It's just me.

Hi. So, like always, there is no real reason for me not posting in an excruciating amount of time (because I know everyone cares so much), but I'm back.

All of August I was busy busy busy when I was completely planning on relaxing. I know I haven't posted even in April, June or July either, but... we'll just skip all that. Besides maybe that Sean took me to Fantasy Con and I got to meet Simon Pegg and he told me Happy Birthday and signed our action figures.

Or when my sister-in-law Laurelin came and stayed with us for the good part of a month...

(pictured from top left: Brady and Katie, Aaron and Melissa with their kids Aiden and Katherine, everybody, Aunt Melanie and Laurelin, Sean, Me and Katharine again) I think that's a good overview of my summer. If not, I've got a facebook or twitter or instagram and you can join me there. (@elleohellen - twitter, @ellen_donner - instagram).

August started out normal and boring since my internship ended mid-July. Then, one day, Sean came home and said "I have a crazy idea..." And it was. The next friday, we left on a suprise road trip to Minnesota to give his friends Marcus and Whitney Penny the best housewarming gift. We drove all day and got to his parent's house that night after finding one of Sean's friends in a neighboring town and giving them a ride home.

Saturday, we met up with Sean's oldest brother Damien for brunch. We spent some time at Damien's house after playing with his dogs and watching the Twin's game. Then we went to the Mall of America to kill some time and to buy me a jacket. We pulled up to the Penny's house and barely got out of the car and into their driveway when Marcus comes booking down the driveway, full speed, to give Sean a huge hug. The entire trip was worth everything for that one moment.

It was one of the most fun housewarming parties ever, just to see Sean with all of his friends. We left a little early and went back to his parent's house to spend some time with his mom who'd just got back into town. I do love my in-laws. I am one lucky girl.

The next day we drove to Gillette and spent the night with Sean's youngest brother and his girlfriend and it was tons of fun there too. I miss them so much!

Then, a week after that, Sean and I moved into my parent's house. It's been pretty good so far. We repainted the bedroom,

and set up the living room the way we like it. We're settling in pretty well (including Erma). This weekend, we're going to the Oddball Comedy Festival and I am SO EXCITED!!! So, you could pretty much say I've had an incredible summer. I might've missed some things... like that one time we went to the dam.

Or the time Sean's book made it to the Summer Reading List.

Or when Sean live-tweeted Independence Day.

Or when we went to Oregon with my family for Abby's Senior Trip.

#BESTSUMMER

Now, let's just wait and see what Autumn and Winter bring us...
Love, Ellen

It Keeps Gettin' Better.

Even though I know the title of this is alluding to a Christina Aguilara song, I've had this Avril song stuck in my head since work today...

Don't judge. It's just like that.

Anyway, I'm sure none of this has to do anything with anything. But I do have some good news! Even though I won't be at my internship too much longer, I've obviously proven myself useful because I got a pay raise today! I couldn't be happier there. And just to prove myself and make getting a raise worth the trouble it's been for others, I've been working on a lot of fun things for our upcoming sales conference that I'm pretty excited about.

In other news, today has been pretty good. Sean got to come home a little bit early today and that just gives me a little more time to hang with my bfff (I added an extra f because best friend forever forever). I think I'm gonna make him go on a walk with me later. Walking is fun plus it's pretty outside.

Maybe after Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is over.
love, Ellen

The Internship

As I'm sure you've probably noticed by now, I've been a horrible blogger since I started my internship. I just have one thing to say. This internship has been incredible for me. The company I'm working for is beyond excellent, the people I work with are all so nice and fun to be around, I've learned so much and I'm so appreciative of having this whole experience.

I've also been pretty busy. Last weekend, Sean and I got back from a much needed week-long road trip to the Oregon coast with my family. We stayed in a fantastic condo right on the ocean, ate delicious food and got some good rest. Here are a few of photos from the trip:

This is me wearing some rad ammonite earrings while walking on the beach with the hub.

Famous Carr family pose, pointing in directions. Such weirdos ;)

#seaselfie with the hubs. We like walking on the beach.

Sunset. Maybe you can see two blobs on the beach, that's Sean and I.

Close-up of the hand-made ammonite earrings. #prehistoricjewelry

This is the handsome hub-cap totally lovin' crab fishing with my dad. 

The sis and I building a rad sandcastle. Meanwhile, Sean was in a fight with the ocean. It was a draw.

The view from our first night's balcony. The Hood River.

Also, Abby Graduated High School!! Congrats-o!

So I would say it was a success! 

Other than that, Sean and I have been going to Bountiful a lot and, for father's day weekend, we went up to my Grandpa's and went to the Ogden Art Festival. Such talent! And for father's day, we went up to B-town and made dinner, cleaned the kitchen, and then went out for treats in SLC. We went to Harmon's and got dessert treats and cheeses. Newest Fave Cheese: Wisconsin Butterkase. If you ever get the chance, best cheese. 

AND! We finally have a moving day! I've posted before about our difficult living situations, and we finally have plans to move in with my parents at the end of August so we can save money to buy a house! I know living at home will be a struggle sometimes, but thus is life and if it will get us ahead, that's great. And I completely appreciate my parent's generosity in letting us stay with them. 

Today is a kind of gloomy-weather day. Something I've been wanting for kind of a while. When it's gorgeous outside, I get restless and we end up spending too much money doing something. Days like this, we usually go grocery shopping or just stay inside and relax. 

Anyway, I'm gonna go nap or watch a movie. Thanks for not giving up on me as a blogger. 

love, Ellen

I'm back...

Hey, so this is my third attempt at posting this blog. I got a new phone and now I have to learn how to blog on here. My computer works but it is frustrating and I pretty much just use my work computer for stuff now. Or I will until July when my internship is over...

