Hayley

Our first Christmas

2011-03-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

We had a decent amount of snow this past winter. Got hit with almost a foot of snow that closed the park for a few days. The dogs had a great time frolicking.

We also got the chance to take Chris's parent to Busch. We had a great time walking around to see all the lights and shows. We braved the sky ride where we froze. Chris tried to hunker down to avoid the breeze. It was cold but worth it.

Slacker...

2011-03-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is what I am. I'm totally behind on my blog.

So Chris and I have left Virginia and have moved to Oak Harbor, Washington. It's so beautiful out here. I miss VA and the people I worked with, but I know I will be happy here for the next three years. I was a very, very long drive, but being able to stop in AZ for a few days made it totally worth it. Our new ward is amazing with so many outgoing people. Making friends has been so easy, and being a small town, we are all pretty close to each other. Chris recently got called as the EQ 1st counselor and I'm now a RS teacher. It's awesome. I have a lot of fun and it's so great to see Chris really embracing the gospel. He's now realizing how busy Sunday's can get. We are also in choir and will be singing a duet for stake conference at the end of April.

So far things are going great. We have a beautiful home and wonderful friends nearby. I miss home and my friends, but we will get to see them soon. We will be in AZ for about a week in April to get sealed in the Mesa temple. I'm so excited. And Chris will finally be able to go through the temple. I can't wait!

The ring and the dress

2010-09-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Chris and I started looking for a ring, but I couldn't find the style I wanted. I always loved my mom's ring that had a design on the band, so I was trying to find something like it. There wasn't anything at all. We decided to call a jeweler to see what they could do. After we met with him, he told us to come up with a design and e mail it to him. I jumped on the computer that night. I found a design that I loved, so Chris and I took it apart, repeated it and came up with something we were happy with. We took the central design and put it on his ring, then took parts of it and created mine. We were originally going to keep the black background, but after seeing it without, we decided against it. I absolutely love my ring. I couldn't be happier.

Originally I had planned on making my own dress. I have had the patter for a few years actually. I decided to try on some dresses of the same style to see if it would look ok on me. We tried 3 stores, and then found the perfect dress. I wasn't even looking for it. And... it was on sale. I couldn't pass it up. We flew back to VA with my dress.

I've always wanted to have a little color on it, so I decided to add to green beading at the waist. It came out perfect. I couldn't have been more happy. After that I cut off the halter strap and built a small jacket to go over it and my veil. It turned out lovely, don't you think?

April 10th, 2010

2010-09-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Chris and I met in October. After a couple of dates, we were seeing each other every day. We couldn't stay away from each other. We made it official in the middle of November. Shortly after that Chris started meeting with the missionaries and decided to get baptized. It was a great day. We were engaged in December and both went back home to AZ in January to meet the family and plan the wedding. That's the short story. We plan on getting sealed in the Arizona Temple in January or February of 2011 after we move to Washington. I can't believe it's been 5 months already. I can't imagine my life without him.

Florida trip

2010-08-20T14:23:00.001-07:00

We recently took a trip to Orlando, FL for Tanya's wedding. We decided to make it a family trip for my birthday too. We left Saturday afternoon and stopped at Brandon and Tiff's for two nights. The kids had fun turning uncle Chris into a jungle jim. Tuesday we spent a few hours at all 4 Disney parks. Thanks to my friend Brock, we got in for free. He also got us a discount at a Disney hotel. We stayed in the 1980's section, complete with a giant Rubix cube. The next day we spent at Sea World. We were able to get in free and I could get a discount on all purchases. Totally worth it.

Tanya went through the temple the next morning. It was great to be able to be there with mom. Later that night, Chris and I went to the Arabian Nights show. The horses were beautiful, but the show was a bust.

Tanya got married the next morning. It was the first time I got to go to a temple wedding. I'm so excited for when Chris and I get to go after his year mark. We then all went to Olive Garden for dinner, good byes and a 9 hour drive back to Brandon's. It was a lot of driving and tired feet, but it was completely worth seeing my family. Happy birthday to me.

Some videos.

2010-06-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

This is Brock in Art Attack

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/80/pkRzipB8I8g

This is Festivale

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/78/5lS7u4BrrMU

This is the Goblin King

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/61/FWEMhDGunAI

The making of Christmas Town

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/51/8vw9sE4d6qw

I helped put up lights and wreaths in England, then they pulled me back into the costume shop to help build costumes.

Christmas Town shows

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/47/LbhXY1KlWlE

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/43/fFGE61FOAb4

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/32/E6zL5z6nEns

This is our newest ride

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/13/oY_MNXtHXUs

A few extra Festivale pictures.

2010-06-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Having some fun backstage in others costumes. The girls had to cover up to get to the tower because it was raining.

The view from backstage during the commercial shoot. We got a little bored so we were getting creative. The commercial turned out really cool though.

The entertainment sent a cake for the closing of the festivale as well as my birthday. It was the same day, so we got two cakes.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BuschGardensVA#p/u/22/_ZZ6NxNRx0o

Halloween shows from around the park.

2010-06-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here is 'Jack is Back'. I helped with the stilt costumes. I also made the costume for Tony as the Goblin King. Then there was Monster Stop. I love that show. I also got to help Brock with his costume. I made him a straight jacket out of a lab coat and some belts. The sleeves had velcro so he could tear then off to paint. It turned out really cool. The last two pictures are in the back stage of Italy. Everyone was trying on Paul's Frankenstein boots. Our stage manager Garrett had them on and was still the shortest guy. Haha. It was pretty funny.

