25 Days of Christmas, Part 2

Day 6 - Service Dinner

As you all know, Bryan and I just moved and are in a new ward. Like I mentioned, we have been trying to make friends and it seems to be going well. Last Sunday Bryan heard a guy introducing himself in Priesthood who apparently just moved in and didn't have any of their furniture. He did summer sales and he took his family to Orlando for the summer with whatever they could fit in their car. That works when you live in a place that is completely furnished, but now that they are settling down they have nothing. They were eating on the floor picnic style. So, of course, what goes through Bryan's head......let's invite them to dinner! Since they have 2 small kids we decided to go with simple and traditional. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup. Of course, if you know us, you know it isn't as simple as that. We looked at it as kind of a service dinner. It was nice to get to know them and be able to give them some relief from cooking. (And don't worry, they have all their stuff now.)

Day 7 - Special Restaurant

This is the Black Sheep Cafe. It has become one of Bryan's favorite restaurants. The theme is actually Native American/Southwest and they serve Navajo Tacos--among other things. On Friday we had a "go to a special restaurant" activity. Bryan had been craving Black Sheep and so we went. We invited Nathan and Korina too. It is one hoppin' place. They have Cactus Pear Lemonade and some kind of blue tacos that are delicious. Plus after talking with Heidi this Thanksgiving, I wonder if the chandelier is a Chihuly? It kind of looks like his work.

Day 8 - Christmas Shopping and Ward Christmas Party

Saturday was just full of Christmas-y stuff! We slept in which was nice for once. Then we got up and went to a new Cinnabon in the mall for breakfast. Next time--minibons. The regular are huge! After that we stopped by Jared's to get my ring cleaned and rhodium plated. It need both badly. Then we went our separate ways and went shopping for each other. I prefer shopping with someone, but since I didn't want Bryan around and he didn't want me around, there was nothing to do. Hours and big bucks later, we met at home and started the grueling task of actually wrapping the gifts. Still, they are so pretty!

After that we had just enough time to get ready for the Ward Christmas Party. I don't think I've ever seen so many people show up to anything ward related......ever. It was in the gym and it was packed! They even ran out of some food (luckily more came). It was crazy! But we were able to meet up with some of our new friends and meet some new people too. We didn't stay long, then again it didn't last long. We ate, Bishop gave a little story, awards were given for best dessert (no I did not bring one), and everyone went home. Short and sweet. Just the way it should be.

Day 9 - Sunday Dinner

Now this might not be any different than any other Sunday, but I think it still counts on our list of Christmas activities. What's more important than family and Christmas anyway? Well, we had dinner at Uncle Ken and Aunt Becky's like almost every Sunday. Only this time we decided to play a game with Christina. Only six rounds of Mexican Train. 13 rounds later we were able to go home at 10 o'clock. She's a sneaky one. Still, we had some fun and I'm beginning to remember that I do like some games. Although I tell Bryan differently.

Day 10 - Special Treat

These are my secret Molten Lava Cakes and Bryan calls them. I'm pretty sure that isn't their real name, but it certainly looks likes molten lava to me, so we'll go with it. This is the one dessert that I make on any kind of regular basis. Number 1) it is delicious. Number 2) it is fairly easy. Number 3) you can make them in serving sizes of 2--perfectly for Bryan and me. I haven't made them in a while, so it was about time. They were almost too chocolaty from what I remember. And that's saying something coming from me. Still, nothing says Christmas like something warm and gooey.

10 days down, 15 more to go! Merry Christmas!!

25 Days of Christmas

This year I thought it would be fun to do a kind of advent calendar with activities for Christmas. I don't have the actual physical calendar, but I do have a list of things to do to celebrate the season. I guess it's kind of a bucket list for Christmas. Of course, if it doesn't snow anytime soon I may have to think up some other activities. :(

Day 1: Deck the Halls

Our beautiful Christmas tree done in silver and gold, just like the song. I am looking into getting a second tree  for a more traditional feel with multicolored lights and blown glass ornaments that represent our family. Plus I know our kids will make those childish ornaments and I'm going to need someplace to put them, because they sure aren't going on this one. Does that already make me a bad parent?

