#4 - A habit you wish you didn't have

If you were to ask me what one habit I wish I didn't have, I guess I'd have to sum it up with a response like unhealthy eating.  But that seems a little vague, doesn't it?  Personally, in your shoes, I'd feel like I got jipped with a response like that.  So I'll break it down a little to be fair.

I'd say that the first subcategory of my bad habit would belong to this:

Sugar.  In all forms.  I have a major sweet tooth and I'm sure I'd be much healthier if I could shake it but the sad truth is, I'm just not willing to.

Next in line:

Oh how I love Diet Coke products!  This one is by far my favorite though.  This little can of carbonated beverage has caffeine, aspartame, and my least favorite, phenylalanine.  And yet I love it.  Is that glutton for punishment or what? 

I've tried to limit myself to drinking this stuff at only the most desperate of girl times, but sometimes I cave.  And I enjoy every minute of it.

#3- A Picture of me and friends

This post brought a very disturbing problem to my attention: I have no recent pictures of me with all my friends.  I'm horrified!  I'll have to get to the task of updating some pictures as soon as possible.

In the meantime, this will have to do.  The above picture was taken the day I got married (in case the white dress didn't already give that away).  It includes my 4 closest friends from high school and my three cousins, all of whom I think are amazing.  I love these girls! 

I am lucky enough to have been blessed with many awesome friends.  Some of them I've met through my husband, some through the wards we've lived in, some through work, and some who I don't ever talk to anymore.  So I've decided that for the purpose of this post, I'm going to post about the 7 people I've stayed close to for years and who for some reason, even stayed close to me while I was going through my crazy/awkward teenage years.  Please know however, that if you are reading this post and your name is not specifically mentioned, it's only because I don't have the motivation required to type about everyone and I still love you to pieces.

So as not to give off any unintentional messages about my closeness with these lovely ladies, I'll put each of them in the spotlight briefly in alphabetical order:

Amanda: We met in high school and have kept in touch ever since.  She is such a great person to talk to because she can see the world from so many perspectives.  Also, she was always willing to play with my hair back in the day and I loved it.

Andrea: I also met Andrea in high school.  There are very few people from high school that I have made an effort to keep in contact with, but she is one of the four.  Sometimes I think that Andrea is an angel in disguise because she's nearly perfect and always kind.

Britty: I've known Britty since Jr. High when we both wore braces and butterfly clips.  She is so much fun, tells amazing stories, and is a great writer.

Christina:  It's been a long time since I typed that name; mostly I just call her Tini.  She is my cousin and she is wonderful.  We've always been close.

Kylee: Also my cousin.  Our hair used to be so alike that we could braid it together and no one could pick out whose piece belonged to who.  I think mine may be a little darker now, but we're still bonded by our redheadedness.  She is a wonderful Mommy and I wish I got to see her more often.

Nikki:  Poor Nikki was always mistaken as the cousin when Kylee and I were together because she doesn't look a thing like us.  In actuality, she is Kylee's sister who felt left out for not having red hair.  She is also a great Mommy and is always fun.  I love going to RSL games with her!

Rachel:  My other half since high school.  She is so intelligent and so hilarious and I love it!  We first bonded at girls camp at the age of 15 when a girl threw up on us in the night.

Tyler:  Well... he's in the picture too, isn't he?  He is my BFF and is already responding positively to this 30 day blog challenge (see Tyler's 3.25 post as evidence).

#2- The Meaning Behind Our Blog Name

*Grangeville*

I'm confused about whether our blog name is technically Grangeville or Tyler & Shaela.  Since the latter is pretty self explanatory, I'll stick with Grangeville, but even that's not a super, wonderful story.

The explanation behind Grangeville is simple.  Tyler served in an area on his mission called Grangeville.  I've thought this was pretty cool ever since he showed it to me because I've always liked to refer to my experiences as Shaelaville or ___ (insert name) ville.  For example, I used to ask, "how are things in Tylerville", etc...  So when I learned that there was actually a real place on the United States map called Grangeville, I started using the term regularly.

