The Neugebauers

You just won a BRAND NEW CAR! Seriously? No.

2012-01-22T21:34:00.000-08:00

So, some of you my know that we now are down to one car. Which is fine when me and Cimaron work the same shifts, but when we don't I need to rely on the good will of the people I work with to get home. In the fall I used to be able to walk to the trax station and ride it to the 39th stop. I would say it is about a mile walk (not bad at all and I actually enjoyed getting the exercise). Well, now it's cold and I feel like I'm a bother to people at work and get anxious to ask for rides home.

{I feel like I should just join the homeless people on the corner by Walmart with a sign that says "no car... pregnant... need a ride home." I would have to throw the pregnancy card, right? }

And I know it's NOT going to kill me to get a little cold, but my UTA pass from Weber State has now expired {shouldn't suprise me since it's been 1+ year since I graduated} and the cost of a ticket for a 2 mile trax ride is not very cheap.

Anywho, now the big question is...

to buy a car... or not buy a car?

And if we get a car, do we get a cheaper one that we can pay for with cash? Or do we get one for a couple more grand and put that cash down and get a really small loan?

I'm seeing pros and cons to both.

Meh. I think I know the answer and I may be leaning toward the more expensive option so I can look good in "newer car". I know. It's lame.

I find myself going back and forth a lot on this decision though and I'd really like to get it off of my mind. Sometimes I even feel like I can do without a car... and then we would be able to keep our money!

{This realization usually comes to me when Cimaron is able to give me rides. But then we NEED a car when I'm walking home and weirdos are honking at me. Hello? I'm with child. Who came up with that, anyway? Do ladies really find that attractive? Yeah... I have a great husband at home, but some creepy guy just honked at me. Now I'm really confused. Decisions, decisions. JK JK}

But our circumstances are different from other families because Cimaron has a job where he can't just up and leave to come get me from work... and he NEEDS the car incase a story breaks and he needs to go report on it so I can't drop him off for work.

That's about all for tonight. If any of you are selling a car, giving one away for free, or have any tips, please share :)

Hello there little lady!

2012-01-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah...

I forgot to mention that there is a little lady inside my belly.

I can't find the picture that shows her goodies... I guess you'll just have to take my word for it. :)

Ma and Pa Neugebauer

2012-01-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

We're going to be parents in May!

I will be 21 weeks tomorrow. This pregnancy has been rough compared to the others. I had really bad morning sickness until about 16 weeks. There were times that I really wanted to blog or post on Facebook about how sick I was but I figured I'd sleep it off instead. We didn't really tell our families until we were out of the first trimester. It still doesn't really come up in my conversations with people. So, I think there are a few people who think I've just gained weight. But what am I supposed to say?

Person: Hi Carli, how are you?

Me: Welp, pregnant.

It just doesn't really come up in my daily conversations with people and it still hasn't really hit me that it's happening and probably won't until the day I'm actually holding the baby. Even then, I'll probably bug the doctor and nurses asking if they are sure it is healthy. Who knows when it will sink in for either of us.

Another thing that I've been hesitant about is talking about it on Facebook or even on my blog. I know that I should enjoy this time, but I just think of how hard it was to hear of other people's pregnancies when I was going through everything... I just don't want to be the post that causes any tears for anyone. Then again, I shouldn't assume that just because people have difficulty getting or staying pregnant, that they can't be happy for anyone else. I definitely didn't want anyone to think that way about me. But quite honestly, as happy as I was for some people, you can only be happy for so many people before you start feeling sad for yourself.... and I'm rambling. So, I'm just going to be happy for our family and pray for those still waiting patiently for their little ones to come.

On this, the day of my daughter's wedding...

2011-08-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

We just finished Godfather part I and part II. I thought this day would never come.

We started watching Part I about a month ago. It took us about a week to finish it. We would always start it around 10 and Cim would be out within 30 minutes. So I would be hooked and finish watching it by myself and then we would go back to where Cim fell asleep and I would explain why things were happening (it's kind of hard to follow, but not after you've watched it twice before). I know you're probably thinking, "If it were good he wouldn't fall asleep." Right? Wrong. He can fall asleep to any movie or tv show. I can even look over and see him laughing one minute and then fast asleep the next. Although this can be frustrating at times, I find it to be cute most of the time. Besides, the kid works so hard for us. I can't complain that he needs a little more shut eye than me.

Anyway, the series is something that I wanted to watch. It's just a classic. Ya know? But you won't find me watching it on a regular basis... and not ever again. So if you have any questions about The Godfather and you don't want to watch it. You can ask me. Or just google it I guess?

I learn something new every day.

2011-07-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

Today while doing laundry...

I realized the "tub" looking thing in the corner, is used for your detergent so you don't have to dump it all over your clothes!! Do all washing machines have this? If so, I feel really blond.

Faith

2011-07-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

I had this primary song in my head today...

Faith is knowing the sun will rise lighting each new day.

Faith is knowing the Lord will hear my prayers each time I pray.

Faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow.

Faith is a swelling within my heart, when I do right I know.

We talked about Faith in Sunday school last week and how faith isn't something that everyone can just have. It's a quality that takes time and practice to develop. But if we show a desire through our actions, the Lord will bless us with more and more opportunities to gain faith. Faith is like a little seed that will grow when planted, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't need water, sun, and good soil.

Mices.

2011-06-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

I saw a mouse at work today....

Not the Mickey kind.

