Happy New Year's Eve!

Wishing everyone a happy and fun New Year's Eve. Nate and I are headed to a party tonight, bring on the laughs, games, "mock"tails, and midnight kissing! Hopefully after a fun night tonight and a morning of sleeping in, we'll be ready to work on our resolutions. Here's to a great 2009!!

Elver Pajamas

Every year on Christmas Eve we have always received some pajamas from an elf named Elver, tonight was no exception. When I was in first or second grade we wrote letters to Santa's elves. It turns out that these elves were the sixth graders in our elementary school and they each responded to our letters. My letter was signed from an elf named Elver, and so the tradition was born. Each Christmas Eve from that time on we have been given Christmas pajamas. These are the pajama pants that Nate and I got tonight:

Cookies

We still haven't gotten around to decorating our annual gingerbread house. This evening after I got canceled from work Nate and I decided to make and decorate some cookies. Now bear in mind that the only cookie cutter we have is in the shape of a butterfly and we also had no sprinkles, so these are very amateur cookies. We had fun, and I think that's the point.

It's About Time

We finally put up our Christmas decorations! My mom had brought us a wreath a few days ago and it was making me feel guilty about not having other decorations up. So after going to dinner with Benji and Amanda Friday night we finally got around to putting up our tree and some lights. Now I am wishing we had done it much sooner. I love the glow from the lights on the tree and Nate says it makes our apartment much more "homey," and I have to agree. Now that our decorations are up and there is some snow on the ground I feel like Christmas is here at last.

Our tree, sorry that it's a little blurry.



The wreath that my mom gave us.



The stockings are hung on a bookshelf because we have no fireplace.


These are some fun snowflake lights that change colors. I like that they have the little suction cups that stick right to the window.

Christmas Lights

So as part of our date night this week, Nate took me out to see some of the lights around the valley. Now this is something I love to do, and I was so impressed that he remembered! What a good man! We drove around for an hour and a half or so and looked at lights in some residential areas. I saw tons of really cool houses, but my favorite is this house near us. Last year they had a rhino all lit up and this year they have a Loch Ness Monster. Very cool.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! We are a little late with our well-wishing, but that's okay. Nate and I had a busy Thanksgiving day visiting both sides of the family. Then we did go shopping on Friday morning. No, we did not camp out anywhere or even get up super early, we bought some Christmas decorations and that's about it. Also on Friday I made my first turkey and I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. Nate claims it was the best turkey he has ever had. What a nice husband! Anyway, we hope you had a great Thanksgiving and that your holiday season continues to be wonderful.

Our Heroes

Lots of people have heroes. I've heard of people admiring Ghandi, Mother Theresa, famous athletes, even their mom and dad. This however, is one I had not heard of until now.......

Happy Birthday Nate!

Yes, today is Nate's birthday. Happy 23rd Birthday babe! Since Nate's birthday lands on the 12th, we celebrate the 12 days of Nate. Each day for 12 days I give him a treat or small present to prolong the festivities. In honor of that tradition here are 12 of the many things I love about Nathan.....

1. Nate is fun. I often joke that I am the funny one and he is the fun one (yes, I know it is wishful thinking to think I am funny).

2. He has a wonderful temperament. Nate never holds a grudge and doesn't let the trivial things bother him. He is my favorite of all the red-heads I know.

3. He is great at always making sure my car is clean and full of gas and washer fluid, etc. He even buys the little tree shaped car fresheners for me. That is one thoughtful man!

4. Nate is a fantastic listener and problem solver.

5. Smart! The boy is smart, he never has to study and still does great on all of his tests.
6. I have to admit, I love his taste in music, 99% of the time.
7. No matter what, he always tells me I look nice, even if I am sick or haven't showered or am having a bad hair day.
8. Nathan is really good about helping out around the house (or apartment to be specific) even if he doesn't want to.
9. I love that Nate is always so supportive, no matter what hobby or crazy project I undertake, he is always encouraging.
10. He is such a good example, I truly do look up to him.
11. My husband can cook! He makes a mean teriyaki chicken.
12. I love Nate's laugh. From his little chuckles when he is trying not to laugh at me, to his full body laugh when his eyes water and he can't even talk. I love it when I am able to make him laugh.

So, I hope Nate has a fantastic birthday and that this year is wonderful for him! If you see him tell him Happy Birthday. I love you Nate!

One Reason to Get Married

Now I am the first person to tell you that marriage is wonderful and has tons of perks. However, since it has gotten colder there is one benefit that stands out to me lately. My husband is among the world's best spider assassins. He could go pro. His stealth and accuracy are unmatched. This is what happens to spiders when I am home alone................yes, they get smashed with a shoe, I've learned over the years to use shoes with flat soles, don't use shoes with a lot of tread or the spider could escape between treads. I smash them and then leave them for my husband to dispose of and then wipe up the crime scene with a clorox wipe (probably on my list of 10 best inventions, can't live without clorox wipes). But, this is how it works when Nate is home. I am usually the one who spots the offending spider and I have a sure-fire warning signal for Nate, it is an urgent "Spider! Spider! Spider!" cry and I am sure to point it out for him (communication is not a problem in events such as these). Then with all the skill of a hit man, Nate is on the attack and eliminates the target and removes all evidence. I then say aloud that I hope all his (meaning the spider's) friends were watching and that if they're smart they'll leave now before we find them. When all is said and done I go back to pretending that spiders and bugs of all sorts don't exist. If there was an award for such feat, my husband would win for sure. So basically, if you hate killing spiders and such, there is an easy answer, just get married.

My Christmas List

So Nate has asked me what I want for Christmas, and could I please make him a list so he can get exactly what I want. Trying to be accommodating, I have put some things down on paper for him. I wonder what he is going to say when he sees what is on my list?!