Additionally, I believe I have our username set as Home on the Grange.  This explanation is pretty simple as well:  I'm a nerd.  I sing, "Home, home on the Grange", with variations of Tyler and Shaela rhymes following as lyrics fairly often around our home.  I've always planned on making decor of some sort to hang in my kitchen that says Home on the Grange as well.  That hasn't happened yet, but mark my words, someday it will.

Tyler's 3.25 post

Well I decided that since I am part owner of this blog, I should take an opportunity to say what is going on in our life. I finally sold our Accord which I must admit I didn't ask enough for, that is depressing considering the fact that we went and bought Sha new makeup the same night and realized that we actually needed the extra cash that I let slip through my fingers. Thankfully I won't be doing that again for a long time. My desire to get my MBA is about at 8.5 but my desire to study for the entrance exam is about at 2 which leaves me in a sticky situation considering my five year plan is to be living in Ohio working at AF Headquarters.  Overall, I think girls waiting for missionaries is silly and shouldn't be done.  It does work out for a select few namely Luke and Andrea, Nick and Maria, Natalie and Terry and Elder Groberg as depicted in "The Other Side of Heaven" I can't think of anyone else right now. I love soccer. I will drop 99% of all things for a chance to go to a RSL game.  I am trying to talk Sha into flying to Manchester to watch Man U vs Chelsea and when there isn't a match on, doing other touristy things like shopping. Well that about sums up my random thoughts for this evening.

#1- A recent pic of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

Explanation #1- This picture was taken Friday October 10, just after purchasing a new backpack for Tyler.  I told him I could fit in it and he didn't believe me.  I sure showed him.

Explanation #2- I decided that I wanted to keep this post original.  Anyone who has read this blog already knows a lot of our quirks, so I tried to write only facts that have not previously been discussed.  It was much more thought provoking than I originally anticipated, but who doesn't love a good challenge?  Here's what I came up with:

1. We are of the opinion that girl pants are meant for girls. Period.
2. One of the times we feel closest to heaven in our home is when we’re cuddling.
3. People usually think we’re younger than we really are
4. We are huge fans of watching Office, Community, and Mentalist (I think I've already mentioned the Office on here before, but if I'm remembering right, the other two are new).
5. We are outrageously annoyed by sloppy dressers and have been tempted to offer makeovers to grungy teenagers on multiple occasions.
6. We get teased a lot because we almost never fight. Seriously. We are lucky enough to get along perfectly 99% of the time.  What people don’t know though, is that we are terrible at fighting. We’re both working on improving our communication with each other during heated situations. Our current attempt: monthly companionship inventory.
7. We both dream of owning a plantation/Victorian home in the future.
8. Our house is our baby. We constantly spend money on improving it. One day we’ll have a real baby and that practice will have to end.
9. Burping contests are a regular occurrence at our house.... I know, revolting, right?
10. One of our eternal disagreements = a board game.  I think Settlers of Catan (which I may or may not have spelled correctly) is one of the most boring games ever invented, but Tyler is crazy about it. 
11. We both played the clarinet as teenagers.
12. We are anti movie/dinner dates unless you're already married to the person.  Creative/cheap dates are always best, but definitely a must-have before marriage.
13. We both wanted to get married around the age of 25.  Instead, we met and opted for about 20.  Life rarely turns out the way you plan, but we wouldn't have it any other way.
14. We've spent 3 months sleeping on an air mattress.

15. The movie I am Legend scared the pants off us when we first watched it in our dark basement apartment.  Can you tell we're not huge horror flick fans?

Am I up to it?

My beautiful red-headed cousin Kylee has been doing this 30 day blog challenge and I can honestly say that I've enjoyed reading it!  I always love reading blogs (as most of you other bloggers know due to my frequent visits to your sites), but this one is particularly interesting.  I've known Kylee for, oh about 23 years or so  :) , and yet I've still learned things about her through reading her posts and I've loved it!  So... I decided that I want to try it. 

