The Chat's

Getting too big!

2010-06-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

I have been getting a lot of comments lately on my blog slacking so I decided I would try to do a little blogging while Ayden was asleep. He's is already 1 hour and 40 minutes into a nap so hopefully I can do this quickly.

I can't believe he Ayden almost 5 months. I love every second of being a mom, even though not much gets done around our house anymore. Jared and I will just stare at Ayden in aah and talk about how cute he is. Even when we leave the room we are right back 5 minutes later to stare some more :) Everyday I am so grateful for my little miracle. I am so grateful he is healthy and happy. Looking back it is crazy how our long wait seems like just a moment.

Ayden is learning new stuff everyday. It makes me sad how quickly he is growing, but in the same second I am so excited for all the new things he does. Here's a few things he has been up to lately...

-He weighted 16lbs 1 oz at his 4 month appointment
-He's wearing 6-9 month cloths (and that's been for a month already :))
-He went to the swimming pool for the first time. He loved it so much he fell asleep in the pool :)
-He has started eating solids. He loves his squash!
-He is rolling over from his back to his stomach.
-He has now found his feet. Which makes diaper changes impossible :)

Our New Addition!

2010-02-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

Here are a few quick pics of Ayden the last 2 1/2 weeks. Lil' Ayden is growing like a weed. At his 2 week check he weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. and is 21 1/2 inches. Where does the time go?

We are absolutely smitten by him and love every second, even the 2am feedings :) which is usually the only time he wakes up during the night! He has been such a good baby.

Jared went back to work the Monday after Ayden was born, but he usually doesn't last all day without making a quick stop back home for lunch to see his baby :) Jared is the best dad. I didn't even have to change a diaper until he went back to work! Jared could sleep through "a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant" so he is not as good at getting up at night to feed the baby :) Jared has been really good about posting pics on facebook so check those out.

Having a baby has been a lot of work and definitely a huge life change, but I wouldn't change it for the world. It was worth everything to get this little miracle here!

He's Here!

2010-02-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

Ayden Jared Chatterton
February 3, 2010
10:47 pm
8lbs. 10oz.
20 inches

It's been a while!

2009-12-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot of life changes in the last 10 months so I figured that maybe I should do some good updating of the blog. Jared has done a good job of adding a little comical humor every few months, but we have had a lot of big things going on lately that he has left out. (Not necessarily in order of date, but of importance :))

#1

To the right is one of the most recent pictures of our little guy, Ayden! He is due on Feb 3rd and we can’t wait till he gets here! I love this pic because he was getting mad that the ultrasound tech kept poking him. He just wanted to sleep. Jared and I were convinced we were having a girl, we found out in September that we were mistaken. The ultrasound tech asked what we thought we were having and I told him that we thought we were having a girl. We got a prefect shot and he asked again what we thought it was. I said “I don’t think that is a girl”. He said “You are 100% right”. My most recent ultrasound was at 30 weeks. We got some more awesome 3D pics and double checked that we were still having a boy. Good news nothing has fallen off!

We have been having lots of fun getting his room ready and buying lots of baby stuff. I still have a few things that I want to do to his room, but we are getting closer. I think Jared’s favorite purchase has been the Chicco stroller. He thinks that his baby should have the Cadillac model of everything :)

7 weeks to go! Wish us luck!

#2

We bought a new house in April. We absolutely love it! It has been a lot of work but well worth it to have a place to call our own. Multiple people told us as soon as we got a house we would have a baby. If we would have known that is what it would take we would have done it sooner! The next big project is putting in a yard. We started when we moved in and are nowhere near being finished.

#3

In September we went on a cruise with a big group of friends to the Western Caribbean. We had so much fun! First we stopped in Grand Cayman. We snorkeled and swam with the sting rays. The second stop was Roatan. Most of the guys went windsurfing. The rest of us went snorkeling. The third stop was Belize were we went to the Mayan ruins and boated down a river. The last stop was in Cozumel which was easily my favorite place. It was sooo beautiful. We took a tour on Harley’s all around the island. I wished we had more time in Cozumel. I would have loved to have gone snorkeling.

#4

Jared had to get in another Harley trip before we had the baby so for our anniversary this year that is what we decided to do. We decided to just stay close but it was fun because we had multiple friends go with us.

That is the quick update on us. I will try to be better about posting. Especially when the baby gets here!

Ode to Pooter

2009-09-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

Meow, Meowdity, Meow was the subtle sound she made,
Chasing bugs in the weeds was the favorite game she played.
A bundle of joy, soft and ebony in tone,
A part of the family, even one of our own.
It happened so quickly on a warm summer day,
She was running and skipping in a well mannered way.
It came without warning, it came without sound,
It rushed with great speed even down to the ground.
What is such a creature that would disrupt her play?
A ruthless black falcon, a fiery bird of prey.
It’s razor sharp talons like vise grips they were,
Locked in tight and pierced through the fur.
Up, up and away was the flight of the cat,
The bird victorious in it’s quest for some edible fat.
Her fate was determined, her limp body lay,
The falcon is grinning and pecking away.
Decomposition is her role of which there is no escape,
The mind can only determine the obvious distorted shape.
The maggots will gravitate to the fresh rotting source,
Much like the advances of an un-stoppable rebel force.
Goodbye to Pooter and to the litter box that stank,
Goodbye to the constantly spilling food and water tank.
Thanks for the memories and for reminding cats galore,
That if you are woos enough to get taken out by a bird,
You will be with us no more.