Day 2: Oh fuuuuudddddggggggeeeee! (That's totally a quote from A Christmas Story if you didn't get it.)

Mom's secret recipe. I've never had fudge that tastes as good as hers and it's totally not one of those "it's because I grew up with it" type of things. Seriously, I'm being objective here. None are as smooth and moist as Momma's.

 Waiting for it to boil.

 Even Bryan likes to help.

 Yummy goodness!

The finished product! A ginormous pan of fudge that we in no way can eat ourselves. Luckily we have been able to give some away too. People seem to really like it. On a side note, I also didn't realize how expensive fudge is to make. Chocolate bars for $4.40 each. Wow. Still, so worth it!

Day 3: TimTam Slams

If you haven't had one of these, go to the store and find some. Make yourself some hot cocoa and do the following: bite off opposite corners (like kitty-corners) of the TimTam--make sure they aren't too large of bites; stick one tip in the hot cocoa; suck up hot cocoa like through a straw; the TimTam will melt like butter; stuff the WHOLE thing in your mouth; enjoy your first TimTam Slam! Oh yeah.

You can usually eat about 2 of these and then you're finished--they are that sweet. Still, a great tradition to have around for Christmas I think.

Day 4: Game Night

Bryan and I are trying to be better in this ward about making friends. So this past Sunday Bryan sat down next to 2 random guys in Priesthood and asked them to come over for game night on Tuesday. One of them ended up having a study group that night, but the other couple came. We had such a blast! We played Settlers of Catan. It was my first time. And I totally creamed everyone! Wah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Actually I'm sure it was just beginner's luck. Still, it was really nice getting to know someone and we are already planning on getting together again.

Day 5: Work Christmas Party
I don't have any pictures from last night, but there wasn't anything to take a picture of. It was my work "gala" as they like to call it. And when I say "work" party, I don't mean just Dining Services, but our whole division of Student Auxiliary Services. Like 600+ people show up. It's big. Dinner is always really nice although a little awkward since you sometimes end up sitting with people from another division that you've never met. Still, Bryan and I enjoy the food (especially since we don't have to cook) and the dessert is always the best.

Anyway, 5 days down, 20 more to go! Merry Christmas!!

The Move

I'm gonna be on a role for a while. So much really has happened that I just have to blog about it. Plus it makes me feel like I actually have a life. And it makes me feel like I'm at least keeping a journal in some small way. Anyway, most everyone should know that we moved. With baby #1 coming we thought it was about time to upgrade to something a little bigger than a one room apartment--especially one where I'm not sure where the crib would fit. So we started looking (somewhat half-heartedly) because we thought we had plenty of time to move. Looking back I'm glad we did it sooner rather than later. I can't imagine moving at 8 month pregnant (I'm not like my mother) or moving with an infant. But a place popped up that we saw and liked. We threw in an application thinking that we wouldn't get it, but something must have been right for us, because out of all the applications they chose us. Bryan was a little shell-shocked at first I think because he really didn't expect it to happen so soon, but we signed the contract and moved full steam ahead.

We thought we were so lucky to be moving in early November because the weather was really nice and we thought we could move so easily. Moving day arrived and what did we see......

And this was after one of our nice neighbors woke up at 7am (we were awake too) and shoveled all the sidewalks in the neighborhood. Luckily he had one of those powered ones. All I can say is that it was pretty. Nice clean snow before it gets all gunky from mud.

Well, we knew we had work to do and Matt, Johnny, Nathan and Korina were coming over at 9am to help. So shoveling away we went.

 You can barely even notice Bryan's car.

Oh look! There IS a car under there!

