"Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. " -Author Unknown

My Grandma Dorothy Schaat passed away Wednesday Oct. 13th.


 She was the last of my Grandparents, and I knew this day was coming, but it doesn't matter how prepared you are for stuff like this, it's still weird and it still makes you sad, and I just would like to take some time to put into words everything that's been running through my mind as a result.


Grandma had a stroke over a month ago which left her with a pretty skeptical recovery, the doctors weren't sure if she'd walk again, but you know you can never trust that kind of prognosis, miracles happen all the time, right? She had several complications while in the hospital. and as a result was only really coherent a few times and was able to somewhat communicate with visitors when they stopped by, The last time I saw her somewhat awake, she told me how sorry she was I had to see her like that. It kinda broke my heart a little.

So, the first week of Oct. early Sunday morning she suffered a 2nd stroke leaving her almost brain dead, at that point my Mom and her siblings didn't have much choice but to have the nurses extend to her comfort measures and just let nature take it's course. For about  a week an a half she hung in there, and we were all really surprised because at the time it just seemed like forever! And we just didn't understand how in such a weakened state, with no food, barely any water, Pneumonia, and no medicine other than morphine that
 her body could hold on as long as it did. We blamed Aunt Francis for feeding her so much garlic!

After a couple days they moved her to a nursing home and It was really difficult to walk into that place I mean it just smelled like depression and death, It made me wanna pull a Patch Adams on the residents there, because I can't imagine it being the most uplifting place to live out your final days but  anyway as dreary as the conditions and reason for being there was I'm thankful for the bounding time I got in with my Mom and my Aunts, maybe that's why she stuck around as long as she did, so we could all come together and share some laughs.



If any of you remember I blogged about my G-Ma Schaat for her 80th birthday a couple years ago and told all my favorite stories regarding her, the time she gave my Dad pear body splash for Christmas, my first lesson in harmonizing, and of course my most favorite the time she trimmed my picture down to make me look skinny. She was the relative I got the most funny material from, you just never knew what funny thing she was gonna say or do next...... I don't know what I'll do without her now!



I feel a little bad because I never realized how much my Grandma and I had in common until l heard about what she was like growing up. My Aunt Marianne said she was the one that knew all the words to the popular songs of her day, and her money was often spent on the purchasing of the latest records, She loved to dance, even up until the very end of her life she hated to miss the dances at the Senior Center every Thursday night. I was always curious where my passion for music came from, I had assumed it was from my Dad's side, but after hearing those stories I really think it came from her. Maybe the genre's of music aren't the same, Grandma really loved country western, and she even learned how to yodel, well I love Hip Hop music, and I like to get my rap on occasionally, but the love for music is the same. Also I certainly hope I live to be the ripe old age of 82 and still find a way to get myself to the dance floor.

I will miss her a great deal, I loved her very much, all her crazy moments aside, I know she loved me and wanted what was best for me! She had a great part in the building blocks of my spirituality and her example of faithfulness will be one that I remember always!

These pictures are ones I took when some of my dear relatives came to visit while G-Ma was still in the hospital, and then the ones from when we traveled down to Rexburg/St. Anthony for her service.


Aunt Marianne, Aunt Elaine, and Madison

Me and My Uncle Pete

Aunt Jenifer, Aunt Francis, and Mom

My Mom and her Siblings

The road trip down was actually kind of fun, I made sure we had tunes the whole family could agree on, and I didn't need to bust out my i pod for personal enjoyment once!



This picture is probably my most favorite from the whole trip!

Halfway through we stopped at this little Irish pub restaurant, it was super delicious!

Mom and I raided Grandma's jewelry box and brought her brooches for us all to wear in her honor. Pictured here is my Cousin Paige, My Sister Amy, Myself, and my Cousin Maddie!

Well it isn't the whole family, but it was everyone that was there!

Just the 4 of Us

My Cousin Jake and I!

True Story....I haven't seen him since I was a Freshmen in High School, so it was really great to reconnect with him! We are very close in age, and he'd often spend the summers in Moses and our Moms would attempt to put us through fat camp by making us walk everywhere and signing us up for things like tennis camp.....well maybe that was just one summer, but anyway We also took drama together in High school, so needless to say we have memories, and I realized I really missed that kid, super glad I got to see him!









This is the video Uncle Pete put together






Thanks for the memories G-Ma Schaat! Until we meet again!

"Ever Been Called Fatty Emily"- weightloss email in my inbox

As most of you have noticed on my facebook, I've been on a diet and losing weight! For 6 weeks to be exact and I've lost a total of 32 lbs. Now I'm sure a lot of red flags are jumping up and some of you are like HOLY CRAP are you eating? Well please rest assure I am not starving myself and I am on a legit Dr. ssupervised diet and for the last 3 weeks I've wanted to blog about what I'm doing, mainly because many of you have inquired about what it is exactly. Let's start from the beginning.......