And what you've all been waiting for...

2010-06-01T11:01:00.000-07:00

the costumes! Here are a few with the coolest people ever. I was Maid Marian and my friend Topher was Robin hood. I made my costume out of a curtain and my veil is a sheer curtain. Topher and I got creative with his. We found a green shirt at a thrift store as well as a little kids cape and pants with boot tops connected. I altered the shirt to make it more period and cut the boot tops from the pant. We borrowed a vest and he wore some khakis. It was perfect. I miss that kid. Such talent. There was a work party as well as a get together at Paul's. They even had a corn shucking contest at work. That's Carrie my boss. It was awesome! There were some really great costumes.

Pumpkin slaughtering.

2010-06-01T10:58:00.000-07:00

What is Halloween without pumpkins? My friend Ryan came over and we carved pumpkins together. He did the scarecrow, my roomate Heather did the face and I did the dragon from Sleeping Beauty. I was quite proud.

Driving home from NC.

2010-06-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

So it was a 6 hour drive home from Brandon and Tiff's. I decided to take a short break at a rest stop. Turned out there was a memorial there. It was a beautiful. I was rained/sprinkled on the entire drive home. It made for some good pictures.

Visiting NC. '09

2010-06-01T10:49:00.001-07:00

I had a rare 3 day weekend, so I decided to treck it out yo NC to see the family. It was nice to be able to play with the kids and relax after working so much. The 6 hour drive there and home was worth it. I don't get to see them very often.

Birthday '09

2010-06-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

A bunch of my cast members and I went out for dinner for my birthday. We had a lot of fun. Then there was the typical Paul's gathering. I miss these kids.

Yeah, yeah. I know.

2010-06-01T08:52:00.001-07:00

I know I'm completely behind in posting. I've been a little busy. I'll pull some stuff together and post things soon. I hope you still love me. :)

Franken Rock!

2009-10-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Halloween is on it's way. This is the new show I'm running in Germany's Festhaus. We have Frank and his bride, a warewolf couple, a vampire couple, a witch and 5 band members. It's a really fun rock concert. All live music, dancing and singing. I'm doing the band's makeup as well as again doing wardrobe and a bit of wig stuff. Easy show and a lot of fun!!!

Sunset at College Park

2009-08-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

Made a quick stop at the park on my way to FHE. It was totally worth the stop and being chased by ducks. Haha.

I went to Duke!

2009-08-10T08:35:00.001-07:00

After leaving Raleigh, I drove over to Durham to meet up with my friend Joseph. Walked around the mall for a while, went to dinner at Cheesecake Factory and then drove up to Duke Univ. It was awesome!

Playdate with Mom in Raleigh, NC

2009-08-10T08:27:00.001-07:00

Met up with mom in Raleigh. We had fun going to lunch, a history museum and a little shopping. It was great to see her again.

Waller Mill park for FHE

2009-08-10T08:16:00.001-07:00

Had a great time at the park having a bbq. Found some little frogs, attempted to skip rocks and took some awesome pictures.

Festivale update pics

2009-07-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Backstage fun!

2009-06-28T19:27:00.001-07:00

Here are some shots from backstage and in the greenroom. Sherri and Daniel decided to stuff themselves in my laundry baskets in between shows. Justin likes to have me tie his tie on him. Notice he's on stilts. Then there is Tony having fun creeping us out with his mask as Pagliacci. The last two pictures are of Donnie as Pagliacci, Justin as Pinocchio sitting on the prop shelves and Christian as the spotter. I love these kids!

Festivale Italiano!!!

2009-06-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of the festival I'm working!

Sad day in the Larsen family

2009-06-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

Affectionatly known as Belly, we got Bandit over 12 years ago, along with his brother Bruno, when Brandon left on his misson. Sadly, Bruno was hit by a car a few years after that. We attempted once to get him a friend, Marmaduke (Duke) the great dane puppy, but he was little too much to handle. He barked a lot.
Well, Bandit passed away today. He was always the sweetest dog. You couldn't sit on the floor without him right next to you with his chin on your leg. You would reach down to pet him and he would automatically roll over for a belly rub. That's how he became Belly. He also hated any kind of storm. He would attach himself to whomever was home if mom wasn't.
He was self conscience when eating. He would walk away if you came in the room. He loved apples and citrus. There was also a little jealous side to him. When the grandkids would come over, if anything was left on the floor, he would take it outside. He wouldn't chew it or tear it up, he would just drop it outside.
He also loved to lay on anything that was on the floor. It could be anything from a blanket to a sock. If it was soft, he would lay on it.
Our family has a lot of memories with him after having him for so long. He will be missed. I felt blessed to have him in my life as a dear and loving friend. He always loved me no matter what.

Pictures of work

2009-06-12T21:07:00.001-07:00

Here are a few pictures from walking around Busch. It's been voted several times to be the most beautiful, I think, in the nation. Maybe world. I don't remember. More pictures to come.

It's official!!!

2009-05-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Home far, far away from home

2009-05-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is my home for the next 6 months. Beautiful backyeard and view from my window. I wake up in the morning to squirrels on the back deck and birds at m window. I'm only about 5 min from the park which is great. And then there is Redz. He's my new buddy.

Colonial Williamsburg

2009-05-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

Fun times in Colonial Williamsburg and a Scottish store.

