I just get so excited!

Tonight class was cancelled, last night we had a midterm so it only lasted about 30 minutes -- this week feels like a mental pedicure AND manicure!

So now I can do IMPORTANT things like...like...PICK A NEW TEMPLATE FOR MY BLOG! I'm almost giddy over this extra time.

And say one more thing: if it were "socially acceptable" to "wear" the "same striped t-shirt" on a "daily basis" i so totally and completely "would". Stripes have never not been great.

Things to Blog:

1. Exciting: We are in escrow (or es-ca-row to Gilmore Girls watchers)! We bought a house in Ladera Ranch and closing ceremonies are currently set to take place May 21. It doesn't feel quite real, but we are stoked over the concept and keep telling ourselves that we actually did pull the trigger! We lookedandlookedandlookedandlookedandlookedandlookedandlooked so it's also strange that we won't have to spend any more saturdays or frantically rushed lunch breaks looking at properties. Pictures forthcoming.

2. Last Saturday we went to Lake Elsinore with some friends and straight from there to a clerkship reunion for Jeffie in Pasadena so those whole things I was thinking about buying edible things with which to replenish our cupboards sort of escaped my mind along with my free time. So we ate Ebelskivers because I had a bought a mix for Easter but never made them due to the overwhelming volume of candies and sweeties floating around that day. They were pretty fantastic. Since I'm my mother's daughter, I sink into a deep well of self-loathing and anxiety if I don't eat and feed green vegetables every day of the calendar year, but Sunday, we lived dangerously.

3. Sunday night we also watched a movie. 12 Angry Men. This was a movie Jeff had picked. Often Jeff picks French films. I have a funky relationship with French films. And by funky I mean not great. I've actually seen quite a few foreign films in my day and they're all you know, different, but French films are just...more different. And then within their little pool they're almost all the same. It's like they get the same actors and they put together 2 hours of footage of "Here are some people and some things happen to them and they're mostly emotionally destructive things and very awkward things and then Le Fin!" The only French movie that made me cry tears of joy (that I can remember right this minute) is Le Chorist. Ah, Pepino! Back on point: sometimes Jeff's movie choices are not my favorites, but I watch them with him because I'm always hoping I will love them, plus is marriage not a give and take?

I loved 12 Angry Men. I loved it. I have been thinking about it so much I have a hankering to watch it again. If you have not seen it (I hear there's another version? We watched the original with Henry Fonda), do not delay. Watch it, and watch it good.

4. I'm grateful. Life is good.

Episode

All Thursday I had a funny feeling. Then Elizabeth called and said my dad was in the hospital. Long story short he was exhibiting symptoms of a stroke, which is what took my paternal grandfather at 62. A day and a half later it was resolved, no stroke, it was a bad, bad reaction to a new cholesterol mediation that my dad had been leery of taking in the first place. He is largely back to his old dad self. The good thing that we take with us from this whole ambulance episode is the touching overload of support and love that was shown to our family, most especially my parents. John Evans and Scott Muir dropped everything and zipped down to the hospital to give a priesthood blessing which gave comfort and peace. Later Doug Orme came to visit. My dad doesn't remember any of this but is extremely touched at how selflessly they came to offer their sincere services. And it flowed on from there. If any of these people for one minute question the value of their efforts, let me just squash that right now and say IT MEANS THE WORLD TO US EATONS AND WE LOVE YOU!

We are so grateful we still have Dad safe and sound. Life is precious.


-- Post From My iPhone

Location:Clay Ave,Huntington Beach,United States

Big news. BIG news.

After 7 years of a side part or bangs,

I AM BACK TO A MIDDLE PART!

Methinks it makes me look just like my mother in her hippie days. Dig.

Now are all your brains just exhausted after a disclosure of such magnitude? Sleep tight!

Thumbs up and a HIGH FIVE!

These are things in which I completely believe:

1. McDonalds Fruit & Walnut Salads.

2. Netflix. After blockbuster said, "Hey, we've got a great idea. We're going to charge you MORE money, and you don't get to keep the movie as long, and the late fees are back with vengeance! Cool!" we said, "See you never!" We get 2 at a time, usually 1 that I've chosen and 1 that Jeff's chosen (except I looked on our queue today and woops! I "forgot" to switch some things around and they're sending Felicity Season 1 Disc 3 and Did You Hear About the Morgans, which would both fall under MERZY's picks. No I really did forget though. Sorry, honey!). Netflix = low maintenance = Happy Hayesies

3. Fresh, Inc. chapstick in Sugar Rose. It's smears with its sunscreen and moisturizers just a HINT of color, which is all I've ever wanted and more from a chapstick.4. The song Hands of Time by Ron Sexsmith. I'm putting a youtube of it here because I think you might like it too. I can listen to it on repeat for hours. I don't know if I could ever have a favorite song, but on my LIST of truly beloved songs, this most certainly has a place.

