Dixie College

As the smell of erasures and fresh pencils fill the stores, I am reminded about one of my last "first" days of school. It's been 10 years now that I first came to St. George, met friends I still am close to today, and began my journey in the academic climate of Dixie College.
I moved into the Wedge Apts. with five other girls I'd never met. Jeana (Heber City), Brittney (Green River, Wyoming), Melanie (Bountiful), Andrea (Harrisville), and Kara (Ignacio, Colorado). Crazy...that's all I have to say about that. Later in the year, we all switched around and Brit and I lived with Necia (Provo) and Adrienne (Redlands, Calif.). The second year, Kara and I moved into Raintree with Lori (West Bountiful) and Judy (Tremonton).

There's way too many stories to tell, but here's some pics....

This big black guy on the football team (can't remember his name) always used to come over to our apartment, with Necia and Adrienne, and do his laundry. He left for a while, and we went through his laundry.
Kara, Necia, and Brit

Our spring break to Disneyland. Andrea, Chan, Kara, Brit, and Me.

Graduation. My good friends from GJ came to support me - Kristy, Ann, and Janae. Look at my little sis, Kassie. Was she ever that little??

My parents and Kassie.

One of our many trips to Vegas.

I think we found just about everything you can do there and not be 21.
Brit and Chan.
Notice the Backstreet Boys poster on the wall.
Necia and Adrienne.


At Venice Beach....scary, and I don't mean us.

"Breaking Dawn"

Sweet relief! I just finished "Breaking Dawn" tonight. It was just under two weeks ago that I started the first of the four books in the series, and now I'm done. And I'm not telling you that to make me sound like an impressive reader, I'm saying that because I've been a slave to these novels the past 12 days and now maybe my life can get back to normal! I should share pictures of my dirty house and children to prove it. But, it was wonderful reading and really being involved and passionate about something like these books. It's been eons since I've been addicted and it felt good (but it feels good to let go, too). The last series I really read was "Children of the Promise," and I guess I haven't allowed myself to become involved in books since then - sorry, I know I sound like a weirdo, but I did choose to get an English degree for some reason.

So, though I am no expert and don't pretend to be, I am a reader and will give you my critique of the books: (Hope no one takes offense, and if I was Stephenie Meyer, I wouldn't care what anyone said because she is probably loaded now).

Dislikes:

1. Hello, foreshadowing overload!

2. What the hell does "flitted" mean?

3. Bella needs a life - I wanted to push her off a cliff myself at the end of Book II. It also bothers me that this a book geared toward teens, and the heroine clearly has no goals, aspirations, or talents other than her man. What's this telling teen girls? Bella only truly appreciates herself once she's immortal, beautiful, and has supernatural powers.

4. Jacob and Renesmee....yie, yie, yie!

5. OK, I'll admit it - I was disappointed in the "sex" scenes.

Likes:

1. The romance between Edward and Bella - isn't that what we all kind of hope for?

2. The flirting between Edward and Bella in the first book is well written - you know how it is because we've all been there at the beginning of a relationship.

3. The backgrounds on the vampires was interesting, a different take on the usual Hollywood stories of vampires, although I'd like to have known more about Rosalie and Emmett.

4. Jacob - I really liked him in the beginning, not so much in the last book. But, his perspective is needed as he's kind of a voice for the reader's own thoughts.

5. Damn, Edward is hotty, hotty, hotty! He could bite me anytime.

So, now that I'm done, does anyone have a good book they'd recommend??

Old Student

Funny story: So, I went to the bank the other day and pulled up next to the window. The guy took my checks I was depositing, and while he was gone I told Sam that he had dated my roommate Jeana in college. So, he comes back when he's done, and sure enough his name was Jake. I told him he looked familiar and asked if he'd dated a Jeana from Heber City while at Dixie. What follows is the remainder of our conversation:

Jake: You mean Snow Canyon?
Me: No, Dixie. Dixie College, not Dixie High School.
Jake: I don't remember that.
Me: Yea, you dated her, you just don't remember.
Jake: Uh....
Me: Well, you look familiar anyway.
Jake: Well, I did have a teacher in high school named Mrs. Andrus. (he knew my name from looking at my deposit slip)
Me: (at this point it hits me) What's your last name?
Jake: Forbes
Me: OK.....yea, that was me. I was your teacher. Sorry, I just got you confused. Now I know why you look familiar.
Jake: Yea, we read "Jane Eyre," and I was really a punk back then.
Me: (thinking yea you were a punk, but saying) I guess we all go through those stages.
Jake: Yea, haha.
Me: Well, see ya around (as I drove off slumping in my seat).

