It's A Wonderful Life

So last night, Julie, Kristen and I kicked off our Christmas season by going to see Odyssey Dance's version of It's a Wonderful Life. (Sorry for all the pictures, but look at Kristen's cute bangs!)

It was playing at Kingsbury Hall, and there is very minimal leg room there. We're not giants, but we were jammed in there pretty tightly, and there was nowhere to move. So after act 3, Julie had spied some empty seats behind us, and up and moved so that she could stretch out. In her words, it was life changing back there. So I had turned around to ask her something and found this little gem with it's own chair:

Her purse is so large, it needs it's own seat!

Now Kristen had informed Julie and I that we were the only people on the planet, not just in America, who hadn't seen this movie. So sue me--I don't like depressing black and white movies! So poor Kristen had to translate what was going on for us throughout the night. But even if I had seen the movie, I don't know that I would have understood all of the dance filled interpretations of the movie. Maybe it's just me, but I had no idea that people dancing around angrily in trench coats represented the down trodden economy. And when a bunch of 'lil shorties started busting out some whack hip hop moves, that represented today's world that George would have missed had he not been around. But once I figured out what was going on, it was a grand time, and it was a good way to start celebrating the season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more.

It turns denial into acceptance,

chaos to order,

confusion to clarity.

It can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend.

Gratitude makes sense of our past,

brings peace for today

and creates a vision for tomorrow."

-Melody Beattie

I love the concept of doing a Gratitude Journal. I learned about it years ago on an episode of Oprah and through the years have done different versions of daily blessings. On this day of thanks . . . here are some of the things that I am grateful for and love . . .

1. Our cute parents. Whenever I call Dad, he is always happy to hear from us and tell us so. He drops anything to help us. Our cute Mom always put a positive spin on any situation. We always say how glad we are that they found each other and that they are our parents.

2. Our family. We have always been good friends with each other and enjoy being together.

3. My little home. You can see in previous posts that I like my little house and I'm grateful that I don't have to have roommates and can control the heating and air conditioning at whatever temperature I would like to pay for.

4. The gospel and my faith. I'm glad for the chance our family has to be together forever. I love the things I learn through callings and service.

And then, some superficial ones from this week . . .

1. In honor of Thanksgiving, the Lifetime channel has been re-running some great mini-series. My absolute favorite, The Thorn Birds, has been on every day this week. Tonight is my favorite episode and I can't wait! Best week ever!

2. V Chocolate's chocolate covered cinnamon bears and Stacy's Pita Chips. Melinda and I needed a treat before our cooking class last week and stopped and got some V Chocolate chocolate covered cinnamon bears. Seriously the best little treat that you have ever tried! And then at Costco I got me a big bag of Stacy's pita chips brushed with yummy sea salt . . . I can't get enough.

3. Harmon's grocery story. We all love this store and my new favorite is the one on Bangerter. It's a beautiful store with everything I could ever want. If I go to another store, inevitably I have to go somewhere else to complete my list. Not at Harmon's - they have it all and even things I didn't know I wanted. They watch the ads for me with competing stores and make sure that they have the lowest prices, plus they always have samples and their customer service can't be beat. Last night as I was in line, a checker was helping a nervous woman cooking for her mother-in-law with instructions for how to cook her first turkey. Then behind me a lone man was asking a checker questions about what he was supposed to buy. The checker took his shopping list and checked off each item to make sure that he had everything on his list. Luckily for him, she realized he was missing the pie crust, and made sure that someone ran and got it for him. You don't get that kind of service from self-checkout. Love this store!

4. Christmas movies. I'm very excited for the upcoming Christmas specials. I got my new magazines this week and have already tabbed some new gems to record that are going to be on the Hallmark Channel and ABC Family. Wahooo!!!

5. The Internet - I love reading blogs to keep up with friends and family. I love the information that is right at my fingertips . . . from a tried and true recipe to tips for my Sunday lesson. And I love that I can shop right from my house. Thanks to websites like http://www.blackfriday.info/, I can sit here at midnight and purchase what I want without getting up early and braving the cold with crazy people who think that's fun. I will be well-rested with surprises showing up on my doorstep. What could be better?

