Happy Christmas Eve!

Dan and I have been having so much fun here in Utah. Yesterday, Dan and I went to lunch with Nancy at Rooster's on 25th street, and that was a lot of fun. It's so hard, b/c when I'm in Utah, I think I want to live here, and then when I'm in Madison, I want to live there! So coming home always sends me into somewhat of a quandry :) Oh well. Anyway, we then went to Nancy's house and saw all her wedding pictures, which were gorgeous. (And, her Rottweiler, Buster, is soooo cute!)

Then we went to a live nativity scene with my mom, Jason and Nancy. It was really cool; it was just put on bya family in West Haven, but it was really involved! There were real livestock (horses, sheep, llamas, etc.), excellent costumes, and it was really fun to see. Then we just came out and hung out here for awhile, and I wrapped presents while Dan helped my mom iron her tablecloth. I know, I know, isn't he domestic??? :)

This morning (Christmas Eve day; yay!) I just helped my mom clean up, and I made Chex Mix, which my family says is my specialty :) Dan and Austin went snowshoeing and took Shila with them, and they said it was a lot of fun. However, now it is snowing like crazy; visibility is sooo bad. It's cozy when we're in our own home, safe and sound, but it's kind of scary to think we have to brave that to go to church! Maybe they'll cancel it, haha, and we can just stay here and hang out. Tonight we're having prime rib for dinner like we always do; Dan and I always love Christmas Eve dinner.

I hope that everyone is having a very merry Christmas Eve, and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

Merry Christmas! (and finally, the pictures I promised you!)

Hello everyone! Sorry that I've been away for awhile; you know how hectic the last couple of days before Christmas can be! On the bright side, we're home in Utah with my family, and Christmas is just the same as it was when I was a kid. I love it (and I love that my mom goes to such an effort to make Christmas such an enjoyable time for her family). So it's definitely a blessed time of year! Of course, we miss Dan's mom, who lives in Washington (she always came over for Christmas dinner when she lived in Utah, and it was a blast), and it doesn't seem the same without her here. Hopefully next year she'll be here with us!

Of course, there are the little issues that always pop up (such as when my parents' dog, Shila, tried to kill my cat, Maxine... ok, maybe I'm being a little melodramatic, but I can tell you that these two definitely don't like each other!) Then there was the issue trying to print out the pictures for our Christmas cards; we couldn't really find a good one, and then when we did, we couldn't get the red eye out. Combine that with the relentless traffic and the people who act like their world will end if they don't grab the last item off the shelf, and I ended up feeling pretty crabby.

Then I stopped to put it all in perspective. I'm here, in my childhood home (which is full of the Christmas spirit, if I do say so myself), with my beloved husband and soulmate, my wonderful parents and brother, and Dan's sister and brother-in-law right down the road. We're all healthy, we DEFINITELY have enough to eat (have you seen the dinners my dad makes?), and most importantly, we're all together, enjoying each other's company. Do the little things like crowds and red eye in a photo truly matter? I think not. I'm so blessed, and I hope that we all remember how lucky we truly are.

And, if you have a chance to bless another family who is in need, I hope you can. I can't tell you the joy we felt when we delivered our angel tree presents for the little boy we "adopted." I loved buying gifts for my family, of course, but the joy of buying for a two year old child who lacks even the most basic things in life was overwhelming. We ended up getting him two ADORABLE outfits, a coloring book, two books--because I believe reading is one of the most important things you can do for a child--and a dump truck, because Dan assured me that dump trucks are THE ultimate toy for a two year old boy. Of course, there are other ways to bless those in need; we just need to be on the lookout for them!

Once again, merry Christmas and a happy 2008! I hope to be on here sometime in the coming week, but we all know how Christmas celebrations can take up a lot of one's time :) So, if I don't "see" you all before then, I'll see you once again in 2008! But before I go.... here are some pictures for you all to enjoy (or tolerate! :) just kidding!)
Here is a our townhouse; it's the first time we can actually put up outdoor lights, and I was so glad!







Here is a picture from our front door in early December. We couldn't even get out of our driveway; the weather was so bad! But it was kinda cozy! :)







Here is a view of our tree.







Here's our tree with lights








Here's Dan playing with the helicopter Nancy gave him a couple Christmases ago. Maxine is watching it intently, waiting for a chance to pounce on it!






Dan, Rori and me hanging out at Tracy's after making gingerbread houses.







Here's a tree we made from a gingerbread kit. somehow, it didn't turn out so well, but we still had fun! :)







Kirsti with her gingerbread house








Rori and me with our house








Here is Dan's Tudor gingerbread house. Yeah, the engineer in him has to make this perfect house ;)







Relaxing by our hard work








Hanging out with my 3 favorite girls :) Notice Maxine's pink jacket; we think she looks adorable, but she doesn't like it much!!!!

