Since January nothing too much has really happened! Just working and school. The usual. Training with Larz is going well. He's getting so big! And we still are very, very entertained by the little dude.
2012 is honestly flying by so fast! Oh, and I don't think I mentioned I know work over in Cosmetics in London Drugs, and do Cash as well. So it's very nice to have the change through out the week. Of course I love it way more over in cosmetics. I love being able to expand my knowledge on all the products and be able to talk to people about them, and just have a general conversation about things other then if they found everything okay and if their day is going well. I mean thats nice, but it's way easier to talk about make up with people, like it would be for any girl right?! Though I am working in two departments now, unfortunately since the holidays have passed I don't get as many hours! Especially because Blake's schedule changed this semester so I had to change my availability because we only have one car! But it's good. I love it! And come summer i'll be able to go full time!
I honestly love where I work, and especially the people I work with. They're all so laid back and kind, and my bosses are SO easy going. I'm very lucky to be where I am, and be getting the experience in retail which will give me more opportunities for work in the future!
Anyways, when february came I had asked for time off because the Schnoor family (yes the WHOLE schnoor family) were trying to plan a cruise but i wasnt sure I was going to be able to get it off, but I asked anyways, but it was too hard to try and book a cruise that far in advance and not know if I could go. So that week happened to be reading week. It's basically like a spring break for Canada. So I told Blake that I was still going to request it off, and even though we had made different arrangements for the cruise (6 WEEKS TILL THE CRUISE!!!) in April, that I would really, REALLY like it if we could go down and visit my family because it had been a very long time since we had spent more than 3 days there. Like, it had been over a year since we had! So sure enough the week came and we were able to go down!
Yes, we brought Larz. And yes, he was the BEST dog ever. Seriously, he slept almost all 12 hours. There was about 6 hours though that we had to put him in his kennel in the back, because we were driving in a blizzard from about just past Butte to Utah, so we were very anxious and on edge and just wanted to be able to focus on the roads. The vision really was so bad, we were lucky we were behind this semi truck, because literally the only thing we could see was the top edge of the trailer. We felt most comfortable just staying behind him, though he was going much slower then we would've liked, better to be safe, then fast. So when vision cleared we were able to pass him and we found another car going a more preferable speed that we followed the rest of the way. The roads in northern Utah are the worst I've ever seen when it comes to be being wet. The paint on the road doesn't reflect light at all, and it didn't help we had one head light out!
But we made me safe, and we were very blessed! It always helps to say a prayer...or..two or three before you travel! Especially when you read the weather is going to be great all the way down, and it turns out not to be!
It was so nice to have a week to spend down there! I got to spend some time with some friends I hadn't seen in a very long time, and just to spend more time in general with my family, just relaxing, laughing, and hanging out without having to pick right up and leave once we got there. That's not literally what happens but it sure feels that way!
Though Blake and I were trying (still trying) to get in shape for the cruise we couldn't WAIT to spoil ourselves with food in Utah. We had big plans to go to Cafe Rio and Culvers. The usual. And boy, it did not disappoint! Cafe Rio is an amazing Mexican Food Restaurant found in Utah, and I believe Idaho. And Culver's is actually brought from out East and are known for their famous Butterburgers, deep fried WISCONSIN cheese curds, and frozen custard. It's amazing. You will never eat a better burger.
Some activities that we did is we went to a shooting range with my dad, Bro-in-Law, Sister, and little brother! It was so fun! I have shot a rifle before but never a pistol and shot gun. I was very, very nervous at first. Gun's scare me. I'm scared I would cause some sort of freak accident, or that a freak accident would happen to me! But luckily, I got over that and felt better because my Bro in Law is very, very smart when it comes to guns, and knows his guns. And let me tell you...I love, love, love shooting a shot gun. If there was ever a zombie apocolypse, I would dominate with a shot gun. It was very cold that day though, so once it got to the point where we couldn't feel our fingers, we thought maybe it was a safe idea to go back home and get some hot chocolate!
The next day I had a big quadruple date planned with my besties! One is married now, and the other is freshly engaged! So that was fun. We went to another mexican food place called the Red Iguana. It was pretty good! I would go back. Quite pricey though. We then went to the Gateway Mall and just looked around while waiting for the other couples to come join us. We had planned to go to the Cheesecake Factory but that ended up being PACKED. I was excited because I had never been before, but we didn't have time for a 2 hour wait! So we went to the Macoroni grill, which I had also never been too. It was pretty good! I still think Olive Garden is my favorite Italian Restaurant though! Next time we go down we'll have to hit that one up for sure.
Another fun thing that Blake and I did, is we went to the new Natural History Museum that had just recently opened. We just went with my parents, and it was SO fun. It was so cool! And believe it or not Blake had NEVER been to a museum before! As if. We really enjoyed it and I would love to go back. They had MANY dinosaurs, and a bunch of indian history stuff, and just stuff about the earth. It was really cool! I'll post some pictures. There was this sloth...a giant sloth. Like a 3,000 pound sloth. Scary..and yet adorable. I'll post a picture of it.
I also went on a sister date with my older and younger sister. Sadly enough, we had NEVER done that before! We have all always differed from each other so much growing up, many disagreements, different lives etc. But I think since we're getting older we're getting more mature and so we're making up for some lost time here! I'm actually really happy we were able to do that and we'll definately have to make it a tradition! We went out to eat at this place called Pat's BBQ! (danae you'll have to correct me on that, because I'm not sure I remember!!!haha!) It was SOOO good! If any of you have ever seen the show Drive-In's , Diners, and Dives. Guy went there and approved it! And it did not dissappoint. I was actually sad I didn't have time to take Blake there because I know he would've loved it! We'll have to go next time! After that we went to Ulta and looked around. That was super fun! Ulta is like a super big make up store with really good brands and skincare, and beauty products! It was very hard not to shop when I went in there, so I'm planning a special budget for shopping for next time we go down! We then went to the New Harmons there in my hometown to get some dessert! Nicole got some gelato, and i got some fresh baked cookies and doughnuts. I am a sucker for baked goods!
We were also able to visit with my grandparents for a few hours while we were down, so it was very special to be able to spend that time with them and just talk. Each time I go down there, they're getting older and older! So I make sure to spend some quality time with them when I go because it's hard to be so far away!
We left that following weekend and the weather was good the whole way back so we were very grateful! Oh, I forgot to mention. So Rusty, my first child, whom I got back in the 6th grade, he is an old dog now. I still love him just as much! But I think he really kind of resented me for bringing a little pup down to bug him all week! hahah! He liked Larz, but when Larz gets hyper he starts breathing really heavy and it sounds like he is growling, so rusty would growl back, and Boy oh boy. It was very entertaining. Rusty was a very patient, good boy with him. Another weird thing though is Larz would NOT eat his food down there! He only wanted rusty's! I think the traveling did it, but I also think he was in an inbetween stage of growth spurts because he didn't eat the week before, like he had been eating, or the week after! But he's back on his regular schedule now so thats good!
My nephew robert also adored larz, he was very unsure at times, but they both had the same energy level so that was nice that they could wear eachother out by chasing one another! so cute! I wish I would've gotten some video but oh well!!! :) anyways, I'll post pictures a different time. This blog post is long enough!