We went for some breakfast and picked up "the help" and started loading the moving truck that our landlords acquired (they are bail bondsmen and they got it as collateral). With the help of everyone it didn't take too long--although I'm sure they'd disagree. We turned on the engine and waved goodbye to our first home together. We lived there for a little over 2 years.

I could have taken a picture of the gigantic mess that was our new apartment. But it was depressing and I'd rather forget about that whole fact of moving. Fairly quickly, however, we got everything put in it's new place and started making our new apartment a home. We knew that we were going to need some kind of storage because our old place had those great built-in shelves in the main room and this place was nice a.....bare. We decided to walk around IKEA to see what we could find because you can always find something you want to buy at IKEA. While walking through we spotted an entertainment center that we both loved and was actually a surprisingly good deal. Of course the catch is that you have to build it yourself.

After some heartache (I think we had to go to IKEA at least 4 times to get everything because sometimes we forgot something and sometimes IKEA was out of stock) we got it all together. Well.....Bryan got it all together. He is such a trooper. He let me go to see a movie with my old roommate Emily while he did most of the hard work. But after everything he has this to show for himself.

Click on the picture for a larger image.

Isn't it beautiful!! And all decked out for Christmas. If you want to see more of the apartment, well, I guess you are just going to have to come and visit. We do have a spare room now....

My Birthday

It is really sad that I never blogged about my own birthday. And we can't blame Bryan or anything, because he did a great job. I think I was just so tired after blogging about Paris that I couldn't blog about something else for a while. Well......it's been a while. A whole month to be exact. We celebrated my birthday on the 3rd which was a Saturday because we knew we wouldn't have much time on Monday when it actually was.

Now let's see what I can remember. I'm pretty sure I slept in. Yeah. But Bryan was wonderful and made cinnamon rolls. Or baked them I should say. We really like the Rhodes ones--plus they are so easy. Then he immediately made me open my gifts. I look pretty terrible in the pictures, but I'm going to blame the early morning and pregnancy on that.

I chose this picture because you can't see my face in it. Sad, I know.

Bryan had gotten me a plethora of movies that I have been wanting for the longest time, but never buy myself. I don't know why, but apparently I have a problem with that. He got me Beauty and the Beast (I'm trying to expand our collection, especially with Baby on the way), White Christmas (I have to watch it during the holidays), Singing in the Rain (always a classic and one of the few musicals Bryan will watch with me), and the Bourne Trilogy (this one is more for the both of us, but I don't care). He also got me 2 cards. One was funny and had a voucher for a spa day which I'm going to cash in when I can't see my feet anymore. The other was very sweet with a personal message that made me cry (which I'm blaming on the hormone changes) and a promise to go out that day and buy my cowboy boots that I'd been wanting for a while.

I'm pretty sure that we had seen some ads for estate sales that day to and we stopped by them. Don't I have such a wonderful husband? How many guys want to go to estate sales? He seems to like them in a way. The first one had some furniture we considered, but decided against, but they had practicably new onesies from GAP for a $1 a piece, so we did pick up some of them. Random, but still. The other one we found a wireless printer with some ink cartridges. The lady was going to give us the printer for free since she said it had starting going fritzy or something, so we offered her $15 for the printer and the ink (which alone was worth it). We got home and it seemed to work fine. We've had no problems, so what a good deal for us!

After that Bryan did make good on his promise to get me cowboy boots. I like traditional (no teals for me) so this is what I know have. And I LOVE them!!

Oh yeah! I even wore them that night to dinner. We went to Communal (our favorite) with Nathan and Korina. They had even gotten me makeup from Urban Decay. It's so soft and real--and by that I mean stuff that professionals use. It's so nice. But like I said, we went to Communal and it was Nathan and Korina's first time. I think they really liked it. Just for an example we had deviled eggs for an appetizer. Fairly common, right? ....I'm pretty sure mine don't look like this.

I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the food because we were hungry and it was all so good. Trust me on that. However, I did remember to take a picture of Bryan and me.

I do look better than the morning, I'll give myself that. And Bryan always looks good. It's kind of annoying actually. We may even have gone to a movie afterward. I think it was Taken 2. It was entertaining.