I CAN'T WIN

2009-05-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

What is wrong with today’s tangibles? I can confidently state that the products I acquire, of which I dedicate a heavy reliance on, can be adequately summed up with one word—dejection. Let me provide the definition for those you who might be unfamiliar: A solid excretory product evacuated from the bowels.

I don’t have to search the archives or excrete too much mental energy to provide examples to back up my claim. In fact, it’s grossly too easy to prove my point.

Dejection #1: OCZ Fatal1ty 2GB DDR2 Random Access Memory (RAM) Module

With the appreciative assistance of my personal BFF computer assistant, Horace and Cornelius (notional names to protect their identity), I constructed a computer for home use. There is an inside joke amongst us that if there is ever a computer problem—replace the RAM. Those of you that are computer savvy may laugh, but I’m not laughing. The positive news is that it only took OCZ 1 ½ weeks to replace my DOA (Dead On Arrival) RAM.

Dejection #2: General Electric Washing Machine

What is GE? Some say it is an acronym for General Electric, Galactic Empire, or General Education. I am convinced that it stands for Generally Eroding. What was known in the golden days as a symbol of quality has slowly evolved into a large white power flush clogging dejection in my house. I won’t go into the details. Suffice it to say that in 14 months it has had two motors. It’s sad when you mumble under your breath, “Please God, let this washing machine agitate the skid marks from my underwear ” before you start a load of laundry.

Dejection #3: Dish Network VIP 612 HD DVR Receiver

I could write a novel on my dealing with said product and service. It will save the blog stalkers a lot of reading time if I simply leave out the details. I will be the first one to admit my incessant need for good high definition. My heart goes out to those who continue to watch television programming in standard definition. I am adamantly unable to accept mediocre HD. I have now been a Dish Network HD subscriber for 2 weeks and have been through 2 receivers, 3 technicians, and multiple phone calls to technical support representatives in India. What does an HD snob have to do to get some quality HD and a functioning receiver these days? Am I asking too much? I guess so.

Dejection #4: Whirlpool flat top range/oven

In case you were wondering, error code F3-E0 on a Whirlpool oven indicates an open oven temperature sensor condition. The remedy—replace oven temperature sensor. It’s not that I wore out the oven. I just wanted to bake a cinnamon roll for the first time in my brand new Whirlpool Oven to consecrate it if you will. Why would I expect my brand new oven to bake a cinnamon roll? That is absolutely absurd and I’m not sure why I thought such a thing was possible. I’ll know to not expect the next new item I purchase to actually function as advertised.

Dejection #5: JBL Radial iPod Loudspeaker

This was an impulse bargain purchase that has proved at times to be my best sound producing friend. The first one was DOA (see above). The replacement appeared to function fine. However, it did not take long for the sound to short out or not play it all. I’ve since learned that if you hit it hard enough at just the right angle, it will function. After a hard day at work I can go home and slap the JBL Radial across the façade and my wife won’t even question my intentions.

The tone of the above examples might give indication to the fact that I am a bitter, selfish complainer. I hope all the stalkers of this blog might not consider me to be such. I am certainly grateful for all the un-dejections in my life. The examples portrayed may seem small and irrelevant. Well…one small floating turd is enough to ruin a very big bucket of water. I am still perplexed as to this condition I suffer from. Is it bad taste? Is it bad luck? Or is it cheap, cost cutting, oversea, outsourcing production?

He Must Really Love Me

2009-02-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

So I pretty much have the best husband ever! Friday I had another appointment in Salt Lake. We heard that it might snow Thursday night and my appointment was really early so we decided it would be better to spend the night in SLC. We have heard awesome things about Famous Dave's and decided it would be fun to go somewhere new. If you have ever heard good things about that place they are all lies. The whole time we were wishing we had went somewhere else. As we are driving in to Salt Lake Jared kept telling me to cue up Rascal Flatts on my ipod. Jared is far from being a country fan so this stuck me as a little strange. As we are getting closer to the Energy Solution Arena there where large crowds of people walking to the Arena. Jared made the comment that something must be going on that night. My response was that there must be a Jazz game. As we were pulling up I realized that all of the country stations had their cars in front of the Arena. It was then that I looked up at the billboard and realized that the Rascal Flatts concert was that night. I knew that there was a girl from his work that was going to the concert. So I asked if Karen was going to the concert. Jared said "Yes, and guess who else is going." It was ME!!! It was amazing! Even Jared liked it.

Happy B-lated Valentine's Day

2009-02-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well like always I am behind on my blogging. So I am a little late but HAPPY VALENTINE'S! As always I got spoiled. My "no spending money this year" went about like it always does. I figured it would help since Valentine's was on a weekend, meaning there would be no opportunity to send me the traditional flowers from Tony's Grove to work. He still brought a Cold Stone ice cream cake and a small vase of flowers to me at work on Friday. The cake was awesome and everyone enjoyed their Valentine treat. Jared always does so much for me so I decided for Valentine's this year I would do one of Jared's favorite things (knowing the people who read our blog I need to tell you to get your mind out of the gutter :)). We went snowmobiling up Hardware Ranch with my fam. Later that night we went to The Coppermill for their Valentine buffet. It was so awesome I was craving it for a week after. They have the same buffet the weekend before Mother's Day. So I know where I will be the Saturday before Mother's Day. So I have to give a shout out to Jare and tell him thanks again for an awesome V-day, you are the ultimate gift giver! I heart U, and you will always be my favorite.

