Kelly's New Truck!

Kelly and I went to the Karl Malone Toyota dealership on Saturday and ended up trading in his Mazda 626 in for a Maroon 1998 Toyota Tacoma! Kelly has wanted a truck for some time now and we finally went for it. Of course we couldn't afford new, even though I really wanted to! I'm in love with the new 2009 4 door Tacoma .. so nice! But we needed something Kelly could afford and would still do the job! Kelly is really big on camping and also doing yard work, so this truck will definitely come in handy this summer, especially with the 4 wheel drive! Kelly was able to get the truck at a great deal and is only paying a little more than he was on his car! The truck is a stick shift.. and I don't know how to drive one. But Kelly did say he would try to teach me.. that should be fun!

So thank you to those that have helped us in the past as far as moving things around.. Dad & Nancy, Mom & Kelly and Kalie & Jesse! Hopefully our new addition will get us off your backs! At least for now! :)

Laughter really IS the best medicine!!

We leave for California today and I couldn't be more excited! Watching my younger sister dance in a National Competition, Seaworld, Universal and my most favorite DISNEYLAND! I found this picture on my cousin's facebook page yesterday, THANKS MEGAN! and I fell in love with it. This picture describes in perfect detail how my family acts while we are in Disneyland. We always have the best time and don't care to be silly, even my Dad gets to be a little goofy! And we could all use a little laughter in our life now!

Thank You, in advance, Dad and Nancy for taking the whole family on this trip.

WE LOVE YOU!

"When it rains, it pours."

It's not just the slogan for Morton Salt anymore...

The other day I saw on Erica's facebook the saying "When it rains, it pours!" And I've never really understood the meaning of that, until now. Many know how difficult this week has been for my family and I thank you all for the love and support you have shown.

This past week I've looked into the eyes of a dying Grandmother. She has always been so strong and even at her weakest, she was beautiful. It was hard saying Good Bye, but I am comforted knowing that she is at peace. She is in a better place and her mind can now rest. She will be forever missed.

In the past couple of days, I've seen a husband and a wife grieve over an unexpected and sudden loss. I've seen a sister go through one of the hardest things she will ever have to experience. I've sat in a hospital room clinging to a hope that never really existed. I've seen a little boy wonder what's happened to his Mommy. And I find myself asking -Why? Why did this have to happen to their family? Why must they go through this terrible ordeal?-

Everything happens for a reason. Another saying that my family is trying to grasp this week. Saying or no saying, quote or no quote.. this has definitely been one of the hardest weeks my family has ever had to go through. I can only hope that there will be light at the end of this dark tunnel.

Thanks again for all of the love and support everyone has given me and my family. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

NO MORE COUGHING!

Like a lot of people at work, I started to get sick last week and this time, its all in my chest! I've been coughing like crazy since last Friday and I've HAD IT! My entire body aches.. especially my chest and back from coughing all of the time. I stayed in bed most of the weekend and was able to get rid of my high fever, but this cough just doesn't want to quit. I guess I should be grateful that I'm not having sinus problems or sore throat/losing my voice, but one can only try to stay positive for so long. Today is my last chance to get in some extra bed rest before the next weekend and I'm using it! I can't afford for this thing to continue much longer. I just want it to end!

So the Steelers won, Yippee?

So Kelly and I found ourselves divided during yesterdays game. We watched the game at home on Joe's big screen with Erica/Joe and Kalie/The Boys. Erica and Joe were cheering on the Cardinals while Kalie and Jesse were determined for the Steelers to win. Mainly because the Cardinals beat out Jesse's Eagles.

It was fun to have the party at our house! The food was great (way too much of course) and Kalie even bought some decorations! So who did we cheer for? Personally Kelly didn't care and ended up playing upstairs with Lil Jesse rather than watch the game. I was cheering on whoever had the ball! But all in all it was a great game to watch! I was happy to see the second half when the Cardinals decided to show up and actually play the game. I also found out why the Steelers have the best Defense.. they are MEAN!! They were very aggressive and sometimes just plain rude! But it did make the game interesting.

