Just The Two Of Us

Happy Birthday Ben

2012-01-30T20:08:00.000-08:00

At the end of this week Ben will turn 26!! Can you believe how old we are getting....just kidding! This year will be different because we don't have family or friends to celebrate with. But we always end up having a good time with just us! There are so many things that I love about Ben. But here are the top 26 pictures and characteristics of my list!

1. Putting on a dance show when I least expect it....always including unique and funny moves
2. Holding hands while saying evening prayers
3. Always driving when we go somewhere
4. Having fun cooking dinner together
5. Waiting for me to catch up at the bottom of each hill while skiing
6. Always so excited to get the mail (even though its usually nothing fun like bills)
7. Ability to have EVERY kid love him and want to be his friend
8. Strong testimony of tithing
9. Drive to be constantly learning and educating himself
10. Love of the outdoors and letting me tag along
11. Respect and admiration of his mom and dad
12. More of a design eye than me
13. Love of dogs and animals
14. Always keeping our car well running
15. Thoughtfulness of me ALWAYS
16. Hard worker, and drive to provide for us
17. Love and respect of Grandparents
18. Teaching me how to be tech savy
19. Ability to kick my butt when riding bikes, but nice enough to wait for me
20. Thrifty and wise attitude when it comes to spending money
21. Right now I am watching him play a game on the Ipad and he is just giggling with joy!
22. Willingness to watch whatever I want on T.V.
23. Being funny and silly
24. Teaching me how to be a bargain shopper
25. Snuggles on the couch
26. My best friend

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!

Freezing Rain

2012-01-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

Ben and I woke up this morning to freezing rain. This is something that we have never experienced before. Everything is covered in a sheet of ice. It's crazy! Due to the ice covered roads the city is closed down for the day.....YAY a day snuggled inside with my buddy!

Focaccia Bread

2012-01-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a easy, fool proof, yummy recipe for focaccia bread look no further! I have tried this recipe many times, and every time it turns out great! Check out my recipe HERE!

The Chest

2012-01-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Today the Christmas tree finally came down. Because of the move to Washington the tree was put up later in December, so we decided to enjoy it a little longer into January this year! After taking down all of the beautiful Christmas decorations I had an empty feeling and started to feel depressed. I looked around my plain living room and suddenly wanted to throw every decoration away and start new. This ungrateful feeling hit me like a load of bricks. And that is when I got emotional. Looking around at all of the things I do have my eyes landed on "the chest". This chest was brought across the ocean on a big ship with one of my ancestors....sorry mom that I didn't listen when you told me the history on it. If the chest could speak I am sure it would tell amazing stories of hardship, happiness, and a very interesting journey. I am so blessed, and have so much to thank my heavenly father for. I am thankful for my ancestors and their willingness to come to the United States. I am thankful for a safe, clean, and warm place to live. I am thankful for a loving husband that treats me like a queen. Last but not least I am thankful to be in tune with the spirit, and listen when I need to be kicked in the butt and realize how blessed I am!

Calendar

2012-01-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

I am ashamed to admit (even though most of you already know) that my life is run by "to do" list and a calendar. So I decided what better than a command center that has it all! I bought the frame from Michaels. The fabric came from a cute quilt store in Midway. I bought two sheets of metal and coated them with spray adhesive, then adhered the fabric to the metal. The cute buttons came from a antique store in Leavenworth (see post below about Leavenworth). And the calendar and week at a glance came from here. The cloth flower on the top was just a scrap piece of fabric I had from another project. I took the fabric and went to town with the hot glue gun. Simply scrunching fabric and holding in place with glue.

Leavenworth

2012-01-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Ben's parents came for a visit after Christmas. We went to Leavenworth WA! It was a fun little German town. We had a good time walking through the shops, and trying yummy food!

Walla Walla Christmas

2011-12-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Frosted vinyard

Bush with frosted berries

Yay!! the Columbia River temple

Walk down main street Walla Walla on Christmas eve day

On Christmas eve we were invited over to a ward member house for dinner and a nativity! The kids were adorable, and absolutely loved Ben (as most kids do!)

Mary

WiseWOMAN

Wiseman

Ben the Donkey, complete with the hee haw!

Preston and Dorthea Fredrickson

Shepherd

REAL reindeer we drove by on our Christmas day drive

Fields around Walla Walla

I had to laugh! We were all on computers and not talking....bad part about technology

Ben loves his dog Lexi

Home

2011-12-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

Well we made it to Walla Walla! Here is a tour of our new home. This is mostly for benefit of the family, but feel free to take the tour!

This is how we spent our first five days in Washington

Ben did a great job directing the moving company when they FINALLY came

Do you agree that this is going to be a lot of work?

I tend to be a little bit of a clean freak......so after only one day we went from surrounded by boxes to completely set up, Christmas tree decorated, and relaxing in a clean house!

Guest bedroom.....just waiting for some visitors!

This is my new slice of heaven! I will put my bike on the trainer soon for winter riding

We are excited to be all settled in. Christmas will be fun and different this year celebrating just the two of us! Happy holidays!

Ben's First Day!

2011-12-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

Today is Ben's first day of work! I am so proud of him. Right now is a hard time to get a job, but Ben beat the odds and found a GREAT one! We are so excited. The future is looking bright, and we are happy! Might I point out how great he looks all dressed up? A true professional!!!

Big News!!

2011-11-15T19:59:00.001-08:00

Guess who is moving to the land of Walla Walla Washington....yep Ben and Michelle!! Ben just accepted a job with the army corp of engineers. He will be working as a Landscape Architect. We are thrilled about the move. Although it will be hard to be moving away from family, it will be a great opportunity for us to have our own adventure! Word on the street is that it is a beautiful place. We will be about 13 miles from the Oregon border. There is a big wine industry in Walla Walla. Although we have zero interest in the wine, we are excited to ride our road bikes through the pretty vineyard country!We are extremely blessed to have this opportunity to grow.
Walla Walla....The City so nice they named it twice!!

