Grandma Joyce

My grandma's funeral was this weekend. This was my dad's mother, so it was extra hard for me and my family. Troy has been so loving and supportive with me, I'm so grateful for him. Like my brother, Mike said in his talk at the funeral - my dad and grandma are doing a lot of catching up right now!

After I posted this, I noticed my big brother blogged about this as well. I really liked it if you get a chance to read it: Mike's Blog.


JOYCE ANN MACKAY OWENS






Joyce Owens 1917 ~ 2008 Joyce Ann Mackay Owens, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend, returned to her Heavenly Father Thursday, September 4, 2008, at the age of 91. She passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family.Born July 28, 1917 in Murray, Utah, to Leonard and Wilma Faye Atwood Mackay. Married Homer Bringhurst in 1938; later divorced. Married John Edward Owens October 24, 1949 in Salt Lake City, Utah; solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple in 1951. They were blessed with seven children and raised their family in the Salt Lake Valley. Joyce was an outstanding Avon representative for many years and found other ways to supplement the family income. She enjoyed reading, traveling, creating beautiful handwork, including crocheting and quilting. She loved to garden and was an outstanding homemaker and cook. She was a champion and protector of her children, where at times that red-headed temperament emerged. She was feisty! And we loved her for it. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joyce faithfully served in many callings, including Primary President, Relief Society Presidency and long-time Sunday School teacher. She and John also attended the temple faithfully for many years. She was proud to be a member of "Daughters of Utah Pioneers". She was politically conscientious and supported her community as a District Judge and Registrar. Survived by her husband, John; children: Gilbert Bringhurst, Jo-Ann (David) Naylor, Maryland; Kelly (Claudia) Owens, Nancy Ann Hawker, Sandy (Randy) Hansen, John Roach; daughter-in-law, Linda Bringhurst; sisters: Barbara and June; brother, Stan; 24 grandchildren; 47 great-grandchildren. Preceded in death by her parents; son, Terry Bringhurst; daughter, Beverly Bringhurst; sisters: Ruth, Phyllis and Maxine; brother, Keith; grandson, Shawn David Naylor. The family wishes to express their appreciation to the staff of Silverado Hospice for the kind and caring service they rendered to our Mother. Funeral services will be held Sat., September 13, 2008, 11 a.m. at the Atherton Chapel, Atherton and Phillips Lane (1457 W. Atherton Dr., Taylorsville, Utah). Viewings will be held Fri., 6-8 p.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 S. Redwood Road and Sat., at the church, 9:45-10:45 a.m. Interment, Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East 10600 South.

A Night at the Fair

My friend, Vanessa and I decided to go hang out at the Utah State Fair last night. I think the last time I was there was with my sister and her 3 kids about 8 years ago. I also have memories of going with my High School boyfriend when I was 16 . I had this idea that it was mainly for young children or teenagers who wanted to go with their boyfriends and hold hands and make out on rides. But - I found that it is just as fun when you are 29 years old with no kids and you don't bring your boyfriend! Or husband in my case. I didn't even bother to ask Troy. Maybe I am rude, but I knew I would get something like "I'd rather be poked with a sharp stick in the eye" or something to that effect.

Vanessa and I work together, so right after work we headed downtown. We ate some yummy pasta at Noodles & Co. (love their macaroni & cheese!) and proceeded to the fair. I had also forgotten how scary that part of town is on North Temple. Yikes! I unfortunately forgot my camera, so an old picture of me and Ness will have to do.

We walked around and shopped for a little bit at first. I bought a cute new purse and a travel cozy neck pillow as seen on TV! I love those things when I'm flying or driving anywhere. And it was only $15.

As we were walking around I noticed a few older ladies with purple shirts and black pants with cowboy hats that looked familiar. My mom has been line dancing for about 15 years now and she dances in a group called "Young at Heart". I called her cell phone a few times to see if she was there but couldn't get a hold of her. I didn't see her all night, but I later found out she was there all along and we missed her! Her group performed at the fair earlier, I wish I had a chance to see them. I told her for sure next year. I love that my mom gets out and stays active. She even joined a square dancing class, she is having fun and I am glad!