Here's the catch:  I've tried to make this our blog and not my blog.  This might be because the first blog I ever read was Taylor and Jodi's and they have one of the most interesting blogs I've ever read!  I always love to see what they're posting about and I think it's so fun that they both post regularly.

That being said, Tyler has made 2.25 posts (I'll give him .25 for posting a picture, writing a sentence, and then asking me to finish it),  so I oftentimes worry that it's too one-sided.  I don't blame him at all, since he does not like writing, but it is what it is.  As I'm answering these questions, I'm going to keep them as much "us" related and less "me" related as possible, in attempt to compensate.  Also, I can tell you right out the shoots that some of these posts worry me already.  Chances are that I'll end up amending some of them as time goes on, but I'll try to stick to the book as much as possible.  I'll start tomorrow.

Here is a list in case any of you want to give it a shot:

1. A recent pic of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself
2. The meaning behind your blog name
3. A picture of you and your friends
4. A habit you wish you didn't have
5. A pic of somewhere you have been
6. Favorite super hero and why
7. A picture of something/someone who has the biggest impact on you
8. Short term goals for this month and why
9. Something you are proud of in the last few days
10. Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
11. Another pic of you and your friends
12. How you found out about blogs and why you made one
13. A letter to someone who hurt you recently
14. A pic of you and your family
15. Put your ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play
16. Another pic of yourself
17. Someone you would want to switch lives with for 1 day and why
18. Plans/dreams/goals you have
19. Nicknames you have, why
20. Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
21. A pic of something that makes you happy
22. What make you different from everyone else
23. Something you crave
24. A letter to your parents
25. What I would find in your blog
26. What you think about your friends
27. Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
28. A pic of you last year and now, how have you changed
29. In the past month what have you learned
30. Who are you?

Homecoming Beauty and Ute Fans in the Making?

The past couple of weeks have been fabulous and this post proves that I'm finally getting better at taking pictures.  About time!  They were all taken on my phone, so sorry if they're a little funky.  Here is a little documentation to display what we've been up to:

1.  Homecoming- My adorable little sister let me do her hair for Homecoming this year and it was so much fun!  I was really nervous because hair was always such a huge deal to me back when I was in her shoes but I think it turned out alright, all things considered.  All of the Wall girls had so much fun talking and laughing and dolling her up together.  What a blast!  It was all I could do not to throw on a dress and join her.  Formal dances were always a fabulous time! I totally miss them.
Anyway, I feel so lucky to have been a part of this.  What a top notch young lady! It's hard to believe that the girl whose diaper I used to change on a daily basis has now outgrown me.  She is such a beautiful girl!

2. U of U Games -  Thanks to some good friends, we've been able to attend not one, but two football games at the U!  I've never been before, so it was super exciting!  I was so thankful to have a husband who could give me a quick Football 101 lesson so I could actually understand what was going on (I've never followed football before).  Once I understood the basics, the game became even more exciting. 



3.  FHE- We've been trying lately to host Family Home Evening more often and it has been a great experience.  Poor Tyler looked very suspicious when I dragged him to the couch last week and handed him a list of words for our FHE activity.  Once he warmed up to the idea of writing, it turned out to be a lot of fun!  Here are some of my favorite responses:

(By Tyler)

If Shaela were a shoe, she would be a stiletto - fashionable, sometimes practical

If Shaela were a season, she would be fall - cold and pretty

If Shaela were a cartoon character, she would be little mermaid - skimpy clothes and nice abs (LoL.  If only)

If Shaela were a car, she would be a mini cooper... not any mini cooper the one from Italian Job.  Little, but fast.

(By Shaela)

If Tyler were a cartoon character, he would be like Prince Eric - My perfect match! I know he'd kill a sea urchin for me.

If Tyler were a place, he would be a cruise - offering more than one destination because he is well rounded and offers the best of everything... a buffet of a man.

If Tyler were a food, he would be healthy cheesecake because I'm addicted to him, but he is also good for me (if only I could say the same for cheesecake).

...Okay, mine weren't nearly as funny as his, but I couldn't very well make this one-sided.

Until next time,