2013...in the world according to La

Ah!  My year in review.  So fun!!

• I was in 11 states:  Montana, Idaho, Utah, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas
• Gas prices reached a recent low - under $3/gallon
• My USANA business continues to grow and prosper.  Thanks to all for your support!!
• We welcomed a new niece and a new nephew this year:  

Emma Victoria Gummerson on 2/2

Traigen Daniel-William Jones on 7/29

• We met Baby Halo and brought her home in June

• We said our earthly farewells to Grandpa Bill Jones, Uncle Steve Antone, BFF Mike Osborn, Great Uncle Dale Molesworth, and Friend Giovanni Castillo (my childhood friend and Maid-of-Honor, Heather's husband.)
• Nelson Mandela, a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist died on December 5.  A great man...one who fulfilled his purpose and now sits with angels.  
• We attended one wedding:  Patrick and Elizabeth McCloskey
• iTunes songs purchased: 465
• Cookbook blog post views: 4874
• This year was the worst for good books.  My top 10 list is almost ALL of the books I read.  2014 is going to be my good book year!

Here are my Top 10 Lists.  They are not in any particular order, except the first is my MOST favorite.  And it's what happened in 2013...they may have not been released this year.

Top 10 Books

The Bible
A Step Of Faith by Richard Paul Evans
The Reckoning by Alma Katsu
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Best Kept Secret by Jeffrey Archer
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
You Can Heal Your Life by Louise hays
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Top 10 TV Shows

The Mindy Project
Michael J. Fox Show
Rogue
The Following
The Haves And The Have Nots
The Big C: Hereafter
The Americans
Chicago Fire
The Black List
The Crazy Ones

Top 10 Songs

All by NKOTB, (notably, Crash, from their new album "10")
Pompeii by Bastille
Help Me Find It by Sidewalk Prophets
Home by Elton John
All I Need by AWOLNATION
Beneath Your Beautiful by Labrinth
Amen Kind Of Love by Daryle Singletary
Dance In The Graveyards by Delta Rae
My Life's A Dream by Atwater Men's Club
I Lived by One Republic

Top 10 Movies

The Great Gatsby
About Time
Croods
Saving Mr. Banks
Iron Man 3
Life Of Pi
42
Silver Linings Playbook
The Butler
The Intouchables

Top 10 Guilty Pleasures

Nieces and Nephews
Queer As Folk DVD Set
www.imdb.com > Movie Previews
Photo Stream sharing
Holiday Dinner
Shazam
Owyhee Toffee Company's Toffee
Tervis Tumblers
Homemade Salsa
Pinterest

Top 10 Actors

James Spader
Jack Johnson
Neil Patrick Harris
Michael J. Fox
Robert Downey, Jr.
Robin Williams
Jason Bateman
Kevin Bacon
Matthew Rhys
Forrest Whitaker

Top 10 Actresses

Claire Danes
Monica Potter
Zooer Deschanel
Kerry Washington
Jennifer Lawrence
Melissa McCarthy
Sandra Bullock
Joanne Froggatt
Mindy Kaling
Keri Russell

And introducing:

Top 10 Favorite Dates Of All Time!

Summer 2007:  Dancing on the beach, after the luau, in Hawaii.  We were barefoot, it was dark, but the moon was bright.  It was just heavenly.  Sometimes, if I'm having a hard time falling asleep, I think of that moment.  It is one of the happiest times EVER.

Summer 2012:  The Melting Pot, Littleton, CO.  We had the BEST time, and our dinner was free.  The management chose us for their free meal and I cried!  This is Travis's #1 favorite date.

December 2010:  Murder Mystery Dinner Party, Alberton, MT.  This was taken before we got into costume and shocked everyone with Travis dressing as a woman!  We went to this bed & breakfast that hosted a murder mystery dinner and then we spent the night.  The cast of characters:  Us, Scott & Kari Johnson (now Scott Johnson and Kari Schauss), Marty & Paige Judnich, Shawn Horton & Christina Higginbotham (now Hortons), Christian Kosena & Erin Murphy (now Kosenas), Kyle Engelson, D'Et Green (now Heffington), Bill Singletary and Andrew Gerber

Summer 2010:  East Coast Extravaganza Spectacular Spectacular.  The whole two weeks of Boston, MA... Portland, ME...NYC, NY is, to date, my favorite time of my life.

This was taken in Nampa, ID at the Mona Lisa during the holidays of 2003.  It was the first time I realized that I was doing exactly what I wanted to do when I was younger, dreaming about being a grown up.  When I was stuck home babysitting, I always wondered what the adults did while they were gone.  And this is it.  Hanging out with friends and family, having an awesome dinner (fondue anyone?) and a blast!
Mike & Kristie Osborn, Travis & Laura Jones, Waylon & Heather Yarbrough, and Nicole & Matt

2002: This photo is symbolic of all of the years we spent in Boise going out with our wonderful friends. Old Chicago mostly, but this one was taken at Hannah's.

Circa 1994:  We took our siblings on a road trip to Lagoon in Utah.  It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Burley, Idaho, and Shelley let us take her van.  BRAVE!  This picture is the only one I can find from that trip.  Nicole kept her key chain photo and Dad took this picture (somehow) from it.  We sang "This Island Earth" by The Nylons the entire trip and named our group "Gummeronesaffer" after all of our last names.

June 1994:  Travis & I had a double date with Dennis Bortz and Carmen Soulsby in my grandparents' empty house.  Here is a selfie (not a new concept, just a new name...that's almost 20 years old!!!) of us on that day.  We played trivial pursuit, had a candelight lunch on the floor (with sparkling grape juice) and flew kites at track of Burley Jr. High.

June 2000:  This is the only picture of me that I found in Travis's "Hunting Photos" box.  I don't hunt a lot (I tried a few times, but it was a disastor!), but I do love to be in the outdoors with him.  I was looking for pictures of a time I went duck hunting with him as it's the butt of many family jokes, but I couldn't find any.   This one will have to be symbolic of our many dates in the great outdoors! 

And the last one in my top 10 has no photos, but it's one of my most memorable.  In college (around 1995-96) Neil Diamond was scheduled to perform at the pavilion on campus of Boise State University, where we both went to college.  I grew up listening to Neil Diamond and drove Travis crazy when I played "Shilo" a million times.  He doesn't particularly care for him and we didn't have the money to get tickets.  The night of the concert, Travis said, "Why don't we just walk over there...maybe we can hear him from outside?"  It was a beautiful night so we did.  And then he had us keep walking into the pavilion.  He was able to get tickets after all and it was AMAZING!!  In my top concerts of all time, for sure!!  I knew Travis didn't love it as much as I did, but he said just watching me be happy, made him happy, too.  Isn't that what it's all about?

Bucket List Items I Checked Off

3 new states:  Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi (only 6 left!)

Going to Sante Fe with Mary

Going to Las Vegas

Read the Bible cover to cover.  I did a 90-day reading plan on my Bible app and finished on Christmas Day!


"Today is the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write a good one!" - Brad Paisley