DC and presidential sights

2009-05-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

We made our way up to the DC temple, then back into down town. Went to the Arlington Cemetary (wow). Saw the changing of the guards. I highly suggest it to everyone. Made it to the capitol building, White House, Washington monument and Lincoln Monument. We were only there for a few hours, so had to skip a lot of stuff. I will definately be going back.

Marbles Museum for Kids and, Pullen Park NC

2009-05-30T12:38:00.000-07:00

The day after we got to VA, we drove 3 hours into Raleigh, NC to suprise the kids. It was awesome! Couldn't have been better timing, we came around the corner of the museum just as they were walking up to the door. It took them a second to process, then came running towards us. Man I have missed them. The museum was great. It was fun as well as educational. From face painting to giant legos, water, a pirate ship, watering a garden to swimming in peas and carrots. Then we went to a park nearby that had a train and boats to ride and a carousel. It was a really big park with a lot of vegitation including magnolia trees. Wow. Beautiful. It was great to spend time with everyone again.

Oklahoma City

2009-05-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

Coming into OK city we went to the memorial. It was simple yet impacting. There were momentos tied all up and down the fences along the side walk. As you walk through the doorway you see the reflecting pool and the other doorway. Posted on the top is the time stamp of 9:01 and 9:03 on the opposite wall representing the bombing of the building at 9:02. The chairs in rows represent the people who were killed on each floor including the daycare kids and five people who were killed outside the building.

That night we got tickets to Lion King and then a backstage tour with Carson who was working the show. We got student rush tickets and were seated in the second row. It was great to see it a second time and be so close to watch their faces and get a closer look at the costumes. It's an awesome show!

Graceland in Memphis, TN!

2009-05-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely time learning all about Elvis. He seemed like a pretty cool guy to be around. I took a ton of pictures, but only picked a few to put up. His house it beautiful. He bought it originally in the 50's for $100,000. The mansion and 13 acres of land!!! Crazy. Went through the mansion, car museum, private Elvis(soldier), his two planes and other stuff. There was a lot to do. We spent about 3 or so hours there. Loved it. The man truely accomplished a lot of things in his life. Random facts for the day... he had a John Deere tractor that he loved. He was known to ride it around town or just down the driveway to get the mail. Also, my old roomie Amber Lopez was born on his birthday, and I was born on his death date. Crazy!

AZ to VA

2009-05-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

It was fun to watch the scenery change as we got closer to the east coast. It went from desert mountains, to flat brown, then short and green to tall, close to the highway and green. It's beautiful here. Covered about 2,500 and 35+ hours in driving crossing through AZ, NM, TX, OK, AK, TN then into VA. Whew!

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

2009-05-11T01:23:00.000-07:00

Latest show I worked. Did this last week at the Orpheum and have two days left at the MAC. Also saw it on broadway with Jonathan Pryce and Norbert Leo Butz about 3 years ago with Mom. Fun times and funny show.

I finally found housing!!!

2009-04-24T00:19:00.000-07:00

Yep. I was getting pretty nervous for a while. I had checked so many websites and checked craigs list almost everyday to try to find somewhere to live in VA. I talked to the ysa branch pres and his counselor, a rs pres and a bishop. Had another friend talk to fam out there, and still hadn't really heard anything. I sent out a ton of e mails trying to see if anyone would offer a 6 month lease. Most only had June-Aug, or the full school year for the college out there. So through a school website I finally found someone. She is a 45yo RN with a background in theatre. Yeah, how random is that. She used to travel for theatre jobs and knows costuming. I figured it couldn't be more perfect. She also had a cat, so I'll feel a little more at home with an animal in the house. She seems really cool and easy going. So I'm headed out to VA on the 18th. Broke up the 35 hour drive into a few days. It's going to be a looong few days, but will be worth it in the end. Yeah for new adventures!!! And you all better miss me. :)

Disney on Ice: Disneyland Adventure!

2009-04-10T00:21:00.000-07:00

This is the show I'm working this week. The Parr family take a vacation to Disneyland then end up saving Mickey and Minnie from Syndrome. It's pretty cute. I finally get to work a Disney show!!! This version only runs for 3 more weeks, after a year and a half run, then they are taking a new version to Japan. The new one is about saving Minnie and Donald From Maleficent. We had two rehearsals for the new version so they could tape it for Japan promos and have the show approved by the head honchos. I don't think I'll ever grow out of Disney.
http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/theincredibles/index.html

Logan Temple

2009-04-07T23:32:00.000-07:00

More cake!!!

2009-04-05T23:21:00.001-07:00

I decided to try a textured icing this time instead of smooth. I think it turned out pretty nice. Dang I'm good! ;)

Final Cake

2009-04-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures of the practicing we did in class and the drop flowers and the roses I made for the cake. I was really happy with how my cake turned out. The blue turned out darker than expected, but I like it!

The Mustang

2009-03-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

Dennis and Michael are fixing up Dennis' Mustang. The red is a before, the black and gray is now. So far they have put in a new enguine, black leather interior, have a new rear end and new wheels. I know there is more than that under the hood and a ton of other things. They have done a lot of work on it and it looks awesome. Still a ways to go to have it ready to show this summer!

Cake number two

2009-03-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

Only one more class and cake to go!

