In the works

Hope you had one too

2012-01-03T14:29:00.001-07:00

World's best french toast recipe

2011-09-30T12:51:00.000-06:00

It's General Conference weekend, my friends. A time for inspiring messages to help you stand a little taller, and decadent breakfast foods to make you feel a little fuller. This is my all-time favorite french toast recipe (coming from a girl who hated the stuff all growing up). I don't have any photos to tantalize you with--some things mustn't get cold in a photo shoot--but it looks something like this:

And makes you feel a little like this:

Sadly, we won't be making it this year--it calls for Great Harvest cinnamon swirl bread, and our nearest is a nearly an hour away--so make a batch or two for me, will you?

Best French Toast Recipe Ever

Mix together:
4 eggs
2/3 cup cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt

Dip slices of Great Harvest cinnamoon swirl bread into egg mixture and cook both sides on a hot griddle. Slather in that amazing buttermilk syrup recipe that you probably already have, but I'll post below just in case, and then add a dollop of whipped cream and then some banana and strawberry slices (to keep it healthy). Makes enough for 6-8 really thick slices.

Best Buttermilk Syrup Recipe Ever (you know this already)

Melt together in a pan on the stove:
1 cube butter
1 cup sugar

Then add:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla or maple flavoring

Continue stirring over medium heat until it gets all frothy white. Remove from heat and serve warm.

The birth story

2011-09-15T11:52:00.001-06:00

Turns out this is kind of a long story. Whoops. (Also, I love parenthesis. You'll see.)

This story starts back in May. I attended a Mother's Day charity brunch and won the "expectant mother" raffle package. It included a few onesies, a couple of those decorated burp cloths that are cute but I don't really get, a carseat cover, and a hypnobirthing course. At that point, all I knew about hypnobirthing was that my coworker had done a similar program with her births. She had such a positive, empowering view of birth (even after two long, difficult deliveries of her own), that I was excited to learn more.

Ryan and I started attending the classes, and we were hooked. Total game changer. Did you know people who are allergic to anesthesia have used hypnotherapy to get through crazy surgeries? I'm talking slicing-and-dicing, hammer-and-chisel type surgeries. Incredible. Ryan and I started practicing relaxation methods that would help during the delivery. (Looking back, I wish we had practiced more diligently, but the little we did helped us immensely.)

Meanwhile, I began having doubts about the midwife I had been seeing. When I asked more details about the logistics of the actual delivery, she started throwing around some interesting stats. More than half of her patients were induced. Fifty percent of her deliveries ended with episiotomies because of sudden drops in heart rate. I'm not an expert, but those numbers sounded high. She assured me that she would only induce me if my water broke before going into labor, which doesn't happen often. Surely it wouldn't happen to me. But Ryan told me to go with my gut, so, at 35 weeks pregnant, we switched to a new doctor.

Fast forward a few weeks, and what do you know? My water broke at 2:00 on a Sunday morning. (My gut is so smart sometimes.) We were so excited. Free pass out of teaching sunbeams and sunday school! No correlation meeting! Oh, and right. We were gonna have a baby! Plenty to be excited about.

I started having contractions, but they were pretty random. Three minutes, then seven, then twelve, then two. I relaxed in bed while Ryan packed half our house to go to the hospital. We waited until 6 to start calling around--first the doctor (who said we could hang out at home until the contractions started coming more regularly), then our parents (who said get thee to a hospital are you sure you don't have to leave right now?), and finally the missionaries (who said woohoo we'll teach your classes).

Then we hunkered down and started watching movies. There was Stardust, then Nacho Libre, with Ryan faithfully timing the contractions (which were coming every 4-8 minutes) on his phone. By around 1 p.m., we were getting a steady stream of texts from family that either said

"so-and-so said that at such-and-such hospital you have to be admitted x number of hours after your water breaks so what are you waiting for?" or
"SO EXCITED!! CAN'T WAIT!! LOVE YOU :) :) :) :)"
or both.

Dr. Peterson (our OB) called to check in on us (and also to see if she could teach her primary class or if I would be having a baby then), and we decided to meet up with her after church at her office. (Seriously how nice was that? To open up shop just for us? I love that woman.)

She checked me a little after 4, and I was dilated to a 4. No fever, no infection, but also not much progress. We decided to head back home and prepare for an early morning delivery. On the way home from her office, my contractions started coming every 5 minutes or so. We stopped at my mom's house and had dinner. The contractions started coming every 4 minutes or so. We drove back to Katy and straight to the hospital. By then, the contractions were every 3 minutes.

I was so excited. He was finally coming! But when they checked me, I was only dilated to a 5. At that rate, it'd be another 7 or 8 hours before we'd have our little boy. Which was fine, I thought. Up until that point, I was able to relax and the contractions had been fine--tight, but not painful.

Soon after we checked into the hospital, I started to feel some pretty intense pain in my lower back. I tried to use the hypnobirthing techniques to relax, but I was having trouble focusing. After only a few contractions like that, I decided I couldn't handle that kind of pressure for 7 or 8 more hours, so I told Ryan to get that anesthesiologist in there, pronto.

While we were waiting (they said it would take him 30 minutes to arrive), I couldn't shake this overwhelming urge to go to the bathroom. I absolutely had to go. In my mind, if I could just go to the bathroom, all this pressure would be gone, and then there would be room for the baby to come. (I'm really good with human anatomy, if you couldn't tell.) I was all ready to go through with my plan when the nurse came in. She pretty much had to pry me from the bathroom and drag me to the bed, where we discovered I had somehow gone from a 5 to a 10 within the half hour.

I was immediately relieved, mentally and physically. You mean I don't have to do that for another 8 hours? I was back in control. We sent the anesthesiologist away, called the doctor, and then nurses started streaming in. Ryan was such a champ. He kept telling me how good I was doing, how much he loved me, how proud he was of me. Made me feel like I could birth a buffalo, I felt so good. But, yes, a baby would be better.

The pushing began, and the pressure from before was gone. I just kept visualizing our sweet boy in our arms. I can't say how long I pushed for--everything seemed to happen so fast to me--but in retrospect it must have been awhile because he wasn't born until 9:50 that night. I just remember the room being very quiet, with us chatting a bit in between pushes. At one point, they had me feel the tip of his head that was poking out. It was like a warm wet nerf ball--super soft and super strange.

With my last push, Dr. Peterson helped to pull him out with her hand. According to Ryan, it looked like his head was being crushed like a sponge (and where was his brain?!), but he didn't say anything because how do you word that without making the lady on the bed freak out? (Excuse me, but did you just deflate my son's head like a balloon?) Plus, it all happened so fast.

Everything was suddenly perfect. One moment he was just the tip of a nerf ball, and the next he was our son. In our arms. Red skin and wide eyes. This little life that we created. We were in awe of it all.

Ryan cut the cord--which has produced a beautiful belly button, I might add--and not long after, my mom came in to meet him and take the photo above. The next day we settled on his name. Beau Ryan Tingey. Fits him perfectly, the way he fits us.

It's a Beau!

2011-09-12T22:12:00.009-06:00

If we're not facebook friends (why aren't we??), then you may not know that the belly from my last post became the baby boy of this post. Two months and two days ago, to be exact. We tried our hardest to get him to hold out til 7.11.11, but he wouldn't have it and came a few hours short.

So much and so little has happened in the last two months. So much (he came! he cried! he rolled! he smiled!) and so little (we feed him. we put him to sleep. we clean his dirties. over and over.) that I don't know where to begin. But here's a start:

**Beau loves techno. Ryan's brother made a few songs on garage band before leaving on his mission (miss you, drew!), and only bouncing can rival the calming powers of those electric rhythms.

**Beau has peed on us about 23 times. He looks so innocent in his newborn photos, but 5 of those times happened during that photo shoot.

**When Mother Goose retires, Ryan would make an excellent replacement. The impromptu rhymes he sings to get Beau to calm down at night are pretty epic. Almost as good as Megan's "throw, throw, throw your beau" rendition.

**Beau sees dead people. He'll be looking right at you and then his gaze will turn to just above your right shoulder and change into a look of horror. This makes night feedings particularly spooky.

**I almost can't handle how sweet this little guy can be. When he curls up and falls asleep on your chest? It's over. Nothing sweeter. Except for maybe when he sighs in his sleep in your arms. Melt my heart. (Just one thing though--what's he doing in your arms? Give him back already.)

Anyway. Like I said, just a start. Up until now, the big battle has been Beau vs. the blog, and it's pretty obvious who won out there. But seeing as how Beau's got grandparents who live a gazillion miles away, I don't think I'm allowed to keep all this cuteness to myself anymore. Consider yourself warned.

And the payoff

2011-05-24T21:51:00.000-06:00

Thank you for all the comments! We're slowly making some ground here, and your suggestions are helping a ton.

Now. A deal's a deal, so let's start with this fancy glamor shot I took using my laptop's web cam at 11 o'clock last night, shall we?

Ow ow. Y'all are lucky I got dressed that day.

I'll put up some stories and ultrasound photos next -- just keep those ideas comin'!

The great bribe

2011-05-23T14:24:00.005-06:00

If you're still stopping by here every so often, it's most likely in the hopes that I've either a.) posted a pregnant picture or b.) written something riveting about our lives. Meanwhile, I'm busy trying to figure out babyland and what stroller is lightest, whether or not a travel system is necessary, if crib bumpers are deadly or just cute, and what brand of everything is the best.

SO.

I'm proposing a bargain.

For every comment you leave that includes a tried-and-true (by you!) baby product recommendation (or stay-away-from-ation), I will post either a belly photo, an ultrasound photo, or an anecdote from our recent lives (and let me tell you, we've been exciting lately). I will also accept life-changing (cannot live without!) baby book recommendations, baby name recommendations (but only the awesome ones will count), and other general tips/tricks that have made your children brilliant and you fabulous.

You might think my proposal's pretty selfish -- that I will get far more out of your recommendations than you will out of seeing my 33-week baby bump.

You obviously haven't seen me pregnant yet.

(thanksinadvance--weneedallthehelpwecanget!!!)

Pretty great

2011-04-06T21:38:00.004-06:00

In the past couple months, we:

*visited some great sites and friends in a new city

*went to the greatest rodeo on earth

*fell in love with bread pudding

*won a pretty great door prize (42" wide)

*planted a garden

*made the world's greatest french toast

*drove to the coast

*uncovered a box of treasures

*listened to a prophet

*felt our son kick for the first time

Hope to share more details soon.

And maybe one reason you shouldn't move to Houston

2011-04-06T21:34:00.004-06:00

Unless you're a fan of 3-inch cockroaches stopping by for a visit in the kitchen.

Don't worry. The situation is under (pest) control.

Why you should still move to Houston

2011-02-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

Just in case you thought I was hatin' on Houston and its uncomfortable commute, I thought I'd share the following stats with you, courtesy of HoustonTX.gov (.gov means it's true):

If Houston were an independent nation, it would rank as the world's 30th largest economy.
Houston's overall after-taxes living costs are 12 percent below the nationwide average, largely due to housing costs that are 26 percent below the average.
Houston has more than 11,000 restaurants to choose from.
Houston has a Theater District second only to New York City with its concentration of seats in one geographic area.
Houston is one of five U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.
More than 90 languages are spoken throughout the Houston area.
Houston is home to the largest rodeo in the world.
Houston has among the youngest populations in the nation.
Houston is home to the largest medical center in the world.
Only 21 countries other than the United States have a gross domestic product exceeding Houston's regional gross area product.
Only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters.

So sure, sometimes it's humid and hot, but we've got lots of good reasons to call this place home.

A two-month test

2011-02-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ever mentioned it here, but at the last minute, we did sell Ryan's car. (Last minute as in, they handed us the cash, we handed them the keys, and then we hopped into our moving truck and drove to Texas.) I also probably didn't mention the fact that while buying our old car, they asked about renting our old townhouse and working at my old office building--I was sure a social security number/credit score exchange was next--but that's a topic for another post.