5. Jeff Hayes. I know I'm a newlywed and so some of you might think, "Well duh! Of course there's gushing!" Maybe that's true, but he is one to gush about for the next millions of years. Jeff Hayes constantly finds new ways to pleasantly surprise and charm me, and keep me on my toes. Every day at work I think, "Only _ more hours until I get to go home and hang out with Jeff!" He is so good, and so good for and to me. I feel so lucky to be with someone I admire and whose company I enjoy so much. Whatever happens in life, or whatever I'm doing, as long as he's there to do and happen with me, that's what home and a happy place mean to me. I'm so grateful I married him here, because anything of a temporary link to him would not be good enough.

6. And that above there is another thing I completely believe in.

Heaven or Hana? You decide.

Most days I wish I were just back in Maui.

I didn't think I'd do a honeymoon post, because who wants a honeymoon post? But after developing the pictures (almost 3 months later!) I thought I'd share.

We had 7 days on the Hana Estate, which is infinitely better photographed here, and is infinitely more amazing than that in 3-D. We felt like The King and Queen of Sheba at Robert and Erica's Hawaii Home. Especially since I had a jacuzi on a balcony with a view for all that time, no other will ever suffice. I am hot tub ruined. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

We spent 3 days in Wailea, on the other side o' the island, which was busier and bustlier, but also something I could never argue with.

As I look back at these pictures I ask myself, "Did that really happen? Did we really go on a trip so perfect?"

Here are the visuals.

Venus Pools. Turquoise water.

At the Red Sand Beach -- be careful, there are nudies there, 3 of them like neked Santa Claus men who thought they were David Hasselhoff.

We hiked to the Red Sand beach, and on the way, we met a little seal on the shore who didn't like us very much. He'd bark and growl at me the closer I got, but I knew I was a lot faster on land than he, (she?) so I didn't worry about getting a LITTLE closer for a photo.

There was a day too rainy to do too much outside, so we drove the Hana Highway with all the notable stops. The uninterrupted journey will take about an hour, but we took the whole day to cruise it, stopping for all the delights. The delights were spontaneous bits of nature, like:

Tadaaaaaa!

At the Haleakala Crater, we saw our wedding sister friends! They were wearing t-shirts that said they got married the same day we did. Lovely. Now whenever we clink crystal glasses of Martinellis on future January 23s, we can assume (hope?) that 2 more people somewhere in China are also celebrating.

v

This image reminded me of "THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY!!!"

Sorry you read this post now? Or were you already remorseful?

Too bad the fellow hiker who took this picture had jiggly hands -- that was the coolest tree I've ever seen!

SNORKEL! We loooooved this. I felt like I was watching Finding Nemo up close and personal except we weren't breaking up any happy fishy homes.

And this is what I'd look like if I went the way of Anne Boleyn.

And this is what I'd look like if I ate 5,000 cadbury eggs over a 3 week period. Maybe 2 weeks.

Religion + honeymooning

I never knew the sand at the black sand beaches was actually black!

Anyway, we obviously loved it. We were extremely fortunate, and I'm a pretty lucky girl.

Thank you, and goodnight.

What We Be Up To

Besides the 9-5 (or 10), here is a smattering of up-tos:

• I'm in class 2 nights a week for my paralegal certificate. Go anteaters.
• We don't have cable, but we DO have a $20 antennae. We have given up on all channels coming in clearly but for NBC. They have never adored us as they do now, and the feeling is mutual! We'd already been big fans of the Dateline fests on Friday and Sunday, but now we're also hooked on The Marriage Ref. Of course I actually got to blogging its praises 2 days after a not-as-funny episode. We'll give it another shot next Thursday.
• We've been very lucky to migrate into The Family Ward along with 4 other couples we knew and loved in the Pierside Singles Ward. We have us a rip snorting time!
  
