Two Cooks... and a bun in the oven

30 down... 10 to go!

2012-02-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of only having 10 weeks left until my due date (YAY!), here's 10 things that I....

...could do without

5. The swelling. Okay, so my shoes and wedding rings still fit, but by the end of the day, I do have some swelling.

4. Doctor's appointments. I don't like going to the doctor at the best of times... but now I have to go every month, then twice a month, then weekly? Shoot me now!

3. The bathroom. I feel like I'm turning into my grandmother having to go all the time. Not cool.

2. Sleeping. Don't get me wrong, I love sleep. But I'm sorry, I can't sleep on my back or my stomach? There is something totally wrong about that (especially at 2 am when my shoulder or hip falls asleep).

1. Hormones. The worst is when I know I'm being irrational, but I can't do anything to stop it! I can't wait for this part to be over.

...and that I love!

5. Watching my belly grow. While I'm not too thrilled with the weight gain, I love knowing that the swamp thing is thriving just as it should.

4. Buying baby things. They're all so little... I pretty much squeal every time we buy something.

3. My body pillow. Poor Tim... he's been replaced.

2. Hide and seek. Every time Tim puts his hand on my stomach when the baby is kicking, it moves to the opposite side. And every time, I giggle. This one is all his!

1. Feeling the baby kick. Honestly, I love every single movement and every moment!

Overall, I love being pregnant. I know I've been extremely fortunate to have such a smooth sailing pregnancy and I thank my lucky stars that it has been this good. And hopefully it continues for the next 10 weeks!

Ways to Make a Statement

2012-01-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas to us!

It's approximately 675 books... and we still have more. Meet your new library.

Answers

2012-01-01T12:00:00.011-07:00

For those that are wondering, here's the answers to the most popular questions....

Q: How far along are you?
A: Currently, I'm 25 weeks.

Q: When are you due?
A: April 12th. (April birthdays seem to run in my family...)

Q: How have you been feeling?
A: I've been doing really well. I was fortunate enough not to get morning sickness or any of the first trimester symptoms, so I know I'm lucky there!

Q: Do you know what you're having?
A: This one is a bit tricky...
The short answer is: I know and I'm not telling!

The long answer is: I wanted to know, Tim didn't. Therefore, we made a compromise... we found out (so yes, I know) but we decided not to tell anyone! So it will all be revealed in April when the little one arrives.

Q: What are your name choices?
A: We haven't narrowed down any names yet, but this is something else to be disclosed in April... after all, if I said something now, it would give it away!

Q: If you don't have a name picked out, what do you call it now?
A: At the first ultrasound (8 weeks) we decided that it didn't look quite normal... so since it was living in a liquid environment, we would give it an appropriate name... it is affectionately referred to as the "swamp thing".

Those are all the questions that I have been asked so far, or at least the most common ones. I hope that you all had a happy holiday season and are ready to dive into those New Year's Resolutions!

Virtual Christmas Card!

2011-12-25T16:54:00.000-07:00

Gratitude

2011-11-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

I know it seems a bit overdone, especially this time of year, but I can't help but count the blessings that I have been given in my life... so here's the top 10.

10. The ability to travel (and to have a travel partner that actually enjoys it!)

9. That Tim and I have had stable jobs through all the economic turmoil.

8. The opportunity to get closer to my sisters this past year.

7. Being able to serve in the Young Women program at church.

6. Being a member of the LDS Church and having so many temples close by.

5. My family: in-laws and blood relatives.

4. The dedication that Tim shows in all aspects of his life- school, work, and marriage.

3. Health- that pretty much sums it all up.

2. New shoes.

1. Having a loving, fun, caring, considerate, & tall husband.

I hope that everyone enjoyed their turkey and will remember to keep the spirit of gratitude alive as we head toward Christmas and the end of 2011. (Where in the world did this year go? Does anyone know??)

P.S. How do you like the changes to the blog?

To the Hubby

2011-08-25T14:00:00.001-06:00

Five years ago

I was afraid you wouldn't show up

I was so relieved when you did

I was overwhelmed by the love that I saw in your eyes

I loved the moment we both said "I do"

I knew that when you slipped that ring on my finger, we would always be together

I was happier than I had ever been... until today

During the past five years

We have loved each other endlessly

We have traveled a portion of the world

We have laughed together

We have cried together

We have stolen the covers from each other

You have been my everything.

I love you and look forward to at least another 5 years with you.

Pictures! (finally)

2011-06-20T21:23:00.001-06:00

stats

2011-05-17T21:02:00.000-06:00

pictures to follow.... but we're back from Ireland!

Total distance traveled:
            by plane: 5071 miles
            by car: 2016 km

Total days:
           in Ireland: 10
           in New Jersey: 2

Total pictures taken:
           on camera 1: 677
           on camera 2: 190

Total cities visited:
           11

New Years Fire

2011-01-02T21:04:00.002-07:00

2010-12-31T16:22:00.001-07:00

Raise your hand if you didn't get a Christmas card from us!

(That should be everyone. Consider this your Christmas card.)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

May the coming year bring you great blessings and multitudes of wishes!

Love,
Tim & Tanya

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T16:34:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!

this years costumes.. made by me!

Love,

The Zengers

East coast... the final installment

2010-08-25T18:47:00.000-06:00

Our last stop on this trip was Palmyra, NY to see my family and to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant.

Tim and I drove from Watkins Glen up to Palmyra and we decided to get lunch. Now, my rule for road trips is that we don't eat fast food... we have to stop at a local joint and hit it up!

We couldn't get more local than this! We ate a the Newark Diner... a little place that was totally occupied by locals, only accepted cash and where everyone stared at us like we were aliens. But the food was amazing!

After we left the diner and before we met my family, we went through the Palmyra Temple. It was so beautiful and I couldn't believe some of the artwork in it.

Then, we went and met my family at the campground where we were going to stay.

We spent a day at Niagara Falls with everyone.

The next day was spent touring the LDS Church history sights of Palmyra, finishing it off with the Hill Cumorah Pageant.

The Pellegrino family

The Sacred Grove

Tim

My sisters (and Courtney)

The fake family picture

The real one

East coast... part two

2010-08-09T18:26:00.000-06:00

****WARNING****

There are a lot of pictures!

After Kirtland (and the surrounding area) we still had some time to kill before we needed to meet my family so we spent a day at Corning, New York and Watkins Glen, New York. Both lovely places.

At Corning, we went to the glass factory and actually made our own glass ornaments for my tree! (Granted, I think I need a new tree just to hold them.) It was really neat. They gave you safety glasses to wear and then you got to sit on a little stool and blow into the pipe with the molten glass on the end. The worker shaped it for you, but you physically blew the glass yourself.


Tim blowing through the tube

Reheating the glass

I actually got to roll mine while she poured more molten glass on it to create the effect.


My finished product!

Tim's finished product

Next we went to Watkins Glen where we enjoyed a nice hotel room on the lake and just relaxed. The next morning we went hiking through the park and I took a bunch of pictures! It's a really pretty area and I loved it!

He's so patient...

Tiny frog! It's so cute!!!

Me with a camera... not an uncommon sight.

The eastern (better) side of the country!

2010-07-28T21:24:00.000-06:00

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind being out in Utah... I just wish that I still lived in the east. I miss the humidity and being within an hour drive from the shore. But my life is here with Tim... it just makes me even more excited when I get to visit the east!

Months ago (probably last summer) my sister decided that we needed to do a small family reunion at the Hill Cumorah Pageant in Palymra, NY. Granted, most of the family didn't take her too seriously (we never do) but she kept repeating and repeating it, so Tim and I decided that we would go along with it.

My family was only going to be in New York for a few days, but we decided to make an extended trip out of it. Our first stop was Kirtland, Ohio to see the LDS sights there.