This post is about downsizing.

We went from being a two-car, two-person family in an 18-square-mile city to being a one-car (still two-person) family in a city that can take several hours to cross. (That's 8,778 square miles--bigger than the entire state of New Jersey. I know.)

It wasn't our plan to stay a one-car family. The Houston burbs aren't exactly a friend of public transportation and neither are the hot and humid summers. Plus, as the Salazar family saying goes, everything in Houston is "about 30 minutes away." We had planned to move to Houston and start Ryan's initiation into Texas/construction culture by getting him a nice big truck. And then reality settled in.

All of a sudden, there would be car payments. Twice the insurance. A couple tanks of gas a week, most of it spent in gridlocked traffic. Another car contributing to that traffic.

It's not that we can't afford it. But we're starting to wonder if we'd rather take a trip once a year than have an extra car to sit in the garage when we need it.

So our experiment begins. Starting this week, Ryan will be carpooling to work a couple times a week. The days that I have the car, I'll do our grocery shopping and errand running. My perfectly lovely (and accommodating--thank you!) mom and sister are humoring our strange little plans by offering rides on their way to Costco and other places.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure we can/should do it. Two months, sure. (We've pretty much been doing this since October, though this will be Ryan's first experience with the park 'n' ride.) But two years? More? Once we have a couple kids?? In a city like Houston, I just don't know.

Do any of you have downsizing experience in a city? Particularly in cities where the only buses that come by the house take you to the local elementary?

Since we're stuck inside

2011-02-03T16:06:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine introduced me to this awesome website. Have you seen it? Talented artists from all over post their art, and then, using their illustrations as inspiration, you create picture books. The pic above is from one of my favorites, PascalCampion.

You can create as many as you want and save them to your own profile. Plus, and you probably knew this was coming, it's FREE!

Here's my friend's profile with some of the cute books she's created. They also have a fun story contest each month, where you can win a Kindle e-reader and a $50 e-book gift card! My friend Tara won last month!

Anyway, if you're looking for something to keep your kids busy or for your own creative outlet--check it out! And if you do, send me your story. I'd love to read it :)

Also, it's cold here

2011-02-02T21:11:00.004-07:00

On the one hand, we've been having rolling power outages all day to conserve/spread energy around Houston, and it's been in the 20s all day, and with humidity it's colder, and Ryan's going to have to drive to work tomorrow on frozen roads with broken traffic lights and a couple million people who don't know what to do when ice meets tire.

On the other hand, I'm not in Chicago or Denver like my brothers and their families, where they live with millions of people who DO know how to travel on ice and snow but CAN'T because of the ridiculous amounts of ice/snow and the ridiculous speed at which said ice/snow is falling/torpedoing through the sky. Plus it's at least 20, sometimes 30-40 degrees colder there than it is here.

So... I'm probably not gonna get any sympathy here, am I?

Oh fine. I'll just put on another sweatshirt.

The time has come

2011-02-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

Remember when a certain movie was filmed practically in my backyard?

Oh yes. That's right. It's finally coming atcha. Though I'm sorry to say, it doesn't look like this movie will be set in space like we originally thought/hoped.

Even without the space element, still just as bizarre as I imagined it would be. Coming to a theater near you, but probably not for long...

Home is wherever I'm with you

2011-01-27T08:26:00.002-07:00

Found this on a friend's blog and had to share. Such a cute little girl -- I gotta get me one of those.

Things we learned camping last weekend

2011-01-26T06:07:00.004-07:00

Quick update: We did not vanish somewhere in New Mexico during our move to Texas, I did write 54,000 words in November, and we didn't actually go camping last weekend (it was November). But why delete a perfectly good post just because it's outrageously outdated?

I knew you'd understand.

* Caramel/vanilla swirl marshmallows are delicious. They taste roasted right out of the bag. Go get some!

* When you go camping, take whatever weather predictions have been made and quadruple their likelihood. So a 30 percent chance of rain would be 120 percent in camping land. That's about right.

* Despite all the dirt and bugs, there's something about nature that makes everything feel remarkably clean. Pure, even. Which is why we still ate our meat after it fell off the foil and into the mud.

* If you ever have the opportunity to stop at a Buc-ee's, you should do.

* Don't feel bad when all the Texans point and laugh at you (the former Utahns) for bringing too many coats and sweaters. You will be laughing in the morning, my friend.

* Nobody believes in roughing it and spending the night on the ground anymore. Ryan and I were the only ones who didn't have an inflatable mattress or blow-up bed inside our tent.

* You can keep a fire alive in the middle of a couple-hour long downpour, and your 4 lb. tin foil dinner can still burn crispy on a fire in the middle of that downpour.

* Never make fun of someone for making a 4 lb. tin foil dinner. Because when you're huddled inside a tent with 3 other adults, trying to eat the only dinner that didn't burn, you will be very grateful for the extra pounds.

Thanks, Julie and Doug, for bringing us along!

Things I learned (so far) while writing a novel (so little)

2010-11-17T16:59:00.001-07:00

If you didn't know (and I'm not sure how you would since I haven't posted here in a month), I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this month! This is the video that finally convinced me.

What I've learned so far:

*You will never, ever, not in a million years, ever read the draft that I finish this month. I may not even read it again. I'm estimating that I'll keep maybe, MAYBE 5 percent of it in the final manuscript (which adds up to most character names, the page numbers at the bottom -- those prob won't change, and a couple of paragraphs).

*I still prefer writing beginnings, but those middle parts are actually pretty fun. Still scared of the ending. How can you possibly live up to the build up? How can it ever be satisfying enough? Worth all that time?

*1667 words is a lot, but 3000 is a hecka lot more. Which is what I've had to do to catch up for all those nights I decided to skip.

*"I'll do it later" is never a good idea.

*Every three pages or so, I think to myself, maybe this would be a better place to start my novel. Where IS the best place to start a novel?

*Writers are a pretty impressive bunch. It takes so much more time and energy and emotion to write a novel than I ever imagined. Good reading = hard writing.

The book fair

2010-10-14T02:12:00.002-06:00

Remember book fairs in elementary school? Best days of my life. So many brand new books. Brand new books and money. Money from mom and dad, cause everyone knows it's ok to spend money on books. I remember always having a hard time choosing between the "How to draw 50 dogs/horses/other animals" books (anyone?) and the Garfield/Calvin and Hobbes/Far Side comic books.

Clearly, I was born with great taste in literature.

Haven't been to a book fair in over a decade, but just yesterday I came across this.

And it's so much cooler than the title lets on. It's everything book: papermaking, letterpressing, bookbinding, free book appraising, rare book eyeing. Probably not a lot of Calvin and Hobbes reading, but this... this will be cool.

Five dollars to get in, and you better believe I will be there. Everyone knows it's ok to spend money on a book [fair].

Please excuse

2010-10-13T22:35:00.000-06:00

But today was my last day in the office. Like I said, I'll be working remotely from Houston, but today was my last day to drive in so that I could see and work and laugh with my coworkers, who have become my dear friends.

They threw a going away lunch for me. It was perfect. They made delicious foods, we played bananagrams, they let me win once... you'd think it couldn't get better. But then they gave me sweet cards and said sweet things and gave me sweet hugs. Plus a travel pack for surviving the driving. (Did I mention it's a 24-hour drive?)

So please excuse the reminiscing, but I have to say thank you. Thank you and I'll miss you and please learn how to use video conferencing.

And please excuse if I'm still in pajamas when you do.

and in the classifieds...

2010-10-11T23:49:00.000-06:00

Just a few items looking for a good home. Pass it along to any good homes with space for a few items.

surround sound stereo system and dvd player
snowboard, boots, and bindings--size 11/12
a used car! (said in your best rod roddy voice)

Five days and counting!

I declare a time out

2010-10-07T22:28:00.004-06:00

Let me set the stage for you.

We're in the middle of a volleyball game. In what is supposed to be a noncompetitive city league. Our team, made up of some of my favorite coworkers, is losing miserably. Our "noncompetitive" opponents, with their "bump set spikes" and their "overhand serves" and their excellent "coordination" are chewing up all our fun and slamming it in our faces. Fun? There will be no fun.

So I deal with it the only way I know how.

TIIIIIIIIIME OOOOOOOUUUUUUUT!

I'm screaming it. Waving my arms frantically in the air. Spinning a little.

The ref was confused and probably a little concerned, but it didn't work. He motions for the other team to continue with their serve. Meanwhile, our team has completely lost it. I'm laughing myself dizzy and can barely take another breath when Jenny finally signals to the ref (that's all it takes) and he calls a time out.

It was a little like this.

Anyway, now that we're only a week away from packing up the truck, I'm wishing I could call a timeout on life for a bit. Just to slow things down. Pull a Blossom or a Zack or any other early 90's TV show character who could freeze everyone else in place for a few minutes. Cause I like where I'm at and I like where I'm going, but it'd be nice to have a minute to enjoy the in between.

Good news

2010-10-06T21:41:00.000-06:00

Looks like I can keep my job! Just got the news, one week before what would have been my last day, so I couldn't be happier. I'll be working on some new projects, which = lots of writing. And lots of fun.

Speaking of work, if any of you are looking for work, and I mean really fulfilling work, email me. We're hiring people in just about every department imaginable, and I'd be happy to put in a good word.

And speaking of email, here's another recent bit of good news. A couple months after Ryan and I got married, I tried to get the classic firstname.lastname@gmail.com email address for my married name. But, sadly, it was taken.

A couple weeks ago, I discovered that lisa dot tingey at gmail dot com was actually taken by me. Apparently I had snagged it a few months before we got married. And then immediately forgot it. So now I have at least three or four known gmail addresses (when I saw that lisa.tingey was taken, I'm pretty sure I took lisavtingey and possibly lisa.v.salazar to make up for it), but who knows how many others I've created and forgotten.

Are you an email address addict?

Speaking of addicts, I must be addicted to good news tonight cause I've got one more piece for you. We're having a going away bbq this saturday at noon. Ryan will be in town and so will some grilled goodness, so stop by sometime to say bye. Email me at any of my dozens of addresses for more info.

World Teachers' Day

2010-10-05T12:23:00.000-06:00

A little video we created at work -- thanks to all those teachers out there!

Move

2010-10-03T20:06:00.003-06:00

This is our moving truck.

This is our moving truck on Google Sketchup.

Yesterday I started getting nervous that our 16' truck might not be big enough to pack all our stuff into. So I gave Ryan measurements of all the big items in our house, he recreated them in Google SketchUp, and then he played Tetris til he fit everything inside our allotted space.

All our lives, right in that little box. Good news is... it looks like it fits.

Btw, if you haven't played around in SketchUp, you should try it out. It's free (thank you, google), and you can explore inside 3-D models of famous buildings all over the world. For example, in the model Ryan sent me, he put our little truck right outside the Colosseum and an Egyptian pyramid. He also set it up right outside this.

Bonus points for anyone who guesses what famous building this is...

You also might be Ryan's true soulmate...

Did I mention that in the last couple weeks, I've packed away two LOTR book sets, two LOTR DVD sets (including the creepy/random animated children's version), AND a LOTR audio CD set? That's devotion.

That's right. It's the Tower of Mordor. Courtesy of Google SketchUp.

You're welcome. (The black dot is our truck.)

Why we tell stories

2010-09-10T00:43:00.005-06:00

A couple nights ago, I discovered this, courtesy of StoryCorps...

... after which I watched every other animated short they've created. There is something so special about stories and their retelling. Can you just imagine what we'd gain if we all listened to each other a little more? And if we were more willing to share our stories?

I recently read an incredible book. A very hard book. It was written based on the author's personal experience, making it even harder to read. It dealt with betrayal, abuse, loneliness. But it was also about hope and loyalty and strength. I imagine it was very difficult to write. But I admire the author for this gift she gave. Stories like this, like Danny and Annie's, like the ones my grandmother tells about her mother, these are stories that don't leave you. Because they change you. These are stories that deserve to be--need to be--told. Recorded or written down.

