Tuesday, February 27, 2007
A Different FHE
Last night when I got home from work, we decided to do something different for Family Home Evening. We watched YouTube. We started with watching several people get their mission calls. You get a little emotional as you watch these men and women open their mission call to see where they will serve the Lord. It brings back feelings of when you were there to watch a loved one open his/her call. Some are funny, but many bring a tear of joy. After being spiritual for a little while, we watched some funny BYU videos. There was quite an array from people singing badly to pranks and home teaching videos. We decided to save all the football videos for another night.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
100 Things About Me
With inspiration from my friend Rainie, I decided to tell you 100 facts about me. Some you may know and some you may not. It wasn’t as easy as I thought.
1. I grew up in Mesa, AZ.
2. I am the oldest of seven kids. (1 brother, 5 sisters)
3. I am the shortest in my family.
4. I have naturally curly hair.
5. I went to the same elementary school, junior high and high school.
6. I have lived in the same ward since I was three. Our ward split only once.
7. Growing up we had a cat named Fuffly because my sister couldn’t say fluffy.
8. The house I grew up in had a water fountain and a school size chalk board.
9. I have never broken a bone.
10. Jon was my home teacher in college. My roommates were always gone and his companion was semi-inactive, so we ended up together.
11. Jon asked me out on our first date on Valentine’s Day.
12. I met Jon’s parents on our first date.
13. I always wanted to marry someone from Utah, and I did.
14. My birthday is the same as Ronald Reagan’s. Jon said that’s why he married me.
15. On our honeymoon I was on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” in Disneyland’s California Adventure. I got a t-shirt for winning 32,000 points. The winning question was about the Star Spangled Banner. I lost on a question about doilies.
16. Jon and I worked for a lamp manufacturer called Design Trends the summer after we were married. We put up lamp displays in Lowe’s Hardware stores in Phoenix, AZ, New Mexico, El Paso, TX and Columbus, OH.
17. I think El Paso, Texas is the ugliest and dirtiest city in the world.
18. I love my family.
19. I have been to 12 different countries.
20. I went white water rafting in Costa Rica.
21. I bungee-jumped in New Zealand.
22. I ate escargot in China.
23. I play five instruments (violin, harp, voice, piano, and organ).
24. I got into the music program at BYU with the organ. I took lessons for only one year in high school.
25. I used to play the harp for wedding receptions. Maybe I’ll pick it up again sometime.
26. I graduated from BYU in Music Education and Elementary Education.
27. I want to learn to play the cello someday.
28. I took music lessons five days a week for an entire summer so I could teach beginning band at the elementary school.
29. I love my church calling (Sunbeam/3 yr olds teacher).
30. My favorite TV shows are: The Office, Grey’s Anatomy and The Amazing Race.
31. My favorite movies are You’ve Got Mail, Pure Luck and What About Bob.
32. I always played right field in softball as a child. I think that means I wasn’t very good.
33. I am the only left-handed person in my family.
34. I married a left-handed person.
35. I hope at least some of our children are left-handed.
36. I have been a blind date.
37. I don’t like mushrooms, shrimp or shellfish.
38. I love doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku.
39. I don’t want to get Alzheimer’s when I get old, so I try to keep my mind active.
40. I enjoy making homemade bread and rolls.
41. I love clipping coupons and going grocery shopping.
42. I wish I liked to exercise.
43. I think exercising, especially running, is boring.
44. I am afraid of the dark.
45. I don’t like being home alone when Jon is out town.
46. I stay up way too late when Jon is gone because I don’t like going to bed when he’s not home.
47. I like scrapbooking.
48. I love reading, but I read for enjoyment-not for symbolism or hidden meanings.
49. I have read almost all the Newberry Award winner books.
50. I have read 84 books in almost four years.
51. I keep a book journal where I write my thoughts and impressions of every book I read.
52. I also keep a journal of every book that sounds interesting to read.
53. I had two miscarriages before I got pregnant with Natalie.
54. I love going to parties.
55. When my sister and I were little, we cleaned all the tools in my dad’s toolbox for a Christmas gift.
56. My most memorable family vacation as a kid was when we drove from Arizona to Nauvoo, Illinois in March.
57. I was in show choir in high school.
58. I ditched class in high school only twice.
59. I was a DARE roll model in high school.
60. I lived with my sister for three years in college.
61. I learned to sew from a family friend.
62. I wish I could sew as well as my mom.
63. I wish I could make pie crusts as well as my mother-in-law.
64. I stayed up all night as a freshman in college so I could watch Princess Diana’s funeral live.
65. I thought green chiles and jalapenos were the same thing when I got married.
66. I was in a moped accident in the Cook Islands.
67. I wet my pants at school when I was little during standardized testing because my teacher said we couldn’t get up for any reason.