Our first stop was actually at the Holden Arboretum which was essentially a nature preserve for trees. But it was still really interesting and pretty to see.

The next day, we went into historic Kirtland and toured the sights around there. I love seeing the history that is preserved within the buildings, not to mention how well they are preserved. (That sounds nerdy, but I love history... especially church & American history). It's always so neat being in the rooms where some of my favorite scriptures were translated or visions were received. It was wonderful being able to go and see it all. So, naturally, here's some pictures.

The Newel Whitney Store

the merchandise (personally, i wanted to steal a bonnet!)

And the china... just for Tim's side of the family

Outside the sawmill & the ashery

The Kirtland Temple

In front of the Johnson home

Costa Rica!

2010-05-26T21:55:00.001-06:00

I'm back... and I'm too lazy to write a long descriptive blog... but here's what I'm going to tell you...

We went to Costa Rica at the beginning of May with Tim's brother and his wife (Hi Phil & Lori!). We had a blast (well, Tim and I did... I think we scared the pants off Lori). We spent a week and saw all of the beautiful country. I'm talking mountains, cities, volcanoes, waterfalls, beaches, palm tree forests, and the cloud forest. It was amazing and I had so much fun.

In Arenal (our first stop after San Jose) we went canyoneering, which is basically waterfall rappelling. It was awesome and way fun! Then we did a hike around the active volcano and saw the glowing lava rocks coming out of it.

Our next stop was Monteverde, where we went and did a hike through the jungle (over the tree canopy) and then did a zipline! It was exhilarating. I'm ready to go again!!!!

The last area we stayed was Manual Antonio, which was the beach area. It was gorgeous... just like postcards. It was in this area that we saw the monkeys (and watched them steal people's stuff off the beach.)
Now that you have a synopsis of what we did, here are some pictures!

Antelope Island

2010-04-27T19:59:00.001-06:00

We were graced with a beautiful spring day early in April and Tim's parents happened to be visiting that weekend, so we did a little day trip to Antelope Island. Tim's ancestor actually established the Garr Ranch on the island in the early days so it was neat to get a little closer to our heritage. The cool thing about this island is that there are bison just wandering around. This "little" guy actually let us get kinda close (apparently they can charge at you, but we didn't learn that until later.)

They let you practice your lassoing skills.... I don't have any (and neither does anyone we were with), but it was fun watching Tim and Mom Zenger strut their stuff.

Philadelphia

2010-04-25T19:57:00.000-06:00

Last month, Tim had to go to New York for business training and I took the opportunity of flying out to New Jersey to play with my parents for an extended weekend. I flew in on Thursday and spent the day with my mom. She taught me to crochet, so at least I can say I learned something that weekend. On Friday, my mom and I went to NYC and went through the Manhattan temple. Then we just hung around and waited for Tim to finish his training so he could go home with us.

On Saturday, we all took a day trip to Philadelphia! We met Nichol, Jeff and the twins there and just spent a beautiful day at Independence Hall and all around the historic areas. And of course we topped it off with cheese steaks from Ginos! (That's Courtney, enjoying the stick candy that we bought for her. Hey, I didn't have to take her home and wash her!)

Voting day!

2010-02-09T19:56:00.002-07:00

Go here to vote: An Island Life

Love is....

the adventure of a lifetime.

Love is...

2010-02-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've never done this before... but I'm entering a blog/photo contest.

A friend of mine entered and it seemed like fun, so I thought I would go outside my comfort zone and give it a shot. But here's the catch, starting on February 9th, you need to come back and vote for me 'cause naturally the person with the most votes wins!

It's featured on the blog An Island Life and the theme for this month is "LOVE is..."

Love is....

the adventure of a lifetime.

thank heaven for tripods! I did take this picture myself.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-24T19:17:00.004-07:00

We had a Thanksgiving luncheon for work and I couldn't decide between two awesome dessert ideas.... so I made both!

Happy Thanksgiving!
May the day be full of thanks and turkey!

Newsflash!

2009-11-01T20:48:00.003-07:00

I'm not a morning person. I never have been a morning person. I consider the four years that I had to go to early morning seminary (and I actually remained awake for it) as a fluke. I'm still not a morning person. I'd rather stay up late and get things accomplished instead of telling myself that I'll get up early to do it all. I have 2 alarms that go off every morning (3 if you count Tim's) and I still hit the snooze button for another 15 minutes.

When we lived in Provo, I had a 10 minute drive to work, so I got out of bed around 6:45. The main thing I was worried about when we moved to Murray was that I would have to get up earlier for my 45 minute drive to work. No... I get out of bed at 7. I just really don't do mornings.

Now, I married a morning person. If he even tries to get me out of bed early (because I asked him to) he gets kicked and mumbled at. Or I just pretend to be a limp body until he leaves me alone. If he manages to get me out of bed, then I hop back in once he's in the shower. If I have somewhere to be, I stay in bed til the last possible moment and then I get ready.

The funny thing is that on Saturday mornings, I'm awake by 8 and then I just can't go back to sleep. I blame my father for this one. His rule was that you weren't allowed to sleep in on the weekends but had to get out of bed and help with the housework. So, I'm just cursed... my sleeping in never happens.

The reason I bring this all up is my brilliant idea that allows me to sleep a little longer, eat a little healthier, and save a little money.

When I get up in the morning and get ready for work, I never have time to make a lunch because I would rather go out to eat than get up a little bit earlier. (Yes, I am that pathetic.) When I was in New Mexico this summer, my mom gave me some tupperware containers... a decent size for a lunch. Upon my arrival at home, I realized that I could actually use them for lunch and just take leftovers to work. Yeah, that didn't happen. If I actually took the leftovers out of the fridge and put it in the container, I was late for work. So then I tried putting them in the night before... and half the time I forgot, the other half was I didn't want that for lunch because we were having it for dinner too.

Then I came up with my idea... I'll make 2, maybe 3, meals a week (most recipes feed 6 people, and there are only 2 of us). One meal becomes dinner and we just have leftovers every night. (I love me some leftovers!) The other meal gets divided into 10 containers after its made and Tim & I just grab one every morning on the way to work. BINGO! Lunch is served. (We do grab some fruit too, but that's already prepared.)

Since we've been doing this, we've had healthier lunches and we actually have saved money. Well, I have because I haven't been going out to eat. Tim really hasn't 'cause Mr. Morning over here always got out of bed early enough to make a lunch. So meet this week's lunch... Buddy & Tony's chicken... notice the steam on the containers... it's fresh!

And Tim sent me those flowers at work for just no reason at all... I love him!

Confession

2009-10-05T19:12:00.005-06:00

I have a confession to make....

I have an addiction.

Don't worry, it's not drugs or alcohol. Nothing like that... but I am addicted to books.

When I was a kid, I would read a book a day... I mean, the librarian knew my name and didn't need my library card to let me check out a book. Now, it's not so much a matter of obtaining books from the library, it's more of getting them for the library.

My dream is to have a house with its own library. The kind with busts placed periodically around the room and a rolling ladder to reach those high up books, a really big comfy chair to curl up in with my warm blanket and a fireplace. (I'd like a cat there too, but I can't really see Tim allowing that one.)

I knew when I was looking for my eternal companion that he would have to have a love of the written word. That's why I was so excited when Tim and I spent one of our first dates just talking about books! (Yes, I am nerdy.) When we were moving into our first place together, one of the biggest disagreements we had was about how to organize our books. I'm a fan of placing them in size order to make them pleasing to the eye (also, I have problems remembering authors, but I know what each book looks like) and Tim wanted them alphabetically by author (he knows authors but not looks.) So we compromised, all of the "secular" books (anything not church related) are by size and all church books are by author.

The reason I mention this addiction of mine is simple... I'm also a tad bit OCD about my books. No spine is creased, no pages marred (or dog-eared), and absolutely no writing. Tim's not that obsessive with his books, but I actually have people afraid of marring my books. It's not that it ruins the book or anything, I just like to have nice, clean, mint condition books sitting on my bookshelves looking pretty.