Salt Lake

2009-02-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

We lucked out and my doctor appointment ended up being the same day we had tickets to go to the Jazz game. The doctor went as well as any doctor appointment can go. I had to remind him of everything that we had payed to talk to him about in December. They showed me how to give myself a shot since it had to be done the next day. Now tell me why am I paying them again? Who wants to put a three inch needle in their own thigh? As I was sitting there pinching my fat with the needle in my hand I couldn't imagine wanting to inject myself with drugs. People are crazy!I poked myself once and had to stop. After a lot of coxing by onlookers I did it a second time. It wasn't as bad as I thought, that is until about 6 hours later when I couldn't walk. I had quite the limp for a couple of days. The Jazz game was fun. My whole fam was there. All of the good players were hurt, but I don't really go to watch the games anyway. It is all about watching people and pigging out on concession food.

I Hate Heights!!!

2009-02-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Ryan Davis has been trying to get Jared and I to go flying with him for the past couple of weeks. Jared decided that after weeks of me telling him no that he would just tell Ryan yes and beg for forgiveness later. I am very surprised to say that I am glad he did. I don't normally enjoy flying. I get very nervous almost to the point of hyperventilating, and give myself stomach aches. I was a little nervous on the way to the airport. I realized I hadn't told anyone that we were going flying. I decided to document every second by camera so that if we did crash someone would know what happened to us. As soon as we took off my nerves went away. Maybe it was the fact that I was only inches away from controlling the plane (even though I was in the backseat :)) if need be. Amber I don't know how much blog stalking Ryan does so please relay the message and tell him thanks again, it was sooo awesome!

P.S We flew over Buzzy's house you can see him in his driveway if you look carefully.

Landon's Homecoming

2009-01-26T17:13:00.001-08:00

Landon's Homecoming was yesterday. He did an amazing job with his talk. The dinner after was good too. We got to see people that we haven't seen since he left. It is awesome to have him home. Now we need to find him some cute new friends of the female gender!

Our New Bumper Sticker

2009-01-24T17:04:00.000-08:00

We went to Angie's and tried the kitchen sink. We were going to get one per couple. It was a good thing our waitress talked us out of it :)! We are now the proud new owners of an Angie's bumper sitcker.

Happy B-day Mama Char!

2009-01-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

He's Back!!!

2009-01-21T19:31:00.000-08:00

Landon came home on the 14th. I will admit I wasn't to excited to see him. I have gotten so used to him being away from home I thought that it would be weird to have him back. All I have known him as for the past two years is a pen pal. Besides I have yet to meet a normal RM. Landon has changed. I would definitely say for the better. He is the same old goofball, but more sincere and kind. I went with my family to pick him up from the airport. The second I got to hug him I didn't care if he was going to be a weirdo, it was just so good to actually see him.

He didn't know, but my parents bought him a new snowmobile for Christmas. It was sitting in the garage with a few of our aunts, uncles, and cousins when he got home. My dad had signed him up to race in Preston two days after he got home. So the night he got home the boys were up late putting together his snowmobile, so we could all go riding the next day. Don't worry my parents warned the neighbors he was coming home so they weren't surprised when someone was flying up and down the field on a snowmobile at 12:30 in the morning. Landon did really well, he qualified second. Not to bad for not riding a snowmobile for two years, at least that we know of!

Landon, my mom, and grandma flew to California on Saturday so he was unable to finish the hillclimb. Landon went back to baptize one of the kids he had been teaching. It is awesome to have him back. He must have missed us too, because he called everyday multiple times just to say hi, while he was back in Cali. Who would have though that one day my punching bag/scratching post/chew toy would be one of my best friends.

Our Holidays

2009-01-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

During the holidays we get double the food, double the presents, double the relatives since we live close the both of our families. I have yet to decide if this is a blessing or a curse haha. This year for Thanksgiving we ate at both my Grandma P's and the Chatterton's houses. We ate way to much but it was fun to see everyone. Buzzy and Karina went with us to cut down trees this year. There wasn't much snow so we just walked to find our trees. My parents went the weekend after, and by that time it had snowed enough to take the snowmobiles. Jared got to ride his new snowmobile for the first time. He had a permagrin! We had million Christmas parties. Kenny and Michelle had a party and that was fun to see them and meet some of their other friends. Jared had his work party at Copper Mill. We then had the Archibald Christmas party. Santa came and we had dinner. Christmas Eve we went to the Chatterton's for dinner and had our traditional Christmas program. It is always fun. We then went to my Grandma P's for dinner (no wonder people gain so much weight over the holiday's). We did white elephant gifts, and the traditional candy bar game. We then went back to Chatterton's and spent the night and Christmas morning at their house. Later Christmas day we went and talked to Landon (he comes home on the 14th of January yeah!) and opened presents with them. As always we got way to much for Christmas, but it was fun, and good to spend time with friends and family. The day after Christmas we went to Salt Lake and went to the Cheesecake Factory with Buzzy, Karina, Adam, Steph, and the kids. It was a great way to spend a day away from work, and was awesome to see the Revelli's. To end the x-mas holiday Jared, Brennon, My Dad, Red, and I went pheasant hunting ( I watched and took pics). The boys all proved they could provide for the family. After watching I would rather go to Walmart any day!

