First Loves

"We can give without loving,

But we cannot love without giving."

Bruce C. Hafen 

As some of you may know, I attended a math and science high school.

This meant NO performing arts. 

Not to shabby if you're not used to it.

BUT....

Last Monday I attended my 

1st Jr. High School Musical.

Seriously. 

"Hello, Dolly!"

It was amazing. Those kids are wicked talented!

Jake and Tyler pictured above. 

Jake was an amazing Citizen of NY, as well as 

a talented waiter! I loved the dances!

Clara, Jake, Tyler and Maddie

Loving life :)

These kids and their parents are basically

our 2nd family. They are inspiring. 

Jake, Clara, Maddie, and I

Don't you love their expressions?

Maddie and I missed the memo...

The 70s picture of Nate and Laurel

(that's what the effect is called).

They are the world's best role models. 

If you need one, too bad. 

They're taken!

PS: Don't let Nate's expression fool you.

He's just recovered from smooching the Mrs. 

And he loved it :)

 Tyler and Clara.

Staring contest. 

GO!

I think Clara won.

In other news, 

we finished moving our furniture 

into our 2nd bedroom.

Its the best room. 

Best feeling. 

1st time owning a futon. I'll never get rid of it.

So comfy. We have a hard time getting off of it!

Please appreciate the library in the corner.

All of my books aren't even here yet. 

[sigh]

I love books

and arranging. 

We've got some good work cut out for us!

Another 1st:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now, listen. I can bake anything.

Ask my friends from HS. 

The only thing I cannot make....

chocolate chip cookies

That's embarassing. 

So, tonight,

I made them for the 

1st time. 

aka: they turned out amazingly well!
Thanks Karen!

YAY to my self esteem!

This is what I get to cook them in. 

Seriously?

What's with the easy bake oven?

 Inside the monstrosity.

Along with being teeny-tiny,

The dang cookie sheets bang! when they warm up.

It'll jump-start your pacemaker for sure.

Another batch! 

Go me!

The cookie monster. 

He loved me tonight.

You would too.

They, finally, turned out well!

(I haven't dared make them the entire time we've been married.)

Leave your favorite recipe! 

1st recipe swap!

Agua

Water. My favorite drink. 

Apparently, I haven't been getting enough.

Isn't that a little odd?

After 2 weeks with a raging virus inside me...

my blood pressure has decided to drop. 

Hence, I'm super dizzy. All the time. 

Fatigue, malaise, nausea, and worst of all,

a raging fever. 

I hate staying home from work. 

Blah. Its only been one day.

At least I'm not contagious. 

Which is why I'm going back to work 

Tomorrow!

HOORAY!

Moral of the story: Drink more Water!

Weekend Warriors!

Ashley and I 

Tyler and I

Tyler Breakdancing

Ashley flying!

Brandon

Sloth

Terry Post - the Post with the Most

-Welcome to my world of unedited photos. I just wanted to post some recent weekend warrior-ing...we are exhausted! For more pictures, click here!

Dinner Ninner

Ever wonder what to have for dinner?!

I did too. Tonight, in fact.

Check out this Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina!

Looks so good!

Very easy, very fast, very inexpensive!
I used everything I already had...LOVE that.

Enjoy!

OH MYLANTA

Yep.
This is what I'm holding in my hands.
Well, that's not my hand, but you get the picture :)

The Nikon D5000 + the 55-200mm F4-5 Lens
+ 9 free photography classes (2hrs each)
+ $50 camera bag
+ 2 free 8gb memory cards (steal)
+ a free photobook
+ free portrait sitting by
a fantastic photographer
+ 9 mo. financing
(I need to build credit..
we'll see how long I can wait to pay it off.
Tyler is guessing 3 months...
I'll never make it 9!)
+ some other free stuff that I can't remember
= WAY less than I thought it would be.
Ultimately, its going to be priceless.
THANK YOU TAXES.
And, thanks to all of you folks who helped me research
this decision for the last 18 months.
I am not an impulse buyer.
But today...I finally made the 2nd biggest purchase of my life!

HOORAY!

Aren't you all excited to FINALLY see pictures?
Freak, I am.
Its about time!

Olympic Dreaming

This weekend, we babysat...
Made donut holes...
Watched the Opening Ceremonies....

Now, we're celebrating our 18 mo anniversary.
By watching the mogul competition.
Yeah baby!
House sitting is so much fun....
More physical rooms than 2 = big difference!
Plus cute puppies!