Despite my OCD, I still lend my books out. (And they do come back in the original condition, for which I am truly thankful.) My friend at work (I borrow tons of her books) turned me on to a new idea. I normally don't have a problem keeping tract of who borrows what books, but I decided I wanted my books to feel like they belong to an institution. So I bought it and spent the weekend using my new toy. I have a ton of books to go, but I think all the books will feel like they belong. So now, if you borrow a book of mine, look for this little logo in the upper corner on the inside cover page.

Welcome to my library.

The stamp is from Sweet Papery. www.sweetpapery.com

Some random pictures

2009-09-15T20:09:00.001-06:00

Firsts...

2009-09-14T20:14:00.001-06:00

This weekend I was able to make my first wedding cake. My friend's grandmother got married and I got to do the cake! Here's how it turned out...

I handmade each little flower and put a little pink dot in the middle and then hand placed it on the cake. It took awhile, but I'm happy with the results and my friend liked it a lot too. I just hope her grandmother did.

2009-09-13T20:36:00.001-06:00

I found this last night going through some old pictures and I thought I would share it with whomever reads my blog.

First things first.... Lori, I love the outfit! Travis, love the hair. And it seems as if Andrea never grows older. (This picture was taken 12 years ago.) Tim had weight problems back then... you can tell his belt is struggling to hold his too big pants up. And finally, I love Aunt Sylvia in the background peeking through! I love this family!

Road trips!

2009-09-13T19:30:00.010-06:00

This is backdating a bit, but I'm going to blog about it anyway...

The last weekend of July, Tim and I decided to head to Colorado to go to WaterWorld because apparently "it's the best waterpark ever" (Tim's words) and I decided I needed to see it. Naturally, it wouldn't be fun going with just the two of us, so we took Phil & Lori's family along... then we made it perfect by bringing Nicholas and Natalie Tholstrom with us! I don't understand why people say traveling with kids is hard... they were perfect for the whole 7 hour drive.

WaterWorld was fun, but I think I want to go back when it's warmer. The wind was blowing so it was a little cool, but the rides were fun and we didn't even get a chance to go on all that we wanted to. (Sorry, no pictures of that, I didn't want my camera to get wet.)

The next day, Phil & Lori took the whole gang to a statue park that was really kinda neat. We rode on a fun little train that took you around a small area of the park. The kids and Tim and I traveled in the cattle car of the train that was just a bit cramped for us. Luckily, it was a short ride.

We had a great weekend with Phil & Lori and their kids and it was nice being with Nick & Natalie as well. I'm sure all the cousins had a great time.

Answer!

2009-08-27T18:12:00.005-06:00

Falling a little behind...

2009-08-16T21:19:00.008-06:00

I realize that my last post was in June and it's now the middle of August, so here's something that happened in May.

First, I want to say how awesome my mother-in-law is. Not only did she practically plan my wedding, but she (and her sisters) did the decorating, the flowers, and all of the other miscellaneous stuff that I never worried about. I mean, honestly, how awesome do these flowers look? But besides being that amazing.... she let me marry her youngest son.

When Tim and I decided to move to Salt Lake, I was excited by 2 different things. The first is that I would be able to spend more time with him since his commute was going to be quite a bit shorter (before, he had an hour and a half drive, each way... gotta love rush hour traffic!)

The second thing I was excited about is that I would get my own room. Not my own room to sleep in, but my very own craft room! I have quite a few little hobbies going on, so this would give me plenty of room to expand and not encroach on Tim's space. So this little area of mine became a haven for me, as well as 3 separate rooms. I have my sewing niche, my reading nook, and my children corner.

This would be the sewing niche. And now to the reason that I mentioned my wonderful mother-in-law... she gave me this awesome spinning wheel (I'm tempted to prick my finger on the spindle... or learn how to spin, one of the two) and the beautiful picture of period costumes. I love them both and they are a great addition to my little corner of heaven!

This is my reading nook. I have way more books than I have bookshelves for, so it's only a small selection of personal favorites or recently read books... but isn't my teddy bear to die for... even he reads in this corner! Most of the time I can't even kick him out of his chair, so I just lay on the floor in front of the bookcases to read. Gotta love books!

Here's the children's corner of my room. Granted, it's not that big and spacious, but I also don't have any children. The toys and books are for current visitors and future kids in my life. I've been collecting them since Tim and I got married and I joined a family with 19 nieces & nephews. So, come on over and we'll play for awhile.

Also featured in this corner is another wonderful gift from the MIL... a bust. This young lady will someday grace the corner of my library on a pedestal that is purchased just for her. Stay tuned for that picture in the distant future.

And here's a little guessing game.... in the last two pictures, there are souvenirs from 5 countries from around the world... take a guess as to which they are and which country they belong to. (You may need to enlarge the pictures to see clearly, but they are there). I'll let you know the answers in my next post.

Welcome to my home and my retreat.

And thank you Mom Zenger!

I like to look for rainbows...

2009-06-28T18:43:00.003-06:00

I love the sun. In fact, I would say I worship summer. Winter is just not my season, but summer is a girl's best friend (next to nail polish and mascara, of course).

I know Utah has been soaked in these last few weeks due to massive amounts of water cascading from the skies, but I have loved every minute of it. I love the rain, especially really good thunderstorms.

Before you call me crazy, let me explain. I grew up in New Jersey and you could always tell when a storm was coming because the level of humidity would spike (and the sky would get all dark). But my favorite part of the coming storm was the smell that crept in. You could just smell the rain on the wind. I used to go outside to our front porch to my chair and just watch the storm and the downpour.

Now, Utah doesn't have the humidity that home has but the dark clouds seem to crawl across the sky slower and more resentful. Once they decide which unsuspecting city to hit, they let loose their vengeance and start the torrential downpour. The thing I look forward to in some of these really wild and loud thunderstorms is the smell. It is just so clean and rainy smelling, it is wonderful!

After three weeks of rain every day, and a wonderful thunderstorm practically every night, you learn to appreciate quite a bit about wet weather. Not only are we having spectacular sunsets, but we've been able to see a rainbow over the mountains after a good portion of the storms that have hit. They have been beautiful, one such being this past Friday night. Allison & Lori noticed it first and we all gathered at the back door to see this beautiful creation of Heavenly Father's. And we were blessed with not only one, but two full rainbows making those perfect arches in the sky.

But now it's growing warmer and I'm happy to say that summer has showed up, halfway through its own season. But while it's here, I'll enjoy every minute that I'm not trapped inside an office building. (It's a good thing I no longer have the window by my desk to distract me.) So here's a great big welcome to summer!

Baby Shower

2009-05-22T14:17:00.002-06:00

One of my co-workers has decided to leave us... mainly because she just adopted a darling little baby boy. Naturally, we decided to throw a baby shower for her (but also because we just like getting together). So here's some pictures of the event....

The food spread is one the left, complete with chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate covered pretzels, and chocolate dipped cookies (anyone sensing a theme here?) And on the right is the centerpiece. I had seen some of these diaper cakes online, and since the new mother asked for diapers, I thought I would try my hand at making one. Surprisingly enough, it was rather easy to make and I thought it turned out wonderful. I just love the little lion on top! But it was a fun event and everyone had a good time.

Here's the new mother on the left with her little bundle of joy!

BBQ x 2

2009-05-17T21:45:00.008-06:00

The line-up

After the previously mentioned baby shower, Tim and I met some friends in the park for a good old fashioned BBQ and a game of Bocce Ball. So here's a few pictures from that event...

The flowers were so pretty... and the cute little boy is Jayden. He was licking his marshmallow like a puppy!

As for the second BBQ mentioned in the title of this post...

