Happy Times...

Happy Mom and Dad!

Trying out the new merchandise... I have to admit, this carrier was a little confusing at first :0)





JJ with the stroller that is seriously the size of a compact car! It's a good thing that we have a mini van to put it in! (Don't make fun, all you mini van haters!)

Nursery fabric! My Auntie is going to make us baby quilts, and we are decorating the nursery around this colorful palette.

Preggers With Twins...

I have had many, many requests to post "belly pictures" and I honestly didn't realize that I would be rather shy about this! I have surprised myself with this sentiment. Nevertheless, I need to be better about keeping in touch, so here goes...

Tummy at just over 4 months

4 1/2 months; if you see a BIG difference, please remember that I have two urchins that I am toting around with me! LOL!

JJ's favorite...

My favorite...






This was taken just a couple of days ago. I am now just over 5 months, and REALLY showing! Not to mention, the camera angle is not terribly flattering!

New Friends...

Not only are the two dogs very much attracted to kids, but kids are attracted to dogs, something that I was reminded of two days ago in the park. Normally it is my two puppies that rush up to anyone approximately their own size; today it was the other way around. We were not in the park for two minutes before I found myself totally surrounded by a loving (and rather chatty) group of Samoan kids, who wound up rolling on the ground, dogs licking kids, and kids licking dogs. Oh, jeez! They let me take their picture with the promise that each child would receive their own copy on Monday - I better make good on that promise, otherwise I will not have anyone to wear my dogs out! LOL

From the left: NaNa (don't ask me how to spell his actual name, let alone pronounce it!), Samboy, Cheyanne and Emma.

The dogs are in Heaven! So much attention!

This picture is so cute - blurry, but cute! Samboy plays stick with them every day, and usually they wind up running and chasing after one another.

Packing...

Those of you that have moved recently know this feeling: UGH! You get to the point where you just sit and stare at what needs to be done and think "There is no way all this is going to go in boxes..." and somehow, yes, it will. I am taking a break today to write this blog post, and this is what I am looking at. I just keep telling myself that it will all be worth it in the end!

As you can see, my dogs are a huge help.


My kitchen? Oh, yes. There is the fridge... I almost lost it there for a minute.

New House...

So the big news in the Trimble household is that JJ and I just bought our first home - well, I should say our first piece of land that is going to have a home on it! We are so very excited! We have worked hard the past two years to get some debts paid off, and some other things in place, and literally by the grace of God, we were able to qualify for a loan. If everything goes according to plan, we will move in in November, just in time for a Christmas party! Yeah! My favorite time of year!!!

JJ with Jazz and Faith on our new property. It is in the Sunset Hills development in West Jordan, Utah. The back of our house will have the view you see here: the Ochre Mountains. Love it!

So happy!

This is the view from what will be the front of our house; the Wasatch Mountains are on the other side of the valley.

And this is what we see when we leave our development to head into town. I think it will feel good to live out in the "country" again. :0)

Plus 1 Makes 6...

So it is no surprise to all of you that I really love my puppies, and this week my mom and dad brought me another furry, little gift - my other black lab, Indy. My parents had to make another quick trip to Arizona and asked if JJ and I could watch "Blackie"... And how could I turn down that sweet face??? So, that makes 6 of us (three dogs, a cat and two humans) living in a much too small house. Oh , well. We love our three-ring circus life, and thankfully, we all get along really well, although getting a picture with the dogs AND the cat could be a bit more challenging!

The Spring Clean...

While JJ was deployed to Turkey, my mom and dad came up to my house on their way home from Arizona to Washington, and helped me with some much needed repairs on the house. JJ and I are so grateful to them for helping us with these not-so-small projects. Thanks Mil and Ed!!! We love you!

Dad shows particular skill with some ribbon - we had to have something to hold our insulation in the ceiling, and this was the best I could do. I don't think that he has ever fixed something with scrapbooking supplies before. :0)

The next project was laying pavers next to our car-port. I would love to say that I helped with this project, but other than shoveling some dirt, I didn't do much.

Taking a much needed break for a little lunch.



It is finally spring here in Salt Lake, so we dragged the lawn mower out of the shed, and while dad and I worked on pavers, mom mowed. Whew!

Roadtrip with Mr. Needles...

Say "Hello" to Mr. Needles! He was my loyal, yet rather quiet traveling partner during my very long roadtrip back from Arizona to Salt Lake City. Needless to say, I am ever so glad to be back home. As for the turtle, he was a gift to Ashton and Elyssa in exchange for all of their hard work while I was away - they helped sort and categorize charms in the warehouse. Thank you both so much!!!

Mr. Needles gets one last look outside his bowl before we head out.

We say "goodbye" to my mom and dad, and leave sunny Arizona behind us as we make our way 12 hours north to snowy Salt Lake. Bummer! Both Mr. Needles and I love the warm weather.

