Nerts

I have to admit, I have an addiction. It's called NERTS on my iPhone. I just can't help it. I was first introduced to this game 2 years ago at a family reunion. As you probably guessed, I really stank at it, like I do most card games. So, when I saw this FREE app, I thought I'd give it a try, hoping that maybe next time I play with the family I wouldn't lose so badly if  practiced a little. That was the start of the addiction. Pretty soon, Joe was threatening to delete it off my phone because he said he was worried about me. I won't tell you how many hours I think I've played. It's so sad. 

Last night we played games with our good friends the Hulmes and the Steeles. Guess what we played. Guess who won!! 

Yeah, it was sweet. 

Now this is what I call March Madness

Before I became Mrs. Flager, I didn't know that much about sports. However, being married to the biggest sports nut I know has quickly changed that. This is the first time I have EVER filled out a March Madness bracket. Heck, last year I didn't even know what March Madness was. (It's the college basketball playoffs for those of you like me.) 

Anyway, the law school has a bracket pool and I thought it would be fun for Joe and I to fill out some brackets and see how we did against each other and the school. I am Flager1 and he is Flager2. Will you look at that! I'm beating him! Now, that may not seem like a big deal to many of you, but believe me, it is. Joe is so good at everything, I feel like I can hardly keep up. So when a moment like this occurs, I have to glory in in it!

By the way, can you believe that I am third out of everyone in the law school? Neither can I.

P.S. I am SO proud of my BYU cougars making it to the Sweet 16! Go Cougars!

Happy March everyone!

(Disclaimer: Joe may have helped me a bit in putting the bracket together. But, I assure you, it is my own picks that are putting me in the lead. )

I Wish . . .

. . . I had time. Time to read all my homework assignments, do all my legal research, finish all my class outlines, do all my practice questions, and write my research paper. Time to get a full 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Time to blog, write letters to old friends, craft, bake, cook new things, decorate my house, have all my laundry actually clean, folded, and put away. Time to have a long chat on the phone with my mother, sister, grandma, aunt, mission companion, mother-in-law, or friend. Time to clean out my coat closet, linen closet, under my kitchen sink, and our extra bedroom/office. Time to write meaningful letters to my missionary brothers and my other sweet siblings. Time to practice playing guitar, to paint, to do yoga, and hike. Time to go to the gym, shop for fun, and dance in my kitchen. Time to really enjoy a good novel. Time to travel to Moab, Zions, California, Oregon, and New York City. Time to lay in bed and cuddle with my husband until I was ready to get up (which probably wouldn't be until at least 2 p.m.). Time to play Ticket to Ride, Settlers, or Dominion. Time to watch all the March Madness games and see that my bracket is actually beating my husband's. Time to have a picnic, see a play, or go to the hot springs nearby.

Time, time, time.

Sometimes I wish we had a 36 hour day, but then I think, even that wouldn't be enough.

Goodbye to an Old Friend.

In a few short hours, I will be saying goodbye to this Old Friend

OK, just one of them. But this pic is when I got a replacement a few years ago.

And saying hello to this NEW Friend

Old Friend has been very good to me these last 4 (count them, FOUR) years. But lately he has gotten tired and broken and is ready to retire. Thus, New Friend is taking his place and I am SO EXCITED to have a phone that actually works!

Today.

6:00am--Wake up
6:15am--Get out of bed, shower, get ready
7:05am--Kiss Husband as we both run out the door, realize it snowed again
7:20am--Arrive at school, it is still dark outside
7:25am--At desk at school, check email, Facebook, and news
7:30am--Study Business Associations, finish outline, go over class slides, listen to lectures
9:50am--Realize that I am wearing black jeans and a brown coat. Lock coat in desk
10:00am--Class (Professional Responsibility), shiver through class
11:00am--Girl talk with Rachel and Lauren
11:15am--Study group, go over Business Associations
12:50am--Bathroom break and grab an orange and a granola bar from my desk for lunch
1:00pm--Class (Immigration Law), eat orange and granola bar
1:20pm--Go back to desk and study more Business Associations
3:00pm--Take Business Associations MIDTERM, be surprised that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be
4:00pm--Start source verification for the legal journal edit
7:00pm--Still doing edit and realize that I am hungry. The sugar from the granola bar and orange has run out.
7:45pm--Pack up and drive home, car is FREEZING, it is still dark outside, realize I never saw the sun today
8:05pm--Arrive home to empty cold house, turn on heater so it is warm when husband gets home from class
8:10pm--Microwave Smart Ones dinner, celery stalks, and Chuck
8:45pm--Get back to editing assignment
9:40pm--Husband gets home! Kiss husband.
10:15pm--Husband goes to bed. Kiss him goodnight. Keep working on edit.
11:05pm--Finish edit
11:06pm--Check Facebook
11:10pm--Update resume and fill out application for ILMR Journal Board Member position
11: 39pm--Submit application (20 mins before the deadline!)
11:40pm--Read news, wonder what will happen in Egypt
11:55pm--Start this blog post, feel like it has been a productive day
12:05pm--BED TIME!!