68. I was jealous of my sister’s red hair when I was little.
69. I can’t do a cartwheel.
70. I still have a dress I made when I was 14 for a Young Women’s goal.
71. I love the weather.
72. I don’t like chocolate chip or mint chocolate chip icecream.
73. I started wearing glasses when I was in third grade and kids thought I was a new student.
74. I love to wear the color red.
75. I played a pregnant lady in a play in junior high.
76. When I was five, I carved the name of the boy I like into my parents end table. It’s still there to this day.
77. I really don’t like taking naps.
78. I work part-time for Karen Dillard’s College Prep. We help students prepare for the SAT and ACT.
79. In college I worked in the zoology department. I bought crickets and fish for other animals to eat. I also cleaned wader boots after students went to the river. It was gross.
80. I love bird watching.
81. I had my purse stolen at Target in high school.
82. I wore big ugly glasses with brown tinted lenses in junior high.
83. I was on the dean’s list in college for one semester.
84. I like doing puzzles.
85. My younger sister learned to ride a bike before me.
86. I can be very absent-minded sometimes.
87. I love going to the library, not necessarily to get books, but just to look.
88. The first car I bought was a blue Pontiac GrandAm.
89. I played with Barbies until I was 12 years old.
90. I hate getting teddy bears as gifts.
91. I memorized all 100 scripture masteries in high school.
92. I like riding my bike, but am afraid of falling and getting hurt.
93. I love Cheetos.
94. In high school, I stuffed eight friends in a Toyota pickup so we could go out to lunch together.
95. Some of my extended family thinks I was named after my great-grandma Sarah Johns, but I wasn’t. My parents just liked the name.
96. I have taken a tour of the Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium.
97. I am very frugal with my spending money.
98. I let my friend give me her first perm when she was in beauty school.
99. I took summer school all through high school so I could take extra music classes during the school year.
100.I was an EFY counselor.
1. I grew up in Mesa, AZ.
2. I am the oldest of seven kids. (1 brother, 5 sisters)
3. I am the shortest in my family.
4. I have naturally curly hair.
5. I went to the same elementary school, junior high and high school.
6. I have lived in the same ward since I was three. Our ward split only once.
7. Growing up we had a cat named Fuffly because my sister couldn’t say fluffy.
8. The house I grew up in had a water fountain and a school size chalk board.
9. I have never broken a bone.
10. Jon was my home teacher in college. My roommates were always gone and his companion was semi-inactive, so we ended up together.
11. Jon asked me out on our first date on Valentine’s Day.
12. I met Jon’s parents on our first date.
13. I always wanted to marry someone from Utah, and I did.
14. My birthday is the same as Ronald Reagan’s. Jon said that’s why he married me.
15. On our honeymoon I was on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” in Disneyland’s California Adventure. I got a t-shirt for winning 32,000 points. The winning question was about the Star Spangled Banner. I lost on a question about doilies.
16. Jon and I worked for a lamp manufacturer called Design Trends the summer after we were married. We put up lamp displays in Lowe’s Hardware stores in Phoenix, AZ, New Mexico, El Paso, TX and Columbus, OH.
