December please slow DoWn!

 I can't believe December is half over...I really do not know where this month has gone. 

First a update on the hair,  I'm getting used to it more and finding out how to make it look more like me...Ryan is still trying to warm up to it.  He LOVED my short big hair and isn't sure this long hair fits my personality yet.  I think he will come to love it it was just such a drastic change he was a little surprised.

This last week has been crazy, Ryan has been studying for his final's.  This is his last big semester of school and this is also the last grades the Grad School's will see on his applications so he always studies hard but he has been even crazier this semester.   He also put in his application a few weeks ago so in the next month or so we will find out what interviews he got and where and what are life is going to be like for the next few years.  We are so excited to move on to the next phase of school, but nervous at the same time.

We were able to take a break from work, school and Christmas stress and go up and visit Walt and Lexie this last weekend in Salt Lake.  We love them,  we have been to NY and Cali with them and we just have a great time with them.   We were able to go our Saturday night to the temple and have dinner on the Roof.  It was such a fun evening here are a few of the pictures I took. (I suck at picture taking by the way I need to take classes)

We decided to stay over Sunday night instead of having to leave mid day and drive in the dark and were able to just hang around in our PJ's all day and watch football and then on Sunday night made gingerbread houses.

Here is Ryan and I's

And just because she is a pro at it,  look how cute Lexie's house is!



 It was so nice to get away and much needed.  We can't wait to see them again in April when they come to stay with us for a few days.. 

Since getting home we have been back to busy,  Ryan didn't have school yesterday so he did laundry, set up my elliptical, and got the garage ready to be made over into our workout room.   I had to go into work and when I got home I worked on some church stuff and we both crashed early.  This is my last week of work before the holidays so I am trying to wrap up a ton of stuff so I can completely enjoy my time off.  I plan to finish up some of the house projects I haven't had time for and watch alot of  Christmas movies on the ABC Family channel. 

We leave the day after Christmas for a week in California,  my parents rented a beach house for our Christmas present and we are just going to chill.  It's going to be awesome!

I haven't talked much about it but Ryan and I have been trying to expand our family for a while and haven't had the easiest time of it so we decided December is a carefree month where we are not worrying about anything, no counting, no stress, nothing.  Come January we are trying a little more aggressive treatments, so say a little prayer for us that Heavenly Father blesses us with a baby in the near future.  We have been blessed beyond measure in this last few years with my dad feeling better, and our little family has had many different blessing in various ways, so we know we will be blessed with a baby when the time is right, but we want Heavenly Father to know we sure are ready whenever he is!  Oh and P.S. this kid is expensive already and not even here yet :)



Hair Today, Hair Tomorrow...

I've been in a hair funk.

 I grew it out until I got married and then cut it off,  then I got mad at myself for doing that and have been growing it out again pretty much ever since.   The problem is once it hits my shoulder's it does a funky curl that drives me nuts and I want to cut it again.   I was getting my hair done last month and telling Em I wanted to cut it again and instead (since she says I will regret it again) I ended up adding ALOT of hair..  It is going to take some getting used to and if I don't love it it is only for the next 6 months and during that time my own hair will continue to grow and I can keep it long or I can cut it off to my shoulder's again. 

These pictures aren't great we are going out of town this weekend so I will have better ones but I thought I would document this occasion :)



So BeHinD!

I am so behind in life right now I feel like my house is always a mess and I never have enough hours in the day. I need to remember this for future years and plan accordingly so I can get a maid for those few months LOL.  

Work has been busy,  church has been busy and now that it is the holiday season we are travelling most weekends this month!

Thanksgiving was great,  we had a fun time up in Parowan with my extended family and then spent the rest of the weekend at our place in St. George.  Ryan and I were able to visit Brigham Young's winter residence on Saturday after having lunch with our friends the Murie's.  I hadn't been to Brigham's house since I was probably in elementary school,  next time we go up I want to re-visit the Tabernacle and Jacob Hamlin's home. And I want to do a session at the temple.   This time though we went to the temple grounds and saw the lights with my cousin's Thom and Wendy and their whole crew.  Everytime I see the kids I can't believe how much they have grown and think back to when I lived with them the summer before my senior year of high school and babysat there two oldest CJ and Josie who were still in diaper's at the time and now they are 17 and 15. Man I am getting old!   We had a great time with them and overall a very relaxing trip.