What are you grateful or excited for?

He Smells Fantastic

After doing some food shopping for my Thanksgiving assignment, I found myself with a couple of free hours tonight. So what did I end up doing, you ask? I will tell you. But only if you promise not to judge. Readers, I sniffed Michael Phelps' neck!

Let me explain. I'm a sucker for People magazine's special issues - best and worst dressed, most beautiful people, and this week's cover: the Sexiest Man Alive. So when I saw it in the checkout line of course I had to shell out the money for it.

In recent years they've expanded the magazine to not just one, but 100+ hot men. And this year they added an additional treat - a scratch and sniff feature so you can smell the mens' favorite scents (I wish I were kidding). Even though I was alone in my house, I almost looked around before taking a nose dive into the magazine and sniffing Michael Phelps' cologne (FYI, he smells great). I also sniffed Tyson Beckford.

The worst part could be that while I was doing all this I was watching the Osmonds' 50th anniversary concert on PBS! Seriously, on a scale of 1-10, how much do you wish you'd had my night?? Actually, you know what? Don't answer that.

Napster

This is going to make me sound more lazy than I already do, but there are few things better to me than a Sunday afternoon nap. As a single, I have been relegated to have the dreaded 1:00-4:00 Church slot for the last several years. (Don't get me started on all of the reasons that this isn't fair. I would pay money to get one year on the 11:00-2:00 schedule!) This means that a nap is out of the question--unless you're Kristen, and you take your nap during Sunday School. Ha!:

But two glorious times a year, I get to have a nap. We had Stake Conference today, and were all wrapped up by noon. I could not have been more thrilled. I rushed past all of the old peeps to get home, got in my comfy clothes, and proceeded to take the best 3 hour nap I've had in a long time. That's right, I just admitted that I took a 3 hour nap, and I feel refreshed! And with my newly clear mind, I'm going to start working on how I can get a shot at the 9:00-12:00 schedule!

Happy Birthday Kristen!

Today we celebrate Kristen's day of birth and Melinda and I wanted to share some of the things that we love about Kristen . . .

1. Kristen loves music and is always ahead of the curve with knowing what's out there. She always has numerous things in her Itunes cart ready to purchase. She makes special mixes for us and knows exactly what we like. Melinda likes to call them "Kris-Mixes". When I was driving girls up to camp this summer, Kristen put together a great CD with music that the girls could relate to from So You Think You Can Dance that they are totally into . . . it was a big hit. She provides great road trip music too.

2. Kristen is funny and surprisingly mischievous . . . don't let her innocent look fool you. One time she dared Melinda to say the word "bun" in a church talk . . . it didn't happen.

3. Kristen is honest. She is good to go shopping with because she will give you her honest opinion about things.

4. Kristen is determined (and secretly competitive). She sets goals and always achieves what she sets out to do.

5. Kristen is a hard-worker. She shovels the long driveway you saw in her previous post and always helps us with our various callings.

6. She is a good cook . . . if you don't believe us, ask the 250 people in the ward she serves dinner to once a month.

7. Kristen can move. She has a wicked shimmy that cracks us up and in college she had a move named after her - The Bird - that she was famous for.

8. Kristen NEVER says a mean word about anyone . . . not ever. We try to crack her sometimes, but she doesn't budge.

9. Kristen is an intense reader. She loves reading books and relishes going to the library. She gets so focused in what she's reading that she is oblivious to anything else going on around her.

10. She's a sassy dresser . . . . beads or a necklace are her signature accessory . . . just like our fabulous Grandma Ruth. She always looked pulled together - even in a t-shirt - with her jewels.

Bonus - Kristen is extremely righteous. She tries hard to always do the right. She studies the scriptures and religiously writes in her journal.

Kristen is a great person and we love having her for a sister!
Heart . . . Melinda and Julie

Kristen's House!

