tag {bag}.

But this is a different one...the Dump Your Bag Tag:

1. Large wallet that holds my checkbook and all my cards, coupons and reciepts 2. My cell phone 3. Keys 4. Camera (case) 5. The wonderful GPS 6. Ticket and sprocket key chain from the motorcycle show 7. bunch of crumpled receipts, a shopping list, and a quote handout from church 8. Jump drive 9. change 10. smokey the bear pin (don't ask) 11. pen 12. random pieces of gum 13. Ziploc containing 3 tubes of lipgloss, vaseline, pills, blush stick, tampons and pads, lotion, toenail clippers (again don't ask), nail file...is that it? I think so.

Of course my bag looks this great when everything is inside!!! You think I meant to set it up like this so I could take a picture?!?!?

and then some...but I added pictures to make it a tid bit more interesting...

Where were you born? Ogden, UT

Middle Name: Kathrine

How old will you be this year? 25...in just 20 days

Nicknames: Lu, Lulu, Lulu Lamb, Lars, Weefee (only Connel can get away with a nickname like that)

Are you taller than your mother or father? Same height at mom. 5'3"

Do you cry often in movies? Not really, only during Charly, Harry Potter and

Hope Floats

What is your biggest pet peeve? Sweat, sticky hands, cold feet (in the literal sense)

Favorite Color? Yellow or Pink

Favorite foods? Chocolate and Ice Cream or a combo of both.

Favorite Restaurants? Quizno's and

Texas Roadhouse

Favorite Beverage? Water

Favorite cold Cereal? Special K w/ strawberries

Favorite Smells? Homemade Cinnamon Rolls, Brooke's House (always smells like cake...YUM!), babies...oh the torture!!!, Red Dirt

Favorite time of day: 11:30 (when the mail comes) or 5:40 or so (when Connel gets home)

What brand of Shampoo and Conditioner do you use? Bed Head

Favorite make-up products? Mascara, Concealer and Lip gloss

How many pillows do you sleep with? 1-2... more than that if Connel didn't get suffocated by them.

Do you play an instrument? If one song on the piano counts...Yes

Have you ever been skinny dipping? What you don't know can't blackmail me.

Did you do any sports in High School? Ballroom Dance and Color Guard

What was the last movie you saw in the theatre? I do not remember, it's been to long.

What is your favorite article of clothing? My sweatshirt from Salem, Mass. or my new jeans.

What is your dream vacation?

Cruise to a tropical island

Trip to Italy/Europe

African Safari

What was your first impression of your spouse? Oh boy...He's HOT! But then I thought, "But he looks like he's trying to be cool with those sunglasses on the back of his head." To good for me. But dang, he's hot!

If you were an animal what would you be?

Ok so I didn't know, so I took a little quiz and I ended up as a hippo!

What is your favorite "me time" activity? I thought it was obvious...blogging, (thanks em!)

Favorite TV shows: LOST and 24

What is your dream car?

White Ford Mustang Convertible

with black leather seats (I will drive it with a sheer scarf around my neck and some sunglasses...) this one would do though...

What is one of your weaknesses? Food

What do you fix for dinner when there is nothing to fix? Chicken Fettuchini Alfredo using the George Foreman and a Western Family packet for the alfredo sauce.

If you could live in a different decade/era which on would it be? Any when the women wear really pretty jewelry, hats and dresses

My Fair Lady type era (early 1900's?).

What is the emotion you feel the most? Love

Do you consider yourself outgoing? Somewhat

What is something you are constantly working on? Cleaning my house

Any hidden talents? and waiting to emerge...I think I will be an awesome Mom!!!

What is a word or phrase you overuse? So, yeah, um..., whatever, anyways

What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year? Moving far away from family and friends.

What is the best thing that happened to you this past year? I quit my apartment managing career!

What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? To have a baby, or at least get pregnant.

The best piece of advice you learned this past year? The Lord never forgets about you.

Who are the 7 people you are going to tag to do this survey? Brooke, Julie, Kara, Tanya, Cheri, Christy, Emily ....c'mon you guys, we like to talk about ourselves...why else would we keep a blog?!?! :)

Now, post the most recent pic. you have taken of yourself!

ME!

big...soft...new...couches.

Here is a picture of our new couches. Aren't they squishy looking? They are micro-fiber, which I thought that I didn't really like, because when I touch it with dry hands it gives me the chills. But, I guess I liked these ones (plus they were the least expensive ones in the store).

fun times.

Connel and I have already been able to go see some cool stuff!

Last weekend (Jan 20) we went to a place called Cuyahoga Falls. It was really cold outside!!! We accidentally went to the wrong waterfalls but we still had fun!

Here are the waterfalls we went to, we were like... "these are really lame!"

...and here are the real Cuyahoga Falls. Oh well... They're pretty in pictures! :)

We also went to a ballroom dance class and (re)learned the Quickstep. It was really fun, and I was really bad! I guess I am out of practice, but we decided that we are going to find a place and take some more lessons! I have such a great hubby!

This weekend we went to a Motorcycle show.

There were lots of huge bike manufacturers...Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, KTM, Harleys, plus tons more. Connel was loving it and was really missing his bike and his buddies the whole time! He was all gungho about it for the entire 4 1/2 hours that we were there. I had fun for about the first 2 hours, then every bike started looking the same and my feet really hurt and I was hungry. There were guys there doing some cool jumps and tricks and stuff. And there were some really cool bikes! I did really good at not complaining though! I am such a good weefee!

Connel on a Yamaha

Me on a KTM

A new bike for Connel?

Some really cool bikes!

tag {four}.

Okay so I guess I have been tagged...Do I wait for anything?

Four jobs that I have had in my life: 1. Sandwich Artist (Subway) 2. Child Caregiver (Daycare) 3. Apartment Complex Manager (Davenport Properties and Aspen Village Apts) 4. Digital Scrapbooking Consultant (Heritage Makers)

Five Places I have been: 1. Nyssa, Oregon 2. Nauvoo, Illinois 3. Boston, Massachusetts 4. San Fransisco, California 5. Cleveland, Ohio :)

Four Favorite Foods: 1. Texas Roadhouse 2. Potato Chips 3. Anything Chocolate 4. Mom's Stir Fry and Won Tons 5. Ice Cream (hmm...I need to work out!)

Four People I'd like to get to know better: 1. My little sister 2. My neices and nephew 3. The people in my new ward 4. There is always something new to learn about everyone! :)

Four reasons why I love being me: 1. I have a wonderful husband that spoils me more than he should. 2. I have very loving parents and awesome siblings (and siblings-in-law). 3. I have a really comfy mattress. 4. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!!!

Four Classes that I wish were offered to and that I could participate in right now. 1. LIVE 30 minute meals taught by Rachel Ray. 2. Photography 3. Telepathy 4. Cures for the overactive husband. :0) Just Kidding! :0)

Four friends or relatives that I am tagging: 1. Julie 2. Kara 3. Jana (when she reads this) 4. Emily

update on our life.

This is a picture of Cleveland, taken from the freeway in a moving car on a gloomy winter day. Not the greatest view of the city, sorry, but it looks cool at night and with all the lights. Cleveland and the greater Cleveland area is really cool will lots of great people.

So since I have just realized that I have been keeping some of you in the dark about where we are and what we are doing here, i have decided to update you on my life in the past year or so. Sit down and get a bowl of popcorn.... Just kidding. I'll summarize... Connel and I graduated in December of '06 (he with a bachelor's in Buisness Management emphasis in Finance and Supply Chain Mngmt., Me with a bachelor's in Early Childhood Education and Special Education). The past year was actually pretty stressful for me, I worked as a Manager for a really large apartment complex at BYU-Idaho. Stressful not only because it was student housing, but also because there were so many changes ALWAYS happening. I am not one to not like change, I think that change is good, but when someone changes their mind ALL the time (I'm talking 2 or 3 times a day!!!!!) Then the job can get to be pretty stressful. Anyway, Connel worked for a construction company for the first part of the year and then for the rest of the year he did lots of odd jobs and projects while job searching all over. At first he looked in Idaho, but it seemed like any door that might be open just a smidge, would close in our face. We really wanted to stay in Idaho but still, we looked elsewhere and doors swung open, or at least one big one did and yeah!!! Connel recieved an interview in Texas. I started looking for cool and fun stuff to do in Houston online, so that I would have it all planned out just in case, well you know how good Connel is... they might want us right away!!! Needless to say that I was excited cuz I would be quitting my job!!! I think I went over how I could quit about 100 times over in my mind before I actually did it. Trust me , I liked specific parts of the job such as the people I worked with and (some) of the students. I really was not that excited about leaving the place, just the job. Eastern Idaho is an exceptionally great place to live, (do me a favor and take a look at the AWESOME sunsets and think of me if you are there.) A couple days after he came home from his interview, they called and offered Connel a job!!! Yeah!!!! Then... he told us that we would start out in Cleveland, Ohio...hmmm...what is in Ohio? Well, now that we are here I have discovered that there are alot of really cool things within a 45 minute(Kirtland) to a days (My sister!!!) drive. But, at the time I was kind of like...well, not that excited. I was excited for the new adventure with my hubby, but not to leave all my family!!! or my friends!!! So, I quit my job, we accepted the position and within a month we were in CLEVELAND, OHIO!!! We are here for training for another 6 months and then they will ship us off to another part of this great big wide country! So, stay tuned and you will get a play by play of "ThE AdVEnTuREs oF CoNnEL and LaURa PeTtERsOn!" Love you ALL!!!!