But the icky kind.

It was just running across the floor in broad daylight. Probably thinking "I own this place," as I jumped up on my chair and another co-worker jumped up on their desk.

There have been about 6 that we've caught in the traps now. For some reason I was thinkin they didn't come out when they heard people or when it was light outside... I was wrong. So wrong.

It's so dang hot. Milk was a bad choice.

2011-06-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

If you would've asked me a month ago, I would have been upset that it was cold outside. Now, I'm dreading the heat. Am I ever satisfied? No. I guess not. It's not my fault though.

Let me explain...

I can deal with the heat for hours at a time if I am camping, boating, or at a swim park. All of those involve doing something fun in the sun! But dealing with heat when I'm at work... a place where I don't spring out of bed to be (unlike my husband), I start to get a little bitter and dissatisfied with the weather. If you didn't figure it out by now, the air conditioning at my work is broken.

I know, I know, there are people who have it a lot worse (construction workers, life guards, pool cleaners.. i can't think of anymore. help me out if you'd like. ), but I work in an office, where I don't move much, and all I can do is sit in a pool of my own sweat. NOT COOL! literally.

I guess I just needed to vent. I'm sure that it will get fixed (eventually). I am just hoping that is sooner than later. Until then, it has been a great topic to talk and laugh about with co-workers. Feel free to share any work experiences that have been bugging you, maybe it will make me feel better about mine :)

Our Story

2011-06-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks for putting this together Emily Miskin :)

Getting Better

2011-06-06T22:35:00.000-07:00

I feel much better since I shared our story on our blog. I felt like I was keeping a secret from everyone when I was pregnant because I wanted to wait until I was past the normal miscarriage period until I told people. I was so excited to blurt it out the news to everyone once I found out what we were having. When we found out that we were losing our baby, I felt like I still had a secret to keep. This led to feelings of shame and even anger.

I hope that people who read my blog don't feel sorry for me. Cimaron and I appreciate the concern of others and the love we have received, but I would rather have people feel inspired to share their story or at least feel like they have an option to talk about it. Miscarriages aren't something that we should feel ashamed of and if people don't want to read or listen, the don't have to. Through opening up and talking about things, I have learned that people have had similar experiences. Sometimes even worse. This doesn't make my pain go away, but it helps to know that others have experienced a similar loss and know how I feel. It is inspiring to see that people move on with life and are given the opportunity to be parents afterward.

A couple of weeks ago, I don't think I would have been able to see all of the blessings in my life. I think that trials make us stronger and can help us see the greatness of the things we have. We have such a great family and circle of friends that have let us know that they care and comforted us with their words. We received an answer as to why we lost our baby. I know this is very rare, and even though it was tragic, it is a blessing to know that it most likely won't happen again. I have learned how strong I am physically and emotionally. I have also realized how blessed I am to have a man like Cimaron for a husband. I have been sick for the past few months, and now that I'm not physically sick anymore, I am on an emotional roller-coaster. He is patient and always understanding.

Most importantly, I have felt my Savior's love. I know that he hears our prayers. There have been times when I can't even think of words to explain how I felt as I knelt down to pray. Sometimes all I can do is cry, but He even listens to that. I know that no matter what we are going through in life, He is always there for us, even in our darkest hour. I have found strength in making it through each day from Him.

You are my SUNSHINE...

2011-06-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

On May 25th, I woke up like it was Christmas morning. Today was the day I was going to see the little one in my tummy. After 18 weeks of wondering what I was having and dreaming about being a parent with Cimaron, we were getting closer and closer to meeting the new member of our family and were already very proud parents.

As we drove to the imaging enter, Cimaron and I talked about how happy we were that we were going to get to see our little baby and find out what it was so we could get started with all of the fun stuff (picking names, preparing the nursery, etc.) I ended up arriving before Cim and the tech took me to the room and had me lay down. She was about to get started when she realized my husband wasn't with me, so we waited a little while. When Cim got there she didn't waste any time getting started.

Before I knew it, she was asking me if I had been bleeding or cramping at all. I said, "No." Then she asked if I had miscarried before. I said, "yes." She showed us the one of its legs and took measurements of it's head, which measured to be a couple weeks behind what it was supposed to be. Cimaron and I kept trying and trying to convince ourselves that everything was ok. Then she said, "This is probably going to hit you like a lightning bolt but..." As she paused a million thoughts of what could be wrong went through my head, "a limb isn't developing like it should, down syndrome, a heart defect?" Then she said, "I'm sorry." She told us that she would talk to the other technician just to be sure, but it looked as if our baby stopped developing around 15 1/2 weeks.

I couldn't believe this was actually happening! AGAIN! Sure, I had spotted at the very beginning of this pregnancy, but our doctor said she wasn't worried since the baby had a strong heart beat. The strong heart beat that we heard at 15 weeks. The heart beat that gave our doctor confidence enough to tell us that we could start telling people.

I felt like MY heart was going to stop beating. I turned to Cim and started crying. I couldn't stand the thought that I wasn't going to be a mom NOW and the little boy or girl that I already loved so much wasn't going to be here in October. After a few minutes of crying, we were sent to the Woman's Center to be seen by my doctor. Upon arrival, we were told to wait in the waiting room full of pregnant women who were about ready to explode and new mom's with their freakishly cute babies. Even though I know none of those women would have really wanted me to feel this way, it felt like they were rubbing it in my face that my dreams had just been shattered 10 minutes ago.