San Diego overnighter

2009-03-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

Me, Amber and Lindsay decided to take a quick trip to San Diego. I think we may have had a little too much fun. But that was the point. We went to the beach in Coronado, visited Amber's old stomping ground, went to Balboa Park and a museum. We also ran into a few famous people on the way!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

2009-03-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

As if I don't own enough green already, today gave me an reason to be able to wear it. But I didn't. HA! I wore a gray Happy St Patrick's Day shirt and three green glow in the dark bracelets. Pretty darn cool.

Anywho, so as you can see I have pictures of a cake. I decided to take a cake decorating class with Amber. It's pretty fun. I was nervous at first cause it's really not as easy as it looks, but it's a lot of fun. You wouldn't think that trying to frost a cake is that hard. Well it is when you try to make it perfect. I made a ton of frosting and have a ton still left over. For the class I have to make 3 consistancies of frosting and different colors. Oi! It's hard to judge it right. There are only 4 classes, each 2 hours. So you have to cram in a lot. I'm glad that I decided to do it though. I like to have some kind of a knowledge in things like this. My creative side kicks in. Love it!

I'm moving to Virginia!!!!!!

2009-03-15T13:56:00.000-07:00

Yep, I got the job! I will be moving there the end of May and it takes me up to the end of November. I'm way excited. I will be dressing for their Italy show. It's about a 25-30 min show four times a day. It's going to be a big change for me, but I think I can handle it. I met a girl last night at a friends house who just moved here from Richmond. She gave me a lot of insight and ideas on things to do. I've also had a few friends wanting to come and visit already. I talked to the branch president to see what housing is like out there. Just waiting to hear back. I have at least one day off a week. I'm going to try to use all the time I can to travel around and see the places nearby. It's going to be awesome having so many cool places and other states within a few hours of me. And Brandon and Tiff will only be an 8 hour drive. I can handle that. So now I'm just waiting for my info to come in the mail so I can get a few more details and get the ball rolling. I've never lived this far away from home. I would love to have someone I know come with me. It's going to be an adventure! And yes, I will miss you all! Here is to stepping outside of the box, burning it down and jumping on it! AHHHHH!!!!!

My latest project

2009-03-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

So I have a bedroom set that I got years ago from my great uncle and aunt. There are 2 dressers, a mirror(which isn't finished yet) and a head and foot board. They were all a light oak color. I decided that I wanted to spruce it up a little. I wanted something darker. The wood was starting to degrade and splinter in a lot of places, so it needed a little help anyway. I called up my grandpa to borrow his sander and went to work. After a few trips to Home Depot to get sanding pads, stain, spray finish and brass cleaner, I was ready to go. I cleaned up all of the brass hardware, which suprised the heck out of me. It was nasty. It took me a few days to sand everything down. Everything had a finish on it that I had to get through for the stain to take. It took me a little over a week on and off to get everything finished. I got it all back into my room this week. It will be nice to have clothes in drawers again instead of boxes in the living room. Now I'm hoping that since I just got everything done, and my room put back together this week, that I will get the call for a new job and be headed East. I will then have to repack everything and head out. I would actually be ok with that. :) So here are a few pictures of before, during and after. I'm pretty darn proud of myself!

It's Pavarotti with mullets...

2009-02-23T00:28:00.000-08:00

I got to run 3 Redneck Tenors at the Chandler Center for the Arts on Friday night. It was a pretty funny show. There is a possibility I might be able to run the show with them for a while. I'm hopefully going to hear back from them soon. The show takes place in a trailor park and sort of turns into a concert. The talent was awesome. Great voices and funny jokes. Here's to hoping for work soon...

As of late...

2009-02-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

Went to the Arabian Horse show with my mom yesterday. Total spur of the moment. We had a good time walking through the show room and watching the horses compete. There were some beautiful horses. It was kind of nice to walk around knowing that I have one of my own. :) Then we had a family dinner tonight with Ster, Jill and Myrrhissa. She was in a pretty good mood and was easily entertained. It was fun. So that's the latest as of now. I'll be posting pics soon of the project I've been working on. I was pretty excited to get it finished!!!

Weston Michael Larsen

2009-02-06T23:11:00.001-08:00

Weston Michael Larsen. Born Sunday January 25, 2009 4:53pm8 pounds 2 ounces 20 1/4 inches long. Sadly he's in NC, but mom is there to help out. Lucky!

The Lion King!

2009-02-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

I finally took myself to go see The Lion King. It's been through AZ twice and I had still yet to see it. It was AMAZING!!! I seriously wanted to cry during the first opening number. The music hits you so hard, then to see a life size elephant and a rhino walking up the isles, birds flying overhead, gazelles leaping across stage and giraffes on stilts... Wow! I say WOW!!! There is nothing out there like it. The artistic nature of it blows you away from start to finish. This singing and acting were amazing also. There is so much more to be said. If you haven't seen it... GO!!!! NOW!!!! It is worth it. I would see it again in a heart beat. So here are some pictures just to give you a small idea of what it looks like. There is also a picture at the bottom of my attempt of turning Dena into Rafiki for my college theatre make up class a few years ago. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. :)

Aida with Phoenix Opera

2009-02-02T23:06:00.001-08:00

So I got a random call from a friend who was trying to find people to run Aida. They needed make-up and hair, but I asked if they could use a wardrobe person. Ended up working the show and had a great time. There were 88 people in the cast, and all of them were great to work with. So here are some pictures of the Orpheum, that cast, me with the leads that I dressed, the crew watching the Super Bowl on the back stage monitor after the show, and my new friend Todd. We have mutual friends and had yet to meet. It was pretty cool.

Puppy for a horse!!!