Pretty soon we ran into some people we knew, a friend from work and her husband. We ended up hanging out with them the rest of the night, it was a blast! We went on every cheesy carnival ride that you can't find at Lagoon. They are extra scary because they travel and are constantly being taken apart and put back together. We went on the Starship 2000, which I remember being called the Gravitron in High School. We laughed the entire time and luckily nobody puked! I even went on the giant slide for the first time, looked something like this:

Everywhere we walked we could smell deep fried something or other. The people watching was great! I even talked Vanessa into walking through this so called "side show" and witnessed a cow with two noses and a steer with 6 legs (two of them were growing out of it's back). I have to say, I had the full State Fair experience and it was all worth it!

Labor Day Weekend

Troy and I had a busy Labor Day Weekend! We usually try and take a vacation over 3 day weekends, but this time we decided to stay home and relax. Although we didn't do much relaxing, we still had a lot of fun. I'm proud of Troy for hanging in there, he's not one to make a bunch of plans, but somehow that's how it ended up.

* Friday

We both got home from work and headed out to Grantsville for a birthday party. Troy's cousin, Ryen, has a daughter (Maddie) who turned 6. Although he's technically not an uncle to her, he is still called Uncle Troy. They had a slip 'n slide out, a BBQ and present opening.

From there, we drove from Grantsville to South Jordan to play in a little Texas Hold 'Em tournament with some of Troy's recovery friends. It was also a birthday party for our friend, John Michael (a.k.a. JM) There were about 15 people and I stayed in the game, I think I may have taken 7th place. Not too shabby! Even Troy went out before me. That's a first!

* Saturday

Troy's favorite place to eat these days is Colosimo's in Sandy, right down the street from us. He had heard that they were closing the deli (panic!) so we ate lunch for one of the last times there. I had my usual Turkey Cran-Pesto Panini and Troy had his usual Spicy Italian Sausage Sandwich. Yum! I made some steak for dinner and then hung out for the rest of the night at home. We finished the last episode of Dexter, season 2. It's currently our favorite t.v. show. I was bummed that it ended, I can't wait until season 3 starts on Sept. 28th!

* Sunday

We did some much needed cleaning in our condo and thus reduced the amount of allergy induced sneezing for the next couple of days. We belong to the Massage Envy club, and had some massages we needed to use before they expired. We took advantage and booked a 2 hour massage. It was heaven!

Troy came home and immediately layed down for a nap, and I started baking cookies for our get together later that night. We drove out to Tooele in the crazy rain storm and hung out with our friends, Josh and Brittany. We were going to BBQ, but due to the rain we baked a take home pizza, played with the kids and dog and watched a movie.

* Monday

Every year Troy's sponsor, Kim has a BBQ for all of his sponsees and their sponsees. Troy also plays in a band with Kim and 3 other people, so they had a little gig this day. I still don't know if they've come up with a name for their band yet. They were so fun to watch! It's neat to hear Troy play with other people, he is always serenading me solo when we're at home. I've included some pictures and a video clip below.

After the BBQ Troy went to hang out with an old buddy and apparently they watched the new "Rambo". DANG! I missed out (I say sarcastically..) I ended up going bowling with some of mine and Troy's recovery friends for yet ANOTHER birthday party. I bowled pretty well for not bowling in a couple of years. I was worried about throwing my back out again (I was in pain with a herniated disc for 5 months). It didn't start bothering me until the very end of the game, so I stopped. It's been a subtle pain since, but I've managed it with stretches and ibuprofen. I hope it doesn't get worse!

* Tuesday:

This is the end of our 3 day weekend and back to work. Except we didn't go directly back to work, we had a dentist appointment for an exam and cleaning in the morning. Troy said he's glad to be back at work to get away from his vacation, it would be more relaxing! We all know he's not serious, though. I think.....

Guilty Pleasures

Per wikipedia, a guilty pleasure is known as something one considers pleasurable despite feeling guilt for enjoying it. Most of the time it is completely nerdy. Here are some of mine:

* I love riding kid rides at Disneyland. The ones I am talking about are the

ones based on movies: Snow White, Pinocchio, Peter Pan and Mr.Toad's Wild Ride. When I went there for my honeymoon, I made Troy ride them all with me. He looked at me as if I were joking. How could you not enjoy going to hell in the Mr. Toad ride? And yes, I had to include pictures of each ride that I love. Good stuff!

