Aunt Tahnee the GENIUS

Okay... so I was just reading my friend Tiffany's post on laziness vs being tired and it made me think of this... So I thought I'd post it, cause it's funny... at least to me it is. Just for the record, this is me being both tired and lazy, at the same time...
So... the other night I was in the living room talking to Nic. They just got these bar stools that we are going to re-upholster. I had my legs resting on them because I was TIRED. The kids love to play on these things because, as kids often do, they found that they are fun to spin around on (can you blame them... no!) so Davey wanted to sit on the stool. I decided to be Aunt Tahnee the genius teacher and educate him on compromise- cause let's face it... first come first serve, and I was first come, at least my feet were. SO... I say to Davey "Okay... you can sit on it, but you have to hold my feet." He agreed. SEE... genius. Enter... picture 1...

He looks enthused, right? LOL!!! Trust me when I say.. my legs are NOT as heavy as he is making them look in this picture...

Well... this only lasted a few minutes, if that, and Alex (he's 2... everything looks fun to him... they're clueless at that age) wanted a turn...

This is Alex attempting to hold my feet. But how cute is this picture? STINKIN' CUTE... right?

Christmas and other stuff...

Here are some pictures taken recently, over Christmas, that I thought I'd post....

Here's me and Alex, waiting in the truck for Dave and Nic in Sportsman's Wharehouse so we can go up to Coalville to Par-Tay! I was trying to keep him from crying for his mom, and he loves his picture taken... so... Aunt Tahnee to the rescue. It worked LIKE A CHARM!

And Keili and I on the way home. This is actually Miley's christmas present but she was asleep, and Keili was lovin' herself some Dora. My mom thought that lightning was striking the first time I snapped a picture. Probably would have been best to foreworn her... oops!

I was trying to take a picture of my new hair, but you can't really see the colors in this... there is more red and carmal color to go with the brown. I really like it this time. Plus, it's really short in teh back... but you can't see that either. And the new make-up I got from Jen, but again... hard to tell from a picture.. oh well.

This is Dad opening his Sure Lock bow attachment thingy. I have been so excited for this gift. It was kind of bitter sweet for me, but worth it. He was actually crying in this picture. He couldn't believe we got this for him. This was on my Dad's "wish list", you know... the list of things you wish you could have, but probably never will. It was so AMAZING to give it to him.

Mom's Kinect... she was excited. This is the funnest thing since I discovered Jumpin' Jacks (the bouncy place, not the throw your cash away place).
More Christmas stuff...
I don't have my presents on here mostly cause I was a bit emotional that day and didn't get around to my own stuff. I got a picture board from Mom and Dad that is BEAUTIFUL and says Families Are Forever on it. And a sign from Rustin and Sarah that says "In a world where you can be anything... Be Yourself" I broke down crying when I opened this and saw what it said. Right now... these are words I need to hear. Thanks Rust and Sarah! I love you guys. You have truly been key in rescuing me from the raging sea I found myself engulfed in.
These are pictures of the Snow Day we had in Beautiful Santaquin last week. I couldn't even go to work because I couldn't get my car out. I posted about that on the last post. Remember... the "someone is trying to kill me in the shower" day? Yeah... that day! We got 22" of snow that night.

A Night of Firsts

This post is actually for Thursday, but I've been occupied so... it's a couple days late. Sorry. Thursday night I went out on a double date. We went to The Cheesecake Factory- a first for me. I've never been there, but it was SOOOO good! Then we went to The Desert Star. Oh. My. Heck. It was amazing. I loved it. This was a first for me as well. I have been wanting to go for a while now and I finally got to go and it was worth the wait. I laughed a lot. If you have never been to The Desert Star, you have to go. It's a theater where they put on plays, but they are funny plays, usually spoofs of something else. This one was called A Christmas Story, the Bipolar Express. So funny! We got a picture, I'll have to post that later. Anyway... if you are looking for a great date idea this is it!!! It was a really fun night.