Bubbles Ring from Tiffany's


Bubbles Bracelet from Tiffany's

Getting Started

So, I've been really stressed lately about getting food storage and 72 hour kits in order, thanks to our omen of a blackout! I feel so behind and clueless when it comes to food storage. Last week someone emailed me to a great website that had tons of useful information and great worksheets/checklists (thanks Heidi!). We have our shelves up and now I just need the food. Hopefully no natural disasters strike in the next little while! For the food storage challenged, like myself, here are my two favorite websites that I found really helpful:
-www.myfoodstoragedeals.com
-http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net.
I am still going to cross my fingers that Santa will bring me some Shelf-Reliance shelves for Christmas. We'll see.

Lights Out

Our power went out on Sunday night, for about 2 hours. An SUV had crashed into a power pole, effectively blacking out our neighborhood. Apparently we live on the edge of some power grid, because the people across the street had power, but not us. We walked down and saw the wreck and so did our entire block it seemed. Fortunately for us, the power people were already there and working on getting our lights back on. We were baking cookies at the time and luckily they finished right as the power went out, so Nate had treats while we hung out in the dark. I did know where the flashlights and lantern were, but now I feel an urgency to get our 72 hour kits in order!

This is our kitchen during the blackout, don't worry, I'm not planning on becoming a professional photographer. It is hard to take pictures with the flash turned off.

Nate's favorite chocolate chip and butterscotch cookies that finished just in the nick of time!

Haunted Gingerbread House

Nate and I made a gingerbread house last year around Christmas, and it did not turn well. Then I ran across these kits for haunted gingerbread houses, so we had to try again. We were up at my mom's house this evening and so Kelley and Josh (my sister and brother) and Nate and I made our haunted ginger bread house. This one stood up on it's own and the roof didn't even cave in! Needless to say, we were very pleased with the results.

I've Fallen for Fall

What can I say about fall, I love it! I love the cold temperatures, the rain, the changing leaves. Years ago I heard a term for fall that I love, "hoodie weather." Well said! I am so grateful for the return of hoodie weather. Farewell summer and your miserable heat. Bring on the frost and the mornings where I can see my own breath. It is so much easier for me to sleep during the day, after I've worked all night, when it is a little bit darker. I love the rich colors that fall brings, and people just seem to be nicer this time of year. Yeah for fall!

Gotta Love It!

Today I heard a quote that I love! It is... "I am a cerebral stud!" Hilarious! Thank you screenwriters of America for making my day. What would we have if we didn't have our sense of humor? Why can I appreciate this profound statement? Because I too am a cerebral stud/studette (or at least I'd like to think so)!

Our family

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

The Happenings...

Not too much is new with our family. Nathan now works for a company called Digis that is based in Pleasant Grove. He had to leave Dell because they weren't going to allow him to have Sundays off like they had promised. We feel blessed that he was able to find a great position at Digis that works not only around Sundays but works really well around his school schedule. Work is still the same for me, the patients seem to be a lot harder and more demanding than years past. Maybe that is just the way things go. The only other new thing I can think of is that Nate had to get some new tires on his car. I am sick of summer and ready for the cool temperature and pretty scenery of fall!

Chubby Bunnies

Last Friday night we had the chance to go camping. Well, is it technically camping if you don't stay the night? Nate and a bunch of his old friends and their wives decided to have a campout up at Mutual Dell. We had a campfire, tin foil dinners, s'mores, and games. I've decided that one of the best camping games is Chubby Bunnies. The object of the game is to see who can fit the most marshmallows in their mouth and still pronounce the phrase "I am a chubby bunny." When I suggested we play, I thought that I would be met with opposition, but all the boys lined up to play. Amanda and I were practically rolling on the ground watching them play. I am so sad that I didn't have my camera with me at the time.

Fourth of July!

Happy 4th of July to everyone! Hope you are all having a blast. Well, I am stuck at work tonight and Nate is going to see a movie with Benji and Amanda. He really wants to set off some fireworks tonight but I warned him that I don't want to see him here at the hospital with severe burns or missing fingers! So let's hope he stays safe. Both Nate and I are tired of these hot temperatures already. We decided that once he's finished with school we wouldn't mind moving to Oregon or Washington. Bring on some rain! We are feeling so grateful for air conditioners this time of year.

Vacation

Some pictures from our April vacation to Newport Beach with Nate's family. The beach was so much fun, not too hot and not too cold. I told Nate that in the unfortunate event that we ever have to move to California, we better have a beach for a backyard! All jokes aside, going to the beach was our favorite part of vacation. We also went to Knottsberry Farm. Although with my fear of fast rides, I think Nate had more fun than me, but I did go on one rollercoaster with him and I did survive to tell about it.

Practice Makes Picture Perfect

Since I am so new to this blogging world I thought I would play around and try out some things. I recently pulled out our wedding cd so I thought I'd try a post with pictures added to it. So here goes.....

Opportunity?

Today, just after church, Nathan and I were asked to speak this upcoming Sunday. I was just getting to the point that I thought we were safe. So of course, I am already stressed. We have 35 minutes between the two of us and Nate said he is only going to use up five of them. We'll see how this goes. Maybe, if I do poorly enough, they will release me from Primary! Wish us luck this week.

A+ Appliances

We have finally joined adulthood! Nate and I bought our first washer and dryer last Saturday and they were delivered on Wednesday. And the part that gets to me is how excited we are. Who knew household appliances could bring such happiness to a home?! No more schlepping around this county and the next to get our laundry done. The only drawback is that they are white, I wanted a fun color like red, but our make and model doesn't come in anything but white. But I don't even care, I am just so excited to have clean clothes around the clock!