On my actual birthday we didn't do that much. We both had to work--like usual. But we did go to dinner that night at La Jolla Grove. Also a pretty good restaurant. And we stopped and picked up a cake from The Chocolate. Yum!!

This was me talking to first Dad, then Mom. They took up most of our dinner time actually.

So overall I had a great birthday. Bryan is amazing to me and I love him so much. So happy 25th!! (Quarter of a century.......that sounds so old!)

Fun Fall Pics

Korina wanted to practice a little before she did the pictures for Dennis and Amanda's wedding. So on a sunny Sunday afternoon we went out and had some fun. Below is what came of it. And yes, I know that Bryan and I are very good looking!

Paris

Well, I thought that after about a month, I should finally sit down and at least write something about Paris. But where to begin? .... Paris is amazing. It is also crazy, crowded and costly. The 9 hour flight there wasn't too bad. It was through the dark so we tried to sleep the best we could on an airplane--which wasn't very good. Still, it didn't seem so terribly long. We arrived at 9:45am Paris time and were told not to sleep to help us get on their schedule. That wasn't too difficult--we WERE in Paris. Our first stop: the Eiffel Tower. What is more iconic than that? We thought about riding to the top, but the line was ridiculous and I really didn't want to waste time standing in a line when I could see more of Paris. It was really beautiful, but like they say, smaller than I thought it would be. Isn't that always the case?

After that we meandered our way to the Musee de l'Armee and Napoleon's tomb. It was this place that used to be used as a recovery hospital for injured soldiers back at the time of King Louis XIV. It was awesome. I think Aaron would really love it--and Jordan. They had a whole selection of plate armor! It is so cool to see stuff that is soooo old. (For pictures--over 300, please see Bryan's or my Facebook pages.) Anyway, they had the army history from Charlemagne to Napoleon. Let's just say it was a lot to look at. This is also the place of the Eglise du Dome, a chapel fashioned after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It is in this chapel that Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb resides. It is massive for such a small man. And like everything in Paris--beautiful, although more contemporary than I thought it would be. After all that we ate dinner at a little cafe that was ADORABLE--again like everything. The thing about France though is that you pay for everything. Water - 5 Euros for an Evian. Coke - 4 Euros for a glass bottle. Yeah, it's all expensive, but it's some of the best food you'll ever eat just walking off the street.

After that we were tuckered out and went back to our hotel. But surprisingly, although we knew we were tired, we couldn't fall asleep. We didn't go to bed until after midnight and I don't think either of us slept that well. We woke up for breakfast that we had the hotel and decided that we just weren't going to be zombies all day and not enjoy ourselves. So, we actually went back to bed and slept until 4 in the afternoon. Some may think it a waste, but I assure you, we didn't. We got up and got ready. And sadly for me I tried to use my straightener with our adapter and converter, but it got WAY too hot and literally fried/burned my hair, hence why it is cut so short right now. And it killed my wonderful, expensive CHI straightener and my hair looked terrible the entire trip, but c'est la vie. That night we went to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysees. (Again, for pictures, please see Facebook.) And again had dinner at a cute little cafe. We did go into some of the shops, but seriously, they were either Gap or Cartier. Neither of which interests us.

Tuesday was spent starting at Notre Dame. It really is a beautiful Cathedral. It is interesting to see a church so full of tourists, but at least they are nice and it is probably one of the few places in Paris that you can visit for free. I'll admit that I wouldn't mind having church in a building like that. After visiting Notre Dame we went and saw the L'Opera Bastille. It is the newer opera house. We didn't really mean to visit it, but Bryan mistook it for the Opera Nationale which is the really cool old one built, once again, by Louis XIV. (He spent A LOT of money building things.) A lot of the time was spent just walking around too. Looking at all the beautiful buildings and eating crepes from street vendors. This day was also our 2nd anniversary. We went back to Paris to have dinner at this expensive (even more than usual) restaurant that Bryan found. Don't ask me where it was, I have no idea. It was almost funny the way the staff looks at you when you say you don't want wine or coffee. It really is a strange idea to them that people don't drink that stuff. It was wonderful! Perfect for a 2nd anniversary. Of course what are we going to do the rest of our lives that will compare? Who knows?