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup red wine
2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed beef broth
1 French baguette
8 ounces sliced Swiss cheese

Directions

Melt butter or margarine in a 4 quart saucepan. Stir in sugar. Cook onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Stir in flour until well blended with the onions and pan juices. Add water, wine, and beef broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover soup, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Cut four 1 inch thick slices of bread from the loaf. Toast the bread slices at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) just until browned, about 10 minutes. Reserve the remaining bread to serve with the soup.
Ladle soup into four 12 ounce, oven-safe bowls. Place 1 slice toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl. Fold Swiss cheese slices, and fit onto toasted bread slices. Place soup bowls on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or just until cheese is melted

Halloween Weekend

2011-10-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a lot of fun! We headed to Ogden for the festivities. First Heather ( my cute sister!) and I went to beyond spa and were pampered! We had a foot soak/rub. Then a great massage!

After the spa Ben and I went to lunch at zuppa's (yummy!) with grandpa and Ben's cousin Lisa for her birthday. Later that evening we went to our best buds parents house and had a Halloween party! I was so impressed with everyone's costumes!

(Jessie & Marleen= Steve Jobs & Mini Mouse)

(Scott= Army guy)

(Us= Chicken Cordon Bleu & Polygamist wife)

(Nash= The Monster Nash)

( Calli= Alice in wonderland)

(Kevin the M&M slack lining)

(Erin= Mrs. Potato head)

(Not sure who these two are but I liked their costumes!)

It was a great weekend! We enjoyed every minute of it!!

Ben

2011-10-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ben has said a couple times this week how much he loves being married, and I couldn't agree more! I love being married and especially to Ben! Recently I had a friend do a couples post....so I used her format and did one of my own!

20 Questions

1. Where did you meet?
We met in our institute class at USU. He stood up to give a scripture thought and I knew he was very special!

2. What was the first thought that went through your head when you met?
Ok this boy is so cute! I have got to get rid of the boy friend that I have ASAP! He talked to me after class and all I could say when he asked me about river guiding was yea it was fun....and then walked away.

3. Do you remember what he/she was wearing?
A Moab four-wheeling shirt, his black glasses, chacos and jeans

4. Where was the first time you kissed this person?
Outside of his apartment. We were saying goodnight and before I could get into my car he put his hand on the door and kissed me!

5. Where did you go for your first date?

We went on a hike up Logan canyon. We did the crimson trail. The leaves were changing and it was beautiful. The whole time I was nervous to be with this cute boy so I just talked about going on a mission so he wouldn't think I liked him.....when I really was head over heels!

6. How long did you know this person before you became a couple?

After we went on our first date we spent EVERY day together. The only time apart from the beginning to the wedding was when he went on a family ski vacation to Canada for a week. That was the longest week of both of our lives!

7. How did he/she ask you out?

Well actually for our first date I asked him out! We had been eyeing each other for a couple weeks in institute, and one day we ended up on the same bus ride home, and we were the only ones on the bus. So we were forced to finally talk. Before he could get off I asked him if he wanted to go hiking. He hesitated because he was studying for his woody plants class. Which was a really hard class. But of course he chose right and decided to go with me instead of studying!

8. Has this person ever proposed to you?

Umm yep!

9. Do you and this person have kids together?

In the near future I can see some Swaner babies!

10. Have you ever broken the law with this person?

Not that I know of...Ben is a pretty mellow guy!

11. When was the first time you realized that you liked this person?

Well the first time I saw him of course. But I knew that I wanted to marry him when we went on a night hike for our third date. We went up to the windcaves in Logan. On our way home I looked over at Ben and had this overwhelming feeling of love. I knew that I was going to marry him!

12. Do you get along with his/her family?

I am so blessed that I was able to marry into the Swaner family. I love them all so much! I feel like a daughter of Jeff and Kathy. Bens brother and sister in law are so much fun, and his little sister is sweet.

13. Do you trust this person?

I trust Ben more than anyone. I know that he thinks things through very well, and always has my best interest in mind.

14. Do you see her/him as your partner in your future?

Yep for eternity! Aint that right Ben?

15. What is the best gift she/he gave you?

I must say it would be my first pair of powder ski's...yea I cried when he gave them to me!

16. What is one thing he/she does that gets on your nerves?

Eww there is nothing that sends more rage through my body than when he gets into bed and has toe nails that needs to be cut, and then tries to drag them across my legs....sick

17. Where do you see each other 15 years from now?

Happily married with kidos that keep us busy and on our toes. Hopefully in a home and Ben enjoying his job, while I stay at home and make sure everything is running smoothly, or as smooth as things can with a busy life!

18. What causes the most arguments?

Umm I am being completely truthful when I say I can't think of one in particular.

19. How long have you been together?

4 1/2 years=>1 year dating=> 3 1/2 years married

20. Are you married?

How could I not be married to this wonderful guy?

I love you Ben!

Saturday

2011-09-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was a day worth blogging about! I was in desperate need of an active day. I have been feeling very bottled up at my job lately. The morning stared out with a 5k run that the stake relief society put on. I ran with one of my good buddies that I was roommates with up in Logan. Jenn lives in Heber now! It is always a good time with Jenn and her Arkansa accent and humor!

After picking up our bountiful basket, doing some food shopping and laundry, Ben and I headed down to Sundance Resort for a fun afternoon.We got a bite to eat at the grill there! It was the most yummy over priced sandwich I have ever had! YES I did stage this shot, and YES I did take a picture! We had fun feeding the fish tiny pieces of our sandwich ( I had to throw "tiny" in there just so you know we didn't waste our expensive meal!).

We then got our lift passes and headed up the mountain. There was a harvest festival going on at the base, so it was fun to look back and see all the people! Once we got to the top we hiked to Stewart Falls. It wasso beutiful with all the leaves changing colors!

After our fun hike we headed to SLC and met up with Brandon ( Ben's bro) for a ski movie! We thought the movie was excellent! Hallelujah for weekends that are rejuvenating and keep you out of the loony house!

2011-09-15T19:05:00.001-07:00

i love the fall. i love walking outside in the morning or evening and feeling the cool crisp air. i love the decorations. i love the yummy treats made of pumpkin and apple. i love being able to wear pants again to cover my white legs. i love cuddling up with ben in the evening on the couch. i love memories of past fall activities. I LOVE LIFE!

Changes!

