Sunday, December 28, 2008
Going to the Middle of No Where
When Ashton called me after his interview, he said "I rocked it Ali!" Well, he was right. He got accepted to Creigton University! We are going to put a deposit in, meaning if he doesn't get accepted to ISU-Meridian, then we will be headed to the "middle of no where", Nebraska.
Congrats Ashton!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
We love lemons!

So I found this website, www.babycenter.com, and I love it. Each week I get an e-mail about what is developing with our little baby. I am 14 weeks pregnant, so by now the "baby can squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb. Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine... and he can grasp, too." Last week, little fingerprints developed on its little fingers! So much fun! Also, the baby is now as long as a lemon, weighs about 1 1/2 ounces. (Length: 3 1/2 inches, head to bottom.)
Friday, December 19, 2008
Ashton's BSU Graduation
This video is of the Color Guard. They had bag pipes bring them in. It was awesome.
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This is Ashton's graduation pictures. I also put video in of his name being announced!
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Sunday, December 7, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
So Much to be Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I just wanted to let you know that Ashton and I have so much to be thankful for this year. We are expecting! Little baby Jenks is due June 19th, 2009!!! We are super excited for this long awaited event. Sorry the ultrasound isn't that great but I wanted to post it anyways. The little "peanut" shaped thing on the right is our baby at 8 weeks. Now I'm at 11 weeks. Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
What Color Crayon Are You?
You Are a Blue Crayon |
Your world is colored in calm, understated, deep colors. You are a loyal person, and the truest friend anyone could hope to find. On the inside, you tend to be emotional and even a bit moody. However, you know that people depend on you. So you put on a strong front. Your color wheel opposite is orange. Orange people may be opinionated, but you feel they lack the depth to truly understand what they're saying. |
Updates
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
It Works! It Really Works!
I am going to go baking crazy this weekend, I can feel it. Hmmmm, which cookies to make first...
AZ Trip Day 4--The Final Day
The water was really low. It would be really pretty when it's fuller. I thought that the blue water against that red rock was just stunning. The pictures just don't do it justice.
We did stop at the Glen Canyon Dam. It looks like any other dam...
After that, we made our way up to Provo, where we stopped and chatted with Ashton's friend Rob and his family. It was wonderful to see them again and spend time with them.
Then we stayed the night in SLC, and made our way back home. We stopped at each of our parent's homes, visited with them for a little bit, then headed the last 2 hours home. It was nice to be home and sleep in our bed, not a hotel bed.
It was a fun mini vacation!
Friday, October 24, 2008
AZ Trip- Day 3
Also at the Grand Canyon there were some ruins. They are called the Tusayan Ruins. They were pretty neat...
We've had a lot of fun so far and tomorrow we are playing in Page, AZ and Lake Powell. Thanks for checking in!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
AZ Trip Day 2
They have pretty crazy freeway system...
Phoenix is really different. There is hardly any grass and the grass they do have is practically dead. They landscape with rock/gravel and cactus (of course)!
Today was also the big day. Ashton had his interview. He said he thinks he did well. They will let us know in 2 weeks if we are in, wait listed, or not in. The interviews went from 7:30 till about 11:30. I met Ashton for lunch and then joined in on the campus tour. During lunch Leigh and Ashton went and played basketball. Big surprise, I know...
Here are some pictures of the school:
Then we took Leigh to the airport and headed to Camp Verde.
Right across the parking lot of our hotel, is the world's largest Kokopelli. It's the iconic South West figure with crazy hair and a flute. It is a fertility god (among other things) of the Anasazi/Hopi. Hmmmm... Maybe it's luck will rub off!
Well, tomorrow is another day packed with fun. Thanks for checking in!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Arizona Trip Day 1-The Big Drive
Tuesday night, we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa Hansen's house. It was freezing!!!
We left early Wednesday morning (4:00 am)and began our long journey to Phoenix. On the way, we bought gas for $2.67 in Wells, NV, almost hit a huge jack rabbit, and saw a lot of desert. A lot. Here are some pictures from the way down in the car:
I thought that this picture looked like a scene from cars. Just imagine these hills as the front of old cars. Cool huh!