2009-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

So Dena found a lady on line who wanted to trade her filly for a puppy! Crazy... I think so. Dena's mom in law's dog just had puppies, so she got the filly for free! I went with her. Here are a few pics of the puppy, who fell asleep in my sweater, the filly, Aaron (Dena's son) and me and Hadem playing around.

Carson in town and Cynthia's baby shower

2009-01-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

Carson came down from OK for Christmas, so we all went out to eat at Oreganos. Marque brought along Riley. She's gotten so big and has an attitude like her mohter. :) I also got to go to Cynthia's baby shower. This is her first. We've known each other since 4th grade. Everyone was suprised to find that out. She's doing amazing and should be having him anyday now.

25 Things about me

2009-01-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

1. I have an obsession with anything and everything Irish... ask anyone who knows me.

2. Therefore my favorite color is green.

3. I was a model when I was 15. It helped me make the decision that I didn't want to work in LA and to do theatre instead. Correct choice!

4. I wear pretty much the same jewelry everyday. Including the necklace my sister gave me for my 16th birthday.

5. The theatre is my life and probably always will be. I hope. (Right behind having a family.)

6. It's pretty common for me to turn and follow any guy who smells good. For at least a few steps.

7. Confession... I use mens bodywash.

8. If I can't reach behind my back and touch my hair, it's too short.

9. I didn't have my first kiss till I was 21, and he dumped me through text messaging a week and a half later. (jerk face)

10. I've never broken a bone.

11. My mom says that I got all of my creative talent from my grandma. And I know that she would have been proud of me for my taste in music (1940's).

12. My dad's parents met at a roadshow. It's in my blood.

13. I'm the 'black sheep' of my family. The majority of my immediate family members work in either the medical, electric, business or real estate field. Even my sis in laws. Me...Ohoohohohooh, THEATRE!!!!

14. I love to take pictures. I have more than I know that to do with. And am in very little of them.

15. One of my most embarrassing moments was falling on an audience member during a show I was acting in. It was a very small stage with the audience all around it.

16. I had feelings for a guy for about 4 years and never told him. He's married now. I'm a lot more bold these days.

17. I would love to work on Broadway. Either on or behind stage.

18. My dream job besides theatre would be a whale trainer at Sea World.

19. I sometimes tend to be too nice for my own good.

20. I procrastinate... a lot. I need to work on that.

21. I love Shakespeare. The man was a genius.22. I don't like wearing shoes. Unless they are slippers. I would wear them to school. I'd rather be barefoot all the time.

23. One of my biggest regrets is not keeping in touch with friends I had when I was little. I've found a few though.

24. My favorite holiday is Halloween. Guess why... I dare you!

25. I would do anything for those that I love no matter what time of day. I never turn my phone off if I can help it. EVER!

Christmas!!!!

2008-12-26T14:58:00.000-08:00

We had it this year over and Sterling and Jill's. And of course we all took turns passing Myrrhissa around. She fell asleep on Lindsey. We had breakfast, opened presents and chatted for a while. Ronna and Cameron left after that. Lind's went home to take a nap while mom and me went to visit uncle Mitch. We met back up for dinner at 5. Sterling cooked and prepared everything. It was all German recipes. It was sooooo good! Merry Christmas to all!!!

Christmas Party

2008-12-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

Just a few pics from our party. I'll have to get more off of Amber's camera. Notice our lovely fireplace on the wall. :) We had a decent turn out. These were taken when it first started.

Pettiskirts for the girls

2008-12-26T14:40:00.001-08:00

Made skirts for the girls for Christmas. Mom was so nice to help me out. There was a ton of pinning and gathering. It looked like seaweed. But they turned out really cute.

The garage saga

2008-12-19T23:25:00.000-08:00

So our garage door broke a few weeks ago. Finally got our landlord to do something about it after a stern talking to by Amber. It was a rediculous situation that should have been easily resolved. Out LL was supposed to call them and set up the appt. After almost 2 weeks from the original imspection, she then calls me to ask if I can set up the appt since it needed to be around our schedules. I said that would be fine. So I call and set it for Mon from 3-5. I called the next day to change it because my work schedule changed. So it was then set to Tues 9-11. Come Tues morning, they don't show up. I call again. They forgot to change the time. Ok. Back to 3-5. Good thing I had the day off. Come 3:45, they call me and say they will be there in 20.....come 6, no show. I call again. Now my LL can't be there to pay them anymore so they have to set up another time. I give them my schedule and LL's number. Either tomorrow 9am or after 6. Next day... no show in the morning. I'm driving to work around 1:45 and get a call from them wanting to come do it now. I reminded them of my schedule that I gave them the night before and told them that I couldn't do it till after 6 if not in the morning. I tell them I'll call when off work. I get off early and call them at 3:45 and tell them to come at 4:30. No show. Call once again and tell what happened. They said they will send another crew at 9am next morning. In the mean time my LL bring over their credit card. 8:15 next morning, I get woken up by the doorbell. GRRRRR!!!!! So anywho, the original crew finally shows up and fixes the door. And one guy says something about me being mad at them... I wasn't really. I was more annoyed than anything, but I sure didn't get a reason not to be. So now the garage is fixed. Happy day!