This past Saturday was the annual Elder's Quorum BBQ for our ward. Tim went and played golf with the boys and then picked me up for the BBQ portion of the activity. Time had signed up for a dessert, but I volunteered to make it and so, here it is! It's strawberry, whipped cream, chocolate, and meringue goodness! And it was delicious!

Disney World

2009-05-17T21:06:00.004-06:00

In April, Tim and I had the opportunity to visit my parents and go on vacation with them. The destination of choice.... Disney World! It was a very fun week and I enjoyed being able to spend time with my parents. I really don't get to see them that often and I hate that... but plane tickets are expensive and vacation days are scarce, so I just have to suffer through it. But here are some key pictures of our trip.

Recent Desserts

2009-03-24T18:19:00.009-06:00

Since I've been a slacker in posting, I'm not going to change that... but here's some picutures of desserts that I've made recently.

They say...

2009-03-02T17:40:00.005-07:00

that pictures are worth a thousand words... if that's the case, then I don't need to say anything!

But I will say that we enjoyed ourselves and I want to go back!

*And on a side note, I'm already counting down the days until our next vacation to DisneyWorld in April*

Escape

2009-02-16T20:07:00.004-07:00

Dear Winter,

I know that it may be your time to experiment with the weather and that the little groundhog in Pennsylvania saw his shadow and that means that we get another six weeks of you, but I'm tired of it all.

I don't like your sudden bitter winds or the snow storms that I must drive through to get to work. And when you do allow the sun to shine, it's too cold to actually enjoy it. You make everyone depressed and melancholy. You don't bring happiness, except to avid snowboarders and small children that don't know any better.

I don't want to say that I hate you, because that is a little strong and I do realize that you need your time in the spotlight. I just want you to be happy with your fifteen minutes of fame and not take 4 months to create your masterpiece because it will get ruined with the arrival of spring.

So, since you have refused to go away this year and instead seem intent on torturing the unsuspecting populace with additional time in the dark and cold, I have decided to escape. Please don't try to contact me because I'm know you're not allowed where I will be. And unfortunately, I will be back in your clutches soon enough.

I wish you the best of luck, and I will not miss you.

Sincerely,
Tanya Zenger

The Great Christmas Debate

2008-12-21T20:31:00.008-07:00

Now it may seem that I'm a little delayed in getting this post up, but since we're leaving this week to spend Christmas in Colorado and Christmas is this week, I figured it is rather fitting to explain the big debate of Christmas around here.

First, some background. Tim is the youngest of five, with the next older sibling 8 years older than him, so he claims he was raised as an only child. Christmas in his house was celebrated with socks hanging from the mantle, and 5-7 decorated themed trees. From what I understand, there was also an abundance of nutcrackers. On Christmas morning, the kids all slept in and the family woke up around 10 to open presents.

In my family, I am the youngest of three girls. Christmas for us consisted of 1 tree that was decorated with ornaments from all of our many travels. The stockings were hung from the upright piano (we didn't have a fireplace, Santa came through the front door.) And we woke up around 2 to open our stocking presents (I still do to this day) and then my parents and oldest sister would get up around 7 so that we could open presents. Then the rest of the day was spent just hanging out, normally with my sister taking a nap somewhere in there.

When Tim and I first got married, we knew that Christmas would be a challenge for us. I didn't see the need for more than one tree and he didn't understand the need to get up so early to open presents. So we compromised...

We bought his & hers trees. Tim's is tall and slim (kinda like him) and covered with white solid lights and some old-fashioned, antique glass blown ornaments. It is a very pretty and formal looking tree, so it belongs in the dining room. (For an example of an ornament, scroll back up.)

My tree, on the other hand, is short and fat (hopefully not like me) and decorated in the style of my family. Normally, there would be white solid lights, white twinkle lights, color solid lights, and colored twinkle lights on, but I just haven't bought any colored lights yet. (And it's the random twinkle so the whole strand isn't blinking at you.) I have the ornaments that I got growing up (like Baby's First Christmas) and the few that I brought back from my travels (there's even one from China!) So whenever we go somewhere, I get a new ornament... kinda like this little guy. (Okay, you have got to love him!)

So in essence, our compromise isn't really a compromise, but we each get to keep our traditions and our fun stuff. (Yes, we have socks and stockings hanging from the mantle. And there are only 3 nutcrackers decorating our living room.) This year, we're going to Colorado to his side of the family's house to celebrate Christmas with them... I'm just not sure that I'll be able to sleep in until 10. I already warned Tim that he better have some present for me to open at 2 when I wake up. But despite our nuttiness, Christmas is a wonderful season and we love being around family and enjoying just the different things that make Christmas special to each of us.

We want to wish each of you a safe, wonderful, and Happy Christmas! And we hope that Santa brings something wonderful!

2008-12-05T16:09:00.008-07:00

I realize that it has been a little while since I posted, and there actually have been a few occassions where I thought to myself "Oh, that is so needs a post." However, due to my laziness and the fact that I wasn't getting around very well, it never got done. So here's how everything went down.

November 1st
Natalie Tholstrom & Alayna Zenger both got baptized and became members of the church. Each little "session" was wonderful and both girls looked regal in their white attire. And while I don't have any pictures of them in their outfits, I do have pictures of their cakes!

Alayna really like horses, and Natalie decided she wanted a beach cake, complete with NT as the swimming pools!

November 8th

Tim's grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday, complete with cake! Her kids threw a little party for her big day and we all went and celebrated such a great milestone.

It was a great party and everyone enjoyed themselves and the food that was provided.
It was so great to see how many people had their lives touched by her throughout the years, of course starting with her own family. And we all learned new things about her that we didn't know before. It is so wonderful that she can still be a part of our lives and have her around.

November 27th

Thanksgiving Day. Now I have a lot to be thankful for, and I'm not just talking about the obvious things like "family, friends, a job..." . Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly thankful for those items as well, but I am incredibly thankful for things that I'm just learning to appreciate:

- A strong, open relationship with Tim
- A job that I thoroughly enjoy
- An expanding list of hobbies that Tim supports me in
- The many nieces & nephews that I now have in my life
- A hairless man (yes, i don't like my men with hair)
- A reason to laugh

As for what we did on Thanksgiving, we spent the afternoon with Uncle Kirk & his family and just sat around and played games for the afternoon. And of course became as stuffed as the bird placed in front of us. But we had a great time and enjoyed the afternoon.

Now it's time for the next holiday, which I am all ready for. Okay, I don't have my tree up, but Tim's has been up since Thanksgiving weekend and my shopping has been done for about a week. I love being prepared! So we're just picking up some last minute things and just kinda wandering around the malls laughing at people (well, okay, I'm laughing, but Tim is wandering with me.) That's about it for us around here, nothing new and just the same ole, same ole... that is until Christmas vacation! Colorado, here we come!

Worth it!

2008-11-14T18:14:00.002-07:00

I may be partially blind and deaf now, so just make sure you speak up... but every moment was completely worth it! I totally think everyone should see this show... unless you are prone to seizures that is.

My New Best Friend

2008-11-03T16:07:00.002-07:00

This is the Polar Care 300 and my new best friend. Why? you ask. Well, let me tell you.

Last month, I drove to Colorado and I noticed that every time I stopped and got out of the car, my knee was insanely hurting... almost too the point where I didn't want to walk on it. Well, I also have a hatred of doctors so I figured I'd see if the pain would go away. A few weeks later, it was still hurting and it was getting worse, so I finally saw a doctor and he said the dreaded words "torn ligament" and "surgery" in the same sentence.

On Halloween, I went in to have this torn ligament fixed. It was a simple procedure, just a scope on my knee, but it turns out that it wasn't a torn ligament after all. It was all because of my plica. Basically, the plica is what holds your leg together during fetal development until the knee is formed and then it just goes off to the side and is unobtrusive in normal people. In me, however, the plica was holding my kneecap to my femur, thus not allowing my knee to move. (It really explains a lot.) So the doctor simply took care of that problem and then noticed through his sweet little catheters that the groove for my kneecap was misshapen. Instead of being the nice round groove that most people have (once again I'm a minority), it was at a 90 degree angle. So the doctor was nice enough to fix that for me.