Thanks Girls!

2009-01-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

I have been taken a new medicine for my infertility. We got the exciting news on the 10th of November that I was pregnant. The good news didn't last long. A little over a week later I found out that I would probably be having another miscarriage. The girls at work are so awesome they got me the most beautiful flowers. Thanks again! As you can see they bloomed and were just amazing. My doctor's office called the U and made me an appointment to see a specialist as soon as they got the results that I was going to miscarry. We went for a consult the first week in December (they got me in way fast). The doctor thinks that we have a great chance of getting pregnant and carrying the baby to term. After 3 1/2 years and 2 miscarriages it is getting frustrating, so hopefully this specialist will have the answer.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2009-01-07T16:21:00.000-08:00

I just needed a good excuse to say that (title). Jared and Buzzy did the Ultimate Loser again. This time Jared finally pulled out the win. Jared had to lose over twenty pounds the last week to do it. Noone thought he could do it, but it is Jared we are talking about. After a lot of dehydrating he lost 24 lbs. Bringing him to the grand total of 64 lbs. and 27.5 in.

Jared's New Office

2009-01-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

Jared's boss told him that he wanted him to decorate his new office. Jared decorate, yeah right. So naturally I got volunteered to do it. Hobby Lobby is so much more fun when you can buy anything you want with someone else's money. To bad it wasn't for my house. I have been promising everyone that I would post some pics. Everyone has probably seen it by now, but if not here you go. Don't you love the clock? It wouldn't be an office without the Dwight bobble head.

You Can't Beat 3rd Row (well, not by much)!

2009-01-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

We got to go to most of the Aggie football games this year. I wanted to add just a few pics that I took over the season. THANKS JANA!!!

Amber's Pics

2008-11-10T18:26:00.000-08:00

Amber Davis took pictures for Jared and I this weekend. Jared is supposed to decorate his office at work so I decided that was excellent excuse to have Amber take our pics. It has almost been two years since we had them taken last. They turned out so good now the only problem is narrowing it down to a few. Thanks again Amber!!! Here are just a few of my favs.

Halloween

2008-11-01T10:24:00.001-07:00

Our department dressed up for Halloween this year. We dressed like rock stars. I dressed like an 80's rocker with a mullet wig. We all looked awesome. Later we went to Buzzy and Karina's for a Halloween party. It was sooo fun. Jared wasn't to excited about our homemade costumes. Everyone else must have liked them because we won a few of the costume prizes, including best couple. That may have been because of Jared's campaigning. There was tonz of good food and awesome decorations. We had a donut eating contest. Jared and I both won our heats, but were beat out in the final round. We also watched Skeleton Key. It was a fun night thanks again Buzzy and Karina!!!

Awesome b-day!

2008-11-01T09:49:00.001-07:00

I have the best friends/coworkers/husband/family in the world. I was a little stressed to be "one year older and wiser too" this year. I kinda feel like time just keeps passing by, but I am in the same old rut. Don't get me wrong I have a lot going for me, but I was just not looking forward to the big 25. Jared always makes it better, he is the ultimate gift giver. I had mentioned this cool thing called a cricut months ago, well he didn't forget. He has been staying till 9 o'clock to get quarterlies done at work so I though I would be the last thing on his mind, but he found a way. As always my gift was wrapped in whatever he could find. This proved fatal when I got an enormous paper cut, but his gift wrapping is always entertaining. The girls at work are so awesome. They brought cake, ice cream, toffee covered peanuts, cookies, chips & salsa, cheese ball & crackers, rootbeer... needless to say we were sick by the end of the day, but it was fun. I also got some awesome stuff from my fam and Jared's fam so thanks again guys. It was an awesome b-day!

Which is Best?

2008-11-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Which is best a Jared with battery acid holes in his pants or a Jared in business cloths?

Yes, for those who don't know it is official Jared has given up the holey pants for a new job. This week was Jared's first official week at Richard L Dorigatti Consulting as a Staff Accountant. The good news is that he is loving it!!! He has been crazy busy, but it is worth it, he is learning a lot. He probably will be going back to get his master's pretty soon. Good job Jare!

Blog Slacker

2008-11-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

So I have been the biggest blog slacker lately. I haven't even been doing any good block stalking. So after doing some stalking this morning and noticing our name falling further and further down Tina's list of friends I decided today I wanted to be number 1!!! No really I keep meaning to post but I haven't taken any new pictures for a while. This is when i realized that there are mostly two types of bloggers. There are those of you that are excellent writers and can write about anything and entertain us all. I defiantly do not fall into this category. I never have really loved to write. I believe this is more of Jared's category that is why I love it when he will make a post or two it keeps things interesting. I on the other hand love to take pictures, which brings to the second group. I believe you can be a little of both but you usually swing one way or the other. So I would like to pose a question, what kind of blogger are you?