Confession of a Lame Blogger

I really shouldn't be blogging right now. I have so much homework to do and laundry to fold. I don't know why I am. It seems like I go weeks without even looking at this thing and then I have a weekend where I am on it ALL THE TIME. The inconsistency is probably why hardly anyone reads this any more. Heck, I probably wouldn't read this blog anymore either.

The truth is, the last six months of my life have been the hardest few months I have ever experienced. A combination of health problems and events out of my control have really caused me a lot of anguish. I was glad to see 2010 go. No, glad doesn't adequately describe it. I was ECSTATIC to see 2010 end.

So, I guess the reason I haven't been very consistent with blogging is because I didn't have many happy things to say and I don't want this blog to be a whine fest. Your welcome.

Life is full of ups and downs. This life is a time to grow and that means hurting sometimes. We can't pretend that away. Despite the fact that life has been the pits for the last few months, I have to say, I really have grown. I have felt the healing power of my Heavenly Father and have seen direct blessing from Heaven. I have become even closer to my spouse and found that he loves me even though I am not perfect and that makes me joyous. I have found that even though he isn't perfect, I love him more everyday and that makes me giddy. I have been blessed by the love and support of loving parents. Their wisdom, care, and love for me have overwhelmed me with gratitude.

(Just one example of my parents' awesomeness. I was surprised to get this amazing fruit basket in the mail on an especially hard day. How did my Mother know that it was just the expression of love I needed to help me get through?)

Maybe, most surprisingly, I have found that I have a strength in myself that I didn't recognize before. I have learned that I can be strong even when I feel so very weak. That recognition has filled me with confidence and self worth that I haven't had before and I think that's pretty cool.

So, I am not apologizing for having a lame blog. It is what it is. But, I hope you won't give up on me. Please be patient with me and this lame blog because the truth is, I need good friends like you.

Love is in the Air

One thing I LOVE about being married (besides being able to spend the rest of my life with my handsome husband, of course) is that I have my own house. Now don't get me wrong, I've had some AMAZING roommates over the years. In fact, most of them I consider my dearest friends. However, there is just something WONDERFUL about having your own place that you can make yours. Since we've been married, I've been way more into home decor than ever before. I love that I can make my house mine. That also means that I get into holidays way more than I ever used to. So, I decided today that I needed our little apartment to be "Valentined." Since we are on a budget, I decided it had to be cheap but awesome. So, I got some printables from the lovely ladies at the blogs below, found some old frames that I had lying around, bought some Valentine letter blocks for $1, and whoala! My house is in the full Valentine spirit!

Find the Keep Calm and Kiss On printable HERE

Find the All You Need Is Love printable HERE

Find the Valentine Subway Art printable HERE

Find the Dr Seuss printable HERE

I love that I have a big window sill to decorate. I have now fallen in love with printables. And I LOVE that I get so spend my Valentine's day with my favorite guy.

The Holidays

  The Holiday/Finals season got away with me and I have failed to blog about our WONDERFUL holiday! We were able to go back to Oregon for a few days and visit our family. I CANNOT tell you how much I needed to go home. My parents really are my best friends and I just needed to spend time talking and laughing with them. It was so rejuvenating!  

Joe and I were able to participate in all the Harris and Flager Christmas traditions. The annual Harris candle-light dinner was nothing short of amazing. Here's a picture of my parents carving the duck we had. 

We played lots of Ping-Pong with the Flagers and just relished every moment. It was a great Christmas!

We had to come home on the 26th because Joe had to work on Monday. :( So, I worked on a paper I had to write all week. Our 1st Anniversary was on December 29th and Mother Nature celebrated it as she celebrated our wedding a year before--with TONS of snow in Utah. It even snowed in Oregon too. I wonder if snow on our anniversary will be a yearly occurrence.

To celebrate, we at the top of our wedding cake. Some of you may think that is weird, but it is something my family has always done. You freeze the top layer of the wedding cake and then eat it on your first anniversary. Joe could NOT wait to have it. It was so yummy at our wedding.

It reminds me of a marshmallow.

All the black stenciling came off with the foil, so it looked grey. But, I still love the flowers.

It was Cookies n' Cream flavored cake with Cookies n' Cream flavored icing in the layers. YUM!

