The Emporium

Now I am working at The Emporium, it is awsesome. What there mission is, is so ingenious. If you are a bride you go to the store, and first you meet with a financial manager. You will discuss how much money total you will spend on your wedding, and any specific things you want. You will be able to find your dress, pick your flowers, the tuxedoes, the caterer, linen rentals, your hair, and makeup all at the same place. Eventually you can get your photos and the cake through them. There are 4 people from DI that are working there. We have just been helping them get ready to open. Moving stuff, organizing, cleaning. I am kinda working a little bit separate from them. I am fixing dresses and cleaning them, getting them ready to be sold.   - H

Kids Connection

I had kinda given up on the bridal stuff after that. I was just kinda frustrated with how things turned out. Lucas found me a job at the Kids Connection. It was the cutest little daycare ever. Ms. Tami the director tried me out in a bunch of places. I started out in the baby room, it is so easy to fall in love them. Next to the oldest class, they were ages 7-12. They were the hardest ones I worked with. They had huge personalities and even bigger attitudes. They got to go on fun fieldtrips, so I joined them on those. Next, I went into the 5-6 year old class. I was not very good as a teacher in there. Then to Ms. Lanell's class, she had the 4-5 year olds. She was a great teacher. I learned so much from her. The kids in her class were just learning self control, and some of them weren't very good at it. One day I was repeatedly punched in the cheek and eye. That was a bad day. I helped for a little bit in the 2-3 class. Then Ms. Tami wanted to give me my own class, the toddlers. It was ages 1.5-2. I was so excited to have my very own class. Then Lucas found a new job for me. I am not going to lie, I was not very excited. I didn't want to have to leave my babies. But, I did go have the interview. It was at The Emporium. It was Walker's Bridal, new location. It felt like I needed to work there. So I still miss my babies and my friends at the daycare, but I left.   - H

David's Bridal

The first job Lucas was able to find me was at David's Bridal. I worked in the back sewing on dresses. I did lots of steaming, cleaning, and bead work. The bead work was awful, my eyes would hurt by the end of the day. It was tough work. I loved the alterations ladies, Pam and Lorraine. They were so cute, I miss them. I ended up having to leave because they weren't able to give me enough hours. So back to DI.

Deseret Industries

I was out of work for quite some time, and it sucked. Then Justin Woods mentioned that he was working at the DI. My neighbor Robert Kimmel was able to put in a good word for me with the bosses. I got hired to work in the children's clothing, men's clothing, and the collectibles. Children's clothes was fun because I liked seeing all the baby clothes. Collectibles was crazy, it was all locked in glass cases, and I had the keys to open them. We would bring out a cart with new stuff to put in the cases, and the vultures would crowd around. Vultures were the people that would come early before the store even opened, and lined up outside waiting them to open the doors. The doors would open and they would run into the store like it was Disneyland. I kid you not, they would actually run. They would spend all day at the DI. Many of them told me it was their job, they were online antique dealers. It was interesting. DI has done many great things for me. My job coach Lucas, is always looking for better jobs where I can work.   - H

Haircut

I finally chopped my hair off. I had been wanting to do it ever since I discovered freedom. I cut it up to the tops of my shoulders. I at first just missed my long hair, but I like it now. Andrew thinks it's sexy, too. Now there is no hope of ever straightening my hair. I have just let it go natural. It is crazy curly. I guess it was all just weighed down before. At first it was always frizzy, but I finally found some product that works. Pantene curl defining mousse.   - H

Before my hair was cut

After my hair was cut (with Jeffrey)

Jeffrey

On January 27 the cutest baby was born. Jeffrey Dayle Allen, my nephew. Congrats to Tausha and Danny. Andrew and I went to visit them in the hospital. Danny and Andrew went to get Del Taco. Andrew was too scared to hold Jeffrey, he thought he was going to break him.   - H

Cancun

Shortly after we were married, Grandma and Grandpa Jeffs took the whole extended family to Cancun, Mexico. Andrew and I hadn't even been married a whole month. We drove to the airport with Tausha and Danny in the snow. As soon as we parked I decided that I was going to be sick, in the parking lot. Let me just say, being that sick in front of your husband of less than a month, not awesome. But I was fine as soon as I got it out of my system. It was a long flight to Cancun, and then a long drive to our resort. And Mexico drivers are so crazy. We stayed in a resort called Riviera Maya. It was beautiful. They had these awesome strawberry slushies that I ate multiples of everyday. In the rooms there were huge showers and huge bathtubs. And when you left the room your key card would turn off everything electric. Tausha, Danny, my family (Mom, Dad, Cory, Brenna, and Mark), Andrew, and I all went on a catamaran ride to the Isle de Mujeres. There was This Russian guy on the boat that was so drunk before we even started, and continued ordering drink after drink. He was sinking and dancing to Queen songs, and kept trying to kiss my mom. He passed out before we even got to the island. We went snorkeling off the boat. Some little fish tried to eat Tausha. We saw some barracudas, and they were awesome. They looked exactly like the ones in Finding Nemo. I was the first one to go on the spinnaker off the boat. I got so high, and I was so scared. So everyone on the boat was drinking except our family, so when dad ordered a coke, he got coke with rum. I tasted it and it was awful. It tasted like nasty cough syrup and dirt. I am so glad I am not an alcoholic. One day we went down into the touristy part of the city. It is fun to barter for things. "Only three dollars, cheaper than Walmart." Was probably my favorite thing they said. We also ate Subway for lunch there. It was way more expensive then here in Utah. Another day we went to Chichen Itza. It was so cool, all the ruins, and their culture. I also bartered a hammock from $30 to $14. Another day we just hung out at the beach. We were playing in the kayaks. Brenna and I took a turn, but we didn't think that through as well as we could. We put the two weakest people into the kayak. Well we couldn't get past the waves, and the waves kept pushing us back to shore. One wave really caught us and slammed us into an anchored boat. Brenna was able to jump out of the way, but I got some awesome rope burn on my back from trying to duck under the rope the boat was anchored with. Probably the closest to death experience I have had yet. A couple people were complaining about the food, "Why is there only Mexican food?" Well, we are in Mexico aren't we? Oh yeah and the big scandal down there, I wore a bikini. I got some awesome reactions. You know I am just going to keep wearing them until people decide they aren't that big of a deal. When we got back from Cancun, there were quite a few inches of snow on the ground. Talk about a weather shock.   - H

Dating & Marriage

Alright let's have a brief history lesson about Andrew and I. We started dating in June of 2009. I had just gotten over a bad breakup and he had just gotten home from his mission. He was in the Peru, Trujillo mission. He is so sexy when he speaks spanish. Andrew was friend with my sister Tausha all through high school. He even introduced Tausha to her husband Danny. So I had known Andrew since I was 8. We dated for 3 months. After much nagging on my part, and a whole lot of patience on his, he asked me to marry him. We were engaged for 3 months, and finally tied the knot on November 27, 2009. That was the day my Grandpa and Grandma Bear got married many years previous. We got married in the Timpanogos Temple. Pictures were taken by Jessie O'Neal. The reception was decorated by Liz Swindle. Tausha and Danny built my cake. Deidre Tregaskis made my invitations. I borrowed my dress from Holli Jo Klien. Everything turned out beautifully, and thanks to all. We went on our honey moon down to St. George, and went to Vegas for a day. We saw Love, the Cirque de Soliel production. I love Andrew and everyday I am grateful for him.   -H