layovers.

This was pretty much the majority of our flights. We had a 2 1/2 hour delay in SLC and then a 5 hour layover with an hour delay in Denver. This was the first time that I slept on an airport floor. Ew.

new apartment.

Well, now that we have finally found an apartment and we are getting settled in I can do this blog thing. After our 24 hour airline experience, 4 days of searching for apartments, 2 days of moving in, and a weekend of finishing the third season of LOST. I am finally starting to feel at home. Now we have to finish watching the 6th season of 24 and I will be totally settled in! :) Actually I have decorated my 2 bathrooms and my kitchen and put everything away. I have 3 rooms to go. I am way excited because seeing as we are now close to a large body of water, I can now have an excuse for my seashell adorned bathroom! Idaho and beach do not go together very well.

I am trying to get some good pictures on our blog, but I am having trouble finding the cord that hooks from my computer to my camera. But, don't worry pictures are on the way. We are enjoying ourselves and Connel is liking his new job, he is a very busy person and normally cannot stop moving for a minute! He was even telling me as we drove to the video store tonight..."I have the urge to go for a run." Who has those kind of urges? :) Not me, I just responded, "I have an urge for a milkshake." Now that's a good urge.

I have a funny story that some of you might have heard. It seems like everytime I tell it to someone, I think it is funnier than they do, but oh well. We bought a GPS for while we were here, because we were afraid we were going to get lost in the big city. We used it and it worked well, we decided that we were doing pretty well at navigating around the city and surrounding areas and that traffic here was not as bad as we thought. On the second day we were here, GPS broke. It would not turn on. We had an apartment to look at so we got directions from our hotel to the apartment and then from the apartments to Circuit City. We made it to the apartment complex just fine with no wrong turns and then headed for the store... Funny how one wrong turn can get you lost for 2 hours! After we navigated ourselves out of the scary and ghetto part of town, We finally decided that we would stop and ask for directions. The people were very nice and gave us good directions (amazing that how well they knew the streets, I could never do that, there are too many!) Anyway, one of the people there said, "What you need is one of those GPS things." Then we told them that is what we were on our way to return. Oh, the irony.

big shot in a big place.

Well, we made it! The big move across the country! We are now ready to start living in the "real world". Not that blogging is the real world... and not that BYU-Idaho isn't, well, actually..... :) Now all those people that like to hear me ramble on and talk about myself will get the read about me too! At times I feel foolish talking about myself, so mostly I will talk about my hubby and the fun stuff that we do.

So, we're here, and there is no turning back, unless I want to make the same trip I did to get here! No thanks! :( (You'll hear about that later!)

So for a long time, we have been really excited to switch r

oles. He has been really excited because if that boy holds still for more than 10 seconds, he will be ready to explode, and watch out if he does, he makes a whirlwind around the house, either cleaning (while whistling at the top of his lungs) which is not particularly a bad thing, or just plain ol' bugging me. So, I'm okay with him going to work. The fact that I don't have to go also makes things a great deal better for me. I have WAY less stress, except for stressing that we might get mugged walking down the street. But mostly, I'm just glad that he has a good job that treats him well and makes him feel like a Big Shot, cuz that's the way he likes it! :) Yesterday, he had his first day at work and was so cute! I'll post a picture for you all to see him...