• We've become addicted to "Words with Friends". It's a free version of Scrabble a la iPhone. I invited my sister-in-law Erica but she hasn't taken me up on it (hint!), but I do love playing with Annie and Jeff. I really can't figure out WHY I'm so obsessed with playing it constantly, because I REGULARLY get my bootie pulverized by their landslide scores. People, WORD GAMES ARE MY THING! Or I thought they were! I'm starting to get really competitive with Jeff. This game could destroy our marriage. Eh, let's just keep playing anyway.
• A member of my former Stake Presidency in Las Vegas has been chosen to represent the state of NV in fighting the Obama-rama health care bill. Awesome.

Location:Delaware St,Huntington Beach,United States

Feaster

I'm not going to go into the gorey details, but let's just say I've heard a few people say to me at the end of whiney conversations over the last couple of weeks, "Well it's ok, MOST newlyweds put on a few pounds! It's very normal!" But who cares! That doesn't make weight gain any cooler. Starting tomorrow, and Jeff and I are in complete fervent agreement on the delicate matter, treat consumption is verboten from Monday to Saturday night at 11:59 pm. I'm thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to buy a 2,000 lb. safe for the presently possessed treats, have a trusted, resolute neighbor set the code, and make them promise to not let us into the stash, no matter how we begged, until Sunday morning. Because you see, we are having our First Easter of Love (squeal and shriek!), and so we could not NOT give each other these treasures this morning,

plus my one true love made a tart from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

I don't think the safe thing is going to happen, so unfortunately the leftovers will call to us from the very openable cabinets all week long.

This whole affair did cause me to remember a book read to my classmates and I in 1st grade class. It was about a man who buys piles of his favorite treat to ration throughout the year but finds his will-power failing him. He's blowin through it like water. He asks a trusted friend to hide them about her house and dole them out at previously arranged dates and times. He missed the whole "Mind Over Matter" thing and in the end rips apart his unyielding friend's house in search for the treats! I sat there in my keds and Espirit shorts and splatter paint t-shirt, shrugged and said to myself, "I'm not above that!"

So now that you're at the end here, yes, this really is the purpose of this post: to vocalize to the internets and beyond that tomorrow I'm laying the health nut smack down in hopes that Jeff and I get to live a long life together instead of dying of dual blow out sugar comas sometime in the next 3 to 6 months.

And the other purpose of this post is, in case you didn't catch on to that, I am NOT inflicted with BIEBER FEVER, the only pre-teen star I ever loved was Kevin Arnold/Fred Savage. Jeff got me, got me good. He even called him a "studly muffin-man" or something. Nice.

I've got BIEBER fever!!

i have to admit it....i have a serious case of.....

BIEBER

FEVER!!!!!!!!

i simply cannot get enough of this pre-teen studly muffin-man.

his lyrics are soooo adorabley cute: "I know you want me, I know you care, If so whatver, I will be there...."

i feel guilty being married and crushing on the Bieber-man....but I can't help it. he is my guiltiest pleasure. Please assure me you agree in my comments.........

Spring's Bounty

A few things:

Yesterday morning I awoke to 2 bits of news that put me into a swirl. (!)

1) Cameron my brother was doing his weekly emailing and I hadn't written him!

2) My mother had left a voicemail saying there was a neighborhood garage sale, it was a GOOD one, and it was already 2 hours underway!

We readied ourselves with relative haste and made it down to Irvine in time to snag this beauty:

Over 150 years old, purchased in rural New York about 10 years ago. And I carted it away in my little tin can car for $25!

And this was an even better bargain! I shall stain it directly. It was a gift from some members of our ward who were cleaning out their garage. They even delivered it for us. We gave a Celtic Gaelic cheer, post-battle enthusiasm levels matched entirely.

I texted pictures of these 2 pieces to my sisters and parents and my dad texted back, "Wow, you are your mother's daughter."

We ventured forth on a walk this afternoon, and the rest of Orange County was having a party. The 4 common themes: tattoos, ciggies, bikini tops and denim bikini bottoms. The other common themes which were almost as hard core were salty breezes, warming UVs, and street musicians. We are happy to be by the water. And all the tattoo parlors.

My bangs are officially longer than they've been in many, many years. I guess the only thing that I can attribute to this stretch of permitted growth is I've been so insanely busy during the awkward phases of bangsville that there hasn't been time to cut them off again in a moment of weak frustration. I still haven't decided my next move with my hair, but since I never make it to the saloon anyway, it'll probably continue growing long in its dark brown way.