I'm not a big Bruce Springstein fan, so the half time show wasn't something to look forward to. No offense to the older generation, but I'm not a big Prince, Bruce, or Tom Petty fan. (Okay, Tom Petty acutally isn't that bad) But Janet Jackson really ruined it for younger talent to perform at the Super Bowl.

The commercials were okay.. Besides the Doritos commercials and the Bud Light board meeting, I wasn't to pleased with the rest. I guess with the way the economy is going companies aren't able to pay 1-3 million dollars for a 30 second commercial! It's crazy at how expensive it gets!

We ended the night with watching The Office. I don't watch it normally, but I think I should start. It is hilarious!! But for our first Super Bowl in our new home, I think we all had a very good time!!

Job Promotion! :P

It's official! I start my new position on Monday as a Vacation Ownership Advisor with Marriott Vacation Club. For those who don't know, which is pretty much everyone, I've been debating on what to do with my career at Marriott and last week I decided to take the plunge. I currently am a Team Assistant for the Coastal Florida Team. I assist my teams VOA's with their BOBs. Yes Erica, Kalie, Moffitt, Kelly and everyone else that makes fun of me, here come the acronyms!!! Marriott is FULL of acronyms! VOA = Vacation Ownership Adviosr and BOB = Book of Business. Fun, huh? Just don't ask Erica what we do here on Fridays! :P

So I've been a TA for about a year and half and it was time for something new. A VOA on my team just recently left after having a baby and Keith (manager) had yet to replace her. So I did it! I applied last week! Keith pulled me in his office yesterday and asked me if I wanted the position, no interview necessary! Woo Hoo! I start training on Monday, there are a few things that will be new to me, but not much. As a VOA, I will be in charge of about 1,300 owners and their timeshares. It is also more structured as far as scheduling goes, which I need. As a TA, if it is slow, I can leave early with manager approval. But as a VOA, I won't be able to leave if it's slow.. So I'll actually be pulling in a 40 hr week. I know Erica and Kalie.. How AM I going to do it?! It is a lot more responsibilities, but I'll be getting paid more which is a must.

Another thing I am excited about is that I will now have a voicemail! I'm excited about that because you, my family and friends, can now leave me messages at work. Why would you need to call me? Well, I don't know if any of you know.. but I can get some great deals at Marriott hotels for my family and friends. Now, it's not a guarantee.. but it is a possibility! I'm really going to promote this, so if you guys need anything, please call or write me an email. You'd only be helping me! For every hotel reservation I book and that you stay, I get $2.50! Doesn't sound like a lot.. but making say 30 reservations in a period is a great way to make some extra cash! Also I do have a quota that I need to meet each period. Keep in mind, the discounted rates that I can get are generally last minute stays. But I have been able to book Dad & Nancy in to the San Diego Marriott for $29.99/nt and my sister Amanda into Vegas near the strip for $49.99/nt. Pretty great huh?! Did I do a good job at persuading you to contact me?

So there are a few ways to get a hold of me if you are interested in staying at a Marriott and this starts Monday 01/19. You can call 801-468-4090 and dial my full ext 328-6133. You can also call me at 800-845-4226 ask for Andee at ext 6133, if I'm not available ask for my voicemail. Or just email me at andee.hellstrom@vacationclub.com

So this is me jumping up and down for my new job position. According to my family at home I didn't seem too excited about it yesterday when I found out. But I am happy! I guess I'm just worried that my plunge will be worth it. I don't want to have any regrets! We'll see how everything pans out. Kelly is taking me out for sushi tonight to celebrate, YUM SUSHI! Plus Erica wants to celebrate with me tomorrow.. don't know yet what we're doing but it will be fun!

Thanks to my husband for being there for me. I've been a wreck, well forever about what I'm doing as far as job career goes and Kelly has been so patient. I just don't want to let him down. Kelly you are my rock! With you by my side I can accomplish anything. I love you more!

Life Update!

Wow, it's been awhile since I've posted.. I'm used to posting at lease once a week!

