HoLLy and AdAm ToWnEr

I am an addict

2012-01-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

Pinterest is SO hard to resist....

...but at least it makes me crafty. I really like how the heart wreath turned out. Valentines day is just around the corner :)

Last time I made something was when we first moved to Texas. I wanted some unique pillows for the couch, so I made 2 of these pillows:

Where does time go?

2012-01-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

Wow. Christmas has already come and gone. Ours was great b.tw. We did everything I mentioned in my last post, and more. We mostly just enjoyed spending time together, and having time off from work. We are such workaholics now. Charlie got so excited when we pulled out his stocking on Christmas eve.

Charlie definitely enjoyed his treats :)

It is now the New Year, and most people have probably quit some or all of their New Years resolutions. Sorry to remind those of you who have. Actually, I am not sorry! I don't think you should give up if you have already failed. Its okay to fail sometimes. It doesn't mean you should stop trying. If it is something you really want to do, you should continue to set goals until you get there. I think we should always have a goal we are working on. We are here to learn and progress right?

Is it really almost February? Seriously, where does time go?

Here are some pics from New Years:

Charlie was too focused on the cider, so we were unable to get a family photo.

I am wearing the necklace Adam got my for Christmas :)

haha Adam caught me in action, pushing Charlie away from the bottle.

My baby <3's me :)

Adam spoils him sometimes. Don't worry, there was no ice cream left.

Does anyone else feel like this month went by way too fast? I feel like I just talked to the yw about setting goals for the New Year, and now New Beginnings is just right around the corner. Glad I am not fully in charge. I also have to teach next week because it is fast sunday. I better start working on that! I guess when you work 6 days a week, and most of the time work 10hr + days, you really don't have that much time. I still somehow find time to exercise, cook, take care of my boys, and do my calling. I guess this is preparation for having kids? Love my job, but I am starting to get tired of all the hours. With 8:30am church, I no longer have one day to sleep in past 6:30am.

Wow. I feel like I just vented a little. Sorry guys, but I am just realizing that my life if passing by so quickly, because I don't have much time to stop and smell the roses. I do have a great job, and a great life. I am just struggling with time. Finding time to do everything I want to do.

Christmas is almost here

2011-12-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away?

We really like our snowflake lights we put up this year

I have enjoyed the presents I receive at work

Cute little bunt cakes that were heavenly

+the best peppermint bark

+Paul Evans newest book

but I enjoy everyone's company so much more

Our Christmas decor:

We don't have much yet, but its enough for our little apartment.

Our little tree

Such a cute little tree :) With all our ornaments that we have collected on vacay and what not. Charlie even has his own ornament.

I have already made Christmas cookies (recipe by Hershey's and can be found on my blog)

We made our gingerbread house

Sang some Christmas songs with little Charlie

I tried to take some pictures with Charlie, but he still doesn't understand that he needs to look up when I say, "look over here"(As I am pointing at the camera). He always looks down searching for a toy or what not. I guess Adam will always have to take our picture. Kinda an awkward, close up angle of me, but I wanted to show my mom my festive new scarf.

I am looking forward to going out and looking at lights, having time off from work, spending time with Rachel's family Christmas morning, Going Christmas caroling on Christmas eve, going to a Christmas party this weekend, drinking lots more hot chocolate, but mostly just spending time with family and reflecting on the true meaning of Christmas, because nothing else matters.

Patients come into work all stressed out about decorations, and buying gifts. The expectations are getting ridiculous. Christmas has become so commercialized that people forget the true meaning of Christmas. There is no need to get stressed out. Its the thought that counts. People should only do whatever they can afford, or skip buying things in general. Thoughtful notes, or homemade things are much more meaningful in my opinion. Better yet, having and showing charity towards others tops everything. There should be no expectations. Christmas should be centered on Christ. Lets not expect to receive this year, but instead spread the true meaning of Christmas around the world.

Here is a story to get everyone in the Christmas spirit:

The "W" in Christmas

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience.

I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing,

endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.

Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the

precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of

Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting

season for a six year old.

For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the

production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his

teacher. She assured me there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the

presentation.

All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.

Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes

early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then, each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the

holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer.

So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snowcaps upon their heads.

Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the

letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a

small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down - totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

And, I believe, He still is.

Amazed in His presence... .humbled by His love.

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS SEASON!

California for Thanksgiving

2011-12-06T23:32:00.000-08:00

I can't think of anything better than spending the holidays with family

My thoughtful husband surprised me with tickets to California for Thanksgiving. We had so much fun, and wish we could have stayed longer. We were able to spend Thanksgiving all together (My parents + Adam's parents + us). We had some REALLY good food, watched football, played games, spent a lot of time in San Diego, and went to many different beaches. They don't have beaches out here in Texas (at least any worth going to), so I had to get some beach time in while we were there. We were even able to squeeze in time to see friends and do a little black Friday shopping. We flew into LAX (worst airport ever! - but the only option with last min planning) late Wednesday night and left to go back to Texas late Sunday night. We arrived Mon morning around 2:00am and I got up to go to work at 6:00am. If we could have stayed longer we would have. We miss our families already!

My mom had all her Christmas decorations up :)

We didn't even realize our shirts were similar until we started taking pictures.

Appetizer before the main course

All recipes can be found on my food blog

Rotisserie turkey

Yam Souffle

Stuffing

Squash and apples

Angel biscuits

creamy mashed potatoes

Pumpkin cheescake

Best friends eating some Thanksgiving leftovers only a few hours after we had gotten New York style pizza.

Cameron, Celine, & Brooklyn - such a cute little family

Thanks for coming to visit us! Wish we lived closer, so we could hang out more often.

Fish and Chips

Sea Port Village

Hotel Del Cornado

They had an ice skating rink

I also miss seeing palm trees!

We snuck upstairs and thought about crashing the wedding they were setting up in the courtyard.

The haunted rooms

Its a ghost

haha

Adam just stole a robe

He gave it back

Sunset

can you see the moon?

We got some yummy desserts to take home and share

We got some food first

Hermosa + Redondo Beach area

This airplane almost decapitated a few people. Not really, but the person flying it got pretty close to a couple people.

We went out to eat one last time before we had to fly back. Man I am really missing the warm weather about now. It is too cold in Texas.

More vacay pictures of St. Lucia and St. Kitts

2011-11-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

St. Lucia

St. Kitts

Our Vacay to St Maarten, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts

2011-11-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

We went on a cruise at the beginning of this month to these islands. Those of you who watch the Bachelor have an idea of how beautiful it is in St. Lucia (Season with Jake and Vienna). After watching that season, I dreamed about going there, so I was so happy to have that dream come true recently!

Let me just say that cruising is the way to vacay especially to destinations like this. Unless you decide to stay at a really nice resort, you wouldn't want to just travel to these places on your own.

Yes, we ate WAY too much on the cruise. I swear I gained like 15 lbs. I will worry about that after the holidays. There is no way to resist their chocolate melting cake every night. They give you dessert with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You think that is crazy, well we sometimes had 3 desserts with our dinner which = 5 desserts in one day. I didn't include the ice cream and hot chocolate in with that. We ordered multiple appetizers and entrees every night as well. What can I say, we are fatties!

The shows and comedians were awesome! We went to those shows every night. We also went to the dance club, karaoke bar, and casino (we won $200 dollars, and came away with $100). We went and got massages + facials at the spa. We layed out on the deck, and went to the deck parties. We even went to an art auction. They have tons to do on cruises. We slept in and took naps. I have never slept so much in my life. It was SO nice. We watched movies and cuddled :) We mostly just ate A LOT though. I don't ever remember feeling hungry while we were on the cruise.