My doctor was shocked. She couldn't believe that the baby's heartbeat she had heard 3 weeks ago had stopped a couple of days after she listened to it. She said that there was no explanation for what happened and told us to be prepared for no answer as to why it happened. After this, she started to explain our options on how to get the baby out of me. She explained that a D and C would be risky because of the size of our baby, but she had the experience and could perform the procedure if we wanted to follow through with that option. Our second option was to actually deliver the baby. This would mean that I would go in to the labor and delivery department, be induced, receive an epidural, and so on. Our second option was the one she strongly recommended because there was little to no risk involved. We chose the second option. I would go in to labor and deliver on Saturday.

Going home was rough to say the least. Full of tears and prayers. Cimaron had to go into work for a couple hours to report on the sentencing of Brian David Mitchell. I don't know how I made it through those hours... I tried to sleep, but it was hard not to think about everything. People were sending me text messages letting me know how much they loved me. I would cry because I was glad they were thinking and praying for us. Then I would keep crying because reality kept sinking in with every message.

Cimaron got home pretty quickly, but it felt like it took forever. We went to Wendover that night because we didn't want to be sitting at home. I don't have much to say about this trip. Wendover is a hole. People have told me this, but sometimes you just need to figure things out for yourself I guess. On the bright side, Cim got to see the salt flats... and probably won't ever want to see them again :)

Eventually, Friday came and Cimaron's sister Derolene brought us some delicious food to get us through the next couple of days. Our friends Brantt and Emily and my parents came later that night to visit. It was nice to have them there to distract us from worries and concerns that we had about the next day. It's always a comfort for me to see my parents. They always know what to say to make me feel better or calm me down. I went to bed at midnight, thinking I would call in the morning and I would be in labor and delivery by seven. I only had seven more hours. The anticipation was killing me and I thought I would never fall asleep, but I did.

On Saturday morning I called in at six to make sure they had room for me. The nurse told me that they didn't have any open rooms yet, but told me to call back at nine. I called back at nine. She told me that they had a room, but they didn't have enough nurses on staff for me to come in. She told me that if I didn't call before eleven, to call back. Luckily, they called me at ten-thirty and told me to be there by eleven. This was it, the moment I had been thinking about for the last 3 days. I was terrified. I was expecting to go through all of this on October 26th. I know that the extra months filled with anticipation probably wouldn't have made me feel better, but I knew that I would be able to get through anything. Because after all, I would get to cuddle and kiss my little baby after it was all over. Now it was a different story. I was going to go through everything and not have my little one to cuddle in the end.

We arrived at the hospital right on time. I was hooked up to my IV and induced within the hour. After four hours, I finally started to feel some cramping. I asked for my epidural before it got to be painful. I thought receiving the epidural would be the worst part. The local anesthetic was the most painful part, and it wasn't even that bad. Even though it wasn't painful, I started to hyperventilate because I psyched myself out. All of a sudden my ears were ringing and I felt like I was going to pass out. The anesthesiologist said, "Don't pass out, or we'll have to start over." I tried everything I could to stay awake, including talking about how I hated the Beatles but love the Backstreet Boys and Def Leppard (they thought my taste in music was odd). When it was over, I asked the anesthesiologist if there were any side effects I should notify them about. He said, "Yeah, any metallic taste in your mouth or numbness above your waist." I looked at him and said, "My hands are numb!" He laughed at me and pointed to the IV, "I haven't even hooked you up to the medicine, you're still hyperventilating." I felt silly. Before he left I told him that it wasn't bad at all and that I would spread the word for him to make his job easier. So... I'm doing that now. Epidurals are freaking awesome. If you've ever given plasma, epidurals are cake.

After eleven hours of labor, I was dilated enough for baby to come. Fortunately, I didn't have to push and everything went really smoothly. At 11:03 pm, our little baby came. They let us know that it was a boy. I had suspected this all along!

My doctor started asking for a camera and asked if she could take some pictures to show her colleagues (normally I would object, but I figured it was for medical purposes). She explained to us that the umbilical chord had wrapped around our little guy's neck 2-3 times. She told us that she hadn't seen this in her eleven years of private practice and four years of residency. She was confident that this is what had caused our baby to stop developing. I felt immediate relief. Nothing was wrong with me, and nothing was wrong with Cim. It was just a very uncommon incident that shouldn't happen again.

We had a little while to be alone with our baby boy. He had perfect little toes and fingers. Believe it or not, I could tell that he had Cim's nose. To anyone else he probably would have looked different, but to us he was beautiful and perfect. We decided to name him

RAY

He brought us such happiness during the time I was pregnant and even in the short moment we had with him. He was and always will be our little

SUNSHINE.

My favorite commercial

2011-04-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

This commercial is my favorite. The best one is the cat "bock mow bock mow."

That went well.

2011-04-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Keeping up on my 31 things in March didn't really happen... Surprise.

Here is a video that me and Cimaron have enjoyed for the last couple of weeks. He also has one where he interviews people at a guitar show and a video convention. He's acting, but he's so good that I wouldn't have noticed if I didn't look up his other videos. Enjoy :)

31 happy things in March :)

2011-03-05T20:26:00.000-08:00

My friend Emily told me I should track 31 things that make me happy this month.

I didn't really think I should commit to doing it cause I'm already behind, but I think it will help me be more appreciative and remind me of how much I've been blessed.

#1 - My Husband

This picture was taken during our date for our 3rd wedding anniversary.