Alright, Julie. I'll see your post on 10 things I like about my home. Disclaimer: I'm only renting right now, and in the almost-year I've lived here I've neither changed my address with the post office or hung anything on the walls. That said, there are a lot of things to like:
1. Look how cute it is. My roommates and I refer to it as “the cutest house ever.”







2. It was built in 1926, which gives it automatic character. It has many little fun architectural details, like the rounded arch above the bathtub (which matches Hollie's)



















3. The way sunlight pours into my room in the morning when I'm lying in bed. I never want to get up! And speaking of never wanting to get up...



















4. My bed. It doesn't look like much, folks, but it's the best sleep you'll ever get. It's perfectly molded to my body, and I have never yet found a pillow to match the pure comfort my pillow offers me every single night. It doesn't even ask for anything in return.




















5. I love my sitting area. While my roommate is watching procedural crime dramas downstairs, you'll often find me here watching a movie on my laptop or reading a book. Or, okay, falling asleep while doing either.

6. The location is so great. I live in a quiet neighborhood that's within walking distance of a grocery store. I love going for runs around my neighborhood because the streets are all lined with these mature trees, and there are all these big, interesting houses that I look at as I go by.
7. I have a huuuuge yard. Much of it is untapped potential, but I love the covered patio as well.
8. This is not something I love, but I bet my neighbors love the shower in my bathroom, which has a window rather conveniently placed at chest level. We've put a makeshift shower curtain on the window, but since it's white in color, I don't really know if you can still see through or not. And I'm scared to ask someone to check.

9. The house makes good use of space. There is lots of storage and a few little “hobbit closets” like this one.

10. The last thing I love? That my neighbor has a snowblower. Need I say more?

I Heart Top Chef

I love coming home on Wednesday nights knowing that there is a new episode of this show. The new season takes place in New York this time and started airing last week . . . oh how I've missed it!

Thanksgiving Countown Calendar

In my love of all things involving advent calendars, Pottery Barn has this cute Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar where you write things you are grateful for on little cards each day. Love!

House Tag

My cute friend Holli tagged me to show things I love about my house. Now, I don't have the fun architectural detail that she has in her house since I live in a box, but there are several things that I love about it - and more importantly in it. Even though I live in another land . . . Utah County . . . I love my little house. Now, if I could just find a way to transport it and me back to civilization (aka someplace with a Target nearby).

1. My little TV/fireplace area is lovely. I don't know how I lived without a DVR . . . it was the first thing I arranged for when I moved. It was being set up while we were moving furniture in. I love a good reality show and now that the weather is getting a little colder, it's nice to turn on the fireplace and wrap up in a blanket and rest on my . . . . .

2. Couch! I've posted about this before, but I LOVE my couch. I find myself too many mornings stretched out on it - still fully dressed with all the lights on - wondering what happened . . . and believe me, I'm not hung over (I don't think.)

3. Artwork by Emma and Maia. My cute nieces are so good at artwork. For my basement, I commissioned Miss Maia to make a draw a set of the whole family that I have hung up. I love them!

4. Light switches right my bed! My friend, Stacy, did this in her house and I think it's genius. So, when I was picking out the options for my house, this was a must. I have a switch for the overhead light and a fan right by my bedside. Then, if I'm watching TV or something nestled under the warm covers and feel the urge to go to sleep, I don't have to race out into the cold air to turn off the lights. I stay right there, flip them off and I'm good to go. It truly is one of my favorite features.

5. This little view from my deck . . . the whole reason why I moved to China. I came out one day to check on some of the options in a buyers' home. I had no idea this area existed and once I was here, I was hooked. I decided this would be a good move for me, sold my house in Draper and planned the move.

6. Sisters Wall - Each year we get our family pictures taken and I have a few of the pictures of just us girls on my bedroom wall. We have a lot of fun together . . . or so I tell them we do.