Whoa, been away for awhile!

Yes, I haven't been updating as regularly as I used to! But let's see, I'm almost finished with my Christmas shopping, which is obviously a HUGE thing! And Dan and I are just packing up to go to Utah; yay! I'm so excited to be able to spend the holidays with my family!!

This weekend was a fun one. On Friday, my friends from work and I got together for a little pre-Christmas celebration at Meghan's apartment. That was a lot of fun; good hors d'ouerves, good wine, and lots of fun conversation.

Then on Saturday, we went to Greg's (Tracy's brother in law) house for another little Christmas celebration. They have one of the coolest victorian houses I've ever seen; it's awesome! And they always have it decorated so cute. We watched a bunch of Christmas movies, including Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Grinch, and Miracle on 34th Street (the old one). So, all in all, it was a lot of fun!

Maybe tonight I'll FINALLY get around to posting pictures of our tree and our outside lights!

Well, Dan and I decided last night that we were too tired to get all dressed up and drive downtown for the formal. Yes, we really are an old married couple. :) But we did go out to eat at Imperial Garden and then watched a movie, called Conversations with Other Women (with Helena Bonham Carter and Aaron Eckhart) here. It was a really interesting movie; very innovative in the way it was shot. I really enjoyed it, and the soundtrack was amazing.

Today we are going to just clean up around here, finish decorating our Christmas tree, and finish putting up Christmas lights. It's snowing here, which I LOVE. I love doing Christmas things when it's all wintry outside. We have to go grocery shopping too,which isn't that much fun. Oh well. I'll post pictures of both our Thanksgiving celebration and our Christmas tree and Christmas lights when we're done with them.

Today, I was sitting on the couch doing a crossword puzzle, and Maxine started to go crazy, so I looked outside the window to see what she was freaking out about, and I saw a gorgeous red cardinal sitting on the tree outside our window. It was so beautiful to see this bright splash of red against pure white. I grabbed our camera to take a picture, but by the time I opened the door, he had flown away. Oh well.

Hope everyone is having a beautiful first day of December! And Happy Birthday Uncle Alan!

We're going to a formal!

I'm so excited; Dan and I are going to go to the College of Engineering's Winter Formal tonight. We haven't been to a dance together (other than our wedding) for ages. It should be super fun; I love getting all dressed up. It's at the Best Western Inn on the Square, which is a pretty nice place. So I'm glad we are actually going out for a night on the town.

We'll post pictures (I promise!)

Sorry about being late on pictures!

I know I said that we'd post photos of our Thanksgiving, but for some reason, we just keep forgetting. So I promise we'll pose some tomorrow! Hopefully by then, we'll have our tree ALL decorated and ALL of our Christmas lights up, so we can take pictures of those too, for those of you who don't get to see our house during the holiday season.

By the way, did anyone watch The Office tonight? It was a rerun, due to the writers' strike, but it was hilarious, nonetheless. So was My Name Is Earl. Dan and I love both of those shows, and 30 Rock was pretty entertaining as well. And, of course, I love Scrubs. I rarely laugh out loud during TV shows, but I definitely do when I'm watching these. We just ordered pizza for dinner; we rarely feel like cooking on Thursday nights. So we just relaxed, had a few Spotted Cows (yay for Wisconsin beer!) and ate our pizza as we watched the best shows ever :)

Equilibrium

Dan and I watched a really interesting movie last night called Equilibrium. It starred Christian Bale and Taye Diggs (both of whom I absolutely love), and it was a really interesting, futuristic film. It was based on the premise that man's inhumanity to man was caused by people's ability to feel, so people such as Bale and Diggs were employed by the government to get rid of anyone who didn't take their "interval" (a drug designed to keep them from feeling). But then Bale doesn't take his interval and begins to feel and truly experience life, so he then begins to question everything he's ever believed.

It's really good; check it out!

A New Layout

Well, as you can see, I transitioned into the more Christmas-y layout. I know it's not quite December yet, but that's ok; I absolutely LOVE the holidays. There are so many cute Christmas layouts that I'll probably be changing it every week or so. Yes, I really have nothing better to do :)

Ugh, I need to edit better

And yes, I am an editor! :) I was just reading through some of the posts, and I saw that I used "their" when I should have used "they're." Ick; that's my pet peeve, and now I did it myself! :) Oops. Guess I'll have to be more careful in the future.

Anyway, Dan and I are going to update with pictures of our Thanksgiving holiday tonight! So check back in if you're curious!

