What Next??

So a couple weeks ago Jasons 4 runner started acting funny. He took it in for an oil change and they said it was leaking oil, transmition fluid, and his differential was also leaking...Needless to say it's in the shop today. Once they figure out the problem they will call us and let us know what it will cost to fix it. On top of the car problem Jas came home from work a couple days ago with a tootheache and a swollen cheeck. I made him go to the dentist yesterday and they had to pull 2 teeth. Poor guy!!!! Bad things always come in 3's right, so I sit here wondering what that 3rd problem will be...

Pictures from Thanksgiving Weekend in Spokane

I only took a few pictures this time, but here they are...



Me and my Mom LOVE HER!


My little "Big Brother" Adam and my cousin Josh


Me with my niece and nephew- I miss you guys!


My mom and cousin Josh- He somehow talked her into posing like this HA HA!

A Blessing In Disguise

I went to Spokane for Thanksgiving weekend. It was a great time with my family! Yesterday my flight was supposed to leave Spokane at 4:30, but it got delayed. The later in the day it got the more it was delayed until finally it was delayed until 8:40. I still had to be at the air port at the original flight time "just in case" they decided we could leave earlier than 8:40. It was a long night, but the dreadful 5 hours at the airport turned out not to be so bad. I was sitting there watching a movie when I looked up and saw this blind guy wandering. He was running into things so I asked him if I could help him. He said “ I’m just trying to find a chair.” I helped him find a seat, and We talked for a while. About an hour or hour and a half later his wife came to sit with him until he got on the plane. They kept me company most of the night and then I helped him get on and off the plane, and then Jas and I got him to his cab. It turned out to be a blessing for me. I was really not in a good mood after I found out I had to sit at the airport for at least 4 hours (which ended up being 5 hours), but having them there made it go by fast. It turned out to be an OK night after all.

Thankful

So as we all know it's the Holiday Season. Some people dread it, some people love it. For me it's a time to reflect on the past year, and count the blessings that have come our way. This year there are many things I am thankful for. I am thankful for our family, and friends, our jobs, and I'm especially thankful for Jason. He is my rock! He is constantly doing something that makes me love and appreciate him more and more every day. I love you Jas!


On Friday when I got home from work Jas said we had to go get my surprise. He then took me to the mall and got me this ring and necklace.



He is so sweet. My first reaction was "Jas it's not Christmas yet." He said "I know this isn't a Christmas gift, it's a just because gift." He knows he doesn't have to buy me things to keep me happy. I'm not the kind of girl who cares about material things. To me It's the thought that counts! He always says "I know I don't have to buy you things, but I want to because you deserve it for putting up with me." LOL I love you Jas! Thank you for the gorgeous ring and necklace!

Jason's Big Toy

I can't beleive that Mandy let me get this 1999 Yamaha Woliverine 4x4 350cc ATV. I have wanted one for many years for Hunting and leasure. We also picked up a nice trailer.

Halloween Bash

Gen and I put on a little family Halloween party tonight. It was so fun to see the family dressed up! Even Grandma and Grandpa Hartley joined in the fun! There was food, skits, stories, and jokes. We had a great time! Great costumes everyone, and Happy Halloween!

Hugs N' Kisses

We went to see our new niece Savannah today. We had a great time visiting with Erik and Nicci and Jas's parents. We also had a great time watching Savannah make all kinds of cute faces, and of course we had to snap some pictures. She is such a cutie, and very alert for only being a week old!

Delicious Fun

Last year Jas and I made suckers for Christmas. We had so much fun that I think it's going to be a yearly tradition. This year I decided to make suckers for our Halloween party.Here is a little glimpse at them! YUM!!

Pumpkin Patch

I went to the Pumpkin Patch with Trish and Hunter this weekend. Hunter played on an old tractor and then we took a hay ride out to the field to pick a pumpkin. It was so much fun! Hunter ended up getting a white pumpkin which actually looks pretty cool!

Fun memory

So a few weeks ago Grandma and Grandpa Hartley did their "famous" (or at least famous in the family) skit for us. It was so cute! Grandma even took her teeth out! SO funny! What a great memory to have of them!

Savannah

This is our new neice Savanah! What a cutie! She was born Oct. 16th and weighed 9.5 pounds.

My Goal

so 4 and 1/2 years ago when Jas and I were engaged I was really stressed out, and as a result I gained about 23 pounds (ugh disgusting!!) I was by no means obese but I was overweight for my height. My weight gain was not from food, it was simply stress. Some people tend to use food as a comfort when they are stressed , but not me. I tried the gym and running. I lost a couple pounds but always gained it right back. I was extremely frustrated and disgusted with how I looked, but didn't know what to do, since the gym wasn't working. I think you have to spend like 5 hours a day in the gym to actually see results (frustrating)! Honestly who has time to do that! I was going for about 45 min. I ran 2 sometimes 3 miles a day on the treadmill and elyptical, and then on top of that I was walking my dog after dinner and doing pilates. I still only lost a pound or 2! Finally in April my friend told me about the South Beach Diet.(Thanks Trish you're a lifesaver!) I lost 8 pounds the first 2 weeks, and I wasn't working out at all! I lost 15 pounds in 2 months. I have kept the weight off with no problem so far, but I just started the diet again on monday. My goal is to be at the weight I was when Jason met me by Thanksgiving. Only 8 more pounds to go! Wish me luck, I'm gonna need it!

