station just in time.

Once we got to the hotel, the phone tree was in full swing, informing everyone what time to report to dinner at the Marie Callendar's down the street. Kary and I arrived first, follow by a slow, but steady stream of my extended family. Soon, we were all there, waiting to be seated. There were a few not in attendance. Those who came from afar, those who were still flying or chose to make the drive the following morning. Kary met many people on Friday night, about 10 new people. He did survive, and no, you probably shouldn't ask him to recite their names ;).

Saturday morning the growing group arrived at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church for a 10am funeral service. One of my aunts (I'm sorry, I never did hear who set this up) had asked Father Perry Leiker (currently serving in Hawthorne, CA) to perform the service. This was a wonderful service, with participation from my Uncle Tom, as well as my Uncle Joe. Father Perry spoke, there was wonderful music and the Communion was offered. Following the church service, we all met at the Joshua Tree Memorial Park & Cemetery. There was an "inurnment" of Gram, a burial place for her ashes. We were also able to visit Grandpa's grave, Gram's husband. He wasn't too far from her.

With the wind blowing and the temperature dropping we were all ready for a reprieve. Uncle Randy's sister was kind to offer her house to the large group that had gathered to celebrate Gram's life. There was food, conversation and great visiting with those from near and far. I was grateful for the video that the mortuary put together with pictures Aunt Mary provided. To see the video click here. I saw pictures I had never seen before. Every branch of the Leiker family tree was made to pose for a picture, which all the grand kids groaned about (as usual ;)). I, however, forgot a camera to get all the great photos...so I am now making a request to any of you out there who were present and took pictures--PLEASE send some pictures to me!!! cagrl127@gmail.com
Kary and I enjoyed seeing everyone, even though it was for such a short time. We left right after the luncheon and made our way to St. George, UT. We stopped at the high class outlets in Primm, NV for about 20 minutes and rolled into St. George about 11pm. There was a storm ahead of us and I-15 was closed 10 miles north of St. George. Tractor-Trailers were lined up for miles in the various turn-offs and at the port of entry. So St. George it was. We slept in and ate tons of complimentary breakfast. We were on the road by 1130a and off to the snow we went. Packed snow and ice awaited us north of Cedar City to Fillmore. Overall, it was a great trip. Kary and I enjoyed each others company. Fun!!!

Oh To Be Me...

Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night, I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. Other days. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older. We just had to forgive ourselves... for growing up.

--Kevin, The Wonder Years

I've been tagged, so here are my answers.

20 Years Ago....
1. I was 8 years old.
2. I was in the 2nd grade.
3. I had a crush on Marcus Carini.
4. I was living in La Mesa, California at 8265 Pasadena Ave.

10 Years Ago....
1. I graduated from Helix (Charter) High School.
2. I worked at Sea World San Diego.
3. I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah for college.
4. I met Ben and Ryan...I became their "pre-mission mission".

5 Years Ago....
1. I was married to STR the Fourth.
2. I had 2 boys, Noah, 2 and Blake, just a new little dude.
3. I was a stay-at-home mom, short order cook, housekeeper, professional diaper changer.
4. I lived in the cute stucco house on Custer Ave, Ogden.

3 Years Ago....
1. STR the Fourth went to Iraq.
2. I found myself again.
3. I was a total scrapbook nerd.
4. I was working for Rusty Pickle. Whoa.

1 Year Ago....
1. I had been divorced and living in my own apartment for a year.
2. I had been working for MMI for 1 year.
3. I spent my free time with my bishop's family.
4. I completed a complete under the hood overhaul on the hottest 4Runner on the Wasatch front.

So far this year....
1. I moved out of the ghetto on the east side to my current digs.
2. I went to England for a 2 week business trip. Fun!
3. I've only read 2 books. Sad, I know.
4. I met my Kary! (This is by far my favorite event of the year)

Yesterday I.....
1. Went to Kohl's and the mall by myself.
2. Didn't get to see my Kary.
3. Paid my bills.
4. Thought about how nice it will be to have my own bed back. (My parental units are currently occupying that spot)

Today I.....
1. Made breakfast burritos for everyone.
2. Took a warm shower. First time in about 5 days.
3. Went to church with the boys and Kary.
4. Took the boys back to STR the Fourth after a wonderful 6 days with them.

