US versus THEM

Nothing screams Christmas more than making gingerbread men with family and friends. Well maybe there are things that do scream it more but for now let's stick with that. So recently Jordan and I hosted our 2nd FHE and this time it was decorating, I am sure you have guessed it by now, yes gingerbread men. Here are some lovely pictures from that evening. On a side note these 28 cookies took me over 3.5 hours to finish them all. I won't bore you with the details my dear family and friends but I am not sure if I will ever make another gingerbread man in my life. LOL...I would venture to say that if something is going to take this long then I'll just make gingerbread houses. (smile)...which Jordan and I plan on doing after finals. I'm super excited to start that tradition!



Picaso would have been proud of us...LOL..here is some of what we did!




so back tracking a bit...we had hosted a Halloween FHE at our new apt. as well back in October sometime. The activity of course was carving pumkins. here are some pictures of the stupendous time we had. I also wanted to mention that Jordan, after everyone left, took ALL THE PUMPKIN SEADS, he didn't leave a single one out, cleaned them, dried them, seasoned them, and baked them...and they turned out to be a huge hit with family, friends, and the people I work with. I was so proud of him. I know that seams silly to you to say "why the heck is she so impressed and proud of him for baking pumkin seads?" well it's for the only fact that I saw him take hours to do this. There were 5 couples who came...making that 5 pumkins. I was so impressed with the hard work and dedication he did. He is going to be such a great dad...we enjoyed pumpkin carving so much that we plan on doing it for Christmas too when we start our own family! LOL. Well time to go. Talk to you all later! I didn't put everyone's individual pumpkin but that one is ours. the front was a skerred tree and the back of the pumpkin we carved that scarey moon lit night scene. (wahahaha)

Key Largo, Montego, Baby Why Don't We Go...

Hey everyone. I know it has been forever since I have really updated but maybe I'll start from May and gradually work my way forward...eventually? LOL...maybe not but Jordan and I agree that the most fun we have had this year was going to Key Largo with some friends that are dear to us. We do miss Dan and Valerie (who are now up at Yale), and Raquel (new addition (wink) she is Dan's sister Raquel is drop dead funny). So in lieu of that we definitely were with some great friends as well as some good food. All this = such a Good Life. And this is where we found our selves at the end of May 2009 thanks to Dan and Val!

So Sun, Sand, Conversation, Beach here we come!!!! or came or went...LOL

Where we stayed? It went by the name of Bayside Inn Key Largo but we would like to call it the sweat box because we all arrived there sometime around midnight on a Friday but the air was broken and becuase the place was so dang small or well not a chain there wasn't anyone there to check us in. LOL...so the first time we all literally slept in the May humid heat of nice ol' Florida. However on day 2 it was quite different as they did switch us rooms where we basically froze our tooshes off, well maybe not all of us...LOL...maybe just me. But there were six of us staying in a 2 bed suite! Two persons to each bed and then two camped it out on the air mattress in the beds. So if you picture it you walk in the room beds to your left air mattress in between the two beds. So the only walk way was in front of each bed. It was quite fun and actually the air mattress was a bit more comfortable (smile) so dang funny. You can almost see our room in the picture, bottom.


So Saturday we spent on a boat...well mostly on the boat but we also ate some super great food and if Jordan had had it his way we would have eaten at MR. C'S ice cream parlor for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all snacks in between...LOL.

Oh and on our way back to TpA we all stopped at Miami and as you can see we got sizoked! well just the girls. The guys decided to be gracious enough to just let us out and drive around until we were done dancing/singing/and laughing in the rain. Oh and back to talking about Key Largo...I can't forget to tell you about the yummy key lime pie Popsicle we all tried....sooooo good! but it might have gone to our heads because look at that big lobster we found...aren't they suppose to be a lot smaller than that? But when it is all said and done my two favorite pictures are the ones of raquel running out of the miami beach in the rain and the one of Valerie where she is in the middle of Dan and I at the pizza shop quenching her face (smile) these = priceless.

Dan and Jordan enjoyed their thinking moments too...quite moments are sometimes just the best.

so there is a lot more I am sure I forgot since it was over 4 months ago but hey if I get us all caught up maybe I can be better versed and not forgetful next time. (wink). luvmis!

