Gingerbread Village

Welcome to our little gingerbread festival!

This is mine and Buck's creation

Side view of our masterpiece

Leah's Home

Recognize these two? They were very blue in the halloween pictures...

Max and Rebecca's home

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wal*Mart

Wal Mart, Wal Mart, Wal Mart. What am I do with you?

Whenever I go to Wal Mart I feel like I am going into battle. A war zone.  No matter what time of day it is, WW III is always raging inside. It's like the day after Thanksgiving everyday. So what if I save a couple dollars? I still come out with a black eye, some pulled hair, and a bag of my groceries missing.

The experience is a little bit like this:
Drive around for 15 minutes trying to find a parking spot in the back, two miles away from the entrance. After dodging 34 cars weaving through the parking lot like drunks, I enter the dragon's belly. Immediately I am thrown into the freeway of Wal mart. Kids are screaming, carts are flying, and there are no baskets to be found.  But don't worry, I get greeted.

So, being forced to use a giant cart, I make my way through the second round of doors. I shutter as I see inside the hive. People everywhere! Before I can even make it past the produce I am rammed into by another cart. I find that people here maneuver through Wal Mart the same why they drive on the roads- which for those of us who know what Utah-driving is like, knows that this is more unsafe than than swimming with crocodiles. All I want is some tomato paste and milk. But instead I am surrounded by people suddenly slamming on their breaks, drastically changing their speed from super fast to granny slow (for no apparent reason), not paying attention and driving me into the the bread rack, and taking up an entire isle by turning the cart sideways into a blockade. Is this ever really necessary?

Shopping carts?

Or weapons of mass destruction? 

WHY!?
By the time I get to the isle I want I discover that out of the 52 brands normally available there is now an empty shelf with some misplaced diapers there instead. Why does everyone want tomato paste?!

My trips to Wal Mart are always in vain.
I grumble, grab some milk, tear up the rest of my shopping list while proclaiming to the masses that "I'll starve before I shop here again!"

Getting through the check out is always worse than a doctor's waiting room. I used to think that I just had bad luck and "always picked the wrong lane" until I realized that they are ALL the WRONG lane. And why are the self-check out lanes ALWAYS closed?

Oh Wal Mart.
Why do I keep going back?
I guess I can't deny the closeness of it's location to my home, so I go there, hoping to save time. But I am realizing that, for example, when I send my husband off to get something "quickly" and he goes next door to Wal Mart, he comes back much later than when he drives across town, even in Utah traffic, and goes to another store.

Next time, we're moving near Target.

Me & You

And you and me. 

No matter how we toss the dice, 

it's clear to see: 

That you're the only one for me, 

and me for you- 

So HAPPY TOGETHERRRRR!

See, I keep thinking of things to put on my blog and then by the time I get around to it, I forget any such thoughts. So I decided to put something and someone up that I think about CONSTANTLY. Really. Getting married?

Best. Idea. In the WORLD.

Business Party

Hi. 

This weekend we went to Buck's work party at a fancy restaurant called "La Caille." Seriously fancy.

The place looked great.

We looked great. (well, not so much in this picture...)

And the table cloth looked great... until three minutes into the dinner when I spilled....

And this is why I shouldn't be let into nice places.

Decorate!

Well, it's that time of year! Remember our awesome Halloween decorations? We had some minor ones for Thanksgiving as well. But we couldn't wait for Christmas. This year we don't have much and what we do have- most of it is being borrowed from my sister. BUT we DO have a REAL tree. Which is important to us. And we feel festive enough for our budget. But just you all wait, one day we WILL be "those" neighbors- you know the type. The neighbors who are in a perpetual competition to have the most and the best decorations than all the other neighbors, who don't care?

Yes.

That will be us. 

But for now we will be grateful for what we DO have.

These are kitty and tortoise stockings. Two human ones will be added on the left once we get them...

Our tree! ... Or the world's largest cat toy.

May the holidays begin! 

(And don't worry mom- I have that nativity scene up too! Just forgot to get a picture)

Thanks is Given

So. Thanksgiving this year. Can we just talk about this? We got to spend it with Buck's family on the magical shores of Top Sail Beach in North Carolina. Right there on the palm of the sea in a beach house. Back in Utah and Idaho it was snowing and reaching highs of 2º. Yeah. Right.

Last year we spent Thanksgiving together as well and made a cherry pie, so this year Buck and I made a berry pie. The tradition lives on.

"Tom" the turkey

"Theodor" the crab we all caught one night

 

Cousins and in-laws. I fit in right?

Thank you for everything everyone! I am so soo sooo soooooooo BLESSED! All the TIME!

By The Sea

So I found an antique store by the SEA

And I took some pictures.

Birthday Review

First: We went to Tucanos on Thursday night.

 

I love these Brazilian cheese balls

Then we went with a group of my friends and family to the 12:15 a.m. showing of HARRY POTTER, where we snuck in lots of candy, drinks, bananas AND sparkling cider and wine cups. We smuggle with class.At midnight we all toasted and they sang "happy birthday" to me and by the end of the song the entire movie theater had joined in the chorus. Most epic birthday singing I've ever had.

Then the next morning I got birthday coffee cake and I got to open my presents- which were glorious.  (Thank you thank you thank you to my generous family and all you gave me! I was overwhelmed by it all!)

And then that evening my friends Leah and Rebecca made an amazing scavenger/pirate/treasure hunt for me. At each stop there was a letter from someone who loves me. The hunt eventually led me to one of my favorite Sushi restaurants, arranged by Buck, with a group of my friends waiting.

After Sushi everyone came back and we had cake- a cake made by my silly husband- it was a Pirate Sea Otter cake! Haha!

Then the next day I woke up and Buck took me on a surprise Birthday road trip/getaway. (I love road trips and getaways- especially with Buck :) ) We ended up in Moab Utah, where neither of us had really ever been. We spent the two days in the Arches national park and eating at restaurants and sitting in the hot tub and avoiding the man that was on the loose and being hunted for shooting a ranger. (!) How exciting!

I am so blessed! I felt so special and I don't deserve it but I am grateful.  I have the best FAMILY and FRIENDs and especially the best HUSBAND ever!