Here are some of the pics from our lovely vacation:

St. Maarten

Pictures for St. Lucia and St. Kitts will be added in another post

Family

2011-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

I married into a great family. It was so fun to spend time with everyone during the holiday.

Adam even brought over Charlie, so the family could meet him.

I don't have all the Halloween pics from this year. We went to a costume party and pumpkin carving party, before our family came out to visit. We had a blast. We played minute to win it games, ate good food, and danced the night away. I even showed off my thriller moves :)

Charlie liked the pumpkin we carved this year. The pic quality is bad b/c I copied it off of Facebook. I am too lazy right now to find it on my phone.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is in two weeks. The holidays are just flying by this year.

We just got back from our cruise, so I will post those pictures later! :)

Hope everyone has a good weekend

Towner Family Weekend

2011-10-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Towner Reunion started this weekend. Chris and SeQuoia's family flew out from Ohio Thursday, and Sheila and Steve flew in Saturday from CA. Rachel and Aaron live 15 min away from us, so we can see them whenever. Its so nice when we are able to get everyone all together.

We went to the TCU vs BYU game Friday night when I got off work. The game was at the Cowboys stadium, so we were more excited to see what it looked liked than to actually watch the game. We all knew BYU was going to lose. They lose every year to TCU. They could have won this year, since TCU isn't very good this year. They made way too many mistakes though. Its hard to be a BYU fan. You want to have hope, but in the back of your mind you already know the outcome.

SeQuoia, Chris, Cameron

We took Adam's parents to the Best bbq place in Texas after we picked them up from the airport. Sorry mom and dad! Next time you visit we will take you here too. We didn't realize they had opened one in Denton, when they came out to visit in May.

I was told their cream corn is made with blue bell ice cream. It was SO good.

They have the best bbq ribs hands down

Afterwards, we meet the Saunders over at their ward's Trunk or Treat

Pretty creative costume

We stayed up watching the USC game, so we were tired this morning when we got up to take family pictures before church. Its always so nice when family visits! We get to spend more time with them Monday and Tuesday night before we leave on our cruise Wednesday!! :) I can't wait.

Texas State Fair

2011-10-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

We were VERY brave this weekend. We decided to go to the fair on Saturday. Mind you, this was the same day as the Texas vs. Oklahoma game. I know, we are two crazy kids.

The verdict you ask? Well, it wasn't as crowded as we were expecting it to be. Its funny that people in Texas always say, "everything is bigger in Texas!" Well, going to the fair here made us realize that most people hold up to that standard. The fair grounds, however, are about the same size as the Del Mar fair in CA, with the exception of one giant Coliseum in the middle of it.

Adam and I had a great time together. We ate some fried things for a change. I was surprised that we didn't feel sick afterwords. We did everything there was to do. We saw a couple shows, ate some fair food, walked around all the exhibits, bought some H&H salsa, saw all the animals, watched the parade, and held hands all day long. It was a great day! We stopped at IN-N-OUT on our way home. They have a few out here now. We finally decided to get our fix. Its just a delicious as I remember.

Made my day

2011-09-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

I was having a horrible day on Wednesday. It was a day where things kept going wrong, and then at mutual one of my girls brought me some cupcakes. Little did she know, I was wishing I could fast forward through the day. She totally made my day :) I love being in Young Womans! I haven't been in the Presidency long (since the middle of August), but so far it is the best calling ever!

My trip out to Utah for my sister's wedding

2011-09-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

We went straight to Cafe Rio from the airport. I wanted to make that my first stop :) Miss that place!

That night we just hung out and watched the TCU game.

The next day was the BIG day for my sister!

My sister got married in the Bountiful Temple on Saturday, September 3rd. I will never forget her anniversary because my birthday is on the 4th of September :) It was SO great to be able to go to her sealing and reception, and then to be able to spend time with my family on my birthday. It was the perfect weekend.

The sealing was wondeful. I still can't believe my baby sister is married!

Brooke and her husband Zane

My hansome husband and I ended up kinda matching. Adam forgot to bring a tie, but we found one at Walmart while we were looking for table clothes for the luncheon. They only had this color, red, or black.

The wedding luncheon was at my grandpa's farm out in Syracuse, UT. After the boys and I stuffed our faces with really yummy food, we headed over to Chillis to watch to BYU game. What an intense game that was!!! I was so happy that BYU pulled through again for my birthday weekend. They usually do :) We barely made it on time to the reception, because of the game. I didn't take any pictures at the reception, because I was too busy mingling and getting status updates from the boys. They watched all the other college games during the reception. lol

I made sure to take pictures of their decorated car. My sister didn't put up with it for a minute. As soon as she saw the car and all its decor, she started ripping everything off.

All and all it was a great day! I am so happy for Brooke and Zane :)

Did I mention the weather was PERFECT!!!!!!!!! Adam and I couldn't wait to move when we lived in Utah, but going back makes us question why we wanted to leave so bad. There are so many things we miss about Utah.

MY BIRTHDAY

We celebrated by going to Little America for their breakfast/brunch buffet. It was SOOO yummy!! We all ate way too much. I think I gained like 10lbs this trip. I feel so fat. The food was too good.

We went to the mall out in Salt Lake and Adam bought me a bunch of modest clothes from Down East Basics. Definitely one thing I miss about Utah. I can't wait to wear everything. Thanks babe! He wanted to get me the TOMS I have been wanting, but they didn't sell the style I wanted at any of the shops that carried TOMS. I will get those once Adam gets back, because they sell them here. I can't wait :)

After our shopping trip we went over to Liberty Park with Jared and his son. They had met up with us at the mall. It is such a pretty park.

Adam and Jared played some hacky sack with the hippies

Yes, my mom is holding a ferret.

We drove past the capitol and went down gravity hill

We ended the night celebrating at Mimi's Cafe. Ignore my hair necklace? haha

My trip out to Utah was so fun, but too short! Couldn't have asked for a better Labor Day weekend. I sure love my family.

Mine to Keep Forever!

2011-08-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

This man right here is mine forever, and I couldn't be happier :) We celebrated our 3 year anniversary, a couple weeks ago, and it has made me reflect on how lucky I am for an eternal marriage to the sweetest man alive. I love him more than words could discribe, honestly. He makes me a better person, and teaches me so many things each day. My heart is just full of gratitude for such a wonderful husband. Think of every single quality you would want in a husband, and Adam seriously has all of those and more. There is not ONE single thing I wished he did differently, or would want to change about him. He is always there for me, and works so hard! We work together as a team in all areas. Loving him is just so natural. I could never get sick of this man. He is my everything, and it seems like eternity is not long enough. Our life together is just so wonderful, and I cherish all the time we spend together. I only wish we were able to spend more time together. Its starting to get tough having him gone 3 weeks out of the month. I have been missing him a lot lately.

How we decided to celebrate our 3 year anniversary this year....

Beaumont Ranch out in Grandview Texas

This is their little town that they have built to look like an old western town. They have a blacksmith, gun show, bar, shops, and a saloon

Our Room

Zipline

ChuckWagon Dinner:

Steak, Peppers, Corn on the Cobb, Potatoes, Salad, Cobbler

Gun Show

ATV adventure

Not the best picture. I took this with my camera phone while stopped at a red light

8/16/2011

First group of pictures are from our Rose Petal Package out at Beaumont Ranch. We wanted to go on their zipline, because they have the longest zipline in Texas. I was the only girl out of our group of 10 who did the zipline. It was really fun! You just basically hang there, and when its time to stop you put your right hand against the line to slow down.