My pictures suck they are from my Iphone.  My cousin Wendy had the camera and is sending me better ones :)

I am done with work on the 16th until the new year,  I am so excited to have the entire week off before Christmas.  Especially since we are hosting Ryan's school Christmas party at our house on the 17th.  :)  We then leave the Monday after Christmas and are in California for the next week,  9 hour drive to get there but then nothing but relaxing after that.  I have been buying some books on my Kindle that I have no time to read right now but can't wait to dig into on my vacation.

One thing I am on top of though is my Christmas shopping.  I am 95% done,  pretty much just stocking stuffers and finishing up buying some stuff for what I am making for Ryan's church class and some neighbor and friend gifts. I am so happy about this because work will be crazy up until the 16th and I really don't want to be out shopping that entire next week.  Now I am not promising Ryan I will not go shop at all, but probably not Christmas related.  He might threaten to take away my cards and lock me in the house that week.

Ryan and I got our pictures taken a few weeks ago and my Christmas card is done and out in the mail to most people. Whew!

I have so much more I want to catch up on but ran out of time. 

 I'll sit down next week and post a thoughtful post about different things I have been thinking about recently as Ryan and I have had some experiences and trials lately.   

Until then, keep the true meaning of Christmas in your hearts..



TurkeY DaY AWaiTS!

So I have actually accomplished a few of my house projects.   The bar stools arrived early and my wonderful husband set them up this last week!  We love them,  I might trim a little off the bottom on the legs to make it comfortable for all heights to sit on them but other than that it was just the thing I needed to add a little something to the kitchen!

I also almost have the laundry room finished and I contacted the furniture maker in SLC and she is on the hunt for a entry table for me :)

I feel accomplished and a little more settled now.

We have been super busy this last week,  I had a few church obligations this weekend and we put up our Christmas lights and our tree. Much to the chagrin of Ryan who thought it was way to early,  but he did it because...Happy Wife,  Happy Life :)  I am going to finish all the decorations on Wednesday before we head out to Utah.  

We have Thanksgiving with my side of the family this year and will be spending it in Parowan, UT at my Aunt's house.   Then we will head back down the mountain to St. George and spend the rest of the weekend there.  Ryan and I have a little Black Friday shopping to do for some last minute presents (and hopefully a big present for ourselves a new elliptical!) and then we plan to just hang out with my family, go riding and see our good friends the Murie's.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and if you are travelling to be safe! 



Ho Hum Ho Hum..

That's how I feel right now..there are so many things in life I have no control over,  but decorating is NOT one of them and is where I am funneling my energy right now. 

I have never lived in one place very long in my life, I went to 4 different elementary schools and a few junior high schools.  We were always moving to a new house, I don't think we ever lived in a house longer than 5 years, if that :)  

Once I was out on my own over the last 12 years (wow that's a long time) I have lived in 2 apartments and three houses.  My first house I bought I was in maybe 2 years and my 2nd I was in for just over a year...anyways the point of this is  I have been in my current house for 5 years and I am getting the itch to move and have everything new,  the design phase of picking everything out and having that new feeling is my favorite...BUT sadly that cannot happen we are so upside down and with Ryan's schooling and everything else we have going on up in the air right now there is no reason to move.  PLUS I love my house and I really don't want to move,  we are happy where we are!  But I can't help myself  I have been in the mood to pretty much change anything I can get my hands on. Most of the women readers will understand what I mean,  you get sick of your stuff and want different stuff!  Once again....Poor Ryan for having to put up with my craziness.

I have a list a mile long of things I want to change to make the house feel new again! Minus any major painting and changing colors (that I will not do again until we move I HATE painting large spaces)

  

Ryan has come home the last few weeks to me changing the placement of things all over..

I started with the kitchen,  I am over my table and my bar stools so I found these ones at Z' Gallerie for a pretty good price (cheapest place I could find them Target was even more expensive)

They are set to arrive in the next few weeks so excited!! 

If I like them since I can't afford a new table right now I might get a few new chairs to mix in and give it a updated look.

  Next, I'm moving onto the laundry room that is driving me crazy.  I plan to do a make over over the next few weeks,  I'll post a before and after once I am done.  Adding a few organizers and a can of paint is going to work wonders :)  My goal here is a cheap re-organization that will bring my sanity back.