Hope your Opening Olympic Weekend is going great!
We're just dreaming from the comfy couch :)

Sporadic Situations

Random # 1:
This is Tyler and I - sitting in Room 409, in Orem, UT.
We look awkward.
It was an odd position.

Random # 2:
This is my little, 20 yr old sister, Marissa. I love her.
She got very ill.
She's an inch shorter than me; when they admitted her to Room 409,
she weighed 99 lbs. Malnourished.
She'd been so sick, all she could eat was saltines and Gatorade.
Sad.
When was the last time you weighed 99 lbs?
After 3 days of the NG tube, 60 cc's of EnSure an hour...
Washing of the hair 2x, blow dried....
AND braided.
She was looking NORMAL.
So good for Tyler and I to see.
We spent Th-Sun in Room 409.
Family.

Random # 3
In this heart, lies the boy of Rissy's dreams.
His name is Tyson.
They call him TY for short.
My mom is always apologizing.
She can't keep them straight :)

Random # 4
Marissa's fingers and arms were immensely swollen.
Her left arm looked like a thankle (thigh-calf-ankle).
Thanks to a leaky - IV that the nurses didn't put in quite right.
They did eventually :) They were always so nice!
Tyson would rub lotion on Marissa's hands - they were so dry.
He tried to slide the 'loaner ring' off, but she caught on.
He brought the new ring to her one day....
Tried to put it on....
And her hands were still too swollen!
SAD!
But we all laughed.
We hung it around a necklace until...
SUCCESS! (This is b4 the success actually haha)
Rissy flies home (to DE) on Sunday.
B/c of the enormous snow storm slamming the east coast,
they canceled her flight on Tuesday.
She has an appointment at Johns Hopkins next week.
Keep her in your prayers, if you could spare a few.
Thanks.

Random # 6
I put up some cute new things in our house.
Forgot to take pictures.
SORRY!
Will do this week :)

I've been sick - allergic reaction to lotion and a nasty cough.
This is why everyone in my apt complex,
all gossipy mormon laides :)
thinks I'm pregnant.
(And prob why Im in the RS Pres - ya gotta learn to love ppl at some point)
Sorry to disappoint. Its just flu season. I spent 3 days in a hospital, visiting and stressed.
Some people have no idea. I'm finished venting.

Random # 7

At Christmas, we went to see the Temple Square lights.
Lovely. We loved the creativities and displays - my favorite were the lanterns that displayed scenes from the life of the Savior.
If I could ever learn a craft, I would like to re-create those...someday.

I would love to own this. I want to embody what this lantern emanates.

Beautiful.

Wordy Update:
Tyler is doing so great and loving school.
I'm currently watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Jonny Depp.
Work is great - I laugh all day, every day. So loud. Love it :)
Babysitting for the Alders this weekend - YAY!
OLYMPICS tomorrow!

Not so great news:
My little sister worries me - I love her and I don't want anything to happen to her.
Both of my parents have had cancer.
I've lost 59 friends, family members, cherished people, in the last 9 years.
I've spent most of my teenage years wondering.
Its hard.
Its hard to watch people suffer.
That's why some things are alarming.
If there is one thing that I cannot handle - its being helpless.
I hurt inside. I would give anything to make their pain go away.
And I just can't.

So I go to Room 409 to do hair, paint toe-nails,
giggle, etc.

It all works. The sun goes up, and the sun goes down.
Time moves on, with or without you.
All you get to decide is what you do with your life.
You can determine your attitude, your outlook, your meaning for each day.

Final Message:
I read Alma 24: 6-18
Want to know the Keys to Conversion?
Read that passage, let me know when you're ready,
and I'll post my feelings on the subject.
Powerful revelation in 12 versus, 25 minutes, and a "Happy Winter" journal.
Happy Winter :)

breathe.

lots of interesting things have been happening.
i just didn't post them.
some of them were good, some of them were alarming.
but for now....
we're just catching our breath.

And The World Turned

making your house a home

We're moving. Not far at all. But, we're going to have some extra space. So nice! We're finally going to be able to accommodate our friends and family who come to visit and to actually have a study room! Hooray!

So....I need ideas.

I've been so focused on school and work that our house hasn't quite been transformed into a home..... I don't need my apt to look like the NY Hilton, but I would like to start gathering some essentials to make rooms a little cozier.

Your Project: Jot down some key items (a picture, a style of mirror, a color scheme) that you could not live without! Thanks ya'll!