Jared stole my camera to put some stuff on KSL and Ebay. So if you are wondering where we have been for the last month we have been right here, but with no camera. So I just wanted to give everyone the quick run down of a few things we have been doing lately (with no pictures:( ).

-I got my 1st birdie a few weeks ago on hole #9 in Preston. It

was awesome and Jared wasn't even there to see it.

-We have been getting some awesome tickets to the Aggie football

games. Speaking of we are going today! (Pics to come)

-Jared is once again doing bodybugg. (the ultimate loser)

-Jared got a new job.

-It was my b-day.

I know there was more but I am getting older and my brain isn't working as well. So there is a very quick over view.

Truck Derby

2008-09-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

After

The fearless pit crew

Before

There is no question (judging by the background/layout of the blog) that Ashley is the primary blogger. I am a secondary back-up of sorts who can be pressured into making an entry here and there. So...It is both a privilege and an honor to take this opportunity to discuss a recent demolition derby event in which I was a participant. The big, heavy, solid steel full size cars that once consumed the earth like global warming are now on the brink of extinction. Because of this, it has become necessary to resort to other forms of demolition transportation: trucks. Logan has become the pioneers of the truck derby and had their first full truck derby last Saturday. The large turnout of 27 trucks leads me to believe that it will become much more of a tradition considering the car derby before that had a total of 11 cars. I picked up a 1977 Chevrolet 1/2 ton which I began building Thursday night and finished it Friday night (the night before the derby). The beauty of trucks is that they are relatively easy to build. I could never build a car in 24 hours like I did on this truck. I pulled the 1st heat and placed in my heat qualifying for the main event. The truck was in such great shape and I drove right out of the arena and in to the pit. The main event went on forever and I ended up taking 2nd. I fried my starter towards the end. It was fun. I had the best big crew ever: Buzzy, Eric, Erik, Rob, and Murray. Thanks! Because of their involvement, they are officially white trash rednecks.

Isn't Camping Labor?

2008-09-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

Our Labor Day weekend has been written about in a few points of view, for that reason I have decided that I am off the hook. I know from personal experience that I would much rather read Leonora and Tina's blogs' so that is why at this time I will direct you to there post's about our Labor Day camping trip. We did part our seperate ways on Sunday before that nasty rain storm hit. Monday we had plans to meet up with the Revelli's and Mullahkhel's. Like old times we enjoyed each other's company with lots of food. We went to Quizno's for lunch, and Cafe Sabor for dinner. It was awesome to see you guys (Adam, Steph, and Micah)! It was just like old times, just with a few more kids ;).

Bear Lake Derby

2008-09-04T17:16:00.000-07:00

Well I am kinda sad to post this because my favorite thing we did this summer, our five year anniversary trip, is now with the older posts. So if you didn't get to see it make sure you check it out. Maybe that can be my excuse for why I am almost two weeks late getting this posted. Jared decided last second that he was going to take his wagon to the Bear Lake derby. I only had one thing to remember to take with me, my camera. The one thing I forgot was my camera. So THANKS SOOO MUCH Leonora the pictures turned out great!!! From the very start of the derby it looked like Jared was going to do well. He won "People's Choice" in just the first few minutes of the derby. He also placed in his heat and was able to come back for the main event. As he was driving up the hill to go into the arena he noticed his switches were starting to go bad and were sparking everywhere. It all went down hill from there. Jared had to rewire his car a couple of times during the main. He still took fourth, but was so close to taking at least second. They called him out just as he was ready to start up the car again. The biggest heartbreak was that Jared didn't win any money in the main if he could have at least pulled off second he would have won a $1,000. Jared took the car out to the bash to the last. Good idea since there was $475 for the winner. Bad idea because there were a few cars who had it out for Jared and that was the last day of the poor wagon. I was just glad there were no visits to the ER and that Erik and Eric didn't have a derby car smash them!

One Derby Down... How Many More To Go?

2008-08-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Jared was in the KSM derby this last weekend. As always I was sitting in the stands just sick, but it was worth it Jared did really well. Jared by some miracle took 3rd in his heat (The crowd cheered for placing after it got to the top 4). His front fenders locked up his tires so he would just dig a hole with his back tires and get stuck, but someone always came and got him out. He would go for a little longer and the same thing would happen again. While he was in the pit getting his car ready for the main he noticed he was losing his transmission. He only had 2ND gear when he went out to the main. He didn't have a prayer. How could anyone go longer than 30 seconds without reverse? Well that was what everyone thought, but like always Jared likes to prove everyone wrong. He would drive around and sideswipe people. It was pretty funny. He only got hung up once, and once again someone came to his aid and freed him. Jared ended up taking 3rd in the main. It was fun to watch, and everyone loved the paint job on the car!!!The paint was joint effort this time and it turned out really good.

Tagged!!!

2008-08-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so I kinda hoped this would never happen but since it has I guess I better live up to my friend duties and by the way thanks soooo much Calie! :)

A - attached or single: Attached and wouldn't have it any other way. Jared and I have been married 5 years and it has been awesome!!! I am so greatful to have someone like Jared.

B - Best friend: I have lots of good friends, but I would have to say Jared and my family. Even though sometime they drive me crazy I love every second I get to hang out with them.

C - Cake or Pie: Does Cold Stone Cake Batter count?

D - Day: Saturday I always seem to get so much accomplished

E - Essential Item: Chap stick!!!

G - Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms I like to eat them in pieces.

H - Hometown: I would have to say Mendon I lived in a few other towns, but that was before I can remember.

I - Indulgences: COLD STONE!!!

J - January or July: July just to make Jared mad (see below blog).

K - Kids: Not that I know of ;). Hopefully one day.

L - Life is incomplete without: My husband, my family, and my friends.

M - Marriage Date: July 10, 2003

N - Number of Siblings: 1 Sister and 2 Brothers.

O - Oranges or Apples: I love oranges, but hate to peel them. So I would have to say apples.

P - Phobias or Fears: I hate heights, but love the adrenaline rush.

Q - Quote: “It is our choices…that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

R - Reason to Smile: I have an awesome husband!!!

S - Season: Spring. It is the perfect temperature and I love all the new flowers.

T - Tag Three Friends: Here's for all my blog stalkers ;) Leonora, Tina, Amber

U - Unknown Fact about me: Well I am not sure since I am a loud mouth and tell everyone everything.

V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: Somewhere in the middle.

W - Worst Habit: Burping.

X - X-Rays or Ultrasounds: I have had both and would probably prefer x-rays. The ultrasounds I have had to have lately aren't the funnest as some of you know!!!

Y- Your favorite food: Anything Mexican.

Z - Zodiac sign: Scorpio

Big Fishin'

2008-08-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well I have been behind at getting things posted so does it surprise anyone that I am a week late with this one? Last weekend we went to Island Park with Eric and Tina. It was kinda a last second thing. We went to Island Park on Friday night. Saturday we went to Yellowstone and went biking/hiking. First we went to Osprey Falls. It wasn't the easiest ride, but sooo worth it. It was cool because not many people see it. You have to hike 1.4 miles after the bike trail to get to it. It is a very steep trial, so that means straight down which wasn't so bad, it was the straight up that could kill you. Next we went to Old Faithful. We went and got the tradition ice cream cone and watched Old Faithful erupt. After that we jumped on the bikes and rode to Morning Glory. It was a much easier ride than earlier that morning, which was good because I wasn't sure how much more the old behind could handle! We spent the rest of the afternoon in West Yellowstone. As always we had to go to Wild West Pizzeria, and the candy store. We went to the Playmill and saw Hello Dolly for the second time, it was probably just as good if not better since we could anticipate the funny parts. The next day we got a yearly morning wake up call from Buzzy. He was in Rexburg visiting friends. I don't think he could last even a few days without seeing us j/k. So Buzzy Karina and Carson joined us for our float down Henry's Fork. The fishing has never been better!!! We caught some big fish and had a lot of fun.

BRAAAAAAP!! (Jared's graduation present)

2008-08-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

The dictionary defines the word wretched as follows: "characterized by physical misery; very unhappy; full of misery". There is a season—not of love, life, or creation—that causes wretchedness to flow through my veins like rodenticide rat poison. This season I so bitterly speak of is known as summer. A majority of you faithful blog stalkers are in disaccord with this truth so let me explain. I will list what I have to enjoy and so faithfully look forward to during the summer: I love the allergies and all of it’s accompanying symptoms (swollen shut eyes, itchy throat, sneezing, no sleep, throwing out money for prescription medicine that rarely works). I love sweating. There is nothing quite like sweaty crawling underwear and the sweet smell of swass as it permeates my nose like old road kill in a musty household garbage can. I love pulling weeds, pruning trees, mowing the grass, and watering the lawn in guilt as the news continually reminds us of our terrible forever annual drought like condition. I love spiders, mosquitoes, gnats, and all other creeping things that infest us in full force during the summer. I love heat. Need I say more? Some of you may be thinking that I am a pessimistic hater of sorts that is unable to find the beauty of life. Read on….
The dictionary describes the word “groovy” as very good. The word winter and groovy had just as well be synonyms. There need not be an elaborate explanation for the pictures posted with this blog will pretty much sum it up. For those of you not familiar with such machinery, you are looking at an Arctic Cat M8 fully equipped with a clean burning 2 stroke 798 cc displacement liquid cooled twin. It is also noteworthy to mention the 46mm batteryless electronic fuel injection with adjustable power valve technology which helps rapidly spin the 153 x 15 Camoplast Challenger. I could list it’s other features but I only have a couple pages left so I’ll stop there. Some (less educated persons) claim that heaven is home on earth. I argue that heaven is floating through the powder on a powerful yet lightweight 2 stroke snowmobile. It’s the fresh smell of exhaust and the sound of the rapped out motor as you climb out the top of a large mountain peak. It’s the friendships made while digging out stuck snowmobiles and trying to high mark each other on the hill. It’s the constant maintenance, repair, and modification. I was hoping the global climate would evolve to a day when I could enjoy winter year round. I guess I’m screwed due to global warming. Oh well.

War Wounds

2008-07-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

Jare and I went paint balling. It was way fun, but there were a few casualties. Okay not really, but there were a few war wounds. We went to the paintball course by Zanavoo. Jared sliced his hand on a barrel and had to get 9 stitches. Does it surprise anyone that as he is gushing blood he was still playing until he got out? I also had quite the bruise, not quite as impressive as Jare's wound, but I was quite proud.

"Some must push and some must pull."

