2011

i really can't believe its 2011. it sounds so futuristic.

this past year seriously disappeared right before my eyes.

i want to say it's because life as i knew it ended.

a new life began and i'm still searching for who the "new diondra" is in this new life i live.

pretty sad that i don't know my place, besides next to BRADLEY.

(which is of course the greatest place to be)

but something is always missing for me.

(i need to learn to be content with life)

i haven't been the happiest person since we moved. so that is goal numero uno.

1. be HAPPY

2. get HEALTHY

3. become an expert at SEWing

4. be ORGANIZED and CLEAN

5. ACCEPT my life as it is and LOVE it.

6. read from the scriptures daily.

i think that is a pretty decent list. hopefully i can accomplish all of them.

i decided on all of these last night on our flight.

for some reason flights make me super emotional.

it's a combination of emotions from all the music i listen to and

leaving family and friends.

i love music.

i love my family.

i have the BEST husband. EVER.

merry christmas and a happy new year.

my presents. brad's presents.

our presents.

christmas eve pajamas.

santa's little helpers.

new apron-now i'm santa's little helper's mrs.

santa+helpers.

this next pic is bad...

but ELF sean makes it post worthy.

NEW YEARS EVE=THE NEWYORKER

silly+reflector sean.

aquarium.

"Wild About Chance"

Baby Shower

I had been planning this shower for ages.. and the day it was scheduled for happened to coincide with a huge snow storm. With any party I have thrown I am afraid of what kind of crowd will come. With snow storm that fear is like quadrupled... however so many of my sisters friends and family came to support her and the party was sure wild!!! :) Thanks for everyone who came and made the night full of laughter and fun! Here are the details from the shower... sorry the pictures are a bit dark!

The Diaper Cake

The Real Cake

Nessa has a VERY talented friend who made this for us. It's SOOO darling!And it was delicious-nessa chose white cake with strawberry filling.. mmm.

Thanks Haley!

Nessa with Haley

The Advice/Thankyou Card Table

I had each guest fill out a blank envelope for an easy thankyou card process for the mommy to be.

Also I numbered envelopes with cards in them to signify an age that baby chance will turn. The guests gave advice to either mommy or baby for the age on the envelope. Each year on his birthday it will be one of his birthday cards.

GAMES

We played guess the baby food...

in the end people started eating it to tell...

cheaters... just kidding.

LABELS

I love buttons... I labeled each food item so no guests wondered what they were eating and also directions for advice cards and the game!

It's a fun way to cutsie up the party!

PRIZES

I bought these cute jars after halloween and put a monkey picture on the top. They were filled with a stamp and ink pad and lots of candy!

FAVORS

Bottle boxes filled with blue and white candy

I love planning parties... I'm a little OCD, but I LOOOVE them!

I can't wait to meet baby Chance!

5 Days Until Christmas @ HOME!!!! wahoo!!!

Brad finished his finals... thank goodness I feel like I haven't spent time with him in ages! My christmas shopping is complete and I am so ready to go to boise and home! I want to put a preview of my plans for nessa's baby shower! I'm SUPER SUPER SUPER excited...

The theme is "WILD about Chance"...

Colors: Yellow, Green, and Blue

Picture the pretzel chocolate dessert with hugs insted of regular kisses.... wild=zebra stripes! Just a preview... I've been planning for months... It better be the place you are on Dec. 29! I found my dream home... or what I want to do to be able to have my dream home... I wish that we could bring row houses found in boston, philidelphia and other old towns to utah and arizona... I want the three story walk up with a full wall of exposed brick on each floor. I want to renovate the kitchen and put in brazilian teak floors and take advantage of the architectural details that the early 1900's homes have. The really don't make homes like they used to. ah... to own a home... what a dream of mine. i watch house hunters like everyday and wonder what our first home will be like and where it will be! i wonder how i will decorate it and make it a home. i want it to feel elegant and homey at the same time. i want it to be eclectic and fun and have furniture that i have refurbished, curtains and decor that i have made. i want to gut the old thing and make it my own. we'll see what happens. but i seriously can't wait. and the sad thing is that i have to wait... for like AT LEAST 5 years. bleh... why can't we just instantly have like 20 grand for a down payment.. it would be much easier to buy a home! check out this blog... http://www.thestoriesofa2z.com/ and her home... she has a link on the right side all the way down: Tour my home and renovating my twin. AMAZING!!! THIS IS WHAT I WANT.... arizona doesn't have this to offer... its too new here. :( so either a 3 story walk up like hers or...