2011-08-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well I had some big changes today. Four weeks ago I was called to be the Primary secretary in our new ward! I was excited about this calling and thought it would be a lot of fun. I was just getting into a routine of how things are to be run, and the bishopric called me and said that they needed to talk with me. By much surprise today I was called to be the first counselor in young women! I am so excited and nervous about this big calling. I know how important my leaders were to me when I was in young women, so I hope I can be that same example to these girls! Now I am looking for ideas for Wednesday night activities, new beginnings, Sunday lessons, and just about EVERYTHING! If you know anything that would help me with ideas please share :)

Relax

2011-08-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

There aren't many things more relaxing than watching Ben tie flies. I love seeing him in the zone and completely enjoying himself! The rivers have been slowly going down and getting better for fishing. Ben has had some time off of work this week and has taken full advantage by fishing all around in the river near Heber!

P.S. IM BACK!!!!

Blog strike

2011-08-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to do a quick post and let you all know that we are still alive and happy! We desperately need a new camera so I haven't been taking pictures lately because our camera doesn't work the majority of the time. Also I am on a blog strike.....lately I have felt like no one is really interested in the things I tend to post about (example: family pics) and so I am trying to figure out if I should keep up the blog, change the things I blog about, or end it all together? Stay tuned I will let you know the verdict, or get a new camera...whatever comes first!

Yellowstone!!

2011-07-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my family went to Yellowstone! It was a really fun trip! A lot of my family had never been there, so it was even more exciting!

One of our activities was to ride the ferry across Jenny Lake in the Tetons, and then hike up to the water fall.

(Poor Parker evidently is allergic to mosquito's! His face kept swelling more and more through out the trip)

In Yellowstone park!

It was a great trip! Can't wait for the next one!

4th of July craft

2011-07-09T18:34:00.001-07:00

I know this post is a little late coming, but here is a cute 4th of July craft that is super easy and fun! HERE are the directions. Thanks Kathy for finding this idea, and making it happen! I am really happy with how it turned out!

2011-07-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

Birthday Wishes

2011-06-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

What do you get for the person that has everything? A dresser drawer full of flowers of course! Here are the steps:

1. Drill holes in the bottom for the water to drain, and air to circulate (thanks Ben!)

2. The supplies you need

3. Fill the bottom of dresser with rocks. This helps the water drain through.

4. Cover rocks with potting soil

5. Plant flowers

Happy Happy Birthday Kathy!! We love you so much and hope this next year is a great one! Enjoy your flowers!

Grilled Salmon

2011-06-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

Check out this yummy recipe that I just posted on the recipe blog! Swaner Family Recipes

Bike & Baby

2011-06-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a lot of fun! Ben and I went and rode 50 miles out at Antelope Island. It brought back a lot of memories of the summer when we lived on the island. It was amazing how many people were out riding bikes! Bikers definitely dominated over the motorist! We also went to Ogden for baby dallins blessing ( my sister Heathers babe). It was great to spend time with family!

(Check out the sweet buffalo behind me!)

(We were able to hang out with Bens brother and sister in law for a little bit on Saturday...this is cute Hailey....not sure why I look so surprised!!)

(I made these mini cupcakes for the lunch before the blessing)

(These two can be a little silly when they get together...this is my oldest brother Dave)

(We asked to get a family picture with baby dallin so we could pretend he was ours!)

(Aww the happy little family!)

Little Red Riding Hood

2011-06-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the little red riding hood bike ride! Little red is an all woman's ride in Logan. There were roughly 3,000 women that rode! It was so much fun. The weather could not have been better.I even got a killer sunburn.....not fun, but nice that it was so sunny! I rode with some friends from USU. We did the 60 mile loop. Which ended up being the perfect amount. When we passed the turn for 80 miles we thought for about a half second...but then decided we should stick with the 60.

(This years theme was 50's. Here I am with one of the wolves and some creepy guy dressed up as a chick)

(Here are two of the girls I rode with..Melissa and Melissa)

(Surprise!! I ran into Lindsay. Ben and I worked in the Uintas with Lindsay and Randy)

Little red was a lot of fun! I will definitely do it again next year!

Bike

2011-05-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

We are so excited for biking this summer! Ben just got a road bike so we can ride together now. Our first ride was a little windy, but we can hardly wait for good weather!

Graduation

2011-05-15T15:10:00.001-07:00

Ben and I both graduated last weekend. I wasn't able to walk because our ceremonies were at the same time but in different buildings. Since I had actually finished in December I thought it would be more fun to watch Ben!

( I did slip into Ben's cap N' gown for a quick picture)

( Take note of cute little Hailey....She was loving the pictures!)

(Our cute best buds)

3 Years

2011-05-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will have been married to my sweetie for 3 years! Wow time has really gone by so fast. I know it sounds cliche' but marriage really does get better with time. Ben and I have so much fun with each other. We have had a lot of big things happen in the past three years

1. Went to Mexico
2. Cried about his Grandma Joans passing
3. Celebrated family and friends having babies
4. Graduated
5. Moved to a new city
6. Started grown up jobs
7. Went to Canada skiing
8. Had a blast working in the forest
9. Tore 2 ACL's
10. Had 2 knee surgeries
11. Hit in the back of our car by a drunk driver
12. Cried about leaving our home in Logan

and much much more.....I love Ben so much, and appreciate EVERYTHING he does for me! I can hardly wait and see where we are in another 3 years. I'm sure our life will be very different. Happy Anniversary!

Eat a Burrito!

2011-05-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

Grandma

2011-05-03T20:07:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we went to Ben's grandmas 90th birthday party! What a cute woman. When you think of the picture perfect grandma you are thinking of Margaret Jones. The party turned out great! There were a lot of people that traveled far distances to honor this woman. We were very happy we could make it to the party. Too bad I didn't take more pictures

Yummy!

2011-04-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

Want a yummy "lower" calorie dressing for your salad? Here is one of my favorites! Get some spicy mustard from Walmart (Great Value rocks!) and mix it with light ranch. I have about 3/4 mustard 1/4 ranch. Enjoy!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

Wow its has been a long two weeks not having the internet. But we are now all moved into our new place and back on the net!! This past weekend we went to Blanding to celebrate Easter with my side of the family. It was so much fun to see everyone (especially the kids!)

Movin' On!

2011-04-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Well Ben and I are movin' on! Our apartment is packed and we are sad/excited. This is a new chapter in our life!

P.S. I have been looking for a jewelry tree for a while now. I ran across this cute one at TJMaxx and had to have it! There are still a couple there if you want one your self :)

CHALK ONE UP!!!

