"O" I Loved Every Moment!

My trip to Oprah....the BEST ! I have wanted to blog about it but life has been crazy and super busy. Sadly blogging about Oprah had to take a back seat for a while. But I'm now ready to spill the details and pictures about my trip so if you're not an Oprah fan or someone that doesn't like to read long blog post them this one is not for you!=)

So my very lucky sister-in-law Elizabeth (the one who actually won the 4 tickets after 4 years of trying), our friend Cindy and myself flew out of Grand Junction, CO to Denver on a Thursday night. We then flew to Chicago. (on the plane to Chicago!)

We arrived in Chicago around 10:30 pm their time. (We've made it to CHICAGO!)

We got to our hotel, figured out how we would be getting around Chicago and got to bed around 12:30am. We then were up at 4am to get ready for Oprah! We rode the blue line, kind of like a subway (well it's somewhat of a subway it goes underground and above ground), a bus for a few split second and then walked down Michigan Ave to the ever so famous Harpo Studios. (Cindy and I on the blue line)

Elizabeth was the first to see Harpo and I'll never forget her scream and instant sprint. We were all VERY excited. It was so unbelievable to see Harpo studio-got my heart pumping and made it feel very real what we were there to do.

(Harop studios!)

When we got to Harpo we had to show our ID's to 2 different people in 2 different spots before we even stepped foot in the actually building. We were told there would be no pictures and no cell phones so sadly such a memorable event was only captured in my mind. I would have loved to have took some pictures inside the building, all well. Once inside the building we went through metal detectors, checked our coats and had our purses completely looked through. There were four people doing purse checked wearing white gloves and they where digging and going through every inch of the purse. Myself and Cindy got our purses back minus our camera and cell phones Elizabeth and her sister purses where kept because they were too big along with our phones and cameras till the end of the show . The room where all this is going on has big pictures of Oprah giving away the cars. We then went upstairs where you sign a paper giving your rights away to Harpo of anything you might say or shots taken of you. This room was huge with big pictures of Oprah with different guest. There is probably about 8 and each wall. There were 2 big screen tv's playing her 20th anniversary cd's. We waiting in that room for almost an hour. They then started calling people into the audience. Walking into her audience was so super cool. It was so mind blowing to be passing through areas that I've seen before while watching her show and signs that say the Oprah Winfrey Show. You walk through the area where Oprah use to walk out and touch peoples hands (for those of you who are big time Oprah watchers). The studio looked a lot smaller to me then I had imagined it. We get our seats and there are around 20 crew men getting camera and stage stuff ready. One guy is vacuuming the spot where Oprah will stand and after he's done two guys start scrubbing the floor that has absolutely nothing on it. Upbeat music is playing and then a lady comes out to get you all excited and then they play Black Eye Pea's song "I've got a Feeling" talk about getting your adrenaline going. I didn't catch this lady's name but she beautiful and very well spoken. I enjoyed listening to her. When it's almost time she tells us "Ladies you can hold your pee for 1 hour. Enjoy the show because it's going to go by fast" Boy was she right the whole show felt like only 15 min it went by so fast.

About 45 sec to Oprah Live Oprah walks out--AMAZING! I could feel tears starting to come to my eyes (nerdy I know) it was so amazing to be actually seeing her in person. She asks Dean (her stage manager) how much time he tells her like 30 sec. and she makes some comment about her shoes being only 1 hour shoes and that the clock is ticking. She had on HIGH HIGH heels. She didn't look different size wise to me but she was shorter then I thought she would be. Hair and makeup perfect.

Oprah interviews Stephanie Meyer, the author of the Twilight Series. At one point in the interview Oprah mentions giving away 600 box sets of her books to a school and that the audience would not be left out. Everyone jumped out of their seat we were all soooo excited to be leaving the show with something. After Stephanie Meyers they had Robin Givens on she's Mike Tyson's ex wife. They ended the show with announcing the karaoke winner and having the winner sing us out. While he was sing Oprah walked and stood by the side we were sitting on and she was within feet from me. WOW--heart attach!=)

After the show she stood back on her stage and express her application for us all coming to see her. She was so sincere and knew that sacrifices, time, new clothes and babysitters had to planned for us to be there. I loved Oprah before but REALLY loved her after going to her show. Oprah left a few minutes after the tapping and one of her workers told us we get our Twilight box set as we left and we could take it to the Oprah store and Stephanie would sign one book

(Just after the show with our gift! Waiting in line to get it signed by Stephanie Meyer!)

(Robin Givens came to the Oprah store after the taping. She was skinny and so kind!)

The Oprah store was so beautiful.

In front of the famous Harpo Studios sign! People recognize our Oprah green bags and asked us everywhere we went about Oprah and what free thing she had given to us! So fun!

Walking to the Harpo sign we passed the famous paring lot where the new cars were given away sadly no new cars for us that day.=)

Cindy and I in the Taxi. It was both of us first time to ride a taxi, kind of scary. I would not like to drive down town Chicago--crazy.

A worker at the Oprah store told us we had to eat at Giordano's and have their world famous Chicago deep dish pizza.

We then did some shopping at the famous Magnificent Mile. It's a mile of upscale stores. We went to the Hershey store and the The America Girl Place store before time ran out. We then rode the bus and blue line back to our hotel. Wow we were exhausted from such a memorable perfect day!

Saturday morning we're ready to come back to Utah to our loved ones!