So, it wasn't as good a year later. (That wasn't really a surprise.) It was still pretty good, but just a bit dry for our taste. But it was fun anyway. I LOVED my wedding cake and it was great to relive how wonderful our wedding was.

Then on the weekend, we REALLY celebrated our anniversary and the New Year. My wonderful parents reserved an ADORABLE room at The Inn on the Hill bed and breakfast in Salt Lake City. we got to stay for two nights and it was a PERFECT weekend.

First of all, the room had an amazing view.

Then, on New Year's Eve we had quite the fun and romantic evening. We started with dinner at The Roof restaurant which is across from Temple Square. The food was SO YUMMY and the view from our table of the Salt Lake Temple was simply stunning.

Since it was New Year's Eve, they gave us hats and noise makers. Joe looked like a member of the Rat Pack in in his hat (so handsome!).

Then we went to see Savior of the World at the Conference Center. What a wonderful show! The actors were SO talented and the music was amazing! It was great to start the new year with our thoughts on the Savior. Before we headed back to the hotel, we enjoyed some of the activities that were around Temple Square, including a presentation of Polynesian dancers. It was so fun!

At midnight they set fireworks off at Temple Square and we could see them from our hotel room. I can't think of a more perfect way to start a new year!

Now, the vacation is over and reality has set in. I've already completed one week of school and Joe is back to work and starts classes tomorrow. We are grateful for all the Lord has blessed us with in 2010 and hoping for a wonderful 2011.

Looking Forward to 2011

• Draw Closer to God
  • Personally
    • Personal prayer morning and night
      • Don't wait until too tired to pray
        
    • Personal scripture study
      • Start the day off right
        
  • As a Family
    • Family prayer daily
      
    • Family scripture study daily
      
    • Family Home Evening Weekly
      • Tuesday night preferable
        
      • Plan lessons on Sunday
        
    • Church attendance weekly
      
    • Temple attendance monthly
      
• Strengthen Marriage
  
  • Let Joe make his own choices
    
  • FORGIVE
    
  • Date Night once a week
    
  • Family dinner 5 nights a week
    
  • Show acts of kindness daily
    
  • Be intimate often
    
• Lose Weight
  
  • Weight Watchers for at least 3 months
    • Track food
      
    • Weekly weigh in
      
    • Eat healthy
      • More fruits and veggies
        
      • Lean meats
        
      • Whole wheat carbs
        
    • Drink 64 oz. water daily
      
    • Treats moderately (within the weekly allowance)
      
• Improve Academically
  
  • Be at school at 8AM Monday –Friday
    
  • Stay until 5PM Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
    
  • Stay until 8PM Monday and Wednesday
    
  • Stay on top of reading
    • Schedule homework in Google Calendar
      
    • Do all reading the night before the class
      
  • Keep current outlines
    • Outline every Friday
      
    • DO NOT PROCRASTINATE
      
  • Get help
    • Ask questions and make sure to understand concepts on Friday
      
  • Memorize Weekly
    • Memorize what was outlined the week before throughout the week
      
    • Review outlines on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
      
• Be More Financially Responsible
  
• Make a budget with Joe
  
• STICK to BUDGET
  
• Make dinner 5 times weekly
  • E-Mealz
    
  • Do grocery shopping on Saturday mornings
    
• Eat Out less
  • Bring lunch to school
    
  • Stick to eat out budget
    
• PAY TITHING AND FAST OFFERING

Tis The Season . . .

. . . to freak out. It's that time of year again. No, I'm not talking about Christmas, although that may be happening too. No, I'm talking about FINALS. That dreaded time of year when I am faced with a brutal understanding of just how much I DIDN'T learn this semester. Ugh. Well, at least I have a nice desk to study at, comfy PJs, a space heater to keep my toesies warm, and a coco motion that makes the PERFECT cup of hot chocolate to keep me going. Oh, and I have 2 cases of Diet Coke. They are already almost half gone. But hey, I only drink them during finals, so I am allowed. 

Also, I wrapped, packaged, and sent all my Christmas packages today. Yay me! They went to New York, New York; Phoenix, AZ; and Berlin, Germany. I hope they bring my brothers and brother-in-law some smiles. 

Oh, and my husband has been wincing in pain all weekend from a toothache. Poor guy. I had to take care of him, but I don't mind. I love him, so it's OK. He's at the dentist right now. Thank heavens for good friends that are dental hygienists and so they can get him a last minute appointment on a Monday morning!

Well, that's it for me. Time to get back to freaking out, oh, I mean studying. 

Here's a picture of our Christmas decorations. I love our little tree. Did you know I collect nativities? I just love them. Joe had to point out that we have seven baby Jesus-es in our living room. Isn't that just great?!