We all have stories to share.

Some stories are harder to share than others, but I hope you'll take a moment to share one with someone you love. Or that you'll take some time to listen to someone else's special memory. It will be a gift you're not likely to forget.

Cheapskates with refined taste rejoice

2010-09-08T01:55:00.001-06:00

We looked into seeing an opera while we were in Rome, but the only show while we were there opened an hour after we arrived in Italy. Normally I'd be all for it, but somehow the 16+ hour commute from SLC didn't put us in the right frame of mind -- plus we were jet lagged and I can't think of a more expensive (and uncomfortable) place to take a nap than in an opera house.

So we decided to forgo the opera and enjoy the sites instead. In the next couple days we saw stuff like this around every corner:

On our way to the Spanish Steps, we noticed a small army of Italians and tourists gathering. Apparently some group was setting up for a performance in the square that night. An opera group to be precise. Setting up for a free performance. So, we secured ourselves some seats on a step and listened in on the rehearsal while they brought in a grand piano and the works.

That night, after a quick stop by Trevi Fountain, and, of course, a gelateria, we stopped by the square on the way home to catch the performance in their full gear.

Right place, right price, right time.

p.s. if you were wondering, Ryan did fly in for the weekend, and we had a great time. Three more days and he'll be back for another weekend!

Goodbye Earl

2010-09-02T00:01:00.002-06:00

Ryan's scheduled to fly in tomorrow from Newark, but Earl's threatening to shut him out.

Since when do hurricanes hit New Jersey?

Think happy thoughts, everybody.

Nothing says I love you like graffiti

2010-09-01T21:01:00.003-06:00

So sweet of Ryan to sneak out of our hotel room so he could leave me this note across the street.

Did you know graffiti was invented in Italy?! At least, that's where the word originated. (The areas surrounding train stations seem to corroborate this theory.)

The trouble with squares

2010-08-31T23:59:00.001-06:00

st. peter's basilica -- our first night in italy

oh hello.

st. pete's square

One of my favorite things about Rome (and London and Paris and on) is how squares and plazas are so sociable. You could spend hours in one place, sitting and talking with never a shortage of people to watch as they sit and talk. Squares are civilization's campfire, the way they put you in a trance and make time stop, allowing you to think and listen despite all the people. It was in a square, seven years ago, that I first remember feeling like a real adult.

So I was all in love with squares up until I learned something very sad about them. Only one of them, really. The one that was right by our hotel and is pictured above.

It closes.

Which brings us to the scene of our first crime in Italy.

One particularly late night, before we knew the closing rule, we climbed over some barricades in order to cross the square and get home. Yeah, I know. Barricades don't require translation to = alert! back away! stop! but we were tired and had all sorts of reasons to ignore them, like how the fastest way through a circle (even one called a square) is right through the middle. And also how, you know, we're American and there's freedom and the mayflower compact and everything. But it was mostly cause our feet hurt and took over our will cause have you seen the size of that circle/square?

Anyway, we're about 1/3 of the way across when this police car comes out of nowhere and starts speeding right toward us. So either we've walked onto the set of the newest Dan Brown movie, or we've just done something very wrong. The car stops just short of hitting us and two angry police officers get out.

After playing a quick game of charades--Italians love that game!--we learn that the square closed at 11:30, and we'd best be backtracking before somebody gets hurt. Fine. The whole time we walked around, the car circled the perimeter, just in case we decided to make a break for it over another barricade.

Still love squares though.

My alma mater makes me smile

2010-08-31T10:13:00.003-06:00

First motorized couches, then the old spice spoof, and now this?

There's really no end to what you can do for fun... when there's really nothing around to do.

The trip

2010-08-30T21:43:00.000-06:00

The day Ryan and I got our first tax return as a couple, we had big plans for it. Before he started his ~~life of servitude~~ future career, I would quit my job and we'd live off that tax return in Europe for as long as it lasted. So when Turner called and said he had two weeks before his first day, we kinda wrote off all our plans. You can't plan a trip to Europe in two weeks. And even if you could, you certainly can't visit Europe for less than two weeks. Right?

Turns out, you can.

Really, you can do anything if you just stay up late enough.

It took us until two in the morning to realize that.

We were up looking at flights, cruises, any kind of deal that could take us out of town for a while before Ryan's start date. Right around 2 a.m., I shut my laptop, saying--as I had the night before that and the night before that--we'd find better deals tomorrow. Just as I was putting the laptop under the bed, I stopped. I opened it back up. I found a travel package to Rome, leaving in seven days. And I pulled out our credit card.

Are we crazy? I kept asking Ryan. I checked my calendar. He checked his. I checked my work calendar. Emailed my boss. Thought through a million reasons why we probably shouldn't go, but instead we entered our details, grabbed our passports, and clicked confirm.

The week leading up to it was, of course, crazy. We had work deadlines to meet, employment details to work out, and--oh yeah--a trip to Italy to pack and plan for, but it was exhilarating. Each night we went to bed with emotions teetering from crazed to excited then stressed, though usually settling on giddiness: Hey, wanna go on a date this weekend? To Italy, maybe? or I was thinking of stopping by the Colosseum in a couple days... wanna come?

To make things easier, we decided to pack one carry-on bag each and leave behind anything that needed to be charged or plugged in. After two long flights (and one very bad plastic-wrapped bbq chicken dinner), we arrived in Rome. We got lost for the first of many many times, saw some sites, some art, some statues, and then flew back home.

k, it wasn't quite that fast of a trip, but it felt like it. Stay tuned for photos and stories.

The job

2010-08-25T00:45:00.005-06:00

So remember how Ryan got a job in Houston?

He'd been interviewing with this company since February, first at a job fair in Reno, and then for a position out in Anaheim. We were a little nervous about how expensive it might be to live in California, but I got over that pretty fast after visiting and experiencing some warm weather, great shopping, and don't forget this.

Unfortunately, we got a call a few weeks after his California interviews: they liked him, but didn't have enough work to hire him.

We were both pretty crushed--while I had been busy imagining life in sunny CA, Ryan had been busy falling in love with the company. It was hard to think about starting all over again, and even harder to imagine a better fit.

Then one day at work, months later, Ryan called my cell.

Turner called. They're looking for ten new recruits for a special training program. They want to know if they can consider me for it. The position could be anywhere in the US.

I was floored. I got all tingly inside. I almost couldn't breathe. I'm sure I probably squealed. (Shar?) Where would this lead? Where could we end up? This was an even better position than the one in Anaheim. I tried not to get my hopes up.

Four interviews (bringing the grand total up to 10) and a few weeks later, Ryan got word that he was selected. They just needed to decide which office to place him in.

They had no idea Ryan had spent more than two years in Houston, that he knew how to navigate the traffic, how to get around downtown better than I do, and how he naturally has a way with Texans (especially this one). They didn't know I grew up in Houston and they couldn't possibly have known how much I wanted to see my sister when she came home from her mission, or how sad I was to soon be living in a city without any nieces or nephews around. They didn't know how I craved humidity or how Ryan craved hot peppers and how Houston offers plenty of both.

And still, with dozens of offices to choose from, they chose Houston.

So last week, Ryan flew south to sign some papers, and now he's in New Jersey, training for a special BIM engineering position and becoming increasingly convinced that he's working for the best company in the world.

Which means I have to quit working at the best company in the world. (My company.) Which would be especially hard to do if I didn't feel like everything that Ryan's been doing for the last few years has been preparing him and leading him to this place and this position. Still hard, but manageable. But that's a topic for another blog.

I guess my point is, everything--even those disappointments here and there--happens for a reason. And I couldn't be happier (or feel more blessed) for this next big step.

We're leaving in October and we'll let you know how it goes.

oh and by the way...

2010-08-18T01:33:00.001-06:00

We just got back from here

because Ryan got a job here

which means we only have two months before moving here

Any questions?

For rent!

2010-07-30T18:23:00.000-06:00

If you're the type who likes great neighborhoods, tree-lined streets, huge backyards, original hardwood floors, updated appliances, granite counter tops, and clean, whimsical houses that might actually make you feel younger, smarter, and more beautiful, you might want to check out my brother's house here--for rent in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake City.

If you like that kind of thing.

The spawn of the bass

2010-06-12T14:34:00.001-06:00

Sounds like a horror movie, right? (Is there a word more evil sounding than spawn?) Regardless, the Provo bass have been spawning all week, so Ryan's been out in the river snatching them up.

I met up with him after work one day and caught a couple fish of my own (on my very first cast, no less). Those fancy, schmancy fishing shades cut the glare off the water so you can see all the fish. I couldn't believe how many there were. Dozens of people were fishing on either side of us, lined up all along the bank by Utah Lake, and people were leaving with buckets and buckets full of fish. Apparently had several armies to feed. Or a sushi bar to stock.

We got a nice supply ourselves and whipped up our own little recipe for dinner that night. Behold, I present to you pita-crusted bass with an avocado lime sauce:

Recipe is forthcoming.

Quick vacation plans, anyone?

2010-05-21T16:51:00.004-06:00

My family’s selling a couple weeks of a timeshare for next month at some great prices. They’re such nice resorts, we don’t want them to go to waste! Let me know if you or anyone you know is interested!

Royal Caribbean Resort in Cancun, Mexico—June 12 to 19, only $75/night

2BR + full kitchen
Sleeps 6
Regularly $250/night
View pics and amenities here: http://www.royalresorts.com/the-royal-caribbean.asp

Marriot in Branson, Missouri—June 18 to 25, only $60/night

1BR
Indoor + outdoor pools
Regularly $180/night
View pics and amenities here: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sgfhb-marriotts-willow-ridge-lodge/

I want a vacation.

Do you know any kid heroes?

2010-05-14T00:22:00.000-06:00

I work at a Provo-based, children’s educational company called Imagine Learning, and we’re on the lookout for local heroes—specifically kids.

We would like to create two original books to be included in our online book series, read by children across the world, that are focused on heroic kids between the ages of 8 to 14. We’re looking for young people who have done something courageous, shown compassion, or overcome difficulties or disabilities. Each book would include the young person’s real identity, real name, family pictures, and quotes. We would want non-exclusive rights to publish the child’s story as written by our in-house writers.

We know Utah is full of young heroes, and we just need to get the word out. If you know someone who qualifies as a young hero and who might be interested in having his or her story inspire other children, let me know or email us at heroes@imaginelearning.com as soon as possible.

Spread the word!!

To learn more about Imagine Learning, click here.

Why small city living isn't so bad

2010-05-13T17:00:00.002-06:00

I have a tendency to lock myself out. To quote a never published blog post from this past summer (when Ryan and I lived in Houston and I worked from home):

"I've only been here a few weeks, and already I've locked myself out three times. And I don't even go anywhere. I work from home. I eat at home. I sleep at home. And I lock myself out at home."

It's that bad.

Just a couple weeks ago, I was bringing dinner to a family with a newborn across the street. I was a little late, so--this being the first dinner I'd ever brought to a neighbor and expecting that the entire family would be waiting around the table, utensils clenched in fists--I decided to drive there instead of walk it over. First mistake.

I arrived at the house and, since I was in a hurry, decided to leave the keys in the ignition to save myself some time. Cause you know, I could use all that time I saved to patch a quilt or something else really important that takes 2 seconds. Second mistake.

I grabbed the food, reached for the door, and shut it behind me. I started walking up the steps. Then I stopped, feeling uneasy but not entirely sure why. In my mind I replayed the last few steps in slow motion. Graaaab theeee fooood... reeeeach foooor theeee doooor... shuuut theee dooo--no wait. What was that? Rewind. Now slower. And there it was. One flip of my force-of-habit, door-locking finger, and I was locked out.

But no big deal, right? Call Ryan, he'll drive back from campus with his spare, and all will be well. Unfortunately a.) my cell phone was also locked inside, b.) Ryan would now be stranded on campus since I had just locked the key into our only functioning car, and c.) I had just locked our ONLY key into our only functioning car.

