Headin' Out

Alright friends. I'm sure you'll miss me. But this week... Killer. Seriously.

I'm not going to blog this week. It's hurting my feel-goods to say it, but I need to just shut myself off for a week, buckle down, and finish my projects to make sure I end the semester on a strong note.

Life is so rough. ...ha...

Anyway. Just giving you the heads up. There might be guest bloggers. There might not be. I hope you don't hate me. I'll see you next week!

I miss you already.

Love,
Me.

The Week of ... something

I'm not really sure what though.

This week is the last week of the Forgotten Carols. Yay!

This week is the last week before we start performances for the Nutcracker. Yay!

This week is the last full week of school. Yay!

This week ... I just might die.

Wish us luck.

Happy Thanksgiving

I love beautiful sunsets. I love happy holidays spent with family. I love giving thanks on Thanksgiving.

In other words - this has been a great week.

The holiday has been spent deep-cleaning the house, spending time with both sides of the family, watching a couple of great movies, eating a lot of delicious yumminess, and even doing some homework. Crazy. I know.

Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), we got to see my parents in the afternoon for a little bit before heading up to Salt Lake to eat dinner with husband's extended family. We got to see the clan and eat some great food, after which we were very entertained by a huge game of girls vs boys basketball between the cousins. It was hilarious. I'm not sure if it was more entertaining to watch the 2-year old running around or the adults running around. Basically, it was just entertaining and I bemoaned the lack of a camera to document the activity. We returned home laden with turkey and pie, saw my fam one more time on the road back home, and went to bed early and happy.

Friday we finished cleaning the house, and spent the day waiting for the evening to come. It was husband's brother's birthday and we celebrated by inviting him over to eat his favorite dinner and dessert prepared by none other than husband himself. It was super delicious. Husband's sister and family from Idaho also joined the celebrations - they were in town for the holiday and so came to eat and play games with us. All in all, a most enjoyable evening.

Today we have spent relaxing and enjoying the last bit of the holiday we have with just each other before we return to normal life on Monday. Something I am not looking forward to, but must live with nonetheless.

This holiday has brought to my mind how grateful I am for families - most especially eternal families. Around the holidays everyone is more grateful for families it seems, and I am no exception. Being able to relax and spend time with the people that I love more than anything always makes me so grateful that they are a forever part of my life.

I am also grateful for food - and other people cooking it now and then, a clean home that we love and feel comfortable in, the opportunities we have to work and go to school, and the ingenious people that created board games. I mean seriously. Ingenious.

Well. That's all, folks. I am headed back to my favorite cuddle-spot in husband's arms. Have a happy holiday!
See you Monday.

There is Beauty All Around

All these were taken last September at the Children's Gardens at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. I love that place. And thanks to my brother for getting the last shot of me and my sisters & mom. So happy.

I am grateful for the beauty that abounds in the world and for the opportunity I have to see it every day. We do live in a truly beautiful world and it always gives me something to smile about and be grateful for.

Memories

Preference 2006 - action shot - playing basketball. I even made the shot.

March 2006 - my littlest sister who is sadly not this little any more. and she actually has hair, too. 

December 2005 - trying on modest dresses for a Young Women's activity. always fun.

August 2011 - though not quite as fun as this activity.

While I was writing my brother the other day, I was reminded how grateful I am for memories. I am so glad that I can remember so much of my life and that others share those memories with me and we can do one of my favorite activities - reminisce.

Although the memories listed above aren't necessarily my mostest favoritest memories ever (excluding the wedding day one), they are ones that are important to me and that I enjoy going back and thinkng about. I am so glad that I had the experiences I did growing up. They made me a better person. And I'm glad that I can look back and remember those experiences and remember to be grateful for them. Because now I can remember that I am - and can continue to be - a better person becoming the best I can be.

Today I am grateful for memories - including the hundreds not pictured above.

Thanksgiving Week

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, most of my posts this week shall hereby be dedicated to the awesomeness of the holiday. Meaning thankful posts and food posts and family posts. I'm so excited. (And hopefully it will help me de-stress during the two days of school I have.)

SOURCE

I am so so excited for some Thanksgiving food coming my way. And a great excuse to eat it all. I've also decided to claim my brother's helping. He's in Japan. He won't need it. Baha.

What are you most excited for this week? Me? Family. And food. Yup. The end.

Saturday Adventuring

Wake up early for Nutcracker practice.

Rejoice in pancakes for breakfast. They are cheap, fast, and easy. Oh. And delicious!

Drive to Salt Lake(ish).

