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!)