In the next year I'll.....
1. Get married!
2. Move to the liberal land of Salt Lake City.
3. Get Joint Physical Custody of Blake and Noah. Finally.
4. Have a baby?

I tag everyone.

And, Isn't It Ironic?

The questions and answers on an insurance claim form were:

"Q: What warning was given by you?

A: Horn.

"Q: What warning was given by the other party? A: Moo."

--An insurance questionnaire where a claimant had collided with a cow.

OK. So I have to say that in my 13 years of driving, I've never hit a car and have it be my fault. But if I am opening up "Honesty Hour" with you all, I must admit to the things I HAVE hit. While I was not aiming for the following, I did kill a few things with my car being the weapon.

1. There was the road trip my dad, my sister (Emily) and I took in July 1996. On this trip, I drove all but maybe an hour of the trip (age 16, driver's permit in hand), in a car that lost its air conditioning before we ever made it to Bakersfield (yes, the first of our 10 day tour). We were somewhere in the middle of the hellish Arizona desert. Phoenix was our destination that day. Why? I'm not really sure, but I can tell you that when we drove past a thermometer that read 113 degrees, I guarantee you I wished the soaked seats in my mom's car were a pool and not my sweat. On the way to Phoenix though, I ran over what looked like a squirrel or chipmunk. It's possible with the heat though I was hallucinating, because until that day, I didn't know that rodents could survive in the fiery desert.




2. As the first chair flute in the Grossmont High School District Honor Band, I, like all of my other band mates were forced to drive to the high school furthest from my own. This was the high school in the "country" of San Diego. My Camry could handle pretty well. She was a great first car. But that day I defiled her by running over what I thought was a rope rolling across the off-ramp bridge. I did not think I needed to use the great handling feature that came standard on the Camry. But no, no. This was no rope. I looked in the rear-view mirror after hearing a horrendous thump under the car. Magically, the rope split into two pieces. Hmm...silly snake. Snakes can't out run a Toyota.




3. I went on a field trip in my ex-mother-in-law's rental car at my ex-brother-in-law's wedding in Desert Hot Springs (just outside of Palm Springs). I can't remember why I went out, but I remember what happened when I came back. I will never forget that sound. Never want to hear it again. You would think that in the desert someone would figure out how to turn the heat of the night into electricity. This main road had hardly any street lights. As a result of this fact and my super speediness, I didn't have a chance to stop for or swerve away from what looked like a cute, healthy tabby cat. R.I.P. Kitty Kitty.

So, back to the original reason I started writing this post. Recall, if you will, Evidence A. Jen has never been in an accident that she was responsible for. Until Friday, November 14, 2008. It is an inexcusable accident. I blame it on my missing fish-eye mirror I had on my driver's side mirror until that day. I was so excited to go to lunch with my co-worker Tricia, I started backing out of my work parking lot (the only way to get out is to back out). Next, I blame this accident on my 32" tires. My truck is the hottest 1994 Toyota 4Runner on the Wasatch Front and no matter how bad my gas mileage is, I LOVE my 32" tires. But with my little woman's syndrome, I should think about looking down instead of straight back, for those less fortunate than myself who drive low-profile vehicles. Last but not least, I blame my co-worker's questionable parking job: 3 feet from the curb next to my building in an imaginary parking spot. So, on the bright side, I've learned this valuable information:

1. Japanese vs. German--The Japanese will always win.
2. Having 32" tires and Little Woman's Syndrome isn't always a negative thing.
3. Those who have said: "They just don't make cars like they used to" knew exactly what they were talking about. And to think I used to make fun of them. (Although the whole "I walked 15 miles to school in the worst blizzard to hit this region in 100 years barefoot and without a shirt or earmuffs" speech is getting a little old. ;)

Here is the proof of the aforementioned point #1.