For the past few days I've had my knee bandaged up and I've had the Polar Care 300 in my possession. I take the blue bandage looking part, put it around my knee while Tim fills the cooler part up with ice water and then hooks me up and plugs it in. The result is an endless flow of ice water going around my knee creating a wonderful soothing sensation. And that is why I have a new best friend. I suggest getting one for all your aches and pains, just not in the way that I did.

Masquerade

2008-11-03T15:52:00.005-07:00

I love the movie Phantom of the Opera and more than just because it's a musical and I'm addicted to musicals. There's just one song in it that intrigues me more than any other in that movie and it's the song "Masquerade". I mean, how often do you hear of masquerade balls being held? Ever since I saw that movie, I've wanted to go to a masquerade ball and watch people dance. Not the whole prom dancing kind, but the old-fashioned waltzes and foxtrots. Which is why I was so excited when we saw a flyer taped to each and every costume store we went to for a Masquerade Ball. Did we dress up and go? Of course!

We went and had an awesome time. I made my costume but didn't have enough time to make Tim's. But we did learn some old-fashioned dances. They taught us a group waltz and a reel. It kinda made me feel like I was in a dance scene from Pride & Prejudice but it was so much fun! I have to admit that the reel would have been better had not so many people been in our group, but it seemed to take forever! I think we'll need to go again next year.

I also made a Halloween dessert... pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate mice! Enjoy!

Random Vacations

2008-10-19T12:49:00.002-06:00

The last weekend in September was Tim's niece's birthday. Normally, there's nothing exciting about that to us since they live in Colorado and we're here in Utah... but I decided that she needed something special.

I conspired with my sister-in-law to do something fun for their daughter (and she is the only girl, so she deserves to be spoiled!) and we ended up with the plan that I would drive to Colorado and make her birthday cake for her. And Tim couldn't come with me, so it was a solo drive across Wyoming.

As I was coming down from Laramie and entering Colorado, a storm was brewing and I pulled over to take this picture (of course I had my camera riding shotgun!) But it was a long journey and I made it just in time for dinner. I called Tim at each stop I made (which was at every major city across Wyoming... I did that just to stretch my legs), so that he could keep track of where I was. It was a very pretty drive, but I liked it when the storm came across the mountains the best.

Since I was there to make a cake, that's what I did on Saturday. While my brother & sister-in-law took their kids to the various sporting events of the day, I got to work to make the "Fancy Nancy" themed cake. (For those who don't know, Fancy Nancy is a book about a little girl that has to have everything fancy. Soirees instead of parties; parfaits instead of ice cream... you get the picture.) So I was commissioned to make a fancy cake for this party.

It was a great party... all the little girls came in their fanciest clothes and played musical chairs to "fancy" music (Tchaikovsky) and then had a relay race with proper posture and wearing "fancy" shoes (which I was glad to donate by high heels for!) And that pretty much marked the end of that quick weekend getaway!

The Wednesday after I got home, Grandma Neville came for a visit. She decided that she wanted to go to conference this year and I was happy to have her here! So we spent Wednesday in Salt Lake at temple square and the conference center. Then she spent the next few days with the family of the missionary that baptized her and her family. And then I picked her up and she spent the weekend with us. My cousin spent Sunday with us also, so we all went to conference together in the rain. It was cold, but it was such a great conference that you really didn't mind it at all. She left a few days later, but it was such a great treat to see her again and just to talk with her. I miss my Grandma!

The weekend after my grandma left, Tim and I went down to St George, Utah to see Les Miserables at the Tuacahn ampitheatre there. I think we were the ones that were miserable though. Normally, St George is a wonderful 75 degrees, but that weekend, it was 44. We sat there during the performance sipping our Caramel Apple Ciders and huddling in our blankets that we stayed mostly warm. It really made me feel bad for the actors on the stage. But it was a good production and a nice treat to see that musical.

Our next adventure occurs at the end of this week when we go to a masquerade and then have a Halloween party the next night. Stay tuned for more pictures!

Spoiled Rotten

2008-09-16T17:55:00.003-06:00

I'm the youngest child in my family, and Tim's the youngest in his... doesn't that entitle us to be somewhat spoiled? That's my theory and for some reason Tim doesn't quite agree with me. But I have no complaints since he still spoils me. (And he admits to doing it!)

For awhile now, I've wanted a new camera; the old one just wasn't cutting it anymore (not that I'm knocking the 3 megapixels, but I wanted something better). So after much research and asking nicely, I got a wonderful camera for my birthday! Meet the Canon Rebel XSI. This is such a wonderful camera! I absolutely love it! Not to mention that with the purchase of this lil beauty, Tim & I get photography classes! So now I have something new to play with and learn about. Cameras truly are wonderful things.

And speaking of my birthday, I decided that I wanted to make zoo cupcakes. And the only way I could do that properly was to go to the zoo for my birthday! So I told Tim that's what I wanted to do, and he agreed to doing it. Then I invited his sister and her family to join us at the zoo and for dinner after. It was so much fun (at least for me) and I got to play with my camera again!

*Sidenote* If anyone wants their picture taken, let me know... I think Tim is getting sick of me taking his picture.

I love the performing arts, (I even like the opera) and lucky for me Tim does to, with the exception of the opera. So we've tried to go to the theatre as much as we can but sometimes it just doesn't work out for us. But this year, we've been going quite a bit, and we have several more in front of us. Tim says he needs to stop spoiling me, but hey, I like My Fair Lady, and Les Miserables, so I'm really looking forward to seeing them again. And if that's not enough, we just scored tickets to see Trans-Siberian Ochrestra perform in November! My next goal is to convince him to take me to the ballet in December for The Nutcracker.

The elders quorum for our ward had an end of the summer bbq, complete with a bake-off. I decided to enter, and so did Tim, so it was a fun couple of days in the house. It's too bad that Tim talks the talk but can't walk the walk. I made a cake that took the prize (it was a cook book, anyone up for some fried ants?) But it was fun being in a contest with him and talking smack!

Being spoiled is one thing that I do well, but I like to pass on the pleasure to other people. Now if only Tim would let me spoil our nieces & nephews more often....

These pictures are of my birthday cupcakes & pictures that I've taken with my camera. Enjoy!!

August 25, 2008

2008-09-01T10:14:00.003-06:00

August 25 marked out two-year anniversary. While we didn't celebrate on that day, I still can't believe what luck I have in my choice of husband. I love him more now than I did two years ago, something that I thought was impossible. He really is my perfect match and the love of my life. Amazingly enough, after two years together, we still haven't fought. I guess that's because we each know what we need to cool down and control our tempers, but I love that about him! And now I'm going to list the "Top Ten" things that I love about Tim.

1. He actually will go shoe shopping with me.

2. He willingly goes grocery shopping and doesn't bring home only junk food.

3. He tolerates my messy projects (ie when I make a recipe book from magazines)

4. He buys me books

5. He likes to read and doesn't care too much for TV

6. He cooks

7. He cleans

8. He admits that I'm normally right

9. He knows how to decorate

10. He cleans the bathrooms.

Of course there are many more reasons why I love him but I'm not going to disclose those here. I love him more each day and I celebrate the two years that I've had with him as the best of my life. And it will only get better.

July

2008-07-28T20:51:00.007-06:00

I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to try to condense the entire month of July into one post...

