Christmas Make-up '09 Pics Only

Christmas Eve Ski

This year we spent Christmas Eve day skiing at Sundance with Tom & Todd, who have been hanging here for most of December. We feel so special when they squeeze a stop to Utah into their busy world travels, especially when it's Christmas time.The ski day was magical. Partly because of the super light, super fine snow that fell all throughout the day. The snow quite literally looked like swirling glitter in the sunlight. We felt as though we were playing in a picturesque snow globe. Like I said, magical. The snow itself was awesome, I don't remember skiing on snow that soft and dry in a long time. But, I don't get out much. My skiing skills aren't quite what they should be, considering I'm a local and all. But I manage to get myself down the mountain in one piece, albeit less graceful than the dozens of 4 year-olds zooming past. It also doesn't help that BD effortlessly dances circles around me on his fancy schmancy Telemarks. P.S. I only got lost once, thank you for asking.

'Tis the Season

Seems we've been hustling and bustling here and there and spreading cheer at holiday this and that. What a wonderful time of year! Seriously, I love it. Being completely and utterly exhausted from too much holly jolly season is a really good thing. However, you can bet that when we do have a free minute we're squeezing in a bit of this:As apartment dwellers, we dig the digital Yule Log which transforms our little condo high in the sky into a cozy cabin tucked in the woods.

Oh, and we've been invaded by a throng of darling elves. It's been nice having them around to blame for things that go missing. Like the Christmas caramels. Or toffee. Or chocolate dipped cookies. It may just as well break my heart to give them away. We've so enjoyed receiving your beautiful Christmas cards in the mail each day. This is the one time of year that I rush to pick up the mail before BD. I look forward to seeing cute families grow cuter each year. Thanks to those of you who included us in your Christmas card list. It means so much. And {sigh} I vow that next year we'll get around to it!

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Remembering just how much I love having a Christmas tree up in my house. Explains why I usually don't take it down until February. ShhhhhhDiscovering the bulk-foods section at WinCo Foods. By far the best selection of bulk I've ever shopped. I'm obsessed with the fresh honey-equipped with real live bees inside. It's open 24 hours, which means I have access to giant lemon heads anytime I fancy.Baking Jim Lahey's no-knead bread and let me tell you, it really is as easy as they say. And not easy in the same way that cake pops are easy. This is fool proof. I've always been scared of breads and yeast, but this recipe has given me the confidence to keep trying. Gorgeous no?Ordering from The Community Food Co-op of Utah. We put in our first order in November and were blown away with the quality and overall value of the food we received. Totally worth it. And we are looking forward to round two this month.Mourning (still) the loss of a box which disappeared 4.5+ years ago when we last moved. Contains the best of my kitchen wedding gifts. Including, but not limited to, all of my bake-ware: items that I haven't yet been able to replace because I'm just sure it will turn up sometime. Reading Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Actually we just finished, and both of us absolutely loved this book. Somewhat chilling and really dark and twisty. I kind of have a thing for dark and twisty though. Nevertheless, highly recommended. The new movie looks good too. Chuckling at the LG Give it a Ponder beard campaign. These videos are killing me.

Thanksgiving 2009

We've had such a marvelous Thanksgiving weekend, and I gained 4 extra pounds just to prove it. We're so thankful for family, especially this time of year. I'm particularly grateful for my cute nieces and all their hugs and kisses and fashion sense.And they are super grateful for their cell phones :) Caught yaI'm thankful for these fine rugged gentlemen who carve the turkeys, take the pictures, sneak taste tests of the food-to make sure it's safe of course, and buy the popcorn at the movies. And I'm incredibly thankful for these beautiful women who make the pies, and the gravy and the sweet potato "brownies"-hence the 4lbs. I'm so lucky to have a wonderful mom and sisters who give me unconditional love and support.I'm also thankful for this little munchkin who endured no less than 4 hours of me pinching her chubby thighs, kissing her chubby cheeks, and blowing raspberries on her chubby stomach. She's the spitting image of her mom at this age, and I couldn't help but feel like I was 8 years old again and "babysitting."PS-I know that my pictures are grainy/pixelated. What I don't know is how to fix it. Blogger and I are not seeing eye-to-eye on this.

From the Archives

The four pictures I chose for this months header may seem random, but really they represent four very unique things: my favorite pictures of all time. Well, at least for today.

First, this picture:OHS Sweethearts=funnest high school dance memory. Besides the fact that we look 12 years old, he and I are actually 18 and 17, respectively. Naturally, as seniors in high school we had the world by the tail. This date dance was in February of 2000, the same year we fell in love, broke up, graduated, fell back in love, mission call, started college, and on and on. But you could have guessed the year even if I hadn't told you because of 1) my zig-zag hair part, and 2) his Abercrombie graphic tee. Both dead give-aways of our high school days. What you can't see are my Silver Jeans and chunky boots from Bakers (anyone?). This picture embodies everything I loved about being that age, that innocent, and that ambitious.

Second, this picture:It's me, when little, rockin' a skateboard and sporting a Harley Davidson tee. Mom used to pull my hair back with two yellow butterfly barrettes so that I wouldn't look like a rag-a-muffin. It was a constant battle she would never win between her youngest daughter not complying with the frilly dresses and violin playing she had envisioned. Those barrettes were perhaps the only girly thing I would allow anywhere near my being for the next decade. You'll also notice that I'm holding the skateboard, not riding it. This is key. What you don't see is my older brother daringly flying his skateboard off a homemade ramp head first onto the cement driveway. And I'm just standing there holding my skateboard as if to say go ahead idiot brother, crack your head open, I'll just be a bad-ass from safely over here. It's so me.