Oh... and P.S. Did I mention I cut my hair and it's a whole new color. I'll post pictures later, but I like it. And Jen, my bestest friend gave me all this new make-up from Mary Kay and I absolutely love it. Move over Clinique.

Wait Until Dark

Okay... so yesterday morning I was in the shower and all of a sudden the lights and the fan go off. Anyone who really knows me knows that I am VERY afraid of the dark, SOOOO... at this point, every scary movie I have ever seen starting running through my head. I thought someone was trying to kill me. I thought... Did Dave lock the door? Are they coming in to rape me and kill me. I stretched my arms out to hold both sides of the shower curtain so they couldn't get me. I was scared TO DEATH. I then started to pray my guts out. I had to finish the shower so I quietly try to feel around for the conditioner and face wash all the while thinking, he is probably sitting on the toilet waiting for me to finish so he can KILL ME! I stood in the shower after shutting off the water waiting to hear breathing or moving around. After a few minutes of nothing I decide to get up my courage and get out and feel my way to the door. SCARY! I kept feeling all around fearing I would feel someone there, but nothin'! Finally I open the door and try to turn on any lights and none would come on so I knew it just the weather, and the power was out. It was so scary, my heart finally decided to stop racing!!! But I couldn't get ready cause we had no power.

Great Movie

I went out last night and we went to dinner and a movie. We saw the new Chronicles of Narnia and it was SO GREAT!!! There were so many REALLY GOOD lines from that movie. I just love the Narnia movies. I love the symbolism in them. Here are a few of my favorites from the new one. I know there were more than this that really struck me, but I can't remember them all.

Lucy wishes she was pretty like her big sister and Aslan says this to her at one point because she no longer existed. "You wished yourself away." I thought... holy smokes... that is exactly what you do when you say that stuff. I always do that. I think.. I wish I was pretty like so and so. I wish I was like that person, or I want to be like this person, I wish I was skinny like her, blah blah blah... I can't do this anymore cause I'm Me, and I have a mission here and I can be great too. It just struck me.

Lucy is sad to leave Aslan again and he tells her that even though she got to be with him for this short time in this world, even though he won't be in her world, he'll be watching her and she will be able to get to know him so much more in that world, than here with him. I can't really remember how he worded it, but it was so profound. If we let ourselves and really try... THIS is the life where we really get to be close to the Savior. THIS is where we get to know him so that when we meet him again, we will know him and remember him and holy smokes... I was totally motivated last night. I have been studying the book of mormon and praying and listening to/reading everything from prophets and apostles I can get my hands on like crazy lately and it has really changed me and my life and it is all I want to do. This movie last night and the little things I got out of it totally motivated me even more. Last night I was listening to the talk by Sheri L. Dew "God wants a powerful people" and it was FABULOUS! A MUST listen to! All morning I have been saying in my head... God wants a powerful people, and I want to be powerful. I AM GOING TO BE ONE OF HIS POWERFUL PEOPLE! I am. I want for nothing more than that. There are such great things happening in my life right now and I am so grateful for them, I'm grateful for repentance and godly sorrow. It hurts, but (and here's another really great line from the movie) when the Lord removes something from your life it's like removing a thorn. It hurts really bad when it is being removed, but it is the best for us and that is when we begin to heal. Anyway... I recommend the Narnia movies if you have never seen them and watch them looking for the symbolism. Last night in my prayers I thanked the Lord for inspiring CS Lewis because I truly believe in a lot of what he said, he was truly inspired. If this weren't true, the prophets and apostles wouldn't quote him. I'm not saying everything he says is correct, but there are some really great insights we can get from him.

Anyway... my rollercoaster of a life is past the "I'm going to barf all over this ride" stage and starting to be more enjoyable- hopefully there isn't another hill right around the corner, I'm banking on there being a fast downhill (give me butterflies, make me smile and laugh) slope. Isn't that usually what you get when you climb a really steep slope on a rollercoaster?

