Halloween 2009

Halloween was a blast this year!

For work, it was my bosses idea, Rachael, to all dress up at the Three's Company cast. Which all worked out perfectly!! I was Mrs. Roper. The costumes worked out perfectly and we all looked FABULOUS!! It was so much fun! Our group won 50 bucks, and we also got a trophy. It was a fun time!

For Halloween day, I dressed in my witches costume again. Trevor went as a Ghostbuster. He made his own proton pack and everything - it looked AMAZING!!!! (We aren't into doing the "couples" kind of costumes as much.) We had a trunk or treat at our ward house (that we helped out with in the planning cause we are on the Activities Committee I might add) which was a HUGE success!! We had sooo many kids and people there, it was awesome! We actually ran out of candy. We did Hot Dogs, Hot Chocolate and Apple Juice, and just had a blast!





My sister, Brother-in-law and little nieces and nephews came up for the fun as well. After the trunk or treat, we took a few minutes and stopped by our friends Cammie and Ed's place for some dinner, and then went over to my sisters place, picked up the older girls and their friends, and went up to the Bountiful Temple to go Trick or Treating. We had SUCH A GOOD TIME!!!!! Those girls were so much dang fun!!!

Sigh.... Oh Sigh ... now that Halloween is over we don't start thinking about it again until January. Then, we begin the planning for our next Halloween adventure!

Witches Night Out

Every year here in Salt Lake, there is an event called "Witches Night Out". It's for everyone to dress up as Witches and gather at a place called Gardner Village. It was a ton of fun. EXTREMELY crowded! But still a ton of fun. It's really an excuse to get dressed up and hang out with my girlfriends. I, of course, had to go with a details character costume. If you can't tell, I am Winifred Sanderson, from the Sanderson sisters, from the movie Hocus Pocus. One of my favorite Halloween movies EVER!

We danced, laughed and of course took tons of pictures. After we were tired of being on our feet, we went to get something to eat (still dressed up), and then went to the movies (still dressed up). We found more joy in the evening when people were looking and staring and making comments - such a BLAST!!!

How FREAKING COOL IS HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

Me and Lindsay

Me and Lindsay in character..

Me and Charity.. love the hat!

Heidi, Charity, Lindsay and Me

Vacation Celebration

Trevor and I had two-weeks of use it or lose it time. With a newly fixed truck, we had no other option than to do a ROAD TRIP!

Our first stop was Arizona!

Michelle and Taeven: In the Summer of 1991, I traveled up to Ricks College (a.k.a BYU-I) to attend cosmetology school. I, of course, needed housing while going to school, so I took advantage of Ricks housing. Ricks housing is a bit different from most universities. The landlords try to pack as many girls into one room to A: cut costs and B: make money. So, needless to say, I was crammed in with 5 girls.

To make a long story short, my roomy - roommate was Michelle Chandler (now Thompson). From the moment we met we have been best-pals! I keep her grounded, and she keeps my life interesting. Here it is almost 20-years later.. We have seen one another through boyfriends, weddings, fights and fun.



For Three days Me, Trevor, Taeven (Michelle's husband) and Michelle ate, chatted, giggled, ate, watched t.v., scrap booked (well, I did), ate, reminisced, hung-out, and laughed, laughed, laughed! .. .. this photo would be eating at In and Out Burger ~ yummm!


We, of course, brought Max. Michelle and Taeven's dog, Winnie, was so excited to have someone to boss around and steal snacks and bones from... as you can see from the picture, she was shameless about it too!


Poor Max....

Kay and Jace: The next stop was to see my cousin Kay and her family. When we got there, Kay, Jace, Trev and I and the two older girls (out of 6 kids) all went to lunch. Wow! How big they've all grown! We then found a Halloween store to go to for Trevor - he was thrilled!!! That evening, Jace, Kay, Trev and I had a double date. We went to dinner and then went to a park afterwards and just talked, and talked, and talked.

The next day, all of my cousins that still live in Arizona all came over for Sunday dinner. We had a HUGE Fiesta!! Every kind of Mexican food you can imagine was there. It was awesome!! It was soooo good to see all my cousins. Some of them, I hadn't seen in like 5 or 6 years.


We were having such a good time, we had to stay an extra day. That morning Kay did my hair and then Trev and I went to the SAS fabric store. It's this amazing warehouse of EVERY KIND of fabric you can imagine, at a SUPER discount. Seriously, they sell it by the pound.. .. Trevor was in heaven! Afterwards, we met Kay at Chino Banditos. Get this, it's actually, Chinese Mexican food. Who would have thought the two would go together, but let me tell you it was crazzzy awesome!

Home Sweet Home: Unfortunately, Trevor had to go back to work. So, with one quick stop in Ut, we grabbed a night out with my sister Christa and her husband Dan. We decided to celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary, Christa's 43rd birthday, and Carter's (her son) 5th birthday. Pizza, conversation and fun.. .. really, does it get any better?