Let's see....I think we are on to Wednesday morning now. Ah, Versailles. If I could live in France it would be Versailles. Alas it is also one of the most expensive places to live. Then again, a town built around the Palace of the King, what do you expect? This was our most favorite part of France. It was crazy ornate and I have no idea what they needed all of the rooms for, but still, if I could have it, I would. Plus the gardens are AMAZING!! We even got lost in them. But after the heart of Paris, the quiet, cool, and serene grounds were a blessing. Which makes me remember I should tell you that the drivers in Paris are CRAZY! It's like there are no traffic laws. People are weaving in and out and almost causing wrecks every second and they don't wait for anyone and are actually just kind of mean. Anyway, enough of that rant. Back to beautiful Versailles. They have this man-made lake and they rented out rowboats, so of course we had to get one. So Bryan was the gentleman and rowed me all over the lake of Versailles. Cute, I know, right? Apparently during the summer they do a fireworks show too. That would have been cool to see, but we were happy nonetheless. Louis XIV may have starved his people, but he sure has a beautiful house to show for it! Versailles was actually "given to the people" for "all the glories of France" as a museum by Louis-Phillipe (don't ask me who he is, for some reason I thought it was Napoleon III who did it, but not according to Wikipedia which I'm using to refresh my memory, it was this Louis-Phillipe person). We also saw the Grand Trianon and the Petit Trianon built for Marie Antoinette. They were also crazy amazing. I love how she had a little village built for her so that she and her entourage could pretend to be like the provincial people--well let me tell you, the provincial people were NOT living like that! Still, amazing!! We were supposed to meet up with some people that Bryan knows for dinner at what is apparently the best creperie. Well if the line was any indication I guess that's true. It was crowded. But we were 40 minutes late because we were so lost and didn't have any cell phones to call anyone. That is the thing about Paris every little street has a different name. But sometimes the only difference is if it is a boulevard, rue, or pont. We kept finding he boulevard of a certain street when we needed the rue. It was confusing. Still, we did get some crepes and they were good. Sadly we didn't see his friends.

Thursday was probably the most tiring day of them all. There was a lot of walking everyday, but Thursday was the Louvre. I think I heard once that if you run through the entire museum it will still take you at least 3 hours to see everything. I sure hope you're a marathoner. The Louvre was actually the palace of the kings in Paris until Louis XIV wanted to move it to his hunting lodge (Versailles--at least as it started out) since he didn't like the politics of Paris--probably since their was a lot of dissension against the king. He actually was the first to start to use it as a type of museum. And it just grew from there. We did see the Mona Lisa and it is really small, just like people say. Plus it is behind so much glass and ropes that it almost looks fake. Still....I can say that I saw it. My favorite part of the museum (and Bryan seems to agree) was Napoleon III's apartment. I think he may have lived in a small portion of the Louvre. It was just as good as Versailles. I probably like all of this stuff the best because, let's be honest, it's interior design and that's what I love. Except maybe for the jewels. I could totally go for Empress Eugenie's (Napoleon III's wife) tiaras. There was so much to see it really is almost ridiculous. They only thing I wish that we could have seen (not that I thought about it at the time, but it retrospect) would be the museums for the Impressionists. I think that is one of my favorite periods. But like I said, I didn't even think about it at the time. They also had an exhibit by Rafael. That was cool, although I think it was mostly his early work, so not as impressive as it would be later on. I think we must have spent almost 5 hours there. So I'm pretty sure that we found a restaurant near the Rue de la Paix (the ubber-expensive jewelry district) and ate dinner. I think this may have been my favorite restaurant, but that might just be because it had the best mashed potatoes. After dinner we limped back to the car and went back to the hotel for some nice relaxation (and a foot massage in my case).