Another Amazing Bus Story

Okay...you cannot ride the bus 5 days a week for over 3 years and not have some pretty funny stories come out of it. I could write a flippin' book about them. SO... here is the lastest and greatest story. First some history... There is this guy and girl that have been getting on the bus in Payson with me, but I haven't met them yet. I have been wanting to, they are around my same age (I think) and nice looking people. Plus, the guy is kind of cute- which is kind of a bonus. SOOO... yesterday the girl (who's name I found out is Rahpsody) sat with me yesterday afternoon on the bus and the guy (still don't know his name- that's next) sat behind us. She was SUPER nice and we talked most of the way home. So about half way home I pull out my book to read and my pen to mark the "awe inpiring" parts of the book. SOOOO... (here comes the funny)... as I am reading/marking, my heads starts to itch, on the back and I think... hmm... I'll just take care of that with the lid of my pen. So... as I go to reach my pen back and itch... (I dont' really know how this happened, BUT...) I flung my pen at the guy sitting behind me. Rahpsody turns and we both look at each other with BIG EYES like... what the heck just happened. I was like "REALLY? Did I just throw my pen back there?" I turn around and look between the window and my seat and the guy behind me was sleeping, but my pen... was sitting nicely ON HIS LAP! AWKWARD!!!! What the heck do I do now? Rahpsody started laughing, and so did I and I said "Um... it's on his lap. I'm afraid to reach back and grab it because what if he wakes up right as my hand is on his lap. AWKWARD!" I'd look like a pedophile of adult men. What would he think even if he woke up and my hand was leaving his lap. I went back and forth and kept looking. Hot guy next to him was asleep too, or I would have asked him to help me out- although that might have been even more awkward. After laughing and discussing with Rahpsody... I pep talked myself ( like usual) saying... you can totally do this, you are freaking Tahnee Nielsen.... Just get in, and get out... FAST! So... I did... I looked at him for a minute to ensure he wasn't- ya know- blinking a little in the 'I'm waking up' phase of sleep, and then I went for it. I was in... and out... and FAST. Then I laughed and brushed my hand across my forehead to Rahpsody as if to say "PHEW!!! That was close!" and then the guy sitting across the aisle (who I had no idea was even watching) congratulated me on being so smooth about it. It was AMAZING!

I Enjoy Being A Girl

Saturday I was moving some stuff around and can I just tell you that I came to accept the fact that I might just be a "girly girl". It was in the moving of all my "girl" stuff (lotion, perfume, make up, hair stuff, jewelry, etc.) into my new bathroom closet and organizing it. I. HAVE. SO. MUCH. STUFF! I shocked myself just how much of that crap I have, and the sad thing is... I use it all. LOL! So.. I guess the masses are right... I'm a girly girl. I like to profess to be a country girl, WHICH I AM, but I guess there's some princess in there too. PLUS... if you think about it, which I do... A LOT... I am a princess. All girls are. NO MATTER WHAT! Because we are the daughters of King. And he loves us. I watched that movie A Little Princess this weekend and I fell in love with it. I bawled my eyes out, but there is this line Sarah says at the end that got me, she says it to Miss Minchin, who is horrible to her and has thrown her in the attic to be a servant because her father died in the war and there is not money to pay for her schooling. It goes like this...

Miss Minchin: Don't tell me you still fancy yourself a princess? Child, look
around you! Or better yet, look in the mirror.

Sara Crewe: I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young. They're still princesses. All of us. Didn't your father ever tell you that? Didn't he?