Then I am going to move on to my entryway,  I have a table I want to change out

 and have been stalking this blog daily to see about purchasing something or getting something made when we go up to Salt Lake next month (shhhh Ryan doesn't know about this yet)

This console she made is perfect for what I am looking for,  except I want it in cream and she sold it for $160 that's awesome!

Our bedroom will come after the entryway, but that is a bigger project and a ways away.   We are saving up to change up to a king size bed once we get that our old bedroom furniture needs to go!   I plan to keep the dresser that holds our TV but I am on the hunt for new side tables a little more manly than the ones I currently have and with more storage.   

see don't those scream female room :)

I do not want a foot board I want something like this...

And I am liking a side table like this...

So that's what I have been doing lately,  I have pretty much been a homebody the last few weekends doing projects around the house, baking alot and cleaning.   I have to take this Friday off and need to just be kind of chill all day, so I have a list in my head of things around the house to do,  mainly putting up my Christmas tree..

Yes already...

It's not too soon...because I say so :) 

 Don't judge me I love Christmas :)



SNeaK PeeK!!

I LOVE PICTURES!

I have said it a million times,  pictures make a house a home.  I'm addicted to picture frames and the pictures that go in them.   I don't think Ryan has ever taken so many pictures in his adulthood since meeting me,  and he has come to understand we will get a family picture yearly for the rest of our lives.  I was talking with my Mother in Law who wants her kids to update their family pictures and I told her she will never have to worry about that with me :)

So last weekend we packed up the dogs and headed up to Red Rock to get our 2011 family pictures taken by our friend Trish.  These will go out in our Christmas cards and will be given to

Grandparents and Parents, and of course put up in our house. 

The dogs were a little bit of a challenge,  but they are our family and as Maggie gets older (she is going to be 9 in January) and our family hopefully expands,  I didn't know if we would have this oppurtunity again and knew I wanted my babies included.

Here is a sneak peek of our pictures!  

Big thanks again to our friend Trish who normally doesn't do families,  but our good friend Rachel who is amazing  and normally takes our pictures.  She is pregnant with a cute baby boy we can't wait to meet and not really into the picture taking right now so Trish did us a favor :)



BuSY BuSY!!

Sometimes Ryan and I look at each other and wonder where the heck the time goes,   we seem to always be so busy.  We thought we were busy when we were dating and kept saying things would slow down once we got married....yeah that didn't happen.  Between work, school, family, friends and our church callings we are busier than ever.  Every once in a while I will tell Ryan "This weekend is a nothing weekend where I am staying in my PJ's and watching all the stupid redbox movies I wouldn't pay $10 to see in the theater"   I feel one of those weekend's coming on next weekend when I have Veteran's day off!  So to those that call me,  if I don't answer you know why :)

Anyways last weekend was not one of those weekends,   we actually went to Arizona to visit my brother.   Ryan had never been to Phoenix and since my brother is preparing to move back to Nevada for the next 4-5 months on a few rotations we decided to go up and stay with him and load some of his belongings into our truck for the treck home.  

As a side note my amazing parents bought me this fancy camera for Christmas 2 years ago and do you think I ever remember to take it places,   Ummm NO.  So once again on the drive to AZ I noticed I had no camera so I have no pictures.   Except for a few on my phone.

One of which is my way cute almost pharmacist brother in his very professional looking pharmacy coat:

And the other was a picture of a Mexican Torta,  which is like a HUGE sandwich that they shove every kind of meat possible in it.  Josh and Ryan both went authentic and I think I counted ham, chorizo, hotdogs or some sort of sausage, chicken etc.  Yeah,  not very appetizing to me but they both liked it.  I went the USA way they said and basically mine was a grilled ham and cheese :)

We had a great weekend with Josh and are excited to have him in Las Vegas for the next 4-5 months!

Ryan and I participated in our ward's Trunk or Treat,  someday if I am ever in charge of it I will have a contest for the best costume and the best trunk decorating.  They don't do that kind of thing anymore and no one decorates their car or themselves.  It makes it kind of boring to just walk around to the back of a car with no decorations.   When I was growing up it was a big deal,  everyone decorated their cars and the bishopric were the judges and they had fun little prizes.   Not to rub it in, but my mom won three years in a row ;)  

Anyways,  Ryan and I decorated our car and dressed up as farmers. 