We also did their ATV adventure. It was not a flat land tour by all means. There was barely any flat land at all. We were barely fitting between trees, and going through creek beds and revines. We caught air going up one of the last hills. Its a good thing I am a tomb boy! The tour guide told us that we better follow him exactly cuz if not, we could get hurt. He said one guy landed with the bike on top of him, and that it wasn't fun getting it off of him. I definitely made sure I did everything the guide did.

We had an awesome time and met another couple named Holly and Adam celebrating their anniversary as well...what are the odds of that? We had fun hanging out with them. We hijacked a couple golf carts and took a tour of the ranch.

Adam got me a wrap for my ring as an anniversary gift!!! :) Love it!

The last few pictures are from when we went out to dinner on the night of our anniversary. We tried one of the best rated places in Fort Worth, and were not that impressed. Having dessert at Simply Fondue made up for it! They gave us a cheesecake since we were celebrating our anniversary, and we don't drink.

Its been a great 3 years....the best 3 years :) We had fun celebrating for sure!

Hello, blog world

2011-08-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

I never make the time to blog anymore, so our daily adventures or weekend activities don't get documented on here. We have been doing fun things though! I will make time to blog about our upcoming anniversary and my sisters wedding, so stay tuned!

For now I just wanted to blog about a few things (RANDOM things)

Charlie thinks he owns the place.

Adam and I are Outback fans, but the Starrs have turned us into Salt Grass fans. Its a little more upscale than Outback. We ironically went to Outback with them a couple weekends ago, instead of Salt Grass. We have only been to Salt Grass twice so far. We took the missionaries there one of the times a few weeks back. I like their filet and coconut shrimp better than Outbacks. I like Outback's Sirloin better though. You can't really beat the Outback special. Their sirloin (pictured above) is still pretty darn good though.

Gina and Aaron invited us to go to this comedy club a few weekends back, and we had a good time. I laughed through the whole show. I want to see Brian Regan live again. I forget how much I love good old stand up comedy. Downtown Fort Worth is a nice area. There are tons of things to do downt there, so I am sure Adam and I will be making more trips out there.

This movie was better than I expected. They did a good job with the computer graphics, and it actually got to my emotions. It is worth seeing. Kara and Thomas invited us to go see it last weekend, and we all enjoyed it.

I am a huge fan of gel manicures!!! I got a mani and pedi on Tuesday with Erica, and I love how it turned out. Its more on the pricey side, but seems to be worth it so far.

I am also a fan of purse holders, and key finders. They make life so much easier! I have had a really cute purse holder for a while, but I just bought a purse finder today. I am always digging for my keys, but I wont have to worry about that anymore!!!

I love my hair dresser out here! I am getting my hair done next weekend :)

I have so many cosmetic products that I LOVE. I will save that for another post.

Happy Friday everyone!

Where we will be living for the next year!

2011-07-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

No, we are not moving. We just got our lease renewal in the mail the other day, and decided that we are going to stay for another year.

Since my parents have now been out and seen our place, I decided I can finally post some pictures of it. I took most of these pictures two weeks into the move, but everything looks pretty much the same. I can't believe we have almost been here a year.
Bathroom:

Kitchen:

Those doors lead to the laundry room. Love our LG washer and Dryer.

Built in shelves next to the closet

Our front door. Our living room is to our left when we walk in, and the closet + bookshelf to our right.

Living room:

This was before I put up the T

This is what it looks like now.

Our bedroom:

We bring our nice grey duvet cover out in the fall/winter

Our Desk

Thats all the pictures I took in the past. I am happy that we are renewing our lease for another year! Its a perfect set up for Charlie. The dog park is right below us. Oh, and we have a garage now!!! They were out of garages when we first moved in.

He loves to watch other dogs from the balcony.

They have two dog parks. The one to the left is the big dog park, and it is Charlie's favorite.

This is our view from our balcony.

I will miss this place when we finally move, and I know Charlie will too. It will be nice to get a house in the future though. We just need to figure out where we are going to settle down.

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Now that the 4th of July Breakfast if over, I get to just relax with my boys! I <3 them

Adam helped me make 48 cinnamon rolls last night, and he cut up two large watermelons while I baked my two breakfast casseroles. Check out my foodie blog for the recipe. We had a good turnout, and I am so thankful for everyone who helped us out at the breakfast. We tried to do red white and blue pancakes, but we didn't have enough food coloring. The red pancakes were pink lol. We had yummy costco muffins, donut holes with red white and blue sprinkles, breakfast casseroles, cinnamon rolls, and fruit salad.

I like how wards out here do bike parades. It was fun to watch the kids ride around on their decorated bikes. We had water balloons for the kids. Adam and I did a toss, and then turned it into a water balloon fight :) We had volleyball going on as well. Our ward rocks! I was surprised at how many people stayed for the activities. I figured most people would come, eat, and leave.

I think I will be off the hook for a while, as far as being incharge of activities. I was the ward coordinator for the stake activity in April and Adam and I + the Shaffers were incharge of the 4th of July breakfast this morning.

Working 6 days a week makes it hard to have time for extra things anyways, when you work 9-10 hrs a day. Adam's gone most weeks out of the month, so when I get off work Saturdays I just want to spend every min with him. Wed and Sat are my half days. My friends know that Wednesdays are pool days, and Sat is date night.

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

2011-06-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

Charlie is now a year old. Time flies. He got some new toys, and had a gourmet treat for the first time. I think he had a pretty good birthday, until we left him to go to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the USA vs Mexico soccer game. Oh, and I am pretty sure he didn't like taking a bath on his birthday either.

Parents came out to visit

2011-06-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Charlie loved my dad! He could not get enough of him. I was proud of myself for catching Charlie's leap in action. My dad pointed to my mom and told Charlie to go get her, and he leaped right into her lap. lol We let him be naughty while my parents were here. He isn't allowed on the couch, but we made an exception for them. He is a good dog. We didn't have to worry about him being naughty after they left.

We spent Friday afternoon at our salt water pool. They loved it. They kept saying it was like a resort. It is a pretty nice pool. We had fun swimming and laying out. After we got ready for the day, I took them around Southlake. They bought a few things at Nordstrom rack, and Central Market. For dinner we went to Joes Pasta and Pizza. A patient had recommended it to me. I thought it was really good, and the prices were unbelievable. We all got drinks, salads, and an entree. The total cost was around $25 bucks.

They have lots of snow cone stands where we live. We like to get ours with some ice cream on the bottom. They are really good because they make them with really fine ice. Reminds me of Matsumoto. Obviously, it is not the same

Saturday morning we took them to our favorite Texas breakfast place. Everything is always fantastic here!

Later on that day we went to the Stockyards.

We ate so much Blue Bell ice cream. We have 3 1/2 gallon tubs in our freezer (Rocky Road, Coconut Fudge, and Butter Crunch)

A man riding a Cow. Really? Come on now.

I am not sure why my mom wanted a picture with John Wayne, but we took one.

My head looks so small. lol

For dinner, we took my parents to our favorite burger joint.

On my parents last day with us, we relaxed and hung out at home most the day. We went swimming and relaxed by the pool. Later that night we visited the Dallas temple on our way to eat at Babe's for dinner.

Wish they could have stayed longer! Glad I was able to have Friday and Saturday off from work, so I could spend 3 full days with my parents. They flew in Thursday night, and left Monday morning. We had so much fun. Miss them already!

San Antonio

2011-06-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

On the way to San Antonio we stopped at the outlets in San Marcos, and it was a fabulous idea because I walked away with a new Coach bag. My hubby is the best! :)

It was REALLY hot that day so we got some

and it melted before we could get to the car. BOO! I got a few good licks and bites before it melted completely.