2011-04-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well I am officially done at USU! Today I received two awards at the end of year award ceremony for my program. Outstanding student in my internship, and outstanding undergraduate teacher assistant. I promise I'm not all about tootin' my own horn......but what can I say they were even put on a piece of wood! Pretty official if you ask me!

Happy Wednesday!

2011-04-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

One of my finer moments after Lasik surgery was taping those ugly plastic bug eyes on at night! Ha Ha simply beautiful! We both really got a kick out of it!

Happy Wednesday!

Conference Weekend

2011-04-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

I love general conference weekend! We have made it a tradition of going to Idaho and seeing the Swaner parents. The girls usually stay inside and craft while baking (stuff girls like to do)! The boys LOVE being out in the cold garage working on Ben's rock crawler! We did our usual, but also went skiing for the last time this winter. I like eating mashed potatoes but don't necessarily enjoy skiing on them! We had a great time!

Oh the Joys!

2011-03-27T09:43:00.001-07:00

Oh the joys of apartments living! Friday night we had some new neighbors move in. I woke up at 1 (yes in the A.M.) hearing water that sounded like it was running inside. I listened for a minute and woke Ben up. We checked it out and realized our carpet outside of the bedroom was soaked, and there was a steady stream coming through the ceiling. Ben went up to the neighbors and asked what was going on. The guy said he had tried to hook up his washer and apparently didn't know how. Sooo his floor was soaked too, and the water had seeped down into our place. We stomped it all up with towels and went to bed. In the morning I got up to go to the gym. Went into the kitchen, and found our counters were all very went (including my shopping list that took about a year to compile). And the floor was semi-wet. Why I looked up at the ceiling I have no idea, but the ceiling was sagging with what appeared to be A LOT of water. So we called our landlords. They came and cut out our ceiling. Now we are listening to SUPER annoying fans, and freezing our fannys off every time we go in the hall or kitchen.....plus I didn't make it to the gym on Saturday. Maybe I should make a house warming gift for our neighbors in the ceiling-less kitchen!!!

Shout out to the Ladies

2011-03-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

Tonight I sat and looked at this motivational poster and exercise log hanging on the fridge....

While eating this.....

I need some serious motivational help! Now is where you all come in. What are some ways that you have gotten motivated to get those few winter pounds off? I feel like it was a lot easier to drop those pounds while I was walking around campus. But now that I have a desk job....no bueno!

Spring Break Baby!

2011-03-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Ben and I went to California for spring break! We had sooo much fun! When we got home I realized that we only took pictures of landscapes! Here are a few random pictures I took with actual human beings in them :)

Ben forgot his pj's. One night I couldn't find mine, so I threw back the covers LOW AND BEHOLD.....Ben was wearing mine! Ha Ha we had a good laugh!

We got stuck in traffic on our way home. It took us 4 hours to go 10 miles! Yea I know shoot me now! This is a good picture to illustrate how I felt

This is at the Salk institute. Salk was the man that discovered the vaccine that cured polio. This building had sweet architecture!

Here is Ben doing dishes in our casa. We had an awesome place to stay ( a BIG thanks to Jeff and Kathy's time share)

Wild Animal Safari Park

Downtown L.A.

Huntington Gardens

Ahh I am totally missing the sun!

Not too late!

2011-03-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's not too late to do a little St. Patrick's day surprise for your sweetie! Here is the idea I came up with for Ben! Who doesn't enjoy a little candy?

Iowa

2011-03-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

While Ben was on his mission in Iowa he baptized this cute cute family! Over presidents day we were able to go back to Iowa and be a part of them being sealed as a family in the temple. They were so thrilled to have us there. Of course I was an emotional wreck during the sealing. It was so sweet to see all 6 kids walk into the sealing room wearing all white! The spirit was so strong, and the parents were so happy.

Perfect Saturday!

2011-02-26T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today has been perfect! Beaver Mountain was blessed with about 15" last night! Of course Ben would be skiing today. I on the other hand wasn't sure if my sight was good enough (refer to post below) to ski today. So I went for a snow shoe at the golf course instead! It was such a beautiful morning!

Happy Saturday!!

New View

2011-02-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

My sweet dad gave me a gift I can never repay him for. On Thursday I went in for Lasik eye surgery! What better gift than sight? Thank you so much dad!

P.S. We went to Iowa over presidents day....pictures and stories on the way!

Cloudy with a chance of MEATBALLS!

2011-02-15T19:21:00.000-08:00

OK I apologize in advance for posting twice in a row something to do with food! But....Ben's mom has a recipe blog that we all put yummy recipes on. Check out this meatball recipe HERE that I made the other night. You might enjoy a quick/easy/tasty recipe!

Quick Valentine Treat

2011-02-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick valentine treat idea for that special someone! I simply covered oreo cookies in white chocolate, and red chocolate. Then I drizzled with the opposite color. On some of the white I also put pink sprinkles, and some of the red were bedazzled with white sanding sugar! Yumm! Then I put them in a small plastic bag with a cute red ribbon. Viola. Happy Valentines Day!

Birthday & Baby!

2011-02-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEN!!!

Wow Ben just turned the big 25! We weren't able to do much for his birthday because of school, so this past weekend we had a family party for him and his dad. We went down to Salt Lake and ate at Tucanos. YUM! Then we went back to Ogden and had cake and opened presents. Ben was the most stoked about his surprise present at dinner from his mom. We all had a good laugh!

WELCOME BABY DALLIN!!!

My sister Heather, husband Charles and little guy Andy just welcomed this cute baby into their family! What a sweetheart Dallin is. Ben and I were able to watch Andy while Heather and Charles were still at the hospital. Andy was such a good boy, and sooo cute! When we took him to the hospital to meet his new baby brother it was love at first sight! All Andy wanted to do was hold Dallin and kiss his head(more like slobber and suck his head!). Here is proof of how cute this family is!

Never a serious smile out of Ben!

Ha Ha this was too good of a picture moment to pass up!

Needless to say Ben was definitely Andy's favorite person this weekend. Besides the baby of course!

Don't forget about DI

2011-01-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

I can always count on DI to come through with a sweet find! Ben's mom gave us this really cute proclamation to the family picture for Christmas. I could not find a frame that fit it......until I went to DI! I saw this ugly frame, and thought. PERFECT. I bought the frame, and with a few coats of paint, some sand paper, and a headache from painting inside. VOILA. BEAUTIFUL! Here is the finished product. The world is yours at DI!