2008-07-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

On July 15, 2008, Ash and I had the opportunity to accompany the young men and women in the Cache and Cache West Stake for a pioneer trek experience. This event took place in a God forsaken desert stricken land of desolation which is approximately 7 hours away from Logan, UT by school bus. For those of you who do not know of this ugly, sage brush, bug infested land I speak of—It can be described with a simple 3 word phrase: Middle of Wyoming. Enough said.
The purpose of the trip is to load handcarts with personal belonging and rough it in the outdoors while walking long distances. This is an attempt to re-create the fatigue, trials, aches, fun, and obstacles faced by the pioneers on their westward journey to the “Land of Zion.” The church has invested large amounts of money and service in making this experience as pleasant, spiritual, and informative as possible. There are multiple campsites with drinking water and hole in the ground johns. The trails are well maintained and handcarts are provided for your pushing and pulling pleasure. We saw a bunch of historical sites and trekked about 21 to 24 miles total.

Ash and I went as a Ma and Pa and were assigned a family of 4 girls and 4 boys. In attempts to provide some organization, each family was assigned a color. I was very excited when I was informed that our family was the hot pink family. The kids in our family were awesome. They worked hard and helped out. We couldn't of had a better family for this.

Things we liked:
- Not having to go to work for four days.
-The feelings and experiences associated with that special area.
-The large amounts of food.
-The youth that taught us much and brought out our teenager mentality.
-Sleeping in a tent (which is only fun for 3 nights a year)
-The inconsistency with the earth’s temperature which provided short periods of relief.

Things we disliked:
-14 hours in a hot school bus
-The never ending supply of sagebrush and sand.
-Ticks & Mosquitoes
-Heat (probably global warming)

5 Year Anniversary Trip

2008-07-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

July 10-13, 2008 are a few days of vacationing that will be hard to forget. We wanted to do something unique and somewhat adventurous in attempts to celebrate five years of (insert euphemism here) marriage. In fact, before I continue with the “tell you all about the trip” blog format I will intermit a non-typical tribute to my beautiful bride of five years:

Roses are Red and Pansies are Blue,
Five years later our love is still true.
It’s hard to explain the way that I feel,
My connection to you is almost surreal.
I know I cause stress and find it quite funny,
When you proclaim, “Honey! Stop spending money!”
You’re patient with me even when I pass gas,
To me you are more than a nice piece of cake.
Our trials and fun times have been really sweet,
We’ll be just fine if the past five could repeat.
You’re so good to me and have superior skill,
I love you so much and I always will.

I suppose there are some friends within the blogging community (particular the men) that will poke fun and make light of my attempts to express myself poetically. I am prepared to withstand the persecutions and taunting that may result and welcome the repercussions. Now back to the trip…

We went to SLC Thursday where we stayed at the Radisson Downtown. We enjoyed an excellent dinner at The Roof (top floor of the JS Memorial Building) and then caught the flick “Get Smart” at The Gateway. The movie was excellent and the dinner was okay. To be honest, at $35 a person I expected a higher level of service and food quality than was received at The Roof. The atmosphere included a live pianist and an excellent view of Temple Square. The buffet food was certainly buffetish. The desserts were amazing.

Friday morning we got up early and went to Intermountain Harley Davidson of SLC to rent a 2008 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Electroglyde. We met Ashley’s parents that morning to join us on the open road. We traveled a little over 320 miles that day on the hogs. We took I-15 to Idaho Falls then up to Ashton where we took the scenic byway through Mesa Falls. We then went through Island Park and to West Yellowstone. I had some concerns about us being sore after riding a motorcycle that long. I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and smooth the ride was. I had absolutely no soreness at all. The only noticeable discomfort was the sun and wind burnt face and arms. Ashley was in hog heaven sitting on the back of the bike. She had her camera in one hand and the iPod in the other. She wanted me to wear a t-shirt that says, “If you can read this, the bitch fell off.” I told her no.

On Saturday we took the bikes through Yellowstone National Park for some sight seeing. We travelled up through Madison to Norris then up to Mammoth. We saw all of the typical things like rivers, waterfalls, elk, bison, etc. After we left Mammoth we had our first black bear sighting. The beauty of being on a bike is that you can pull over off the road and sit there and watch the wildlife without trying to park a car. We went over to Hayden Valley and then came back through Dunraven pass and back to West Yellowstone. That night we say Hello Dolly at the Playmill Theater in West Yellowstone which was excellent as usual. That day we saw many elk, buffalo, deer, bald eagle, three bears, and a plethora of scenic snapshots.

An observational note about Yellowstone National Park: I have spent countless hours in that miserable place. My father is obsessed with the park and imposed his Yellowstone obsession on us as children. The things I associate Yellowstone with are boring drives, cold picnics and long bug infested hikes. I’m not typically one to notice and/or appreciate the natural beauty of the earth so Yellowstone to me was just another place. I have to swallow my pride and proclaim that Yellowstone on a motorcycle is a whole new world full of amazement and awe. For some reason I was never able to really see it for what it is in the back seat of the family van. I can’t imagine how anyone can tour the park in a vehicle after doing so on a bike. It was awesome!!!