I went ahead and delivered the meal, deciding not to bother them with my dilemma because I hardly knew them and--hello!--I was supposed to be the one doing the serving at the moment. That was when my luck started to turn around.

I walked home (only one block!), used my neighbor's phone (she was home!), and called the police (they had nothing better to do!). Within five minutes, an officer cruised up next to my car, pulled a MacGyver with a balloon and wire, and I had my key back. This never would have happened in a big city--just imagine what a flop that NYPD Blue episode would have been...

So thank you, city of Orem. You may not have that Big Apple excitement, but you sure do keep me out of trouble.

Happy graduation!

2010-05-12T17:00:00.002-06:00

Yes, that's right. He's done it. And after one more term of classes, Ryan will officially finish his undergrad. Lest you feel sorry for him and his anticlimactic finish, let me give you a run down of this classes for the term:

Fly Fishing: 60+ people signed up for this class of 15, but Ryan made the cut. After a couple classes, he now describes fly fishing as a martial art. He's always loved it (back when we were dating he caught fish for us to grill for dinner on a regular basis--even if that meant fishing until well after the sun went down to catch our meal), and now he's got all the latest gear to help him in his endeavor.
Golf: I once won a chipping contest (as well as the best golf attire award) on a group date years ago. And now Ryan's an award-winning golfer too: He won his class's chipping contest after getting a hole-in-one from 60 yards back. Make me proud.
Scuba Diving: He's not actually taking this one at BYU, but rather from a local scuba shop down south--the same one I certified at. He's trying to get ready for our big Tingey family Hawaii trip this summer.
History of Christianity: A fascinating class, starting with the very beginnings of Christianity, including the First Council of Nicea, and ending with the restored gospel. His professor grew up Orthodox Catholic and is so full of passion that he spends the class jumping off the walls and on top of the piano (true story).
Electrical Systems: Can you guess which class was required by his major? By the end of the class, they're supposed to know how to wire a home. Ok, so it's not super fun or adventurous, but still. Pretty cool.

Anyway, back to graduation. Ryan was the last one to sit down on this side of the Marriott Center. The graduation committee miscalculated how many seats to save, so the rest of the graduates had to sit where we were, behind the speakers. (But what a great view of those hoods!) Ryan was also the first one to lead the graduates out of the Marriott Center, and the first of his graduating class to ring the victory bell.

Congratulations, Ryan! We're so proud.

Midnight thoughts on a book I love

2010-05-11T00:57:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, we drove up to Idaho for Mother's Day, and after church I was greeted with a special request: the Sunday school teacher's daughter was teaching a Hungarian woman in Italy about the gospel but was having a hard time communicating with her because of the language barrier. I was asked to write my testimony in Hungarian and send it her way.

So tonight, I sat down at the computer to type up my feelings on Christ, the plan of salvation, eternal families, and other wonderful things that have brought me hope and taught me to love. I struggled a bit to remember that language that came to me so easily five years ago, and finally decided to reach over to our bookcase and pull down my Hungarian Book of Mormon from the shelf.

The cover is worn completely away, and the pages are soft with well used edges. That book was my constant companion during my year and a half in Hungary. Its pages still carry the marks of my mission--there was the occasional smashed bug,* language notes made in my earlier months, highlighted scriptures, and spiritual commentary on verses that spoke to my soul.

I loved that book. I once tripped and fell in the rain, and, rather than use my hands to catch myself before hitting the unforgiving cobblestone street, I held my hands high in the air to protect this book from hitting a puddle. (And today I have a rather unattractive scar on my knee to prove it.)

As I opened it again tonight, for the first time in quite some time, my heart was flooded with a feeling of familiarity. Of love. Of power and strength. I flipped through it, remembering how many of my prayers had been answered within its pages. I felt incredibly grateful. I know that it is another testimony of Christ. It is a second witness to the Bible that He is our Savior. I know that prophets taught of Christ hundreds of years before his birth and made records of their people. And the testimonies they wrote have strengthened my own.

With these things on my mind, I typed up my testimony in Hungarian, sent the email, and crawled into bed next to my sleepy husband. "I know it's true," I whispered to him. And what my words can't always explain, my heart confirmed.

*The summer always brought hoards of extremely fragile, microscopic bugs. All you had to do was walk into one--slowly even--and you'd find it smashed against you. So they inevitably made their burial grounds on my clothes, in my hair, on my face, and--when I shared a scripture outside--inside my Book of Mormon.

For your own free copy of this special book, or to read the text online, click here.

Musings

2010-04-06T23:35:00.003-06:00

Last December, a few weeks before Christmas, I caught wind of a surprise present that Ryan's mom had planned for us.

"It's something that you don't even know exists," I would tell Ryan cryptically. The clue pretty much blew his mind as he dreamt of the possibilities. A new invention? A crazy gadget? Salmon that cooks itself? Then the morning came, and he was handed a small envelope: tickets for us and all his siblings to see Muse in Salt Lake City.

Now however true my clue was (he didn't know Muse was playing a show in SLC!!), I realize that it possibly made the actual gift a little anticlimactic at the time. But after seeing last night's show, I can honestly say it blew my mind.

Every number was blowout big, with fun visuals to match the crazy instrumentals. Even after going 90 minutes nonstop (and if you've ever heard them, you know how high those vocals can get), they sounded just as good as, if not better than, on their album.

eyeball balloons that fall down and pop into confetti--a very good idea

this man oozes musical talent

these people ooze photogenics

While the snow came down in heaps outside, we kept things toasty indoors. Thanks to the Tingeys for such a fun time!

And we're back

2010-04-04T23:56:00.001-06:00

We spent a few days last week in Southern California. Ryan was out interviewing with a company, and I came along for the ride. My friend Jenny (thank you!!!) surprised us with a gift certificate to the Beachcomber, a Willy family favorite, so after Ryan's interview we went to celebrate a job well done. Beachcomber is right on the beach at Crystal Cove State Park--you have to walk under Pacific Highway to get to it. We ate right as the sun was setting. It was windy, so they put up a clear tarp around the patio to keep us from blowing away and gave us blankets to lay across our laps to keep us warm. It was great.

We spent the next couple of days exploring Anaheim (where the office is) and the surrounding areas, which included an Angels Game (we watched Disneyland's fireworks show on our way out of the ball park), various shopping malls (hello zara and h&m), plush apartments (and now that we've seen them how will we ever settle for a reasonably priced one??), and, of course, the beach.

The trip can pretty much be summed up in one photo:

We had a great time. But it's always good to be back home.

The china dilemma

2010-03-29T02:36:00.001-06:00

(The stuff you eat on. Not the country.)

A few weeks ago, Ryan and I decided it had been far too long since we'd seen my grandparents, so we planned a little visit. We brought the shuffleboard with us (a tabletop version, which we rocked with all the confidence of two twenty-somethings who love a game that was possibly invented in a senior center, thankyouverymuch), and we played the afternoon away. Turns out my grandpa's a pro--his team always won--and my grandma has a myriad of other lovely talents (her team never won...)

Of course when they got word that we'd be coming for a visit, my grandparents promptly invited us to stay for dinner. Which brings me to the point of this post: Because we were there, they broke out the china. Fancy plates with real silver utensils, no less. You'd have thought we were royalty.

It was so sweet of them. We knew they would have to wash it all by hand, and we knew they wouldn't allow us to help. They weren't trying to show off some kind of wealth or parade some high-class lifestyle. In a simple place setting, they were simply saying, "You are special to us."

And we did feel special. And then a little guilty. Because, you see, we had just returned the china we had purchased when we were newlyweds. The whole set. Because we never used it. Now before I incite some sort of riot, you ought to know that we did purchase another set of dishes, still very nice, but much simpler in design (see above). They remind me of something a potter might throw, and I love them. As in "I couldn't stop thinking about them after I saw them in Macy's and after months of dreaming, Ryan caved and I finally bought them" kind of love. The "I want to eat on them every day, so I do" kind of love.

Just about every day, I still tell Ryan how much I like our new dishes. But after that dinner with my grandparents, I wonder. Maybe we do need china to celebrate special occasions, like anniversaries or birthdays or special guests (like grandparents, or someday grandkids). Or maybe it's enough to eat on something that makes you feel special every day, even if it doesn't have the same effect on your guests.

What are your thoughts on the china dilemma?

Moby Dick rides a spaceship

2010-03-25T23:31:00.001-06:00

I've had a few celebrity sightings in my life. There was Pauly Shore in Hawaii. Topanga (of Boy Meets World fame) in Vegas. Hugh Grant and Colin Firth (for whom we canceled class during a study abroad) in London's Hyde Park. But none were quite so memorable as the time I saw Danny Glover ride a viking spaceship.

About a month ago, a huge viking ship came driving down the street and took up residence in the parking lot where I work. There is a film studio just a few miles south of our office, so we figured they were cooking up some crazy Scandinavian pirate movie. Then my coworkers started doing a little research, and we found out it was so much crazier than we thought.

They were filming a sci-fi version of Moby Dick, except Captain Ahab (Danny Glover) is looking for a white dragon instead of a whale. Turns out the warehouse next to us is made up of a couple of huge green screens, making our parking lot the perfect backdrop for a futuristic drama. It was so bizarre--they were filming on the ship, but there were trees in the background (maybe in the future trees grow in the sea?), and it was snowing like crazy, and you could only turn on your car to drive home if it was in between shots.

Not that I was trying to get out. Oh no. I was standing at the window closest to the action, with my face pressed against the glass, trying to get Danny's attention and wishing I had brought my camera. (And considering how dark it was outside, and how well lit our office is, I'm pretty sure the entire cast saw me and my coworkers gawking there.)

So sure, it's low budget, and, yeah, it will probably flop when it comes out. But this movie, I gotta see.

p.s. post your best celebrity sightings in the comments!

Birthday surprises

2010-03-24T21:35:00.003-06:00

Ryan turned 26 on Saturday. Everyone knows that the number 13 is unlucky, but few people realize that two times 13 is the luckiest number of all. Something to do with double negatives. Case in point: I met and married Ryan in my 26th year. It doesn't get much luckier than that.

So I wanted to celebrate the day with a few little surprises. First, the party.

After breaking into his email and stealing his phone, I contacted some friends from Ryan's major and told them to meet us at Spark at 8pm on Saturday night. Except then a big byu game was scheduled to 8pm, so I had to change our reservation and reschedule with everyone. Then I realized the game was at 8pm eastern time, so I had to reschedule back to the original time. The game was then postponed by half an hour so... I had to reschedule again. In the end, everyone made it there before we did, and Ryan experienced the very first surprise party thrown in his honor.

Then there was the present.

The day we were married, my mom asked my two sisters-in-law to take notes during the ceremony. It was genius, really. So all these months, I've had two little note cards full of advice and sweet reminders of why we married. I decided to take those words and phrases and turn them into something we could hang on our wall to remind us of that day. And this is what I came up with:

The words fill in to make the silhouette of the Jordan River Temple, where we were married. And now those two little note cards are safely tucked away in the back of this frame. Apparently Ryan never knew anyone was taking notes that day, and he was really happy to see them. Surprise party notwithstanding, reading through those notes was his favorite part of the day.

Resolutions

2010-03-23T23:51:00.000-06:00

I read that 30 percent of people wait until the end of January to write their resolutions.

Well, it's the end of March, and I'm just about ready to start making some now. Which is just as well I guess because I also read that only about half of resolution makers are still keeping their resolutions by the end of March--putting me waaay ahead of the curve.

I'm going to start small for now. Just two small goals: write more & bite no more. The first one applies to this blog and the second to my nails. (Cue collective cheers from my parents and ryan.) Here we go.

Adventures in cooking

2010-01-11T14:39:00.002-07:00

Last night, Ryan and I ate bacon-wrapped filet mignon, instant powder potatoes, and tamales for dinner. And this was after throwing out a whole batch of broccoli and almost burning the house down. We should probably open a restaurant.