So an update with us, well the holidays just ended of course. Kelly and I spent Christmas morning with Dad and Nancy, went to visit Kelly's family in the PM and then rejoined the Snows for a Christmas Day movie. We went and saw "Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler. It was really cute! We celebrated with my Mom and Kelly the day after Christmas which was just more convenient for everyone. Having 3 families can be really tough, especially during holiday season. On the other hand I love being surrounded by family during the holidays! It was really great!

Saturday after Christmas we visited the Dalley home for a Luncheon/Baby Shower for my cousin Camille. I can't believe Baby Warning is due this month! How time flies! Camille is still glowing and you can tell both Mom and Dad to be can't wait! Congrats to Bryce on the new job! It's very exciting. Although I am a little sad that almost all the Dalley cousins will no longer be living in Utah. Erin, don't leave us! ;)

December 29th was Jesse's birthday, turning the big 3! I called to wish him a Happy Birthday but I was greeted with a yelling boy saying "No Mom, no talk to Andee." But Kalie gave him loves and kisses for me! We celebrated as a family just yesterday! I don't think that there is another boy that is as loved as Jesse is! He is surrounded by so much of it! In his words last night, "I be 3." Too cute! Love you Jesse!

New Years snuck up on me. I remember Erica calling me at work on Tuesday asking "So, what are your plans for tomorrow night?" I simply replied.. "Um, I don't know. It's a Wednesday so maybe just hang at home." I don't know how New Years escaped me! Kelly and I did our separate things that night. I know, it sounds crazy and a lot of people think we are weird. But one of Kelly's friends was having a party and I really didn't feel like going, so Erica invited me to hang out downstairs for the evening. We ended up jamming out to Rock Band until 3:30 AM! We started a band and we named ourselves Melted Pink. I am Buffy: Drums, Erica is Kixx: Lead Singer, Joe is Jed: Lead Guitar and Geoff is Swabbie: Bass. Although Erica and I did switch spots every once in awhile to keep things interesting. It was an awesome night full of music, friends, and cheese puffs! Yes, I ate almost the entire bag. SO GOOD! Kelly ended up coming home right after midnight and falling asleep upstairs. I guess the party wasn't as great as he expected. I was just excited that for one night I stayed up later than him! I usually fall asleep really fast!

2009 has been great so far. Work is extremely busy and I don't know if I can take it! It's really driving me nuts! But I thought I'd play 'catch up'. Just a recap on our lives the past 2 weeks. I look forward to seeing what 2009 brings for the Hellstroms and for all of you guys as well! Keep posting! Love to all!

P.S. Kittie is not pregnant! ;)

Pregnant?

No, not me.. Sorry to get your hopes up. I'm terrible I know! No, Kelly is sure that our cat, Kittie, is pregnant. Kittie has always been an indoor cat and we've never gotten her fixed. We've always wanted to, but it's something that we've continually put off for 2 years. Well one night we accidentally left the back door open for awhile and Kittie somehow got out without anyone noticing. When Kelly took Rosie out the next morning, Kittie darted inside. So our poor cat was left outside in the cold all night.. while she was in heat! For those you don't know, male cats can smell/sense when a female is in heat and we have a lot of stray/outdoor cats in our neighborhood. So we're afraid that the one and only night she was left outside she got lucky.

I googled "Pregnant Cats" online last night to research what you can watch out for. Kittie has 75% of the signs/symptoms of being a prego cat!

1. Heat Cycle Cease
Since Kittie is not fixed, she'll go into heat every 10 days to 2 weeks. They say that if your cat is normal on her heat cycles and then suddenly stops, she is most likely pregnant. Kittie hasn't been in heat since that night.

2. Abdominal Swelling
For those who have gotten the chance to see Kittie, she has always been small for her age, skinny. Well Kelly started to notice her belly was getting bigger over the past week. Her at a side view is crazy.. She really has a belly!

3. Increased Affection
Again, for those who know Kittie she is not very affectionate, she hates being around people. But lately she'll come out of our room while guests are over and she is constantly looking for Kelly or I to hold/pet her.