I remember thinking first being married to Cimaron and thinking that I loved him then... now I can't even compare the way I felt then with how I feel now. I love him more and more everyday.

He's my best friend. I always thought it was corny when people said that about their spouses. I didn't think it could be possible, but I've proven myself wrong and I guess I can consider myself corny, too.

On a side-note, he makes me laugh... lots

Got a Job!

2010-12-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'm officially employed! I will be working at DownEast Outfitters as an HR assistant. I started working there about 2 years ago while I was going to school. I enjoyed working there and had a great manager that took the time and effort to make working there one of the best experiences I have had. She took such an interest in me and trained me to be a temporary manager while she went on leave. When I was done working in the Ogden store, I didn't think I would go back.

Cimaron got a job as a reporter for The Spectrum in Cedar. I knew that leaving Salt Lake meant that I wouldn't have many opportunities for a job in HR and I ended up applying for a manager position at the DownEast Outfitters in Cedar City. I managed that store for 4 months until Cimaron got a job offer at the Salt Lake Tribune and we decided to move again. Even though I didn't want to look for another job, I was excited that I would be able to apply for jobs that were related to my degree.

Finding a "related" job was more difficult than I expected. I had an opportunity to manage at the Gateway store but told them that I wanted to try to get a job more related to my degree. I felt sick turning down a job, but now that we were back in Salt Lake I felt like I owed it to myself to at least try before I took something that I wouldn't be satisfied with. Luckily, the lady who was interested in having me manage a store told me about an opportunity with DownEast in their HR department. So, I applied for the position. It took a while before I got an interview. I applied for several other positions while I waited and heard nothing back from them. Eventually, I landed an interview with DownEast, and now I've got the job. I am so glad that I didn't treat my first job with DownEast as if it didn't matter.

I'm excited to get started!

Justice.

2010-12-10T16:32:00.000-08:00

For the last five weeks, I have watched news coverage, read news articles written by my husband, and listened to his experiences with the Brian David Mitchell trial.

After hearing so much about it, I started to get upset with the fact that anyone could possibly think that this man deserved anything but a guilty verdict. So, I stopped listening, and followed as little as I could.

I was so glad to hear that he was found guilty today. I was afraid that he would be found innocent due to being "insane" and I worried about how that verdict would benefit so many other criminals out there. I feel like anyone can do knowingly do something horrible and then act as if they are "insane." There is no doubt that he is mentally ill, but not to the point of not being able to know right from wrong. He knew what he did was wrong the whole time he did it and used religion to justify it.

As for Elizabeth Smart, she is a great example of strength, courage, and hope. It is amazing to see someone who has been through so much pain smile again. It shows that no matter how dark things may get, there is hope that we will see brighter days.

Ho Ho Ho!

2010-12-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

I saw this cute Christmas decoration idea on a blog that I follow. Mine aren't as great as the ones that I copied... but I'm happy with how they turned out!

3 Cones

covered them with felt (instead of velvet)

added pom pom to the top and fur around bottom

vinyl for belt and some square sequins for the blingin buckle!

Ta Da!

Ho ho Ho!

Here are some pics of the rest of the decorations...

table deco

close up of the balls

my slinky santa... is my FAV

stockings hung nowhere near a chimney...maybe he'll come through the wall?

the tree :)

Gotta love Christmas! Having all of this stuff out makes our apartment feel more like home. I'm dreading the day I have to take them down. So maybe I won't.

Thankful.

2010-11-30T12:18:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a little behind on the thankful trend but it's still November so I thought I'd give it a shot :)

I am thankful for my husband. I would say he is the best husband in the world, but I don't want to argue with all of you who also have good husbands. All I can say is he is the best for me. He knows me, hears me, comforts me, encourages me, makes me laugh, and loves me... he even fixes my computer.

I am thankful for my parents. My parents have always supported me and given me strength to go on. I love them so much and hope to show and receive the same love from my future children.

I am thankful for my sisters and brother. They give me motivation to be the best I can be. Every time I leave I count down the hours until I can see them again. I want to be a good example for them and someone they can talk to and know that I'll love them no matter what.

I am thankful for Jesus Christ and the Atonement. He is the ultimate example of perfection and selflessness. He gave me a gift that I can never re-pay. He is always there and ready to forgive me. He always loves. He gave his life for us, that we could be saved, and gave all the glory to his father. I know that I am not perfect, and I make mistakes that I may not even realize, sometimes I don't live up to people's expectations for me or the ones I set for myself, but I will not stop trying. I can only my best.

I just want it.

2010-11-29T00:21:00.000-08:00

So I have a new favorite drink.

{Sierra Mist Cranberry Splash}

I needed to go to the store for something and had to have one. When I got to the register, it wasn't ringing in. The cashier asked me if I knew how much it was.

Me: "No. I just want it."

Cashier: "Is $1.19 ok?"

Me: "Sure"

Cashier: "You must really want it... you'd probably still buy it if it were $5!"

Me: "Yep."

I wonder if anyone else goes to the store and just has to have that one thing and doesn't care what the price is? It doesn't happen to me that often, especially since I'm kind of cheap... I guess it just wasn't my day for resisting such a refreshing beverage.

I can cook.... cereal.

2010-11-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

Today I thought I would try to make some dinner rolls. How hard could it be?

