Toothbrush - my new favorite thing

Hey people. So, please do not think that I'm just picking up the habit of brushing my teeth.

I AM picking up the habit of using a toothbrush to clean! Today I scrubbed the shower harder than I've ever scrubbed a shower. See, it's tile, and I've always had just the porcelain that you usually have for the bathtub and sometimes for the shower. So over the last few months, I've clean the shower and I always just used the sponge and cleaner. THIS time, toothbrush and Soft Scrub with bleach. It was amazing! Now, after seeing my sparkling clean shower, I feel a little disgusting thinking of what I used to shower in.


(this isn't my shower....i'm just too lazy to go take a picture so i found a similar one online...)

All I can say is first, go out and buy yourselves Soft Scrub with bleach. It gets off everything! (Bathroom and Kitchen). Second, can't wait for my shower tomorrow morning.

Our exciting announcement... :)

So I know what you're thinking, exciting announcement = baby. I wish!

Actually, we have been waiting the past two weeks figuring out details about a new apartment! My good friend Katie let us know about an opportunity to move in to the basement of a house her sister owns. It's in west Provo (850 West... far from campus...) and a HUGE plus is that Katie and her husband Mark will be living upstairs! We're super excited.

Not only are we excited about the neighbors and owners, but we LOVE the apartment. First of all, basement apartment, not apartment complex. It will be nice to live in a home again. Then, dry wall, laminate wood floors, and nice carpeting. I can paint and hang pictures! No more cinderblock! Next, a dishwasher. Seriously. While the past seven months in this apartment have been great, the thing that gives me the most grief and has actually brought a little contention into our home is dishes. So having a dishwasher will be amazing! As if the apartment couldn't get any better, there are still more great things about it! Good storage, big bedroom, and one of our favorite two things: washer and dryer. Yay! No more going out in the snow because I put the laundry in and I have to change it. While I won't be able to have all loads going at the same time, I just can't wait to be able to do laundry at whatever hour in the day and not pay for it every time.

We wish we could move in this week but we have to wait until July. It will be an exciting month! Poor Jed will hardly be able to enjoy it because he'll be leaving just a week or two after we move in to go wash windows in Granite Bay for a few weeks. So you can all look forward to more excitement and PICTURES come July/August. And you may get an invite to come over and eat. There's a fire pit in the backyard, too! We'll have parties. After I decorate.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here's what we had for dessert tonight...



CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES



Special thanks to my mommy for the platter and my sister for the decorating tip/bag.

Here's the recipe if you want to make it--it was delicious so I highly recommend it!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate
chips

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil
3 eggs

DIRECTIONS:
1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place onto a baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours. **Or just use pre-made cookie dough. Saves time!

2. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

3. Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer to break up. Add the cake mix, water, and canola oil; continue beating for 2 minutes on medium speed. Spoon into the prepared cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion of the cupcake (not the cookie dough ball) comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

One Year Older and Wiser, too!

It's my birthday! Or, rather, was on Tuesday, the 8th. I turned 21! I'm legal for just about everything except renting a car and becoming president.

So first of all, we had a sort of family celebration on last Saturday, the 5th, at Madeline's Steakhouse. They catered our wedding and several things went wrong, so we got gift certificates! It was delicious and we all had fun.



We also had a family get together on Daniel's birthday, the 7th. We opened present and had cake and ice cream. I got almost all kitchen things! I loved it. I have some cute serving platters now and more cupcake things! Despite what you might think, we brought a camera. We just never took pictures...

So then, on Tuesday, I woke up to a cute little present on the table! Jed had gone out late the night before and gotten it.



That was so sweet of him! We had a fun day together (he skipped his classes, which he didn't want to do but was so nice to do for me), and then that evening was an evening of sushi! My old roommates from both years (minus Mickell and Nicole), their significant others, and our good friends Jordan and Kelsey joined us. It was SO good and I think we all had a lot of fun. We had to wait a while for a table, but it wasn't a big deal and we all had a good time just talking and laughing.