THE WINNER

As you can see, well not really because let's face it, my cell phone was made to be a phone, not a camera. At any rate, my truck has a little less paint on about a 2"x2" spot just below my slightly broken tail light. In addition to that, I have a slight dent on the corner of my bumper and a bent tail pipe.

THE LOSER

This further confirms the aforementioned point #1. So, um, to all of you VW Passat owners--How do you feel about that crash test rating now? Because I'm pretty sure I wasn't going more than 1 MPH in reverse. But then again, thank goodness for my 32" BF Goody's and a factory tow package.

Home, Home on the Range

“And I’d tell my grandchildren about it someday, if the mere mention of it didn’t cause me to sweat bullets and pant, which wouldn’t necessarily be an appropriate way for a grandma to act.”
--The Pioneer Woman

Ok. So this post has nothing to do with myself, or my family, but with a great website I was recently made aware of. Eric's mom (Eric is my cousin Rachel's boyfriend) told him, he told Aunt Joni, and Aunt Joni told me about it.

http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman website is written by a woman, Ree Drummond, who lives in the country on a ranch. Something she tried to avoid the first 25 years of her life. To find out how she wound up on a ranch, away from the city lights she had grown to love and live by, you will have to check out her story. (Beware, if you don't like sappy stories, you might want to skip this part of the website.) There are tons of great things to check out at her website, including recipes, photography (she is a phenomenal photographer!), confessions, home/garden, and homeschooling. Ree has a great sense of humor; I love her writing style.

I'm hooked and I know you will be too!

My Noah-Bear

"Parenthood: That state of being better chaperoned than you were
before marriage."

--Marcelene Cox

I am now the mother of a 7 year old. Whoa. I'm not really sure where all the time went between November 8, 2001 and now, but I do know that I wouldn't know what my life would be like without my Noah-Bear (a.k.a. Doodie-Bear...I'm pretty sure that was a nickname Rob came up with, not me).

Noah has taught me what I must have been like as a young child. And while he has been an amazing child, I must apologize to my sister, Emily, for being so bossy. And to my parents, especially my mom, I must apologize for always knowing the best way to get to everywhere we were going ("Gosh mom. Why do we have to go the long way? Can't we go the fast way? Ugh." --Jen(ny) as a young Google Maps know-it-all). But, I must admit, I love my Baby-Bear.

Noah is definitely a fine young man in the making. He is smart, expressive, caring, and stubborn (the stubborn part he gets from me, if I have to admit where that comes from). Blake is his BFF. He is concise when it comes to rules. He has no problems calling you out when you are wrong. He loves to run his fingers through my hair (oh how I love it when he does that!). He likes cinnamon raisin bagels, not toasted, hold the cream cheese. Aunt Joni's ribs are definitely his favorite food group. Cake, hold the ice cream. He loves Pokeman and Bachugan (spelling?), Tom and Jerry, SpongeBob SquarePants, and anything Star Wars. Shorts vs. Jeans? Hands down he will pick shorts, even with the thermometer starting to plunge to near freezing temperatures. His favorite scripture story is that of Ammon cutting off the arms of the Lamanite thieves (go figure, he's a boy ;). He is athletic (sometimes scary how much so). Wow. What a kid!

Here are some pictures from his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese last weekend. Noah, Blake and 6 of Noah's friends had a blast!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My

"Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with 'scary',
'spooky', 'haunted', or 'forbidden' in the title. Zoiks!"
--Shaggy, From Scooby-Doo

The holiday season is upon us. I only say that because commercialism pushes it upon us, whether we are ready or not. I try to block out the candy, cheesy knick-knacks, costumes and blow-up lawn ornaments, but unless you turn to your food storage and forgo eating anything fresh, avoiding these things can be a very hard task. So, thus the holiday season begins.