A little too hard for me I guess. I felt a little too confident with the first batch I made and somehow skipped putting the eggs in the mixture. I didn't notice I forgot them until after I had kneaded the dough. So I piled the dough on a cookie sheet and made some gross bread.

The second batch was a little more successful. I included the eggs. Now I am just waiting for them to rise and put them in the oven. But... I just realized that I forgot the salt.

I'm trying to learn how to cook and today wasn't very encouraging. Maybe I should just stick to frozen rhodes rolls.

We're Baaaack.

2010-10-28T17:01:00.000-07:00

Its been a while... and really, I don't have a good excuse for the lack of posts but its not like people have been asking me to post more so I guess we're fine. A lot has happened since I last posted...

After a couple of days of arguing with one of my professors, I finally really got all of my credits approved... but I'm sick of celebrating. I'll believe it when I see my diploma in my hands gosh dang it!

Cimaron applied for a job at the Salt Lake Tribune as a crime reporter and got it. GO CIM :)

We moved. I loathe moving. Especially the cost of it all.

I'm jobless... and I'm learning to love it.

We got new callings in our new ward as the ward music directors. Both me and Cimaron are now in charge of picking hymns, leading in sacrament meetings, asking people to perform special numbers, and get this, leading the ward choir! hahaha. What does this mean? That the congregation will probably want to run out of the chapel screaming whenever the church choir sings. I just had to laugh when I thought of me and Cimaron at choir practice... "Yeah, that sounded horrible... we don't know why... but fix it." Even though it is something new for us both, we are excited to get started.

So, its been an eventful couple of weeks for us. I have to say that I was sad to leave Cedar City. One of my sister-in-laws told me to live like each place we move to would be the last place we would ever live. I can honestly say that we did. We made friends, got involved, and explored the area. Even though it sucks to get attached only to leave, I would much rather feel sad because we loved it instead of counting the days until we could move to the next place. I am looking forward to doing the same here.

Carli

Fresh Veggies!

2010-08-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our new ward, we heard about the ward garden. So we planted some seeds. I didn't think we would get much. Since we started we've visited the garden often and watched "our little babies" grow! So far, we've gotten parsley, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon, and beans!

{ehhh...what up dock?}

{our babies!!}

{baby watermelon!}

I'm done... for reals this time.

2010-08-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

After a long summer semester, I finally finished my senior thesis and took my final test for business law. It feels like I should be going back next semester, but I'm not! It didn't seem real at first but it's starting to sink in as I think about what I need to be doing and it doesn't have to do with school!

On Friday, I remember thinking, "Wow, I can't believe that I did it... I made it through all of the papers, presentations, group projects, and exams. How did I do it?!" I really couldn't believe that I actually made it through.

So many times I forget who I am and what I am capable of. I let myself get discouraged and feel like I can't do anymore. I have a good husband who reminds me that I can do it, but its time that I realize that myself. Not only did my parents raise me to think more of myself, but I know that Heavenly Father wants me to be more confident, too.

Now I get to see my little sister start her senior year and decide where she wants to go to college. My decision to go to snow wasn't difficult. I had no other options, but she does. I know that she will make the right decision and have just as much fun as I did. One thing that I hope is that she has more confidence in herself than I did at that time. She needs to trust that she will make the right decision, make it, and then move forward.

Anyway, I didn't mean for this post to be all mushy like, but it will be a good reminder to look at this in the future and know that I am capable and that I will always have support from the people that I love.

Senior Thesis

2010-07-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've posted it onbeen working on my senior thesis on workplace bullying. I've created a survey and emailed it to family and friends, facebook, and now I'm posting the link on my blog because the link I have sent in emails won't allow multiple people (my mom AND dad) to take it. So, here is the link. I hope that by posting it I will get a couple more participants!

Thanks again to everyone who has taken it! I really appreciate it!

Workplace Bullying Survey

99 Things

2010-06-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

To participate just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (on the sky coaster at lagoon... prob doesn't count.)
12. Visited Paris (in Las Vegas)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning - wouldn't recommend this.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - saw it from the ferry :(
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Ran a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38.Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (or drawn?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous- Andre Kirilinko
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Wow- I think going to Europe really would have helped me with this list.

Cruise 2010

2010-06-09T22:26:00.000-07:00

Cimaron and I have had the opportunity to go on a couple of trips since we've been married. As a graduation gift to ourselves, Cimaron and I went on a 5 day Eastern Caribbean Cruise. Looking forward to this trip gave us extra motivation to finish with school.

Sunday, June 15

Our plane left really early on Sunday, so we crashed (for three hours) at Brantt and Emily's. We woke up a little late but made it with plenty of time to the airport.

Our ship didn't set sail until Monday, so we had Sunday to hang out in our hotel in Miami Florida.

{ us at the hotel }

Monday, May 16 - Miami, Florida

Today was the day we boarded the ship! The first thing we did was ate some lunch. After we had looked around what there was to do on the ship we decided to look for our rooms. We ended up not being as close as we thought we'd be. But it all worked out ok!

{ leaving miami }

{ sailing away }

{ first night at dinner }

Tuesday, May 17 - Day at Sea

Today was our day to get a tan! It was pretty difficult to find a spot. We ended up laying on the ground for a while until some seats opened up. I don't have any pictures, but I decided to spray some sunscreen on and didn't get it all rubbed in, so I had some spots on my arm and neck. It was pretty ugly. Later, I decided to not put sunscreen on (bad idea) and ended up with a blistered burn! No fun.

