The Matistappens

Mt. Olympus

2009-06-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

Matich, myself, and Laurel decided to hike Mt.Olympus a couple weeks ago...it was incredible. I willingly admit at the base I was convinced the hike wasnt as bad as I had heard. 5 hrs and 6.4 miles later, I stood corrected. The hike gets pretty intense, but makes for a great workout and spectacular views.

The mailbox at the top of Mt.Olympus.

and the after.....

2009-06-05T08:59:00.001-07:00

refresher of the yard before.....

yard after.

Been so lovely to have a nice spot to sit back and enjoy the cool spring nights, and even more exciting to watch the progress of all the bloody seed I planted in the flower beds, total attempt at a green thumb. Could not help but purchase some adorable fabric to make accent pillows, a.k.a.
attempts of trying to be domestic at its finest.

hope it was a great one.

2009-05-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

we love you all.

good times.

2009-05-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

Been out of the blogging scene a bit, but trying my best to get back on track. It has been a CrAzY month.....filled with all sorts of new adventures. Matich has officially completed one year of his MSAT (one more year to go) and is back to full time work for the summer. I finished my MSW graduate school studies and officially walked last Thurs.....very very exciting! So between job hunting and licensure exam preparation, I have been able to tackle the yard full force and enjoy a little leisure time with the monkeys.

cheers. (bitter sweet...leaving such good friends and taking a stab at being a grown-up, but also so exciting to get out there and do what I love...the hard work has finally paid off.)

quite the handsome bunch (Matich was sleepy).

Thank you all so much, love you.

adventures at the Dinosaur Museum....Unci Matti was presenting T-Rex with a squeeky sacrifice (no worries she is a tough chick. she loved it).

the yard before.........

this girl...

2009-04-10T01:30:00.000-07:00

Happy 29!

(i tried to put my picture next to her wedding picture and that knuckle head kept popping up)

Love you Darling!

33 more days and counting.

2009-04-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

change of heart.

2009-04-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

So I managed to keep myself plenty busy over springbreak.

We have A LOT of much needed yard work to get done and the warm weather a few weeks ago gave me complete spring fever (strange coming from a "winter lover"). It may not look like much, but looks can be deceiving. After removing over 1000 bricks (thanks Matich and Nicki) and digging to eternity, I continued to push on with excitement, really. And then.........
........bloody snow.

Really, seriously not okay.
So I had no choice but to move indoors. Love being married to a once "paint professional".

cheers.

2009-03-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

♥

2009-02-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

love every bit of you.

happy valentines day.

heaven

2009-02-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

So about a month ago my girlfriend Nikki and I were driving to Gateway and we stumbled upon a local business. Lovely and quite sinful. It without question has some of the BEST cookies I have ever tasted. Big fan. Damn it.

But great valentine treat.

"My dough girl" www.doughgirl.com

winter break, etc.

2009-01-24T08:10:00.000-08:00

Back to the books we go.

Almost one year down for Matich's MSAT studies and MSW graduation here I come.

(Matich and Lar at the top)

We have gone up the canyon a couple times so far this year for some night snowshoeing. The scenery is amazing. Please bless we get more snow!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Super Noah!

Good times at Boondocks for Noah's 4th birthday bash. Although he was a tad on the grumpy side, his bff/lady friend Olivia was sure a treat. She and Noah hung out with Unci Matti for most of the celebration. At one point cute Olivia looked at Matich and asked, "hey where are your kids?". Matich responded, "I dont have any kids". Right after Matich responded I walked over to join in and Olivia looked back at Matich and said, "Is she your kid?"...."Who?" says Matich......"that girl" says Olivia..... Matich laughs and says "no, thats my wife!".

Oh how I love Olivia. Granted she is only 4 years old, but it was very exciting to appear so youthful....not so sure my "dad" felt so great. love you babe.

Little squeek. love her.