P.S. I hate this picture it makes me look so fat because they are men's overalls

Monday night we just stayed home and handed out candy to the neighbor kids.  This is how Zoey positioned herself for 2 hours. Once it was all done she was so tired :)

So that was Halloween,  maybe I think will think it is more fun once we have kids but for right now,  it's only sort of a bleh holiday for me.

This weekend we are getting a new family picture taken for our Christmas card and the house,   the dogs are coming and will be in some of the pictures I'm excited. And we are going to a UNLV football game with some friends Saturday night.  So another busy weekend we have planned,  man I can't wait until my do nothing say nothing time next weekend... :)



Celebrating!

So let me start off by saying how excited I was all weekend after hearing my dad's good news.  So I decided to have the family over for Sunday dinner.  Please note the following foods are NOT Weight Watcher's material but I dont think celebration dinner's should be. :)

Also I suck and didn't take any pictures of the family OR my food so I had to steal the pictures from the foodie's blog or I would have gone 4 posts with no pictures.   Unacceptable.

On to the food...

I decided to make two recipes off the The Pioneer Woman's blog.   She makes some killer food, but unlike Gina's Recipe site I use that counts calories and shows you healthy substitutes,  the Pioneer Woman doesn't do any of that.  She loves butter.   But man it was good!  And easy! 

The first recipe I made was this  Peach-BBQ Whiskey Chicken minus the whiskey of course.  I looked up a non-alcoholic substitute for whiskey and couldn't find anything so I thought using cream soda would be good,  and it WAS!   I love chicken thighs because they are cheap and still meaty.   This had great flavor and out of the 12 thighs I made with 5 people there were only 2 left,  and everyone took home the extra sauce to re-use this week.

Here is a picture of her version,  and mine looked pretty similar (minus the fancy plate)

This is when it really started smelling good.

I decided to make these Restaurant Style Mashed Potatoes to go along with it,  since #1 that's what she had made and #2 I didn't think it would be good with rice.  I am not really a mashed potato fan but I must say I thought these were really good.

I followed this recipe to the T,  except for I had a bag of bacon bits and didn't feel like dirtying another pan so I just used those.   They were delicious!!

The best part....THESE bad boys!

So even though we keep celebrating in our hearts,  the calorie busting celebration meal's have come to a end...it's back to Gina's Skinny Recipe's for us...

Until next time...



At just the right time...

This last month has been not the easiest for me,   I have been struggling with accepting that things don't always happen when YOU want them to happen.  This is so hard for me,  I am THE ultimate planner.  I plan my life, Ryan's life,  even my families lives to a point.  I like things done a certain way and on time.  So when I put my mind do doing something and want it bad and it doesn't happen the way I want and when I want,  it is very frustrating to me.  

I have felt angry, sad, guilty and frustrated the last few months, and even though I know eventually everything will turn out fine it's the getting there that might kill me.   :)

So when I received the call from my mom today after the Dr's that my dad is still doing good,  that his transplant's did their job and even though we haven't hit the touchdown mark yet we are on the 1 yard line.   It was just what I needed to hear! To know that Heavenly Father does listen to me and does answer my prays,  he just does it in his time and not mine.

So I am determined I am not going to be angry, sad or frustrated this month,  I am going to be happy and just keep praying and have faith!!!

October Conference

I don't know about anyone else but sometimes Conference speaks to me louder than other times.   I always enjoy listening to the messages and always feel the spirit but sometimes the topics and the words jump out at me more than others...This happened to be one of those sessions.

 Ryan and I joined a Couples FHE,  because let's face it when you don't have any kids and it's just you and your husband you are not always so good at FHE,  We see each other and have family time all the time :)    (P.S. FHE stands Family Home Evening for those non-LDS friends who read my blog and is a night dedicated to spending with your family and having a spiritual family lesson).  Anyways,  we were asked to give the lesson this time and asked to talk about a favorite talk from Conference. Men and women have different views sometimes,  so Ryan and I decided he would talk about a favorite moment or two, and I would do the same.  On my lunch hour today I re-watched or re-read some of the talks I particularly loved and felt the spirit all over,   thank goodness my door was closed I am not going to lie I shed a tear or 10 :)

One of the messages that kept coming up was PRAYER and how important it is to have that communication with our Heavenly Father daily,  to thank him for our blessings and to talk to him and ask for his guidance during our trials.   Elder Robert D. Hales said "We often pray for patience, but we want it right now"  Isn't that the truth?  I know I am guilty of this I have been praying for certain things in my life to happen and I want them to  happen soon, and it just doesn't works like that,  Elder Cornish said " It takes faith to remember that prayer's are answered in the Lord's own time and in His own way".   I definitely needed to hear this and need to be better about this.

