Meeting Heidi & Brett

So, last weekend, Jordan and I had the pleasure of meeting Heidi & Brett Parson. As some of you know, we "switched stores" and started buying eco-friendly, non-caustic cleaning products, great vitamins, makeup, and health food, from a company called Melaleuca. There is also a business side where we can make money by referring people (and no, it's not an MLM :)) Heidi & Brett are our mentors or sorts, along with Holly Archuleta, Jordan's cousin. It has been really great...brings in a few extra hundred bucks a month, which I can then spend on clothes...I mean, wait...save...for the future...

So anyway, the Parsons came down from Idaho falls to meet us, do a little work, and they also took us to dinner, which was really nice! We went to "Buca di Beppo" or as Brett would say, "Puca di Peppo..." he'd never been. It was pretty funny because they were busy and short-handed at the restaurant, and so, before we got our food, bus boys kept bringing us random entrees that were intended for other tables. They were a bit confused. So we got Chicken Marsala at one point, these Pork Chops with broccoli, and then this weird pizza with potato chips on it? Finally we said, "uhhh you guys keep bringing us the wrong food." Our poor server--it was like her second day. Oh well, but it was fun!

Cake...to DIE For

Well, I guess I can say you may die of a heart attack, since it's not necessarily "healthy," if you know what I mean... but DELICIOUS!!! Here's the recipe (from my really-good-cook co-worker, Monica!)

CHOCOLATE FUDGE BUNDT CAKE
1 (18.25 oz) box chocolate fudge cake mix
(I use Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate)
1 3.4 oz package instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1-1/3 cups water
2 8 oz containers chocolate frosting (I use Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 10-inch (12 cup) bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, oil and water; beat on low speed until blended. Stir in (by hand) about 1 container of frosting. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5-10 minutes, shake gently to loosen from edge of pan, then turn out onto serving plate and cool completely (I cover it so it’s slightly vented but keeps moisture in).

When completely cooled, warm ½ container of frosting in microwave just until it can be poured; then drizzle over cake (if frosting is too hot you will have a huge mess!); cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

YUMM...and she says she's "messed up" on it so many times, and it still turns out PERFECTLY! It is soooo moist and delicious. Very rich, but not toooooo rich, if you know what I mean.

About Me: Six of my "Quirks"

Ok, so Holly Archuleta (Jordan's FABULOUS cousin) tagged me...I'm "IT" she said. I always thought I was an "IT" girl, but it IS nice to hear it from someone other than myself and maybe my Mom. :)

And the rules are:1. List six quirks, habits, or unknown things about yourself.2.Tag three other people3. Let those three people know on their blog that they have been tagged. And that's all as far as I know!

1. I don't like Swedish Fish OR Red Vines. I know, it's a crime becuase the whole WORLD seems to like them, but what can I say...they're GROSS! They taste like extra-chewy melted candle wax! Twizzlers ANY DAY, even the black ones. Although, I'd rather do gummy bears, cinnamon bears or anything chocolate instead.

2. Ok, I have to admit this unknown, possibly detrimental-to-my-eternal-salvation fact: I don't really like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. They're just a little too....old...for me. I'd way rather listen to EFY on Sunday. I also don't like a LOT of hymns in our hymnbook, like "In Our Lovely Deseret," "Count your Blessings," and "Scatter Sunshine..." yuck. I like some other ones though, I'm not THAT much of a heathen!

3. Here goes...I have to admit that I LOVE reality TV. Shows I watch include: Project Runway, Amazing Race, .....the....Bachelor (just the last few seasons, promise...and I mostly just watch it to make fun of the girls falling all over themselves!!), ...America's Next Top Model (I know, I'm waaay to old to be watching that, but I love it..., and well, of course, American Idol. I know, they're all very silly. But I can't help it!! I'm a silly girl I guess!! (at least I don't watch "The Hills"..hehe)

4. Ok, this is embarrassing and gross, but I KNOW I'm not alone in this!! I love getting my husband's zits (well, my own too, but it's fun to do his). Sometimes, in a moment of "niceness" he will allow me to get one or two...usually though, in exchange for a nice long back massage... My aunt actually PAYS her kids like $20 for each blackhead she can get...I can TOTALLY relate...it's bad. An addiction, I must say.

5. If I were to do school over again, I would have majored in Interior Design, and not worried about how competitive the program was at BYU. Instead, I majored in advertising, and it's good, but I think the grass is greener in Interior Design. I totally love decorating, so now I just help my friends decorate their houses (since I'm pretty much done with mine! But I wish I had more expertise, that's for sure!! Oh, and I also have this dream to have like 5 or six different houses, condos, lofts or whatever...because I can't seem to decide on a STYLE I like. I really like ultra modern, but it wouldn't work for my home now, I like Tuscan, Spanish, Contemporary, Traditional, but I want to do them ALL, so I have to have a few different houses to do them in...maybe I should just be a designer...

6. Ok, now it's time for the big fear: Past fear: Before I was married my biggest fear was to marry someone who would come out of the closet after three kids or be addicted to pornography. Now that I AM married to the most wonderful man in the world, I don't worry TOO much about that! Well, I guess I don't have any quirky fears, to be honest...but here's a Present dumb fear: I really worry about teaching Gospel Doctrine..that my class will get BORED. I try to make it not boring. I don't want to be perceived as the "boring" teacher... you know? I want people to feel like "oh good, Janessa's teaching today!" And people other than my husband or best friend, hahaah... I'm boring, I know.