When we got to our hotel we cranked the AC and left to go exploring. We walked by the Alamo but didn't go in because it had already closed for the day.

We made our way down to the River Walk. It was not too far from our hotel. People say its best to stay on the riverwalk, but we didn't mind walking across the street to get there. Our hotel was right by the Alamo.

They do boat tours. We waited to do it the next day. The River Walk was really pretty, and bigger than I was expecting.

They really did a good job shading the River Walk with all the trees. It's a really pretty area. We basically rushed through the main part of the River Walk just to see it before dinner. We wanted to save hanging out there for the next day.

Adam took me out to a really nice dinner. I can't remember the name right now, but it was exactly like Rodizios where they come around and serve you a bunch of meat. I don't know how people pace themselves for all that. I had to keep turning my thingy over to Red. At first, I didn't want to say no to anything so I left it on green. I wanted to try everything, but then my plate was full within minutes. These places are fun once in a while. Everything was great, but you get sick of meat real quick.

I called it quits after 15 min. Idk why but eating all that meat made us both sweat. Gross, I know.

Then we just came back and relaxed in the hotel. I got a pedi before we left, and think the color turned out pretty good. I had the lady mix two colors together.

We watched LOST on Adams projector, and snuggled in our King size bed. Its so nice to just relax sometimes.

We started our day with going to the Alamo. It is SOOO tiny. A lot smaller than you would expect. It was still fun though.

It was interesting to look over the timeline, and to hear this man speak about the history of the Alamo. Its interesting to think about how immigration is backwards now. It use to be the other way around. The spanish were letting us migrate over, but because we weren't obeying their laws (not paying taxes, doing whatever we pleased) their spanish leader wanted to kick us out. This is why everything started at the Alamo.

We made our way over to the three story mall. It was really nice. The River Walk ran through it.

These ice cream bars reminded me of those Balboa Bars, so I had to get one. It was pretty tasty!
We ate some pizza and then decided to go watch a movie at their IMAX theater.

This movie forever changed how I view mermaids. I know vampires are the big thing right now, but did they really have to cater to that crowd? I think they could have done without the fangs. Overall, I thought the movie was good. I wasn't expecting it to be that good, since I was really disappointed with their last movie. Maybe not having high expectations made it easier to enjoy. IDK but I think Johnny Depp played his character well. Jack Sparrow usually gets me to laugh a time or two.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the River Walk.

Got myself a pina colada at the Mexican place we ate at. It looks like it wasn't virgin, but it was :) I just look drunk at times I guess.

Taco salad and sour cream chicken enchiladas

We went on the boat tour.

Then we went over to Ripley's Believe it or Not Wax Museum, and got a mold of our hands.

Then we got a snack and headed back to our hotel and watch Wedding Crashers. We both had already seen it, but its still funny the second time around.

We ate dinner outside, on the River Walk, at an Italian place. The chicken Parmesean was pretty good. Adam got the catch of the day, and it was pretty tasty too.

There was a night club right across from us, so we got to listen to some fun music while we ate. We went back to our hotel and relaxed some more. It was a nice getaway weekend. There isn't too much to do on the River Walk, so the weekend was plenty of time to see it all. You really only need one day. If it wasn't Memorial Day weekend, we would have used our passes to go to the Six Flags out there.

This place was featured on Man vs. Food, so naturally I wanted to stop here. We got one of th 3lb cinnamon rolls on our way back home. YUM!

Adam drove the whole way there and back. He listened to his Aragon tapes which put me to sleep. ha.

We had fun, and hope to visit again when my brother gets a chance to fly out here and visit his Mission areas. He kept telling me all the place he served in. I was talking on the phone with him, and he would say, "Have you passed by this yet?" He definitely misses it, I can tell.

Happy Day

2011-05-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

I received these in the mail today :)
I got compliments on my watch, shirt, and sweater
Some cute lady told me I was such a sweet girl and
I got to see my Charlie baby!

I am really looking forward to the fact that my parents are flying in Thursday night and we are going to play all weekend!

p.s. San Antonio was fabulous! Will post pictures soon.

Its that time again

2011-05-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

Love relaxing and laying out by the pool on Saturdays.

I have skin like winter, so I am glad it is going to start getting some sun.

Adam snapped this pic with his phone, before we jumped in the pool.

I might have a few red patches on my arm tomorrow at church... apparently I don't know how to apply sunscreen evenly.

Pictures that go with the last post

2011-05-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Cotton candy always makes me happy.

I am not sure if I liked the carne asada burrito or pizza better. They were both pretty good, for fair food.

Kids started playing after the adult competition

Kobe Bryant doesn't have very big hands or feet. We took these pics for my brother. He is a die hard Laker fan.

Glass Blowing

Mainly about my job and Mainstreet days

2011-05-16T09:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't really been in the blogging world for the last couple weeks. As you all know, I got a job working for a chiropracter. I am technically a chiropractic assistant, but I handle all the office work (scheduling, calls, payment, etc) as well. I was thrown into a full time position last week. I got into work on Monday to find out that the Chiropractor's wife was in the hospital. She is pregnant and had some complications, so she is technically on bed rest for a while. I hope her and baby will be okay!!! She is so awesome! I am going to miss having her around. She was training me the week before, since I will be taking over her position once she has her baby.
When I came into work Monday I learned quickly how to do a lot of things. I think being thrown into something is the best way to learn. This full time position requires me to work 9-10 hour days most of the week. I have a commute ontop of that, so I leave for work around 7:15 and don't get home until just before 7. It's hard to want to cook when I get home because I am starving, so don't expect to see much on the food blog during the week. I've been eating quick stuff or leftovers mostly those nights. I work half days on Wednesday and Saturday which is nice. I tend to get most of my errands done during those days.
I sometimes go walking with friends at 8:30 pm and don't get home till around 10pm, because we usually walk 3 miles. Those days feel so busy because I work 10 hours, get home and cook/eat real quick and take Charlie for a walk, then leave to go walking. As soon as I get home, I get ready for bed.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this job though. It is like a night and day difference from my other job. The people I work for are seriously the nicest people. They impressed me so much when I interviewed for this position. I honestly didn't want to apply anywhere else, so I am glad it worked out.

The patients are so nice, and I enjoy helping them get better. I am in charge of going through exercises with the patients to help them strenghten whatever area/s have been injured. We see mostly athletes. I decided to do one of the exercises with one of the patients last week (like 90 shoulder raises) and man was I sore. I am thinking I should do some of the exercises with the patients instead of just observe to keep myself healthy. I probably wont though. ha.

I also help with the cold laser, and muscle stem. A lot of people swear by this stuff. Its nice when you find something that works for you. Anyways, its going well so far.

Mother's Day: My hunny made me a giant card out of a poster board. He is so sweet. I know I am not a mother yet, but he still likes to think of me on this holiday (he gets me a card every year). Of course, having a dog makes me feel like a mother at times.

This weekend we went to Mainstreet Days in Grapevine. It was really fun. They had carnival rides, fair food, and shops/booths all down mainstreet. They even had a basketball court and a shoot off which Adam and I took part of, and not bragging or anything, but I made it to the finals and it was between me and one other guy. Took a few rounds/elimations to get there. I went into the finals in the lead. Everyone was rooting for me because they knew I didn't play basketball, and I think just the fact that I was a girl made them want me to win even more. We tied a bunch of times, and then finally he beat me by one shot. I was actually embarassed by the end of it. I didn't want to shoot anymore, because the announcer kept saying he had his money on me, and kept telling met to focus. I guess I just didn't like the pressure. Even though the other guy won they gave me a prize too (a little basketball and towel). (:

We got our share of fair food: pizza, carne asada burritos, lemonade, and cotton candy. We looked at some paintings, listened to some bands play, watched some dancers perform, and went to a glass blowing shop where we watched guys make different ornaments and vases. We didn't see anything we wanted from the vendors. Adam tried to get me to weave some feathers in my hair, but I wasn't interested. After 3 hours there we called it a day. I could tell I was starting to burn, so we left and went and saw the movie Something Borrowed.