So right after graduation, Angie put in a good word for me at Dr. Earl's office and I got hired, and was super stoked because not only did I not have to beat the streets for months trying to find work, but I also could dress up and actually do my hair for the my job.....which after working at Safeway was a blessing and a half......but I digress.

A good friend of Dr. Earl's named Bill Waites, was on this program called Ideal Protein and lost 60lbs in 3 months. So Dr. Earl decided to try it out in his clinic and needed someone on board to do the diet as well as "Coach" other patients who eventually signed up, and I bet you can guess who got nominated......This girl!


As most of you know, it wasn't gonna kill me to drop a few pounds and I had spoken with Dr. Earl who is also my Bishop in the Singles ward about the need for a weight loss program and what do you know, everything just kind of came together I got a job and a diet all in less then a month!

OK back on track...

So what is Ideal Protein? Well, it's sort of a marriage of the Atkins Diet and Nutri-system. It was studied in the same place as Atkins and has the same premise with the low carb, high protein, but I am not allowed as much cheese and meat as I want, and I'm not consuming all the saturated and trans fats that comes along with that diet as well, so you're welcome heart!

Anyway, Ideal Protein makes a variety of packaged foods that are all powdered and you pretty much just add water, in addition you have to eat 4 cups of vegetables a day and at dinner your choice of a lean meat. I guess the thing that sets this diet apart from the rest is that because of the high protein, and limited carbs and sugars you're body goes into a state they call Ketosis which means it's burning fat, not muscle mass. Also with this protocol if you don't cheat you lose 3-5 lbs a week, no plateauing, every week you should lose if you're body is in Ketosis.


So if you can handle no dairy, bread, pasta, fruit, or root based vegetables, then by golly this is the diet for you! OK yeah the diet is really restrictive, but the results are quick, and that makes it SOOOOOO worth it!


OK picture time.......I've noticed the results mostly in my face, although my clothes fit great, and I feel great, and I'm about the weight I was when I was a Senior in High School, so in 6 weeks I lost the weight that took me 8 yrs. to gain.


This picture was taken the Sunday before I started IP.

This is last week at the Rodeo

Needless to say it's exciting to see my 2nd chin disappear....I'd like to say goodbye old friend, but I think I'm better off without it!

Now I've been on plenty of diets, but this is the longest I've stuck with any kind of weight loss program, and I just need so say that it helps immensely when people are cheering you on a long the way, so I just wanna say Thanks so much to all of you who have been so incredibly supportive, it really has been super motivating, and I can't thank you all enough for your kind words! I mean I still have a long way to go, but I'm so motivated to keep going and your compliments and words of encouragement have made this journey easier!
Thank you a million times over!

"Sittin' up in my room, back here thinkin' bout you!"- Brandy

What have I been up too.....well meaning as it's been almost a month since I last filled everyone in on the dream that is my life, A LOT of things have I been up too!!!! But too much for one post, so let's take this piece by piece shall we?



I've been working on redecorating my room pretty well since I moved in with Angie, but because I get so distracted by flashy things and my mind changes with ever TLC home improvement show I watch, it took me forever to settle on an idea, but finally I stuck with my guns!


My room is a sky blue color, so I decided black and white was the way to go, so as to not distract from the cool color my room already was (plus I was way too lazy to paint it myself even if I wanted too!) and maybe also partly due to my increasing interest in zebra print and the damask pattern that is so popular these days.

I spent hours searching eBay, every time I went to Ross, or Target I checked things out and collected little doodads, the last few months I even checked out Home Depot and Lowes (for the first time ever mind you) as well as a few smaller shops around town so I could finally put it all together. Let me tell you ladies, I do not know how some of you decorate an entire house, I would go mad.... to many decisions, too many choices, too small of a budget! A person could spend a small fortune on decor if they are not careful, holy crap, some of the most useless things are CRAZY expensive, but I digress!


I kind of got inspired by stores like Forever 21, and Closet Space (a small store in moses) hence a lot of the mannequin like lady figures, and I decided a splash of hot pink here and there wouldn't hurt either!


Here I give you the finished product (sorry no before and after!)

I also went a little vinyl crazy, Above you'll notice the dress vinyl, my headboard is a vinyl sticker, as well as floral motif in the corners, it is probably my most favorite way to decorate a wall! Because it's easy and it looks SWEET!

I should warn you I attempted to hang my zebra mirror myself, which explains why it's a little off, and perhaps it might stay that way, because I've made no attempt to fix it, but I just wanted you to know... that I know, so don't judge!

