Photo Shoot

Remember the guy on the back of the Stephens Hot Cocoa canister? (I'm assuming its Stephen) That was our inspiration for these:I love Trent's face in this one, even though it is cutting off my head. It just makes it that much tackier.

Trent and I had a Christmas card photo shoot...

I like this one just cause Trent looks like an elf.

The Forgotten Carols

Trent and I went to the Forgotten Carols Monday night (we'll call it FHE). Of course, it was amazing! Even with all the cheesy jokes, the spirit is so strong. Of course, Michael McLean calls it the "magic in the air", but we all know better.

Trent has always made fun of me cause I love his music, but he admitted that he walked out of there with a new found fondness for McLean.

Each song takes me back as if I was there, and I just wish so much I could have been there that night Christ was born. I especially like the Innkeepers song, "Let Him In". Seeing the show is the most perfect way to remember the reason of the season, I believe it something every family needs to make a tradition!

I love that it ends with everybody singing, "We can be together forever someday, We can be together forever someday, We can together forever someday..." and he even makes everybody "link up" with the strangers next to them. I thought I would post this from YouTube of my favorite song from the show... Please excuse the beginning part, it was the only video I could find...apparently LadyKami21 likes JapanimationWe can be together forever someday, we can be together forever someday, we can be together forever someday

A Chrismas MIRACLE!

It is snowing on our side of town in Vegas this morning

I hope all you in Utah are keeping safe during your blizzard

Merry Christmas

My Christmas Shoe List...

Again... just in case you were wondering...and of course, a couple bags...




Just a few of the 100's of things I would love to own... or even lease for a day!

My Christmas List...

In case anybody is wondering... and it can all be found at Anthropologie... my most favorite store I just love Vintage... but unfortunately, I can't spend $100 per blouse...

A Wedding to an 11 year old boy...

Need I say more?But he never complained a single time... he just sat there looking bored and depressedPoor little guy.

Bret and Danielle's Wedding

We got to go to California 2 weekends in a row, the 2nd time being for my brother, Bret, and now sister in law, Danielle's Wedding. They got married in the San Diego Temple on Saturday. It was great to get to see most of our family, with all of us spread out between many states, sometimes you go years without seeing them! Now they are off to Lake Tahoe for a week of honeymoon bliss and snowboarding...
Bret looked exactly like a gangster, his suit was awesome! Me and my mom...

Thanksgiving

For the Thanksgiving weekend, we went to California. I got to show Trent my elementary school and where we lived in Carlsbad. We also went out to Balboa Island, where my grandpa lives; we got frozen bananas.
That's about it.

The boys came over for a sleep over, we let them jump from as high up as they want - -
until I got this picture.

Go ahead and look for his head, it's there.
Don't ask me how he survived this one. I also got this little beauty.
I was laying on the ground and he jumped over me...
BOYS!

Climbing in St. George - Do you like my sunglasses?

For old times sake, we stopped at the Oasis in Mesquite and ate at their buffet.
It was disgusting.
How are buffets a real thing?

This is what Channel 2 News had on their website about Elder Wirthlin:

"Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldest apostle for the LDS Church, died at his Salt Lake City home late Monday night. He was 91.

Elder Wirthlin passed away at about 11:30 p.m. of causes incident to age, according the the church Web site.

He was ordained an Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 9, 1986 and was sustained and set apart as an Assistant to the Council of the Twelve Apostles on April 4, 1975. He served in that capacity until he was called to the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 1976. He was set apart in the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy August 28, 1986, where he was serving when called to be an Apostle.

Wirthlin was proceeded in death by his wife, Elisa Young Rogers who died in 2006."

He will missed, but I'm so happy that he has been reunited with his eternal companion.

I'm BaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAck

almost.

FINALLY got the right power cord!

Bad News

There is something wrong with the power cord for our laptop.

It will not power the computer. The laptop battery is dead.

So, I won't be able to blog much til it is fixed...

But, we did go climbing in St. George this weekend, and I got pictures. Once we get a new cord or something, I will update. This is sad.

Tuesday

Thanks to Veterans Day and the courts being closed, Tuesday was a good day. Tuesday I did everything I wanted to do, and nothing I was (really) supposed to do. I woke up and made cookies (See post below) then waited for my visiting teachers to come at 10. I put a plate of cookies together for the neighbors. At 10:45, I decided they weren't coming and left for the gym. I brought the cookies with me to give to the neighbors but chickened out. At 10:51 the Visiting Teachers called and asked where I was. After the gym, I decided I wanted to go to the movie, all by myself for the first time ever, but there were no show times near or movies I wanted to see. So I went to Joanne's and looked for fabric for all the things I am gonna sew for our new house. I went to Costco, bought really good Organic Salsa, among other things, and got out spending less than a hundred bucks (what a great day). Went to Jamba Juice and tried a new Organic Smoothie, my banana soymilk one is better, but at least I didn't have to make it. Then I went home, caught up on Lipstick Jungle at nbc.com, talked to my cousin Ashlyn on the phone and anticipated Trent coming home and picked up the plate of cookies a couple times to take to the neighbors, but thought better of it. For dinner, I made the best Chicken Cordon Bleu I have ever had (to brag) and red mashed potatoes, while waiting for Trent, I was gonna take the cookies over. When Trent got home, we ate(and I believe this chicken is gonna be a weekly meal), then left to look for a new TV (but not before Trent took the cookies over to the neighbors, can you tell how bad I hate small talk?). Oh man, it was such a good day, I wish I had every Tuesday off.