Unstoppable

2011-01-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

I realize that I am a little behind the times, because Ben and I usually don't see movies until they are playing at the cheap seats! Therefore any movie that you probably saw three months ago is new and exciting to us three months later!
We went and saw the movie Unstoppable the other night......I LOVED IT!!! If you have not seen this movie I highly suggest you watch it! There was just enough suspense to make you go crazy, but not so much that you think your having mini heart attacks. My emotions were so wrapped around the plot that I actually couldn't help but cry for joy during a few scenes! If you want to watch the trailer HERE it is!

P.S. I realized Ben loves when I cry during movies.....I don't cry often, so I think he likes to know that I am still a sensitive girl!! crying=quality snuggle time! Win Win (you might want to try it)!

Canada

2011-01-03T19:27:00.001-08:00

BEWARE!! This post has a lot of pictures...I didn't like how any collages turned out, so I decided to post every-single-picture! We had a blast in Canada! We were able to ski a lot, eat too much food, and bond with family!

(Pretend I didn't take this picture while the car was moving, and that there is no car ruining the bottom half.....)

Fun stacking games at lunch! I think we were stalling so we didn't have to go out in the cold and ski!!!

Ben's 86 year old grandpa was a rockstar! He skied every day we did, and went wherever we went (foggy or steep)!

-25 degrees one day!

HO HO HO Merry Christmas!

Fun idea!

2011-01-01T16:51:00.000-08:00

We went to Canada for Christmas to ski!! It was such a fun trip. My cute mother in law (Kathy) had the idea to make these drink coasters out of ski maps from each of the resorts we skied at! We mod podged the cut out map pieces onto ceramic tiles, then sprayed the top with clear enamel to make them waterproof. On the bottom we put a piece of non slip cork. I love how they turned out!!

Canada pictures will be posted soon :)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T18:03:00.001-08:00

EEEKKK!!

2010-12-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

EEEKKK.......I just got a job at EK Ekcessories! YES I am graduating this month in Community Health Education, and NO this has nothing to do with my degree! I was hired as an administrative assistant which= Secretary woman, Runner girl, Phone gal, Mail lady, and invoice purchasing Nazi!!! So far I really like the environment, and everyone I will be working with. Cross your fingers I get a free dog collar(and possibly a dog to wear that collar!!). If your interested here is their website.

XOXO

Follow-Up!

2010-12-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to update you all, because I know you were terribly worried about my emotional situation! I got the results back from my statistics test, and I got 50/50....Perfect score whoot whoot!! I don't know why I stress so much, it always ends up working out by some miracle!

Finals!

2010-12-08T09:06:00.001-08:00

This represents me very well right now....I am starting my take-home statistics final at 3:30 today, I plan for it to take 12 or more hours! Wish me luck, and more brain cells than I currently have!

Thanksgiving!

2010-11-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

Reader Beware!! I haven't been home to my parents house since last Christmas, so I took enough pictures to make up for the lost time! We had a great Thanksgiving full of food, family, hiking, and much more.

Family Hike

Pottery At My Mom's Art Classroom

(Side note....Camie made these cute turkey shirts for her girls! Super super cute)

Go Visiting Teaching!!!

2010-11-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

I was recently called into the relief society as a visiting teaching supervisor! I am so excited about this calling. I really think that visiting teaching is so important. We all want friends, and to know that someone is thinking about us. I have gained awesome friendships through visiting teaching, and come to love girls that I otherwise would have never built a bond with. I just put a button over in the left hand column....add it to your blog! This site is great for everything to do with visiting teaching!

xoxo Happy Thanksgiving

Yummy Yummy!!!

2010-11-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a yummy festive treat or snack, and don't want to pay for it after the holidays, pick up a Luna chocolate peppermint stick bar. They are super tasty! Satisfying your sweet tooth with out making you feel sick......Love. Love. Love!

Just an idea

2010-11-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

Here is an idea for your November visiting teaching. I made these easy treats for my girls. All you need to do is buy a big candybar, cover it with paper, make a little tag, and decorate it for fall......we are all thankful for candy this time of year!

Yes we are still alive!

2010-11-09T05:52:00.000-08:00

You might wonder if we are still alive.Yes we are. Our camera is not working right now, and since blogs aren't that fun to look at with no pictures(I think), I haven't posted in a while :( Hopefully our camera will be back in business by Thanksgiving. We are heading south to my parents house in Blanding(which I am super excited about!). But until then I love you all!!!

xoxo
Michelle

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-28T18:45:00.001-07:00

Well I promised a craft on my last post.......but that didn't end up happening, so here is something even better! Last night we decided to carve pumpkins with Kevin and Calli (best buds ever!). We went to Maceys picked out our pumpkins, and bought some pumpkin spice soy milk.yummy.seasonal treat. We went back to their house and started carving.

Ben and I did a couples pumpkin. We wanted to do something other than the traditional jack-o-lantern face...this is how creative we AREN'T!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!

Happy Day!

2010-10-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

I realized that I often vent on my blog when I am having a bad day
(because it feels like the end of the world),
but I rarely post when I am having a happy day.....today is a great! I don't know why I am feeling so happy
(could be that I have no test this week).
Whatever the case I am HAPPY!!! The sun is back out
(THANK GOODNESS)!!
When your in the middle of a busy, stressful week it is hard to be happy about the day to day tasks that are good. Take time and do something for yourself, realize how you are blessed, and remember YOU WILL SURVIVE!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!

p.s. cute craft project coming soon.....stay tuned!

Lady Bug Love

2010-10-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

I love this little bug! This weekend we were able to see Brandon, Dayna, and Hailey (Bens brother). We haven't seen them in a really long time, so it was so much fun to see how Hailey has grown! She is so cute, and happy! We went to a Halloween party, and Hailey was the best little lady bug I have ever seen!

Top Truck Challenge

2010-10-16T20:31:00.000-07:00

First there was this....

Then this...

To this..
Which ended this way...

This past weekend we went to the top truck challenge near mountain home Idaho. It was a lot of fun to see all of the "BIG rigs", and see what they were capable of doing/breaking! Even though we weren't covered in tats, carrying around a Budweiser, or missing some teeth, we had a great time!