The next day Trevor drove me to the ID/ UT border. We met up with my mother and she took me the rest of the way to Idaho to stay with my mom and dad the remainder of my vacation.

Mom and I started on my Halloween costume~ a witch! And can I just tell you - my mother is an absolute GENIUS!!! She is so smart and brilliant at sewing. She had some difficulties figuring out a certain part of the dress part, but she did it. She made that dress look beautiful!! No pictures ~ yet. Not until Halloween! Lets just say, I'm going to look soooo damn awesome!!

Trev drove up on Friday night and spent the remaining time with us.

All in all, it was a fabulous fabulous vacation!

Our Poor Truck.. Our GREAT Blessings

3-weeks ago Trevor and I were driving down the freeway. After a few click, ticks and clunks, we pulled over to see what the problem was. Well, actually, we knew. The transfer casing had gone south, and our truck could no longer compensate. We ended up in a Big Five parking lot, in the way of traffic, with the engine seized up in gear!

We called my brother-in-law, Dan, who suggested that we rent a U-haul and ship the truck to my brother, Kurt, in Idaho ~ A.S.A.P! So, while Trevor and Dan were off to four different U-hauls to find the right tow-dolly, I was stuck sitting in a truck, stuck in the middle of a mess.. . ... .. then along came a miracle.

A woman, who worked at the Big Five, came out for a smoke, and instead found me and my predicament. With one call to her boyfriend, Troy, our truck was outta gear and outta the way of traffic.

AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH!!

Troy then stayed with me until Trevor and Dan showed back up with the tow-doll.

AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH!!

My brother, Kurt, drove down to Utah in my mother's car, swapped out the car for the truck, took the truck back to Idaho, and fixed it in two hours. As soon as T and I had a spare moment, we drove up to Idaho and picked up our once ill truck.



The moral of the story: Life happens so that miracles can occur...

9/11

On Friday we will be remembering the tragedy of 9/11. It's difficult to not think back to exactly what you were doing when you heard that the twin towers had been destroyed by Terrorist. The following 8 minute film tenderly brought to heart and mind of how we see that event so many years later.. .. ..make sure to scroll down and shut off the music...

You Say It's My Birthday... da .. da .. da..da

Today was my 39th Birthday.. . .. yes, I know, how could someone so cute be 39 ? Chubby cheeks. That's the answer to true youth. No one can look at chubby cheeks and think ~ not cute. It's impossible!

In addition to being 39, I had an over-all WONDERFUL DAY! Much of that has to do with the great gals at work. With a 4ft Christmas tree as a center piece, those lovely ladies decorated my cubical with the most hilarious decorations. I had Happy Birthday ~ Merry Christmas ~ Happy Halloween, and I think someone threw in a menorah just to cover bases. As if that wasn't enough, they took me to lunch for some awesome Mexican food ~ yummy!

At 1pm Trevor showed up to take me home early ~ ah, there's a treat. We went shopping with some of the gift cards I had received (thanks again girls!), took a nice, loooong, cool nap, only to wake to the lovely sound of my friend, Michelle, singing "Happy Birthday You Look Like A Monkey" in the most velvet voice.

Tonight, Treveor and I plan to go out for a little din-din and then home early for bed. Okay. So it not a hopin' night. But, I'm 39 not 19, no matter how cute my cheeks! Still, for me, it has been nothing but a perfect start to my 39th year.

Trust In The Lord

It's no secret that Trevor and I have had difficulty getting pregnant, and I won't lie, we are always riddled with mixed feeling when our friends and family are showered with the blessings that we still long for. HOWEVER, Let' s make it known -NOW- that despite our obvious difficulties, we are truly happy for those who are able to embrace the blessings of children.

Recently, the Church has been putting out weekly short films called "Mormon Messages". Each message is so thoughtful and poignant, that I can't help but feel a deep and tender emotion when I watch them.

Below (at the very bottom of this blogsite) I have posted a few of my favorites, the most important (and the reason for this blog) is "Trust In The Lord". Not only was I able to relate to this woman's plight, but it helped me understand that sometimes blessings and trials are not about this check list or that good deed, but about time, understanding and trust.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.....

Good Times in Bad Times

Isn't she cute! That's my niece, McKenzie. Last week she turned 13. So, we went to Texas Roadhouse, had a little dinner, a few laughs and a little Happy Birthday sing-a-long. I can't believe how quickly she's grown and how beautiful she's become

~ inside and out.

Have I mentioned how much I love hanging-out with my family....

Speaking of, on Mother's day Trevor and I drove to Idaho to be with my family. WHAT A BLAST WE HAD! We went shopping, had a fabulous lunch, did our toes, giggled, joked and laughed.

Have I mentioned how much I love hanging-out with my family...

For instance, my sweet, little niece, Jocelyn, will be here next week for a ",Aunt Carla Niece Jocelyn weekend". We plan to shop, cook, chat, play, pamper and laugh ... giggle ... laugh.