So, I mistook one of my students for one of my peers. Am I getting old? I taught seniors when I was 23 and they were 17-18, so really I'm not that much older. But, I'm not opening my mouth again. Good thing I'm married. I wouldn't want to accidently hit on one of them. Can you imagine - "Ewwww...Ms. Andrus hit on you?" I'm letting it go at that.

King of Nigeria

Just a question: What do you think would happen if you actually wired money to the son of the disposed king of Nigeria? Seems that man is always in trouble...and I don't know how he got my email address....hmm.... And I wonder if he really would wire the $2 million into my account that he desperately needs to...

"Twilight"

I finished reading "Twilight" yesterday. Kristen, sister-in-law, loaned it to me two months ago and I just stuck it on my desk. There wasn't anything on TV on Sunday, so I broke it out...and that was the beginning of the end. I couldn't put it down! From 6-9 pm, I ignored my children while I read, then put them to bed, read again until 2 am, got up at 7 and read again for another two hours until I finished it. Very addicting.

Stephenie Meyer is no Jane Austen, and it was a bit goofy at times, but still very addicting. Must be the whole romance/danger/nerd girl meets hot guy type of thing. But, I was a little confused - so Edward only likes Belle because she smells good? Am I off-base here?? Damn, I want some of those pheremones! So then I got on Meyer's website and looked up the movie - Edward's looking pretty good, but I'm not totally sold on Belle. I did more research on the actress playing her (because surfing the Net is one activity I do while hiding from the children, and believe me, I've been hiding a lot lately) and I may not be able to get past the fact that she was the hippie child on the movie "Into the Wild." Remember her? She lived in the trailer village with her dad or someone. Anyway, I will definitely be camping out with the other crazies when the movie comes to town. And haha, I live where it's warm so I won't be camping in snow.

So, I have a blog now, I'm addicted to the "Twilight" series...so, now I just need to get the family stick figures to put on the back window of my mini-van and I really will have been baptized by fire into Utah hell. Oh well, I have lived here ten years now, so I guess it was bound to happen...highlights and a bob should have given me away years ago.

Sam

Summer 2008

Sam has been busy once again with work for the American Le Mans Series. This is the first year he's been with a new team - Drayson / Barwell out of England. They drive a Aston-Martin GT2 Vantage. It's green and its number is 007. So, for those who aren't car smart - an Aston-Martin is what James Bond drives. It's an English thing.

The team has struggled. Sam's used to taking first place as he did with Petersen/White Lightning. Petersen didn't race this year. But, the pay with this new team is a lot better - so win or lose, go Drayson!

Lord Paul Drayson is the owner. He actually resigned his post in England's House of Lords to pursue his dream of racing. I met him and his family when we delivered their motorhom to them at the Grand Canyon. The funniest thing was to hear their little girl come yelling, "Mummy, Mummy, Charles has a splinter!" This family was definitly out of their element RVing it around the West - they've got money to pay people to go to the bathroom for them, so, it was funny to hear about how they were unsure if the motorhome would fit in the Eisenhower Tunnel and then they took the long way around on top of Loveland Pass....scary! It was an adventure for them.

I wish I had a picture of Sam with the race car. He's got five races left this year, so hopefully I'll get one. He's the primary fueler when the car comes in for pit stops, and he drives the transporter (the rig that hauls the car and equipment...think Mack on the movie "Cars" and that's Sam!)

If you're ever interested, Sam's races can be seen either on ABC or the Speed Channel usually on Saturdays or Sundays under the name American Le Mans series.

Summer Fun

Summer 2008





This summer has been filled with swimming, water-sliding, water parks, popsicles, friends, cousins, and trying to keep cool. Actually summer in St. George hasn't been as hot as in years' past. It hasn't gotten anywhere near 116, the highest I've ever seen it. Global warming, anyone??





We've enjoyed time at the ranch (where my parents live) as the boys are pretty much free to roam, swimming at Grandma and Grandpa Andrus', riding the 4-wheeler, and swinging on their new swing set. I try to find things to keep them entertained and to keep me sane!

Cousins Kaylen, Connor, Savanna, Jemma, Milo, and Matt

Baby Coopie - ah, to just sit outside in a diaper...now we're talkin'!

These four trouble-makers on the right were all born within six months of the next one. So, Savanna is the oldest and is a year and half older than Kaylen.

This is pretty fun. One day when no is looking, I'm going down!

Milo's 2nd Birthday

July 2008

Milo turned two on July 6. He's such a good-natured little guy. He's really my only child who will cuddle and let me kiss his big fat cheeks.

Milo doesn't like fire - it scares him.

That's why he's crying and his Dad had to help him blow the candles out.

Milo has plenty of cousins to help him open and play with toys! Tiesha was in town, so all the cousins were together. I wished Tiesha would move next door!

Grandpa Andrus complained about overpackaging toys. I'd have to agree with him on that one.