More very "HAPPY (early January) BIRTHDAY" wishes go out to Mo and Moose. I havent been taking my camera with lately.....and after my attempt of wine cake making for Moose,

I am certainly okay with it.

CONGRATS JonJon and Maria on the engagement!

We had a great few weeks of holiday fun with both family and friends. We are so grateful and fortunate to be surrounded by such amazing people. Our niece-pup, Oakley Matich, depicts so well how we felt post holiday fun...knackered.

happy holidays

2008-12-24T13:46:00.002-08:00

So Matich and I have been a little on the slacker side this year and did not send out cards, next year for sure. We were so excited and happy to receive so many greetings from family and friends! We wish you all a very safe and happy holiday!

cheers

2008-12-24T13:46:00.001-08:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

2008-12-24T09:55:00.001-08:00

Noah had his preschool christmas program this week and we were very lucky to have attended. He was so cute and funny, sitting right next to his girlfriend Olivia. A group of 4 year olds singing jingle bells and rudolph, priceless! love him a whole lot.

bah.

2008-12-08T22:38:00.001-08:00

finals are for the birds.

a very happy 30th.

2008-12-03T22:30:00.000-08:00

It was a weekend full of fun surprises, family, and friends.

Your the most handsome thirty year old I have ever seen.

love you babe.

a bit of m.i.a.

2008-11-18T22:22:00.001-08:00

We spent the day at the Matich's for great food and loads of fun. Thanks for working so hard Tor, it was extra extra yum. We are also so excited to have the Wilkers and Lil'Vanderstappens back in town, we hope you guys had a nice little getaway.

And of course we hit the stores at the crack of dawn this morning, I cant help it...I love it. Matich is such a good sport. My brother had a solid spot in line this morning, allowing us slackers to sleep in a little. Thanks for sticking it out in the rain and lots more rain bro!
Just wanted to give a huge congrats to the Park City Highschool Football Team. It was an amazing season. The hard work and dedication of the players and coaches is incredible. We always look forward to Friday nights during football season and look forward to many more.
Go Miners!

hApPy BiRtHdAy Grandma! Although long overdue, we hope it was a great day!

Also a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my brother Chris. It is without question impossible to get his picture, so I feel he is best represented by his true love, the Boston Redsocks. My hell your old.

And the award for best mummy costume.

costume chaos.

2008-10-27T16:22:00.001-07:00

gotta see it. this is the ultimate must for any halloween season. it is without question a classic. also served well for some costume ideas. matich is leaning toward beetlejuice, suppose we will see.

this is what i think matich should be.

october.

2008-10-27T15:10:00.001-07:00

What an exciting and busy weekend. Birthday celebrations and halloween fun. We celebrated Brandons birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!) with a Matich family dinner, quite the gathering. We were all so excited to see Laurie and Terick's new adorable, smell goody and scrumptious twins. love them.

Also found a little time to invite Noah and Squeeks over to Oma's house for a little hallow's eve fun and decor....Matich wins for most creative cupcake (as shown below). I have discovered two things thus far in the halloween festivities; 1) buying all needed crafts, candy, costumes, and tools does not come cheap

2) what ever happened to good old triangles for a pumpkins eyes, nose, and mouth? Glorified stencil cutouts are overrated and yet unavoidable. bah.

fall happenings.

2008-10-15T12:32:00.000-07:00

I registered. Sounds terrible and even worse to admit, but I have never voted.

Nevermore I say.

A little snip of our friday night fun. Be it the mountain tops or the west, its always a good time supporting the teams. Brandon and Jon are amazing coaches and we wish them the best this 2008 football season!

and many more....