This is so true... we ARE all princesses, no matter what we look like, or what we've
done, or what anyone else thinks of us. We're still princesses. Anyway...
getting to the point of this post... I watched that movie and then started to
re-arrange some stuff before going out that night. As I was doing this I put on
a couple of my records. I was singing along and then I got a couple little
visitors (Alex and Miley). We started dancing around in my bedroom to the
showtunes. It was fun, and so cute. Miley and Alex loved the two songs "I Enjoy
Being A Girl" from Flower Drum Song , which was fitting for the way I was
feeling that day, and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair" from South
Pacific. They kept wanting me to play them over and over again. I was holding
Alex and dancing around in cirlces and he was laughing. I'd get dizzy and put
him down and he'd grab my legs and say "Again. Again Tahn." Let's just say I got
my excercise, but it was fun and TOTALLY WORTH IT! It was so cute. If you
haven't ever heard those songs... they are totally worth a listen, especially if
you are girl. Miley and I were singing this part so loud, it would make me laugh
cause I taught her to hold the note and hold her arms way out while holding
it... LOL- you should see her. This is the line we did this to: "...Who'll enjoy
being a guy, having a GIRL....LIKE....ME!!!". Miley was so cute. Anyway... it
was a good day. Uncle Jesse gave some really great talks last week- I just love that man. One of them I listened to on my way home friday night was called "Covenants and Sacrifice" by President Eyring. Oh my heck... it was amazing. I have listened to it twice this weekend. SO. GOOD! It's exactly my life right now.

This was a really GREAT weekend, and I decided that my life is good!!!

NOT Just A Coincidence!!!

SOOOO... today I was coming in to work and I stepped on another piece of that chandelier and of course, as always it hurt, but I started to think about the Savior and how when he was here he always was doing/thinking of what the Lord would want him to do. I've been trying today to keep my thoughts where the Lord would want them and not get caught thinking about things that bring me down. In doing this I thought... I need to email my old boss. I haven't talked to him or emailed him in a while, and I just need a dose of his humor, plus.. he thinks the WORLD of me and has a way of making me feel like I deserve the best of everything (maybe that's because he actually says that) and I kind of need that in my life. SO... I start to type him an email to check in on him and see when he's coming back for the holidays. I get distracted with work stuff and dont' finish the email but guess what? Like 30 minutes ago, I GOT A PHONE CALL! How random is that? When I said Hello and he said "ALO-HA!!!!" I said "HEY!!!!!! OH MY HECK... ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!" and then I proceeded to explain how I was sending him an email. He laughed. You know... it's so good to see the Lord's fingerprints in your life. See... I knew that talking to him was just what I needed, and so did the Lord. I am so grateful for those people the Lord has placed in my life that think the world of me and treat me as such. I had such a great talk with him. He has always been so easy to talk to, about anything. I miss working for him. I love my new job, but I miss all the fun times with him. I'm so lucky to know him and to have a friend for a lifetime now.

A Change is GOOD!

Recently, as many of you know, the area in which I reside at Nic and Dave's was finished. I've never posted pictures of the finished product because... well... I don't know, but here they are (Kind of). I also moved stuff around and my bedroom is now in a different room, which has been a GREAT change for me and much needed. I can actually sleep at night without feeling tortured.
This picture is walking into my bedroom, now... keep in mind that I am still decorating and so it looks a little bare. This is a picture of my most recent purchase. I have wanted a record player for a really long time and on black friday I broke down and bought one. I needed something to be excited about. Then i went to the DI and sorted through all their records- it wasn't the best selection, but I found some do-able stuff- mostly soundtracks to old musicals I grew up watching, so that's fun.
Isn't she beauty. I seriously love this thing. I need to purchase some recent records now.

Here is my amazing closet. It was so nice to be able to move into this thing and I am in heaven.

My dresser and you can kind of see my bed in the mirror. I was going to give this dresser back to my mom but I decided I still wanted it and it still gave me enough room to roll out my yoga mat, so that's all that matters.

And here is my new bathroom. Isn't it cute? I wish you could see it cause it is really a cute bathroom. The light fixture is amazing. I love it. I still need to find some stuff to hang on the walls, I'll wait til after Christmas since I still have a bunch of shopping to do for the holiday, but it is so nice to have this thing done. I need a big clock to hang over the toilet because I just have sitting on the back of the toilet and I hate having stuff there, but I have to be able to see the time so I'm not late in the morning.

