Flyaway to New Orleans for Tulane Game!

While we were in Minnesota visiting our Uncle Craig over Labor Day, we were actually roaming the great and spacious Mall of America, Rodd received a call. "You've Won!"

The day before we headed out to Minnesota I headed out of work as early as I could and headed home. Speed Dial #2. Send. "'Ello!" We had kind of procrastinated our packing and getting ready for our trip so I had to call Rodd and see that he was on schedule with our plan for today. "I'm actually going to make a stop at a dealership in American Fork. I want to put myself in a drawing to win a trip to see BYU play away." We decided that as long as it only took a few minutes it would be okay, but he had to enter me too. :)

We were then receiving the call almost a week later telling us we were to leave the next weekend, only 2 days after we were to arrive home from our Minnesota trip! And I was out of vacation time at work... But too bad, I really wanted to go! So I did the unthinkable. I called in sick. :)

With the exception of a few minor issues, everything worked out great! We flew in about 10 o'clock and got to our hotel, there was not power to our room. Sure, we'll take room service for dinner at no charge. Thanks!
Visited Bourbon Street in the morning. We decided we wanted to be far from there when the sun went down. :) Game Time!

We kicked their butts, as you can see by the score board below.
Even better, this really is where they exited the field. :D No Joke.
We went into a hat store and the salesman tried to sell this to Rodd. He's giving me the 'I'm kind of out of my comfort zone here' face. But I thought he looked cute. "Can I please have some mo'e?"
After the game we walked down Decatur Street and found a great place with live music to eat dinner.

We had a blast! A day and a half was just enough time for us to see what New Orleans had to offer us.

Fourth of July Festivities

Provo Parade - At our usual spot!





BBQ at our house!

Master Griller!

Don't let the hard candy shell fool you... He's a softy.

Rodd went inside to lay down because he was feeling sick. Grey and Nick came inside and were playing the piano for him so that he would feel better and sleep. :)

Then Nick wanted to be like Rodd and sleep so he made himself a bed.

Fireworks and Hanging with Our Neighbors, the Bodines!



The Forth of July is our favorite holiday. :) We just love it and love being patriotic... All year round, actually. But it's fun to really concentrate my love for this country.

More pictures to come.

Work Work Work

I got a job... After being unemployed for several months and getting caught up on all the things I was 'too busy' for, I started looking for something temporary until we could get out to North Carolina and updating my resume. I contacted my references letting them know that they could be contacted, you know. My boss from Eclipse, where I was laid off from, contacted me and had a temporary opportunity at his new office filling in for his payables lady who was going out for surgery.
It worked out that they offered me a permanent full time position in the accounting department, if we didn't move to NC of course. We re-evaluated and decided to stay for now. :)
I am working at Educators Mutual Insurance and am very lucky. This opportunity came at a really great time and we consider it such a huge blessing. The only thing is that it's in Salt Lake City off of 53rd, so it's a pretty good drive, about 100 miles round trip. The Lord work in mysterious ways. We are very lucky. :)

June, 6, F...

What a Crazy Month!!! How ironic that June is the 6th month, F is the 6th Letter...
1. Final decision to stay
2. Flood
3. Fungus
4. Flu...
Yes, we've been busy. A series of events led to our decision to stay in Utah, rather than continue in our efforts to get out to North Carolina. 2 days after we had decided to stay here, out basement flooded. A week later, still cleaning up from the flood we find mold in half of our basement. A few days after that I had flu like symptoms and wasn't allowed to go to work (during Swine Flu outbreak). I went in the to IHC the first day they stopped testing for Swine Flu and started treating as regular flu so I didn't know if it was from the mold in our house or the Flu. Wow, busy month.

I have decided to plant a garden...

After much mulling, we have decided to put off our move to North Carolina for another time. I have mixed feelings, but I'm sure that it will be for the best. This means all of my projects are coming back out and, yes... It's not too late to plant a garden!

My garden is not going to be very big this year, I'm not sure how much veggie we can handle. This is what I managed to finish yesterday. (amid cleaning out our flooded basement, YUCK!) So far we have cilantro, peas, and cucumbers planted... more to come! It's not very big, but while manually tilling the dirt, this is what I found...

Victory points to who can identify the most items in this picture. :) (There are some that I can't even identify!) Haha. It's an adventure everyday at the Jefferies' Home.

Mother's Day BBQ

We thought we'd throw a BBQ on Sunday, May 10th for Mother's Day for those who don't really have plans. Nothing crazy, just some people hanging out. It's bring you're own meat and a side to share (if you can... RSVP for details).
We'll have some grills out along with some tables and chairs... We thought after, for whoever is interested, we could take a little nature walk and enjoy our lovely springy surroundings.

Anyone and everyone is welcome! Let me know if you are interested.

(I love you Mom! You're great!)

NEW DIET INFO EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

A lady I work with has this hanging up in her cube... I just love it. There really is so much truth there. :)

Rodd's SURPRISE Birthday Party!!