Update

2008-12-17T23:02:00.000-08:00

So I got a job offer from Allenberry Playhouse in PA, but alas it was only an internship. I can't afford to move out there for an internship. I would have loved to have said yes, but I need more than what they offered. I'm currently doing the day work for Christmas Carol for Actors Theatre at the Herberger. It's only a few hours a day, but it's better than a kick in the pants. Good news.... sort of... I hope.... so I talked to a friend the other day and she said that she put in a good word for me at Busch Gardens in VA!!!! I asked her how she new that I applied there because she was living in Ohio and we haven't talked in a really long time. Turns out that they caller her last minute and had her work there from Oct-Nov. They saw that we worked with the same company (shakespeare) and asked her about be. She said that she gave them a rave review!!!!! Holy cow. It's crazy what connections surface in random places. This was the first place that I sent my resume, and it's the one I feel the best about. This is the job that I want. It still scares me to move away from everything I know and love, but putting a time limit on it help. But still, to move cross country it a huge step for me. With everything that has happened lately, I just feel that I need to get out for a while, to take a big leap and break out of my box. I'm usually pretty outgoing, but I'm not the same person I used to be. I need to find that person again. I miss her. Does anyone know where to find her, or willing to help me??? Supermodel surch party anyone?

Perty

2008-12-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

The final episode of labor day weekend... in black and white

2008-12-04T14:14:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving contd

2008-12-04T13:54:00.001-08:00

Fun at the park!!!

Adding to the list...

2008-12-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

My resume has also been sent to... Opera Theatre of St Louis, Allenburry Playhouse PA, Alley Theatre TX, Two River Theatre NJ, and Cirque du Soleil. I heard back from Curcus McGurkus (the Dr Seuss side of Dragone) the traveling show has been postponed until next fall due to economy. Sad day. They are the first person to get back to me about anything. ARG!!! In all I've talked to/send resumes to... are you ready... 18 theatres!!! Please pray for me.

Leaps and bounds

2008-12-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

So in looking for a job, I've decided to get out of my comfort zone and broaden my horizon. I want to get out of here for a while. So far I have sent applications to... NV, NY, CT, VA, FL, and China via Belgium. The China thing is a touring show kind of like Cirque du Soliel but better. Look them up at http://www.dragone.be/. They are pretty much amazing. Now it's the hurry up and wait game.

Thanksgiving in North Carolina

2008-11-30T09:39:00.000-08:00

Mom, dad and me went out to NC to visit Brandon, Tiff and the kids for Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun. And it was really, really cold. Mom did a ton of activities with the kids, we went to lunch with the girls at school and went to see Twilight. Even better the second time. Thanksgiving day we took the kids to the park. I have 3 rolls of film that I'm waiting for from that. All of the kids are getting so big. They have changed a lot since last Christmas when we saw them last. Porter is into making faces right now. It's pretty darn cute. Wish we could have stayed longer, but alas, the real life wad calling. Back to reality and looking for a job.

Observe the cuteness thereof

2008-11-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

The furry one was a bit jealous.

Giving Bandit a bath

2008-11-20T11:25:00.000-08:00

I took Bandit for the weekend while my parents were camping. Decided to give him a bath. I left the room for a second and come back to find him checking himself out in the mirror. I dried him off and he then proceeded to lick his paw. Guess I wasn't up to his standards. The poor guy also has seperation anxiety so bad. Everytime I would leave the house he would wait by the door and wail. Then when I got home he wouldn't leave my side. He's getting so old now. He's getting more white on his chin. I'm going to miss him when he's gone.

Day trip for Momma's b-day

2008-11-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

Met up with Joanie's dad, sis and fam in Prescott Valley on Saturday. They brought their 3 horses so we all went riding. It was nice to be able to run around in a good size arena.

Am I Now Less Wise??

2008-11-13T10:28:00.001-08:00

So I finally took the plunge on Monday and got all 4 wisdom teeth ripped out of my head. Not the most pleasant experience, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I was honestly more afraid of the needle numbing my mouth then actual teeth coming out. And I totally went for the gas. That stuff is weird. Makes you feel light headed and kind of tired. However, I wasn't really laughing. So the first night was probably the worst. It took a few hours to get all the feeling back into my face. That was pretty interresting. It feels like you have a really fat face. I would just sit there and poke my chin but couldn't feel a thing. Through the whole thing I never really felt any pain. My jaw is sore like a bruise, and it's a little stiff to open, but I've had no pain. I took half of a vicodin and ibuprofin that first night in case I did need it, and I wasn't sure how it would affect me. Turns out I didn't really need it. Just kept taking ibu just in case. My momma and Lindsey took good care of me. And I probably would have passed out in the bathroom at one point if mom wasn't there to catch me. I just got really dizzy and my ears sarted to ring really loud. Weird. I've never felt it that bad before. Well I'm glad to report that it no longer takes me 45 min to eat a muffin, I ate pizza(in very small pieces) the second night and I don't look like a chipmunk. That makes me really happy. Beat that teeth!!!

My little piece of heaven

2008-11-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

Labor day pics part 2

2008-11-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

Finally got these pictures back. Took me a while to get them up.

Babysitting my niece.

2008-11-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

Went with mom to watch Myrrhissa for a while so Ster and Jill could go shopping. We both took a nap.

Halloween fun!

2008-11-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

We did a theme this year of Sleeping Beauty. I was the beauty, no so much sleeping, Amber was Maleficent and our Friend Ryan was Prince Phillip. It took me a while but I made all of their costumes. Doeshan used a costume of mine from years past, and KariAne was a Hawaiian girl. Yeah for Halloween!