4. Possible Vomiting
She hasn't had anything lately, but she did have a problem with this a few weeks ago.

5. Nesting Activities
This isn't an early sign.. but as the pregnancy comes along your cat will find places where she feels comfortable. Not only does Kittie LOVE to hide on the inside of our box spring mattress, but for the past week she has been sleeping in between Kelly and I which she has never done.

We don't know if we'll be able to take her to the vet today, but if not we are definitely going tomorrow. We'll keep you updated.. Especially if she is. We are already a pet store at the Blackstroms, we don't need anymore pets! Well, maybe I can get Kelly to let me keep one, just one! But to be honest I really don't think she is, but Kelly's doesn't agree! He is so excited. I just hope that I get the same enthusiasm when I get pregnant. :)

5th picture - 5th folder

So here is how it works .. You pick the 5th photo in the 5th picture album on your computer! That's it .. that's all you have to do.

So I think I lucked out! I really like this picture! It was taken on the first night of our honeymoon in San Diego this last May. Kelly and I took a sunset stroll down to the boardwalk where we got some ice cream and broased the local gift shop. It was a perfect night, a little windy but perfect. Nothing like walking on the beach during a beautiful sunset with the one that you love.

Time to tag 5 of my pals;

Kalie / Erica / Elizabeth / Kelly / Amanda

I can't wait to see what you guys come up with! Got to love the random tags! Have fun!

Thanksgiving @ Quail Lake Reservoir

This year we spent Thanksgiving @ Quail Lake Reservoir. We had a great time with Mom and Kelly and also Kalie and her boys! I did have a slide show up with photos, but no one was able to view them or the slide show took forever to load, so I just decided to removed it. Sorry, but I do believe Kalie is going to post about the trip as well so you should still be able to see some photos!

We arrived late Wednesday night after a very LONG drive down. It's crazy at how many people travel during the holidays! It was rush hour all the way through Spanish Fork! I was amazed at Kelly with putting up our tent in pitch dark!

Thursday we woke up to overcast weather, then it started to rain mid morning and rained all day long! Bummer, but we made the best of it! Mom and Kalie cooked an excellent Thanksgiving Feast complete with turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, yams, corn.. the works! Kalie and Mom even made some yummy pies.. I of course purchased mine! Everything I contributed was store bought .. corn, rolls and the apple pie. I guess I'm not trusted in the kitchen. Kelly and I slept in the trailer Thursday night due to the cold and the tent being soaked.. from both the weather and our little Rosie having an accident!

We went into town Friday to pick up a view things and to do some laundry. We had a lot of wet clothes and we wanted to wash our sleeping bags since Rosie had an accident. The guys stayed behind and went fishing. My step dad Kelly ended up catching 5 fish with KJ and Jesse catching nothing! Don't talk to them about it though, it is still a sore subject!

A tradition my Mom has when they camp for Thanksgiving is they decorate a tree and have the lighting of the tree .. Jesse helped her decorate it with putting all the ornaments right next to each other! The saddest part was when Mom took the decorations down on Sunday morning, Jesse came by with a sad face and said in an upset/crying voice "Where is the Christmas tree?" Mom and I almost started to cry it was so cute/sad.

Saturday was the best day as far as weather goes. We spent the day relaxing and having a Horse Shoe Tournament. Kalie and Jesse still remain the reigning champions! Ended the day with more fishing, Jesse caught one.. but Kelly still ended up empty handed. Mom called him a loser!

Our Rosie was amazing! She has been a great dog period, but for being only a 5 month old puppy, in a new place, surrounded by lots of people we thought she would go crazy .. but she surprised us all! She did have the one accident in the tent, but she had been in there all day b/c of the rain .. so it was really our fault.

Thanks Mom and Kelly for everything! Kalie and the boys, we always have so much fun with you guys! I was so happy that Jesse was Andee's Boy this weekend! We love you all! We missed the rest of the family! Especially the festivities of an oven catching fire at my Dad's! Hope you all had a great holiday!