17. I think El Paso, Texas is the ugliest and dirtiest city in the world.
18. I love my family.
19. I have been to 12 different countries.
20. I went white water rafting in Costa Rica.
21. I bungee-jumped in New Zealand.
22. I ate escargot in China.
23. I play five instruments (violin, harp, voice, piano, and organ).
24. I got into the music program at BYU with the organ. I took lessons for only one year in high school.
25. I used to play the harp for wedding receptions. Maybe I’ll pick it up again sometime.
26. I graduated from BYU in Music Education and Elementary Education.
27. I want to learn to play the cello someday.
28. I took music lessons five days a week for an entire summer so I could teach beginning band at the elementary school.
29. I love my church calling (Sunbeam/3 yr olds teacher).
30. My favorite TV shows are: The Office, Grey’s Anatomy and The Amazing Race.
31. My favorite movies are You’ve Got Mail, Pure Luck and What About Bob.
32. I always played right field in softball as a child. I think that means I wasn’t very good.
33. I am the only left-handed person in my family.
34. I married a left-handed person.
35. I hope at least some of our children are left-handed.
36. I have been a blind date.
37. I don’t like mushrooms, shrimp or shellfish.
38. I love doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku.
39. I don’t want to get Alzheimer’s when I get old, so I try to keep my mind active.
40. I enjoy making homemade bread and rolls.
41. I love clipping coupons and going grocery shopping.
42. I wish I liked to exercise.
43. I think exercising, especially running, is boring.
44. I am afraid of the dark.
45. I don’t like being home alone when Jon is out town.
46. I stay up way too late when Jon is gone because I don’t like going to bed when he’s not home.
47. I like scrapbooking.
48. I love reading, but I read for enjoyment-not for symbolism or hidden meanings.
49. I have read almost all the Newberry Award winner books.
50. I have read 84 books in almost four years.
51. I keep a book journal where I write my thoughts and impressions of every book I read.
52. I also keep a journal of every book that sounds interesting to read.
53. I had two miscarriages before I got pregnant with Natalie.
54. I love going to parties.
55. When my sister and I were little, we cleaned all the tools in my dad’s toolbox for a Christmas gift.
56. My most memorable family vacation as a kid was when we drove from Arizona to Nauvoo, Illinois in March.
57. I was in show choir in high school.
58. I ditched class in high school only twice.
59. I was a DARE roll model in high school.
60. I lived with my sister for three years in college.
61. I learned to sew from a family friend.
62. I wish I could sew as well as my mom.
63. I wish I could make pie crusts as well as my mother-in-law.
64. I stayed up all night as a freshman in college so I could watch Princess Diana’s funeral live.
65. I thought green chiles and jalapenos were the same thing when I got married.
66. I was in a moped accident in the Cook Islands.
67. I wet my pants at school when I was little during standardized testing because my teacher said we couldn’t get up for any reason.
68. I was jealous of my sister’s red hair when I was little.
69. I can’t do a cartwheel.
70. I still have a dress I made when I was 14 for a Young Women’s goal.
71. I love the weather.
72. I don’t like chocolate chip or mint chocolate chip icecream.
73. I started wearing glasses when I was in third grade and kids thought I was a new student.
74. I love to wear the color red.
75. I played a pregnant lady in a play in junior high.
76. When I was five, I carved the name of the boy I like into my parents end table. It’s still there to this day.
77. I really don’t like taking naps.
78. I work part-time for Karen Dillard’s College Prep. We help students prepare for the SAT and ACT.
79. In college I worked in the zoology department. I bought crickets and fish for other animals to eat. I also cleaned wader boots after students went to the river. It was gross.
80. I love bird watching.
81. I had my purse stolen at Target in high school.
82. I wore big ugly glasses with brown tinted lenses in junior high.
83. I was on the dean’s list in college for one semester.
84. I like doing puzzles.
85. My younger sister learned to ride a bike before me.
86. I can be very absent-minded sometimes.
87. I love going to the library, not necessarily to get books, but just to look.
88. The first car I bought was a blue Pontiac GrandAm.
89. I played with Barbies until I was 12 years old.
90. I hate getting teddy bears as gifts.
91. I memorized all 100 scripture masteries in high school.
92. I like riding my bike, but am afraid of falling and getting hurt.
93. I love Cheetos.
94. In high school, I stuffed eight friends in a Toyota pickup so we could go out to lunch together.
95. Some of my extended family thinks I was named after my great-grandma Sarah Johns, but I wasn’t. My parents just liked the name.
96. I have taken a tour of the Dallas Cowboy’s Stadium.
97. I am very frugal with my spending money.
98. I let my friend give me her first perm when she was in beauty school.
99. I took summer school all through high school so I could take extra music classes during the school year.
100.I was an EFY counselor.