My roommates were all so kind and chipped in to get me a present! It's a magic mouse, perfect for my birthday present from Jed which was a Macbook Pro (we got the computer back in December so I'd have it for the new semester).



As you can see, it's just like a track pad, but a mouse! It's really nice and I love using it!

My in-laws were also so kind as to send me a present, which is this coat, but ORANGE! I love it, and I've gotten many compliments on it.



So I had a very happy birthday! My other present from Jed was a cute video where he talked all about us and our dating/engagement/marriage. It was the perfect end to a great birthday.

Apple Cupcakes

Despite the name of this blog, the cupcakes were not apple flavored. Just vanilla.

So it was cute Kristine's birthday at work, and so I made cupcakes! I had a grand ole' time choosing which cupcake to make from my two cupcake books, but finally decided on the cupcakes decorated like apples.

So here they are! The pictures should help you figure out how I get the shape and I'll just tell you that the stems are tootsie rolls and the leaves are Frooties (green apple flavored even!)

While I wouldn't say they were the most tasty cupcakes I've made, they certainly were adorable!







You like? I love them!

Stalking

I am a total stalker.

Backing up, I never thought I'd be into blogs. I just have never been good at keeping a journal, so I thought blogs would be the same.

Keeping up with old friends, this I'm not very good at either. I forget. That is one reason I love facebook because I get to stay in the loop with people and their lives.

Then I got married and we started a blog. Mostly Jed's idea, actually. And then the obsession started.

No, I don't follow any blogs. But in my Google Reader I have... oh let me check....35 blogs I read on a regular basis.

Back to the stalking. I don't like "following" a blog because then I can't follow the random people I don't know that well but still want to know what's going on in their lives but don't want them to know that I read their blog... Am I weird?! I think it goes back to the gossip in me that I try to repress/get rid of, but I just can't help seeing what people are doing in their lives! Reasons for this? Well for one thing, I have good feelings for all of these people/care that they are having a great life! Another reason, they give me good ideas: ideas for decorating, activities, cute things to do on dates, etc. And for one last idea: some people are just dang funny and I enjoy the laughs their blogs give me.

So for any of you that read my blog and are stalkers, too: Go for it. Just be sure your blog is posted on your "Info" page on Facebook so I can stalk you back.

Fans

Today I went to my cousin Sam's swim meet.

I enjoy swim meets. Probably more than most people because I used to swim, so I get some sort of pleasure from watching/remembering when I did it, too.



At this meet, I noticed something that made it especially entertaining.

There are always noisy fans at every sporting event. There really should be. I think that's why golf tends to be boring.... it's so quiet. And there are other things. But this post isn't about golf.

So it always makes me a little amused to watch fans who are way into the game. They yell at the ref, tell the people to run faster, say how they shouldn't have done this, they should have done that. I know we all know they can't hear you, so we all have fun and continue in however we express ourselves at games.

However. There was a row of Wyoming fans a few rows ahead of me who were way into the game. One man kept standing and yelling and waving his hand. Okay. Then there was this woman. She kept pointing. Like she was telling the swimmer, "Swim that way! That way!" She kept doing it! Over and over! I was so amused. So we all know that they can't see you, so what's the point in pointing? And then, hello, they're swimming in a swimming pool in lanes. You know these things. They are these long ropes with floaties on them to keep people in a straight line. So there is absolutely no need to tell a swimmer where to swim because they have only two options: Where they just came from or the other way.

I suppose people, you can take from my post this: Be a fan. Be a loud fan. Be a proud fan that makes a fool of themselves at the game. But have some common sense. Or don't. It keeps us other fans amused. Either way, it's better than being a lame fan.

Take your Flintstone vitamins!

When I was younger, it was the biggest treat when we had Flintstone vitamins. It's really a tribute to some people's smartness in making vitamins look like characters from a show and also children's gullibleness to like anything that has to do with a show they watch or toy they play.



So in the months of December and January, I got sick 3 times with a nasty cold, one of them beginning on Christmas. The first time was annoying. The second, unfortunate and annoying. But when the third one hit me, Jed and I figured there was some other thing going on here than just a cold.