Can I just say that I was dissapointed with this movie. I was expecting it to be funnier, and I just didn't like the main characters. I thought they were boring, besides Kate Hudson of course. Her role was a little obnoxious, but I have always like her. The best part is when they are playing badminton. I love what Jim from the office says during that part. I liked his personality in this movie until the end -you will know what part I am talking about. I just wanted him to stop talking. It was getting so awkward.

Pictures for mainstreet days will be uploaded later. I didn't have my camera, so Adam took pics with his phone.

Saturday is my favorite day of the week

2011-04-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

The number one reason Saturday is my favorite day of the week is the fact I get to spend time with my husband. It is one of the only days out of the week that he is actually home with me, so naturally I love Saturdays. Plus, I only work half day on Saturdays: we get to enjoy most of the day together.

I have been bad at taking pictures lately but today we went out to breakfast at Oldwest Cafe, and I managed to take a couple. Okay, wow, they have the biggest breakfast menu! It took us a little while to decide what to get, because they have so many good options.

The food was absolutely fantastic, and the service was great. All meals are both hearty and filling here. We had ourselves a monster of a breakfast with the large sized portions. I ordered the Cheyenne (A cinnamon roll dipped in our french toast batter, grilled golden brown, and drizzled with icing and powdered sugar. Served with 2 eggs, 2 bacon or sausage or grilled ham, and your choice of one side). and Hearty Panhandler (An opened faced biscuit covered with fried potatoes and cream gravy. Then topped with 3 scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and ham, and cheddar cheese) for us to split. Places like this make me more of a food snob. I don't think I will ever be able to eat at IHOP or Denny's ever again! Oldwest Cafe is as good as it gets!

One cute touch is they make their tabletops look like a checkerboards, and they have game pieces in the basket on the side of the table ( took this pic off google ).

After we stuffed ourselves, we headed over to the Grapevine Outlet Mall. It was a really neat indoor mall. They had legoland, an aquarium, and an ice rink attached. They also had a dine in Movie Theater (love these!), and Rainforest Cafe. We got Adam some new Nike LunarGlide Running Shoes. I got my new shox a few weeks ago. It took us forever to walk around the whole mall, and we didn't even go in that many stores. I got myself the second book in Stieg Larsson's series: The Girl Who Played With Fire. I am pretty excited to start reading it. They have every store you could possibly need at that mall, including a Saks. I am glad we now know about it.

Why aren't there any good movies out?!?!? I guess we have already seen all the good ones. I kinda wanted to try out their movie theater, but we didn't want to see any of the movies. We went over to Rachel's house (Adam's sister) instead. We had fun visiting. Then we were going to go over to Brians (Adam's boss) house and watch the UFC fight, but Adam got a horrible headache. Plus, we just really aren't into it. We started watching Lost instead. A very good choice I think. I made some Mango and Sticky Rice to finish off the night. I am so happy its that season right now. We went out to eat Wednesday night at a nice Thai restaurant and ordered it for the first time this year. At least I have one thing to look forward to all summer :)

Easter Magnolia Cupcakes

2011-04-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Check them outo on my food blog. Refer to last post.

I made a recipe blog

2011-04-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

I am slowly going to add all the recipes I have tried onto the blog. It will be much easier for viewing purposes. Check out what I have so far by clicking HERE

I got the job!

2011-04-13T15:15:00.001-07:00

Just refer to last post :)

What I have been up to lately

2011-04-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law was in town last week and the week before to help Rachel (my sister-in-law) out during her pregnancy (Its been ruff to say the least). I was able to spend some quality time with her and Rachel, and it was great. We went on a shopping trip to Kohls and got lunch at Panera one of the days, and hung out all afternoon with Jared and Cameron(nephews) a different day. This included a nice walk down to Cameron's secret spot (a creek where he likes to build a bridge and cross to the other side). It SO green here in Texas, and I just LOVE looking at all the trees and bright green grass. Adam and I hung out over at Rachel's house a few nights and had yummy home cooked meals compliments of Sheila (my mother-in-law). We also watched the Sunday sessions of conference over there. Its so nice to have family here in Texas. It's been so fun to get to know Adam's family better. I just LOVE all y'all! he he

Vampire Diaries started back up :) Memory, Gina, and I watched last weeks episode together.

I started looking for jobs at the end of last week. I had an interview Monday(seems promising and I loved everything about the job, and loved the people I could potentially work for), and I also had an interview today. Both for a chiropractic office. I interviewed for their chiropractic assistant position. One of the offices listed that they were having open interviews Thursday in the afternoon starting at 12:45. I showed up at 12:45 and there were like 50 people filling out applications. There was no way any interviewing was taking place that day. I almost walked out, because there was not place to sit and almost no place to stand. There was a girl wearing the exact same outfit as me, and she even kinda looked like me. Kinda weird. People just kept coming and leaving. Who knows how many people ended up applying, because they had open interviews later that evening as well. Needless to say, I was shocked when they called me in today for an interview and said they had narrowed it down to six people, and that I was one of them. I am not getting my hopes up by thinking I will get either job, but was just excited to be considered. Its nice to know people want me! The first two jobs I applied for gave me an interview. Not too shabby. Should hear back from the first office by the end of this week. The other office said the end of next week. Back to looking again if it doesn't work out, but it was definitely worth my time. I meet some wonderful people, and learned some questions to consider for my next interview. Can I just say that my least favorite question is, "Tell me about yourself!" Maybe its because I don't like to talk about myself in a way that states, "Hey look at me I am so great!" I did fine, but man that question gets me everytime.

Here is some new recipes I've tried:

Donut Muffins (Allrecipes)

Chicken Casserol (Christine's Recipe)

Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie (allrecipes)

As you can see only 4 fit on a plate

Strawberry Muffins (Allrecipes)

Bacon and Chicken Wraps (Dad gave me the recipe)

The rest of March

2011-03-31T20:29:00.000-07:00

Recipes listed First. Life updates listed second.

I don't have to cook that often, so maybe thats why I enjoy doing it. My husband is really only home on the weekends which means I only have to plan a few meals each week. With traveling to CA and Adam's birthday this month, my oven didn't get much lovin'. Here are the new recipes I tried:

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

2 Whole Chicken Breasts
1 12oz bottle Buffalo Sauce
1lb Elbow Macaroni
1 Cup Sour Cream
8 Ounces Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
8 Ounces Montery Jack
4 Ounces Blue Cheese (not a huge fan so unless you like it I would recommend leaving this out)
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
3 Cups Milk
1 Cup Breadcrumbs

Prep ahead of time:

Cut chicken breasts into very small pieces. Toss in a bowl with enough buffalo sauce to coat plus a little extra, and let sit for at least an hour. Stir it every now and then. The chicken will start to look like it’s just slightly cooked; that’s the acid denaturing the proteins. It’s normal.

Cooking:

Simmer the whole bowlful in a pan, sauce and all, on medium heat until the chicken is cooked. Drain the cooked sauce/chicken liquid from the chicken and toss the chicken bits with a little more buffalo sauce. Set this aside to cool some while you do the sauce and pasta.
Shred the extra sharp cheddar, Monterey jack and crumble the blue cheese into a big mixing bowl. Set aside about a half cup of the cheeses in a separate bowl to make the topping later. Stir the rest in the big bowl together with sour cream and some black pepper to taste.