Friday was probably my most relaxing because we decided that we weren't going to go anywhere in particular. We just went shopping in Paris and found Bryan a nice, perfectly fit suit for 100 Euros. And it's in the European style, which means no baggy pants like here in America. It was form-fitting--just the way I like it. That is the cool thing about France. We walked into the place and they had tons of suits that fit Bryan. The guy just kept picking random suits and they all fit perfectly. Here in America, they usually only have 2 or 3 that are "his size." We also got him some fitted slim dress shirts (insert sexy whistle here) and a wool pea coat. The other thing about Paris is that they have men's stores. Like legit men's stores. Not just some little section in a department store, they have whole department stores devoted to men! It was actually kind of cool. Don't worry, I didn't make out so bad either. We found a tiny antique shop and got me an art deco diamond, sapphire and gold ring. I'll always think of Paris when I look at it. We were able to meet up with one of Bryan's mission companions this day too and he showed us some places. It was interesting that they don't really have any wards in Paris--there aren't enough LDS people. But they have a place for LDS youth to come and spend time together. Apparently Paris is a tough mission and place for LDS singles in general. There just isn't enough of them so they all end up marrying non-LDS people and that's kind of the end of it. Makes me glad I had Utah. This night we ate in this cool little restaurant that you walked down stairs into and it was like dining in a tiny cathedral with stone walls and cross vault ceilings. It was really romantic.

Our last day was spent at the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It is a church sat on the only hill in Paris. It looks ancient but was actually built in 1875 and finished in 1914. We were able to go into the crypt which totally wasn't the creepy kind I was hoping for. And we walked up 300 steps to get to the dome on top to see all of Paris. It was beautiful, although really cold. It was a tiny bit rainy everyday, but this day was the worst. Still, it was totally worth the wind and rain to see everything. We actually went back to Versailles (the city, not the palace) to meet up with another missionary that Bryan knew. We went to a little mission fireside and had a French potluck. It included quiche and crepes. Funny not seeing any green jello. It was a relaxing night even if I couldn't understand anything.

The next morning we work up and headed to the airport really early to make sure and make it through all the lines. The 10 and a half hour flight back felt much longer than the flight there, probably because we didn't sleep. Still, after landing and making it through the ginormous customs lines, we made it to Larissa's house to celebrate Leilani and Mom's birthday. It was wonderful to see the family, even if it was for only a couple of hours. We were able to announce that we are having a baby and I was able to get lots of maternity clothes from Larissa. I know it had been 2 years since we'd seen them, but it didn't feel like that long once we were all together.

Well, I know it is long, but there you have it. Paris. In a very small nutshell.

First Game of the Season

GOOOOOO Cougars!!!!

Yesterday was the first football game of the season and we started it with a bang! We beat Washington State 30-6. Bryan and I are pretty lucky that my job occasionally has tickets that I get so we get to go to the games. The only problem with this one was that it was on Thursday night and started after 8pm. We didn't get home until midnight and, man, am I tired. Still we had a blast as always cheering on our cougars! Even though I think Bryan thinks it's weird that I get all upset and angry at stupid calls! (I mean, come on, we did have 80 yards worth of "penalties" for the game. Seems a little ridiculous to me.)

Other than the highlight of winning the game, the next had to be the awesome new HD screens and banner that go around the stadium. It's so big! And so clear! Totally cool!!

Wreath

Well, I should have a million things to blog about since Bryan's birthday, but to be honest. I got nada. I should mention that Bryan got a new job, but I think most of you know that already. I should have blogged about Fourth of July, but if you look at last years--it was about the same. We recently went to Family Camp with the Twitchell side of the family, but of course I took absolutely zero pictures. I will mention that we went horseback riding and went to the Grand Canyon. Both really cool. Other than that, our lives are somewhat redundant. Still, I like the groove of our lives right now. We work, we come home and run (not together), I cook dinner while Bryan works his second job at home, and then we either read or watch a show in time to get ready for bed for the next day. I am oddly fulfilled in these types of days. It's Saturday that I have no idea what to do with myself. 