To make a long story short, I went to the doctor and she said I had a Vitamin D deficiency! It makes you fatigued (when you're deficient) and weakens your immune system. A lot of people have this, especially during the winter months because where do you get vitamin D? When you're in the sunlight!

So I started taking a pill every morning, and I just have to tell you how amazing the difference is! Before, I had the HARDEST time waking up. Now? Well waking up for work at six still isn't my favorite, but I don't drag out of bed and moan to myself all morning like I used to. I feel so much better because November and December were really tired months. I thought I was just being lazy and wasn't getting enough sleep (which I wasn't), but now that I have this revelation, I can actually tell what a difference sleep does to my day, where before I was tired no matter what.

While I don't necessarily recommend that ALL of you go out there and get some vitamins to take, I completely see the value of them and appreciate those Flintstone Vitamins a lot more now.

Have a happy day!

50 cents = Lots of Money

I got a raise yesterday! 50 cents. It's so sad how little 50 cents is but Jed and I were both so happy! But just think about it:



That's another $2 every day I work (minus taxes and tithing...)

so that's another $10 a week

and another $40 a month! 50 cents adds up so fast!

Then Jed was a great example and said we should think about what we're doing right that we got this blessing. I loved it! We couldn't pin point anything specific, but we are grateful to be living life the way the Lord would like us to. Of course we're not near perfect, but we're workin' on it, and perhaps it's simply our effort to be obedient that this blessing came from!

We'll celebrate hopefully by never spending this extra $40 a month ha ha.

Garlands, ornaments, and mini Christmas trees

Last night I put away ALL the Christmas decorations. We had one Rubbermaid box to put all the decorations in...they didn't fit. At the beginning of the December, I thought we'd have about two things to show we get into the Christmas spirit. Now we have an overflowing box! It's great.

But anyway, stuffed those into our storage closet and organized the whole thing. It is so wonderfully clean! And yet...my house looks so bare. It made me wish I had curtains of some sort and perhaps a few more things to hang on my wall (and a wall that wasn't cinderblock so I COULD hang things on it). The good thing is we plan on living here probably till next April (as in 2012) and so I have plenty of time to find cheap decorations we can afford.

Next item on my to do list: vacuum up the garland's sheddings.

Out with the old, in with the new

Happy New Year!!!!

Well, I feel like with this big celebration, we need a blog post!

I asked Jed what the highlight of 2010 was, and we thought for a minute before we realized it should probably be OUR MARRIAGE, and we both agree it definitely was. We were just talking today that the first year of marriage is supposed to be the hardest, but we have been so blessed temporally and we have adjusted to living with another person and the different life of being married to someone well, and so we both feel so lucky! (I know I'm jinxing myself for some awful years in the future by saying all this. I'm knocking on wood as we speak.)



So then we talked about what we look forward to the most for 2011. Jed had nothing to say. He settled on Christmas (I would guess for two reasons: free stuff and free time). Well I suppose, low expectations means that he won't be disappointed!

I, on the other hand, have several hopes and dreams for this new year, and I am still deciding if I want to put them on a blog for the world to see... So one of my hopes and dreams is to graduate! If I could only get myself to work on my online class, then that with the few semesters I have left will mean that I can graduate in December! What a crazy huge accomplishment that will be. Another thing I look forward to that I HOPE will happen in 2011 is to expand our family.... If you know what I'm saying ;). We'll see how that goes when the time comes and you know you'll hear about it, whether by phone, text, email, facebook, blog, or even in person if we're lucky enough to live near you.

So there you have it. 2010 was such an eventful year! Full of blessings, full of family, full school and work, and all in all a great year. 2011 will be EVEN BETTER!

She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain

Well, for Christmas we are here in California. But, the interesting thing is how we got here! How, you may ask, did you get to California? By the train of course!

Over the summer I took the train so I could go to a friend's wedding for a weekend. While it gave us some problems (it was delayed about 12 hours because of flooding of tracks out east), the fact that it is so much cheaper (about half the price of plane tickets), so much more comfier than the plane or car, and safer than driving made it totally worth it to come out on for our little Christmas vacation.