I'm going to cheat and start with the end of June.
Sadly, Tim's grandfather passed away so we had the opportunity to go to his funeral and support his mother and her siblings. It was a beautiful funeral and it really made me wish that I had known him. Victor Nelson sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for many years and was extremely gifted with music and photography. He passed away at the age of 90 years, so he led a long life.
That weekend one of our nieces had a birthday, so I got to make a birthday cake big enough to feed the masses that make up the Nelson family. (I don't know why the picture isn't going straight, but I give up. Sorry for any neck cramps!) It was way fun to do and she loved it!

Alright, on to July! The only major event that has happened in July is that we had the Zenger family reunion in Vail, Colorado. It was fun to see everyone, including Tim's brother and his family that I've only met once. We just spent the days having fun with various activities, playing in the park, hiking, or just hanging out. Tim's mom had actually made a big purchase for our entertainment purposes, so most of the kids played Rock Band on the Wii. We went to the Alpine Gardens and the top of Vail Mountain... both places were beautiful and so much fun. I loved it all, even beating everyone in Settlers of Catan. It was such a fun time and it was so nice to be back with Tim where we spent our honeymoon, even if we did get the bunk bed this time.

When we got back, there was another birthday, but this time for a nephew that loves trains! So I got to make the cake for him as well, and spend some more time with family. Tim & I are really blessed to have so much family around us and to have so many opportunities to spend time with them.

Now it's time for August to come...

An Exhausting Vacation....

2008-06-08T21:19:00.006-06:00

The twins... Nathan Scott & Courtney Kay

The past two weeks have been really hectic around here.

After we returned from Colorado, I had 1 1/2 days to do laundry and re-pack my bags to fly to New Jersey. By the time I got to the airport to leave Utah, I felt exhausted... but at least I had a vacation, right? Wrong!

Luckily, my flight landed early so instead of arriving at midnight, I came in around 11 pm. (I'm just glad I don't know how fast they were going to get in that far in advance.) Well, after talking with my parents for a little while and showing them the blessing dress I made, I ended up crashing at 1 am.

The next morning, I grabbed a bagel (best in the world!) and headed to Pennsylvania to see my sister and her newborn twins, since they were the reason for my visit. However, I still didn't get a vacation. Between trying to feed both of them, get them to be quiet, and running to various doctor appointments, I was still running low on energy. That night didn't get any better. Normally, I can pretty much fall asleep anywhere, and this night was no different, with the exception being that I was being awakened every few hours by one the kids crying. Definitely not the best night sleep of my life.

The next few days were a little better because our forces were joined with that of my other sister on Friday and my parents on Saturday. Sunday found us all scrambling around trying to get ready for church and attempting to stop the twins from spitting up on their blessing outfits.

What a wonderful sacrament meeting that was. Watching my brother-in-law take each child into his arms and bless them in church was just a marvelous experience. In my opinion, the only thing that could have made it better was if Tim were there. It was obvious to see that it meant a lot to both my sister and her husband to have the family around them.

After church, we had a family bbq party and just enjoyed being around each other and of course, passing the twins around. (Nathan is my favorite... he's just a lot more laid back than his sister!) Tuesday morning I left for the airport at 5 am (I don't suggest that at all) and got back to Utah around 11 am. Well, I was supposed to go in to work, but that didn't happen. I called in sick and just crashed on the couch for the next 4 hours.

It's vacations like that that make me feel like I need a vacation just to recover. But it was fun and worth it in the end! (But I like being home with Tim more!)

I think they've been neglecting their dog . She crawled on my shoulde r looking for some love.

A better picture of the dress I made... and yes, I did put it on a teddy bear

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

2008-05-27T20:14:00.011-06:00

The immortal words of Charles Dickens really describe our last weekend in Colorado. We had planned to spend Memorial Day in Denver so that I would get a chance to spoil our nieces and nephews that live there. I just didn't expect to spend so much time with them (not that it's a bad thing, I only wish that the circumstances were better.)

But let me start at the beginning....

Thursday, I was doing the girlie thing of shopping at the mall on my lunch break. I had just gotten a handful of really cute skirts to try on and was making my way to the fitting room when my phone rang. I answered it (knowing it was Tim on the other side) and immediately put down the clothes and left the mall when he told me his news... a tornado had just swept through Windsor, CO and hit his brother's house. The family was safe; but their house became a fatality of the storm.

I rushed back to work (luckily there were no cops) and hurried to finish the one thing that I really needed to do and then left (with my manager's approval, of course). I met Tim back at the house and we threw a bunch of clothes in bags, grabbed out 72 hour kit (we didn't know what kind of weather we would meet on the way) and became our trek toward Colorado.

Outside of Evanston, WY we hit a rather large storm system that left visibility close to zero and large hailstones on the ground. At the end of the storm, when we could see the light ahead, we couldn't believe the difference in the sky.

Luckily, that was the last major storm that we went through until Laramie. We spent the time traveling across Wyoming trying to get signal on our cell phones so we could check the weather on the road ahead. When we finally got through to the 'rents in Denver and found out that Cheyenne was now in "tornado warning" zone, we turned south at Laramie, only to be greeted by San Francisco fog and snow. As we crept along the road, we knew it was only a matter of time until the sky cleared and we would be able to continue at a normal pace. As soon as we crossed the state line, the fog lifted and the sky was crystal clear. We could honestly see every star in the sky for the rest of our journey (that is, until we hit light pollution again.)

We spent Friday playing with our niece & nephews and going shopping with them since they didn't have any clothes. On Saturday morning, we left Denver with Tim's brother & sister-in-law and went to Windsor for a town meeting. Miraculously enough, we found out that we would be allowed into the "restricted area", which is where their house was. As we pulled up in front of their house, we were greeted with this sign. Basically, it meant "enter at your own risk", "structure unstable", and "good luck getting your stuff out". But we didn't pay any attention and instead walked in to see what havoc the tornado had left behind. Their house was a loss (see end of blog for more pictures), but their was a positive side to this disaster.

I have never really been in a position to notice the full power of volunteers and the LDS church. As we began cleaning up what had once been their house, people in yellow shirts (later dubbed the "yellow team") kept coming and just joining in the effort; not only on this one house but on the whole block. The church was collaborating with the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and FEMA to help clean up the area. As Aunt Sylvia said during the clean-up "Times like this really bring out the best and worst in human beings." We really saw the good side of everyone, from the volunteers to the National Guard and police that guarded the area against looters. It was an inspiring sight to see so many people just helping strangers and joining in the effort to save as much of a person's life as possible. The citizens of Colorado can truly be used as a remarkable example to the rest of us to participate in service and receive the joy to ourselves.

When we left Colorado on Sunday, we left a broken home (literally) and a family trying to figure out the next step. But we also left with love and appreciation in our hearts. We went where we were supposed to be; where it meant the most for us to be. I never thought I would ever be in the position to respond to a disaster area, but when it comes to family, I learned that Tim & I will drop everything to be where we are needed; even if it is just to play with our nieces and nephews.
The hailstones that fell just before the storm. The garage (and amazingly enough, the van is still drivable) but this is no longer there.

The roof. This is pretty much all that's left, except over the living room. This is where little Matthew was taking a nap when the storm started. Good thing his dad thought to move him to the basement.

RIP

2008-05-17T13:00:00.005-06:00

The fateful day has come and gone. Tim has said good-bye to his beloved Colorful Colorado. He is now ensnared and unable to break the mountainous grip of the desert valley. He pines for the day when he can leave the arid climate and return to the place he truly belongs... however far in the future that may be. Now he can only hope for little weekend trips and even those leave him unfulfilled. It is a fate worse than death. Please let us have a moment of silence for this momentous and saddening occasion.

Welcome to Utah, Tim.

Updates....

2008-04-20T20:27:00.003-06:00

I realize that it has been a bit since I've last updated, but at least now I have something to say. We still haven't finished setting up our new place. But it's mainly because we're not quite sure where to hang all of the pictures and actually have them look good. I think we just have too many walls that are picture worthy, either that or the rooms are just too long. And we still have a few little things here and there, but we've been spending our time doing other things.