* I love gossip magazines. I don't know why it's so interesting to see

who wears what to the Oscars and what Brangelina's

twins look like, but it is. This is my reading material

when I fly anywhere, I make sure I have at least 2 or

3 to keep me entertained!

* I am a big fan of cheesy late 70's and early 80's love songs. To name a few: Lady in Red by Chris DeBurgh, Hello by Lionel Richie, I Want to

Know What Love Is by Foreigner, If You Don't Know Me By Now by Simply Red, Faithfully by Journey, Sailing by Christopher Cross, etc. etc.

* I get excited to decorate Easter Eggs and listen to Christmas music the

whole month of December. I don't like the country versions or when Mariah Carey sings "All I Want for Christmas is You". Blech. I'm talking Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and instrumental. I also love to use a white crayon and write something on the egg before dipping it into the color. It makes for a fun surprise for everyone!

* I love the Game Show Network. I could watch it for hours. Troy and

I can be seen watching Lingo and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire re-runs

frequently.

* I don't know if this next one counts, but it is so nerdy that I have to put it in here. I used to LOVE Star Trek growing up. It started in about 7th grade and went into about 10th grade. I even went to 2 Star Trek conventions. I loved it all, even the old ones with Captain Kirk. I don't care for it now, but I probably would sit through an episode if I saw it on t.v.

My List

Below is my "list". For a more descriptive explanation, please refer to Troy's list. He is much better with words than I. When I was in college, my old roomie (Meghann) used to call it her "Top 10 List of Things To Do" So this little game has been going on long before I was married. I wouldn't necessarily sleep with these people, but maybe just make out and possibly engage in some necking/petting. :)

My list is also in no particular order. Unlike Troy, there are only a few people on my list that I like for more than just looks. It is mainly just how amazingly hot they are!

1) Wentworth Miller. The gorgeous blue-eyed genius in the t.v. show, "Prison Break". His chest and back covered in tattoos also makes him

very appealing.

2) Enrique Iglesias. You may laugh at this choice, but I have always thought this man to be sexy. I
also happen to be a big fan of his music and had the privilege of seeing him in concert. Bailamos!

3) Julian McMahon. A plastic surgeon on the t.v.
show "Nip/Tuck", he doesn't have any problems
getting chicks. He is that hot.

4) Vince Vaughn. I discovered this man while watching
the movie "Swingers" He is talented, funny and attractive. He's a beautiful baby in my book!

5) Matthew McConaughey. Or as my sister would say,
Matthew McHot Pants. There is no way he can look

UN attractive. I really love that he rarely wears a

shirt, too.

6) Clive Owen. In addition to being incredibly
handsome, I melt like butta when I hear his voice.

7) John Krasinski. He is the cute and innocent boy

next door. Jim Halpert on "The Office", I love his

smart-ass sense of humor and the looks he gives to the

camera. He's just so cuddly and cute. Like Troy

mentions in his list (please refer to Jenna Fischer), we met at work. Ahhh, office romance!

8) Johnny Depp. He can manage to be sexy with tons of make-up and crazy hair - such as in "Sweeney Todd" and "Pirates of the Caribbean" I love that he has his own style AND I love his jawbone.

9) Jude Law. There is just something about Jude

and his British-ness. And the fact that he is extremely attractive!

10) Mark Wahlberg. The funny thing is, I didn't pay

attention to this guy in the 90's when he was "Marky Mark". I think I first discovered his hotness in the movie

"Planet of the Apes" Although I didn't care much for the

movie, I did like Mark! He was naughty as Dirk Digler in "Boogie Nights" and a jerk in "The Departed". He gives Good Vibrations!

So there you have it. And no, Norah Jones did not make it on my list! I would love to see other peoples' list if they dare to do this.....

Summer Cold

This posting won't be very fun. I don't have much energy to post something more interesting, though. I woke up Sunday morning with a sore throat. Now I'm used to having allergies, this only developed in the last year, and it's when I'm around my cats and dust. I have never experienced a sore throat, though, when my allergies are acting up.