a craftsman style bungalow... with built-ins galore!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE built-ins... I may have to move to California... hmmm.. is it worth it???

maybe... just maybe... well thats all i have folks... Merry Christmas!!!

So sometimes I randomly pull out this old tweety bird box from my closet. It is my most prized possesion. Why you may ask.... because it's where i keep my journals from my entire life.. I wish that I could put all of what i am feeling right now into this blog post, but it would probably take the ENTIRE night to do so. So i will do what i can beware my mind is going to wander and reminisce... AND GO!

I had the best high school experiences ever. PERIOD. i was involved in school had the BEST friends and liked the MOST boys i think anyone has ever liked... i crushed on guys like crazy... and i DO NOT REGRET IT!!! moving has made me realize just how much i love my home, my family and my friends. tonight this is focusing on my friends. i really have the funniest friends. Trista-hilarious because she's Miss America and proper-she keeps me in line

Vannessa- i have to admit i just like making her laugh cause it makes me laugh. but seriously she is hilarious too in her own special way-especially the way she says things and yeah you just have to know her....

Jessica-i wrote in my journal that she does a crazy spanking dance... ask her to do it for you... you might die.

Ashlee- even though i rarely talk to her she makes a lot of silly noises and faces and is very blonde....

anyways.... my junior year was the best ever. well maybe senior year its hard to tell. either way

I MISS HIGH SCHOOL!!!!

in my box of reminiscing is a song i started writing.. oh boy.. before graduating... here we go

i wanted to write about friendship, but nothing comes to mind

except memories and laughter that are too great to fill these lines.

They're better left as thoughts than in a letter to say

how much i'll miss good times and crazy nights

even bad things too cause all of them brought us together

pink pythongs livin true!

of course recently there was spring break in st george

and further back our unforgettable summer with boys we now hate

we danced so many nights away

whether at homecoming, out on the streets

or del taco parking lots....

and thats all i have.... cause i quit hahha...

I don't even know where to begin. i'm stuck so i'm going to do this writing thing i used to do in english class. you pick a word and then let your mind do the rest... and go...

the word is...ok i've sat here for like 5 minutes and can't think of a word haha i'm so lame.

but it used to be my favorite thing to do.

moving on.

in high school i had a best friend named pasha.

she came to life and made my life complete.

she made vannessa pee her pants.

she basically was the life of the party.

the end.

some of the things i remember loving about being in high school. i could be the most random person and no one cared. it was the best thing ever. i got to know so many people

my friends were probably pretty embarassed of me. here are the reasons why...

i loved to pay in change haha

i was completely boy crazy and would point out cute ones wherever we went.

i always wanted to go and talk to the cute ones.

i had a new crush like every week/day.. maybe a few in the same day...

i would turn into pasha quite often

i didn't care what people thought about me

i did what i wanted i'm serious

i dance pretty crazy(imagine pasha saying that)

I LOVED STUDIO 600 WAY BEFORE IT BECAME POPULAR

AND WANTED TO GO ALLLLL THE TIME!!!!

well i really need to go to bed... more reminiscing to come tomorrow. maybe...