The other room I did not post a picture of because it's kind of still unorganized. It is going to be my exercise room/art room. I can actually put my easel in the artist cove thing in that room. The people who originally had this house intended that room to be an artist studio room, and now I can actually put my stuff in there- which is exciting. Plus... you know how much I need my exercise stuff too. It just works out well. I'll post a picture of that room when I finish it. It's just hard to do when I'm not home that much, but it'll happen.

HAPPY

Today, at work, they are painting, or doing something with paint- I know this... because I CAN SMELL IT. And the man standing in front of me has a benjamin Moore shirt on and he is rolling "stuff" on the wall with a paint roller thingy- so I'm thinkin' it's paint somethin'! When I first came around the corner and smelt it I said "OHHHH... this is going to be a FABULOUS day... Benjamin Moore... MAKE. ME. HAPPY!" LOL! I figure I'll either get a massive headache, or a really big high. I'm bankin' on the second.

He's There

So... last night I had a meeting with my Bishop. I was kind of struggling last night, I don't know why because I have come so far in the last week, but I guess I stepped on piece of that chandelier, and it hurt. I go in and meet with him and it was good. It was really good. I cried of course and said "Uhg! I don't know what my problem is tonight. I've been doing so good. I think I'm just scared." He looked at me funny but didn't ask me to elaborate. I said "I'm scared he'll leave me. I feel like I'm in that dark tunnel and he's walking with me, sometimes carrying me, but I'm scared he'll leave me." I love my Bishop. I have a lot of respect for him and have really come to feel the Lords love for me through him. I have learned just how inspired he is and it's been great. He gave me really great advice as usual and told me to keep my chin up and don't stop moving forward in the dark tunnel. As I was getting ready to leave he thanked me. He said "Tahnee, thank you." I was like... what the crap is he thanking ME for? I thanked him for everything he has done to help me cause he has really saved me. He was an instrument in the Lords hand when I was drowning and he reached down and pulled me out of the water. He said again, "NO... thank you. People like you make this job worth doing." OH. MY. HECK! That one statement hit me to the very core. I laughed of course and said "Thanks." He said, " NO! I'm serious, you do." I shook his hand and left. When I walked out the church doors, I lost it. I sobbed because that one simple little statement from my Bishop made me feel like I am worth it. I just sat in my car and sobbed and thanked Heavenly Father for him saying that and feeling like that. You know... it's interesting how you see the Lord's fingerprints all over your life. Yesterday morning I had a text message from a really good friend that I love that I haven't seen or talked to in a really long time but another friend told them that I needed a phone call and so they texted me. MADE. MY. DAY. Anyway... I think he might be trying to show me that he isn't going to leave me like everyone else. And I need that.

Christmas Tree Hunt

Every year for Christmas my family goes Christmas Tree hunting. This year my uncle Chip came down over the weekend to go but Rustin and Sarah wanted to go on Monday, so I took the day off and went along cause I LOVE TREE HUNTING!!!!
Here we are getting ready to leave... I got to ride with Rustin and Sarah and the kids- always an adventure. Rustin really makes me laugh and this is something I need these days. Although... I think I saw my life flash before my eyes when we got up the canyon and hit the snow because he thought it would add to the adventure to try to do some donuts in the truck.

We get up Spring City canyon and start out adventure searching for "The Tree". We pass by this rock formation thingy and Rustin says "And...... that's Tahnee's next house."

My Dad (aka. Grandpa of the Year) pulled the kids in his ice fishing sled, which my Dad believes is just as good as a regular sled, and uses it as such (like last year when we took it actual sledding and about killed the kids because he waxed up the bottom first- cause he didn't think it'd go fast enough- he took GOOD care of that. We had to pry them out from underneath the truck)... Dad gives us such good memories.