Heat the oven to 350F. Start a pot of boiling salted water for the pasta.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat and when melted, whisk in the flour. Keep whisking while it cooks and bubbles for about 2 minutes. (This is called a roux.) Whisk the milk into this mixture and stir often.
When the mixture is starting to get hot, put the pasta in the boiling pot to cook for about 8 minutes. During this time, keep whisking the milk sauce until it’s thickened. (At this point, you’ve now made a bechamel sauce!)

Mix the sauce into the cheese and sour cream in the big bowl and stir well to get the cheese mostly mixed into the sauce. Stir in the pasta. Fold in the chicken. Pour into a 13×9 casserole pan.
Using a fork, mix the breadcrumbs, the small bowl of cheese and a drizzle of buffalo sauce, adding more sauce as needed until it has a crumbly texture. Sprinkle this topping over the macaroni and cheese.
Bake for about a half hour or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the topping is starting to get browned.

Chicken Crescent Rolls ( Definitely going to make these again! My huband loved them)

2 Whole Chicken Breasts

1 Can (8 oz) Crescent Rolls

1 Cup Colby Montery Jack Cheese

3 Ounces Cream Cheese

1/4 Cups Diced White Onion

2 Tablespoons Milk

3 Tablespoons Butter

1/4 Teaspoon Seasoned Salt

Pepper to taste

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the chicken, either by baking or boiling it, and cut it into cubes. Combine the cream cheese, onion, milk, 1 tablespoon of butter, and seasoned salt and mix well. Add the chicken and shredded cheese and mix until chicken is well coated. Add pepper to taste.
Prepare the crescent rolls to make four squares. Fill each square with the chicken-cheese mixture. Bring all four corners together over chicken-cheese mixture and pinch until closed.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and spread over the crescents rolls. Sprinkle with paprika
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Bow-tie Lasagna (failed to take a pic)

1 Pound Ground Chuck
5 Cups bow-tie noodles
3 Cups spaghetti Sauce (used Prego with sausage)
1 Tablespoon Oliv Oil
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 Cups Sour Cream

Fry ground chuck in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

Can't believe tomorrow is April! I think I will try out our pool. It is suppose to be 90 degrees :)
After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce. (I can’t guarantee your results on this, because I’m spoiled; I am a “home canner” and have the BEST sauce on my shelf, a home canned marinara sauce that I use for lots of stuff—pizza, spaghetti, and of course, THIS.)

Add your fried hamburger, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Easy Mexican Crockpot Meal

2 Cans Black Beans
2 Cans Whole Kernel Corn
1 Jar Salsa of Choice
3 Pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Dump everything in and place chicken on top. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4 hours. Add sour cream, avocado, chips, cheese, etc and you can turn it into tortilla soup.

Chocolate Silk Pie

Ingredients:

Dough for 1 9-inch pie crust
For the filling:

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

3 large eggs

¾ cup sugar
2 tbsp. water
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened and cut into 8 pieces

Freshly whipped cream, for serving

Directions:

Roll the chilled pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough. Trim, fold and crimp the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F and adjust an oven rack to low-middle position. Line the chilled pie shell with parchment paper so that it lays over the edges of the dough. Fill with pie weights and bake until the surface of the dough no longer looks wet, 20-25 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and return the pie crust to the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10-12 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

To make the filling, add the cream to the bowl of an electric mixer. Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate.

Combine the eggs, sugar and water in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (the water should not touch the bowl). With a hand mixer on medium speed, beat until the egg mixture is thickened and reads 160˚ F on an instant read thermometer, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to beat until the egg mixture is fluffy and cooled to room temperature, about 6-8 minutes.

Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla to the cooled egg mixture and beat until well blended. Beat in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until well combined. Using a spatula, gently fold in the chilled whipped cream until no streaks remain. Transfer the filling to the baked pie shell. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours. Slice and serve with freshly whipped cream as desired.

Life Updates:

Adam is planning on going back to school. He is thinking about studying Criminal Law. We just talked about it the other day, and think that would be a great fit. I am pregnant! Well, I just thought I would throw that out there for fun. I really am not, but I am getting more comfortable with the idea. I actually just quit my job on Tuesday. It was an okay job, but the responsiblities just kept piling on. The atmosphere was pretty stressful at times, especially when I was left by myself to cover everything (my job+ my boss's job). When I was told that I could no longer plan church things or anything else on my days off that could keep me from filling in last min for my boss, I threw in the towel. This was just a part time job for me, not a career. I was told this after I covered everything myself Monday b/c my boss couldn't come in. Instead of a thank you, I got scolded b/c I handled a stituation differently than my boss would have (even though it was a more efficient choice). I couldn't come in the next day b/c I had visiting teaching (couldn't reschedule b/c it was the end of the month) and my mother in law was in town (we had made plans). The other girl who has the same position as I use to came into work (b/c it was her day), but wasn't up to speed on how to run everything. My boss had been leaning on me, instead of training her. When she called me after the work shift had already started and found out I couldn't come in, I was lectured. Needless to say, I am relieved I don't have to work there anymore. Glad I don't have to deal with the stress anymore. Plus, my boss was a nice person in general, but got upset really easily. When she was mad, she would say things that were hurtful in a condescending way to customers or whoever upset her. I really liked her, but the pattern of blow ups were hard to deal with. Especially when she took her frustrations out on me. I think she is a great a person, and that this job is just too stressful for her too.

On a happier note, here is the pretty flower Adam got me for Valentines day. We bought it after our CA trip b/c we weren't sure what plant we would end up with, and didn't want to worry about it while we were gone. We could have got this Orchid beforehand though, because they don't need much care.

A novel worth reading

2011-03-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

I finished it today and now I want to see the movie. I thought it was well written and compelling, once I got past the character set up. I enjoyed the mystery of the story, but it had some graphic parts. Heard the movie is pretty graphic, so I am still debating whether or not I should see it.

Twenty Seven.

2011-03-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

The love of my life turned 27 on Friday. He thinks he is old, but I demur. I think its just because he is no longer in his early twenties, and getting closer to 30. Its okay babe, I am right behind ya. I'll be turning 25 this year. Wow, that means I am almost half way to 50. Is is weird that we still feel extremely young. I thought you were suppose to feel older/wiser and stuff with age. Adam and I both feel the same. Are we going to feel this way when we are 50 (young at heart)? I think that would be totally weird.

Here is my birthday boy! (Keep in mind its 11:00pm) I had just picked him up from the airport, so he was still in his dealersocket attire.

I was pretty impressed that I was able to fit so many things in that bag.

He has been wanting new gym shorts. I also crammed some Rusty shorts, Levi Jeans, and Four shirts on top of the rest of the goodies.

Some of the fun stuff. Didn't want to take a picture of everything.

Giant Gummy Bear

Erika would appreciate this. We use to eat it all the time as kids. I know Adam did as well, so I knew he would enjoy some.

Adam LOVES licorice. This put a smile on his face. A whole Yard! We ate a piece of licorice together. He started at one end, and I started at the other. We met in the middle and kissed, and it reminded me of Lady and the Tramp :)

Taffy Stash : ) This was to remind him of Orem, UT and our days living on BYU Campus

And the CAKE!!! My first Ice Cream cake that I have ever made. I was going to use regular cake, but we aren't the biggest fans of cake. Instead, I made a giant ice cream cookie cake. It was SOO good.

It was after midnight after we enjoyed a slice of his cake, so we went to bed.