7. Closets - I actually have TWO closets in my bedroom and love them. I have a skirt closet and a regular closet. Now, what girl wouldn't love that!
8. Family Wall - Of course, if I could put vinyl lettering up everywhere . . . I could . . . and sort of have. I also love this feature wall with my cute family.
9. Office / File Room - I love having a place where I can put all my stuff. Melinda will attest to the various files I have. Until my house was ready, I stayed with her for a few months, and my stuff was with her even longer. We made little aisleways in her garage (like a little store, but without the shopping carts) with carefully labeled boxes so I could find anything I needed at a moments notice. Totally normal, right? Now, the closet is the room is filled with my filing cabinets and reference books and this computer area is where I'm at right now . . . .love it! 10. And finally, I LOVE having a garage of my own. When the snow comes down or I'm hauling in bags and bags of stuff, I love just driving in and closing the door!
What do you love about your home?

Two Things I Love Right Now

Today I wanted to share two things that in my opinion blow their competition out of the water.

EXTRA GUM
I am an avid gum-chewer, and have been chewing Extra since my junior high days, when I would chain-chew three pieces in a row (FYI, I don't recommend it). Recently, however, I've been enticed by all the colorful, fruity varieties offered at the check-out stand. I have tried many kinds- citrus mint (which is a bad idea to begin with - it's only a little less gross than drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth), melon mint, various berry flavors. All leave me with a weird after-taste, and none of the clean, minty breath I'd come to expect in my classic Extra gum. Extra also lasts much longer than your standard gum - I get an hour out of one stick if I do a slow chew. Some gums also don't give me enough gum to feel like I'm getting a good value. I'm talking to you, Trident, and especially to you, Dentyne and Eclipse (and don't even get me started on how they don't come with a wrapper to spit out your gum in). I'm sorry I strayed, Extra. I won't be seduced again.

MAPMYRUN

When I first started running outside, one of my biggest gripes (other than how much harder it is than running on a treadmill - they don't tell you that!) was that I had no idea how far I'd gone. I could estimate based on the time it took, but I didn't know what pace I was running. Now there are a lot of websites out there that will help you figure out the distance you ran. They're all kinda ok - except for mapmyrun.com. I'm a little obsessed with this website. It's the most user-friendly mapping website I've found. It automatically follows the roads, so you don't have to try and zig-zag your mapping line on curvy roads. It calculates your pace, and you can even have it save your runs to your training calendar, and it'll do little reports for you, like how many miles you've run that month, total calories burned...it is great. I've plugged in all my favorite runs, and when I get back home, the first thing I do is jump on my laptop to calculate my pace. My new favorite feature is the elevation map. It is color-coded to tell you the % grade of the hills you ran! I could not be more pleased. Give it a try sometime.

Crazy Town

Oh how I love working with the public! You forget how truly crazy they are until you spend a lot of time talking to them on the phone (also, I wanted to load another generic office worker photo on here because I think they're funny!)

So at work, I end up calling many, many people during the day. One of the things that will happen is that I will identify myself, and ask for "Bob" for example. The person answering the phone will invariably ask where I'm calling from, and upon hearing that it is their insurance company, they will inform me that they are the person I'm looking for. It's like they're all hiding from bill collectors or something. So yesterday, this 18 year old kid answers the phone, and I ask for Kyle. He says he's not home, and asks who's calling. So I tell him, and he starts stuttering and says that Kyle has just walked in the door. So he puts me on hold for a good 3 minutes, and then the same kid gets on the phone and says he's Kyle. He didn't even try to change his voice! I know it's you Kyle; why are you trying to hide from me?

Then last week, I had been trying to get hold of a man who drives trucks, and had to call me at odd times of the day. So his lovely wife was trying to pass on my information to him. So I get a phone call from her and she tells me that she wants to make sure that my number is working because her husband can't get through to me. So I'm thinking, didn't you just call me at this number, and aren't we having a conversation? So I give her the number she had just called me on, and not one minute later, she calls me again to make sure it was working! I don't understand! And her husband never called me.

Is it a spoon or a fork?