This is the part where Rustin says to his 3 year old "Hey Bubba.. look how strong Dad is" and then proceeds to grab a DEAD tree (knowing Bubba doesn't know the difference) and yanks it out of the ground (I could have done that! And I should have. Dang! Let's face it... Bubba could have done it).

Cute Sariah... She did get a little tired of the (and I qoute) "back and forth, back and forth" trying to find a tree.

Now... we get to this river thingy. And we need to cross. So...

My Dad helps the kids across...

Rustin helps Bubba...

Don't worry... he didn't fall in... that's coming...

Okay... So I decide to go across. I don't have anyone to help me, so I start to go across. OF COURSE... I am the one that has to find the faulty piece of ice and FALL THROUGH!!! I was like.... REALLY?!?!?! It hurt so bad. I couldn't get up at first. My Dad was on the other side calling to Rustin and he was behind me but I managed to get up but my leg hurt so bad. Picture this... I am in pain... trying to stand up and Rustin is behind me saying "Are you okay, Tahn. Tahn... are you okay?" And I am thinking ' Man my leg hurts, but get up and get out your camera... this is blog material!' So I stand up, turn around and look at Rustin and say "Yeah." Then pull out my camera phone and take a picture...

Rustin says... "Are you.... Are you really taking a picture?" Then he shakes his head and goes back to help Sarah.

LOL... See.. I try to think of others and share in the laughter of the experience. I do have a pretty good bruise on my leg. I took pictures at that moment but you can't see the injury very well. BUt here is one of my leg when we got home. It's hard to see... but it hurts- trust me. And it's a good battle wound.

Rustin helping Sarah make is SUCCESSFULLY acrosss. GEEZ! Where was my help? LOL- JK.

My rides for the kids.

The kids loved playing on the hillsides. It was quite the victory when they made it to the top. They'd cheer for themselves. I'd cheer for them too! I helped Sariah and Bubba build snow caves and mini snow men while we waited for the tree to be cut but it was making my hand so cold to carry it back to the truck so we talked her into letting us leave the snow man in the forest. She wanted Sarah to help her build another mini one when we got back to the truck. Here is Sarah putting it in the tree so it can stay in the forest. Sariah was bawling because she thought the snowman was ugly. LOL!!! Kids!

Here's the snowman.

Earlier... before we left, I made this tasty treat... Smores on a Stick. It was a HIT!

Oh my heck... this was so funny. Rustin and Dad were in the back room playing dress up or something cause they come out so proud of themselves and say... "Hey, look at Rustin." and he is looks so "puffed up". He kept posing for us. I wish I had a picture of this cause it was HIL-ARIOUS!!!! How intimidating does he look in this get up. They were getting ready to go hunting.

Here's Bubba riding my Mom's excercise bike. This is the only way he can ride it cause he's so little. LOL... he's sitting on the front of it. I was dying with laughter watching him peddle away.

It was a fun day and I was glad I took the time off to go. I have an amazing family and I'm very lucky to have them!!!!

As it turns out Rustin and Sarah got a tree that was kind of brittle. As they were bringing it down the mountain he kept losing branches- WEIRD. We get back to the truck and one side was about barren and Sarah said this statement that was so amazing. She said "Just because it's broken doesn't mean we shouldn't love it!" I love Sarah. It made me think of myself these days. I'm kind of broken, but they still love me.

Funny Email

Yesterday I got this hilarious email. I was requesting something at work for my desk, a paper rolodex thingy and the guy I asked sent me this email back:

Unfortunately we don’t carry anything like that. You may have
to go through Staples or somebody.
I can offer this though. He
will hold the book and flip pages as you see fit. He does require periodic
feeding and bathroom breaks.

Needless to say... I died laughing... This was my reply to him:

HA HA HA… That is funny! As long as he can jump himself off my desk (without
committing suicide- that’s a mess I refuse to clean up) and take his bathroom
breaks alone… I’m good!