Ginger Snaps, Minus the Snap

Yesterday I made these cookies, they were good, they were chewy, you should make them.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

*Turbinado sugar, for rolling cookies in (You can find it in the sugar section of the baking aisle of your local convenience store)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350'

2) Cream shortening and sugar in large bowl.

3) Add molasses and egg; beat well.

4) In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Gradually add this to the shortening mixture; mix well.

5) Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.(Don't be afraid to really coat 'em in it, it is good)

6) Bake 12 minutes.

7) Carefully remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack. When you take them out, they will be really soft, but take them off immediately if you want them to be chewy!

The Giant Piano

Just one of the many reasons we have so much fun together. I took my turn too, but unfortunately, we didn't get a picture. Oh, and we both got injured, not as young as we used to be.

**Kalei Hogan**

Remember before how I mentioned that my sister in law is about to make it big? Wellllllll.... right now she is picking songs for her Country/Pop album which she will soon begin recording for, but in the meantime, she can be found on this CD: You can click on the picture to hear her song, but, wait til you read the rest of this post and click the other links before you click on this picture, cause it changes the size of your browser (If I am not allowed to post the song here, let me know, Cindy, and I will take it down) That's right, a triple threat, beautiful, talented and righteous! haha... Also, you can follow this link, to hear other songs by her, Neighborhood Jukebox, you will have to search her name in the top right corner (I couldn't get it to link only to her songs?!) or follow this link to see her blog. If you think she is awesome, don't be afraid to post a link on your own blogs so we can spread the word! My personal favorite cover song by her is "Turn Me On", by Norah Jones. Can you believe this girl is only 19?!

Neat-O

I have felt really churchy lately - I had such a great church session last Sunday, especially Relief Society, I felt warm and fuzzy and didn't want church to end. (But then I noticed it was almost dark outside - - we get out at 4:30, plus we were an hour early, thanks for letting us know it was daylight savings?!?)

This is the longest afternoon of my career as a receptionist.

Banana Soymilk Smoothie

A few mornings a week, I make myself a delicious healthy smoothie. Its easy. Its a whole frozen banana and about a cup or cup and a half of vanilla soymilk. You don't need to add sweetener or anything, it is milkshake good, you should try it. If you want that party in your mouth to get even funner, try Silk Very Vanilla Soymilk, SO GOOD. If I have other fruit I might add that in. I just want everyone's taste buds to experience the same joy mine do! Also, I got this little gem emailed to me:

Wanna lose some elle-bees.

Now that I am warmed up, I might as well keep posting. I wanna lose some elle-bees. I noticed on someone's blog that they put it on the side how much weight they had to lose, I figure this is good, gives me extra motivation cause I don't want to have to add to the number down the side. I know, I'm brave. Plus, it's the holidays, double challenge. But the real question is, why do I feel the NEED to lose this weight? I am at a perfectly healthy weight for my height. So why do I feel I need to lose any? Something else funny, I won't be using a scale too much, just enough to make sure I am on track, make sure my intuition doesn't fail me. I have thought about starting a weight loss challenge where everybody pays me $20 (hold on I'm not finished yet) TO PUT IN A POT... then everybody has to lose 10% of their body weight in 12 weeks and whoever does it gets a piece of the pot. If you might be interested in this, leave a comment, if you might be interested in this but not with holidays starting, leave a comment about that too.

After my last post, I need a little pick me up. So here is to remembering happier times (I sound pathetic)
Last Thursday, we went to the Spring Preserve, which is this way cool kids museum that is HUGE! It's all about plant and animal life surviving in the desert, it also has history of the area, and lots of GREEN environmental stuff. Some of the stuff reminds me of Toon Town, yeah, Spring Preserve guys went all out. Its so fun to go. They had it all set up Halloween like for kids, so we went with Kash, Kole, Cooper, and Angie. This is me under a black lamp, can you tell?This is us with the giant spider web. Trent is biting the Spider's butt! I like this one of Cooper's face, he always braces himself for the worst if something is coming at his face, whether it is a balloon or a dog tongue, and apparently, a giant fake spider. Sorry to disappoint, but we didn't end up dressing up for Halloween. I am very disappointed in myself, first I quit Halloween, what's next? I refuse presents at Christmas?!?
Oh well, thats the beauty of marriage without children I guess, laziness.
I am so excited for this time of year, it is magical!! I love Christmas music, the forgotten carols, family, sparkly snow, special smells, wrapping presents, Christmas shopping, tiny tots with their eyes all aglow, and Jack's nuts roasting on an open fire. Who is Jack by the way? You know what else is good? Roasted chestnuts. Yummy.
I hope you all let this special time of year wash over you! Thanks for reading, is this blog way lame? I feel like it is.