Yesterday, we spent a good portion of the day outside and at Home Depot. We have a tree in our front yard that I like, but unfortunately it had long, skinny offshoots of itself coming from the roots. So while Tim worked in the backyard getting the back corner weed free for our garden, I cut down all the offshoots and weeded around the tree. Oh, it looks so much better now! I do have a before picture, but I'll post it when all the flowers come into bloom. Which is why we spent time at Home Depot. I needed to pick out the flowers that I wanted in the front. I decided Asiatic Lilies and some Gladiolus in a complimentary color. Those are going to go next to our rosebushes (of which I also pruned yesterday) and then we'll have some wildflowers in the box around the tree.

In other news, we now have 19 nieces and nephews (but the first two on my side). My eldest sister had her twins on Wednesday night. She and her husband named them Nathan Scott and Courtney Kay. And everyone is doing great. I can't wait to go out and see them. I bought my plane tickets to go see them at the end of May and beginning of June. And it was the cheapest plane ticket that I have ever bought: $5. Airline miles are a wonderful thing. I have a cheap ticket and I get to fly first class! I'm probably more excited about that than I should be, but I don't care.

I planned my flight so that I could be there when the twins get blessed in church, which is a good thing since I'm providing the blessing outfits. I had told my sister that I'd buy the little boy's, since I'd probably find a better one in Utah than she could in Pennsylvania. She told me that she wanted to make the little girl's, but didn't have the time or energy since her belly was so big. So after thinking for awhile, I realized that I could make it. So as my privilege as aunt is to provide the blessing outfits for both babies, which I'm excited about. And pictures will be posted as soon as they are done.

In other news, I'd like the give an ode to my washer and dryer. One of the reasons that I was excited to move was because we got to make this big investment. (And then I wouldn't be restricted to what days I could do my laundry like I was when we had to share the washer & dryer with the couple that lived downstairs.) But man, I love my washer and dryer. We got a top of the line front loader (we actually got the second best because we decided we didn't need a washer that was trilingual when we weren't). I love it. I just can't say it enough. Saturdays are now laundry days when I can get it all done, and know that I am still being energy efficient. But it is wonderful and I love them both. Okay, enough of my washer & dryer (but they are the best).

At the beginning of April was the LDS General Conference, to which we went on Saturday morning. Besides being fantastic, that's not what I want to talk about. Tim got a phone call on Thursday or Friday before conference from an old mission companion. Normally that's not too exciting, but Tim served in Australia and this particular companion is from New Zealand. He and his wife were in Salt Lake City and wanted to see us. So we had them over for dinner on Sunday, and another member of the mission came up from Provo to join us as well. It was way fun and I loved the accents! Now all we have to do is go to New Zealand and Australia to return the visit (and just travel!)

But I think that's it for news and updates for this post. Stay tuned for more!

Finally

2008-03-30T20:34:00.002-06:00

These last couple of weeks have been really hectic, but we've survived. We are officially residents of Murray, UT. And thank you to all who helped us move! Luckily, we managed to do it all in one Saturday. Tim stayed behind in Provo to load/drive the truck while I went to our new place to wait for the washer & dryer guy to come and install them. (And I will take this time to add that I absolutely love them!) Then when Tim finally made it up here, I went to get lunch for everyone and then we made the wonderful trek back to Provo to clean up our cute little house! But we said our goodbyes and walked out the door for the last time.

However, this new place is really amusing. We don't know our address! I called the electric company to have the power switched into our name, and they couldn't find 1250 E. I didn't know if it was called anything else, so Tim actually called the electric company back and told them other possibilities. It turns out that the electric company has it as 1240 E and the gas company has it as Turner Drive. So, since no one really knows what it is, we figured that we would wait and see what the post office said about it. As it turns out, our mail can have any of the 3 addresses and still make it to us! I guess we just get to pick and choose what address we want to use, but it does make it somewhat confusing.

We went to church today and a lot of people came up to us to welcome us to the ward. We even had one lady say that she was glad we moved in so that the ward could have some "young blood". Most of the members of our ward are grandparents and great-grandparents. We moved into a really old ward, but at least they made us feel welcome. I just love old people, they have some great stories. One of the speakers told how he shot an arrow that hit his dad's porsche... another guy told how his dad literally threw his home teacher out of the house. They were just great, the only downfall is that a microphone needs to be used in every class... including gospel doctrine. It's amusing and I like it already.

As for unpacking, we've almost got it all done, just a few odds & ends that need a home. This place is starting to take on the feel of our home, which makes me glad since I hate living out of boxes. My new resolution for this place is to stay organized. I don't have as many drawers for my clothes as I would like, but I have them all put away properly. I just hope that they can stay that way. But so far it's working out for us.

Time passes quickly

2008-03-15T18:36:00.005-06:00

It's amazing how quickly time passes when something unavoidable is around the corner. We move next weekend and still have so much to pack. It's not that we have a lot of junk, it's just that we have a lot of stuff, but all of the books and china are moved into our new place, so I guess it's going good. We ordered our washer and dryer and they should be moved in next Saturday as well as us!

Anyway, last weekend I got to make a cake for my friend's husband's birthday and it was honestly one of the easiest cakes that I have made. I heard it was really good too. Apparently, he likes playing poker and so that became the theme for his cake.

So I finished that one on Saturday and then we had Tim's family dinner on Sunday where I got to bring dessert. Luckily for them, I like making dessert and since this was the last one before Easter, I decided to go for an Easter theme: little bunny cupcakes! And yes, I realize that one of them is missing teeth, but he got them after the picture was taken. But it was so much fun to make and of course the kids loved it. (And that's really why I did it... that and I just thought they were so dang cute!)

Anyway, that catches up for the last week. Today we went to watch Tim's niece, Kyla, dance in the BYU National Amateur Dance. She was awesome (as was everyone else). She (and her partner) took first in their age group for Foxtrot; fifth for Waltz; and eighth in Swing. We actually didn't stay long enough to watch the awards for her group performance, but she did awesome in that, I'm sure.

Maybe more next week, but that's probably not going to happen since we don't have internet in our new place quite yet. But there will be pictures of our new place once we get all unpacked and set up. But I'm sure this next week will be somewhat hectic.

Leap Day!

2008-03-02T13:04:00.003-07:00

Well, another week has come and gone and has left a big impact on our happy little Provo lifestyle. We finally found another place that we would be willing to rent and luckily for us, the landlord wanted us to rent it too! So we're packing up the house and moving, well, I guess it would be more accurate to say that Tim is packing and I'm watching, but it's official. We're moving to Murray and renting a 3 bedroom duplex so that my sewing/cake decorating/scrapbooking stuff doesn't interfere with Tim's desk. And the good news about this move is that we get to buy a washer & dryer. That may or may not seem that exciting to most people, but I'm way excited and pulling for the red LG steam washer and steam dryer. But that's probably just because I like red.

To cap off the fun of last week, it was a leap day! I don't know why, but I love leap day. In fact, when I was little, I was jealous of the kids born on leap day. But that's probably due to the fact that by now I'd only be turning 8. At least then I would have an excuse for acting like a little kid. I guess I just have to be happy acting my shoe size. But to celebrate this wonderful day, I made cookies! And what better shape than a frog? It was fun to make and a great treat for both Tim's and my co-workers.

And now to the posting of the weekly menu. Once again, a lot of leftovers, but I really love leftovers. A nice home cooked meal when I don't have to cook! It's definitely something to be thankful for. Anyway, here goes:
Sunday: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole
Monday: leftovers
Tuesday: Cheeseburger Buns
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: Steak, potatoes, broccoli
Friday: leftovers

Life

2008-02-24T15:43:00.003-07:00

It's been quite a while since I've updated, so I decided it was time to let whoever happens to read this in on our lives.