We decided to try searing the steaks on cast iron grills. About .005 seconds after we plopped those steaks down, huge billows of smoke came towering off the stove, filling the whole house and leaving us on the floor trying to catch some fresh air. We opened a few windows and both our doors (not so comfortable in 20 degree weather) and decided there was no point in leaving the job half done. We flipped the stakes and, not surprisingly, the other side left us just as smoked out.

By the time we got the smoke under control, the broccoli I was steaming started stinking. Rotting, even. I'm still not sure how that happened, but that seems to be the theme of the night. Which is why we conceded to the instant potatoes. Not the best tasting, but they sure are fast. And the tamales? What can I say--we haven't been grocery shopping since 2009.

Unfortunately, the steaks were good. Real good. Some of the juiciest steaks we've ever made. I say unfortunately because that means we will probably have to do it again. But not until we fix our fire alarms. Because if that kind of smoke won't set them off, I certainly don't want to be around to see the kind that will.

Christmas tree tour

2009-12-21T08:00:00.004-07:00

We've got a tradition in my family to get a new Christmas ornament each year. Which is the only reason we've got any ornaments on our tree this year. 27 to be precise. Here are some of my favorite ornaments, up close and personal:

*duh

*I got this at the big and faaaancy Harrod's while in London--pretty sure that's the only thing I could afford there. I didn't see the irony in hanging a Harrod ornament on our Christmas tree until Ryan pointed it out, but isn't it pretty?

*awww. My first Christmas--I was one month and one day old.

*This littlun is from the Houston Temple dedication. Also, the last Sunday in November, I convinced Ryan to string up some popcorn garland while we watched Christmas movies on TV. If we decide to make this one a tradition, we're going to have to buy some Christmas movies because, trust me, they save the quality ones for later in the season. (We did, however, catch the beginning of Jingle All the Way, which is dumb but fabulous.)

*We have no star, and since we vowed to wait until after the holidays to buy decorations, this little glitter crown I got at work is standing in. Classy, no?

*And our latest addition, the 2009 ornament installment. We were out to dinner at Chipotle (such a favorite that it's worth the drive) when a Presbyterian missionary from Russia stopped by our table. He was selling pretty ornaments to sponsor classes on teen chastity, morality, and integrity. Knowing how hard it was to find success on our missions (and we weren't even selling anything!), seeing how freezing cold it was outside, and acknowledging the good cause, we decided to take this little bird off his hands. We quite like him. (Sorry it's so blurry. At least you've got a great view of our mugs.)

Sneak peek present

2009-12-19T21:25:00.022-07:00

For several years in a row now, my sisters and I have made a Christmas cd for my parents. Some of my favorite memories with those girls are from the crazy late hours we spent inventing new harmonies, selecting songs, and finalizing these cds. We've recorded everywhere from the Cannon Center conference room at BYU to an HFAC practice room, my apartment at Timp Gateway to Christie's bedroom in Cypress, TX.

Then those girls moved away, one to Houston and the other to LA, and I've missed them. Fortunately, Ryan's now joined in the fun, bringing some serious creativity and talent to the table, and together we composed last year's album.

Here's a sneak preview of this year's album, starring a special guest on lead vocals (ok fine, all vocals). Mom and Dad, we'll love you forever. This is for you!

Click here to play

Ave Maria,
with me at the piano (the only mistakes you'll hear),
Ryan on guitar and symphony (also composed by him),
and the very talented Christie Salazar on vocals

Wolfy

2009-12-19T08:00:00.001-07:00

I interrupt all the Christmas posts with this outdated one on some of our anniversary celebrations. If you remember, we were driving home from a concert when we saw the crazy light-up-the-sky meteor. Here's a little about that concert.

Ryan and I went to see Wolfmother at the Depot on Tuesday as a part of our own personal pre-anniversary party.

They put on a fun show, accompanied by London's TheNewNo2 (lead by George Harrison's son!) and The Heartless Bastys (did I hear that nickname from you, Aly?) I gotta say, Erika from the HBs can really belt it. See what I mean?

Here's Wolfmother. The lead singer looks kinda like CarrotTop, which made me a little annoyed at first, but then I got over it when I remembered he wasn't there to tell jokes.

We were right in front, and he kept walking right up to me and posing.

I think it's because he noticed we were wearing the same pants.

Here's his organist, who is rocking the caveman cut. Not bad.

All in all, a fun night. I'd do it again.

Christmas caroling

2009-12-18T08:00:00.001-07:00

No, we haven't done this one yet, and probably won't unless I can talk a bunch of other people into it, who, in turn, can talk Ryan into it.

I was listening to a Christmas CD a sweet family in Hungary gave me several years ago, and it reminded me of how Christmas caroling was so novel to Hungarians. And by novel, I really mean a waste of time.

We decided to get together with the elders to go caroling to people we were teaching and perhaps to meet a few new people who might be interested in our message. It did not turn out the way we intended. Mind you, there were some incredibly talented singers in our group (who effectively covered my weak vocals), so, to my ears, we sounded so peaceful and sweet in perfect harmony. This, however, did not stop people from promptly shutting their doors as soon as we started singing (and this from someone we actually knew), yelling to us from two floors down to be quiet, and, for those precious few who did stop to listen, looking extremely confused about why we would sing out in the open like that.

Caroling in Hungary = FAIL

Christmas countdown

2009-12-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

In line with creating new holiday traditions, we've been adding a little Christmas spirit to each of our days.

Dec 1: Put up Christmas tree.

Dec 2: Deck those walls. (That cute little twine christmas tree was so easy to make--no glue involved!)

Dec 3: Watch a neighborhood light show. (Though angry neighbors made him change locations to an empty lot for this year's show.) Make Hot Wassail.

Carol of the Bells - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Dec 4: Have a sleepover in our new mummy sleeping bags (thanks to ryan's dad for fighting the black friday crowds) underneath the Christmas tree. Before falling asleep, start reading The Christmas Carol. Use only British accents.

Dec 5: Roll out of sleeping bag just in time to leave some cans of food on the doorstep for the boy scouts to collect (I love it when they make it easy for you to give). Go Christmas shopping. Eat at In 'N Out (not christmasy but still tasty). Drink hot chocolate. Make some music.

Dec 6: Watch this Christmas Devotional. Be dazzled by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and be humbled and inspired by men of God.

Birthday bang

2009-12-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

I have thick, coarse hair. When I was in first grade, for about the first week, everyone thought I wore a wig to school. I didn't, but this didn't stop girls from asking if they could touch it and boys from giving it a little tug to see for themselves.

Pretty soon, it will be a wig.

The night before my birthday, I did something drastic. I was bored, and Ryan was working on an assignment, and I found a pair of scissors and reverted back to my five-year-old self. And cut my bangs.

It wasn't until after I got started that I realized how hard it is to see what you're cutting when you've got bangs in the way. But I persevered, cut myself some blunt bangs, and ran downstairs to show Ryan. He approved. But then we got to thinking. Which lead to something even more drastic.

I was going to post a picture the night I did it, but then I realized that we would be going to see Ryan's fam for Thanksgiving, and I wanted it to be a surprise. They approved. Then when I got back I was going to post a picture, but then I realized that I would be going to see MY family the day after Christmas, and I wanted it to be a surprise.

But, like with most surprises, I just can't wait any longer.

SURPRISE!!

Some of you may wonder why I did it. Well...

The week prior, I found a piece of rice in my hair. It was 3:00 in the afternoon. How long had it been there? Had I even eaten rice for lunch that day?
In this same week, I found a split end that split off into 7 new split ends, some of which split off into additional split ends. Some people spend quiet moments trying to find a split end to cut off. I spent mine trying to find an end that wasn't split.
Who wants to spend 20 minutes in the shower devoted solely to lathering, rinsing, and repeating? I just don't have that kind of time right now, people.
I shed. The longer the hair, the bigger the mess.
And, yes, of course: Think of the children. I only hope that once it's in wig form, my real hair will look a little more real than it did in first grade.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

A little gift from me to you.

What Matters Now

And I promise I'll post some actual happenings around here soon. There have been oh so many...

About driving

2009-11-24T01:26:00.000-07:00

On the way to work this morning, a car pulled up next to me. I turned to look, and the man driving turned fully toward me and mouthed "I love you." Then he sped away, waving in the rear-view mirror.

At least, I think that's what he said. More likely it was "wash your car, dirty" or "stop putting your mascara on while you're driving." (For the record, I only do that at red lights.) Still strange.

Firsts

2009-11-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

With very few exceptions, firsts are exciting. The first bite of a new dish, the first read of a great book, the first stamp in an empty passport, first kisses, opening nights, and new jobs and locations. Even the bad things--first car accident, first time getting lost, first surgery--have an element of excitement to them.

Yesterday was our first anniversary.

Thinking back one year, I have to say it was a perfect day, full of firsts and plenty of excitement. Sure, it was cold out, and we got stuck in traffic on the way to the reception, and someone broke into our car on our wedding night (a first), and BYU lost to Utah the next day, but still.

It was perfect because I shared it with someone perfect for me.

Here's to another year full of firsts!

p.s. If you happened to miss the main event last November, take a look at our wedding album here.

Promoting peace

2009-11-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

Greg Mortenson, author of the New York Times Bestseller Three Cups of Tea, spoke at a BYU forum a few weeks ago and shared an interesting story.

The subtitle for his book is One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time. It's about how education--and especially educating women--is the best way to bring peace to a country riddled in war. When he brought the book to the publishers, they changed the subtitle to One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism... One School at a Time.

He objected. They said, Trust us--they'll eat it up. He objected still. But in the end, they're the publishers, and the book went to press with the edited subtitle on the hardcover edition. But Mortenson had worked out a deal: If the book doesn't do well in its first run, then we change the subtitle back to its original name.

And you know the rest of the story: hardcover edition did poorly, paperback was published with the original title, and, lo and behold, millions are sold.

Turns out we Americans really do believe in peace.

Night to day update

2009-11-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

I have such smart friends. For your viewing pleasure, may I present to you the bizarre midnight meteor madness:

The night that turned to day

2009-11-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

Something very eerie happened tonight, and I still don't know what to think of it. At around midnight tonight (or last night depending on when you read this) Ryan and I were driving home from a concert in Salt Lake. All of a sudden, the entire sky lit up, and, for about 2-3 full seconds, it looked like it was daytime outside. There was no accompanying lightening streak or thunder, no huge spotlight, no sound at all in fact, and the entire sky--plus the freeway and signs and cars--were fully lit as if it were the middle of the day on a cloudy day. It was so odd that my first thought was that someone must have turned on the light. And by the time I realized that we were outside, and that it was night time, and, oh, and that that was impossible... well, someone turned the light switch off again.

We immediately turned on the radio to find out what was going on, but all we heard were infomercials on solving lower back pain. Can any of you help us? Please tell me ONE of you was outside the same time we were. Anybody?

Conspiracy theorists--have at it.

Curves make you clever

2009-11-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7090300.stm

I knew these hips were good for something :)

Hard work

2009-11-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I recently won an award at work, and let me tell you, this one's a resume builder.

Everybody dresses up for Halloween, and this year I won Most Creative (though I hear it was a close race). I happen to resemble (or so I've been told) one of the animated characters in our product. Her name is Alex.

So, after having been asked several times by new hires in the company if I was the model for Alex, I decided I ought to see how close I could get to looking like her. What do you think?

Turns out the real Alex has a bit of an attitude problem.

I cut the collar out of a Savers blazer, colored it a darker green, then pinned it into my shirt. Then, because the fake leather planners were cheaper at DI than the belts, I cut apart a planner and pieced it together with brads to make my extremely fashionable leather cuff. I cut the cuffs off of one of Ryan's white shirts and attached them to look like I had rolled up my sleeves. And finally, since Alex wears gold hoops, and I only have silver, I ate a bunch of rollos and used the gold foil to wrap around my earrings.