This was how Mr. Needles had to ride for the duration of the trip. We stayed overnight in Kingman, Arizona; we had a king-sized room all to ourselves, complete with a flat-screen TV. I watched CSI and the turtle slept, exhausted after a long day of traveling. I would say that the only hiccup to our whole trip was when I stopped for gas, and got a snack. I had some explaining to do to Mr. Needles when I returned with "Turtle" flavored chex mix... No offense intended!

I hopped out at the Hoover dam to take a few pictures - one of the coolest sights I have ever seen! The turtle had to remain in the car as the sign on the top of the wall read: "No pets allowed on wall!" Sorry, Mr. Needles!

Safe at home after two long days of travel and one rather big scare - I thought that Mr. Needles had died (in the eighth hour of the second day of travel he literally passed out from exhaustion) - we are both thankful that our trip is over.

"Annual" Pumpkin Carving Party...

My heart was warmed about a month ago when several of my little buddies asked me when the "annual" pumpkin carving party was taking place. What makes this funny is that we have only had one other party of this nature, and that was last year. I am thinking that after several more years we can make it "annual". As you will see from the pictures below, it was a great success and everyone had a wonderful time!

Step 1: Pick your pumkin. Ashton, Elyssa, Stacey (their mom) and I went to the 90th Street Pumpkin Patch; I think we must have wheeled that 'barrow about a mile before we found the perfect carving specimens.

Step 2: Pick your stencil. My pictures don't do any of these carving justice, but let me tell you, some of them were so intricate and well carved that by the end of the evening, we had a difficult time picking the winners of the carving contest.

Step 3: Take the lid off. Tamea had never done this before, and she thought the pumpkin "guts" were "cool, but really, really slimy."

Step 4: Start the cutting! Most of the kids are a bit too young to do this part themselves, so the parents stepped in... They probably sawed, cut, scooped, carved and detailed for over two hours straight!

Step 5: Display your masterpiece! This is the very best part of the whole evening: when the finished product finally has a candle in it, the designs absolutely come to life. The kids and parents really outdid themselves this year!

Step 6: Have some fun, why dontcha???

On the March...

I was able to attend this year's Utah National Guard Governer's Day up at the University football stadium, and I have to say, the show was pretty impressive. Because JJ works for the Air National Guard, his commander-in-chief is the governer of the state of Utah, and each year, he does his "review of the troops". It was a sight to see and definitely made me feel 100% patriotic, and so proud to be part of a "military family".

Lining up before marching onto the football field (they had to stand in approx. 95 degree heat for over three hours - one and a half hours were at attention!)

I can tell which guy is JJ, but can you? :0)

I ran way high up in the stands to get this shot, and still was only able to capture about half of the field.

JJ and Jerry with Ginger and I - all of us so thankful to finally be in the shade! This was Jerry's last Governer's Day with the Guard; he will be fully retired in about six months.

Lean Not...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways follow Him and He will make your paths straight.

- Proverbs 3: 5-6

This is the Bible verse that has been running through my head for the past two days, and I feel compelled and prepared to share the reason why: today I gave my two week notice at my construction/office job. Yes!!! I really did it!!! I know that some of you probably find this baffling, especially my close friends and family, because I have not talked about it with anyone; but my mom and I just bought a business together, which will become officially "ours" in the middle of October.

Most of you know that we have been selling earring charm jewelry for the past couple of years; well, we are taking it a step further, and we are going to be the wholesalers now. It is a big step for both of us, having been mainly in the "retail" end of business for most of our lives, but I feel that we are up to the challenge, especially since we are buying a well-established company. I signed a lease yesterday on a little office space about a mile from our home here in Salt Lake City. In the meantime, JJ is looking for promising jobs in the Spokane area, as that is where we would like to be in a year or so. Until that point, I will operate the wholesale business from my office, and then travel with my mom and dad for retail shows and other business trips.

The most difficult part of this entire event has been having to tell my office that I will not be with them any longer. My announcement this morning was met with surprise, sadness, anger and well-wishes all rolled up in one 15 minute time frame. That was hard for me. I have been really happy at my current job - I enjoy each and every person that I work with, and the job has proved challenging and exciting, although at times (and more often than not lately) extremely boring. When I sat and weighed all my options, the words of a very dear friend of mine came back to me: "You can always settle for stability and security, Erin. There are many, many jobs available at all times that offer both. But how many times are you going to get an opportunity like this? Is it worth it to pass it up, when the chance may never come around again?"

I say: "Wise friend."

Labor Day Weekend...

JJ and I made a very quick trip up to the lake for Labor Day weekend... We both feel that our time there is never, ever long enough, especially with a 12 hour drive on either end of the trip, but we both agreed that our time could not have been better spent.