Then there is this picture:Taken recently in October, there is nothing specifically dramatic or compelling about this photo other than it marks a really good day. One of those days I'll never forget for no reason other than it was a Sunday afternoon, beautiful fall weather, I'd just woken up from a nap, we went for a walk in the park, collected leaves, and snapped a picture. Amid months and months of seemingly complicated bad days, the simplicity of a single good day seems to stand out. I love those days and I particularly loved that day.

And lastly, there is this gem:My little cowboy man in his plaid shirt, jean vest, boots and buckle. But the thing that really gets me about this picture is the buckle: it says "Brad" on it. I'm in love with it, I don't know why. The buckle's whereabouts are unknown, but his mom never threw away anything remotely sentimental so it must exist. My life will not be complete until we find it. I can hardly look at this photo without grinning. Not only because of my buckle fixation, but because of his little boy hair, little boy face, and little boy smile. All of it, including the rattan chair, just melts my heart completely. Plus he is properly sitting upright like such a good little boy. But I'm no fool.

Thinking Outloud

When I came back from lunch today the last bloom on my purple orchid had fallen. This beautiful botanical has kept watch over my office for nearly 9 months. I've seen each blossom bud and grow and then one by one they have silently fallen. I've been giving myself the whole circle of life pep-talk on repeat. But this is probably the only plant that I haven't killed yet. And now it's gone ahead and died anyway.As I pulled into my garage tonight and passed the communal dumpster I noticed someone had discarded a little wooden chair. It called to me. Instantly I imagined it in a bright new color and topped with a pair of little tippy-toed feet reaching to help me crack an egg. So I picked it up and brought it home. And suddenly I'm feeling a lot better about the circle of life.

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Wow. This month has flown by. I have a lot of catching up that probably won't happen. This will have to do.

Practicing Yoga here and there and hosted a mini yoga "retreat" at my house this past week. I'm starting to feel the benefits inside and out. Loving our brand new niece Ellie. We think she's pretty sweet, as in awesome. Clucky much?
Chewing on these sweet and spicy Ginger Chews. If you like ginger-the real stuff-you will love these soft candies. Just get past the creepy fat reclining ginger cartoon man on the package. Seriously people?
Listening to Keane. At any given moment over the past few months I've had any number of Keane songs playing over and over in my head. It's been some time since I have connected with a band in such a way.Reading The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Dark, eerie, and riddled with history...I'm loving it! Just in time for Halloween too.Obsessing over pumpkins. Big ones. Little ones. I've been stockpiling them at home and at the office. I'll never get over how blissfully happy they make me.Sneaking in one more of Ellie, because she is just that yummy. Hope you all had a wonderfully spooky Halloween! I spent mine cuddling a baby giraffe. Which perhaps isn't so scary after all.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Surreal
Remembering the cool misty October morning when we wed
Life seemed so simple
Yet so complete in the basement of that little white house
Where being together was the only thing that mattered
And we were right where we needed to be
Real
Six short years later
Life is a bit more complicated and a little less simple
Plenty of ups and downs and highs and lows
Yet being together is still the only thing that matters
And we are right where we need to beXOXO

This life is only a test

I love you, October for two very delicious reasons. And no, surprisingly I'm not referring to the two cases of canned pumpkin puree in my pantry just waiting to be slopped into muffins, cookies, bread, and pie. This month BD will turn yet another handsome year older and together we will celebrate our wedding anniversary. These are my two most favorite days all year, days I look forward to with much excitement. Because October is my favorite month of the year, it becomes 31 days of celebrating anything and everything.
The other morning as BD kissed me goodbye at 6:18 am, pulling me out of my sleepy fog, he yelled softly "It's Wednesday! I can finally see you tonight." He was right. It was already Wednesday, as in mid-week, and I could count on one hand the number of minutes I'd spent talking to him since Sunday. Of course we are no exception, everyone is busy these days. And I'm not complaining either. I am however growing more and more comfortable with this stage in life. I'm doing my best to take life in with big deep breaths, surrender the control, and make the most of each unpredictable day. Dare I say, I'm happy. Exhale.
Now that I've said that out loud on the internet I should expect all manner of heartache and pestilence to boil up in my morning tea. But until then I will love every day of October because it's cooler outside and I can wear boots, it's Conference time and church in pajamas is something I fully support, there will be birthday cake accompanied by my bad singing, my bestie is coming to town and I have about 401 things to catch her up on, soon a new baby will be born which we are anxious to welcome and shower with gifts, I'm attempting my first entrance into the annual ward chili cook-off, not to mention celebrating 6 years of marital bliss, or the lack thereof depending on the day, hosting a brood of witches for Bunko, of course Halloween rounds out the month with some good old-fashioned fright, and did I mention that it's cooler outside and I can wear scarves?
I love you, October.

Yellowstone-Quick Pass

The day after the race we took the long way home, through the Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Probably two of my most favorite places on earth. The beauty in this part of the country is unsurpassed. My sister and kids came up to Jackson, barely missing BD at the finish line of the race. We caravaned through the Parks stopping here and there to spy on animals or snap a quick photo. On the way home it was put to a vote and decided: BD and I could live there.