Lunch with Jen, Mom, and Lauren

On Friday I got to eat lunch with Mom, Jen, and Lauren at Macaroni Grill in Provo. It was a nice break from a busy day at work. It was so nice to see them, have fun, and relax. Work has been a little stressful lately and I needed a small break. I hope they, and anyone else who want to come, can come down and meet me for lunch again. As a small note, I would like to encourage everyone to order what they know they like on a menu and not be swayed by others (ie a mother or a server.) Luckily, I had chocolate cake after my strange pasta to make up for it. :)

Red devil and the tow truck

On Sunday morning, my car wouldn't start. When I turned the key, not one cough came from my red devil. I walked to church. I enlisted the help of Aunt Diane and Uncle Larry. On Monday night, they came over and looked at the car. Just in case it was the battery, we let it charge overnight. The next day, my car still persisted in being annoying. Aunt Diane drove me and my battery over to an auto parts store for testing. The battery was fine. We then had a brief conference around the kitchen table where it was decided that I should have my car towed to a repair shop that Larry recommended. On Wednesday morning, Aunt Diane came over and we had my car towed to a local repair shop. She graciously let me use one of her free tows from AAA and then drove me to the shop. I called mom for advise and to let her know what was going on. Three hours, and $323 later, my car was fixed. The starter had worn out and had to be replaced. All in all, it was a trying experience. The only bright points were Uncle Larry, Aunt Diane, and Mom (with her small loan.) I am so grateful for all the help these three individuals gave me. I am very glad to have a working vehicle again.

Friday

I awoke on Friday with a stuffy nose and slightly sore throat. I got ready for my interview in Orem and drove down while listening to music. After what seemed like a rather short interview, I stopped at the apartment that I will be living in after February 4th. I measured my room and tried to decided what to take from my current room and what to leave. When I left Orem, I called Mom to discuss the interview and Alison answered her phone. It turns out that Mom and Sidney were still at the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. They had been joined by Alison, Isaac, Jen, and Lauren. I stopped by for some fun at the museum. I did my best not to touch the babies, although I did hold Lauren for a little while. I was careful not to kiss either of them or their hands. I spent most of the time running around with Sidney.

By late afternoon, I was exhausted and my throat hurt more than it had in the morning. I decided to not go out and play and stayed home, packing up books and some clothes. After watching an episode of Greys Anatomy and taking some cold medicine, I went to bed.

Red Butte Gardens

After I got out of class today, Mom called to invite me to go to Red Butte Gardens with the family. Since Dad had the day off, he and Mom had invited Alison and Isaac, and Jen and Lauren to go out to lunch and to Red Butte Gardens with them. I drove to Alison's house in South Weber where Mom and Dad picked the three of us up. We then drove into Salt Lake to pick up Jen and Lauren. Both babies were as cute as can be. Although it got a little hot, the five adults had fun strolling around with two cute babies. Isaac ended up sleeping almost the whole time we were there. Lauren only took a short nap but was in good spirits. I included some shots of Red Butte Gardens. If you have never been there, I would highly encourage it. It is a nice place to walk around and talk. By the end of the day, we were all pretty tired (as evidence of a yawn by Isaac that I managed to get a picture of.) For more pictures, see our Johnsen flickr sight.

Tomorrow, we are hosting a bridal shower for a friend of ours. Trisha is getting married in October to a nice man named Kim. Tomorrow night I hope to go to a farewell party for Curtis.Jen and Alison by the Pond

Some scenery pictures of Red Butte Gardens

Crazy Tuesday

Today was a fun, if busy, Tuesday. I was at my sister, Jen's, house by 9:30 so that I could go with her and her darling daughter, Lauren, to a doctor's appointment. Lauren had to get an ultrasound on her hips to see if they were developing properly. It turns out that her right one is a little under-developed (good thing she makes up for it with wonderful looks and personality :) Her doctor will have to tell her parents what he wants to do about it. Hopefully it is a "wait and see" problem instead of taking a more drastic approach. Afterwards we all returned to Jen's house and prepared to go to lunch with Mom. We ended up at the Market Street Grill where I had a very good salmon ravioli. Our waiter was fairly cute, although I think I was the only one of the four of us girls that noticed (Mom and Jen being married and Lauren being asleep.) Mom complained about a bump and pain on the side of her neck that was bothering her. She had an appointment at the dentist at 2 pm to take a look at it.

After lunch, Jen, Lauren, and I returned to Jen's house to take naps. Lauren ate like a champ and slept for over two hours. Her mom fed Lauren like a champ and took a nap as well. With Lauren asleep in my arms, I layed down on the couch and read. It was so relaxing. A sleeping baby, a comfortable couch, and good reading material; what more could an aunt ask for? After Jen awoke, we had a good conversation about dating and life in general while Lauren continued to sleep. I love talking to Jen. She is always full of good advise and a witty comment when appropriate. I couldn't ask for a better sister. (She didn't even complain when I had been holding her baby for over three hours straight.) After Lauren awoke, she ate and I took some cute pictures of her that are included in this blog. When John, Lauren's cute but tired father, arrived home I realized how late it had become. I drove home, took a quick shower, and arrived late at Institute where we discussed marriage and qualities we desire in a mate. Those were easy; I just look at my father, brothers, and brother-in-law to see what qualities I want.

After Institute I met my best friend for a bite to eat at IHOP where we complained about our jobs. Ryan is going to be changing jobs, which can be scary. After food and a hug, I returned home to a mother that was in quite a bit of pain. Although the details were sketchy because she wasn't making a lot of sense, I discovered that sometime today she had gone to the emergency room because of the pain in her jaw and neck. She was given a prescription and a shot of steriods. When I arrived home, she told me that she was taking pain medication and going to bed. Before falling into bed, she mentioned that my youngest brother, Jordan, would be dropping the green car off and would need a ride home. I was only too happy to take over this responsibility for her because I love talking to Jordan. Even after a 16 hours shift (whoa), he still has interesting things to say and is always willing to listen to the semi-boring things I have to say. I never cease to be grateful to the Lord for giving me siblings that I love and who love me in return. Well, I should turn in for the night. I will be working from 10 am to 9 pm tomorrow. A librarian's work is never done.
P.S. Did I mention that I hate getting private insurance? I guess that is a story for another night.