Saturday we went out to eat for his birthday. He wanted to eat at Jersey Mike's, so we split a giant Chipotle Cheese Steak Sandwich. It was very good.

After lunch we went and saw

Adam had wanted to see it for a while, so we finally got around to it. We both thought it was okay. It was entertaining enough, but I had higher expectations.

Then we watched the BYU game with some awesome friends. Too bad they did horrible! Oh well, we had fun none the less. Overall, I think Adam had an okay birthday. We just wish we had more time to celebrate. This weekend we are planning to go out again :)

Adam I just need you to know that I will love you Forever, For always and no matter what, even when you REALLY get old :)

California weekend stay :)

2011-03-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

I flew in Thursday night. Thursday was a long day for me. My first flight was delayed about and hour, so I had to change my connecting flight. This meant a lot of wait time at the airports. I got to the dfw airport around 11am and didn't get to California until 6:38pm, which was 8:38 my time. I basically spent my whole day in airports, and next to a screaming baby on the flights. I must be a magnet for babies or something. Even with a headache, I was so happy to be in CA. My dad picked me up at the Ontario airport and we headed home. It was surreal to be back home and to know my brother was flying in the next day. Erika came down and helped us paint his welcome home banner. I was so tired and went to bed at midnight which was 2:00am my time.

Friday: We headed over to the San Diego aiport to pick up my brother. We got there 30 min before his flight came in, and my mom wanted us to roll the sign out then. My dad and I refused to hold it for 30 min. lol. We should have just listened to my mom, because his flight came in 10-15 min early. As soon as we were about to roll the sign out, I spotted Blake on the escalator and yelled, "There's Blake!" My parents frantically started to roll the sign out. It was pretty funny. They rolled it out in time for him to see it, but felt bad we didn't have it rolled out before he came down the escalator. We all hugged and enjoyed the moment. It was so fun to see Blake for the first time in 2 years. It kinda felt like he had never left, as we started hanging out. He is the same Blake, just better. His personality is exactly the same. However, he is less shy, more mature, and definitely more spiritual. Oh, we just love Blake!!! Its good to have him back home. He is the postitive, optimistic one in the family, who would never say one negative thing about anyone else. He is such a sweetheart.

Blake had us try on his cowboy hat. It was kinda fitting for me since I live in Texas!

We grabbed some lunch at Kono's in San Diego. They have really good breakfast food :)

Blake and I got some yummy breakfast burritos. Mine had a lot of avocado :)

Walked down the pier. It was extremely windy. I was sporting my Jessica Simpson aviator looking sunglasses.

Enjoyed driving by the beautiful San Diego temple!

On our way to pick up my sister we stopped at the Rainbow Sandal outlet, so I could get a new pair :)

We did a lot of driving on Friday! My brother didn't know that my sister and I were going to be in CA for the weekend. He thought we were flying in the following weekend for his homecoming talk. He was very surprised to see me at the airport, and we tried to play it off that we were going to a fancy fish place in Longbeach, instead of picking up Brooke from the Longbeach airport. He eventually figured it out, and was very excited to see her too :)

We got home intime to change into church clothes, before we went to the Washington building for Blake to get released.

It was fun to hear Blake's testimony and hear about his mission.

We put up Blake's sign after we got back. It was getting pretty late. Guess who showed up as my parents were putting up the sign.....my handsome husband! No one knew he was coming. I thought it would be a nice surprise. My mom was SO happy :)

Saturday: I got my hair done at 8:00am. Leslie did a fantastic job lightening up the bottom. After that Adam and I hung out with his parents for the afternoon.

Soon after we got back, the Martin's came over.

The Martin's are like family. Love them :)

We headed over to Chandler's wedding right after their visit. They looked so happy :) It was great to see old friends and people we have grown up knowing in the church.

We went to Aubrey's wedding after. She had hers at Harveston, and it brought back a lot of memories for Adam and I :) I saw some old friends there too which was fun.

Sunday: We went to the high council meeting as a family, at 7:30am. Wow, talk about super early. It was really neet to go to that. I am glad we all went. We went home and then went to my parents ward, but we only stayed for sacrament. We came home and relaxed a little bit. Then we sang to my brother, made some treats, and went to a photo shoot.

We sang "Happy Returned Missionary to you!" haha. Then ate some Marie Calendars Pumpkin Pie (My brothers favorite)

We took a couple pictures by the sign before we left for our photoshoot taken by Kristin Fuller :) Will post those later!

After the photo shoot we had a yummy home cooked meal: shrimp and chicken alfredo pasta with ceasar salad and garlic bread :)

Then we had a little get together!

A lot of people showed up!! My mom has pictures of everyone who came. I only posted some pictures with my friends.

We had a lot of yummy desserts for the party. Judy made her famous cheescake, Brooke made oreo truffles, my dad made scotcheroos, Sheila made Pecan pie bars, The Bishops brought lemon bars, and Matt brough some chips and salsa.

Adam and I were able to meet Brooklyn :) and visit with Cameron and Celine! Brooklyn is adorable!

We were able to hang out with Sheila and Steve on Saturday and Sunday. They got Adam some new pants and shirts for his birthday which is this coming Friday, and we also went out to eat at Manhattan on Saturday. I got some yummy blueberry blintzes.

I was also able to meet Cade and visit with Heather!! :) He is such a cute baby, and looks so much like Heather.

Kristin took some awesome pictures of us earlier that day. I will post some of those later! Kristin don't tell anyone what happened to me at the photo shoot. haha. j/k I am still grossed out by it though!

Monday was another all day airport affair. There was a screaming baby on the first flight, but it wasn't sitting next to me, and the baby stopped crying 15 min into the flight. One plus! My second flight was delayed and we sat on the plane about and hour and 25 min before it took off, because they had to de-ice the plane. My layover was in Salt Lake. It just happened to start snowing right before the plane was suppose to take off. Then after we landed it took a long time to get our luggage. It was a big plane and everyone had carry on luggage they tagged. I ended up getting home at 11:30 instead of 9:45. I was so excited to see Charlie!! I had missed him a lot. My family would know. I probably brought him up every single day during my visit.

Its good to be home, but I wish I could have stayed a little bit longer!

How have I not made these before?

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CAKE BALLS

Well, probably because I do not like cake. I have never, EVER been a fan of cake. At birthday parties, I was the kid who asked for extra ice cream, and didn't want any cake to go with it. I LOVE cheesecake, as all of you know. Regular cake is not my thing.

Cake Balls are a differen't story!
These my friends are delicious, even if you are not a cake fan like myself. The center is SO moist and strangely addictive! I kept poping them in my mouth thinking, "Oh I shoudn't." I couldn't eat that many when I first made them, because I had eaten too many chocolate covered strawberries, and Cadbury mini eggs. SO I was already on a sugar high, but after that sugar buzz killed over, I really was poping them in my mouth.

Its a messy process, but worth the effort. I am definitely no chocolatier! I really didn't have the patience or skill to make these cake balls look gorgeous. I know they don't look very good, but they do taste very good. That is all the matters to me :)

I used a strawberry cake mix, with cream cheese frosting for the center. It was a good choice. You could do Red Velvet, Chocolate, Carrot Cake, Yellow, or whatever with either regular chocolate or white chocolate coating. I brought some to work and they were devoured. My boss suggested a peanut butter/chocolate mixture for the center. YUM!

FREE STUFF makes me happy

2011-02-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

I got this awesome 8 x 10 CHARLIE BABY collage for free at Walgreens yesterday:

I couldn't leave without buying some cadbury mini eggs. I LOVE that it is that time of year again! Its time to stock up!!!

and its about time Redbox came out with a free code. I got a free rental last night.