Also you might remember my friend Joe (the one who pranked my car?) well to repent of his actions he became my handyman for the week, because not only did he hook up and hang my iron wrought mini chandelier, but.........

He also helped me transform this........

Into this.........

It only took about 8 cans of spray paint, and three trips to home depot to find the right sized handles, but I think it came together nicely!

Coupled with some of the trinkets I've had and been collecting, I ended up being pretty excited about how it all just matched up. 

PS... you should also relish it, because this may be the cleanest you'll ever see my room!

SO yeah, it took forever, but I'm happy it was finally accomplished, and I'm proud of how it looks! Yay for finally being decisive and sticking with something!

Stay tuned for more evidence of Emily growing up and doing big girl stuff!

"Of course, you don't have to take *my* word for it." - LeVar Burton

Living with a toddler means you get to watch all sorts of sweet children's programming. I think I've watched sesame street more in the past year then I ever did growing up, I'm consistently amazed at the stuff they have on TV for kids these days, don't get me wrong I love me some Yo Gabba Gabba, because it's crazy enough to be totally awesome, and just recently we've added Oobi to the mix, and well that's show is nuts, but I'm completely fascinated by it, anyway all these kiddy shows got me thinking about some of my favorites growing up.


Like I said, I'm certain I caught "The Street" from time to time, I  watched Barney on occasion although I must admit I was borderline too old for that show, but sometimes it was the only thing on. My memories are a bit fuzzy but I know Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo where regular programs in my line up, back when I was super little, but these ones stuck out the most in my memory of programs I couldn't get enough of as a child.


Soooooo Here goes......................

My Top 5 Favorite Kiddy Shows

Reading Rainbow-








To this day, this theme song stirs something emotional in me! If I had to name a favorite television theme song it would be this one! I was a pretty good reader growing up, so this show was right up my alley, I also had a slight crush on the host LeVar Burton, He just seemed so kind and genuine! Anywho, Reading Rainbow will always have a special place in my heart, it stirred my desire to read and use my imagination, and to that I must say thanks!









Lamb Chops Play Along-









For the most part I think Ventriloquists are kinda weird, and a little...well a lot creepy, but for whatever reason, Shari Lewis did not freak me out, I think if I had to choose someone other then Bette Midler, to steal a career from it might be hers, I mean she sang, she danced, she did magic tricks, and she did various voices for all her puppets......this all obviously screams Emily! The songs, and some of the tricks she did have stuck with me to this day and I find myself humming tunes from that show even now!

David the Gnome-





Honestly, this show was usually on before Eureka's Castle and that is the only reason why I really watched it
, one life lesson I learned from this show is that you cannot block a sneeze with a simple finger under the nose, it may subside it, but it will always come back with vengeance! So thanks David the Gnome! Thanks for helping me kill time until Eureka was on!







Eureka's Castle-



One word Magellan..... Magellan the good natured dragon with his crazy cumbersome tail that crashed into things and got him into trouble, was my favorite character, forget Eureka, she was just a sorceress in training.... but MMagellan, MMagellan was legit, he had a sweet blanket that had polka dots that moved around and entertained him, and his pets "the slurms" ... which were pretty much just clay rolled into the shape of worms, but still sweet! I loved Magellan, and I loved Eureka's castle!




Sharon, Lois, and Bram's Elephant Show-





I still don't know exactly how the elephant fit into this show, he didn't even talk...... but this show started in  Canada, so that should explain a lot! Much like Lamb Chops Play Along, this show was loved by me mainly because of the songs. I mean who doesn't love "Skinamarinki dinki dink"? And Every time Sharon would say "I Love Your Singin'!" I knew she was talking to me! Just thinkin' about it makes me smile!



What were some of your favorite kiddy shows?

"After all you put me through, you think I would despise you. But in the end I wanna thank you, cause you made me that much stronger!"- Christina Aguilera

Woke up Tuesday morning with a text from Angie that said "You might wanna check your car"

This is what I found.........

That's flour mixed with a major down pouring of rain and maybe a little water by the perpetrator and presto...you get paper mache/dough all over my car.....awesome!

I didn't have any extra time to take the car to the wash, I was already running late, and Tuesdays and Thursdays are my long days at school...so after some time in the sun.... I guess this is what happens......

 Should I have been surprised when I took it to get hosed down that night, that this is what I would be left with?

Just like new eh??

Wednesday after even more time baking in the sunshine, 2nd attempt at clean up ended with these results.....

Close, but no cigar!

Back to the manual car wash I went..... and after a million quarters and an hours worth of spraying and scrubbing............

Its still got crap on it!