A Public Service Announcement

Please, people. I ask very little from you; I just have the following requests:

• Use your turn signal! It's not hard, I promise! It's a handy little gadget right by your steering wheel, and it allows other cars to see that you are turning. Need help finding it? Email me, and I'll assist you.
• Do NOT pull out in front of me when I am the only car coming. I understand if there's a long, long line of traffic, sometimes you just have to seize the chance when you can, but when I am the only car coming, you really can wait two seconds for me to pass. There's no need to pull out in front of me, making me slam on my breaks and yell a string of curse words that a feminine person such as myself really shouldn't utter.
• When we're in line at the store, please do not stand so close to me that I can feel your breath on my neck. I promise, no one is going to cut in front of you in the 18 inch space that is available between us, so you can back off a little.

There, can you tell I had a rather frustrating time as I was running errands last night? :)

On the bright side, I finished up our Christmas shopping for our angel tree/giving tree (I never know what to call it) boy. On his card, it said that he liked Sesame Street and learning toys, so I got him this adorable book called Global Grover Travels All Over (because really, if a book isn't a learning toy, what is?) I also got him a cute Sesame Street coloring and sticker book. So he's all set! (When we were shopping this past weekend, we got him diapers, two shirts and two pants, and a toy dump truck, because Dan said he had it on very good authority that dump trucks are THE ultimate toy for a two year old boy). I just wish we could see his face on Christmas morning. I'm such a cheeseball, but I love, love, LOVE helping others!

Also, for those of you in Madison, the Big Lots on East Wash is closing, and everything is discounted 20%. Normally, I don't like a lot of their stuff, because it looks kind of cheap. But they have the same toys, etc. that Target does for a lot less (you can get Barbies for $8.00). So I think I'm going to go back and get a few for Toys for Tots. So, if anyone is looking for cheap but high-quality toys to give to those less fortunate this season, this would be a good place to go!

Uggh. Back to Work

Ok, I like my job, I really do. But it is SO HARD to go back to work after a wonderful four days off! I'm just sitting here, looking at the clock (10 am), thinking, I should still be sleeping now :) Oh well. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

What a Wonderful Thanksgiving!

Well, Dan and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! We headed to Tracy and Dan's around 1 o'clock, bringing our Chex Mix, Muddy Buddies (chex with peanut butter, chocolate, and powdered sugar; yum!) and deviled eggs. Dinner was served at 2, and it was, as always, delicious.. We had the usuals of turkey, gravy, stuffing, crescent rolls, and my grandma Eleanore's baked corn dish (I was sooo excited about that).

Then we just relaxed and watched Ratatouille, which was actually very good. (Plus, Dan and I liked it because it reminded us of Paris). Afterwards, Dan H., Kirsti and I decided to play Monopoly, and I was a regular Donald Trump, if I do say so myself :) I was raking in the goods, but we had to stop for the night at 2 am, because we were too tired to go on.m

When I came over the next day, I found my empire had been destroyed by a little imp named Rori (ok, it wasn't destroyed; she was just trying to help by putting everything away, ha ha). So we started a new game before we went to see Beowulf. I was surprised by how much I liked this movie; Dan was the one really pushing for it, but I was pleasantly surprised that I found it so enjoyable. (Plus, we saw it in 3d, which was AWESOME!)

Then we came back to Dan and Tracy's and continued our Monopoly game, and sadly (for me, anyway) it didn't go the same way as the game the night before had. We jokingly called Dan H. Old Man Potter, because he was just raking in the dough. It was a lot of fun, though!

Saturday, Dan and I started our Christmas shopping and put up our Christmas tree, and Sunday, we went to the TRU Tavern in Cambridge to celebrate my grandma's birthday, and that was also a lot of fun.

Well, I'll update with pictures later!

I am thankful for...

Well, with Thanksgiving almost here, I thought it would be nice to remember the things that we are thankful for this season. I have a whole list, but I'll try to keep it short:

• MY FAMILY! I know this sounds trite, and this is what everyone would say, but it's so true!
  
• Dan :) I am so incredibly blessed to have found my soul mate at 18, and even luckier to be married to him now.
  
• I am so grateful that I have parents that I am still incredibly close to, even after I'm all "grown up." I'm so lucky that my mom truly is one of my best friends
  
• I'm so lucky that I have a brother with whom I never experienced any sibling rivalry; we've always been the best of friends
• I'm grateful for my many wonderful aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.
  
• I'm grateful that Tracy and Dan are more than our aunt and uncle; they're also our very dear friends
  
• Of course, Dan & I adore our wonderful goddaughter, Rori, as well as Kirsti. It's so wonderful having "kids" we can spoil!
• I also LOVE my sister-in-law and her husband; they are two of the most caring people we know, and I'm glad to have them as family. I'm also SO lucky to not have the stereotypical mother-in-law problems; my mother-in-law is amazing!
  
• Our health. I am so glad that our entire family is so healthy. Sure, we may have a few issues here and there (I wish Dan didn't have asthma; I wish Tracy didn't have ITP), but for the most part, we are an incredibly healthy family!
• Our home.
  