ON MY MIND

HOME and FAMILY..So lately I've been a little down.. I'm finally admitting it. After our last visit specifically, I realized that I am missing out on all the things back home. Specifically.... Nessa's Prego Belly Growing and not being able to be there for her. Sean being a senior and not being able to go to all of his games and support him before he leaves on his mission in less than a year, and Jenna just growing up and being a good big sister. And finally my parents... just being around them makes me feel better. It always has. You were right... I shouldve taken advantage of sunday visits more often. I am who I am because of my family and I do miss them terribly. I need a visit! So come visit Brad and I ok! It's funny cause growing up I wanted nothing to do with my family. I think this really hurt Nessa and I feel horrible about not being a better sister! I always wanted to be going somewhere and doing something with my friends. Now it seems like the older I get the more I realize just how much I missed out on and how much my family really means to me. Now all I want to do is spend time with them! I love you family!!! CHRISTMAS...I'm so excited for it because.... we are flying to Boise on christmas day to visit Brad's family there and spend time with his parents. I love Boise... I don't know what it is about that place but it is so nice. I really wouldn't mind living there. I'm also excited because I love everything about christmas.... the music (NSYNC christmas cd all the time!!!), the decorations, the traditions, family and friends, and most importantly the focus on our savior Jesus Christ and his great example to us. This will be the first christmas eve that bradley and I have spent alone, but we can't wait to be with family on christmas day! My HUBBY...A couple of days ago I asked Bradley what he wanted for christmas and he said that he didn't really need anything and that we should just use all of the christmas money for me. I quote him... "because I've learned that I like to spend money on YOU rather than on MYSELF." How sweet is that??? I'm not really going to let him, but it just reminded me that he is the most unselfish, giving person I know. Because I am the most selfish person I know, we make a great team. He always goes above and beyond what I think would be enough "giving" as in tips and service and volunteering. I'm so grateful for his example! THE NUTCRACKER... I'm going for the first time this Saturday and I am sooooo excited! There is a really neat family in our ward here from wellsville (logan area) that has moved here for a year. I serve with Natalie(the mom/wife) in cubscouts.. when i can go.. and I would say we are getting to be good friends with both her and her husband Jed. Brad goes and eats senoran dogs with him every wednesday. But I am joining her and her 2 girls for the show and I can't wait!!!

What we've been up to...

1. When I got home from Utah.. i know 2 weeks ago... brad said he had a present hiding for me. I think this was because I left him a secret halloween card and a candy corn treat!.. my present wasn't even half as good as his.. But Under our pillows I found a pair of R&R black skinny jeans and the new Taylor Swift Cd. Bradley always is the best shopper for me because I honestly probably would have never bought these jeans... but I LOVE THEM!!! and as for the T Swift cd... I literally havent stopped listening to it. It's bad I am addicted. I love #4, 8, and 9. they are the best. Period.

2. Lots of baking. My bradley loves his treats which is not good for my flabbery tummy. But This week I made cookies out of apple cider filled with caramel. they are delicious. and super easy... Brad has eaten the majority of them.

3. Work, Work, and more Work. I'm sick of working its time to be done... bradley graduate already!!!

4. I bought new pillows for our couch. They are cute and GREEN. yay.. now my family room and dining area match! I realized I havent posted pictures of my apt on here.. that is going on my list.

5. I have worked out a lot this week and feel great! Brad has been a great help to me.. i think he wants my flabbery tummy gone too...bah...

6. We are going to plan to go to philadelphia to visit my grandparents while they are there and we can't wait! maybe we will end up finding a new secret national treasure... hmmm....

7. I made a cute thanksgiving decoration... looky!

My little brother plays in the state championship tomorrow!!!! I wish so badly that I could be there to see him play! I'm sad that I have missed his senior year. :( G-double O-D L-U-C-K SEANERS!!!!

dear Mr. Rappazzo aka Jonah. Sorry for not making strawberry&chocolate cupcakes for you and Mr. Terry to enjoy during FIFA. I will make it up to the both of you. Don't you fret! And I might let you post on our blog... if you are lucky.

If I don't post before Thanksgiving... Happy Thanksgiving!!!! Enjoy your turkey and family!!!