Oh and that's not soap all over the car wash either....that's globs of the dough that was encasing my car! My apologies to whoever has to clean that up!

SO after 3 car washes, $30, and a new pair of windshield wipers later...this is what I'm left with......

So with that said.......

Thank you......Joe

For giving me the opportunity to annihilate you!!!!!

You may have won the battle..............but you have NOT won the war!

"Love is missing someone whenever you're apart, but some how feeling warm inside because you're close in heart."- Unknown

 I know it's Saturday, but today's post is belated, but I consider this my Flashback Friday..... I've been thinking about my good buddy Whitney Smith, today is her birthday, and so this blog post is dedicated to her!


Back in November, Whitney left Mo-town and we all got together for what I dubbed "The Last Supper", I was was supposed to post the pictures like forever ago, so sorry very sorry this took so long, but here are some of my favorite shots from that night!



The menfolk were especially sorry to see her go!

Meredith is looking especially fierce in this pic, and by fierce I mean like a rapid dog! (Love You Mear-bear)

Two is plenty......

Three's.....a crowd?

Could my hair be bigger in this shot??

YIKES!!!

Oh puppy dog face........

This is our reenactment of DaVinci's famous painting!.... pretty good eh?

Just to give a little background, Whitney moved to Moses Lake to teach dance at Today's Generation, and she became the most sought after person in the Singles Ward, so I secretly hated her because she was everything I wanted to be. That first Sunday she impressed me a great deal because instead of chilling with all the dudes like most girls in the past. She was kind and considerate to everyone, and it was like that for the entire time she lived her, she could possibly be the sweetest person I know! Oh and fun fact not only was she my friend, but she also was one of my instructor's last year, which was funny, and awesome!



I miss her presence in our small town, but unfortunately Moses Lake had to spread the love and let the world have a little Whitney in their life. And when I say world I mean that by no exaggeration, she is currently teaching English in Taiwan, last summer she was in Fiji doing humanitarian work, and the summer before that El Salvador!




I admire her a great deal, If I had half her ambition and determination.....well I don't even want to think of where I'd be!



I just feel lucky to call her friend!

SO here's to you Whitney, I love ya, I miss ya! and Happy Birthday!

“If you were happy every day of your life you wouldn't be a human being, you'd be a game show host.”- Gabriel Heater

Before reality shows, regular Joe's had few choices for their 15 minutes of fame, you could either appear on the News, Talk Shows, or Game shows.


I've never been one to break the law or save kittens from trees, so I knew the evening news was outta the picture, and my family and my childhood was too normal for shows with Jerry Springer or Ricky Lake, but when I watched game shows......I thought, now that's something I could do!

So today's "Belated Top 5" is.................


Emily's Favorite Game shows!






Double Dare





As a child Nickelodeon was sort of a babysitter for me, it was my favorite channel, and Double Dare was my favorite game show! Every time I watched it, I dreamt of the day I could slide down that tongue slide and get covered in slime and all sorts of crazy stuff! I'm was never very good at racing and I'm not known for my speed, but when it comes to making messes I'm a champ, just ask my Madre....and Angie! Anyway, trivia, and crazy challenges, mixed with a sweet obstacle course at the end, all for cool prizes!!! Double Dare was the best game show EVER!!!!







Rock'n' Roll Jeopardy-


It's the only kind of Jeopardy I feel smart watching, although I wouldn't want to go up against, Edwin McCain, Mark MaGrath, or C.C. Deville, because those guys were ridiculous with the stuff they remembered... I never expected that from C.C. thought all the drugs would have warped his memory, but he was a force to be reckoned with.





Also does anyone recognize the host?

let's take a closer look.....

 

That's right it's Jeff Probst who now hosts Survivor!

 

Supermarket Sweep-


Lifetime may have the most depressing movies, but back in the day their game shows made me seriously happy! If there is one thing I know how to do, it's spend money, so a game show where you have to spend as much money as possible to win.....sounds like it was designed just for me!  










Remote Control-

Television themed trivia questions you answer from the comfort of your own Lazy boy....must have been sent from Heaven! Why has no one tried to bring this back???? I mean everything else is making a comeback! Why not this!!!

 

Shop til You Drop!

I think it should be farely clear that any game show involving pop culture and shopping would be on the top of my list.... thus shop til you drop! You get asked questions about various products and stores and sometimes you have to figure out what items are more expensive then another, and then if you make it to the end you could potentially win a massive shopping spree by doing a massive shopping spree! AWESOME!!!











Honorable Mention- Let's Make a Deal
based solely on the fact that you get to dress up and your chance to play is often based on what items you have in your purse... I like my odds with this one!









OK people, time for you to chime in, what are some of your favorite game shows?