Our New Addition

We went to Spokane this past weekend to see my family. I had to come back Sunday for work, but Jas doesn't have to be back to work until tomorrow, so I flew back and he's driving back today. This morning I got a text message from Jas with this picture saying "can little miss Bootsy come live with us"


He is so sweet! Here is another picture of Bootsy. She is 6 weeks old, and was the only black kitten in the litter. The rest of them were gray.

Thueson "Camping" Trip August 22nd-24th

Ok so it wasn't exactly camping... We ended up going to Justin and Lynettes family cabin because the campground was closed due to a fire. We had a great time playing spinners (a domino game), eating lots and lots of junk food, riding the four wheeler, and swimming in the hotsprings! Oh and we can't forget ping pong! It's amazing what you can use for a paddle when you don't have one right Erik? We all had a great time! A special thanks to Justin and Lynette for letting us use the cabin.


We missed you Angie and Mike!

More Photos

Photos

A special thanks to Lynette for taking our pictures. You did an awesome job!!

Just FYI

Just wanted to let you all know that we are getting rid of our home phone due to the fact that we don't really use it. Everyone usually calls our cell phones, and the only calls we get on our home phone are solicitors (ANNOYING)!If you don't have our cell numbers you can email me at m_maidhoff@hotmail.com and I will give them to you.

Missing Money

Hey everyone I have a little tip for all of you. You could have missing money that is owed to you and you don't even know it! First let me explain my experience so you will understand a little better...

I got a phone call from my sister yesterday saying that she had watched Dateline NBC and they were doing this big report on people who had missing money and probably didn't even know it. They named off some websites you can visit to see if your name is on the list. My sister went and checked all of our names in the family and low and behold there mine was not once but twice! they were both posted by the Idaho Tax Commission, so apparently I didn't get as much back as I should have for my tax refund about oh 6 years ago. The strange thing is H&R Block did my taxes. I don't know how much it is yet (it will only tell you if it's under or over $100). I am now working with the state to find out how much it is. Anyway you should all go to this website missingmoney.com to see if you are on the list. All you do once you get there is put in your first and last name and the state. Ladies be sure to check under your maiden as well as your married name, as mine was under my maiden name. Also if you lived in different states check them all!

HAPPY HUNTING! HOPE YOU ALL HIT THE JACKPOT!

Wow 4 Wonderful Years of Marriage!!!

7/10/2008
We had a great night as we started with dinner at the Cottonwood Grill. What a dinner, at least mine was great and Mandys was ok. I had Buffulo Sirlon Steak and Mandy had a Stewed Lamb Shank. Mandys would have been better if it had some kind of sauce or spice for more flavor. We made a quick stop off at my parents house to have photos taken, so Mandy would have photos for the digital photo frame I bought for her to take to work. We then went to the movies and watched Hancock with Will Smith as a Super Hero. Then we spent the rest of the evening cuddled up and reflected on the past 4 years. JAS

4th of July Weekend

Was anyone elses weekend as crazy as ours was? Thursday night we went to a BBQ. Friday I had the day off. Unfortunately Jas had to work. I ended up going to the lake with my friend trish and her son Hunter. We got there about 11:45 or so, and then got back to her house about 4. Then Jas and I went to a BBQ at his aunt and uncles house that night. After that we went to the train depot and watched the fireworks. Saturday Jas had to work again. We had a family reunion, so I went to the park for that while Jas worked. He did manage to get off early though which was nice. It was a crazy but great weekend! After all the fun and excitement I think I will lay low tomorrow (while Jas works yet agian) and clean the house. Here is a video of the fireworks finale. Sorry it's sideways, but it's short, so tilt your head and enjoy!

THE LONG AWAITED METTING!

When I was about 2 years old (maybe a little younger) my parents got divorced. My Brother, Sister, and I were raised by our Mom and Stepdad. I saw my biological father once when I was about 7 I think. That's the only visit I remember anyways. Maybe there were others and I was just too young to remember them. We knew our Dad had a previous marriage before marrying our Mom, and also that he had a son with his previous wife. When I was 18 or 19 I went to see our Dad for the first time since I ws a little kid. He told me that he knew where our Brother was, and he gave me the information to contact him. So here we are. After talking to my Brother Chad on the phone and through email for the last 8 years Jas and I finally met Chad in person this week for the first time! He is now married to his wife Susie, and they have 3 adorable kids. We had the most amazing visit! It's kind of strange to think that you have a brother you've never met, but once you do meet it's like you've never been separated. I instantly felt comfortable with Chad and his family. I think our personalities are a lot alike. Hopefully Chad and his family felt the same way with Me and Jas. We only got to spend 2 days together, so we have a lifetime of catching up to do. I can't wait to embark on that exciting journey!

Trip to Salt Lake

When we met Chad in Salt Lake we stayed with Angie and Joel and the kids. It was so much fun to see them and finally meet little Paige! We all went to the zoo on Tuesday. It was great to see how excited little Sydney was to see the animals. We loved being able to spend time with the kids! We don't see them as often as we would like, so it's always great to catch up after awhile.

AHHH The lion's gonna eat me!!!

So this is what a bear feels like...

Cute Girls!

Sweet Baby Paige