There was a lot of carnage...

Some of the bigger buggies were so much fun to see. Watching them slosh through the mud pits made me wish I was riding with them. Kathy (Ben's mom) pulled some strings so I could go on a ride in this buggie, but I wimped out (didn't want to get muddy).....maybe next time!

Fun Fun Fun!!!

Apples, Confernece & Frills

2010-10-04T15:03:00.001-07:00

Conference weekend is always so great. I love the fall weather, great talks from our church leaders, and spending time with family. Ben and I have made it a little tradition to go to Idaho for conference weekend, and hang out with Jeff and Kathy (Ben's parents). We love going to visit so much that we rarely want to come home! This year Kathy and I were busy in the kitchen making apple sauce, apple butter(YUM!), and cute flowers for headbands, jewelry, or whatever you want to embellish! The boys took the jeep and samurai out to hills to 4-wheel around. I'm sure they enjoyed that a lot more than flower making!

Thanks for another wonderful weekend Jeff and Kathy.....We love you!

Park(ing) Day

2010-09-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

Friday was national park(ing) day. This is a day intended to help people realize that we need more parks and less parking spaces. Bens program from school (landscape architecture) is involved with this each year. They "take over" parking spots around Logan for the day, to promote awareness. This year Ben's idea was chosen for the downtown parking spot! Naturally his spot was the last one I was able to see....therefore the pictures are in the dark! Side note: they would have been taken in the day light had I not spent the past 4 hours on a take home psychological statistics test with a friend!

The theme was spontaneous regrowth. Meaning the trees want to be here, but the asphalt is inhibiting their growth.

Here are some of his classmates designs:

This was a camping theme. They let students walking by stop and roast marshmallows for s'mores!

Umm this car was covered in grass as you can see.....I forgot to ask what the inspiration was, but I am guess something to do with driving less?

This is the "aspharm"! Pretty clever I think.

Moral of the story: ride the bus, push your local government for less asphalt around, and be just a little more like hippies!

Peace out!!

4-wheeling in Montana

2010-08-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

We had a blast 4-wheeling in Montana this past weekend. The snake river off road club went to Enis Montana and did a fun ride up in the mountains. Swaners represented were me, Ben, Jeff (father-in-law), and Clix (Jeff's father). The weather was really nice, and we had plenty of snacks!!

I love this picture of Clix! He was so happy to be out, and loved the mountain views.

I drove for a while. It was hard to sit in the passenger seat after being the driver. I had a lot of fun going through the rock obstacles, even though I could barely see over the dashboard!!!

Ben got new tires for the samuri. They are REALLY BIG! It was fun being able to drive over basically anything.

The line up!

Jeff's jeep always looks like it should be in a jeep commercial. I am glad we were able to get in a 4-wheeling trip before school starts..............back to the grind!!

Summer time blues

2010-08-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

WARNING NO PICTURES......

Today I am feeling just a little bit sad. We are moving some of our things back to Logan this weekend. But we aren't moving back officially until the 28th. I am really missing my Logan friends......I feel like I have been out of the loop a little too long. Besides missing hanging out with friends I am sick of dirty floors. YES YES I KNOW WE ARE LUCKY TO LIVE IN THE UINTAS, but I like to walk around the house in my bare feet and while living in the woods is great and all dirt is tracked in the house 10 min after sweeping. It will be nice to move back to a clean house and friends.

I promise my next post will be a little more positive!!!

ATV Patrol

2010-08-08T17:37:00.001-07:00

Well despite what you might think I do get out of the office. Today was a lot of fun! Ben had to work on my day off so I decided to do some volunteer work just for the heck of it.

I started out the day out right with driving the bobcat. It was a lot of fun! At first I felt like I was going to tip forward.....but it only feels that way!

Wayne and I went out on ATV patrol together. Wayne is a lot of fun! Ben and I have loved getting to know him and his wife Jan. They are retired, and come to the Uintas from Texas during the summer to do ATV patrol.

This was a great view from the top of the wolverine trail switchbacks.

While on the upper wolverine trail we were called out to an accident. We showed up and found this lady laying on the ground with her daughter close by. The two had gone off a cliff next to the road on this ATV (with no helmets mind you). Two boys saw the accident and with their adrenalin carried the injured girls up the hill and drove the ATV back up to the road where there wasn't such a cliff. The daughter had minor injuries, but the mom had a possible broken knee cap, tibia, fibula, and complained about her stomach when Wayne would touch it. Needless to say they are lucky to be alive!

The day would not be complete with out a fun river crossing!

This is us!

2010-08-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

If you walk into the ranger station this is what you will see from the other side of the counter!

And this is who you will meet on the ATV trails! We love the Uintas!!!

Linsley Love!!!

2010-07-19T11:16:00.001-07:00

Our good friends Kevin, Calli and cute baby Nash Linsley came to visit us last weekend! We had so much fun, and LOVED hanging out again! We really enjoy the Uintas, but miss the social life just a little:)

Nash munchin on a strawberry at the picnic we took to mirror lake!

We hiked bald mountain. Here is Ben and I literally at the top of the world! The hike took us 2 hours (should normally take 4). We gained 1100 vertical feet in 2.5 miles!

Gomer!

Kevin stikin a pose before we went up to the top of bald:)

Calli and me at the trail head! I miss this girl so much, and really loved being able to talk "girl stuff" again!

Kevin carried Nash the whole time in the baby backpack. Nash loved it! Keep in mind this little boy was having so much fun he didn't take more than a 10 min nap the whole weekend, and was the happiest little boy ALL the time! He amazes me

Ben made sure to stay hydrated while hiking!

Yep we made it to the top! What a great weekend!

The bears haven't eaten us YET!!!

2010-07-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

So I am sure you are all dying to know what we have been up to
in the Uintas! But since we don't have much time between hiking,
fishing, sitting around the camp fire and working........you will just
have to wait a little longer:) Sorry for any inconvenience! Updates
will be coming soon!

River Love

2010-06-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

This past week we had the fun opportunity to go down the Desolation section of the green river. The trip was great! Dave (my brother) and his wife Michelle were the ones who put it all together....all I had to bring was my raft and enough food for the group for one day! The group consisted of Ben and I, brother Jon his wife Camie and their 3 cute kidos, brother Dave and his wife Michelle, and Michelle's sister Sue husband Steve and their 2 cute kidos! The trip was six days. We all had a great time! Here is the proof......