2008-10-06T15:36:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it has already been a year. This time last year was such an exciting time, blizzard and all. It could not have been more perfect, what I like to call a beautiful disaster. Lets be honest, renting a tent and setting it up the night before the wedding was not exactly what I had planned (thanks wilker, mike, & poppy), nor the 4 inches of snow that day. But there is something to be said about the spontaneity and excitment of "winging it" and the irreplaceable, devastatingly handsome grand prize waiting for me at the end. This has been such an amazing year and for the lack of better words, trying my best to not sound cliche, I have found the most amazing partner anyone could hope to find. Matich is the most patient, sweet, loving, and caring person I have ever met. He gives me balance and confidence in everything I do. Behind him stands the most amazing family that I am now lucky to call mine. I have not only gained a Moose and a TorTor, but best friends. It is the package deal.

I remember years back when Kam or Laurel, or one of my many shopping buddies, and I would hit up the mall and without fail I was certain to spot this handsome redhead in Banana Republic. He wasnt real. I truly could not believe it possible for someone to sweep me off my feet with just a glance. I am undoubtedly amazed everyday with what an amazing and remarkable person I get to spend my life with. Matich you are the smartest person I know and I am so proud to call you mine. I am and will always be yours for the taking. You are my movie star.

Happy Anniversary.

Love you everyday.

Drivers BEWARE!!

2008-10-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

So this past Saturday was very much an adventure to say the least. My little brother Travis turned 16 on the 24th (I am continually shocked by how fast time goes by) and my mom was eager to celebrate with a "sweet 16" birthday bash. I volunteered my house for the party. Minus the grass catching on fire and the remains of candy, soda, and pizza crust all over the backyard, it really ended up being a great time. Chris and Cara managed to keep him distracted while the rest of us prepared for the festivities, Trav did his best to act surprised. The turnout was great and us "old folks" even found ways to keep ourselves entertained!

Happy Birthday Trav.

love your bum.

Man am I lucky!

2008-09-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

Babysitting the monkeys = lots of pics and fun with photoshop!

my HERO!

2008-09-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

So after my internship today Wade very graciously said he would pick me up and give me a ride home. As I approached the car I noticed a nice little surprise sitting (better yet sound asleep)in the back seat, my monkey Noah. While being transported to my house I suddenly realize that I neglected to put the house keys in my backback.....seriously....I thought I was done with this curse! So once again I have locked myself out of something. Wade and I decided to head to the house anyway to see if we could find another way in. I will admit I am usually on Matich for forgetting to turn off the light, or close the window, etc. So with my luck....today he remembered to do ALL of the above, everything closed and accounted for! Inspector Wade decided to take a look around the house and check for an entrance one more time. He was MIA for a few minutes so Noah and I decided to go have a look. To our surprise, Wade had managed to make a small opening only big enough for our favorite little guy Noah. I turned to Noah and asked, "Hey Monkey can Opa lift you up through the hole so you can unlock the door for Aunt Arn?" His reply, "Ya, I do it!". So I lifted him to Opa Wade, who slowly helped to get him in. Wade and I held back the laughs as we heard "Im in, I did it!". That little man climbed off the counter, through the house, straight to the front door. In like flin I like to say! Noah saved the day! It was very obvious he was very proud of himself and he should have! There were high-fives all around and a "skittle" of rewards. We were all so excited and I was SO PROUD of him that we decided to re-enact the event!

LOVE YOUR GUTS NOAH!

Summer of Fun

2008-09-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would post some random pics of our summer adventures. I have truly neglected to post some really good times we have had these last few months. Amongst gearing up for a new school year and house chores we managed to fit in a little fun! My sweet husband bought me tickets to (in his opinion) the dreaded James Taylor....I cant help it, I am a sucker for that fellow! We spent lots of time at the pool with the best monkeys in the land...Nomah and Squeeker, and I even took a few trips up to Layton to hang out with Nomahs best bud and our cousin Connor. It was a great summer and I will admit the warmth was pleasant, but bring on the snow! Its true, it cannot be denied, I am very ready for the joys of Fall and the chills of snow. love it.

At long last...home sweet home!