I know its not much, but getting free stuff yesterday made me happy. There is a Walgreens practically next door to us, so I didn't even have to travel far to get it.

I was in such a good mood, even with doing laundry all day that I came home and made chocolate covered strawberries. Adam sure is going to enjoy those after I pick him up from the airport. I get to leave soon to go get him, and I very happy about that. He has to leave a day early (Sunday evening), so we are going to enjoy every min of our Saturday together.

I have started to eat better, for the Stake Challenge. Obviously not every meal. I still have dinner and dessert, but I am eating a healthy breakfast and lunch. I have been eating oatmeal, and eating more fruit.

I am bringing Adam dinner. I didn't have to cook tonight. Watervue did. I love that they cook us free meals at least once a month. Here is what they offered tonight:

And now I am off to the airport. I probably wouldn't have even blogged about these things, but Adam's flight was delayed, and there was nothing interesting on t.v. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

French toast with blueberries,caramelized bananas, and whipped cream & Bacon and Parmesan Pasta

2011-02-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

So have I ever mentioned how much I love french toast? Well, I think that is an understatement. When I was a kid, my mom would make a yummy breakfast most Saturday mornings. We had a choice between french toast, waffles, puff pancakes, regular pancakes, or cream of wheat with brown sugar. I always wanted french toast. I didn't even have to think twice. It was my favorite breakfast food until I met the d' Huarts. I still can't remember if you capitilize the D or the H in their last name. Anyways, their traditional Saturday breakfast food was crepes. As soon as they introduced me to those scrumptious things, I became indecisive about what I wanted for breakfast. As Brian Regan would say, "Both Favorites." And to this day they are both still my favorite breakfast foods. Sometimes I crave one over the other, but usually they both sound good.

Sunday Morning I took french toast to a new level for me. I made carmalized bananas to go on top. I would have to thank Norma's (one of the restaurants we went to during our N.Y. trip) because their Wazza Waffle inspired me, but I will have to most definitely thank Mr. Harding because I got my recipe from her.

Needless to say, we had a very good Sunday brunch. My husband doesn't usually eat anything in the morning, but he ate a lot of this!

I am a pasta addict. No, but seriously! If I could only eat one genre of food the rest of my life, I would choose Italian. I could not live without pasta. I love that you can do so much with it. However, it is a real shame that it makes you fat!!! There is no way I will ever be super skinny. I love food way too much. I barely maintain my weight now, because I love food way more than I should. I will eat when I am still full. I just enjoy it. I do have self control though. Its not like I uncontrollably stuff myself. I just choose to eat way more than I should (most of the time). With that said, here is a new pasta recipe:

Bacon and Parmesean Pasta

1 lb Bacon

1 lb Penne Pasta

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup cream cheese

2 eggs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Fry or bake Bacon - Sprinkle w/ Red Pepper Flakes. When done, Remove bacon until cool enough to handle and roughly chop.

Meanwhile cook pasta in boiling salted water- I always add some olive oil

Place cream cheese in a small saucepan. Heat over low until cream cheese is melted, and whisk until smooth. Add parmesan cheese, eggs, and pepper and whisk until blended.

Drain Pasta and return to pot. Immediately add the white sauce and toss to coat. The hot pasta will cook the eggs. Stir in the bacon, and enjoy!!!

I said goodbye to boring hair yesterday....

2011-02-18T17:52:00.000-08:00

and said hello to fun highlights and side bangs. I am picking up Adam from the airport tonight, and can't wait to hear his opinion of my new hair style. I feel young and wild again. RAWR! ha.

Ignore my humid and sweaty face. Its hot in this apartment. Its like 90 degrees... can't wait for the AC to kick in.

Favorites

2011-02-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

Jessica Simpson heels

I just bought these the other day. I can't wait to wear them. They are really comfortable despite the huge heel. I personally think Jessica Simpson heels are even more comfortable than Steve Madden heels, so these are a new love of mine.

Steve Madden Sandals

I got these last summer in White. I love them. They are comfortable and cute. I look forward to getting a different pair. These are nice when you want to wear something a little more dressy. Otherwise, my rainbows or reefs are what you will find me wearing most. I got my first pair of Steve Madden shoes in middle school, and get this, I still have them! They are a little outdated, but they are so comfortable. I will get rid of them eventually, but they just make me happy. I only wear them like once a year. ha.

BCBG, MAX Studio, Max Edition, or Ann Taylor Loft dresses

I bought an ivory silk woven BCBG dress the other day, and I call it my marry poppins dress. Love it. I also got a cute and comfortable grey dress from Max Studio, and love the floral design around the neck line. I have a purple dress from Max Edition. Purple is my favorite color, so naturally its one of my favorite dresses. I got an Ann Taylor dress right after High School that I still have and love. It was my first favorite.

Paige Denim Jeans

I also like Joes Jeans, Seven For All Mankind, Mek, and Big Star But Paige jeans are definitely my favorite! I have a couple pairs, and one of each of the other jeans. I think because they are so suttle, and not everyone knows they are designer jeans makes them my favorite. They are all awesome jeans, and fit so well. I have yet to try Hudson jeans. My friend Celine sported a pair last time we hung out and I thought they were super cute. She also introduced me to Joes Jeans. Nordstroms/ebay supplied me with the rest. I have tried True Religion and I do not like them at all. I have also tried Miss Me and really liked how they fit, but I just don't think they are my style.

Jessica Simpson Skinny Jeans

They fit great and are totally affordable

Juicy Couture, and Victoria Secret Swim

I got the Juciy Couture black skirted bottom the other day. It is super cute, and I can't wait to wear it this summer. I also have a vicotria sectret tankini and bikini that I really like.

New York & Company Sweaters

I bought a bunch on sale a couple weeks ago, and love them.

OKAY enough about clothes and shoes.

Food/ Drink interests lately

1) Ever since I have mosved to Texas I have been in LOVE with Philadelphia Rolls. I am starting to like sushi which is totally weird, but its actaully good stuff. I have had these Rolls probably like 15 times which is a lot considering my husband hates sushi. I order it from Taste of Asia at work, or pick it up from Central market whenever I get a chance.

2) MarketSide Spinach and Artichoke Hummus with Rye Bread

3) Blueberry Dannon Light and Fit Yogurt

4) Pinneapple

5) El Milagro tortilla chips from Central Market

6) Chick-Fil-A Fries dipped in their Chik-Fil-A Sauce

8) Peanut Butter and Nutella Sandwiches

9) Blue Bell Chocolate Mudd Pie (My Fav), Carmel Sundae Crunch, Happy Tracks, Carmel turtle cheesecake

So there you have it. All of my favorite things at the moment. I probably should start cleaning, doing laundry, and getting things done, but I am so sore from Zumba last night that I just feel like bumming around.

Valentines Day

2011-02-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

My boss gave me flowers at work today! It was totally unexpected, and really sweet.

Came home to a homemade card from my valentine! He sure loves me. He is going to take me out to pick out a plant when he gets home. He always gets me roses but I told him I wanted a plant a while back, so that is what he wants to get me. He jokingly said he was going to get me a love fern. I don't want one though. Can't wait for him to get back from Pennsylvania.

I picked up lots of fruit from Central Market today, and I couldn't resist getting myself a valentines gift. The creme brulee was sooo good. I put some raspberries on top and enjoyed every bite, while I watched the bachelor. Not that I needed any more sugar. I actually took the box of See's candy with me today.

Michelle is finally GONE! yay!!! Chantel needs to go next.

*HoLLy and AdAm ToWnEr*