We also drove around Area 51. This is the only alien thing we saw...
We then drove through Las Vegas and over to the Hoover Dam. We didn't stop. They don't have pullouts and we would have had to pay to park anywhere. We could have parked behind it, but that's all we could have seen. We really just wanted to get to Phoenix and there was still about 4 hours ahead of us. There was also a lot of construction going on around it. It looks like their adding bridge that will bypass the dam. It looks amazing.
We also saw a lot of cactus (suprise, suprise). I just got this snap shot from the car. Again, we just didn't stop much. It is pretty cool, the whole side of a mountain will be covered in brush and then the really tall cactus instead of trees. On our way back when we're officially tourists and not here for business, we'll get better pictures.
Well, now we are just chillin' in our hotel. We found Leigh (Ashton's friend who has an interview too) and they are both getting there suits ready for the big day tomorrow. It's exciting!!! Thanks for checking on us!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Automatic Actions

As you know, I ride the bus every day. Every day we cross the railroad tracks, twice. Every day we stop at the railroad tracks so that we don't get mashed by a train (not that there is ever a train, or that the big flashing lights and arms aren't enough to warn ya). So today as I'm driving home in my own car, I stop at the railroad tracks. There is no stop sign, it's just the railroad tracks. They weren't even the same railroad tracks that the bus stops at either. It is amazing what we just do without thinking isn't it? My body just knew, stop at the railroad tracks. When I realized what I had just done, I laughed hard. Then I laughed harder when I realized that Ashton did the same thing and I got after him for it. Oops! Sorry honey! To bad you weren't with me for this one!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
I've been tagged

Shauni tagged me on her blog so I guess I ought to do it. 7 weird things about me. Hummm...where to start...
1. I hate touching things with pruney fingers. It creeps me out. I especially don't like touching hair with pruney fingers. It is so gross!
2. I like ketchup on my tacos. My family thinks it's nasty, but it is really good.
3. I don't like to take a bath. I prefer a shower.
4. I eat peanutbutter with my pancakes. Ashton thinks it is awful.
5. I can't touch raw meat. I put baggies on my hands before I touch it. I suppose I should invest in plastic gloves. They would fit better than baggies.
6. I sleep diagonal even though I share a bed with Ashton. I think it came from growing up, when our dogs slept on my bed. I slept diagonal so I would have room. Little toy poodles take up a lot of space!
7. At work, I can't use the restroom if someone is in the same hallway as the bathrooms. Even if they are walking away from the bathroom and won't even know I'm there. If someone is there, I act like I forgot something and turn around. I guess I have a "knowing-she-has-to-pee" phobia or something...
So there you have it. 7 weird things about me. Let's see, I tag Mom, DeeAnn, Curtis (since Shauni tagged Crystal)Erin, Ashton, and anyone else who would like to do it.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Little Miss Matched
Everybody loved them! It was a lot of fun.
Oh, update on our oven. It still doesn't work. He came out and "fixed" it, but what ever it was that he fixed wasn't the problem. It still doesn't work and we are waiting to hear when they're coming back out.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
When Things Go Wrong...

About a month ago, our stove stopped working right. We called the site manager, and a week later the Sears man was scheduled to come out. We are at work and school all day, so we gave our manager permission to let him in. That day, we get a call from the manager, "I was just wondering if the Sears man ever made it out to fix your stove. Let me know what's going on".
Me: "Uh,we aren't home. You said you would be there to let him in."
Site manager: "I did?"
Me: "Yes."
Site manager: "Oh, umm, well, I was just calling to see if you were home because I haven't seen him yet". (nice cover up)
Me: "No we aren't home. You are letting him in".
Site manager: "Alright".
So eventually he comes and decides that he needs to order a part to fix it. The part wouldn't be in for another week (a Tuesday) and nobody can come out till the Saturday after to fix it. Ugh!
So I called the site manager agian on Thursday to make sure the Sears man was still coming out.
Site manager: "Oh, he said he was coming out on Saturday?"
Me: "That is what you said. I'm just calling to find out when he is supposed to be here."
Site manager: "I said that?"
Me: "Yes."
(Sound a little familiar...)