A few weeks ago we had an event at work during lunch. We were served a thick, cheesy, yummy lasagna and a salad. And you know what the caterers provided for our utensils??? A SPORK . . . a combination of a spook and a fork! I don't think I've seen or used one since we were little and occasionally got takeout from KFC. I thought it was perplexing then. It's hard to use as a spoon and definitely hard to use as a fork. It was equally hard as I tried to cut through the lasagna. And forget about spearing the lettuce in the salad. Who thought of this? And what does it actually work on? I'm perplexed . . . and I think this utensil is too.

Take This Job and Shove It!

So Julie has informed me that I have been slacking, and that she and Kristen have been running this thing for the last week. Well you know what Julie? I've been a tad busy. What have I been busy with you ask? Well friends, that would be my brand spanking new job! That's right, after seven long, depressing, debillitating, soul sucking years, I have been released from my job/prison. The day I accepted the job, October 15th, will go down as a great day in history. We'll be celebrating this day next year, so clear your calendars. Since I don't know how to actually do a cartwheel, I spent my last two weeks attempting reasonable facsimiles in my cube. It was great, and I don't think I've ever been so happy.

But now the reality of actually having to perform a new job is setting in. First of all, I work in Provo. Are you kidding me? Who works in Provo? I was treated to a real doozy on my second day in the office when we had that lovely snow storm, and it took me almost an hour and a half to roll into work. Now I know what Julie feels like every day with her 345 mile commute every day! Secondly, I have no idea what I'm doing! This is one of the large reasons that I hate starting a new job. I'm a slight control freak, and not knowing what's going on hurts my head. So if I've talked to any of you on the phone, and I didn't know what I was saying, please bear with me.

But in the meantime, I think back to my seven years as a POW, and I am just delighted with my ridiculous commute, and inability to perform my new job!

My Mystery Roommate

Julie and Melinda will tell you that I don't pay attention to stuff. I normally refrain from telling roommate stories on this blog (and believe me, I have had some doozies). But this one is more just funny, and really just about how I'm kind of a space cadet.

Bear with me, because there's some background I have to take you through:
-Wednesday I came home from work and my roommate (let's call her Brandi, because that's her name) is watching TV. There's someone lying facedown on the floor next to her asleep. I learn that this is Brandi's friend, and she's in town for a wedding they're going to that night. My other roommate also seems clueless as to this person's identity.

-Thursday, I don't see the mystery woman at all.

-Today (Friday), I walk in from the gym and there's someone sitting on the couch watching TV. From the back of her head (she doesn't turn when I say hi) it looks like my roommate Ashley...or was it my other roommate Alicia? I don't really bother to find out because I'll be on my way out again shortly.

-Cut to tonight. I get home and think it's odd that there are no cars in the driveway, but the lights are all on. Well, I walk towards the back door and a stranger opens it for me. I walk in and four other girls are standing in my kitchen. There is evidence of a homemade dinner behind them. I don't know anybody in this room! The girl who answered the door says “This is another one of Brandi's roommates. Brandi's not here.” She seems aware that this is weird. I didn't have the presence of mind to ask where Brandi was, or even say, “I'm sorry, I never caught your name.” Instead, I asked what they'd been doing. They'd had spaghetti, and would I like some? No, I think I'll pass.

-After everyone had left, I went down and said, “I'm Kristen, by the way, I don't know that we've ever been formally introduced.” This was, of course, a clever ruse to get her to tell me her name. Instead, the mystery girl informs me that we've met several times before when she's been in town! So of course I was too embarrassed to admit that I didn't remember, and certainly couldn't ask HER name! Eventually she mentions the fact that she's just going to shower and go to bed. Which all leads me to one conclusion – the mystery girl is staying with us, and has been since Wednesday! She must have been staying in the basement where I couldn't see her.

Seriously, though, tell me it's weird that Brandi didn't tell any of us she was having someone stay with us! Much less hosting a dinner party! She must be staying in the basement where I can't see her. I advise everyone who actually made it to the end of this post to check your basements. You might have a TV-watching, spaghetti-making secret roommate you didn't know you had.