So our train left Tuesday night, supposedly at 9:30 (we expected at least a little delay). Well, our train was stuck somewhere (we later found out due to rock slides), so a bus picked up the stops in Colorado and Utah and we were to get on at Salt Lake on an alternate train... So Amtrak told us the bus was about an hour late, so we left at 10:00 thinking that we would be early for the bus which should arrive at 10:30. Not so! The bus was in fact pulling way from the train station as we pulled up. My mother honked and drove next to it and the bus driver (thank GOODNESS he was nice) stopped for us.

So, we were safely on the bus and made our way up to Salt Lake. Once there, we waited until about 12:30 for the train to get there, and by 1:30 everyone was on and the train was moving! Yay!

After a night of tossing and turning, but still a lot of sleep, we woke up and Jed went into the Lounge Car. As you may or may not know, there are the sleeper cars (which you pay extra for), the coach cars, which have seats just like buses/airplanes but sooo much roomier, the lounge car, which has tables and booths and chairs, all facing huge windows, and last there is the dining car. Here is the lounge car:



So the day was uneventful, all except for an hour waiting outside of Truckee because of a traffic jam. But here are a couple of pictures of the beautiful Sierra Mountains and Donner Lake:





So, Jed and I both agree, the train is a great way to travel! Great, that is, if you have the time and flexibility if it's late.

But, the important thing is we are here safe and sound and happy to be in California with our family!

P.S. I will still miss my family on Christmas :( But yay for my new family!

The Lights at Temple Square

On Saturday, we went on a double date with my high school friend Bailey and her husband Jason up to Salt Lake to see the lights at Temple Square. We were lucky in that while it was a little wet, it was pretty warm! Here are some pictures and hope you enjoy looking at the lights!



We really liked this tree because there were SO MANY lights!







We really liked this tree because the orange mixed with yellow lights were so pretty.

Venting Session

Recently, a position opened up at the Bookstore in the Text department, which as you may or may not know, is where Jed works. So I applied and had an interview, which I think went GREAT! I should mention, there were two men interviewing me.

Later that day, one of the men, one of Jed's bosses, told him he liked all four of the people he interviewed and would hire all of them if possible. So good, he liked me.

A few days later, I check up on the job, and I didn't get it. Sad day, but since I have a job, not the end of the world. Still sad though.

Today, a week or so later, Jed talks with his boss again. Boss starts talking to Jed about me. Apparently, I was his number one pick for the job! So what happened? The other man thought I wasn't friendly enough.

Let me ask you, am I friendly? I believe so. I think I can be, at times a little more friendly than some people may like. But personally, I think I was the perfect bit of friendly in my interview.

So, I just wanted to talk about how RIDICULOUS it was that I wasn't hired because I wasn't friendly enough! Crazy people. I should mention that the one boss wanted to hire me and tried to convince the other guy, but boss number two said he wouldn't budge.

On a happier note, I only have one more semester of working custodial (which I'm thankful I do have) and possibly any salary per hour job, and then I will be student teaching, and then perhaps a teacher with a salary per year! Yay!

Hope you have a good day!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Decorating!

Hey hey hey! So I have two things to tell you about. First, I never posted these cute, cute little turkeys we made at our Primary activity this month. So they're pretty self explanatory, but just so you know, the head is an extra large malt ball.



So for family home evening last night, Jed and I decorated for Christmas! My mom got new garlands this year, so she kindly is letting us have her old garlands. So we thought we'd hang them all around the room, and then I thought we could hang Christmas ornaments on them! Jed has gotten an ornament every Christmas from his parents every year, so he has a lot, and our tree, as you can see, is little...



So I measured, hung up hooks (thank you 3M for your Command strips), hung the garland, then Jed hung the Christmas ornaments, and then we plugged it in. Yeah, we didn't even think to plug it in before all the hanging and decorating. So you could probably guess what happened. It didn't light. It was funny, really, how we really should have thought of plugging them in to make sure they worked BEFORE doing all the decorating. But oh well. Better luck next year.




(P.S.... FHE was last night, and today I turned them on, and half of them work! Now to just figure out the other half...)