Have I mentioned how much I love my family...

Life is difficult for many these days, Trevor and I are no exception. Even with the stress of day in-day out life, bills that do and don't get paid, and dreams that seem too far to touch, it's my family that keeps sane, keeps me laughing and remind me, in the most glorious way, that life ain't so bad.

OHHHHH.. What a week! For starters, as many of you know, Trevor and I have been living with R&R. To make a long story short, we moved out on Monday. We are grateful for the home and friendship R&R have provided, and wish them all the best! In the meantime, Trevor and I have moved in with Jen and Sean! Yay!

What makes this move so great is that it has been a long time coming. For a few months now Jen and Sean have been waiting for their escrow to end so that moving could beging. During that downtime we all went to Disneyland to Celebrate Jen's birthday. Yay again! In addition to enjoying the happiest place on earth with great friends, it was Jen's first time out of the state, so it was also her first time to Disneyland!

Although we had a rough start checking in at the front desk (English anyone!), the rest of the trip went off without a hitch! I have to admit that my favorite part was that Jen had NO IDEA Trevor and I were going to Disneyland too. It was a huge secret, until she opened the door to her hotel room and saw streemers, a cake and us!

I love the happiest place on earth!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

As the luck 'o the Irish would have it, I had an early St. Patty's with my folks this past weekend. It was WONDERFUL! Ma and Pa Jackson came down to do thier taxes, and lucky me, T and I got to share a lovely St. Patty's day dinner with them.

We had cornbeef and cabbage (of course) and potatoes. Unfortunately, due to time, I wasn't able to make my world famous Cheezy Funeral Potato's, but for those of you would would like the recipe to share with your families, here it is:

8 lg potatoes, cooked and grated
1 lg container of sour cream
1 family size cream of chicken soup
8 cup grated cheddar cheese

Combine all ing. and bake at 350 for 30 min. or until bubbly

EnJoy! and have a VeRy HaPpY St. PaTtY's DaY!!

Mid-February Party

Because my so-called-best-friend posted that stupid HAPPY V-DAY crap, I am now forced to, not only recall the statement, but inform you of the sacred family holiday that is practiced in lieu of V.D. (as I like to call it). The grand and great holiday is known as, Mid-February! .... yes, you read right.

In the Jackson/Wirth clan, we are not victims of commercial love. NO! As Trevor says: "It's a big, fat, dumb to pick just one day to say I love you. You should say it every day in every way". And, we do. Therefore, when February rolls around we poo poo the alleged day of love and instead celebrate the time honored tradition of Mid-February.

For most of you who do not know of this tradition, you will need the following: ~Chocolate ~Pizza ~Hamster. The chocolate and pizza are for the feast (heart shaped optional) and the hamster is the mascot. The day consists of laughing, making of cards and eating, eating, eating. There is no gush of loving sentiment on Mid-February, just the cozy, warm love of your family, the good times that come from being together, and the... well, just a hamster mascot.

Many of you may be asking, "Why Carla, what about your diet"? No worries, Trevor and I finished just in time - yay! I lost 12lbs and Trevor lost 20lbs. Can you believe it! If that doesn't call for a heart shaped pizza in celebration, then I don't know what does.

To all I wish the very merriest of Mid-February!!

Welcome

Welcome to my blogspot! I know, I know, I've said a million times I wasn't going to do this, but I've recently realized just how interesting I am. For instance, I am an amazing scrapbooker, and once a month I play Bunko with a bunch of girls from work.... I rock at Bunko. The latest news is that Trevor and I are, once again, planning a move. Living with R & R has been just what we needed, when we needed it, but it's now time to move on to new adventures. We want to thank R & R for their home and friendship and wish them THE BEST in the future.

As most of you know, I recently began a new job. After almost 9 year at my former place of employment, the move was not easy, but it has been "wirth" it. I love my job! I just love it! I fit like a glove. At first things were a bit challenging, in time however, I got the hang of it -whew!

Now, most of you may be asking about kids... or not, the subject can be touchy, I admit... still, Trevor and I want you to know that we are continually unintentionally trying. - wink wink. If the Lord sees fit to bless us with a child then - YEAH BABY! If not, we know it's for the best and blessings will come from our faith. We'll be honest, some days are good and some days are not so good, but we weather it as it comes. Although, I must admit, when I heard about the woman who had 8 kids in one fail swoop, I couldn't help but contemplate a scene out of Raising Arizona: " How can they have 8 and we have none? Go get me a baby Trevor, and don't come back until you have one.. or two.. would she really notice them gone"?

In the meantime, T and I are hitting the last stretch of our "cleansing diet". After Dad's attack, we knew that we needed to start taking better care of ourselves, so about 4 weeks ago we began the cleansing diet. It's not been easy - oh heavens! But, it's been worth it. Trevor and I both feel better and look forward to a healthier way of life.