The rollos cheered her up a little.

Bijou Market

2009-11-05T15:50:00.001-07:00

Have you been before? Three times a year, local artists, photographers, crafters, and designers gather in Provo for a big, handmade blowout. I've been browsing the vendor list, and, let me tell you, this is definitely worth coming out for. Anybody interested in tagging along with me? Let me know!

bijoumarket.com

Day late decorations

2009-11-04T22:02:00.001-07:00

Because the 31st seemed to creep up on us so fast, per usual, we figured decorating for Halloween was already shot, and we waited for the clearance sales later. We scored some purple paper lanterns, a black creature embroidered tablecloth, a ghost candy dish, an insane asylum sign*, a black tabletop halloween scene, and a dark hooded head with blood red eyes.

We also got this.

I'm telling ya--those beady eyes'll follow you around the room.

Ryan was convinced it was the creepiest item of all, and now that I'm getting a closer look, he may well be on to something. Plus it was only $0.75.

We call it the little wiccan squirrel.

Someday when we're too old to remember, we'll tell our grandkids I made it from sticks--back in my day we only had sticks to play with, you know. Then they'll respect me. Or more likely hope they didn't inherit my creepy genes.

*Wanna hear some great real-life scary stories from the Provo mental hospital? (and no--the time ryan proposed there doesn't count.) Click here.

The day of the deer

2009-11-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Monday morning, as Ryan's driving up to campus, a couple of deer run into the road right in front of him. He swerves, barely avoiding an accident, and wonders what deer are doing running around University Avenue.

Minutes later, he turns onto University Parkway (another major road), and, out of nowhere, a few more deer cut him off. He swerves. Accident averted (again).

By this time, he's thinking that's pretty weird. We may live in a small mountain town, but, after a good six years of living here, I can still count the number of deer I've seen on two hands (give or take a couple toes). And only one of those times was anywhere near a major road in town.

So back to Ryan. He's sitting there driving and thinking how dumb deer can be and how happy he is to be alive. A few blocks down the road, almost as if the previous deer had joined forces and taken a shortcut to head him off, they reappear--right in front of Ryan's car.

It's like they were out to get him. Or on the fast track to meeting up with Bambi's mom. Or just really out of sorts from Daylight Saving Time. Whatever it was, it didn't work, and Ryan avoided his third accident of the day.* And it was only 8:30 in the morning.

Now, if it were me, that's about the time I would have ditched the car and crawled to a safe, secluded space where I couldn't fall off anything, nothing could fall on me, and certainly no deer could come near. It just doesn't sound like the beginning of a great day. But he seemed to manage it fine and came home to me in one piece.

Anyone else have any odd run-ins with the wild on Monday?

Best Halloween costume ever

2009-11-01T01:09:00.000-06:00

Or maybe worst. You decide.

Ryan was walking on campus yesterday and suddenly hears Tetris music in the air. A girl passes him dressed as the upside-down L-shape in Tetris. As he watches, she drops into place next to a trash can (perfect fit) and then moves on, stopping momentarily to connect herself to other various objects along her way.

I say, Awesome.

Traditions

2009-10-28T23:36:00.000-06:00

It's October 28, and today I saw decorations for three different holidays for sale at the store. Halloween on clearance, a little section of Thanksgiving in the cornercopia, and Christmas front and center. The season of holidays is upon us, and along with it plenty of traditions for each one.

I love traditions. They make every event more meaningful. Getting a calendar or a pair of pajamas is not very exciting, but when you're receiving it on Christmas Eve, just like you did every year since you were 7, well... suddenly it's a different story.

My problem with traditions is that now I find myself less often on the receiving end of them and more often on the planning end of them. Which really means more often I go without them. You see, I'm not much of a planner. (Just ask my mom how wedding planning went.) Birthdays, holidays, big days... they always creep up on me, and by the time I realize they've arrived and start to think of how to celebrate the arrival, the day is long gone.

So my love for traditions is very much conflicting with my inability to prepare for said traditions. I think this can probably be handled by purchasing a very large, very complete calendar, and marking in advance how to handle each event. But then there's the problem of how to handle each event.

I say problem, but, really, isn't that the fun part? Picking and choosing things you'll repeat year to year? Growing up, we caroled at Christmas. We ate crackers and easy cheez at Thanksgiving (just a prelude yall). We ate out Christmas Eve and prepared a devotional that night. And for some reason, we opened presents and ate cinnamon rolls to the sounds of Randy Travis and the Transiberian Orchestra. Strange? Sure. Did I love it? Definitely.

A friend of mine makes fancy caramel apples each Halloween. Another volunteers at the soup kitchen each Thanksgiving. One eats middle eastern food on floor mats on Christmas Eve.

And now it's time for you to share. I read your blogs. I see your cute Halloween donut tails and leprechaun treasure trails. What are some of your most cherished traditions for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas? Anything you'd like to try but haven't yet? Anyone else enjoy a good dose of easy cheez come Thanksgiving?

Forgive me

2009-10-27T22:15:00.000-06:00

But I just had to share. If you think you are into Halloween, just take a look at the possibilities here.

http://www.notmartha.org

And if you don't like it, blame Talida. She introduced me.

Ryan's first baby shower*

2009-10-26T20:28:00.000-06:00

It was a couple's shower. For someone Ryan's only met once. Scheduled smack dab in the middle of a BYU football game (against san diego), which was scheduled smack dab in the middle of Ryan's midterms.

I think he must love me.

I didn't even know she was pregnant. Turns out she's 8 months pregnant. That's pretty pregnant.

Highlights:

Putting together a gift with Eve. We got a complete cloth diapering kit (thank you, craigslist) and recorded a waltz/lullaby Eve composed especially for baby bayles. Since we knew she planned on pureeing her own baby food, we also got a cheap set of baby jars, and, since we knew she would like it, we filled those jars with money.
Winning a Goonies DVD--gotta love those baby shower games. I attribute our win entirely to Ryan for knowing the answer to this question: Who was Elora Dannon's parent/guardian? (Any takers?)
Getting frequent texts with game updates--especially those involving a BYU touchdown.

You might say this baby is a bit of a surprise. K's been pregnant only a few days less than she's been married, but she's enjoying the adventure. Her two favorite parts about being pregnant: being especially buoyant at the swimming pool and getting to use less water in the bathtub cause she fills so much more of it. Tempting.

So, for all you mothers out there, what do you think the best part about being pregnant is? Or, what "ultimate sacrifice" has your husband/boyfriend made to make you happy? Anybody out there have a great baby shower gift idea?

*Technically this is his second baby shower, but it's the first he went to knowingly. In Houston, his boss invited us to a party and forgot to mention it was actually a shower for his cousin. Come to think of it, we won two of the prizes at that party too. We should go pro.

Lessons I learned in the weeds

2009-10-21T20:14:00.000-06:00

*You can plant bulbs in even the toughest of soils all the way through October, and sometimes even later than that. You can even plant them in the snow, as long as the dirt a few inches below hasn't frozen over yet.

*Weeding is 250% more productive when you're using gloves, a hand shovel, and (if you have 6 foot tall weeds, like me) a big man shovel. These items also work well as protection from the next item on my list.

*Many, many bugs live in our backyard. There are the cute ones: ladybugs, rolly pollies, I'll even throw earthworms in this category. Then there are the ones I've never seen before: weird beetles and other winged things. Add to that at least a dozen varieties of spider, the largest of which made several appearances on different parts of my body, the worst being on my neck crawling toward my chest, later seen hanging off the edge of my ponytail. Yes, I screamed each time. And threw anything that was in my hands at the moment (shovel, gloves, weeds) across the yard (cause that's helpful).

*I don't have the heart to kill any of the bugs. I think it's because I'm on their turf. I'm outside in nature. Their home. I felt so bad every time I dug a hole and found two little earthworms, only to discover that it was really one earthworm, cut neatly in two parts. Poor guy. He sure did a good job on that soil though.

*When you bring a cd player outside to listen to some tunes, and you turn the music way down when your husband calls, and you accidentally forget about it when you go inside to make dinner, and you don't remember it until you start writing this blog post a day later, it's ok. Even though it rained. Because you can just go outside, and it'll still be playing that old mix cd you recently found from sophmore year. ("sad, but pretty," remember, lex?) Just bring it inside, smash all the little bugs off, and wipe it down. (It's ok this time because the bugs are on YOUR turf now.)

Peter Pan

2009-10-20T11:39:00.000-06:00

How smart do you feel when you're sitting around with friends, talking about a movie, and you say, "Man. That movie was so good. It would have made a great book." And then everyone stops talking and stares at you. And once you realize the movie was, in fact, already based on a book, you try to save face: "I mean, it would have made a great book series. So there could be another movie. Based on the book. Like this one was."

Confession: I didn't know that all those Peter Pan movies were based on a book, rather, the book, by J.M. Barrie. Since the Disney movie was my first introduction to the boy who never grew up, I just assumed it was the creator as well. Like Pirates of the Caribbean and the theme park ride. (No book there, right? Right?)

Recently, Brenda at work introduced me to the classic, saying she's read it at least twenty times, written extensive analytical papers on it, and memorized full sections. And I'm sitting there thinking, huh. It was a book first?

But what a book. I just finished reading her copy (she was scandalized to think I'd never read it--I didn't dare tell her the whole truth), and now I'm looking forward to buying my own. It's a wonderful book.* Funny. Exciting. Quirky as can be. That J.M. was quite a character. As I was reading, I kept thinking how fun it would be to read to my own children someday. The older ones, mind you. That Captain Hook is a real scoundrel, you know.

If you haven't read it, you really ought to. Do you have any books-turned-movies to recommend (or that you were surprised to discover)? Or have you ever heard of a really good book that was based on a movie? Is a TV series always the last stop on the totem pole?

*Its one downfall: There's no lost boy named Rufio. ("Rufio. Rufio.") TriStar Pictures totally made him up. So disappointing.

To all you writers out there

2009-10-14T20:19:00.000-06:00

This is the third part in a four-part series from This American Life's Ira Glass, and it can be applied to any hobby/talent you're working toward. You should probably go ahead and watch the rest of the series too.

Free theatre tickets

2009-10-14T10:11:00.000-06:00

Check it out here. They're all sold out in Utah, but you may find more luck in your area of the country.

Early riser

2009-10-13T18:12:00.000-06:00

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

-George Eliot

I once heard a man speak in church about the miracle of living, and living well. He spoke of simple, but magnificent moments that so many miss: The beauty of a rising sun. The delicateness of an early birds' song. The peace of a quiet morning shared only by you and a waking world. I distinctly remember thinking that I wanted to be a part of that moment every day.

My downfall came in the form of a down comforter. As sweet as that bird's morning song was, it was no match for the warmth of a bird's feather (albeit synthetic), and I quickly abandoned my good intentions for an extra hour's sleep.

But last week, I made an exception. Hours before going to work or school, Ryan and I got up and drove through Provo Canyon, aka the most beautiful place in the world.

It’s my favorite place to be during my favorite season.

Made better with my favorite person.

Definitely worth the missed sleep. But since I can't very well go trekking up the mountain every day... what gets you up early in the morning?

Halloween done pretty

2009-10-07T18:45:00.000-06:00

I'm not so into the big pumpkin trash bags or the life-sized paper skeleton cutouts, but I could get into this pretty print. For a subtle salute to the eve of All Hallow's, hang this Japanese brush painting or browse through hundreds of other vintage prints, free at vintageprintable.com. Big thanks to Rebecca for posting about the site!

My stalkers

2009-10-06T12:22:00.000-06:00

Yes, that's right. Last night, two women were tailing me through Home Depot and even followed me home. They videotaped (is this a dated term?) my every move and asked me invasive questions about my personal life. I called them stalkers, but they preferred to be called "researchers."

Making me the subject of a research study.