Sorry only pictures taken were on flat water.....we didn't want the camera to be swallowed in a massive wave!

All the kids wanted to ride on Dave and Michelle's boat (aka the cool boat!)

Cactus was in bloom everywhere

I found these awesome glasses on one of our hikes......Camie was kind enough to model them for the camera!

These boots were really neat! We found them in an old cabin next to the river

We saw a lot of Jon doing this!

Dave just relaxin

The kids loved the mud....can you tell

Michelle looks like 100 buck wherever she goes!

Corbin always wanted to hop on the oars and row. He is a natural rafter

Caleb is Michelle's sisters little guy.....this picture says it all. He is so stinkin cute and happy ALL the time!

Little river hottie in the sleek sexy cutthroat boat!

The brothers were usually friends

These two girls became instant friends right from the beginning.

Camie really loves smokey the bear!

Wish you all could have been there....maybe next time!

MEXICO!

2010-05-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

We just got home from a cruise in Mexico! We had a lot of fun. Our good friends Kevin and Calli invited us to tag along with them and some of their friends. While on the cruise Kevin used his spanish speaking skills and got us a good deal snorkeling, parasailing, and tours around the cities! Here are some pictures of the fun!!!

We were sad to go home

Lately we love playing! Stay tuned for our next adventure........

Mustache May

2010-04-29T13:25:00.001-07:00

Since it is almost Mustache May here is a shout
out to my cute hubby!!!

Ya it's not real (thank goodness)!

Oops

2010-04-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry for all of you that looked at my blog when Ben posted a really
ridiculous post! I don't know if it is still showing up on your computer
or not! I made a couple rice crispie treats on Sunday and didn't save
any for Ben......so he hacked my blog! Gotta love those hubbies!!!

Tender Mercies

2010-04-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

Everyday we are blessed with little tender mercies of the Lord. Today
Ben and I received a big blessing that we have been worrying about.
Remember to slow down and see how you are being blessed everyday!
Here is a really great talk by David A. Bednar
The Tender Mercies of the Lord

My Secret!

2010-04-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be NICE to share my most recent SECRET with you.....
(No I am not pregnant for all of those who thought that was coming next!)

Here is a yummy breakfast that I just discovered taste good, keeps me full past 9a.m,
and is relatively low cal/low sugar!
You can thank me later!

Look familiar?

2010-04-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is one of Ben's most recent tricks on our family dog Lexie.....

Look familiar?

April Fools......

2010-04-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature played a very mean April fools joke on me today..........

Today I wish I was wearing this:

But instead I am wearing this:

Gotta love that Spring time weather!!!

Crafty Craft!

2010-03-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

I have always stuffed all my jewelry in a hanging jewelry bag. Lately I've
been thinking that this method is probably not the best idea if I want to have
my jewelry last. After a little wood, vinyle, paint, and hooks....here is what I
came up with. I didn't make it big enough to hang ALL of my jewelry, but most
of my necklaces fit!

Reason why daylight savings ROCKS!

2010-03-14T16:13:00.000-07:00

I love daylight savings! Here is why:

ONE- The weather is warming up
TWO- School is close to being out for the summer
THREE- Running is easier (my lungs don't want to explode)
FOUR- The birds start chirping again
FIVE- The ground begins to unthaw
SIX- General conference is soon
SEVEN- My early morning class doesn't seem SO early
EIGHT- I am one more semester closer to graduating
NINE- The little Mexican kids in our backyard start playing soccer again
TEN- I realize how close swimsuit season is, and start getting in shape!
ELEVEN- Everyone seems happier
TWELVE- My utility bill goes down

AND....... I get to wear flip flops!

Why do you love daylight savings? Share the love

Never been better!

2010-03-06T17:32:00.000-08:00

Ben is doing really well after his surgery. Doesn't he look great:)

When life gives you lemons, go to JoAnn's!

2010-02-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a GOOD student. I usually get GOOD grades, and do really well! Today I feel like a FAILURE! This morning before I went to the gym I got on blackboard(school website)to see if my stats grade was up. I was excited to see my score from the last test I took because I felt REALLY good about it! Yep it was up, and yep I got a BIG FAT 65%....not so sweet. My Epidemiology score from the last test we took was also posted. Yep failed again with a WHOPPING 70%.....not so sweet AGAIN! Today I want to stop going to school, and just have fun. BUT...... I wont. Instead I plan to drown my sorrows by going to JoAnn's and buying fabric with my 20% off coupon! I should feel better by the end of my shopping trip right?

That's just how we roll..........

2010-02-22T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ben and I really enjoy being active and doing fun "stuff". Most of the time we don't get hurt, and its great! But on rare occasions we are too "hard core"........or weak for our body's to handle our "extreamness"! Or in a round about cheesy way that is saying here is our medical history of our first years of marriage:

First six months:
Injury-Extreamly stretched Achilles tendon
Solution-Walking boot
Healing time- 2 monthes

Here I am in Jackson Hole with Ben, trying to hide my ugly boot behind his leg!

First Year:
Injury- Torn ACL and meniscus
Solution- Reconstructive surgery
Healing time-Almost a year

Second Year:
Injury- Torn ACL and possible meniscus damage
Solution- Reconstructive surgery
Healing time-We will have to wait and see

Good luck hun....I love you, you will do great!
We have done it before, and we can do it again....

Not Much!

2010-02-17T11:32:00.000-08:00

Well not much to post about..... I just am putting off studying stats. I have been studying so much lately, so changing my background and writing this new post are my ways of rebelling against studying!!! Now off to the books..............

Enough Said....

2010-02-10T16:07:00.000-08:00

I spotted my first gray hair today.....
Enough Said!

Easy Peezy Pizza!

2010-02-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a good recipe for yummy pizza that is fast, somewhat healthy, and a little more unique than "normal" pizza!

Ingredients:
Pita Pockets
Greek Vinaigrette Dressing
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Olives
Anything else you like on pizza....

Put pita's on a cookie sheet. Spread thin layer of dressing over pita. Put feta, tomatoes, and olives on top. Broil in oven until it looks like it is starting to get crispy, or you are too hungry to wait anymore! Yummmy....Enjoy!