Colorado Fishin'

July 2008

We went fishing on the Grand Mesa. We took the old windy road up Land's End and my dad thought he was pretty funny driving crazy. Had any one of us drove like he did, we would have gotten a lecture! I hadn't been in the cool mountain air like that for years...that's the way summer should be - around 70 degrees - and not hotter than hell like it is in St. George. But, then again, I wouldn't spend a winter on the Mesa.

Grandma Fuller is busy all the time. I don't think she can sit still.

She wrote me a nice card and said she had a nice time up on the mountain.

Mom? Dad? hmmm...

Does this mean he's a tree hugger?

Allison and baby Janna - isn't she cute? Too bad she resembles Jason, though.

Milo loves chocolate (like his Mom) and to "Cheese!" for the camera.

Kassie always gets the best perches...she was front and center waiting for a bite, and she got one. Matt was pretty excited to reel it in each time and see that he'd caught another worm.

Dad did a good job cooking the foil dinners.

This was the boys' first experience fishing on the Grand Mesa.

Jason, Uncle Randy, and Mary. Jason is the resident fisherman - he gets everything ready to go and occasionally gets to cast a line in himself.

Class Reunion

July 2008
Class Reunion

Well, it was finally that time - time to get the ol' girdle out and suck it in like I hadn't had three babies in three-and-a-half years, and then get prepared to see those who were my buddies and those who were not so much my buddies from the Grand Junction High School class of 1998. Yep, it's been 10 years for me now. High school really does seem like another lifetime. I was a little nervous about going at first, but I'm glad I went. I saw my old friends - Angie, Kari, Noelle, Wendy, Emily, and Robin. But, unfortunately, there were too many who weren't there. I graduated with a class of 306, and maybe 30 came. Still, it was fun to see who had changed the least and who had changed the most - hello! can anyone say beer guts and bald heads! I loved it!! I don't know if I'll make the 20-year, but it's nice to see and remember people who knew you from way-back-then.

The Mesa View Crew - Bradin, Erica, Wendy, me, and Angie. Everyone (except Angie, although she used to live by us), grew up riding the Whitewater bus together. Talk about getting an education - that bus ride was 1 1/2 hours one way!! Except for Angie and I, we all kind of went our separate ways during high school, but still remained friends.

Robin and I were in many seminary classes together. The girls in class were always good, but I don't know how Bro. Haddock handled those obnoxious boys who thought they were God's gift to us! She has a cute baby boy and lives near Provo now with her husband.

And speaking of seminary - did you know that for about two months during my Dixie College days I had about a half dozen different people actually approach me and ask if I was the girl from the seminary videos?? How weird is that?! I know who they're talking about and that girl has got to be about at least 10 years older than me. Never had anyone before ask me that and never had anyone since....I must have been going through a phase there for a while where I looked like "Smiley," as my brother called her.

Me, Kari (who lives in Denver), Emily (who lives in NYC), Angie (who lives in Denver), and Noelle (who lives in GJ). It was so fun to see my old friends! For Kari, Angie, and I it felt like we just picked up right where we left off. Angie is one of my oldest friends - we were enemies in 4th grade and became good friends in 5th.

Lake Powell

August 2008
Lake Powell

We took our annual Fuller Family Reunion to our favorite vacationing spot - Lake Powell. We camped at Lone Rock on our own private piece of lake front property. OK, so it was ours since I make my family get there before us and stake out a good piece of land.

Camping on the beach was a little different this year. The water level is as high as I've seen it in six years, so that pushed us up further on the sand where weeds had been growing for years. So, no one (except for the boys who have feet made of hard leather) went barefoot.

It was also the most people I've ever seen tenting it. I think high gas prices and more locals choosing to spend their vacation closer to home was the reason why. The was the first year we didn't have a trailer to camp in. Which was OK at the lake for me since they don't let you run your generator past 10 pm and there is absolutely no breeze inside a trailer.

Matt and Milo were right there whenever they heard a 4-wheeler being started up. Sam actually let Matt drive (steer and control the throttle).

Sam's a lot better than I am about letting Matt do things independently.

Glen Canyon Dam is in the background. The depth finder on Dr. Jeff's

(my sister-in-law, Allison's, dad) read that it was 400-something feet deep right there.

Mom (on the left) and Aunt Laura (on the right).

Matt loves the water as long as he can touch the bottom. Milo wouldn't get near it. Cooper just tried to survive crawling in the stickers.

Milo didn't go around finishing everyone's drinks this year, unlike last year.

Milo watching for downed skiiers.

We found this archipelego (wahoo! who ever uses that word??) of partially submerged rocks in a cove. It was fun to walk on water and swim from rock to rock in the middle of the lake.