Dance our little bums off and have a great time doing it. (PS We have four daughters. Can you say cute?)

Drive to IKEA and explore the bounteous happiness. I have never been, but I loved it! Plus we got lunch after for $3 for the both of us. Wow! I think we'll visit again soon.

Drive home. Take a short nap. Go buy groceries.

Husband made a yummy dinner of noodles and chicken and cheese. Mmm.

Go to work... at 5:30 pm (gross) for the final home game of the season (hooray!).

Get home super late (aka 12:40 am), but love being reunited with husband.

Take a super warm shower and cuddle up in my soft red robe.

Go to bed. G'night world.

Realize the next morning that although planning to document the day, I sure didn't, and this post is left disappointingly bare with no pictures. Darn. So it goes I suppose. (isn't accidental rhyming the best?)

P.S. Thanksgiving is this week! Yay Hooray!

I always knew Disney was real.

And this proves it:

Bambi & Thumper Disney

Bambi & Thumper Reality

Take that you non-believers. Ha!

Bambi was my favorite movie growing up, so that makes this all the better. Thank you Grandpa for sending me these pictures. They were taken in Canada, so no - I didn't take them. But I wish I would have!

Rice & Shrimp Casserole

When I asked husband what he wanted for dinner (since we were actually home to make something yummy and eat it), he said he wanted a rice and shrimp casserole. So I went online, found an easy one, and then made it even easier. Seriously - one of the easiest dinners I've ever done. Loved it.

Rice & Shrimp Casserole

Recipe found online and adapted by ME!



INGREDIENTS:

1 cup raw rice

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup onion diced

1/2 cup green peppers, chopped fine

1 lb cooked shrimp, boiled & cut

OR 1 can shrimp (if you're cheap like me)

2 cups grated sharp cheese

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp chopped parsley

salt & pepper & garlic to taste

PREPARATION

Boil rice. Add soup and lemon juice. Saute peppers & onions and add to rice. Stir over low flame til well mixed.

Add shrimp and parsley. Add 1/2 the cheese.

Put into casserole pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min or until bubbly.

We didn't have any green peppers or lemon juice - and it tasted just as happy without it. We really liked splitting up the cheese with half inside and half on top. It made it super cheesy. Mmm. Next time, we will probably add a little bit of chicken.

Let us know what you think!

Words of the Prophets

Wow. Thank you Katrina for sharing this.

If you have 7 minutes - which you probably do - watch this.

It is so worth that tiny little bit of your time. Trust me.

I am so grateful for men like this who stand up for what they believe.
They are true servants of Jesus Christ, our Lord & Savior. I am so grateful they have a beautiful message to share.
I can't explain how strongly I felt the spirit while listening to these men testify of Christ. It was simply incredible.

Stars

SOURCE

One of my favorite parts of driving at night is looking at the stars. Sometimes it's so much my favorite part that it distracts me from driving - but I promise I'm still safe.

Seriously. If you have never driven five minutes out of town - or until you can't see any lights from the city any more - and looked at the stars, you are missing out big time. Stars are incredible and beautiful during the summer time, but also in the winter, too. Just drive until you can't see the lights from your city any more, get out of the car (with a blanket if needed), and enjoy the beautiful stars that you will be able to see and that go on forever and ever.

Picture of the Week

What an awesome color. There are so many bushes this color around campus. I love it!

illness is a kill-joy

Today. Today I am home and ill. Today I am home and ill and doing homework. ...and indulging in some TV watching. Thank you the Sing-Off.

Today I was looking forward to being superbly productive and taking one of my big tests this week. Oh well. Guess I'll get to put off that test for another day. At least that means more study time, right? ...right... *guilty smile*

And another nice thing about being ill is having the opportunity to sit back and relax and think through what is coming in the rest of the week. Something I was stressing about yesterday. So I guess that being sick is kind of a blessing in disguise? ...did I really just say that? Wow. I must really be sick.

So. What I want to know is if you guys have any awesome remedies that make you feel happiness and joy despite feeling super crappy and sickly. Share those remedies! My favorite thing is to grab a blanket, my little heating bag, and just curl up and disappear. Not a remedy, really, but it makes me feel good. The end.

Back from the break

Apparently everyone on blogger world took a little siesta this weekend. 

Which I was DEFINITELY a partaker in. Mostly because we were so crazy busy. 

But I was worried I'd get back today and have ten million posts to catch up on. Nope. Only three. *phew*

As a random note: Best Friend & I have discovered something really awesome.

When I'm home alone, and I take a nap - I sleep on Best Friend's side of the bed.

