Happy New Year

I have survived several apocalypses in my life. 

Y2K. No Big Deal.

12/21/12. Nice Try Mayans.

I'm pretty pleased to be making it to 2013 after all that. And we've had a pretty good 2012 too.

January: I turned 21. Legal!

February: Engagement Photos

March: Wedding Plans and Homework. Hockey and Basketball.

April: Bridals at Longwood Gardens

May: Marriage

June: Will turned 25. Halfway to 50...

He looks so thrilled with his present... No? ;)

July: California Trip

August: Olympics!

September: School...and nothing else...

October: Hipsters for Halloween

November: Jazz Game

December: First Christmas

Last New Year's Eve, I was recently engaged and on the opposite side of the country from my fiancé. Tonight I will get my first ever New Year's Eve kiss from my wonderful husband. Here's to a great 2013!

Theme Song: New Year's Day, U2

Superior Sandwiches

I like a good sandwich. And when I say good, I mean it. Sub par simply will not do. For example, Subway. Ugh. But, there is a place up by University Mall that has sandwiches that are not just on par, but claim to be superior.

It was actually super neat. You create your own sandwich.

Blurry picture. But extra points for the festive doodles.

I do have a bone to pick over the caramelized onions. Not properly caramelized. But the corned beef was excellent. And Will said they do a good Italian too. And it's just so fun to make your own sandwich. It certainly made me feel superior.

Theme Song: Eat It, Weird Al

The Longest Day of the Year.

Somebody probably told you that the longest day of the year is Summer Solstice.

Somebody lied.

Christmas Eve is the longest day of the year for me. It's full of anticipation and excitement. I can never sleep on Christmas Eve night. I usually roll out of bed by 4:30 or 5 and then wait for my siblings to wake up. Mom and Dad cannot be woken up until 7:30.

This year is a little different. It's mine and Will's first Christmas together. Usually for Christmas Eve, my family will spend the day out and about doing something to get our minds off of how slow the day is going. Two years ago we visited Valley Forge. Last year, Gettysburg. This year Will and I are stuck in Provo. No historically significant sites to visit. 

Every year Mom makes pot roast on Christmas Eve--Rare Who Roast Beast--for dinner. So naturally I had to make some today too. I decided to start by searing each side of the roast to create a crust in hopes that the meat would not dry out as it cooked. There were some browned bits in the pan after I finished searing the meat, so I poured in some grape juice, hoping to pull the bits of flavor off the pan and start making a sauce/gravy. Instead, I created a volcano. Hot liquid shot everywhere. That's one Christmas Eve tradition I don't care to repeat next year. 

However, now the roast is cooking away. The Who Pudding is prepared and setting up in the fridge. We cleaned the kitchen instead of visiting a site of national significance, but it did serve to take my mind off of things. Now, we wait until dinner is done cooking and then I can spend the rest of the evening counting the seconds until bedtime and watching the Google Santa Tracker.

Merry Christmas!

A little sampling of my gift wrapping skills...

It looks better from this side.

Dinner in the Crock Pot. Hopefully it'll taste as good as it smells...

Individual Servings of Who Pudding

All the gifts under the tree. And Will's arm.

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:10-11

Theme Song: O Holy Night, Josh Groban

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

13 December and the count is on! 12 days people. 

I should probably wrap those presents I bought almost two weeks ago...

Me being crafty. Hilarious.

Will did an excellent job setting up this lovely REAL tree. I love real trees.

An adorable thrift store find. Thanks Mom. :)

Only about half the amount of what was there this morning...

Our stockings are my favorite Christmas decoration. I like to think my stocking is bigger because I was more loved as a child. Will likes to think it's because I was spoiled rotten.

Theme Song: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas--Bing Crosby (no other version will do)

How To Enjoy the End of the Semester

The semester when you took 17 credits. (that's 8 classes. 8 finals.)

The semester when you completed your capstone project.

The semester when you took the praxis.
The semester when you dealt with History 201 students for 20 hours a week as a TA.
The semester when you decided to attempt cooking dinner every night. (key word being attempt...)

The end of a semester that you deserve to enjoy.

Cinnabon Hot Chocolate and Home Alone

Theme Song: School's Out, Alice Cooper

Weekend...

Excellent weekend. Excellent.

I led the best test review of my TA career Friday morning. If every single one of those students does not pass the exam, it is not my fault.

It snowed. Oh. So Much. :)

I accomplished my entire to-do list this weekend. People, that's rare.

We went to the Jazz Suns game.

And we won 94-81. Paul Millsap is my favorite person in the whole wide world. I've liked him ever since he came to the Jazz. And he never disappoints.

Yay Basketball!!!

Will was happy to be there. It's just that sometimes he forgets how to smile. :)

On a less jubilant note, today is Veteran's Day. Or Remembrance Day, depending on which side of the pond you're on.

"Anthem for Doomed Youth"
Wilfred Owen

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?
--Only the monstrous anger of the guns.
 Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle
Can patter out their hasty orisons.
No mockeries for them from prayers or bells,
 Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,-
The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;
 And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?
 Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes
Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.
 The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;
Their flowers the tenderness of silent minds,
And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Theme Song: Working for the Weekend, Loverboy

Day One to Month Six

Part of me cannot believe this happened six whole months ago:

Another part of me cannot believe that it was only six months ago.

Suffice it to say, it has been an excellent six months.

Enjoy the new blog header in honor of our six month anniversary.

Also, thanks to everyone in the UK who will be celebrating our six month anniversary with us by lighting bonfires and setting off fireworks. Remember, remember the 5th of November.

Theme Song: First Day of My Life, Bright Eyes

Happy Halloween!!

Pumpkin Design Session

The pumpkin guts definitely soaked through the newsprint. Major mopping afterwards.

L to R: Hillary and Andrew, Will, Matt, Me

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

It's easier to see my graveyard with the lights on...

Hipsters for Halloween

Halloween Dinner: Mummy Pork Tenderloin

Theme Song: This is Halloween, Danny Elfman

Brief Respite

This past weekend we were lucky enough to have a mini-vacation up in Park City. A family from Will's mission rented two condos for the week, but only ended up using one. So we went ahead and filled that extra condo for them last Thursday and Friday night (yay for canceled Friday classes!)

We spent the majority of Friday at the outlet malls and I spent waaay more money than Will should have let me. I love his "you only live once" philosophy. Often that translates into a new outfit for me. :) We also got to spend some time with this wonderful California family who was generous enough to share their vacation with us. But mostly we did a lot of lounging around.

Driving up we came through Heber but we drove back down through Parley's canyon so we could take a detour down Lamb's canyon. Beautiful fall colors. Love vacations.

Fireplace in our condo

That little spot of light is the eye of a moose we saw Thursday night. You can almost see the outline. Seriously!

You can see the legs of the moose at the base of the light, if you have fantastic eyes...

Will always makes breakfast when we're vacation. I get a cooking vacation. That's the best part.

Outside our condo before leaving Saturday morning

The ...clever... quail that would not get out of the road

 Theme Song: Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell