thanksgiving!

We had a really fun and non-traditional Thanksgiving this year. Last year it was Indian food, this year we did Japanese with our wonderful friends Molly and Arnie.

But first we hit up the movie theater to see Australia. It was good! Very long, but hello--Hugh Jackman for three hours=very good.



We brought Asher along for his first movie going experience. He was asleep when we got there but woke up when the previews started and proceeded to watch most of the movie. He was amazingly good! He slept for a little bit in the middle, but other than when I fed him, he watched the rest of the movie. It was really cute. He even talked to the screen. I wish I could have gotten a picture of him watching the movie, but I didn't think our fellow movie goers would appreciate that.

After the movie we met up with Molly, Arnie, and baby Thea (10 days old). Molly wanted to take advantage of not having her older two kids (They were at the grandparents in Virginia) and go out to eat. So we went out to a Japanese Steakhouse.


Good times were had by all.

Many thanks to the sweet Japanese lady who took this photo, even though we aren't in focus.

And many, many thanks to Molly and Arnie for hanging out with us on Thanksgiving!

Also, my little brother Michael came home from his mission in Brazil on Thursday. I was sad we couldn't be in New Mexico but we get to see him in a few weeks.
Welcome home, Mike!
Picture stolen off Facebook.

giving thanks

for the beauty of the earth

for the beauty of the skies

for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies

for the beauty of each hour

of the day and of the night

hill and vale, and tree and flower

sun and moon, and stars of light

for the joy of human love

brother, sister, parent, child

friends on earth and friends above

for all gentle thoughts and mild

Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise

happy halloween!

Um, excuse me?

I hope you all had a fun Halloween.

Mommy tried to take some pictures of me in my cute polar bear costume,
but this is what she got:

and this:

and this:

I have a feeling she's going to try again tomorrow.

baby halloween costumes

I got an email from Old Navy advertising their Halloween costumes for babies/toddlers. Oh my goodness, there are some cute ones! I think I may have to get this for Asher because he is definitely our little monkey. Just imagine how cute that would be on a 3 month old.

Here are few more of my favorites.

Penguin

Banana


Skunk
Check out more here.

a valentine for my valentine

I'm really not that into Valentine's day, but except for all the hype, what can be bad about a holiday dedicated to LOVE! My very own darling husband surprised me this morning by leaving a "tribute" post to me on my own blog. (Scroll down to read it if you haven't.) I didn't realize he had done it until I got an email notification after a couple people commented...more than 2 hours after he posted it! Upon reading it, I immediately teared up and just did again when I reread it. Jared is very good with words. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with him so quickly! Today I fear that I will not be able to write as beautifully as he has done. Nevertheless, here is my Valentine to him.

To Jared,

Lovers Running by Brian Kershisnik

Nearly one year ago this painting was on display at the Utah Museum of Art--on the day we got married. I love it. It is so joyful. The lovers are outside. They are running. They are embracing and about to kiss. And they have angels in the clouds gazing down on them. Who wouldn't want to be them?

This painting is how I feel with you. Life is joyful. We know real love. We are running through life, and we are turned toward each other. We have angels smiling down on us. I know we do.

But life isn't always a sunny meadow. Sometimes it is stormy. Sometimes it is cold. Sometimes there are mountains in our path or rivers to traverse. Sometimes we stumble and fall.

Still I know you are there beside me. I know my hand is firmly placed in yours. We are on the journey together. And when the rain pours upon us, we hold on ever tighter.

No matter the rain or snow or mountains or deserts we must face, I know we will get to the sunny meadow once more. How happy I am to have you as my companion as we run along.

I love you, my friend.

yours forever,

Katrina

Tribute

Happy Valentines Day, my dear wife.

Usually I draw little cards to commemorate special occasions, but for quite some time this blog post has been swirling in my head, so I figured today would be a good time to write it.

I wanted to write a tribute to Katrina, one inspired by the following picture:


Here you see a gorgeous, striking young woman on that most special day of her life--her wedding day. Now, this particular girl is beautiful, stable, friendly, talented--in short, she has many qualities that could snag her pretty much any guy she wanted. And I happen to know for a fact that there were several of such guys who were interested in her... men who could offer her lives of financial and emotional stability and all sorts of things that the typical girls wants.

But this is not the typical wedding picture. In addition to the lovely bride and lucky guy are three precious children, fitting symbols for the complexity of the life Katrina has chosen. My heart fills with wonder and gratitude as I reflect on how much Katrina has accepted and loved these cherished friends and charges of mine. I am already a better father because of her influence, and I am so excited to have a fresh start and bring a baby into our family. I know that Katrina will do an exceptional job as a mother. As those of you who know Katrina well are aware, marrying me has added complexity and challenge to Katrina's life that she otherwise would not have known. What you cannot know fully is the degree to which she has handled these challenges with admirable grace, patience, and love. I honor her for it.

I joke that God finally slapped me upside the head and interceded by bringing Katrina into my life, because I certainly wasn't getting it before her. She is the kind of person I would have been looking for had I been wiser... she is an ideal match for me. For almost anyone, I feel, and I am so grateful she chose me to share her self and life and love.

As I have said before, Katrina has so many of those traits that are so foundational they risk being taken for granted. She loves exceptionally. She is an amazing friend. She is wise and stable and caring. And then there are those traits that too often do not inhabit the same soul...purity of heart and openness of mind, emotional stability and artistic creativity. She drinks in life with a childlike wonder--savoring all that delights the senses--good food and stirring music and beauty captured by the eye and camera. Plus she is gorgeous and sexy and interesting and fun!

Katrina, you are my Angel. I love you.

pay it forward

Tomorrow I am off to do some holiday traveling. Pray for me that I make it to my destination! I really don't want to be stranded in some airport all alone overnight. Jared left on Monday so this is a solo trip cross-country for me. I'll probably not be around here as much for the next couple weeks, but I'm leaving you something special before I go. Read on...

I told Jen I would participate in this blogging game so that I could receive a handmade gift from her. In return I will send a handmade gift to the first three people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF (Pay It Forward) exchange. Just as Jen said, you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. (So, you must have a blog to participate.) Keep in mind that if you want to get something from me, you have to give. Sound good? So, who's it gonna be? Leave a comment and post this on your blog to get something special from me! I don't know what it will be yet, but it's gonna be good!

early christmas

I fear that I may not have any presents to open on the actual day of Christmas because I've been getting all of them early. You may recall this one I got several weeks ago:
And there was this one:
And then yesterday I had my own little Christmas because I had 4, yes 4!, UPS packages waiting for me after work! Two of them were my clothes that I have already mentioned. The dresses are so cute and definitely wearable immediately. The green one was a bit darker than the picture though, but still pretty. The jean skirt I'm unsure of. Perhaps I should have waited to purchase anything that clearly maternity. But it was only $19.99! I ordered my normal size, but it seems way too big in the hips and thighs. Will my hips get bigger too eventually? I'm not sure if I should return it for the smaller size. The picture shows the skirt being quite form fitting and it is not that way on me. Thoughts anyone?

The other two packages were things Jared had ordered. One was this pregnancy book that my doctor recommended. (I kinda knew he had ordered this because he asked me a question about it.)
The other package was a complete surprise. It was very large but also very light. When I opened it, it was gift wrapped. Any guesses? It was a new DVD player! Ours died a few months ago, and we have just been watching movies on our kick-a computer monitor. But having the new DVD player will make it much easier for me to do my Ballet Workout. Thanks, honey!

What are you getting for Christmas? Or if you are like me, what have you already received?

holiday weekend

I wanted to take a few pictures in the restaurant, but I felt too conspicuous. We were already the only white people there after all. So I settled with these outside shots in front of the restaurant.


We are dorks. I think the people inside were probably wondering why on earth we took pictures of each other in the parking lot.

Together

Our non-traditional Thanksgiving turned out to be really great. We had our Thanksgiving feast at this great Indian restaurant where they serve this awesome buffet. Man, were we stuffed! We were also the only white people there most of the time. Then this other couple came in with their son. You know it's good ethnic food when the vast majority of the customers are ethnic. Plus, most white people are having mashed potatoes and turkey on Thanksgiving. But I liked our dinner better!

After dinner we went to the movies to see August Rush. It was pretty good. I would recommend waiting until it's out on DVD though. It had it's touching moments, but they just didn't quite pull it off. And they really stretched believability at several points. But the cast is good which made it likable. It was fun to see Keri Russell in something again. If you want to read a good, honest review click here.

Friday morning I actually ventured out into the mayhem that is Black Friday shopping. It was my first time doing so. I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond because we have store credit there and needed some things. I got a hand mixer, a popcorn popper, a duvet cover and shams, and a full length mirror. Everything was 20% off before 10 am. Then I went into Kohl's which is next door to scope out some clothes for Jared for Christmas. They had some seriously awesome deals, and I'm having a hard time not showing Jared what I got him! In fact, I caved and gave him one shirt early. Just a plain long sleeve t-shirt though.

Saturday we mostly just hung out at home. We watched two installments of The Up Series. It's a documentary started in 1963. The filmmakers have followed the lives of 14 British school children from the time they were 7 in 1963 until now. They go visit the kids every 7 years. We only have one more to watch. The latest film was made in 2005 when they were 49 years old. It's really fascinating to see how they have grown and changed over the years and what they've made of their lives. Very fascinating. We have really started to care about these people.

Sunday, Jared and I actually sang in Church together with two other people. We sang a beautiful arrangement of Come Thou Fount. It was so fun to be able to do that together. Jared has a really nice voice. It went well. If anyone is interested, here is the arrangement we sang.

All in all, it was a lovely, restful holiday weekend. Tell me, how was yours?

week of thanksgiving, day 4, THANKSGIVING DAY

On this blessed holiday when we celebrate the Pilgrims coming to America and remember to be thankful for all we have and stuff ourselves full of lots of food, I am thankful for Indians (from India), especially the ones who provided the food today with which I stuffed myself. Man, they know how to cook some yummy food. I don't really know what most of it was, but it was delicious!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

week of thanksgiving, day 3

1. I am thankful for autumn. For the beautiful leaves that turn yellow and orange and red. I grew up in Ohio where the falls colors are spectacular. And then I spent 6 autumns in Utah, where it is just not the same. Mostly because Utah is lacking the right kind of trees. And then I moved here, and I have been looking forward to fall colors all year. Unfortunately the drought has made them less vibrant that usual, but it has still been great. And I have been obsessed with taking pictures of the trees.

2. I am thankful for the wonderful relationship I have with my step-children. And also that our relationship with their mother is so good. I have heard horror stories, and I have to say that other than living far away right now, our situation is almost ideal. No court battles. No evil-speaking of the other parent. We may not be best of friends, but there is mutual respect all around.

3. I am thankful I will be seeing lots of family and friends over Christmas.

4. I am thankful for my bed. It is fantastically comfy.

5. I am thankful for my husband. He treats me like a queen. And he's really fun. And smart. And hot! And he doesn't get upset that he has yet to beat me at Skip-bo. I'm rootin for ya, honey! Next time I'm sure you'll win.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

There is a high possibility that I may not blog over the holiday. Or maybe I will. We'll see.

week of thanksgiving, day 2

1. I am thankful for my healthy body. I really need to exercise it more, but I like my body and am thankful for what it can do.

2. I am thankful that I don't have to dye my hair. Hair color is so expensive and doesn't last long enough.

3. I am also thankful that I can get away with leaving the house with wet hair. I am way too lazy to blow dry my hair when it is this long. (And in case anyone is wondering, the picture on the right was taken after I came home from the hair salon. And my hair hasn't been straight since then!)

4. I am thankful that I have always had enough to eat. And that I really enjoy food, but don't have an unhealthy relationship with it. I am grateful that I know what foods are good for me but don't deprive myself of the yummy (less than healthy) foods in life. If eating chocolate and ice cream means I'll never be a size 2, that's okay with me!

5. I am thankful for my husband's cooking skills. He is amazing. I am a very lucky girl.

week of thanksgiving, day 1

In honor of the Day of Thanks, aka Turkey Day, aka the Day of Eating-Entirely-Too-Much-Food, I am going to display some of what I'm grateful for each day here on my blog. Because it's good to be grateful. Dear old Gordon Hinckley said so.


1. I am thankful for my job. It's low key and low stress.

2. I am thankful for rejuvenating days spent mostly in bed watching movies and such with my lover. I need those every once in a while, and I got one this weekend.

3. I am thankful for movies like Amazing Grace that tell a true story of heroism. We watched this during the above-mentioned day spent mostly in bed, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Very inspiring and well-done. It tells the story of William Wilberforce, a British politician who for 20 years (1787-1807) campaigned to abolish the Slave Trade. 20 years, people! Talk about persistence!

4. I'm thankful for beautiful, inspiring music. The movie's title comes from the famous hymn, which was actually written by a former slave ship captain who became a preacher and friend of Wilberforce. That song gives me chills every time.

5. I'm thankful for my freedom. The incredible thing is that there is still slavery in the world today. An organization inspired by Wilberforce is one of several trying to raise awareness. Check it out at TheAmazingChange.com.

halloween in utah

As anyone who has been reading my blog the past week knows, Jared has been in Utah spending some time with his three kiddos. They had Monday and Tuesday off of school and then yesterday was Halloween, so he got some good time with them. He also made/assembled all of their costumes. And I'm totally impressed! He did their makeup and everything.

Olivia the Vampire
(Very scary! I like the blood!)

Isaac the Robot
(I think this costume is sweet! Click on it to get a better view of the details. Great job, honey!)

Grace the Spider
(What four-year-old little girl wants to be a spider for Halloween? Grace, that's who. She cracks me up.)

The trick-or-treaters with their costume-making dad.

I sure do miss these people. But at least I get Jared home tonight!

pioneer day!

Here in Utah, July 24th is, to some, a bigger deal than the 4th of July. July 24th is the day we celebrate the pioneers arrival into Utah back in 1847. Salt Lake City has a big parade and a rodeo. There are even fireworks. But we just celebrated with a little hike near one of the parks up Provo Canyon. And then we got a little crazy with some sparklers. Here are a few photos. If you would like to see more click here.

First let me set the scene:

Not too shabby, huh? Utah mountains really are gorgeous.

And here is one of my little "pioneers":

And here is another one:

Aren't those braids adorable?

Here they are together looking really happy:

And here's our other little pioneer, except not so dressed up and holding a stranger's puppy:

Flower pickin' fools:

Another scenic shot:

Enjoying the great outdoors.

It rained on the walk back... here we are a bit wet.


Back at the cinder-block palace... we had some good ole fashioned fun with sparklers.

And I'm spent.