2008-09-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

So here are just a few pictures of the house and our remodel adventures. We still have some decor to finish up, so more pictures to follow! It is amazing to me how much stuff you feel like you have and then its placed somewhere new (and not to mention twice the size) and it feels so empty...all in due time...patience young grasshopper!

SLACKERVILLE....

2008-08-10T09:00:00.001-07:00

So I have been REALLY awful at posting the last few weeks and I mostly hate to post without pics, but I am a little short on time! I promise great photos by mid-week, but updates will have to do for now. Matich and I have had some big events take place the last few weeks. We finally found a house.....ITS OURS! We are very excited and at the same time had no idea how much work we were getting ourselves into. We have been remodeling for the past 2 weeks...and only have one weekend left to finish it all up before school starts! It has been great staying at my in-laws, or as I like to call it "Hotel Matich". We work long days at our jobs, hit the floor sanding, then head over to slumber at the Matich's just after some tasty home cooked meals from TorTor (little worried Matich might get used to the whole "home cooked meal" thing, lets be honest not my thing!).
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY to Wilker (August 1st was the day he was born!) and a congrats on your published piece in the SL Trib. Also a very HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my Margie and Wade, as well as the Moose and TorTor! Most especially Matich and I would like to thank the four of you and all the fam for the HUGE help with getting the house fixed up and ready! Wade and my brother Chris built one hell of a gate. THANKS EVERYONE for the labor, company, and grub!

happenings the last 3 weeks!

2008-07-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

What a great few weeks I tell you what! Matich and I had a blast over the fourth of July weekend. We hit the Matich family traditional "Nagahi" party, then headed to the Wilkers for July 5th fireworks! Not much is new....except for the fact that we may have finally landed ourselves a bloody house. We could not be more excited or more nervous. Don't want to discuss it too much just in case.....but did I mention BLOODY HELL its sooooo cute.......more details to follow later (on the DL for now). Cara celebrated her birthday since we last blogged so a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY wish to her!

Long Time-O......No Blog-O

2008-06-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

So it has been a couple weeks since our last blog, things have been crazy....due in part to our attempts in finding a house. House hunting is for the birds and is by far more stressful than we expected! When we are not on the hunt we head over to Grandma and Poppy's for a swim. Last weekend we decided to take Noah and Bostyn to the pool, little did I know how clever and observant our little monkey had become. Noah was floating around in his float-tube and Bostyn was splashing away with Uncle Matti. I was attempting to join them. As I was preparing to dive in (removing my tank and shorts), among a packed pool of people, I heard this voice yell from the shallow end, "Aunt Arn your naked!" I froze. All eyes were one me. I couldnt believe Noah even knew such a word. Needless to say he is at the hillarious age of honesty, holding nothing back. So straight to the water I went, and NO I was not naked, but I apparently need a new suit with a little more coverage. Love that little shit!

Happy Belated Birthday Oma! So my amazing Oma celebrated her day June 25th and we hope it was a great one. There is nothing better than a trip to Oma and Opa's for a visit and the endless supply of goodies! No really...ENDLESS! My Oma is one of the classiest and most beautiful ladies I know. I am lucky to have her. Love you and Happy day!

Another very belated wish to all of the many wonderful and fantastic fathers. Holiday weekends are always a treat, it is non-stop action at its finest. We hope it was a great day for everyone. Matich and I started the day off with Wilker for breakfast and trivia questions, then headed to Ogden for a fun filled afternoon. We were lucky to dip a bit in my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Bob's amazing new pool and enjoyed the summer sun! The day completed with a Matich Family BBQ and a hillarious couple rounds of "Matich Cherades!" Happy Fathers Day to all our amazing dads!

Our Very Own Nancy Sinatra!