Todd's b-day suprise

2008-10-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

So I stayed up really late lastnight and make a brownie bottom cheesecake and cut out a bunch of smiley faces. This is the damage done (with baloon help and the reaching of high places by Eric). Todd is in the pics below in the blue shirt. Happy Birthday Todd!

Follies pics

2008-10-26T15:20:00.001-07:00

This is me with people from the cast and crew for the two nights of Follies. The cake is Tammie Coe!!!

Follies once again!

2008-10-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.azfamily.com/video/?z=y&nvid=294975&shu=1

My new niece!!!

2008-10-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

Myrrhissa Mae Larsen Born Oct 4th, 2008 @ 12:12 pm weight 8 lbs. 13 oz length 21 inches. Congrats to Sterling and Jill on their first baby girl. Baby # 4. Now I'm waiting on Tiff and her boy in Feb and newly announced Alicia and Eric are expecting thier first in May!!! That's 6!

Baby #3 post

2008-10-21T00:26:00.001-07:00

Westin Tanner Haynes. This is baby #3 in my count down. He's a little over a month old now. Yeah for Dena!

If only things were as in the old days.

2008-10-16T00:26:00.000-07:00

Remember the good ol days when people were nice to each other, you didn't have to lock your doors at night, mom and dad didn't need to know where you were every 5 minutes because they didn't have to worry about you? Well, I don't. And that's pretty sad. So, I was driving home from work tonight and this lady flagged me down. She was standing on the corner by the turn off to my house. She asked if I had a cell phone she could borrow. I said of course. I asked her what was wrong. She had called a cab over an hour ago, and they had yet to show up. So she had been standing in a dark parking lot for a while. Not so much fun. So I asked her where she was headed. Main and Lindsay, not exactly far from my house. I offered her a ride home. I think she went into shock. Are people out there really that selfish and don't help out others anymore. It was no big deal to me, but I wasn't the one standing in a dark empty parking lot for over an hour. So I'm driving her home and we start to talk. She's from Cincinatti and came out here to help her mother. Well her mom passed away over a year ago. She's been here without a job and is living in a trailor park. She was over by my house because she had to get an MRI. That usually doesn't mean a good thing. She was very sweet and very grateful. I was more than willing to help out. As I dropped her off she thanked me again and said something about being suprised that there was still people out there who helped other people. How could there not be. She then hoped that good things would happen to me. I think I'm going to look up the stake closest to her and try to get her some job help. She obviously needs it, and I have the resources. Over all it just kind of suprised me that she was so shocked that I was willing to help her out. I hope there are more people out there willing and that we all do some digging back into the roots of our grand parents and show a little bit more love to those around us. We all need it. And I love you all!!!

The Producers

2008-10-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Opened this 2 weeks ago at work. It's a long haul but it's funny.

The Broadway musical giant that set the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor while winning a record twelve Tony® Awards, done the Phoenix Theatre way!

A down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history, thereby bilking their backers out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit!

Skewering Broadway traditions white taking no prisoners as it proudly proclaims itself an “equal opportunity offender,” The Producers is easily one of the funniest, flashiest musicals to ever be seen on the stage.

Labor Day camping

2008-09-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend up at Big Lake with the family. It was really cold and wet, but completely worth it.

Monsoon Storm

2008-08-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Visiting Amie and Claire

2008-08-28T22:31:00.000-07:00

Bandit and Fenris

2008-08-26T00:38:00.000-07:00

Decided to put up some pics of me and the boys. Fenris is Lindsey and Moroni's wolf/malimute puppy. He's adorable. I miss my doggie. And Bandit's getting really old. Poor old man.

This is what happens when...

2008-08-26T00:34:00.000-07:00

the AC unit in the costume loft leaks. Shoes end up in 1.5 inches of water. Not so much fun.

My Unbeatable Cast

2008-08-26T00:29:00.000-07:00

I'm going to miss every single one of these people. Good luck to them in Houston and (crosses her fingers) New York!

Lunch with the girls aka Cami's b-day

2008-08-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

We all got together for lunch at Red Robin's for Cami's birthday. It was nice to have us all together again. This time Emily joined us along with Cami's new eddition Jaren. Analyce is also getting bigger. She warmed up after a while and started to talk. We all had a fun time.