Gotta go pop some ibuprofen. House is devoid of Diet Coke.

The Long Story of How I Met my Husband (in a hurry)

Let's go back to 1992. Sister Elizabeth enters Junior High and makes best friends with Annie.

I am a premium tagalong. In fact, I'm so good at tagging along I insist on doing it for the next 6+ years, and they let me.

Elizabeth and Annie grow up and get married.

Annie to him,

and Elizabeth to him.

Annie's husband has 7 brothers. Count them, 7. Odds work for us from here on out.

One of these brothers is

and one of them is

And Sarah and Harry's togetherness brought me back into kahoots with this beautiful damsel after not seeing her for what I would practically call eons.

And here is THE LINK TO LINK IT ALL!

That beautiful damsel you see just above these very letters and words I'm typing right now is the very sister of my very husband. And I've mentioned before that Erica set me up with my darling, charming, funny, smart husband. TADAAAAAAAA!!!!

Utter, merry convenience is the cherry on top to my happily ever after. A friendship that began with Elizabeth and Annie extended to me and ended with a great many bits of eternal alterations of the romantic sort. I forever praise Erica, Annie, and Elizabeth for my match.

Plus, bonus: Annie, Sarah, and I share 4 nieces and nephews.

Voila!

Dig.

The End

N.E.T.

It seems the past few months (minus 2 weeks of honeymoon) have been filled with a certain theme: Not Enough Time.

I LOOoooooong for time, even on weekends, to do so many other things, of which blogging is one, but it seems by the time we get home from work, make dinner, MAYbe go to the gym (the health habits we spent a year establishing have but a whisper of an existence in our current routine***), read, MAYbe watch some tv, and sometimes work a bit more from home, it's time to go to bed. And I am very protective of my sleep. A weakened body leads to heightened emotions of ALL kinds if you happen to be a Merzy.

My sister Sarah and I were discussing lately how we once imagined there will be a time of life in the future that we can devote largely to recreation. New hobbies, old hobbies, developing talents, etc. Then we looked down the road and realized we were being village idiots. Life won't slow down. Puh! I want to know how some of you people possibly manage your time to be able to fit in as much as you do. Perhaps the maniacal, speedy nature of some responsibilities will slow down a bit here and there, but I don't get a Summer 1996 ever again; a summer wherein I was old enough to enjoy some liberties and self-earned funds, but too young to have a job from which the U.S. government would also benefit.

So now I am trying to find a bit of a balance or a "worth it 20 years from now" or a "I must finish this tonight, but I will be free to work on that tomorrow," lest I never spread mine wings of creativity again. Also I recently watched Julie and Julia again and if SHE can write a book, I can write a book. I love Meryl Streep in that movie, DEEPLY LOATHE Amy Adams' character.

Also:

Kate Winslet's divorce. I am devastated. This is a very stupid thing I do. Actors and actresses that pranced about in timeless movies that remind me of a wonderful time of life, or movies that my sisters, mum, and I are forever bonded to, I feel like they too are in my life in some silent way. Kate Winslet had to go and worm her way into my heart with Sense and Sensibility, Finding Neverland, and The Holiday. So then when something like a divorce happens I gasp out loud and say, "Oh no!" and those within earshot ask me what on earth is the matter. So dumb. But that's what happens. Just for the record, my taller-than-a-street-light brother in law was bitterly disappointed when Michael Jordan split from his wife, too.

We've kept a steady flow of black licorice, string cheese, and broccoli in the house.

I finally hung something on one of our walls last Friday night. One of my favorites. I picked up this beloved print at the Chicago Museum of Art in 2006 and it has finally found a home in the form of a frame.

*** Proof:

Here we are eating Raclette. European comfort food. Jeff ate this on his mission. Raclette cheese roasted in these adorable little shovels on our very own Raclette maker then smothered over little tiny potatoes. DELICious but OH SO VERY much the glutton's favorite! We now are trying to keep it at bay or at least to a reasonable infrequency. This wonder could kill a person if treated with excessive attention.

That's all she wrote!

Happy Birfday to the King Bee

To my Dad, Happy Birthday.

Long may the Jimmy Eato banner wave!

Were you in town, I would give you one of these as well as a birthday cake:

Until next time!