Some pictures from our fun-filled weekend:

The "boys" playing Sequence, one of our favorite lake games. From L to R: Uncle Bob, Uncle Matt, JJ, Cousin Oliver and Brock.

A great picture of Aunt Marty and Brock.

JJ in the infamous Shark Hat, generously given to my dad by my Auntie Gretchen. For those of you who don't know, my dad is terrified of sharks and loathes anything to do with them. Funny!

My dad and his boat. What more can I say???

Long Overdue...

JJ and I were married last July (on the 21st of 2007) on the banks of Deer Lake in Washington. I am just now getting around to sorting through photos... I honestly don't have a good excuse for myself. Anyway, here is just a snippit of our incredible day.

This last photo was taken at our dance reception. My mom, dad and uncles built this "tent" for us - it was the most perfect end to a most perfect day! (I am in the red dress :0)

Tagged...

I was tagged by my friend, Christa, so here goes...

5 Things on my list to do today:

1. Survive the new accounting program at work.

2. Clean my house - my brother is coming tomorrow.

3. Help my husband organize our new book case.

4. Figure something out for dinner. Any ideas?

5. Play with my puppies.



5 Snacks I enjoy:

1. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.

2. Home-made rice krispie treats.

3. Apples.

4. Popcorn.

5. Anything that is really, really bad for me.



5 Things I would do if I was a sudden Billionaire:

1. Give a portion to a well-researched charity.

2. Buy JJ two '56 Chevys; one to fix up and tinker with, the other in mint condition.

3. Buy houses for everyone in our family.

4. Buy a cabin on Loon Lake.

5. Go on a trip with JJ around the world.



5 Bad Habits:

1. Picking my toenails - gross, huh?

2. Drinking soda pop, especially Coke or Dr. Pepper.

3. Talking on my cell phone in the car.

4. Not keeping my clothes neat and tidy in my bedroom.

5. Forgetting Birthdays.



5 Places I have lived:

1. Loon Lake, WA

2. Ellensburg, WA

3. Anchorage, AK

4. Puebla, Mexico

5. Unai, Brazil



5 jobs I have had:

1. Floor Supervisor, Tommy Hilfiger in Park City, UT.

2. Manager for my mom's company, Goose Lake Mercantile.

3. Flight Attendant, Alaska Airlines.

4. Grocery Store Clerk - I sold cigarettes, fishing/hunting licenses and lottery tickets. Whooppee!

5. Retail, retail and more retail.



5 things most people don't know about me:

1. I am a nerd at heart.

2. I had more than one boyfriend at the same time when I lived in Brazil. Agh! It's true!

3. I wish that I could go back and do things differently during my swimming career - namely eat better and train harder in order to reach my full potential.

4. I never did get nervous, not even one time, before my wedding.

5. I have never had any broken bones (surgery on my foot does not count).


I tag:
Molly and Ty (although they are so busy with Maya, that may be a long shot) and... umm... I am new to the whole blogging world and don't have many contacts yet! :0)

In a nutshell...

If we haven't talked in a while, you are probably wondering what has been going on in my life. For the sake of time (and space), I will try and keep this journal entry fairly short and to the point. Now, where to start? OK, I will begin with a breif re-cap of how I wound up in Salt Lake. I graduated from Central Washington University in June of 2003, and much to my dismay, my three-and-a-half-years-my-junior-brother, Tyler, graduated that same year in December, a fact that he likes me never to forget. Needless to say, he made it through college in four and a half year; it took me seven - JJ laughs and says that they call people who spend that much time in college "doctors". Well, a doctor I am not, but I do have two degrees. Enough said.

After graduating college, I spent a year as a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines, and during that time I lived in Anchorage, Alaska. After just 13 months, I knew that that was definitely not the job for me, so I moved back to Ellensburg to be with my family and our crafting business. Not long after that, my entire family (minus Ty and Molly, who by that time had been married for several years and living in McMinnville, Oregon), up and moved to our lake house. Can I just tell you that during this time, I was floundering; I felt that my life had little to no direction and I was continuing to bounce between my parents home and various apartments, as well as jobs - I just was not sure in what direction I was headed.

Looking back now, I find it rather funny that I was feeling so lost and confused... I believe that at that point, my faith was being tested, as well as my patience - something that I have never had much of. God has a plan for all of us at all times, but it will always be revealed in His way and at His will. I was in the right place at the right time, but could not see it, until I met JJ's Aunt Peggy. We were working together at Yoke's Grocery Store in Deer Park (about 10 minutes from Loon Lake), and to make a long story short, she introduced me to the man that I now call my husband.