Winter is Upon Us!

Apparently, winter has begun, because I have been cold all day long! If you had seen me today - at work, my house, or even institute at the ward - you would've thought I was outside, because I was wearing a coat almost all day today!

Luckily my dad gave me lots of practice being cold when I lived at home. He kept the thermostat at a balmy 64 degrees at night - that's just low enough to give you the "cold nose" syndrome when you wake up.

Indeed, I am grateful for the following things:
-A nice hot shower
-Mittens that have the half-fingers in them so I can wear them and still type
-A hot meal
-My electric blanket (I don't know what I'd do without you and your warmth)

What are YOU grateful for in the cold?

Christmas . . . in November?

Sunday night as I was making my trek back to Happy Valley, I was listening to the radio, and not happy with what I heard. I try to listen to different stations on Sunday and guess what was playing on KOSY . . . Christmas songs!!! Just a day or two after Halloween and now it's non-stop Christmas music. Now, I love a little "All I Want for Christmas Is You" by Miss Mariah and other Christmas classics (don't even get me started on the delights of Amy Grant), but I just can't do it until after Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time, please. I find myself getting a little angry at the music and have to quickly change the channel. What do you think? Does anyone appreciate this early ritual?

Yummy Recipes

For cute Keri who suggested more recipes on our blog. From time to time we get to see each other at random cooking classes, which is always fun.

CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
(by Jana Schofield, "What's For Dinner?"

This soup recipe is my new favorite. I make it about once a month and freeze individual little containers so that when I come home and need something quick to eat, this is what I grab. I'm calling it healthy because there is no cream or butter in this soup.

6 cups water
3 chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon or base
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups dry egg noodles
1/4 cup flour
½ cup cold water

Bring water to a boil in large pot. Add chicken, bouillon or base and stir until dissolved. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and cut in small pieces. Return to broth and add carrots, celery and onion. Cover and cook until tender. Add noodles and cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Mix cream of chicken soup, evaporated milk and spices together and slowly stir into broth mixture. Whisk flour and cold water together stirring until smooth. Stir flour mixture into soup and cook until thickened.

PUMPKIN BITES
(Brooke Carn)

This next recipe quickly became a new favorite after we tried it at Brooke Carn's class last year at Thanksgiving Point. They are yummy . . . and similar to a potato chip . . .because you can't eat just one. I think the little bites are just a vehicle for the delicious cream cheese frosting!

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 15oz can pumpkin
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cloves
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray mini-muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time and pumpkin until well combined.

3. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients and blend for 1 minute.

4. Full muffin cups with 2 tsp of batter. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until a cake tester inserted in center of pumpkin bite comes out clean.

5. Cool bites in pan for 8 minutes; turn out onto wire rack to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• ¼ cup butter, room temperature
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• Evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. In bowl of electric mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar to butter mix, adding evaporated milk to created desired spreading consistency.
3. Add in vanilla, beat frosting at medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

Enjoy!

You're Bad for Me, Target. But I Love You.

We've mentioned previously on this blog our love for Target. Today I once again surrendered to its seductive powers. I went in today to get two things: vitamins and a picture-hanging kit. Not only did I acquire those items, I also left with a pair of pants, a sweatshirt, and Girls Just Want to Have Fun on DVD. I was also thisclose to buying an advent calendar and a fur-lined hoodie. I'm not quite sure what happens to me when I walk through those automatic doors. It's probably something to do with their ever-rotating merch that makes me think I have to buy an item before another person takes it (and they will - I've learned the hard way you can't go back expecting for it to still be there). But in my defense, GJWTHF was only $5, and it's an 80s classic - nay, a classic in any decade. I can't sing "Angels We Have Heard on High" without thinking of Lynn Stone adding a "Day-o. Day-you-say-day-you-say-day-o" as she smuggles Janie out to practice with hunkie Jeff Malene.