MaRrIaGe Is A bLiSs

Over the past year I have had such an amazing time being married. I simply wanted to take the time to note all of the things I love about marriage. If you are not married, I think most of these still apply. These are in NO particular order…and feel free to add to my list if you have any good ones. I would love to hear your thoughts.

• Companionship
• Love
• Laughter
• Passion
• Connection
• Shared adventure(s)
• Friendship
• Watching a movie/show together under a blanket
• Deep conversations
• Simple conversations
• Hearing him say “I love you”
• Knowing the little quirks of another human being
• Day dreaming about co-parenting our children
• Being authentic
• All the inside jokes between us
• Memories of past experiences together
• Trust
• Shared values
• Shared adventures
• Holding Hands
• Seeing him from across the crowded room
• Feeling the love more deeply than the day before.
• Growth
• Lazy mornings together
• Shared responsibilities of life
• Taking care of someone else
• Making him smile
• Someone to challenge me to be a better person
• Hearing him sing
• Silliness together
• A companion on road trips
• Being out of the “dating scene”
• Entering a room or restaurant together
• Knowing I have an eternal companion to spend my entire existence and never to wish for anyone else
• Reading together
• Sharing our hobbies
• Knowing he will always be there
• Working hard for someone
• Going on Temple Trips together
• Having someone to cheer for
• Having someone cheer me on
• Someone to wake up next to

Fast-tie, elastic shoelaces

One day while being frustrated trying to install Speed Laces on a pair of sneakers with tiny fabric eyelets instead of larger, metal-rimmed holes, I searched around and found Yankz. With Yankz, you're simply lacing them through like you would a normal pair of laces and then locking them in place. Putting them on a new pair of shoes takes only a few minutes.

I'm on my fourth pair, makes the transition station at TRI's easier and quicker. It's worth noting that the elastic does not hold forever. When my running shoes were worn out and I removed the laces, I noticed my first pair of laces looked over-stretched, much like the elastic waistline of an old bathing suit. Point being, much like a pair of shoes, the laces don't last forever.

$7.50 for solid colors, $8 for reflective. Worth it.

Cheers for Love and Life

"Happiness is Good but Love is even Better!"

"You don't have to be special and known by others- it is enough that you'll know Yourself!"

"Is Better to find out that I Am Already Good as I Am- than trying to change myself to become better..

"We have the power to control our thoughts, and also the choice to let them control us and to even believe they are stronger than we are..." (Once again- only a thought!)

"The Key to Great Dreams is- Great Imagination!"

"Do What You Love & Love what You Do!"
"Love has a Lot of Strength! It is important to find a place Filled with Love. A Place with Good and Loving People.. That's the most Important and Beautiful thing in Life!"

"Home is… A Place where you Feel at home…A place that you can really call your Home. That is the place where you Really Are at Home. Home is always with You and Inside you- wherever you go. As long as you Love and are Loved in Return."

"The stage when we are ready for True Love, is when we no long want the "falling in love" drug that only comes from our body. It comes when we are ready for the Love that comes within our Soul! A Love that comes back to us the way we Deserve! According to how much we Gave, not only to how much we received... "

"You will be most happy- when you'll Release yourself from the past! Then you'll Realize that in each moment there's a new Present! and so will be your future.. Pleasant!"

"Life is Good! -When you're in the Mood!"

"Time heals nothing, It’s what you Do with time, that creates the Healing."

"One is so much Better than Nothing!" -so many times we think we are not good enough... but in comparison to Nothing- we then understand that we are so Much!

"Those who are near us- are more important than those figures on the screen or in those in the books…"

"The True celebrities are us! For those who love us…"

"To make the Loneliness go away- only One person is needed!”

"Same as with Love, So it is with Learning. The more we'll give of Ourselves- the more we'll Love and Understand the Subject!"

"If you Believe you Deserve the Best- the Best will Be Yours!"

"Friends from Above, friends from below... Make your Heart and Spirit Glow!"

"You Receive the problems only so You will know how fix them for others. And then show them how to do so!"

"God gives you Exactly what you Truly need! It is only up to you to decide according to your Consciousness! Then He will direct everything else...”

"There's a time & a place for Everything.."

"The Love we give to others- is Forever Kept in their Hearts!""Life is Good- when you Love!"