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Big One
Natalie's 1st birthday was on Tuesday. We had a great party. We invited some friends over for dinner and to help us celebrate. Jon surprised me with buying decorations for the party.
Natalie loved eating her birthday cake. She was a little dainty at first, but once she realized Jon and I weren't going to stop her, she thoroughly enjoyed her cake. For the rest of us, I made little heart shaped cakes that we frosted and decorated.
After her first gift was opened, a stroller, the other wrapped gifts were forgotten. Natalie also got a few babydolls to put in her stroller and she hasn't let go of them yet. She was showered with gifts by her grandparents and had a wonderful day.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Bangs and Anticipation
On Friday, I took Natalie to our friend Bonnie for her first bang trim. She didn't squirm and looks so grown up now. I think she looks more like a little girl than a baby.
I am so excited for Natalie's first birthday next week. It's almost like Christmas for me. Maybe because it means peanut butter and jam sandwiches, a bigger car seat, whole milk, and the toddler clothing department. Just 9 more days!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Podcasting
One of my favorites radio programs is now podcast for free in the iTunes store. It's called This American Life. It's on NPR radio and is broadcast every Saturday. The program brings together stories centered around a central theme each week. I usually miss the show because it is broadcast while I'm at work, but now I can listen any time during the week. Hooray for podcasting!
HIghly Recommended
I just finished this really good book. It's about Nicholas Sparks and his adventures with his brother as they take a three week trip around the world. It is also a memoir about their life growing up through triumph and tragedy. It is heartwarming and gives greater insight into who Nicholas Sparks is and some of the stories behind his best novels. I loved the book because it caused me to pause at different times in my day and reflect on my childhood and my experiences. The book is kind of long (368 pages), but is a quick read and captivating from the beginning. Be ready to laugh, cry and be in awe from cover to cover.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
"Snow" Day
We have had some crazy weather the past few days. It was freezing cold all weekend. On Monday the roads were iced over from freezing rain and Wednesday we had a little snow with sleet. I took Natalie outside to experience her first snow fall, but it wasn't much to look at or even consider snow. It is supposed to remain pretty cold for the next few days, so we will see what the weekend will bring. This is definitely not like a Utah or Kansas winter snow, but I guess we'll take what we can get.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
New Changes
Today I was released as the Primary chorister. It is a little bittersweet for me. I served in the calling for two years and loved it. I am sad to be released, but was ready for a change. I am now the Sunbeam teacher and love the kids already. They are so funny and always eager to share. It is going to be a great year.
Back to Costa Rica...
We arrived Monday night and were up early the next morning to go white water rafting on the Pacuare River. It is one of the top rafting rivers in the world. Jon was the only one who had been rafting before, so we were all in for an adventure. My dad was originally supposed to come with us, but because of some flight problems, my dad took care of Natalie for the day. My mom and Karen were coming that night (they were supposed to watch Natalie). The rafting trip was unforgettable. We had between class 1 and class 4 rapids. We were able to go swimming in the river a few times and the rafting company fed us a gourmet lunch right on the water's edge. One of my favorite parts was watching other rafts go through difficult parts of the river. In the end, it was a lot of fun to spend time with my brothers and sisters and start our trip off with a great adventure.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Christmas Adventures
We had a wonderful Christmas this year. It was Natalie's first Christmas, so that added a new element of fun for Jon and I. We all receieved some great gifts. One of Natalie's favorite was a picture book I made of different family members. When she saw the tree, that was the first thing she picked up, even bypassing the toys left by Santa.