I also loved when President Uchtdorf said disciples of Christ know a person's worth and value is not related to the things the world values and that no amount of currency in the world would allow them to buy a "load of bread in the economy of heaven"  Are we working as hard on our spiritual value as we are on our worldly value?  This is not saying you are not allowed to have nice things,  if circumstances allow you the opportunity to be able to live a comfortable life there is nothing wrong with that.  Their is also nothing wrong with having goals in life, but they shouldn't all be about something material or physical. 

 The subject and talk that hit me hard the most was families,  the decision to have children and guidance on how to feed them spiritually.  As Ryan and I move into the next stage of our marriage and contemplate having a family the talk given by Sis. Dalton was amazing.  "Father's, by definition, you are the guardians of your homes, your wives and your children...You must be the guardian of virtue"  I once again am so blessed and humbled to not only have married a man who is worthy and virtuous and whom I have no doubt will be an amazing father to our children,  but I am also blessed to have been raised by a man of the same caliber.  

When Sis. Dalton was asking the question of  "How to raise a daughter?"  and the answer was "To love her Mother"  I LOVED this answer, I am shown this every day of my life in my own marriage,  and I know it's because I have seen that my entire existence in my parent's marriage and it led me to choose a partner who would treat me the way I knew I should be treated,  with love and respect.  I have never had any doubt's about how my parents feel about each other,  and how important their marriage is to them.  I think I was in junior high and all my friend's parents were getting divorced and I was jealous because they were getting double the allowance and double the gifts and I would tell my parent's I wanted them to divorce so I could get the same,  looking back how stupid was I?  I got the better deal,  I got a father who loves my mother and was never afraid to let us see that, even when they would kiss right in front of my face (with tongue mind you!) just because it grossed me out...a father who never fought with my mother in front of us, who respected her and us enough that they did it privately (or maybe never fought at all lol ... I know your smiling Mom)

Yeah,  I definitely got the better deal :)

I hope everyone was able to listen and enjoy the messages from this Conference session, and that it spoke to you or touched your heart in some way... 

LiFe

I saw this saying on a friends Facebook page and loved it:

" You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only option you have "

There are so many people going through difficult times right now.  Whether it is battling a disease like  my family,   recovering from a life threatening brain injury like in the case of a childhood friend named Robbie (found here), or a young couple named the Websters who lost their little girl at 4.5 months old only to learn that they both carry a genetic gene that makes it nearly impossible to have a healthy biological child.  There are families I know struggling daily with finances, faith and trials in marriage.  

Whatever the case may be,  this saying speaks to me in any of these circumstances. 

Over the last year and a half I have seen my own family struggle watching my dad and mom go through treatment after treatment and when I didn't think they could handle anymore their strength, and in turn my whole families strength grew. 

I was having a discussion with a friend the other day just about life and different things we are going through and we both realize the bottom line is Heavenly Father has a plan,  it might not be the plan we want or have in mind for ourselves at that moment in life,  but all we can do is keep the faith,  keep close to our Heavenly Father and STAY STRONG.

For those family member's and friends who read my dad's blog,  he has been bad about updating,  mainly because he is doing so well and we really try hard not to think about the C word and just go about our daily life.   But if you have a minute today or tomorrow say a little prayer for my mom and dad,  we have hit 100 days post transplant and he is getting all his testing done to find out exactly where all his number's are.  I expect to hear the words REMISSION!!

Love to all...

Mobile UpLoading....

I swear I take more pictures on my Iphone than I do on my nice camera and I never upload any of them so this post is dedicated to my latest Iphone random pictures :)

In no particular order...

On a date to Max Brenner's and the Bellagio water show

The girls waiting for poppa to come home

Dinner with the Murie's I've know Taz and Adam since Junior High and we are still friends!

I am loving white nail polish right now

The bar stools at Z Gallerie I am saving up for in my kitchen

My girls....faces only a mother could love :)

Man I wish they would bring Chick-Fil-A to Las Vegas!

Date night with my favorite ALMOST 3 year old! 

Fireworks at Disneyland

Watching my girls eat their Doggy Ice Cream

AND LAST

Kissing my babe on the beach :)