When Best Friend sleeps in while I shower first - I walk back in to find him sleeping on my side of the bed.

Tell me that's not cute. It's ridiculously cute.

And today is Monday, so this is all I got have for you. (I promise that 'got' was not intentional. Ugh.)

Oh. And I saw this today and almost died. I'm sososososososososo excited!!

11-11-11

Happy Veteran's Day!

I'll be honest. I don't know a lot of veterans. But the ones I do know I love, respect, and admire. They are truly incredible people who have sacrificed more than I can imagine - for me. Well, maybe not me specifically, but for this country and all those who live in it. (which includes me. ha.)

So. Here is a huge thank you to all that have served, now serve, and will forever serve our country. You're more appreciated that you know. We love you all. Thank you so much.

This summer, a boy that I graduated high school with was killed. He was a member of the Marines. It was a very solemn day in Vernal when they took him home, and he left many loved ones behind. To anyone who has sent a son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister to defend this country, YOUR sacrifice is also appreciated.

SOURCE

These are articles about Daniel Gurr. If you want to cry, you should check them out. :)

Article 1

Article 2

Thinking in the Car - Daily Miracle 11/10

Since we have been driving a lot lately (to Ephraim and Salt Lake), I have found that I have a lot of time in the car to think about a lot of stuff. Mostly I try not to think, taking the hour drive to just relax and listen to good music. Last night, however, I had some random trains of thought that were probably brought about by the crazy songs that came up with my iPod on shuffle. You would have weird thoughts too if you listened to The Dance, Total Eclipse of the Heart, She Loves Me, Uncharted, The Waves, A Year Without Rain, Stop, Ride of Your Life, and Set the Fire to the Third Bar. With various other random songs tossed into the mix. However. Despite this strange experience, I was reminded how much I love driving. I think I get it from my dad. He used to drive from Rolla, Missouri to Salt Lake City, Utah taking only one break to sleep at a gas station in the middle. But I think it's the coolest thing ever. I love driving and being able to see so much of the beautiful world so quickly. Driving is a huge release for me and a great relaxant. So even though I'm driving somewhere almost every single night and feeling like I'm losing a lot of time - it is all going to be ok because I am getting a couple hours of relaxing driving with time to just think quietly to myself and enjoy the beautiful world around me.

It's amazing how God gives us these surprise blessings, isn't it.

Welcome Home

***this is the set of the Forgotten Carols in the Black Box theatre at Snow College. A very familiar and comfortable place full of wonderful memories. [it's blurry because I took it with my phone. oh well]

Picture of the week

{taken after the first snow of the season}

I loved the beautiful black tree, the gray mountains, and the still-fall colours below.

What do you like?

AIR POPPER!

**can be sung to the tune of this primary song if desired. come on. just do it. it's fun.

We looked in the kitchen and what did we see?

Popcorn popping in our new popper machine.

Marriage has brought us such a nice surprise:

Popcorn from an air-popper that tastes so nice.

Sometimes I look at our pictures and think "man. we have WAY too much fun" and then I think... nah.

Road trips & Haircuts & Vampires. Oh My!

This is the summary of our (most amazing, fantastical, fun, inspiring, happy-making, family-seeing) weekend:

We drove to Vernal to see my family. Specifically my sister be the lead in the winter play at the high school.

We met a funky gray cloud just hovering in the middle of a blue sky with white clouds.

It was weird. But we said hello anyway.

Dad & Husband. Still not sure what Dad was trying to say... Or why he was wearing shorts?!?! 

 Me being a vampire. See? I even have creepy red eyes (thanks a lot husband picture-taker-who-will-not-be-named).

 Me & my awesome sister in her awesome purple dress (but it wasn't her favorite - her favorite was blue).

She was Mina, for those of you who know the play.

And {totally unbiased here} she was the best part of the show. Hands down.

I was very impressed. Great job Sister!

Also a great job to sister for making this quilt! It is gorgeous and she did a fantastic job quilting it.

It is a baby quilt for someday. How exciting, right? I love love love it.

My hair before we cut it. It was soso long! I loved it. But it was dead, so we took off 2 inches.

And guess what. I painted that bathroom wall. Yup. Probably three years ago. Good times fo'sho.

Hooray for weekends.

The end.

...oh. you wanted to see my new hair? hmm. guess you'll just have to check back later. haha.

I don't have a good pic yet, but imagine me with two inches of length gone, lots of layers (close to my chin), and bangs that are a human length (to my eyeballs). Then you will have imagined my new hair.

I know. Thrilling, right?