{ our good spot on the ship }

{ cim looking overboard }

{ cimaron }

{ cim! }

{ formal night }

{ brantt and emily go together like ketchup and mustard }

{ our first towel animal }

Wednesday, May 18 - Grand Turk Island

We decided to go a snorkeling excursion today. I'll be honest, I was dreading this day. It's not that I don't know how to swim, or that I was scared of the depth... I just really hate fish. They are slimy and smelly. Anyway, the day came and it was time. I jumped in the warm water and started to breath as if it was freezing... it was the closest I've ever came to a panic attack. I know it sounds silly, but I'm scared of fish like others are scared of mice or spiders. I finally decided to look down at the fish. I realized that they were far enough away from me and they were actually pretty! I finally felt like I could relax... and I actually enjoyed myself!

{ me }

Cim had a great time too... until he decided to drink the water. Then he got sick. Whoops.

{cim}

{fish}

{cim playin with the underwater camera}

{ waiting for cim to come out of the water }

{ yep }

{ towel animal #2 }

Thursday, May 19 - Half Moon Cay

This was the prettiest beach! The water was SO clear! I actually felt comfortable swimming in it! I loved this beach. I could have spent the whole time here :)

{ welcome sign }

{ beautiful!}

{ sebastian }

{ me and emily look alike in this picture }

{ silly cim }

{ us }

{ us at karaoke! }

{ just dancin }

{ me and em at karaoke }

Friday, May 20 - Nassau, Bahamas

We didn't really have anything planned for this day and Brantt and Emily went to the Atlantis water resort so we kinda just winged it.

We ended up renting a scooter so we could see more of the Island in the limited amount of time we had.

Toward the end of our rental period, we got a flat tire! We were worried that they would charge us. When the guy came to trade us for another scooter Cim wanted to take some pictures... the guy seemed annoyed and said "Why man? Its a flat... don't worry about it." He was so chill! So were the people back at the dock. Must be something in the water there!

{ sunrise at nassau }

{ cim + bacon = one happy kid }

{ got our helmets on }

{ view from the scooter }

{ wee! }

{ the last sunset }

{ last dinner - we really enjoyed everyone at our table! }

{ last towel }

Saturday, May 21 - Miami, Florida

Time to go home. There were a couple of hold ups with the flights but everything worked out for us and we got home safely. Even though we had a great time with our friends and each other, we were ready to come home and start the next chapter of our lives in Cedar City. I would never object to going on another cruise if an opportunity came our way... but I've realized that even though the beaches are beautiful and the water is clear, we have some of the most beautiful places in Utah right in our backyard. I hope that we get an opportunity to explore those places before we do anything else!

A fresh start...

2010-05-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Cimaron graduated a couple of weeks ago (and I walked). Before graduation, we were planning on staying around for a while as we searched for jobs. Cimaron went back to working at The Mobile Source and I went back to DownEast Outfitters... our plan was to work temporarily... turns out it was more temporary than we planned.

Cimaron has taken a job here...

We will live here...

Still unsure of where I will be working and what apartment we will live in, but it should all work out fine.

I'm a little sad to leave everything here in northern Utah... but it will be fun and exciting to get a fresh start and move to a new place and meet new people!

A Couple of Wildcats!

2010-04-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

After countless finals, papers, assignments, and dollars, Cimaron and I FINALLY graduated! This was such a special day for us. Since both of us are communication majors, we got to walk together! I couldn't think of a better way to do it!

The day started early...I'd say what time we woke up but everyone would probably laugh that I'm even complaining. Anyway. We started out by going to the ceremony for all of Weber State at 8:30. I'll have to tell you, it wasn't at all what I expected. The line started moving... and before I knew it we were walking through a line of our professors while the symphony played "pomp and circumstance"

I feel corny saying this, but I thought of all the times I felt like giving up and times that I didn't believe in myself and all of the people who have supported me (family, friends, professors) and kinda got teary eyed.

Moving on, the speakers were very good and each of them had an inspring message. We had the opportunity to hear from President Monson. I think I a lot of people expected him to talk mainly about the LDS church, but his message was very uplifting and applied to all WSU Graduates.

In between the first and second ceremony we got to spend some time with Cimaron's parents. It was a great opportunity to relax. We are glad that they were able to come and support us and we're very grateful for their encouragement and advise that they have given us throughout our college experiences.

The College of Arts and Humanities ceremony was definitely different than I expected. This was where our names were read and we got to walk across the stage. I won't complain... I just felt a little out of place with all the artsy people there :)

Anyway, after we were all done, pictures were taken and we went with my parents and both sets of grandparents to Texas Roadhouse! I loved it! It was great to spend time with my grandparents and parents. I don't think the know how much their interest in my education and belief in me has given me the encouragement to keep going.

In conclusion, I feel very blessed for being able to get an education. But I feel even more blessed to have a family and husband that love me!

Here are some pictures from the day! (this was not a good day for me and the camera...)

Oldies but goodies!

2010-04-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

I just got these pictures in my e-mail a couple minutes ago from Cimaron's mom! Seeing these made me smile! :)

{Ice Cream Man}

{Sad Cim}

If you know Cim, usually sweets make him happy... which makes this picture confusing.

{Sleepy Cim}

I thought it was interesting how even though Cimaron is all grown up, he's still the same.

He still loves candy. . . I always know where to find him in the grocery store (candy isle of course!)

And he still takes little cat naps whenever he gets the chance.

I love these things about him and hope they never change!