Site manager: "Oh, umm, well, yes he is coming out. Are you going to be home to let him in? If not, I will be able to."
Me: "Yes we will be here. Do you know what time he will be out?"
S.M.: "No."
Well, I stayed home all day today. He didn't come and he didn't come. Finally, I called the site manager. No answer. I called her cell phone. No answer. We needed to go grocery shopping so I was seeing if she would be here for the last 2 hours of waiting. Still, no answer. Finally we got a hold of her and she is in a wedding. A wedding!!! What happened to "I will be able to "!?!
Finally he comes. He waltzes right in to the kitchen, looks around, and asks where the part is. The part. I thought the Sears man would be bringing the part.
Sears man: "The part gets shipped to the customer's home."
We didn't get a part!
So he calls the site manager. No answer. He then goes back out to find out where the part got delivered. It didn't get delivered. Nobody told UPS which apartment number to deliver it to!
So, we wait. Again. The part should be in my hands on Tuesday and Sears should be out either Wednesday or Thursday if the site manager doesn't mess it up. So now I am still with out an oven!
Grrrrrrrr!
Then our windshield got a huge crack in it. We called our insurance and they arranged for a company to come out to where ever our car was to fix it. It took 3 times of them coming out before it got fixed. The first attempt: the windshield company came out expecting and able to just fix the crack, not replace the windshield like our insurance had told them. Second attempt: We had to leave the car unlocked and pay them $100 dollars right then. Nobody told us that! The car was locked and we weren't there. Third attempt: Ashton just skipped class to be there and nothing went wrong.
All I can say is that when something goes wrong, I want to be the one to fix it. I hate leaving it up to somebody else. It is always a mess!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Interview Date

We now have a date and time for Ashton's interview. It is October 23rd at 7:30 am. Bright and early! We are going to leave either early Wednesday or late the Tuesday before so that Ashton can get a decent nights rest before the big interview. We'll probably stay in Phoenix. After his interview we want to play and make a vacation out of it. We'll play around Phoenix for a while then we want to go to the Grand Canyon and up through Utah on the way home to see our friends that live there. It will be a lot of fun! If anyone knows of things to do in Phoenix or around Phoenix let us know. So now the big preparations are underway. Who knows this might even include getting Ashton a new tie or something to where with his suit. So if you see any ugly polyester ties (the uglier the better) around while your shopping, let me know that too. They are hard to find and the DI up here, oddly enough, has none.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Arizona, Here We Come!

Well, we finally got an interview for pharmacy school! We got the e-mail today that Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ would like to see Ashton for an interview! We are so excited. This isn't our #1 school, it's just the back up, but we have been waiting to get an interview for a couple of years now, and we finally got one! We're thinking the interview might be mid-October but aren't sure yet. We'll keep ya posted though!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Presidential Candidate
Hey everyone. So I thought you might need some help deciding who to vote for this November. I think this guy is worth looking into :)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
#1 Song
http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm
where you can go to find out the #1 song on any day. I went and found out that the #1 song the day I was born was "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel (never heard of it). The #1 song the day Ashton was born was "Maneater" by Daryl Hall & John Oates (still hear it). The #1 song the day we were married, "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey (see, we were destined :) ). Check it out, it's a lot of fun!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Burn Notice
Hey Alison.
Do you have anything to do with this? I really hope not.
http://www.thewatchlist.tv/?id=0608976148
Get in touch if you need help.
Ashton
Follow the link and watch it before you read on.
Needless to say, I was a little freaked out. So I figured I'd issue my own "burn notice"
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Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Just trying to be frugal...
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Happy Anniversary
Monday, July 28, 2008
A Tale of Two Brothers
It's Here!!!