A friend of mine is taking an advertising class. They are doing research for a client--one Justin Hackworth, who once upon a time was my wedding photographer. Their first assignment was to find the perfect "Justin Hackworth bride," someone who adored his photography style and would hire him for her wedding. Someone like me.

The second assignment is what led to the stalking. It's actually called an ethnography, and it was actually kinda fun. It was like being on a reality show without the tribal votes, final roses, and sad C-listers.

The final assignment is forthcoming, but I hear it involves food. Which reminds me of the very first research study I was ever part of. When I was a kid, I got to taste test macaroni and cheese for some study. They brought us bowl after bowl and asked us to rate the smoothness of the sauce and the intensity of the cheese. At the end of the day, I got ten bucks out of it, and I remember thinking, "This is something I could really get into."

I didn't think they offered that emphasis at BYU, but maybe I should have explored the advertising department a little more.

Jungle

2009-10-05T08:40:00.000-06:00

Theory: The taller the weeds are, the less you have to bend over to pull them out.

I wish I could say this is a picture I got from googling "disturbing backyard overgrowth," but this actually is OUR backyard. It's okay though because I'm headed to the Utah Water Conservancy Gardens to get some tips on resurrecting our soil, planting something pretty, and helping it survive the winter.

Wish me luck.

I went ahead and googled "disturbing backyard overgrowth." They got nothing on us.

Just kidding

2009-10-02T17:20:00.000-06:00

And suddenly I'm back to making retractions. Except I won't pretend I had anything to do with these (as much as I'd like the credit.) These are courtesy of Amy's photog and Kristen--the big sis of the bride. You can see more on her blog here.

And of course...

I failed

2009-10-01T21:45:00.000-06:00

While we don't have a lot of immediate family nearby, we are lucky to live near my brother Cos and his family. Every time we visit, we are bombarded with questions from his girls, Ruby and Eva. It always goes a little something like this:

Are you guys married? (Henceforth all pronunciation of married shall be "maaaaaaarried")

Hey, why did you guys get married?

Is it because you love each other? Why?

Do you guys kiss cause your married?

The interviewers. Bona fide girl. And curious ones at that.

So I wasn't entirely surprised when, before I left for California a few weeks ago, these little girls begged me for just one thing:

Will you take a picture of her in her dress? And one of them kissing?

Sure thing, I said. No problem. Sounds easy enough.

But you already read the post title. As I sorted through pictures (which took me a total of 7 seconds), I realized I had kinda missed the point of the weekend. Behold, my photos from the trip:

Results of the LA fires--kinda makes you want to hold you breath, huh?

From the rehearsal dinner, held on the pier at a beautiful restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows

Mom and me

And this is the closest I got to getting a photo of the bride and groom. If you look real close in the shadows on the left, I think that's Tyler's sister-in-law. Close enough.

Phones

2009-09-28T23:50:00.000-06:00

Does this happen to anybody else? When I'm at work and the phones go down (doesn't usually happen, except it did three times last week), I:

Silently gasp, and think, someone just cut the phone line.
Immediately relive every horrible Christopher Pike novel I ever read (and regretted reading) about babysitting with a killer lurking nearby, waiting to make his move until after he cuts the phone line.
Realize we all have cell phones, so it's not really a big deal that the phone lines are down.
Imagine how freaky it would be if everyone's cell phone simultaneously went down.

Don't worry--all these thoughts pass through my head within a second or two--but it happened every single time. Is this unusual? Anybody else worried about the psychological effects those books have on impressionable young minds? Cell phone scenario still making you shudder a little?

Craigslist

2009-09-25T21:04:00.000-06:00

I have some serious love for craigslist. I've acquired some pretty sweet stuff from there and check the "free" postings regularly. But I'm beginning to notice a trend toward some dodgy dealings.

I've seen people giving away working computers, TVs, and treadmills "for free." When you email them, you don't hear back for a couple days, at which point you receive an email:

Oh, man, I'm sorry. Someone else came to pick it up this morning. But listen, I gave mine away because I just got a new computer/TV/diet pill for free through this website. Here's the link if you're interested. Great deal.

Lame. I'd like to post something for these guys:

Free kick in the pants to all shady marketers.

Except I'll actually deliver on mine.

Bikes

2009-09-24T17:46:00.000-06:00

Seeing as how the last two things I've posted about have found miraculous (or, more recently, hellish) ways to backfire, I've decided to only write about topics that are more predictable than BYU football, such as the weather since El Nino, the current economic climate, and Kanye West. Oh, and bikes.

Ryan and I recently acquired a couple mountain bikes.* Because fall is my new favorite season--and we know winter is lurking just around the corner--we've been enjoying the outdoors as much as possible. The last three days I've ridden my bike either to work, from work, or both. (Ask me later, if you really care to figure out the logistics there...)

Choosing to bike instead of travel by car definitely has its pros and cons:

Pro: It's free!

Con: So are the smashed bugs that end up on my shirt, and inevitably, in my mouth.

Pro: It's great exercise!

Con: Home seems to be at the top of a hill no matter where I'm coming from.

Pro: It's environmentally friendly!

Con: The sweat and outdoors odor is not office friendly.

Pro: There's nothing to obstruct your view of nature!

Con: Or the rain, mud, and ice.

All things considered, I'm loving the bikes and hoping for a late winter.

*If you're wondering, mine is the infamous bike that spent over a year at an apartment I didn't live in because I couldn't find the key to unlock it. It's amazing, and a little disheartening, how easily those shears cut through that lock.

I stand corrected

2009-09-08T11:21:00.000-06:00

Go Cougars!! I'm officially not regretting those season tickets now.

2009-09-03T10:49:00.000-06:00

Meet our new pet

2009-09-02T19:40:00.000-06:00

I'm allergic to just about any pet you can imagine, though I didn't always used to be. I loved animals as a kid. I was the little girl scout who, after having a series of hamsters, finally convinced Mom and Dad to pick up a free puppy.

[However, I wasn't the little girl who sampled the dog food to make sure it was good enough for said puppy... cough cough... christie...]

Years later, I realized how messy animals can be. And dirty. Cute, yes, but time consuming. I like to think that I willed myself into my allergy, so that I would have a better excuse than my parents did when my kids begged for a pet someday.

So when Ryan's mom brought a special friend home with our groceries, it took me awhile to warm up to him. Of course, by dinnertime, we were getting pretty cozy.

Luckily, I'm not allergic to fish.

Grandma's peach pie

2009-09-01T09:33:00.000-06:00

I've never been a huge pie fan. I like it okay and can usually go for a piece around Thanksgiving, but I'm no Doug (who wanted wedding pie instead of cake when he married my sis).

However.

This is no ordinary pie. When I tell you it's incredible, you can believe me because

It's brought to you by Grandma, and everyone knows grandmas make the best baked goods in the world, and

It's not even from my grandma (but rather Cielle's grandma), so you can rest assured that I am not biased by memories of how good this was when I was a child or the knowledge that MY grandma really does make the best homemade rolls/jam. [Note to self in 30 years: Learn how to make the best homemade rolls and jam. I've got the pie down.]

Now here's the catch. You have to use the freshest peaches, so you can only make it in season. Which is now. So don't wait! Do yourself a favor and make one. Do your friends a favor and make two. If you don't have any friends, make several and pass them out on the corner. Couldn't hurt.

Grandma's peach pie

1 pie crust, baked and cooled

6 cups sliced fresh peaches (we peeled ours too)

1 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

1/2 c. fruit juice (I think I blended peach nectar and pineapple juice for this, but you can use anything)

2 T. lemon juice

Mash enough sliced peaches to make one cup. Arrange the remaining peaches in the pie crust and set it aside. (You may have to pack those babies in.) Put the peach mash into a saucepan and add the sugar, cornstarch, and fruit juice over medium heat. Stir until thick and bubbly, and then remove from heat. Pour the mixture over the peaches and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Out

2009-08-20T20:48:00.000-06:00

We may have just driven 24+ hours to get here, but we're leaving Utah once again for some wakeboarding and fun with the in-laws in Idaho.

Be back soon.

Operation renovation

2009-08-19T14:38:00.001-06:00

Does it count as a renovation if you're not knocking down any walls?

As many of you already know, we're renting our sweet little townhouse from my parents. We'll stay as long as we're here in Utah, and, in the meantime, we're prepping it to sell or rent in the future.

So far, we've got a new storm door and blinds and quite the list of things to do.

Since windows are limited--not to mention the light fixtures--we decided to lighten up the room a little and repaint.

Which is why, at about 11 o'clock last night, you could find us busily painting our living room walls.

We're also getting new carpet put in next week.

Which is probably another reason we didn't mind painting so late, and why you might find splatters of Kilim Beige throughout our carpets (and probably still in my hair).

Oh, and in response to my renovation question earlier, I'd like to submit this photo:

We may not be knocking down a wall, but sometimes it feels like it...

Wicked luck

2009-08-18T10:58:00.000-06:00

I’m addicted to live theatre. Ever since my parents took me to see my first musical, Singing in the Rain, I was hooked by the magic. And it changed my life. When I was in high school, I auditioned for every play to cross that hallowed stage. I received my letterman’s jacket, not by making varsity volleyball or the cheer squad, but by becoming an Honor Thespian. I sealed the geekiness when I qualified and competed at the International Thespian Festival. In duet pantomime. If you didn’t catch the “re” spelling, let me spell it out for you this way: I was a total theatre nerd. Though somewhat suppressed in recent years, the love still lives.

When I first met Ryan, I was a bit skeptical that I could share this love with him. To every degree that I was a theatre nerd, he was a football jock. (Never would have worked had we met in high school...) But as we started dating, I discovered his artsy side. He loved painting, writing, Mozart, and, be still my soul, Shakespeare. We were going to make it.

A few weeks ago, I discovered that Wicked was coming to Austin. I went to their website, knowing full well that just two weeks prior to the show, the tickets were sure to be sold out.

2 tickets. Best available. Click.

Seconds later, it said there were two 3rd row tickets available in “PIT.” Hmm. Pit. As in “orchestra pit” or “deep, dark, pit of despair”?

When I called to clarify, I was told they had just barely released one row of seats to this previously sold-out show, and if I was lucky enough to come upon them, I should take them in a hurry.

And take them I did.

We had a great time. Turns out 3rd row really meant front row, center (they took the floor out from the first couple rows to accommodate the orchestra). Of course, at that proximity, we were privy to wig lines and head mics and saliva. (And did that spit fly!) But we could also see every facial expression, no matter how subtle. We could watch the drummer as he rocked out to a musical like an 80s rock star. We could appreciate the intricate costumes and makeup. This was Ryan’s third musical ever, and now officially his favorite.

p.s. In another grand stroke of luck, I won my first blog giveaway! Thanks to this lovely lady, I get to pick something from this lovely shop. I must be living right... :)

Scary stories to tell in the dark

2009-08-06T23:49:00.000-06:00

Remember those books from elementary school? The lady who always wore the yellow ribbon around her neck? The vindow viper? I loved those stories. Apparently they almost got banned from libraries in the 90s. But they sure made good camp-fire story fodder well into junior high.

Ready for something really scary?

Last month I went a few weeks without Internet access (Ahh!! Ok, no, that's not the scary part) when I went back up to Utah for a work conference. As I was getting ready to go, I wasn't super excited about being all alone in our townhouse. When I'm alone, before I can sleep, I always end up going through every room in the house with a large blunt object to frighten away any lurking intruders. I know, right? Really intimidating. A lady who's afraid of the shadows and carrying the Modern American Usage guide. (Don't laugh--they're heavy! Certified weapons in some states.)

Surprisingly, I only had one little scare on my trip. The big news is what happened back at the ranch.

Ryan's mom and sister came to visit (Ahh!! I kid. Scary part still on it's way) and spend some time in Houston. They saw Phantom of the Opera, lounged by the pool, explored the eats, and generally had a good time. Until the old wailing man came.

Ahh!!