Love ya Cim Cim!

General Conference

2010-04-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday and Sunday was General Conference. I took a lot of notes, but now that its been a couple of days I'm not sure how accurate they are, but I thought I'd share some of the things that touched me anyway.

Julie Beck- General Relief Society President

"A good woman knows she can't do everything her heart desires." - I don't think Sister beck meant that women should lower their expectations of themselves, but I think she mean to not be disappointed in what we can't or haven't done. Instead we should find joy in the service we have done and continue to do.

"Don't seek appreciation from things you do" - If this is the main reason why you do service, it isn't service anymore. Also, if you seek appreciation from others than Heavenly Father, nothing will ever be satisfying.

"When we are finished, we may STILL feel disappointment, but we will NOT be disappointed in ourselves"

I can't remember exactly what she said, but I thought she was talking directly to me when she said that women shouldn't expect a life that isn't busy or difficult. There have been so many times when I have felt sorry for myself and how busy life seems to be at times. It seems that having more time would be nice, but being busy promotes personal growth, and we should all be excited to gain experience and strength! Right?

Elder M. Russell Ballard - of the Twelve Apostles

"Popular culture often makes women look silly and objectivies them. Don't look to these women as role models, but to your mother."

Elder David Bednar- of the Twelve Apostles

Spiritual Warning System:

1- Reading and Talking about the Book of Mormon
    Regular reading of the Book of Mormon helps to resist temptation and form bonds of love.
    Young children may not understand every word, but they recognize the familiar spirit.

2- Bearing Testimony Spontaneously
    Spontaneous testimonies are remembered most by children.
    A testimony doesn't need to start with "I bear my testimony to you"

3- Inviting Children to Act
    We are to act, not to acted upon
    Parents should help children to act and seek spirituality themselves.
         "Giving a man a fish, gives him a meal. Teaching him to fish, gives him meals for a lifetime."

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm a worrier by nature. The next big step in life for me is to become a parent. I'm not sure when this will happen, but I've always wondered how I will help my kids grow up to be strong not only physically, but mentally, and spritiually. Each speaker in general conference gave me some more courage about parenthood and assured me that I don't have to do it alone.

I'm glad that I had the opportunity to watch and learn. Right now, life is unsure and that makes me nervous, but I recieved great comfort from each talk that was given.

Shaving CAN be fun!

2010-04-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

Cimaron had a full beard for a month or so. He decided to shave it off a couple of weeks ago. So you would think he'd just take a razor to it and get it over with. Nope. He wanted to shave it off bits at a time... allowing him to see what he would look like with different styles of facial hair. I was the assigned photographer for the experiment. Here are some of the pics of the amazing transformation!

{Before}

{Just a goat with long side burns}

{Fu Manchu}

{Lightning Bolt Side Burns}

{Handlebars}

{This pic reminds me of NASCAR haha}

{The Stache}

{I'm Ron Burgundy?}

Well, I could keep adding pictures, but you get the point!

Mom's Birthday!

2010-03-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

On March 9, 1970,

The most coolest person EVER was born!

She's my mom.

I didn't have a chance to write her a card like I usually do.

But here a few of the things I remember her doing for me and things I appreciate about her...

Dressed me until I was in 2nd grade.

Laid out my clothes until 6th grade.

Did my hair every morning until I was in 7th grade.

Put my hair in curlers when I wanted to look pretty the next day at school.

Cooked separate meals for my crazy taste buds until.... NOW!

Always taught me to treat everyone with respect. No matter the color of skin or religion they belonged to.

Comforted me when I was sad, nervous, mad.

Celebrated my successes, no matter how small.

Always willing to talk to me about anything.

Planned my whole freakin wedding.
Supported me with whatever I chose to do
Always knows what to say to make me feel better

Loves me all the time, not matter what.

Some of those things probably seem small, but they all showed me how much she loved me. She has sacrifices a lot to make sure my and my sibblings are happy.

Love you mom!

Here are some pictures of the big day!

{The Cake}

{Dad is ready to sing!}

{Happy birthday!}

{Brett doesn't like celebrating birthdays.}

Fun in the Snow

2010-03-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

Since we've been married, Cimaron has wanted to go snowboarding with me. He recently scored some free lift tickets to Snow Basin a couple of weeks ago.

This meant my "It would be a waste of money if I didn't like it" excuse wasn't going to work anymore.

So, I borrowed Kelli's board and boots and we headed up to the mountains!

This wasn't my first time, I had been once before. That was almost 5 years ago and I hated it. I spent the whole day alone on a mountain crying because I couldn't get up or get my snowboard off.

Laugh it up... Its funny now but it wasn't at the time.

Anyway, It went pretty well! Cim was a GREAT coach and stayed with me the whole time! It only took us 1 1/2 hours to get down :)

Here are some pictures from the trip.

{I made it down alive!!}

{Cim is fixing something on his board, don't ask me what it was}

{ Look at the beard on that one!}

{Hey there!}

In the end, I really enjoyed myself. I don't think I would mind going again! Congratulations Cim! :)

A glance into the future...

2010-03-07T19:02:00.000-08:00

I got distracted from homework and went to makemebabies.com. Here is the result...

Baby #1 - Cache

I was confused where the pirate hat came from but then I realized I'm wearing a hat in the picture. Or maybe he'll be a pirate? Who knows.

And here is ...

Baby #2 - Ella Fae

Yes, she is a flower child. I'm thinking cause of my hat again.