• Our jobs (that allow us to live in said home). Plus, I actually really like and am fulfilled by my job, so that's a plus!
  
• Our freedom
• Maxine :) I know she's "just" a cat, but she brings so much happiness to us!

Really, I am truly blessed. The only thing I really have to be upset about is the fact that we lost my grandpa on November 10, although this is obviously a huge thing. I still get so sad to think that he's not going to be up at the cabin anymore, waiting to greet us each summer, but at the same time, I know he's with my grandma Eleanore again, so I'm thankful for that. I just wish they were together, here. But even in the face of sadness, I realize that I'm lucky that he lived so long, so healthfully, and although I never got to meet my grandma, I'm thankful for all the wonderful stories about her (as well as her name) that was passed on to me.

So it really is a joyous season, and we are all so blessed.

Help End Hunger!

This is pretty neat. For each word you get right, Free Rice will donate 10 grains of rice to the United Nations to help end world hunger. I got 20 words right, so 200 grains are going to people in need. It doesn't sound like a lot individually, but it all adds up. Think about it; if just 100 people got 20 words right, that's 20,000 grains. Wow!

And luckily, a lot more than 100 people have been doing this. Since October 7, 2007, 3,059,177,080 grains have been sent to people in need. Let's remember in this time of Thanksgiving that there are others who are not so fortunate. Please do this one incredibly simple thing to benefit those in need. (Plus, you'll expand your vocabulary; who wouldn't want to do that?)

I am so excited!!!

This past January, Tracy, Dan, Dan and I went to go see Jesus Christ Superstar in Milwaukee with the Ted Neeley. Yes, I actually saw the star of the 1973 hit motion picture (and my favorite musical ever) perform live. (And my mom saw him in SLC and said he was just as wonderful there.)

Well, Tracy just told me a couple days ago that the tour has been extended! It technically was supposed to end in May of 2007, but it's still going strong. So, today I looked it up, and they will be in Wisconsin twice. Yes, twice! They'll be in Whitewater in February and Milwaukee in April. Naturally, I'll be going to both :) And who knows, maybe I'll also take in the Waukegan show as well (you can never get enough of JCS). So, I'm very excited, and I can't wait until the tickets go on sale!

I don't think Maxine is very happy with us

Today, I was in Target, and as always, I walked past the dollar aisle by the entrance. Well, lo and behold, there were Christmas/holidays pet t-shirts for TWO DOLLARS. So, yep, you guessed right. I bought a cute holiday t-shirt that says Mrs. Paws (instead of Mrs. Claus, haha) for my cat (don't worry; I'll stop dressing her up, um, when I have human children :)). So, we got it on her for photos, but somehow, I don't think she was very happy. I don't know what gave it away.... maybe her expression?Today, I was in Target, and as always, I walked past the dollar aisle by the entrance. Well, lo and behold, there were Christmas/holidays pet t-shirts for TWO DOLLARS. So, yep, you guessed right. I bought a cute holiday t-shirt that says Mrs. Paws (instead of Mrs. Claus, haha) for my cat (don't worry; I'll stop dressing her up, um, when I have human children :)). So, we got it on her for photos, but somehow, I don't think she was very happy. I don't know what gave it away.... maybe her expression? The second picture of her is my favorite, haha.






Here are some of her looking "normal" and rather content:

Thanksgiving is almost here!

Dan and I are really looking to Thanksgiving, and luckily, it's only a couple days away! We're going to go to Tracy and Dan's, which is always fun. They make amazing food, and we usually watch a movie and just hang out. It's a lot of fun! I'm also glad that I get both Thursday and Friday off work; it'll be nice to have a couple of days off.

We'll probably go see Fred Claus over the weekend, which I am really looking forward to. I love any and all Christmas movies, no matter how technically "good" they are. Christmas with the Cranks (or is it Christmas with the Kranks?), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone.... it doesn't matter. If it involves Christmas, I'm set :)

So we're looking forward to a fun Thanksgiving weekend (although we miss our parents, siblings, and other family members that aren't in the area). What is everyone else up to?

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Well, Dan and I took Kirsti and Rori to see this movie yesterday, and we were both surprised by how much we liked it! It was very visually appealing, and I loved the subtle reminder to always, no matter how old you are, believe in magic. This one would be a great one to see over the Thanksgiving weekend, as you get ready for the Christmas season!

We also saw American Gangster on Saturday, with Dan's friend, Dave, and while it was very well-made (and Denzel Washington was amazing, as usual), it was a little too violent (and long) for my tastes.

Next up, Dan wants to see Beowulf, so that's what we're doing this Wednesday night, since we don't have to work on Thanksgiving. I'm sure he'll love it.... me? I'm not so sure :) But we'll see!