Ryan calls one night after a game of pool. They had heard a noise. A loud noise. Something that sounded like a loud groan. Or an old wailing man. They make sure to lock the front door and start checking around the house (if only they had my usage guide!). The wailing continues. Someone screams--the front door is suddenly unlocked.

I suggest they turn on the alarm. Unfortunately, I only know one way of turning on the alarm, which, unbeknownest to us all, triggers the motion detectors. So right when everyone begins to feel safe and snug, the alarm goes off, causing a sort of frenzy. Oops.

In the end, after an unnamed individual had been carrying a pool stick around the house for protection, they discovered the culprit. A tree branch. It was windy outside and when the branch brushed the window in just the right way... well, it sounded like an old wailing man had come to visit.

Sorry. I don't think you'll be able to use this one on your next camp out. I just thought it was funny. Stick to the books, and you should be fine.

Good eats

2009-08-04T23:01:00.000-06:00

Houston is full of 'em. And, after dining at a wide selection since being here, so am I. And I couldn't be happier.

If you happen to be in the area, you've got to check out some favorites below:

Red Fish Seafood Grill: Tight location, but full of flavor. The entrees look impressive, but if I were you, I'd stick with the sushi. One roll feeds five. Or one really hungry lady. (Me.)

Churrascos: Yes, Sarah, that was chimichurri sauce on top. The steaks here are numbered in the top ten best American steaks. They bring a unique South American flair to the table and earn a special place on my palate.

Dario's American Bistro: The kind of place where servers put the napkin in your lap and never let your water glass near empty. The tuna steaks (rare) are Ryan's favorite. Not that he's ever ordered anything else there, but when you find something you like, why stray?

Chipotle: They're all around the US, but mmmm. We'll miss having one down the street.

Buffalo Wild Wings: Another national player, this place has yet to appear in Utah. A guy in Ryan's mission ate 75 of these bad boys in one sitting. Now those are some good wings.

Shipleys Donuts: Forget Krispy Kremes. These are the best glazed donuts I've ever had. They make 'em fresh, no cookie cutters needed. Oh, and don't miss the kolaches, especially if you've never heard of one.

Houston may have held the Fattest City title for a few consecutive years, but at least we got that way in style. Jo etvagyat!

Keeping it cool

2009-07-03T22:07:00.000-06:00

When I was training to be a missionary in Hungary, our teacher gave us a less-than-helpful warning about the summer we were about to encounter in Budapest:

You think you've been hot before? Just wait.

Coming from Houston, a city with a similar summer climate (100% humidity, 100% of the time), I thought I was more then prepared to meet the heat. It's not til I arrived that I discovered it actually is possible to survive a summer sans A/C. It's just not very comfortable.

From June til September, I was in a perpetual state of sweat. When we were offered cold watermelon for a snack, I wanted to rub my face in it. When we weren't offered ice in our drinks because "it would make us catch cold," I wanted to curse. On our days off, we would go to the farthest grocery store in town, not because it was cheap, and not because it had good produce, but simply because it had A/C.

As I mentioned earlier, Houston is in the middle of a heat wave. Tomorrow, we're scheduled to break another record--hottest 4th of July ever. In honor of this historic occasion, I bring to you three tried-and-true methods to beat the heat. So if you're planning a summer jaunt to Eastern Europe... I hope you're taking notes.

Stick a bucket of ice water next to your bed. If you're anything like me, sleep and sweat just don't mix. Just swing those legs over the side of your bed, stick those feet in the ice water, and enjoy the shock as the cold sting moves from your feet to the rest of your body. Repeat throughout the night.
Stick a fan above the bucket of ice water. It's homemade air conditioning, and it works. We kept multiple buckets of ice around the apartment--once it stopped working with the fan, we found it was still cold enough to work splendidly for trick #1.
Stick a cold rag on your face or neck. In a bind, it also works quite well to use your handkerchief (aka sweat rag). Just pull it out of your pocket, wave it in the air a bit to cool it down, and place it on your face. Listed last because it's not as long-lasting or satisfying as the first two. But not bad for a momentary chill thrill.

Berry Brulee

2009-07-02T22:35:00.000-06:00

To celebrate Mom's bday on Monday, Julie and I put together this delicious dessert, courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. It's a great summer treat--light and fresh and, best of all, very difficult to mess up.

Berry Custard Brulee

1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch (we used 4 t. flour)
1 cup fat-free milk
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons light dairy sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, or halved strawberries

Directions

Start with the custard. Combine 2 T. sugar and the cornstarch in a little saucepan. Then add the milk, egg, and finally some heat. Keep stirring over medium heat until it starts to bubble. Immediately pour it into a bowl, and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk sour cream and vanilla into the custard, then cover it and chill anywhere from 2 to 24 hours.

To serve, divide berries evenly among four dishes. Spoon custard over berries. Then set aside.

Now for the topping. Heat 4 T. sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt. Shake the skillet to move the sugar around, but do not stir. Once it looks all melty, reduce heat to low. Now you can take out that wooden spoon and stir until it's a nice golden color. Quickly drizzle caramelized sugar over each dessert. Serve and enjoy.

Makes 4 servings.

A state of euphoneria

2009-07-01T14:53:00.000-06:00

(Forgive the title--Ryan loves puns.)
This is my new cell phone.

It's cute. It's little. It comes fully loaded with Guitar Hero. All the basic essentials to look for in a phone. And for the last 3 weeks, I was sure it was broken.

When I finally took it in to T-Mobile to rant about my rights and try and get some free stuff, I found out there was nothing wrong with the phone and everything wrong with me.

Me: (handing the phone over) Yeah, it's Nokia, so, you know. I hear lots of people have problems with this one.

Phone guy: Hmm, ok. (Takes out the battery)

Me: Oh, I've already tried that. Didn't work. Yeah, it's definitely broken. Yall have anything I can use til its fixed? Or keep? For free?

PG: (Presses hidden power button. Phone turns on.) Oh. There ya go. Gotta press the power button to turn it on.

Me: Oh. Ha. The power button, huh? Right. (Grabs phone, kicks his shin, and runs out of store)

Seriously? Am I 100 years old or something? I never even saw it sitting there.

Then I started to wonder. Maybe I didn't want to see it there.

It's no secret that I enjoy life without a cell phone. Ryan gets more calls for me on his phone than I get on my own. When we were dating, I went a whole month without one, and life was good. Since they couldn't get ahold of me any other way, friends actually stopped by to visit. I'd get personal invites to events. I had nothing to charge at night. Nothing to silence. Nothing to drop and dent. Not a bad gig.

Ryan remembers that time a little differently than I, and, because of that, I caved and bought another one. Though, now that I know where that little hidden power button is, I just may put it to use. And turn it off.

Fifty nifty

2009-06-30T21:07:00.000-06:00

Weeks ago, a friend sent me a link to Fifty Word Stories, a blog that posts one 50-word story a day. This is one of my favorites, by guest writer Dave Eves.

The Last Bite

A man walked up to me in the park today and asked, "Are you eating that?"
I was confused. I wasn't eating anything. I turned to him and said, "No."
He promptly took a large bite out of my upper thigh and walked away.
I wish I had said "Yes."

Try your hand at a 50 word story. Best entry wins! (my undying adoration)

Let there be rain

2009-06-29T18:15:00.000-06:00

I think the rain gods must be mad at us.

Ever since we left Utah, it's been raining like crazy there--in the desert. And right before we arrived in Houston, there was a mini-flood from all the rain. But ever since we planted our roots here, everyone else's have begun to dry up. We've almost reached drought status here, the land of torrential downpours and hearty thunderstorms.

What is going on?

The bearded intern

2009-06-28T21:06:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd take a minute to update yall on what the bearded man in my bed has been doing here in Houston.

Ryan's interning with CBIC Construction, a small construction company with big business. It's a great company that is booming with bids and new projects for Ryan to help manage and learn from. Plus he gets to wear a bright yellow safety vest, goggles, and a hard hat on his site visits. Very cool.

Also, if you're wondering, my fabulous company is allowing me to keep my job and work remotely from Houston. My fabulous mother is allowing us to stay in her beautiful home and take over the kitchen table temporarily each day as my office. Who could ask for more?

Be back in August.

Trip to the mailbox

2009-06-27T10:52:00.000-06:00

Growing up, we had one of those community mailboxes at the end of the street. So we NEVER walked to the mailbox. If we didn't drive somewhere that day, we didn't check the mail. That's just the way it was.

Now we have a mailbox in front of our house. And yet, that old rule still seems to apply. Because, it could be argued, it's a long walk to the front of the yard. It's hot. It's humid. My neighbors might see me and try to socialize. All very bad things. So much easier to pick up the mail in the anonymity of your car with the A/C blowing in your face.

I know all the benefits, and still, last Friday, I decided to take that trip out to the mailbox. On foot.

Bad idea.

I was dutifully plugging away at my work when Christie IM-ed me. "Have you checked the mail yet? :) :) :) :)"

That fourth smiley made me a little suspicious. She'd been preparing to serve a mission for our church for the past few months and was sure the mailman would be bringing her news of where she would serve.

After changing out of my pjs (don't judge), I walked out the front door to check the mail. Noticing the door was slightly ajar, and the sun was stunningly hot, I made sure to shut it tight behind me. Gotta save that A/C, right?

The minute I heard the door latch, I remembered. The handle on the front door recently broke. It didn't work. The door wasn't even locked, yet I had still managed to locked myself out (though thankfully not in my pjs). I suddenly felt like a prisoner, shaking the handle, banging on the door, jiggling the latch ever so gently so as to coax it into submission. It would have none of it.

After finding all 4 back doors locked as well (do we seem a little paranoid here?), I resigned to sit and wait. And, oh yeah, check the mail. And there it was! My sister's mission call. Inside that little envelope lay her fate. So I sat on the driveway and inspected every angle of the envelope, trying to pry inside and sneak a peek. After nearly an hour of missed work and hot heat and envelope examinations, my mom made it home.

A few hours later, with the family gathered together, we opened the envelope. Christie would be speaking Spanish and serving the people in LA--and leaving in a month to begin the 18-month journey. We laughed and cried and smiled proud.

If I could get news like that every day, it might almost be worth that trip to the mailbox.

Hiccups

2009-06-26T22:35:00.000-06:00

I had the hiccups in bed last week. Ryan and I had just settled down to read our books when they started. We had our laughs and then went back to silent reading and, for me, quiet hiccuping. And then, breaking the silence and without warning...

Ryan: (in a bloody murder voice) AHH!

Me: (in a scared little girl voice) Eeee!!

Ryan settles back into bed, content and smiling, as I gasp for air, trying to figure out what just happened and hoping my heart doesn't beat out of my chest.

Me: What's the matter with you?!

Ryan: It worked, didn't it?

Me: (waiting)

Goodbye, hiccups.

We're not in Utah anymore, toto

2009-06-25T11:09:00.001-06:00

It's true. We packed up and left (weeks ago now), but we'll be back.

Goodbye, Utah.

We'll miss your wide roads, gorgeous mountains, cold tap water, picturesque canyons, lack of traffic, great fishing, and the friends and family we've left behind. (But no looking back on that dry climate and those unpredictable chills...)

And hello, Texas!

Looking forward to some sunshine, waves, museums, Mexican food, big city sights, BBQ, bluebell, and HEB--not to mention all the friends and family we get to see again. (Though we can do without the horrendous traffic and 107+ temperatures. Seriously.)

The quest

2009-04-22T10:19:00.000-06:00

Ryan's: To grill a steak better than Taste of Texas.

Mine: To bake the ultimate angel food cake.

It's important to have goals. Especially when those goals involve eating steak and cake multiple times a week.

Any tips? Send them our way.

Save the date

2009-04-21T02:30:00.000-06:00

And leave all your cinco de mayo preparations to us...

Tuesday, May 5... Clear your calendar for a fiesta that's as authentically mexican as we are! (Hey, 25 percent ain't bad.)

More details to come.