Another BIG thanks to everyone who made the Party come together! It was great. My wonderful neighbor decorated and set up all day while we were gone (Thanks Sabrina!!!) and it looked SO great!!! Most everyone was able to make it for the Surprise, and I am proud to say that he was completely surprised. He had no idea what was coming... :)



When I got home from work at 2pm, I asked Rodd what he wanted to do for his birthday and he said, "I just want to sit at home and watch Lost". Obviously that wasn't an option so we went off for an early dinner at Tucano's, but due to it being Graduation weekend... The wait for 2 was over 2 hours... Long story short, we ended up at JCW's, our favorite burger joint. :) We made the rounds and visited some family and I was able to hold Rodd off from lost until the Party.

(My wonderful neighbor Sabrina who did so much!!! THANKS! :)
I love that everyone was cool with just hanging out. This is a group that just loves each others company. We do have really great friends and we're so grateful for them.
All in all, it was a great way to spend the evening. PLUS Rodd got his new favorite game from our new favorite neighbors... :)
Yeah, We Love You All!
HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY RODD!

Easter Festivities

There was a lot going on around Easter time. Luckily we got to enjoy most of it. Here are some fun pictures from the Hofheins Family celebration... Actually, these were all taken from my phone due to my unpreparedness. Better quality than I expected. :)
I actually do have more pictures here of the kids, but I'll have to get them off of my phone and repost... :)

St. Patrick's Day Special - 2 in 1!!!

This Saturday I am hosting my first... well, retail party? A good friend of mine and my mothers, Sonja, is a consultant for Scentsy and Cookie Lee. She is looking to get rid of some of her inventory and there are going to be some AWESOME deals! There will also be yummy treats and good company! Come and enjoy the fun!


ST. PATRICKS DAY SPECIAL PARTY!!! Scentsy Wickless Candles and Cookie Lee Jewelry Open House Saturday, March 14th from 1:00-3:30pm. Drawings for FREE PRODUCT! Great discounts up to 60% OFF Cookie Lee Inventory!! New Warmers and Scents from Scentsy! Let me know that you're coming and get a $5.00 off purchase of $30 or more coupon. For more information visit www.cookielee.com/sonjashupe or www.scentsy.com/sweethomes, or contact Sonja Shupe, Independent Consultant at (801) 427-1908. Hope to see you there! (Some treats will be served, YUM!!)

If you are not able to make it but would still like to check out the catalogs, the links are below. Just contact Sonja with any items you'd like to order and she'll hook you up!!!

Check out the Cookie Lee Catalog Here.

Check out the Scentsy Wickless Candles Catalog Here.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!

Looking Forward to the Night

So, I love staying up after Rodd goes to bed when I can help it. He is a consistent sleep-talker and when I catch something it is definitely worth it.

On Saturday night, Rodd fell asleep while I was catching up on some 'Office' that I had missed. I was just playing some games online to try to wind down and hopefully fall asleep when he started up. Now, Rodd mumbles a lot in his sleep so he is hard to make out, but this is what I got out of him.

Rodd:"The bulldogs are outside the house. WOOHOO!" (Throwing his hands into the air)
Me: "What is outside the house??"
Rodd: "The bulldogs?"
Me: "What's that?"
Rodd: "Um... Mini-sized candy bars? Right?"
Me: "Yep." (laughing, I couldn't help myself!)
After a moments pause, he rolled over toward me and said, " I don't like where this conversation is going."
I looked at him for a second in COMPLETE shock. Then asked, "Honey, are you awake?"
He didn't respond. I totally busted up laughing and could not contain myself for 20 minutes! I told him first thing this morning when we woke up and we both had a good laugh.

Also when we were in Mesa visiting his sister for Thanksgiving he had some good ones there too.
Randomly, in the middle of the night, (I may have been reading?) he says(in an English, Piratey accent) , "Tis I! The Russian Sucka Guy!"

More to come... definitely. Rodd was the one that even suggested this go on the blog, so I know that I am safe. :)

Indiana Pacers @ Utah Jazz

We stumbled on a great deal and were able to go to the Jazz game Monday night with Josh and Dee Knell and his brother and a date. We got $92 seats + Hot Dogs for $28 (6 seats + 6 FREE hotdogs = $162)!! The last game we went to was around Rodd's birthday last year. We got to see the Jazz play in the playoffs. It was a really great game. The Jazz put up a good fight and came out on top! 120-113. It was definitely a close one.

I'll have to post some pictures later, my computer and blogger are apparently having trouble with images today.