Blake and Noah's school, Beacon Heights, had a carnival last Friday (October 24) for students and their families. It was a chance for all the kids to dress up in their Halloween costumes and have some fun. There was a Haunted House, a bouncy castle, face painting, cotton candy (bubble gum flavor...icky!), snow cones, tacos and quesadillas (though they didn't consult me on the food choices, they definitely decided with me in mind ;), and a ton of little carnival games. The boys dressed up--Noah as an Army guy and Blake as Boba Fet. Rob and Cristina dressed up as well, while Kary and I decided to dress up as ourselves. The kids had a great time. I actually enjoyed the adventure too.

After the carnival, Noah, Blake, Kary and I made our way back to Ogden to the closest Arctic Circle. Kary had conveniently found 4 (or maybe more ;) coupons for free ice cream cones. We got our ice creams and sat down for an intense trivia session. Kary tested Noah and Blake on their Star Wars knowledge. I'm pretty sure that the boys impressed him with the plethora of knowledge they possess. Overall, it was a great night!

Last Saturday (October 25) was a new adventure. Noah came and snuggled me around 8am and Blake followed shortly after. Blake and I started playing Mancala around 9am. Noah, half asleep, decided that he would start playing for me. One of the first things he said was, "Mom. What are we doing with Kary today? We didn't get to spend enough time with him yesterday." We didn't have plans because Kary is a tad bit obsessed with mowing a certain lawn. In addition to that, he is charitable with his time and volunteers at Thanksgiving Point. The last few weeks he's been helping with the children's Halloween festivities such as running carnival games and helping out with the pony rides. I called to see if the lawn did indeed grow this week. Kary just said he would go out the back and try not to look at the lawn that would be calling his name to trim it. I hate that I may have interupted the normal Saturday flow for Kary, but I have never seen Noah take to another guy, other than Rob before. So we quickly decided on Hogle Zoo.

The zoo was a mad house! We weren't aware that it was trick-or-treating day for the whole state of Utah at the zoo. There were so many people it was hard to move in any one direction. At first, I was a little irritated--mainly because of the number of people and my slight problem with being claustrophobic, but by the end of our time there I had mellowed out. Once we explained to the boys that we weren't going to stand in every forever long line for a piece of candy we had a wonderful time. My favorite animal moment happened while we were in one of the monkey enclosures. They were a smaller breed of monkey, orange in color, about the size of small cats. There were two sitting together facing the crowd. One held his hand up over the others eyes, as if there was something he wasn't allowed to see! Funny!

Now to the current week. Oh what a week. The weather has been beautiful! Mid to upper 60's the whole week. Too bad I've been sick! Not only have I been sick the last 2 weeks, but I'm pretty sure I got Kary and Mary sick too. I spent the majority of my week sleeping at Kary's after work. Kary gave me extra special treatment on Wednesday night. I got off a little early and went to Kary's house. Alice (Kary's mom) had made chicken soup. Mmmm...Then Kary took me down to the family room. He made a bed on the ground in front of the TV. Gave me a pair of snuggy pants to change into. Put his robe on me, then his beanie. He made me lay down. The next thing I knew I was waking up to multiple cups of hot chocolate--all different flavors. You see, Kary has an extensive hot chocolate collection. Not just one brand, one flavor, but every brand you can think of and then some! I don't know how many cups of chocolate I had, but I can tell you the Stephen's brand hot chocolate is the best! Kary did a wonderful job of taking care of me.

Friday (Halloween) was a great day. Very chill day at work. Most of the office staff dressed up. We had a scantily clad eskimo, a biker chick, a conehead, a cowgirl, a jailbird, and a wolf--about 7 feet tall! We ate way too much and then got off early. Rob had the boys for some early trick-or-treating so I hitched a ride with the wolf to Lindon to meet Kary. Kary and I went to his house, had some dinner and talked with his parents. We then went and picked the boys up to take them to Ogden to trick-or-treat at GUB and Joni's and Uncle Joe and Aunt Kathy's. That's about all we had time for because it was clear it was bedtime.

Overall, a great couple of weeks!!!