One of these days happened yesterday. Pioneer Day. I had the day off, Bryan didn't. I'm really not used to being home alone during the day. That being said, I did clean and go running. After that I decided to do this:

Of course I got the idea from Pinterest and decided to finally do it. I think it is uber cute! And thank you Pinterest for making my day not so dull.

On a random note, that night we were going to Bryan's sister's house to pick up some camping stuff and to pick Nathan and Korina up from the airport and this is what was outside. A double rainbow. Not only that, but a FULL double rainbow. I couldn't get a good picture 1) because we were driving and 2) because it was so huge, but I could see both ends and it was so clear. Anyway, random, but cool.

Bryan's Birthday

It's kind of hard to believe that Bryan turned 27 and this is his third birthday we've celebrated together. It seems so crazy to me in some ways. Well, I don't know about Bryan, but I thought his birthday was pretty darn amazing. Probably because I began the day getting all glam-ed up, going to get lunch, getting mani-pedies, going shopping, picking up a cake (all with Korina) and not getting home until after 4pm. So my day was pretty eventful already. But it's not like Bryan was sitting at home that entire time. He went and played frisbee like he does every Saturday morning and I'm sure he enjoyed some alone time without his clingy wife around. 

 This year for Bryan's birthday we went to Chef's Table. We had some gift cards and a Groupon and so only payed $40 for a $130 meal. Now that's how you pay for dinner! Chef's Table is really pretty on the inside (even if it does seem out of place). If you look at the picture below it has this whole French castle thing going on in the middle of Orem--overlooking a trailer park. Luckily the trailer park is covered with overgrown trees so you don't notice it. Still, pretty random. But like I said, the inside was really nice and the service impeccable. They keep giving you new silverware depending on the meal you ordered. They even seat you and place the napkin on your lap for you. How often do you get that? The food was pretty good too. It's no Communal, but still, it's not your average restaurant. Overall, a wonderful experience. Will we be going back? We'll see.

 Me and Bryan all dressed up. And I don't know why I always look tired in pictures. I blame the camera because I look great in person! (And I love my lace shirt.)

We actually opened gifts before we went to dinner because we had so much time before our reservation. This year wasn't like the past couple of special occasions where I've gotten him one really expensive gift (like his tablet and leather jacket and watch). Not that I didn't want too, it's just that I couldn't think of anything! This boy is so lucky that he already has everything!! Or he wanted something I wasn't willing to purchase without him being there like an accordion or guitar. So this year was multiple little gifts. One was practical (socks), one was fun (his electric helicopter pictured below), one was sporty (new frisbee shorts), one was lazy (Lord of the Rings Trilogy extended version on Blu-Ray) and one was for the both of us (I think you know what I mean). I think he really liked them all and obviously couldn't wait to try out the helicopter.

After dinner we decided to rent The Muppets because we hadn't seen it yet and it wasn't anything we had to get too involved in. Overall I think Bryan enjoyed his birthday. Plus we had a Lord of the Rings marathon the next day on his real birthday! It was a great weekend! Happy Birthday my love!! You are the most amazing husband and I am lucky to call you mine!

One HOT Date

This past weekend Bryan and I went on one HOT date. And I do mean literally! Recently we have been kind of boring and have spent our Friday nights at home watching episodes of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica. Not that I don't love them, but there is something depressing about staying home on a Friday night, especially since Spring is here and it feels so good outside. I was determined to put a stop to our lazy days! I couldn't think of what to do until I remember being asked to go to a hot springs back in my single days and never actually doing it. Well, it was about time! So I asked Bryan if you would like to accompany me on a hike that coming Friday to a hot springs. Being uber in love with me, he just couldn't say no. 