2008-06-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

This is a very HAPPY HAPPY belated birthday wish for one heck of a gal, our families own Nancy Sinatra (aka TorTor, Mom, Torri). We had a great family bbq to celebrate the happy day on Saturday and to top it off we all participated in a little American Idol lip sync.
She is an amazing mom, wife, daughter, mother-in-law, and friend. She has raised three sweet and loving boys....I mean four, but one (RZA) is not so sweet..... with ease, patience, and unconditional love. We hope you had a fantastic day with many many more. Thanks for all you do. Love ya like butta!

GOING....GOING....GONE

2008-06-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

So lets be honest, these past 2 weeks have been hell. Matich and I spent last Sunday in the ER due to the serious infection taking over my face. I was told last Thursday that my tooth was infected and the muscle around it was a little irritated, OH NO my friend, not the muscle. I woke up Sunday morn with my left eye swollen shut, a sagging cheek, and a softball growth on the side of my face (way to humiliated to post the pic). Really I could not believe how the infection took over. I had been on the strongest antibiotic there is and still no relief. On Sunday, after 3 confirmations, I was told to go to the ER. After the lovely co-pay and 4 hours of waiting they sent me home with nada. However, come Monday things were looking better. The infection began to decrease and I was set to visit the endodontist for my 3 third root canal on the bloody cuspid and an apico. Ten minutes into the procedure, the Endodontist let me know that he could not save the tooth......poor guy had to deal with floods of tears. I was then referred to a Periodontist, or as I like to call him the tooth god! He felt that pulling the bugger and placing an implant right away was the best bet, not too mention our insurance would also take care of a portion of the procedure. So there it ends....I am officially the proud owner of an implant. That cuspid has caused me nothing but bitterness and .24 cents left to our name (okay, so the money part is a little exaggerated, but seriously those things are not cheap!). I will say the Endodontist was amazing, this was the first day in 2 weeks I did not shed one tear. I didnt feel a thing and it looks fantastic! Matich...your wife is officially back...and p.s. hope the tooth fairy still remembers 28 year olds!

....hello summer......!

2008-06-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

So long Cancer Wellness House! So, after 9 months of an internship it was time to say farewell to the CWH. I cannot believe what an amazing experience it has been to work with the members and staff of the Cancer Wellness House. It is not so much the house itself, but the amazing people I have met that make it difficult to leave. I am so lucky to have worked with such inspiring individuals who truly have a passion for the important things in life. Thanks for the good times and I look forward to my Friday volunteer days!
Now it is time again to say hello to good ole' faithful....Dana Orthodontics. I have been really lucky to take on a couple days a week filling in for fellow peers at Dana Ortho. Its great to make a little money over the summer and take a small break from the therapy scene, its a nice change of pace. Good times this summer, now lets just hope we are able to find the perfect house to purchase before Matich and I start the new school year...we will keep our fingers crossed! cheers to all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPPY!

2008-05-29T13:38:00.000-07:00

AH what a great day and a happy one for Poppy (Matich's Grandpa)!

Truly there is no one more entertaining and comical then Poppy. He ALWAYS has the best jokes and wise words. We love hanging out with the fam, its always good times. Those Matich boys are one handsome bunch if I do say so myself. Poppy you are the best. We love ya!

...oh the adventurous holiday weekend!