Tim has started his new job at Goldman Sachs and works late (normally until 6:30) and get home later due to a nice long commute. The good thing is that he's now working full-time and he does miss rush hour in his afternoon commute. Some days he enjoys work more than others, but he's learning the programs and increasing his capabilities and everything will work out fine. In his downtime, Tim's searching for a place nearer to Draper or Sandy. I think he's just too picky about the places he is willing to live, but once we do move, it will make for a nicer commute for him (and crappier for me!)

I've actually had a promotion at work, so I'm not longer doing the concrete billing for Geneva Rock. I am now the credit assistant and I love it so much more. Granted, I think I'll still be busy during the summer, but now I get to go to meetings, join in the Credit Department book club and work under a different manager. But work is just moving forward for me. The other good news is that I've officially gotten paid for making a cake! My friend paid me for making her baby's blessing cake and I have to admit, I think it turned out wonderful! It was just my Saturday activity and I was surprised with how quickly everything went. But I also had Tim run all my usual Saturday errands. I'm just glad that I can trust him to go to the grocery store without me and bring home everything on my list.

In other news, well, there's actually no other news. Life is just going great for us and we're just plodding along. I'm expecting to make a trip to the east coast this spring for when my sister has her twins and Tim's family is having a reunion in July, so we'll be heading to Colorado for that. That's pretty much all that we have planned for, but I think we'll take a bigger trip sometime soon. Where we'd be going, I have no idea, but the possibilities are endless.

For a new feature, we're going to randomly post our "Weekly Dinner Menu" so that whoever reads this blog can know what we're going to eat this week! So here it goes: (and let me know if any recipe is wanted!)
Sunday: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Monday: Chicken lo mein
Tuesday: leftovers
Wednesday: French dip sandwiches
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: leftovers

I make a lot, so leftovers are a frequent thing at our house. And fruits and vegetables are included with each meal, but they're decided on at the spur of the moment (and whatever I'm in the mood to cook!)

Christmas Vacaction!

2008-01-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

Christmas was wonderful this year, as it is every year. We went to New Jersey and spent the time with my parents, siblings, and grandmothers. It was so much fun and we enjoyed traveling around and seeing random sights that the countryside has to offer. That's what I love about the east coast, everything is so close and easy to drive to.

On Christmas Eve we went to NYC with my two sisters, my sister's husband, and my dad to see the shop windows and the big tree! It was amusing walking amoung the crowd and trying to see everything. Luckily, I had Tim, so he just took a picture of all the shop windows so I could see them too. Macy's always has amusing windows, so it was fun to see what they all looked like. My family used to do this every Christmas, so it was fun to go with my sisters again. Okay, so in this picture from left are: Stephanie, Jeff (Nichol's husband), Nichol and Tim.

After we enjoyed this area of NYC, we went to Rockefeller Center to see the tree. It's a must if you're there for the Christmas season! It was pretty sweet looking at the building across the street from the tree. It had giant LED snowflakes that blinked and lit up in accordance with music. It was kinda funny hearing Christmas Carols with all the NYC traffic, but it was still awesome! We tried to walk down to go next to the tree and see the ice skaters, but it was so crowded we didn't make it very far. I guess that's what we get for going on Christmas Eve. Then we did what you must do if you're in New York... visit the street vendors! We all got our hot pretzels and split a few bags of roasted chestnuts. Then it was the fun drive home to just sit and talk as a family. My parents had flown my grandmother from New Mexico out to celebrate the holidays with us, and my other grandmother stayed for Christmas, so it really was the whole family there celebrating. It was nice since it's the first time we've all been home for Christmas for a few years.

And since we don't have a fireplace, my mother and I put Tim up the task of hanging the stockings. He decided to make use out of the ceiling light since it no longer works. (My father decided to make more room for the dining room table and cut down a wall. Unfortunately, the wiring for the light switches wasn't long enough to reach to the other side of the door frame. So now, there's a ceiling light, but it doesn't work.) I think Tim just loves the fact that he's so much taller than anyone else in my family. My mom had to use a stool to even get close enough to attempt to take them down! But it was a fun day and an enjoyable Christmas Eve.

There's a tradition in my family that on Christmas morning, you can get up at whatever time you want (mainly 2:30 for me) and open your stocking presents. However, all stocking presents must be opened before anyone can touch the presents under the tree. Even then, we still open up presents at 7:30 am. I had warned Tim about this, but he still wasn't quite able to handle getting up so early on Christmas. So after all of the commotion, he decided to go back to bed and take a nap. The rest of us, however, were used to doing Christmas this way and just enjoyed the rest of the morning cleaning up the breakfast dishes and starting the preparations for dinner. And if I had gotten any toys, I would have played with them.

The rest of the week went by kinda slowly. We ran some errands, drove through Jockey Hollow, and met up with some friends of mine. It's weird thinking how long I've been away from home and where I am in life compared with everyone else. It's also weird to think that most of us have full time jobs and get up and go to work every morning.

On Friday, my dad and brother-in-law took the day off so that we could all go traveling together. Granted, it was only a day trip, but it was so worth it. We went to Hershey's Chocolate World. It wasn't as good as I remembered it, only because they updated my favorite ride. Although, those cows were pretty cool. And naturally, the ride ended with the most awesome song ever... Just remember that "wherever you go, no matter how far, you're always near a Hershey bar." (Yes, I did go frequently to the Hershey factory as a child. Maybe that accounts for my sweet tooth.)

Our next stop was over near Lancaster, PA where we drove through the towns of Intercourse and Bird-In-Hand (yes, those are real towns). Once we got to Litiz, we went to the Louis Sturgis Pretzel Factory. Once again, not as awesome as I remembered it, but still fun and interesting. You learn how to make pretzels and what the shape means and look the old fashioned machinery and ovens they once used to make pretzels. And watching my sister dump her pretzels all over the floor (twice) was pretty amusing too. And then we went to dinner. Shady Maple is my dad's favorite buffet (and one of the reasons he wanted to come with us to PA). It's actually pretty good food, just kinda on the expensive side. So we all ate until we were stuffed (I think my pregnant sister ate the most) and then just went home.

We came back to Utah on Saturday and just had a relaxing New Year's Eve with Ashton and Lydia. There's nothing that beats dinner and a movie. And of course, making fun of everyone in Times Square. Anyway, Happy New Year and I hope that this years brings fulfillment to a lot of dreams.

Christmas Lights

2007-12-20T17:57:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year. Not only is it a wonderful season to celebrate the birth of the Savior, but it's so colorful. Don't get me wrong, I love the colors of fall, but it's the Christmas lights that attract me now. I love the twinkling lights on my tree and the solid white lights on Tim's.

This past weekend we were able to go to Temple Square and walk among the lights that are decorating almost every tree. It is such a treat to be able to see everyone that comes to enjoy the beautiful decorations and watch the manager scene. Our pictures turned out kinda blurry, but hey, I still like them!

It's weird to think that this will be our second Christmas together and the first that we spend with either of our parents. In a few days, we'll be with my family on the east coast. I'm excited to see my family and my sisters again. It should be fun since this is the first Christmas in a few years that the entire family will be together. Luckily, no family pictures this year! But we have quite a few side trips planned. I'm just grateful for the opportunity that we have to travel home for the holidays. Our lives have been infinitely blessed. And I guess this is the season that we need to be thankful for all of our many blessings and our speedy recoveries this past year.

Winter Wonderland

2007-12-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

I am actually beginning to enjoy winter, although it would be better without all of the cold! But even I have to admit that the snow is really beautiful. It is a really great gift that we have all been given to experience everyday.

It weird to think that we will spend the next couple of years in Utah. I never thought I would be relieved that we were staying, but now I don't have to find a new job, I just get to add to my commute. We have truly been blessed in our lives and in our marriage.

For now we'll just enjoy the snow and get ready to spend the holidays with my family.