That's me in a nutshell! I'm sure there are many other weird quirks I could bore you with, but as you know, I don't like to bore people, so I'll end...HERE. :)

Fofa (mom) comes to town!

So, Fofa came to town to help Heather with her new baby, Lauren. It was fun to see her (well, she'll be here for like 2 more weeks, so I will see her some more soon) and see Heather and Jay and the baby again. Friday night, Jordan and I went up to Heather's to hang out with them. We had some great lasagna, made by "The Jay" and played Dominoes and Speed Scrabble with them. Heather of course, won Speed Scrabble all night, but Jay won Dominoes later... Fofa actually got SO riled up she said a few CHOICE WORDS to Jordan!! It was crazy. But fun.

By the way, just so you know, Fofa looks like a supermodel now. She's totally skinny. ALL because she decided to just eat 1/2 of what she usually eats!! That's called smarts...and self-control. Nice job, Mainha! And here in the picture I posted, she looks so young and cute!! Anyway, that's all for today... hasta luego!

Heather's New Baby: Lauren Grace Barnum

So, it finally happened! Although it was a bit of a scary start to Lauren's life! Heather was life-flighted to the hospital, because she had "placenta previa" and started bleeding last Sunday! Miraculously, she only started bleeding when Jay got home from church, and the emergency medical guy that he his, he knew exactly what to do...and then the helicopter came.

Everything is okay though, and Lauren is SOOOOOOOO cute!! I guess it helps to have good genes...you know, Gollaher genes :) Hehhe..although Jay has a very cute sister, so I guess he helped a little too :) AND, she was delivered cesarean so her cute little head was perfectly shaped (unlike Jordan's...he was a little cone-shaped... and his mom said, and I quote: "he was the ugliest baby I had ever seen!" Boy how times have changed, right honey? He's so cute now :) SO, I guess if I have an ugly baby is won't mean necessarily that he or she is ugly for LIFE. I can find comfort in that...

Kristin and Stephen visited Lauren at the same time. That's how we got THESE cute pictures too! So next up will be me for SURE. I'm really baby hungry right now, honestly. But Jordan

won't discuss baby names or ANYTHING with me right now until I'm "8 months pregnant...." yeah RIGHT!! He's in for a big surprise, that's for sure! Well, that's it! I'm going to see Fofa this week, as she comes to help Heather with the baby! So fun... Oh, and just so you know, Jay is a total baby-hog (Heather says so!) He won't let her out of his sight!! It's so funny :) He is very cute with her too. And to think he wanted a BOY. Crazy.

The Loves on my Life Come to Town!

Jordan does get a little jealous when Sydney and Gavin come to town. They do kinda consume my attention; let's be honest here. During their stay in Salt Lake, Jordan and I had so much fun visiting them at "Grandma and Grandpa who Check for Bats'" condo! Sydney and Gavin and I had so much fun in the pool--it was the best. They are just so cute. One funny thing Gavin likes to do is call people "doo doo head" and Sydney now likes to talk in a southern accent! It was so unpredictable and hilarious! Where does that come from? She's only 4!

While Michelle & Andrew were here, Jordan and I played extensive, competitive games of "The Dice Game." It's Jordan's new favorite! It was really fun. Jordan and I also had fun putting Sydney & Gavin to bed. It was especially funny one night when I put Sydney to bed, and all of hte sudden, she said, "Did you know that Grandma & Grandpa "who check for bats" have THREE houses?" And I said, "really?" And she said, "Yes." She said, "They have the CABINET, (it was too cute to correct her on this one!!) this house, and the.....house they live in!" I said, "where is the house they live in? Hawaii?" And she said "No." Haha... I finally convinced her that Fofa and Painho still live in Hawaii, yes. :) Then, in her Southern drawl, she asked me to blow dry the bed because she was cold, saying it like this: "Nu Nu, will you get the blow DRIIIIR, and blow DRII the bayed?" It was so funny, I was dying... :)

That night was their last night, and it was sooooo sad to see them go. I actually almost shed a few tears...I know, I'm turning into the "manteiga derretida" that Fofa is!! (melted butter--and expression in Brazil that is equivalent to a "boob--cry baby") But then, guess what... the next day, while they were driving home, Andrew called, and Sydney had been "bawling" because she was sad to leave "Nu Nu and Mon" (that's Jordan and me, btw.). I talked to her, and it was so sad!! They keep telling us we need to move there...if only....

Holiday Party...in February, actually!

On February 7th we had a work party at the Larry H. Miller movie theater complex by my house, called "The District." We had a really nice buffet lunch and afterward we had games and prize drawings. I have to say that I wasn't on the "fastest" team ever :) But it was still fun! The main lowlight although, was the fact that about 1/3 of the people there won prizes!! Including big screen TVs and gift cards, and I got NOTHING! I am so unlucky... OH WELL.

It was still fun... Here (above) I am with my work friends, Judd, Camilla, and Chris, with me. And to the right, are my friends, Wendy and Michael. They just got engaged, so that is really exciting! All in all it was the best Holiday party we have had at my company, actually.