So Friday after work we packed our backpack full of sandwiches and goodies for dinner, water, towels and flashlights (knowing that leaving after 5pm we'd be coming back in the dark) and head toward the trail. It was a 5 mile hike round trip, but that's just what we needed. It was beautiful--even if there still was snow on the ground--with a nice balmy 60-something degree weather.

We got there at the perfect time. We passed some people coming back down leaving only one other person at the springs when we arrived. We sat down and ate our dinner and met a new friend. Meet Koda. This dog was so nice and friendly. Or secretly just wanted to eat our food. I'm not for sure, but I'll take what I can get. I would totally have a dog if it was like Koda.

 We tried to take a picture, but Koda would NOT turn around. It was so funny. Still we had a great time playing as we tried to decide whether we would actually get into the springs or not. Bryan was concerned that I would get in and be all warm, then the sun would go down and I would freeze to death when I got out. I think he just didn't want me complaining all the way back to the car about how cold I was. Still, after much consideration, we decided we were going to risk it. I mean, we did just hike 2.5 (if not more) miles to get there.

 It was amazing!!!! I can't believe how warm it really was. Luckily the stream would drizzle into the springs and cool it down. In the back corner it was so hot we couldn't stand it. So we sat in the middle where it would mix together and see all the steam. We chatted with the one other guy there for awhile until another couple joined us. It was nice meeting complete strangers and just talking about randomness.

We probably stayed there for an hour and a half just soaking it all in--including the sulfur smell. I think that was the only downside. As I said before we came at just the right time. Once we were ready to go and got all packed up I think 25 people came to the springs. We were so glad to be getting out of there.

So, if any of you live around a hot springs, I suggest taking a dip. It's so relaxing! Plus it got us in the survivalist mood for Hunger Games!! YES!!

Bad Day

Wednesday was a bad day. I don't know why, but everything seemed to be going wrong. I told Bryan that I hadn't felt like I wanted to quit my job that much in a long time which is funny because my job isn't that bad and I actually enjoy it most of the time. Maybe it was just stress. Maybe I was just angry. Maybe it was just "one of those days." I don't know. But it was not a good day. I told Bryan, of course, and I'm sure the poor man felt like he couldn't do anything. What's he supposed to say? "Hey honey, it's okay. Quit your job." Yeah, I don't think so. But he did the next best thing! I got home from work and saw this.

Except without Bryan's feet. He was waiting in the kitchen. And please ignore the gross carpet. It's actually not too bad and that just happen to be the one spot with a big ugly stain.

 And he had the fire crackling.

 And he was standing right where I took this picture waiting with a big hug. I cried.

 Doesn't this meal look amazing!

I know that I am so lucky. I'm tearing up now just thinking about. I am so blessed to have my wonderful husband who obviously loves me a whole lot. And that day ended up being one of the best.

Jewelry Table

So the other day I was at work talking to my friend Samantha when I noticed her watch. It got me thinking that I don't wear my new watch as often as I would like. Then I thought about how I don't wear a lot of my jewelry because I can't see it. It's tucked away in a cabinet and somewhat hard to get at. That's when I decided I needed a jewelry table. Someplace where it could all be displayed. And hence my search began. 

I was first thinking of making a table from the Ana Whites website, but thought I would check the local thrift stores to see if there was anything to makeover that might have more character than anything I could make myself at this time. I drove to the Spanish Fork DI because the Provo one never has anything good. While there I found this:

It was the perfect size for what I wanted. So after long deliberation I decided to take it home. I took it apart and painted it with a primer that doesn't require sanding (thank goodness!).

I then painted it a latex black enamel with I think 5 coats. It felt like it took forever to dry! But I think it turned out really well. I'm very proud of myself. :)

 So here it is all finished!

It is perfect so that now I can see all my jewelry. And it's all gold and silver and shiny, just the way that I like it. Plus it has a glass top to make sure I don't scratch it up. And for once I did it all by myself! I'm sure Bryan is so proud of me too.