...........................97th Percentile!!! This means that he scored better than 97% of the people that took it. That's right folks, I married a genius. With a score like that, his chances of getting into pharmacy school should rise drastically. We are so excited. Congratulations Ash!!!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
The Wheels on the Bus Go Round
So for the last couple of days, I have had to ride the city buses after work. It has been very tough for me to come to terms with this, because I have been very spoiled. We only have one car, and I take it to work everyday. Ashton, being the good sport that he is, takes the bus and has since we moved here. Therefore, there is no sympathy comming from him. For the last couple of days, Ashton has worked at 2 different BSU campuses tutoring during summer school. So he thought he needed the car ;). He got out the bus schedule, mapped out my route, prepped me for this for about a week and repeatedly told me, "it will be just fine. It is just a bus." Easy for him to say! So finely the day came. I had to take the bus out to BSU West campus to meet him. Most of that morning's conversation went something like this:Me: Oh.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday fun in Boise
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Historic Downtown Boise
Welcome to the Historic Downtown tour. Please keep your arms and hands in the vehicle at all times. Let us begin:
Boise has a huge Basque history, so downtown there is a little strip dedicated to it. There is the Basque Center (pictured left). Right after the Basque Center is C. Jacobs home,the first brick home in Boise (pictured right)
As you walk along this little strip, in the sidewalk there are some songs, poems, and pictures (possibly coat of arms) engraved. The looked pretty cool.
As you keep walking down the strip, at the corner of t
he street is a pub called Bar Gernika. It actually has a pretty cool history. As Ashton was told, Gernika, Spain was destroyed by Hitler. Bombed, and completely demolished except for the meeting house of the princes and 1 oak tree. Boise has become kind of a "sister" city to Gernika. Due to the Basque heritage here, we have a Bar Gernika and if you were to go to Gernika today, they have a Bar Boise. It gets even cooler. There is an oak tree in front of C. Jacobs' house. It was started from a seed of the surviving tree in Gernika. If I remember from what I looked up online, the tree in Gernika is about 300 years old. Pretty cool.
Next, there is the Fire Station, which is now restaurants. Ashton said as his instructor was talking to them about it, she was saying that they used to hang thier hoses from the bell tower to dry. A man walked up, obviously hearing her statement, and proceeded to tell her she was wrong and that they hung them up from inside. Come to find out, the man was the owner of the building and took Ashton's class inside. He had preserved little nooks here and there that had cool historical value. Sure enough, he took them to a room with large hooks and high ceilings where they hung the fire hoses to dry.
Then we have the building cemetary, if you will. Each building had a giant stone stating what its name was. The stones of the buildings that have been torn down, are now part of a stone wall in this park. There is also an arch preserved and a turret as you can see.
Here we have the Belgravia, almost done, I promise. This is a beautiful building! It was the first town homes in Boise. The front of the building is pictured left. It was hard to see because all the trees are in full follage, but it is still beautiful. The little stair cases are curved (it's kind of hard to tell from the picture). The back of the Belgravia was very cool. When they were designing it, they were having a hard time getting light into all of the apartments (no electricity) so they came up with idea of having a "key hole". It was a little dead end alley, if you would, that they created so that windows could be there, and allow light in. Very creative. Now, they've created an additional front that covers the "key hole" (darn modernization). You can kind of see it in the picture on the right.
There is also a building that is rounded. You wouldn't even know it though if you just glanced at it. The railroad used to come by this building and turned, so when the building was built, it was built with a curve to match the railroad tracks. Now they've put in a parking garage next to it, so you can't really see it unless you look through the front windows. If you look at the picture on the left you'll see the red brick building and if you look at the top of the buildings, you'll see how the parking garage is curved around red building.
I forgot to put this with the building cemetery. They also have a water wheel and a canal. This canal used to go up and down Grove St. and watered all of downtown. Now it is underground. This park, has the only spot that it is still above ground. These water wheels used to push the water. They ran up and down present day Grove St. about every 50-100 feet. The picture on the left is of the water wheel and the picture on the right is where the canal goes underground.
For the last stop on the tour, I wanted to show you a fountain at City Hall. It is the last remaining one of its kind. In the 1890's or early 1900's, it was put in by the women's suffrage movement because their motto was drink water instead (instead of alcohol). They wanted water to be available for everyone, so they put them up all over town. During the war effort, the fountains were melted down except this one because it was painted green and they didn't realize it was made out of brass. So this is the only one we have left and it is still in use.
Thanks for comming on the Downtown Boise tour with me. Please tune in again when we go to Julia Davis Park and the Boise Depot.