Unbelievable News

So something very unbelievable is going to happen to me......I will be sitting in Oprah's audience Friday, Nov. 13. Let's all scream and take a breath! My wonderful sister in law, Elizabeth has extended one of her four "golden" Oprah tickets to me! Bless her heart she has been trying and trying to get into Oprah's audience for years. In fact she has been known to call when they use to give out ticket through phone call over 300 times in one single day trying to get tickets. We've talked about going to Oprah before and how awesome it would be but it always seemed so hypothetical, out of reach and not something that would happen to us Vernal gals. Well not anymore!

You know how sometimes you fill out those getting to know you questionnaires and you come across questions like if you could do anything what would you like to do---I always put go to Oprah or if you could met anyone who would you like to meet---I always put Oprah. Well I'm going to get to live out my dream next Friday. I've been trying not to actually think too much about it because if I do I get so excited and wound. I'm getting goosebumps just writing this. I'll for sure post pictures and blog all the details! I'm thinking since we are the first taping (she does two tapings on Friday) that we'll be the Friday Live show so if that's the case watch for me on Friday if you watch Lady O. We have no idea what topic we are going to so we'll just have to wait and see.

Oprah Here I Come!

Halloween Night

This year Jaxson was a Zebra. We picked a Zebra because Jaxson just loves them. The costume came with a head piece but I knew there was no way he was going to wear it and Brett came up with the idea to spray paint his hair in stripes. He sat so still for it and was so incredible good when I panted his nose black. It was such a fun night to take him to our family and friends trick or treating. He loved caring his Halloween bucket and having people put something inside of it. Everyone was so thoughtful and had found stuff or called and double check with me on candy that would be healthy and something that Jaxson could eat. I found myself having so much fun watching him have so much fun. One thing I loved about his costume was watching him walk because his tail would wiggle back and forth it was so adorable.

Brett's cousin Candace had a Halloween party that night so we went to her house after trick or treating. It was a costume party so Brett and I got to dress up too. I went as a fortune teller (wearing a dress my mom use to wear) and Brett was Kramer from Seinfeld. I wish I had a full body shot of Brett he looked hilarious. His pants were so tight and high water.

Brett, our brother in law Jeff and Brett's brother Leif as Noco Lebra

Jaxson munching while talking with his cousin Kylen who was Gus Gus from Cinderella his sister Kaysia was Cinderella--so cute!

The little Zebra couldn't help his animal instincts to ruff house a little bit with cousin Kylen.

Our Cousin Halloween Party

We had a blast on Halloween. Hands down one of my favorite Halloween's I've ever had. I've probably added more pictures on this post then maybe I should have but we had such a fun time I wanted to post what I had taken.

So the party started with an invitation:

We invited Jaxson's cousins which was a total of 15 kids:

We had the majority of the party in our 3rd bedroom which we had decked out with Halloween decor while Halloween music played---so much fun wish I would have taken a full room picture of it. We had Halloween playdough with Halloween cookie cutters, Oobleck, slime with Halloween things mixed in it and a Halloween puzzle out for everyone to enjoy while we waited for everyone to arrive.

We then played Halloween games. The winners of the games got to pick out wrapped Halloween gifts and we also had a table set up with other prizes for those that participated and weren't "tricked" during the games. Our first game was pin the nose on the Jack O' Lantern.

We then played trick or treat. The kids had to pull out a paper from a pumpkin. If it said treat they got to go over to the prize table and get a prize if it said trick it then told them something that they had to do. Our next games were outside (what a blessing it was such a wonderful day) we played Musical Bats and then broke into 2 teams and did a pumpkin relay where they could only use their chins to move the pumpkin from person to person.

We came back inside for our Halloween craft. We made skeleton candy necklaces.

Brett and I then sent the kids on a treasure hunt around the farm we live on to find their Halloween gift from us. They were Halloween mugs. We drew out their names and they got to pick which mug they wanted to use at lunch and then take home.

It was then time for our hunted kitchen to cook up some lunch for them. I had told them on their invitation that our hunted kitchen would be brewing up:

Graveyard tombstones-nuggets

Blood-Ketchup

Rotten Guts-Ranch

Mummy Fingers-homemade French fries that my amazing brothers Greg and Eric cooked

Eyeballs-Grapes

Vampire Fangs-Apple slices

Frankenstein Toes-pickles

Haunted Trees-Broccoli and Cauliflower

Scarecrow noses-Carrots

Ghost Drool-Water

Witches Brew-Root Beer with Dry Ice

Spider Webs-cupcakes with frosted spider webs and candy spiders on them

We had them all sitting and then brought out the food and we each asked them individual if they would like graveyard tombstones, mummy fingers, etc.

We ended the party by playing a Spider ring toss game and eating our Spider Web cupcakes. I had so much fun planning this party as you can read and then doing it for those that I love so much. What a wonderful day we had all together. The kids were having a ball and it went so smoothly and was such a fun time.

Friday, Oct 30

Every October I make a special meal we call, Meal in a Pumpkin. It's a soup that you cook in a pumpkin. This year I made it the night we were carving pumpkins. While we were at the Young's picking out our 3 pumpkins for our dinner I spotted this tiny pumpkin and got it for Jaxson. He had so much fun with it he must have played with it for a good hour. Jaxson was so fascinated with pumpkins this year and this tiny one really took his interest.


Carving pumpkins at my mom and dad's. Brett and I thought Jaxson needed a sheep carved in his since he is so in love with sheep right now.
Jaxson with his pumpkin. He called it his " baa" and then started calling every pumpkin he saw "baa".