A second of free time!

2010-01-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Ben was in Sun Valley with the ski team. He was gone from Wednesday through Sunday, so after getting my homework, housecleaning, and other STUFF done I made some fun crafts! Most of them I can't post because they are gifts for people.....(ie Dayna my sister-in-law). But here is one fun valentine decoration that I made! I wish I could just sit at home all day and craft......

Hold me back!

2010-01-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

Today I went shopping. I looked at the Valentine candy for a good amount of time, contemplating if any of it would be good to buy for Ben for Valentines (I am aware it's a little early)! After standing there awhile I really started to want to just buy the candy for me. But I resisted......I ended up not buying any for me or Ben. Look at that self-control! So I just decided to change my background to a Valentine theme to make up for my craving of Valentines!

Time to vent

2010-01-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a happy and upbeat person......most of the time! Right now it is time to vent. I know EVERYONE is so busy, stressed, depressed, and any other downer word, at the beginning of each semester. But tonight I am feeling really overwhelmed with school. I am taking 18 credits. Doing my internship. And being a TA for a very demanding teacher. The classes I am taking are ALL VERY important, and have a lot of work that is expected in them. What I want to know is how do all of you not only stay afloat in situations like this, but actually be happy and go on LIVING?

P.S. I am still happy......just kinda stressed!

New Year Happenings!

2010-01-03T09:05:00.001-08:00

What is a better way to ring in the new year than by spending time with family? Over new years we hung out with the Swaner's. It was a blast between playing games, crafting with the girls, and skiing at Grand Targhee for the first time since my ACL surgery. I always loved skiing at Targhee before my surgery, but after recovering I was a pretty nervous about skiing there because it has a lot more vertical than our little humble hill at Beaver, but it was great! I have begun to notice that this blog is more pictures than anything else, hope that is ok.....

The start of a new year

2009-12-30T08:29:00.000-08:00

I always love the start of a new year. Christmas is over, which also means eating a lot of food and sweets SHOULD be over also. This year I feel like I ate my share of treats as well as Ben's share. Eating healthy and exercising always feels so great after the holidays. I am excited to kick off the new year in health.....how long it will last is yet to be seen! Let the new year begin!!!

Family Overload!

2009-12-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

This weekend Ben and I had the opportunity to spend A LOT of time with our families. Ben's brother graduated, so we went to the ceremony. Then we headed down to Salt Lake to have a mock Christmas celebration with my family over the weekend. My great sister in law put together a nativity that all the cute grandchildren acted out. Everyone looked so cute. To start off here are some pictures of the graduation

Pictures of the nativity, and random pictures of the weekend!

Thanksgiving Weekend!

2009-11-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

This past Thanksgiving weekend was a lot of fun! We had Thanksgiving with the Swaner/Jones side of the family. There was lots of yummy food, mini-golfing, and volleyball. On Saturday we rode the Front Runner for the first time. It was fun! I was surprised how smooth of a ride it is. We went down to Salt Lake, ate at California Pizza Kitchen(Yummy) and walked around temple square looking at the lights. The lights were so pretty! The whole time I was thinking about the poor people that have the job of putting them up, and taking them down......bless their heart! Here is proof of the fun we had!!!

What are you thankful for?

2009-11-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

I have so much to be thankful for! I love this time of year when I can step back and realize all the things that I am blessed with. We are all blessed in so many ways. The old saying that you don't realize what you have until it is taken away is very true. I think that if we truly understood how blessed we we are, and how fortunate we are to have certain things in our lives, we would all be a whole lot happier. As you read what I am thankful for think about your own list of thankfulness!

*A loving husband that tries to make me happy
*Legs to get around daily (and run!!)
*Fresh, clean water to drink
*Prayer
*A warm apartment (its easy to keep a small space warm!)
*Food whenever I am hungry
*A reliable car
*The temple
*Not one but TWO families that love and care for me
*Shoes that keep my feet warm
*Money and a scholarship to go to college
*Friends that love me
*The holy ghost
*Fun experiences with Ben
*A very comfortable bed
*Medicine when I am sick
*A fun and loving ward family
*A computer to work on
*A beautiful wedding ring
*My ability to hear
*Nature and the calm feeling it brings
*Ben being employed
*A cell phone
*The scriptures
*A peaceful city to live in
*My ability to smile at other people

This list could go on all day, but now you know a smidgin of things I am thankful for!

Thursday!

2009-11-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

I LOVE THURSDAYS!!!
Thursday is a great day because it is almost
the weekend, but I don't feel like the weekend is
about to be over! So for all you Thursday lovers
out there.....CHEERS!!

What do you think?

2009-11-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

OK here is a scenario.....
You are walking on campus to one of your classes.
Another person is walking in your direction, and
it's just the two of you. Should you look down?
Look straight forward like you are interested in
something over their shoulder? Pretend like you are
texting? Or do the right thing and say hi?

Well here is my dilemma! I am a pretty happy
person (most of the time) and I love to make
new friends. Often I want to smile at people
or say hi when I am walking towards them on
campus, but sometimes it can be really awkward
if they have their head phones in, look at
the ground, or don't look very interested in
me. How should I handle this? I want to be
friendly......but not creepy!!!
What do YOU think?

Check this out!

2009-10-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

Check out my new favorite website!
The recipes on here are a little more
healthy, but trust me they are great!
http://www.101cookbooks.com/

Deleted Facebook

2009-10-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well folks today I deleted my facebook account! I have come to the conclusion that facebook is a waste of my time. I know that there are great things about facebook, but this was a personal decision based on my recent beliefs. I will miss looking at pictures of people, but that is about it. I actually feel really good about my decision!

To be......Or not to be?

2009-10-07T14:18:00.000-07:00

Due to a recent Ensign article I am thinking
that I want to make our blog private. Should I
do this? It is a whole lot more fun for everyone
when your blog is open freely, but with all those
creepers out now days is it safe? Let me know
what you think, and what I should do!

Fall is FANTASTIC!

2009-09-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some reason why I love the fall.......

* Crisp fresh mornings, but warm inside

*Leaves changing

*Wearing pants

*Cuddling with Ben under the blankets

*Cute decorations

*Yummy warm food

*The surprise of what winter will bring

AND..... Running during the day isn't soooo dang hot!