My new phone is an LG G2 and it's heaps smarter than my old phone. I'm still trying to get used to it, but I think I like it.

In other news, Happy Mothers Day Tomorrow!  I have the best mother and mother-in-law and I hope to be just like them someday. I Love Them!

Speaking of moms, we finally decided where we're gonna live. We're moving into my parents basement in August. Even though we still have a couple months, it'll be okay because we'll be closer to my internship until it ends in July.

A couple weeks ago we got into an accident at the aquarium. No one got hurt except the cars. We parked a mile away, waited in line in the rain to get in, and the aquarium was partially empty because it's still pretty new. When we got home, our ceiling was leaking. Needless to say, it was a rough day.

Luckily, though, I have a great mom who came with my sister and her boyfriend to have dinner with us at Carrabbas. Yummy. So it ended alright.

Anyway, I'll try to keep up with my blog now... Sorry for my absence.

Love, Ellen

The Unclean

Have you ever heard the term "The Rule of Threes"?

I'm LIVING IT.

I started out the day waking up earlier than I wanted when Sean left without saying goodbye to me. Turns out, he was just outside trying to light our water heater. Good guy. He couldn't and I went without showering this morning. I feel DISGUSTING. I get so greasy when I don't shower. I sometimes take 2 showers a day because I work hard at the donut shop.

Anyway, my day starts out like that. Then I go to work and stuff there isn't working on the network and I have to start a different project in the middle of the one I'm already doing. It's fine, I go on.
But then I check my bank account to see if I have any money to buy a soda from the break-room. Nope. In fact, the organization who I have my student loan with took out twice the amount I thought it would. Turns out, it takes A WHOLE WEEK to just report that I paid. Note to self, don't forget that you already paid them. UGH. That's what savings accounts are for, I guess.

Then I get home, forgetting about the hot water problem and turn on the kitchen faucet. It pretty much explodes water and pasta sauce all over me. ULTIMATE SAD FACE. I make dinner and, during the course of cooking, I forget that the faucet is a **** and it scares me. In turn, I punch it in the face and now we have to buy a new faucet. ALL THE SWEARS.

Now, dinner has been done for 15 minutes and Sean just came home.
I need a chocolate. and a shower.
love, Ellen

G. Cloo and his Rag Tag Teams

I have exciting news. I've got an internship at a company called AtTask as a copywriter. I AM SO EXCITED. It's exactly what I want to do and it will help me qualify for real positions as a copywriter for any company even though I only have an Associates Degree.

Anyway, I'm sure by now you're wondering about the title of this post. In honor of my getting this internship, Sean and I went out to dinner at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries and then went to see George Clooney's new movie Monuments Men. To say that it was great would be an understatement. It was heartfelt and funny and just all around a great movie.

When Sean and I were sitting at dinner, we discussed the quality of George Clooney films and came to an incredible realization. In comes the title... Almost all of G. Cloo's movies involve him heading up a rag-tag team of misfits.

Case 1: Monuments Men. G. Cloo gathers artist of differing respects in order to save historical art pieces and preserve cultural artifacts during World War II.

Case 2, 3, and 4: Ocean's 11, 12, and 13. G. Cloo and Brad Pitt arrange a casino heist after rounding up 11, 12, and then 13 individuals of varying degrees of speciality.

Case 5: Men Who Stare At Goats. Jeff Bridges recruits G.Cloo in a company of men known as Jedi's for military use. Although, George is not the leader, he does teach Obi Wan the ways of the Jedi.

Case 6: Fantastic Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox (voiced by G. Cloo) leads a band of various wildlife in a revenge mission against three angry men.

Case 7: O Brother, Where Art Thou. George coerces a few miscreants with promises of treasure into assisting him in a jail break in order to retain his marital status.

And if 7 cases doesn't convince you... then you might need to re-think your life-style choices. Or, if you're so inclined, you may also include Batman and Robin in the list. I, however, would rather appeal to George Clooney's wishes to not be remembered for the film.

Mr. Clooney, if you are reading this, please continue to make such movies. These 7 are among my top most favorite films and my list is capable of expansion. Thank you.
love, Ellen

Under the Covers.

Dang, I'm clever.
Lately, at work the early morning bakers have been putting on a radio station that occasionally plays this song:

(FEEL FREE TO NOT LISTEN TO ANY OF THIS)

And automatically my face warps into something more like someone in the room let one rip rather than a song came on. Immediately, though, my mind jumps to something Sean gave me more than a year ago. 

You see, when we were dating, we'd gift each other mix cd's every once in a while and one of his last ones to me was a mix called "Mix Cover" and on it was the same song done by New Found Glory:

(FEEL FREE TO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE WEIRD VID)

And my mind sighs with relief. Since Sean and I have been married (so somewhere in the ball park of a year), I've been listening to a lot of New Found Glory. They have a neat album that has tons of covers called From The Screen To Your Stereo and it has tons of great covers such as:

(SAMEZIES ABOUT THE VID)

And "That Thing You Do", "Never Ending Story", and "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing". I highly recommend it. 

Some of my other favorite covers that I've more recently discovered include 99 Red Baloons by Goldfinger:

I love how it has the German part in the middle. CLASSIC.

Also, MxPx's 500 Miles:

It never strays too much from the original, but it's still fun and a little more upbeat. 

And try Cartel's Wonderwall on for size:

Great, right? So classic. 

Ben Folds does a great In Between Days:

This is one that gets listened to a lot when I'm in the shower. 

And you can never go wrong with a little Backstreet Boys done by Allister. 

Hah. So little. 

And to top it all off, the most creepy stalker song turned beautiful. You go, Copeland. 

I could put so many more on here, but I think this is enough. I've probably taken up too much of your time as it is. Still. I hope you enjoy. 

love, Ellen