2008-05-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

Quite the adventure this holiday weekend! So, Matich and I watched out niece Bostyn this weekend for my bro and sister-in-law while they were off watching the Boston Red Socks play in Seattle.......can I just say oh my LANDS! What an exciting and very overwhelming time. I cannot believe the intensity of the role. Please DO NOT get me wrong. I adore my little Dink and Squeeker...... and will still, and always, scoop them up anytime, but I truly believe you best be prepared. Matich and I had dinner with our good friends the Blacks and Wolfgramms (which is always a good time) on Saturday eve and we talked a bit about the importance and maintenance of having children (can I just say our ever indebted respect goes out to all mothers). I cannot believe what an overwhelming and remarkeable job it is.....the diapers, the feeding, the restless nights, the crying, the laughing, the stress, the happiness, the worries......the list goes on..and on....and on ...and on. Not being a mom myslef, I cannot even begin to imagine the feelings. However, I have come to appreciate its importance. I commend my mom and her responsibilities for not only keeping up with her three kids, two in-laws, two grandkids......did I mention her teenage son......., ill mom, and house full of wild crazy farm animals, but all of my friends and family who have, and are, in the mitts of motherhood. What a commendable role and privelge you all have. I cannot even begin to imagine the responsibility. There is, without a doubt, something to be said about all those who take the leap into motherhood, what an important role. It is a 24 hour never ending job. I will tell you all now.........I AM IN AAAWWWHHH....... of how you work your many motherhood wonders. I cannot tell you how many times Matich and I heard the words, "Wait until you have your own, there is nothing like it," throughout this weekend excursion and how many times we said there is NO WAY........BUT, we will both admit there is something to be said about the sweet and ever so scrumpscious chubbiness of a tender, sweet smiling face throughout the day (lets be honest, our neice is a cutie!). Our hats are officially off, and although it is long past mothers day, it is importnat to remeber the ENORMOUS role and responsibiliy it means to be a mom.

With my mom, Wade, and No-Mah in St. George, it was up to Matich and I to keep all calm on the home front (I OFFICIAlLLY RETIRE OF THE FARM DUTY!!!). Between feeding the bloody goats, chickens, bunny, dogs, ducks, cat, and running after my 15yr old bro......we give! We could hardly organize our thoughts. So lets be honest, is there truly a difference between the appearance of hay and straw? Call me a city girl if you will, but how in the sam was I supposed to know that I had been trying to feed the goats straw instead of hay for the past three days. The farm life IS NOT the life for me!

And last, but not least, my bloody tooth drama. So there it was a lovely Sunday morning at one of our usually breakfast spots and I could not help but notice a "crunch" in my mouth as I continued to eat my bagel.....the crunch just didnt seem right. As I looked at Matich, with a bit of a peculiar and puzzled glance, I could not help but notice his reaction. I had opened my mouth and out came not only my crown, but my tooth as well. Yes it is true...the whole shabang. Not to mention it was my cuspid! It took everything in me to not start sobbing. I dashed to the restroom, gave a good rinse, and stuck that puppy right back in the socket. Again, I GIVE. You cannot be serious right now...really....the whole tooth....just gone....say it isnt so! Needless to say, the dentist and I have started to become quite close this week.

on your mark...get set....

2008-05-17T16:03:00.000-07:00

So today Matich and I hit the state track competition in Provo, dare I say BYU. Matich had a few athletes participating and wanted to watch their combined hard work pay off. Okay lets be honest I am not the biggest fan of BYU, I have to stay true to my peeps, but I must say the campus is beautiful. The view from the track field (located just south of the stadium) is amazing! Each of the athletes did a fantstaic job. We had a first, second, and third in state placement. They were all very impressive. It was a really good time...sunburns and all!

Oh the memories...

2008-05-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

So when Matich and I stepped outside to seek relief from the sweat and heat permeating in the gym I was reminded of the coming summer months. The times when there is no relief. You sweat like crazy and expect to cool off and to no avail....its a no go. It is so hot everywhere, mostly because we dont have central air! But, I will admit for the first time I am actually excited for the summer sun. It reminds me of lazy days by the pool and hot late night runs. Summer time also reminds me of fun vacations and how badly I would love to take one. I cannot believe Matich and I went to Mexico almost two years ago. You wanna talk about sweat...we went during the rainy season. I am not so sure I would call it the "rainy" season, but more the "sauna" season. It was by far the most hot and HUMID place I have ever been. Oh the fun times in the sun, nowadays those fun times are done with sun screen. Yes, its true...I never thought I would say the words, but......I love sunscreen. It is funny how that bloody stuff takes on a whole new meaning when you start to get older.

Hope a happy and healthy summer finds you all well.