I think they came out lookin pretty good considering the picture I used of myself.

Cimaron is upset that they aren't accurate. Or are they? Only time will tell. haha

*DISCLAIMER - This is not our way of telling you something. We are not expecting.*

Cim 'n' Car on national TV

2010-03-07T16:48:00.001-08:00

HAha, our cameo appearance. Cimaron is the one waving his white shirt sleeves back and forth at the very top of the audience at about 40 sec. left in the video clip.

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

New York, NY

2010-03-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

(Look what I found in my drafts!) We took a trip to New York, NY last August! We had a ton of fun... But I was very glad to come home.

Statue of Liberty

9/11 Memorial

Times Square

The view from the plane...

The Manhatten Temple

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (100th Episode!)
We were on TV in the crowd at the top row.

Almost done!

2010-02-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

Today I met with my advisor to make sure everything was set for me to graduate in August. I expected her to say, “You have a few more classes, maybe after fall of 2010.”

Guess what she said?!! “Looks good. You’re good to go!”

I am so happy right now! This lifestyle of ridiculous deadlines, long papers, and countless presentations will come to an end. IN AUGUST!!

Don’t get me wrong, I know that life will not stop and be all fun and games after I graduate. I understand that there will be challenges. I will still feel overwhelmed, stressed, and emotionally unstable at times, but I will feel this way over new things! I’m ready for a new challenge… a career would be nice.

Anyway, there is no graduation ceremony in the summer, so I will be walking this Spring with Cimaron! The commencement ceremony for all graduates is April 23^rd at 8:00 am. President Thomas S. Monson will be speaking! (SO excited) Later at 12:30 p.m., we will walk at the ceremony for the College of Arts and Humanities where our names will be read.

I think I get two complimentary tickets… which will go to mom and dad. Any ticket after that is $9. Let me know if anyone wants to come and I’ll pick one up for you!

I can do this! Almost done!

We're with COCO

2010-01-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

Cim and I are dedicated fans of The Tonight Show with Conan O' Brien. Lately, we have enjoyed watching him rip NBC apart on his shows. Tonight is his last night as the Tonight Show host. What a sad, sad, sad, day. Let us all watch tonight and send the ratings through the roof, only to boycott NBC after he leaves! Just kidding, I have too many favorite shows on NBC to do that. BUT I WILL boycott Jay Leno. Why is he even staying? Seriously. He needs to just retire. He wasn't doing well anyway and this situation will only make it awkward for him to go back to the Tonight Show. Speaking of awkward.... you should watch this clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joXYj2IoKXs

2010-01-18T17:30:00.001-08:00

Where to start...

2010-01-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

Its almost been a year since the last post. I'm not sure if anyone really follows me but I'm going to start posting more often! For real this time! So let's get caught up!

We had a VERY Merry Christmas! Unfortunately, Cim had to work so I went up to Wyoming for my Grandma and Grandpa's Christmas Eve Breakfast. It was great to get to see all of the family! Later that day I drove back to Ogden, met up with cim, and headed off to Cache Valley for the night! We got to spend time with the Neugebauers and have some good conversations. Later, we drove up to Tremonton and spent the rest of Christmas day with my family. It was fun to see my sisters and brother and all of the stuff they got from Santa. Santa came for Cim and I. We got spoiled! Dishes, shoes, pants, pajamas and lots of love!

I think being a student and not being able to give as much as I would like really allowed me to think about the true meaning of Christmas. Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps... means a little bit more! Its not about recieving, or even GIVING gifts. Its all about remembering the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, and all that he has done for us.

2010 didn't really come with any new year resolutions. My goal was to not make a resolution but then I felt bad, so late on new years night when I was falling asleep I told Cim that my resolution was to take more pictures! The next day our camera broke and our car was broken into. Just my luck. Sunday came and my smart husband gave me some hope by helping me realise that we have an opportunity to start over everyday of our lives! Each day we can wake up and say "I don't want to do this anymore," or "I need to start doing this more often." He also reminded me that the atonement helps us start over and clean our slates whenever we chose to use it. I am excited for the new year and what it has to offer! Mostly, I am looking forward to new beginnings that will come each day of my life, not just this month or this year.

We started school on the 4th of January. This next week will be our 3rd week. Only 11 more to go! Then Cim will be graduated and I will only have summer semester left. Cimaron will be graduated with his Bachelor's degree in Journalism and I will be getting my Bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication. Then who knows what will happen, but until then we'll just have to enjoy the ride!

Road Trip!

2009-03-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, Cim and I traveled with his parents to Arizona to attend the sealing of his brother Durango to his wife America and little boy Logan. We left early Friday morning and came back early Monday morning. It was a fun little vacation that we wish could have lasted longer! Here are some pictures from our trip!

The Colorado River

The Arizona Temple

A Few Neugebauers

LEMONS!

Lots of Cacti?

Carli and Cim by the Cacti

Logan turned away from the camera right as Cim took this picture...
its still cute if you ask me :)

The Logan Face

Logan was crying... then Cim put him on his shoulders and
everything was fine

Oma & Opa

This Indian woman was selling jewelry... she didn't speak
any English so a lady translated for her
Cim took this picture without asking
I don't know if she knows he was taking it...
I love this picture!

2008-11-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

Well this is the first post! Just to inform everyone, this blog is created by Carli (me) so it will be mostly in my point of view.... I will post more once I get this stuff figured out :)