On Sunday we began the long journey home. We went back through Yellowstone and through Teton National Park. We stopped for lunch in Jackson Hole, WY at Bubba’s Barbecue and then went home via Bear Lake. After returning the bike back to SLC Monday morning the trip odometer read 983 miles. Ashley took 150 pictures off the back of the bike. The sun and wind blistered our lips and arms but the slight discomfort was all worth it. It ranks as one of our favorite vacations of all time. It did however create a very large and serious problem: I have to find some money and buy a Harley. I didn’t want to be faced with this dilemma but I am. I have to face this problem like a man and get ‘er done. I’m up for it.

The pictures are your typical Yellowstone scenery pictures. The only difference is that these pictures are how things are perceived while perched on the back seat of a Harley. Enjoy.

Boys Will Be Boys

2008-07-07T22:23:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't be summer with out a little visit to 1st dam.

No we didn't float the canal, at least not yet. Jared and Eric decided that since it wasn't cold enough they were going to jump off the highway into Logan River. Jared even did a back flip!

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-07-07T22:09:00.001-07:00

I can't believe we did it all in a weekend!!!

2008-07-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

Well we just finished off an awesome 4th of July! We have tonz going on this month so stay posted. Jared is already getting sick of all my picture taking, but I am enjoying it (I am not sure which part the annoying Jared or taking the pictures). Since we had so much going on I decided just to do a slide show of all my pics. Wednesday, July 2nd were the Hyrum fireworks. We went to the same old place at the Hyrum soccer fields and enjoyed a Domino's Pizza with the whole gang. Thursday, July 3rd the day of the Logan fireworks. We decided to go to the stadium with the Mullahkhel's, Felt' and the Panfilof's (This one is for Shayla) and enjoyed some Kentucky Fried Chicken. Friday, July 4th we went with Brennon and his date Brittany to the demolition derby in Ogden. If you haven't notice our lives are back to revolving around food so we had to stop at Texas Roadhouse. It was excellent and believe or not the derby might have been even better! I got some awesome pics of some good rollovers and hits. Saturday, July 5th we took Brennon and Breanne to the Logan Aquatic Center. We had a blast. After hanging out at the pool for a couple of hours we headed across the street for the Cruise In. So ignore the swimming hair in these pics. After we went to the car show, and once again were greatly disappointed when we didn't win the give-away car, we went to the shop and got Jared's newest toy, the golf cart, and headed up to Main Street for the Cruise In parade. It was a busy weekend, but we had tonz of fun!

You Know You're A Tree Hugger If...

2008-07-02T15:15:00.001-07:00

Now that our Ultimate Loser competition has ended (I will post before and after pics as soon as I get them) we have been trying to find things to do to stay in shape. So this weekend we went on a hike with Eric and Tina to the Wind Caves. Even though our car didn't fit in at the parking lot since we were the only ones not driving a Subaru, and we weren't packing Pita Pit for lunch, the other hikers accepted us and we had a really great time. The hike up is pretty tough, but as you can see once you get to the top it is worth it. The view was amazing! I got my hair highlighted earlier in the day, so look close you might be able to see it.

Boys can be so WEIRD!

You Know You're A Redneck If......

2008-06-22T13:57:00.000-07:00

We just completed the 1st demolition derby of 2008. I've been crashing cars for a few years. This "redneck sport" is time consuming, expensive, and a big headache. I'm not sure what drives me to want to build car after car only to demolish it to the point of complete inoperability. The highly sought after cars are diminishing rapidly and have almost become extinct. The promoters of the sport realize this problem and have decided to experiment with truck derbys. This 1983 Ford 1/2 ton pickup was my first truck. I prefer trucks because they are easier and quicker to build, they hold up better, and the hits are harder and more action packed. I was worried about this lil' Ford and thought it was to become a sacrificial lamb as compared to the big 3/4 ton Suburban's and GM trucks I was up against. Ashley is in charge of removing the pot metal and trim and painting all the derby projects. She does a great job.

THE TRUCK TOOK QUITE A BEATING!

It performed much better than expected. I ended up winning 2nd place and the "mad dog" award. Sometime during the derby I got a chunk of metal to the eye. We tried everything to get it out until we decided to let the E.R. doctor do it. It was a late and miserable night. I think I'm a fan of trucks and don't have much desire to build cars anymore. I keep threatening to retire. I'm going to finish off this '72 Dodge Station Wagon and build a new truck for September and then I'm done.

Jared's Disclaimer

2008-06-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

This is officially my first (and possibly last) blog entry ever. The ever-so-popular blogging delirium is a peculiar concept in which I thought I would never participate. The idea of making a detailed documentation of one’s life which is published on the WWW for all to see never really sat right with me. However, due to the persistent hen pecking of someone whom I will not name, I have succumbed to the pressure and have decided to participate. Here is a disclaimer for any of you willing to actually read these: I should make it very clear that if I am to share the Chatterton Family’s activities, thoughts, vacations, pictures, successes, failures, achievements, itineraries, and every other detail—I will not restrain for it is not my nature. Having said this, I am writing this “blog” in the buff. Many things could be implied from this statement. There is something about the soft leather seat and the glow of the screen bouncing radiantly from my clean shaven chest. I don’t intend to elaborate any further so let your imagination make of it what you will. Stay tuned for additional entries (whether you like it or not).

P.S.—BRB (if you are reading this “blog” then you’ll know such acronyms) BWTHDIK (interpretation: but what the heck do I know)