2008-08-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Phoenix Theatre Opens Season with an Unbeatable Musical
Phoenix, AZ (June 27, 2008) --- Phoenix Theatre will open the 2008/2009 season
with Unbeatable, a bold new musical celebrating life, laughter and the courage to
live every moment. Unbeatable opens August 6, 2008 and runs through August 24,
2008.
Based on the journals of a real-life cancer survivor, Unbeatable is sly and wickedly
funny, keeping a light touch as it tells a triumphant story over one of the personal terrors
of our time – breast cancer.
“Unbeatable is a rare musical with heart, wit and a very timely message,” says Producing
Artistic Director Michael Barnard. “It has been a life altering experience for me to work
on it and to those who have seen it.”
Conceived by Laurie Frey and developed by Michael Barnard, Frey shares her personal
pain and triumph through the character of Tracy, our heroine. Tracy is the can-do, get-itdone
woman to her boss, her mother, her friends and her husband. But it all comes to a
screeching halt when the results of her recent exam are in. The story follows what
Tracy’s diagnosis does to her relationships and her outlook as she is forced to reevaluate
her priorities and examines just what it means to care, and be cared for. Unbeatable takes
the audience on the trial of Tracy’s life in a wildly theatrical ride of human fear and faith.
Unbeatable was featured during the 2006 Phoenix Theatre New Work’s Festival. The
world premiere musical is being co-produced by Phoenix Theatre, Stages Repertory
Theatre and Pink Ribbons Project. After the Phoenix run concludes, the show will head
to Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston before opening off-Broadway at New World
Stages in New York on October 10, 2008.
Kristy Cates stars as Tracy Boyd. Cates was a part of the original Broadway cast of
Wicked originating many of the memorable ensemble roles as well as going on to play
Elphaba on the National Tour. Cates most recently was seen at Carnegie Hall in the
ensemble of Jerry Springer the Opera. She will share the Unbeatable stage with John
Ashley Brown, who plays her husband, Brad. Brown is a favorite on the Phoenix Theatre
stage having played Denny Doherty in Dream A Little Dream as well as roles in The Full
Monty and Smokey Joe’s Café.
Gracing the stage as Tracy’s mother is Janet Carroll. Carroll has worked in film,
television and stage, most recently seen as Aunt March in the Broadway musical, Little
Women. Her stage career includes leading roles in Mame, Gypsy, Hello Dolly!, Guys &
Dolls, Showboat, South Pacific, Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, West Side Story, Kismet,
On A Clear Day, Carousel, The Sound Of Music, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Peter
Pan, The Boyfriend, Annie Get Your Gun, My Fair Lady, and Funny Girl. Television and
film roles are numerous ranging from her start as Tom Cruises’ mother in Risky Business
to regular appearances in Brothers and Sisters, Scrubs and many others.
Completing the cast include Walter Belcher (Franklin), Kathy Conery (Ruthie/Dr.
Louise), Charity Dawson (Natalie/Dr. Osmand), Natalie Ellis (the prosecuting attorney),
Dion Johnson (pastor), Maria-Christina Oliveras (Ally) and Brian Runbeck (Steven/Dr.
Anderson).
“We are thrilled to be opening our season with a new show that will move, entertain and
enlighten our audience,” says Michael Barnard. “Unbeatable is one of those rare
theatrical experiences that you won’t soon forget.”
The creative team includes Michael Barnard, director and choreographer, Alan Ruch,
music director, Robert Kovach, scenic designer, Mike Eddy, lighting designer, Katie
McNamara, props and dressing designer, Connie Furr, costume designer and Dave
Temby, sound designer. Production Manager is Mike Eddy and Tiffany Dressler is stage
manager. Mark Reynolds is technical director and Nick Dressler provides lighting and
sound supervisor. The book is by Eric Coble and music and lyrics by Todd Schroeder
and Kevin Fisher.
Single tickets are $20, $38 and $48. Season subscription packages are now available
starting at just $98 for the season by contacting the Phoenix Theatre box office at
602/254-2151 or on-line at www.PhoenixTheatre.com.
Through a partnership with Susan G. Komen Phoenix, Phoenix Theatre will offer a $10
discount through the run of the play to self-identified breast cancer survivors. Phoenix
Theatre will also have a pink box for donations to Susan G. Komen available in its lobby
through the course of the run.
Phoenix Theatre is a not-for-profit corporation that offers a full range of theatrical
programming currently in its 88th consecutive, producing year: Mainstage subscription
series of musicals, comedies and dramas; the 28-year-old Cookie Company Theatre for
young audiences and families; the annual New Works Festival; and curricular and extracurricular
educational programs. It is a member of Theatre Communications Group, the
national organization of professional theatres, employs members of the Actor’s Equity
Association, and is supported in part by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, the
Arizona Commission on the Arts, and hundreds of individual, corporate, and foundation
donors. It is located at 100 East McDowell Road, just east of The Phoenix Art Museum at
Central and McDowell.

Reviews: http://www.azcentral.com/ent/arts/articles/2008/08/01/20080801unbeatable.html

http://curtainupphoenix.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1218514286&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2008-08-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Had a early birthday party with some friends at a house Amber was sitting for. Hey, they told her to have friends over. I also got to finally see Cami's new baby. Adorable. Mucho thanks to Amber help me put it all together, made my cake and decorated. Complete with a Batman door banner. That was pretty funny.

Canyon Lake with Valerie

2008-08-02T23:59:00.001-07:00

On my drive home from CA, Val texted me to see if I wanted to go to the lake with her in the morning. I got home a little after midnight, and was up at about 5:30. It made for a long day, but was totally worth it.

Palm Springs Air Museum

2008-08-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

I went with my Aunte Dottie to the Air Museum a few days before I left CA. There was some pretty cool things including planes, cars, bikes, weapons, models and the like. Note the Bob Hope doll. Totally worth going to.

Palm Springs contd

2008-08-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

My home for the 5 weeks I was there. Mirror wall and everything.

Roomie lunch @ Oregano's

2008-08-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

We all decided to meet up at Oregano's for a late lunch. Today was also the day that the last book of Twilight came out. Amber was already 5 chapters in before she got there. My book is in the mail. While we were waiting for a table I told Amber about the cute boy sitting behind her. She didn't want to turn around and look at him, so I pretended to take a pic of her and really took one of him. Ha! Fun times.

Jaren Dean Brinkerhoff

2008-08-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Cami had her little baby boy on July 10th. #1 of the babies due in the next few months. More to come.

Baby Claire Elizabeth Winburn

2008-08-02T12:42:00.000-07:00

Amie had her little baby girl on Thursday July 31st. I'm an Auntie again. Sort of! Baby #2. More still to come, but it's going to be a month or so.