JJ and I were engaged after struggling through seven months of a very long-distance relationship; one in which we relied on e-mails, phone calls which racked up very expensive cell phone bills, and once-monthly visits which required equally expensive plane ticket purchases. We both agree that during that time, we became expert communicators both verbally and non-verbally, something which we also agree has allowed us a firm foundation on which to build the rest of our relationship. We were married on July 21, 2007, in a beautiful and very personal evening ceremony on the shores of Deer Lake, in Eastern Washington. Our wedding was attended by many of my family members and good friends, as well as some of JJ's family and very close friends - all of whom were willing to travel a great distance for what I consider to be the most "perfect wedding I could have ever asked for".

The newly married Trimbles (we are still newlyweds after just one year, right?) happily reside in Salt Lake City, a place that for a small-town girl like me, on alternate days seems like the biggest/smallest city in the entire world. What I mean by that, for example, is that not only do I have one huge mall to shop at, but I have my choice of four huge malls, all within 20 minutes driving distance. That fact, of course, is a huge bonus; the not-so-great part is that because the city is so big, finding a doctor/dentist/hair stylist/fave coffee shop is not so easy. The "small city" feel comes from the fact that I can pretty much travel from anywhere in the city to anywhere else in about 20-30 minutes (not during rush-hour however), and because of Salt Lake's ingenious grid system, I can find just about any address in any part of the city. Cool!

Right now, I am sitting at my desk, in my fish-bowl office (so described because of the constant traffic flow in front of my desk) at Continental Engineering & Construction, Inc. I am officially a "Project Manager Assistant", which basically means that I do a ton of paper pushing, filing, phone calling, copy (and coffee) making :0), gophering, etc. Quite a change from my former retail life, huh? All in all, I love my new job - I have been in the office for five months now - and I love the people that I work with: eight men and one woman. Hmmmm... could the reason that I love my job so much be the fact that I work mainly with men all over the age of 50??? Yes, that is most certainly the reason!

JJ is a KC-135 Hydraulic Mechanic in the Air National Guard; a position which he has held for six years now, although he has been in the military for eleven. His job is a bit hard to explain, as he is career military even though he is in the guard. He is employed by the Air Force to work 40 hours per week as a mechanic at the National Guard Base here in Salt Lake, but he also does his "one weekend a month, two weeks a year" commitment for the guard. Yeah, I don't really get it either. Since we have been married, JJ has been deployed twice, once to Guam for several weeks, and once to Kyrgyzstan for a little over a month. Each time he is gone, my feelings are bittersweet: I am thankful that he is only ever deployed for one to two months - as we all know, most military families are apart for at least six months at a time - and always in a non-combat zone, but like everyone else, I hate for him to be gone.

Lately, I have been getting lots of questions about starting a family, so I will tell you MY plan (JJ, so far, is just going along with it, good man that he is). We are on the pyramid plan, and it goes like this: start off with a plant and see if we can keep it alive (we actually started with three and they are still alive, albeit maybe not as healthy as they should be). Then graduate to a goldfish (we lost three until we finally sucked it up and went to PetsMart where we paid $1.50 for the fish instead of Wal-Marts more economical price of $0.79 - as far as we know, Trout is still alive at the neighbor's house; I got sick of cleaning his tank once a week). Now, we take the big step, and get a puppy. Ooops! Here we need to add step 2.5: Cat. The cat was never in my original pyramid plan, but when we found Trout at PetsMart, we also fell in love with Hobbes the Cat, who alternately looks both like JJ's and my first cats: Sabbi and Muffin. And the cat still lives after one year. So, on to step three: puppy. OK, here it get complicated, so bear with me. Last fall, I went to Arizona to help my mom and dad with their jewelry business. There I met Kip, who was the proud owner of Shadow, a beautiful, smart and very well-trained yellow lab. Now, up to this point, when JJ and I talked of getting a puppy, it was always talk of a "small breed", due to the fact that we live in a mobile-home park and have a postage stamp yard. Long story short, for Christmas JJ found out that he was going to receive a yellow lab puppy in April. Shadow had a litter of seven puppies on Valentine's Day, and arrangements were made with my mom and dad to drop "Jazzmyn" off to us on their trip back to Washington. Well, as things go in the Matthews' family, we wound up with two puppies, not just one. My parents were going to try to find "Faith" a good home in Washington, but after traveling with the two lab sisters for two days, we all realized that they could not be split up. Our two yellow labs are now six months old, and althought they are very busy, we would not trade them for the world, however, we are quickly out-growing our little mobile home.

From here on out, my journal entries will be shorter, and filled with more pictures, but I felt it was necessary to give a little background information so that from here on out, you won't be lost.

It's a start...

This is the very first time that I have ever done something like this, but after seeing my brother and sister-in-laws blog site, I decided that this may be the best way for me to "stay connected", and also give myself an outlet for my thoughts. (I promise to not get too involved with my journal :0) I have always liked journaling, so my hope is that you can have a glimpse into JJ's and my relatively "new" life together in Salt Lake City. Enjoy!~E