We spent Christmas morning as a family, then headed off to Costa Rica for a week with my family. It will take a few days, but I will blog some of the highlights of our trip. It was incredible! We had a wonderful time doing a lot of different activities and spending time together. Natalie was such a trooper being taken everywhere and trying lots of new things. I really can't say what was my favorite because everything was great-including all 12 of us in a 12 passenger van loaded with luggage.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Not My Shoes
Last week I was getting ready for a party and decided to wear tennis shoes because they were more comfortable. I had a great time at the cookie exchange. I met a lot of new people and came home with some yummy goodies and recipes. I was one of the first to leave and at the door there was probably ten pairs of shoes. While I gathered all my things, I put my shoes on and thanked the host, then went home. Upon arrival I noticed we had a message on our machine. It went something like this, " Hi Sarah this is Emily. We were wondering if you went home with the wrong pair of shoes. Someone is missing some brown shoes and there is a pair of white Adidas tennis shoes left. Let me know if they are yours, thanks." I looked down at my feet and I wore brown shoes home. I wore someone elses shoes home! I have a pair of brown shoes just like them and thought they were mine when I left the party. Needless to say, I drove back the next day to exchange the brown shoes for my white tennis shoes. Next I know I will be a little more conscious of what I put on my feet when I go places.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Car Games
I love going places in the car with Jon because once in a while he makes up these fun car games for us to play. On Sunday we were on our way to the ward Christmas party and he had me guess the Christmas song he was whistling. We went back and forth whistling songs for each other to guess. The car ride wasn't very long, but the game was fun. I'm not a very good whistler so when it was Jon's turn to guess he would take a long time to hear me whistle air or because I was laughing so much. Jon would sometimes throw in random songs outside of Christmas so I would rack my brain thinking of a song that I didn't know in the first place. Other games we play in the car are 'I Spy' and 'name a random object then tell an experience in your life that involved the object'.
St. Lucia Day
Lucia means light, and she symbolizes bringing new life in winter. As you can see, I don't get up early to bring my family breakfast in bed, but we celebrate in similar ways. In Jon's family, they get an ornament each year. 
Here's a picture of Natalie with her ornament. I think she liked the box more than the ornament itself. I didn't make saffron buns either this year. Instead, I made scrambled eggs and sausage. It's a much quicker breakfast before Jon goes to work. It is a fun tradition for our family and one I always look forward to celebrating each year.Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Next Blog Please
Have you ever clicked on the tab at the top of someone's blog labeled 'next blog'? Sometimes there are some interesting blogs and some not so interesting. Once in a while when I am bored I will click on the next blog to see what I get. I found a really neat one about a wedding photographer from Park City, UT. She does some beautiful work. I've found others from Malaysia with too much anime, Turkey and their elementary school and Argentina with lots of soccer. It's interesting to see a glimpse into someone else's life around the world and what they let the entire world see and read.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Holiday Craving
After Thanksgiving, a craving comes that only comes during the holidays-hot chocolate. I love it! I drink at least a cup everyday. I love how it warms me all over, you can drink it with marshmallows and it tastes so good. It puts me in the Christmas mood. I know I'm crazy sometimes when it is 70 degrees during the day and I still drink hot chocolate, but it's just part of the season. Once Christmas is over, I put the boxes away and they wait until next year when the holidays roll around again. Mmm, I think I'll have a cup right now.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Thanksgiving
We had a great Thanksgiving here in Texas with our friends the Bowmans. There was plenty of dinner and pies to go around. We had only one pie tragedy. As Jon was checking on the apple pie in the oven, it fell over top down onto the oven door. We decided it was apple dump pie instead. the rest of the day was spent watching movies, hanging out and making rockets with Alka-Seltzer and film canisters. It was a lot of fun. I'm already looking forward to next Thanksgiving.
The Left Handers Club
All the in-laws on the Toone side of the family are left handed. We joke that in order to join the family you have to be left handed. There's only two in-laws right now, Jon and James, but we are adding a third left hander in April. My sister Julia got engaged a few weeks ago to Burke. Lucky for Julia, he is left handed, so I think we will keep him around for a while. Congratulations Julia! We are excited for you.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Quote from Natalie
"I just needed a little tissue to blow my nose and somehow the whole roll fell on the floor."New Eyes
Yesterday I went for an eye appointment since I haven't had one in four years. I have been wearing hard contacts ever since I was in 9th grade when I got contacts for the first time. Things have really changed since then and now they have soft contacts for my prescription. It is a little strange wearing soft contacts. They are a lot easier to clean and take care of, but they are much more flimsy to take in and out. I'm not quite sure if I like them yet, but I will certainly give it a try.
Friday, November 17, 2006
The Longest Days Ever
On Wednesday we decideded to take away Natalie's pacifier. We are on day 3 and it is going okay. She is in her bed anywhere from 15-45 minutes before she falls asleep. The hardest time is bedtime, but we are determined to conquer. I have noticed since we have taken the pacifier away, Natalie is much more talkative and playful. I am hoping the hardest days are behind us and it will only get better from here.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
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