I kind of layed low yesterday, my nose raw from blowing it every second and sucking on cough drops. Nate asked me if I wanted to go see a movie, I thought it would be nice to get out of the house. We went and saw "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" at the dollar movies, which was funnier than I thought it would be.

When it came time to go to bed, I fell asleep pretty quickly after taking Sudafed. I woke up every hour to cough and attend to my runny nose. It was inevitable, I wasn't going to be able to work the next day. So I called in sick today, slept until 2pm and now am blogging while drinking my Thera Flu. I don't get sick that often, so I'm allowed to complain every now and then!

I act like a 5 year old, so what?

Those that know me really well know that I think the dumbest things are funny. Most of you shake your head when I giggle uncontrollably over things a 5 year old may laugh at. I have listed some examples below. Please keep in mind while reading that YES - I am almost a 30 year old woman :)

Let's start out with my desire to push every single button on a toy that sings/dances/laughs/shakes, etc. I find as many of them I can find and push the buttons all at once, so they are going simultaneously but each one a little delayed. It sounds like one big garbled loud noise by the time I've hit all of them. I think it may have started when I was in high school at K.B. Toys in the mall. There was this children's show called Bananas in Pajamas. The song goes something like "Bananas! In Pajamas! Are coming down the stairs!" I found myself going into that store just to push all of them at once every time I was at the mall. Most the adults were irritated, and I always left the store laughing and in tears.

Sheesh, just last Sunday we were all at my mom's house for dinner. She has this frog that has a motion sensor and sings a really dumb song every time you walk by it. For some reason I find it hilarious to let that thing play over and over. My brother, Nate had something to do with this too. I guess it runs in the family? Poor Troy - he doesn't think it's funny at all!

The next thing I would like to talk about is silently bugging people. I mainly like to do this to Troy (again - poor guy!) I will lightly poke his side or arm to the point that it kind of tickles and it takes him awhile to realize what's happening. Or if we're on the couch watching t.v. or reading in bed, I'll move my body around to the point where the couch or bed jiggles just a tiny bit. After a few seconds, Troy realizes that he's moving a little and looks over to find me with a huge grin on my face. I'll also do similar things with my friends that are not so silent. I'll say the same thing or make a noise over and over until they can't handle it anymore and tell me to shut up. When they get to that point of irritation, that is when I think it's the funniest!

I love to make dumb noises. Now this may be genetics because my older brother has been known to make awful - yet funny - loud noises, especially in public. My older sister, Amy, and I have come up with our own language. It's really hard to explain in writing without hearing this for yourself. We say 'UUUURRRRRR' a lotreally loud and "vurts" at the end of a lot of words. Troy has dubbed this the "vurt talk" and it only comes out when I'm around my sister. AND - my sister is ten years older than me!

I can't get enough of potty humor. I love all potty talk, but "poop" talk is the best. My brother and sister love it when I'm around their kids because I get them all hyper talking about farting and diarrhea, etc. This goes for my friends with kids, too. Some of my nieces and nephews just roll their eyes at me when I start talking about different kinds of poo. This should be a sign to me that I should act my age, but I don't. I've also been known to carry around "Flarp". This is a children's toy (of course) that consists of puddy in a plastic container. When you push down on the puddy, it makes really cool farting noises. I love using this one in public!

The last thing I can think of, that only certain people can handle, is my belching ability. I avoid doing this around Troy 100% as well as some of my friends. I enjoy doing this one in public and I do not need a carbonated beverage to do it (although it does help). I have had strangers applaud me in restaurants and people say "That was a girl!" I've also received really crusty looks from people and comments like "That was disgusting, I can't believe people". I usually try and keep a straight face if people turn around to see who it was, to look conspicuous. Sometimes I'll even turn around myself and say to myself "who was that?" My friends usually laugh or walk way ahead of me in embarrassment.

So there it is. I am a 5 year old trapped in an almost 30 year old body. I am always "crossing the line" as my old college roommates used to say. I can't just do something once, I have to do it over and over or say something grosser to get a reaction out of people. I really don't think this is something I need to change in myself, it's part of who I am. Sure I may irritate the hell outta people, but I know some limits and I'm having fun!