Theater Hopping: The New Thing

Okay, so last night I got a text from my lovely cousin Ally inviting me to a movie with the Estrogen Club today: Bride Wars at Provo Towne Centre at 12:45. I wasn't really planning on going but my mother talked me into it and we met up at the theater. By the time we got there, it was just after 12:30 and we got in line to get some treats. We are walking to our theater talking and mom says, Oh, here it is, and points to the title above the entrace showing Bride Wars. We walk in at 12:49 and the movie has already started. Not the credits, it's actually showing the movie. We are looking in the audience for the girls and don't see them. I text Ally ' Where are you?'. She texts back, come in on the left side. We had entered on the right side. So after 5 minutes of looking on the right side, we walk out and around of the little theater to the left side.
After atleast 5 more minutes of looking while the movie is playing, we decide to just sit down because we just can't see them. 10-15 minutes later, my mom turns to me and says, "It feels like this movie is ending, do you think we're in the right theater??" I had kind of been asking myself the same question, but knew for sure that it was the right movie. So I grab the tickets and walk outside to check the theater number. So we were totally in the wrong theater. We had gone to the 11:30 am instead of the 12:45. I was laughing so hard when I walked back in that I was crying and I could hardly breathe. We eventually found the right theater, where the girls were sitting and got to enjoy the rest of the movie, a good portion toward the end that we had already seen. :) Needless to say, we came up with a quite logical explanation for this new method of 'theater hopping'. It's just like reading the last page of a book. We just wanted to make sure that we liked the ending of the show before we paid to watch the whole thing. :)

Ashley needs...

I keep looking at this on one of my friends blogs (my lovely friend and roommate Ta'Mera Masson). You go to Google search and type in your name + needs (ie Ashley needs) then type in the top 10 things that come up. I had to do Rodd as well, I just couldn't help myself. :)

Ashley needs...
1. Ashley needs to keep wearing stuff like this. (...The more skin she shows, the better she looks.) I just HAD to put the next sentence... HAHA!! :S
2. Ashley needs to splash the cash to win Newcastle fans back.
3. Ashley needs prayer.
4. Ashley needs to learn the rules.
5. Ashley needs a home that is well-structured and able to provide the special assistance she needs.
6. ASHLEY NEEDS A NAP
7. Ashley needs formula ASAP
8. Ashley needs more support.
9. ashley needs this.
10. Ashley Needs phone numbers again her phone got stolen.

Rodd needs...
1. RODD needs a new wardrobe.
2. Rodd needs just 11 more treys.
3. Rodd needs money
4. rodd needs adjustment
5. RODD needs to launch few rockets and we out!
6. Rodd needs not to always be afraid, sooner or later, there will be a triumph over difficulties!
7. Rodd needs to sit his horse Bohemian Dancer back last and tag Consular or Smart and Mighty into the race from the 600, then get it to the outside in the straight.
8. Rodd needs to get going on that song.
9. Rodd needs any icing on the cake this spring.
10. Rodd needs people like you to defend him.

Well, I admit this was very entertaining. It will be interesting to see what Rodd has to say when he sees it??? :)

Boomerang Bookstore: GREAT FOR STUDENTS!!!

So, lately we've been trying to get rid of stuff that we don't need, never have or will use, etc. I am constantly reminded that we still have SO MANY of our textbooks. Some from our 2 years at SUU, and even some from when Rodd attended UVSC (02-04???) So I've been listing them on Ebay and have not had much luck... So, of course, I've turned to the textbook buyback stores, which I HATE.

I did my research to make sure I didn't get ripped off too badly, and found this little store right by BYU campus and J-DAWG's (for those of you who are familiar). They buy, sell, rent, trade all different kinds of books, not just textbooks. Plus on their website, it says that they are even buying certain video games too... I sold a good stack of books to them and got a very good buyback rate. I actually ended up getting more than I even expected for some of them. :) You can see their website here. You can even email them your schedule and they will get the books that you need and let you know when they have them. Awesome? I think so.

Also, while I was there trying to get rid of my many books, there was a girl in front of me buying a book. One of the 2 guys that own the place said," You're not getting that book for [such and such] class are you?" She looked at him funny and said that she was. "Then that's not the book that you're looking for, you're going to need [such and such], but we actually don't have it in right now." I was impressed. They actually know what they're talking about.

I'm all for locals starting up their little businesses to make a buck or two, and when I see quality work I definitely spread the word. This little shop is definitely worth a peek!

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW???

Well, as all of you living in Utah have probably noticed, it has been snowing for a long time. It started on Monday 5th around noon in Provo, and it hasn't really let up since. Apparently it isn't supposed to let up until tomorrow Morning (Wednesday 7th)! I'm not sure that song is quite appropriate for us right now. Although we are AND should be grateful for the moisture we are receiving... Many of us are not excited and would probably not LET it snow, given we had the chance to stop it... :) Wow. I shoveled this morning and realized just how much now we HAVE gotten...
I took this picture this morning around 10am, so it is pretty current. It has been snowing for over 24 hours and is still going strong. This next picture was from last night, around 7pm... so after 7 hours of snow.


Rodd got home from work and spent some time outside with me while I shoveled. He looks kind of excited in this picture, but don't let him fool you... He HATES the snow.

I took this picture last night around 10pm because I was afraid that it would be gone by the morning. It was actually still their until our mailman came sometime around noon.

Needless to say, I am on the fence about it all. I like it for a short time. I hate driving around with everyone else in it, and I hate that Rodd has to work in it... But, I guess, "Since we've no place to go... Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!"