Some January Stuff...

Nathan and I set a New Year's Resolution to plan a weekly menu for dinner. We've had this goal before, but it usually only lasts a week. So far we've done it 3 weeks in a row. We scour the grocery ads and try to plan around what's on sale. My other resolution is the same as last year: to read the Ensign cover to cover each month and to read a book each month. Last year I only missed the month of September (for reading a book that is. I won't comment on the Ensign Ü).

2008 Reading List

January: Orbit by John Nance
February: Twighlight, New Moon, and Eclipse all by Stephenie Meyer
March: The Innocent Man and The Broker, both by John Grisham
April: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Post Secret by Frank Warren, Playing for Pizza by John Grisham, The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
May: Atonement by Ian McEwan, The Host by Stephenie Meyer, The Appeal by John Grisham
June: A Girl Name Zippy by Haven Kimmel, Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
July: Good Grief by Lolly Winston, The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
August: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libby Bray, Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer
November: By The Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie
December: The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
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The lady I partner with in Young Womens had her baby on December 30th, so I've been planning our class activities on Tuesdays. One week we filled out "getting to know you" forms and talked about them. That should have been our only activity for the night because girls love to talk about themselves Ü. We also played a funny game later involving rolling dice and trying to open a pack for gum with a knife and fork while wearing oven mits.




The next week I set up a little restaurant in one of the classrooms and dressed up like a server (I even had my old Sonic apron Ü). I made special menus that had to do with service and we worked to pass off some Personal Progress goals. I did end up serving them treats to eat and drink, and boy am I glad I don't have to waitress in real life while being pregnant. Ha,ha, since the night was about service, I decided to give them an opportunity right off the bat and asked for a volunteer to babysit for us that week so we could go to the temple for our anniversary.

Speaking of anniversary.....we did nothing. Ha,ha. I did get Nathan a card, but then I forgot to give it to him. So I'll probably use it for Valentine's Day. The same thing happened at Christmas. We didn't get anything for each other. Well, technically he bought a new pair of shoes around Thanksgiving (for a whopping $8), so we called that his Christmas gift. And I was needing a bathrobe (for Deacon's sake Ü), so that was my present. Ha, ha. I promise we don't need counseling. We're just not good at spending money.

We've changed our moving date from December 2009, to September, to July, to April, and now back to July. I got a *little* too excited & started posting furniture items to for sale online. I wasn't ready for anything to sell so fast, and now my piano is gone :(

12/27-12/31

I'm still trying to compile our events leading up to Christmas, so for now I'm skipping to the days after. On Saturday we went to Lazer Quest. It was so much fun. Since I couldn't huff it around all the structures, I mostly stayed in one corner. Nathan joined me and we were our own special ops force against anyone that came near us. I enjoyed all the interesting "code names" everyone made up Ü. I thought we chose some original names for ourselves. Nathan chose "N8" and I was "ILUVN8".Cousin Lindsey, Matt, Ashley, Aubrey, Callie, Nate, Nick (in front)

Special Agent 'N8'

Special Agent 'iluvn8'

A copy of our scorecard. The only reason Nate beat me was because he kept shooting me in the back (literally) after we joined forces Ü

On Sunday, we went to Waffle House with Carrie & Nick and Matt & Ashley. We justified that since it was after midnight, it was technically Monday so we weren't breaking the Sabbath Ü. It was kind of weird to just pick up and go with no planning and to be able to leave Deacon sleeping at Gma/Gpas house.

Matt and Ashley at Waffle House (pic stolen off their blog:)

On Monday we went to the "zoo" (one of Gma Jo's cousins who lives down the street and has a lot of animals). Cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, three different dogs, peacocks, and more. Deacon could not get enough of the chickens and he kept chasing them, tripping on all the holes, and falling to the ground. I tried not to think of all the chicken poo he was landing in.
No pictures, but on Tuesday (I think) Nathan and I went to get mani-pedis at Wal*Mart Ü. He hasn't had either and I've never had a pedicure, so it was fun. I was actually impressed with the nice set up. Super fancy leather massage chairs with basins to do the pedicure. The girl that was doing Nathan's feet lifted his foot up, looked at it, put it back down.....and then went to put gloves on before proceding Ü. I laughed out loud because now he knows why I don't like playing footsies in bed at night. After our pedicures though, our feet we sooooo soft and there was some foot action that night. Grandma Jo watched Deacon while we were getting this done, and then we went to see Valkrye at the movie theatre. Even though I don't like Tom Cruise, we both liked the movie. Lots of retired folks at the theatre in the middle of the day! Ü

On Wednesday (New Years Eve) we drove to Las Vegas. We went out to eat at Famous Dave's with Matt and Ashley and then they showed us a really fun time on The Strip (is that supposed to be capitalized?). I didn't realize they shut down the whole road and you can walk down the middle of the street! I think we have been living in Utah for too long because I was totally blown away by everything I saw!!! There was a girl walking around with no pants on! Ashley and I were going to ask her if she forgot something, but then we saw another girl in a similar outfit. I guess it's the style to wear a shirt with some fishnet stockings and pretend it's a dress Ü. Pretty much everyone was carrying around a pitcher of alcohol. Twice there were people that stopped right in front of us to puke. Luckily we weren't splashed on. We gathered in the street outside the Paris Hotel to watch this guy on a motorcycle jump the replica of the Arc de Triomphe. While we were watching, this drunk guy was going around offering everyone a sip of his drink. To our surprise, a lot of complete strangers were accepting and all drinking from the same cup! When he got to us, all four of us said no. He kept pressing us and asking why. I pointed to my belly and told him it was because I was pregnant. I said, "Don't you remember? It's your baby after all!" I then told him I needed some money for child support. He got this confused look on his face like he was trying to remember me. Later we watched the water and lights show at the Bellagio.....and witnessed a guy peeing into the water. In front of everyone, without a care in the world! I can't be too hard on him though. Being pregnant I can't hold it very long either. I drank too much water with dinner and since it was going to be a long walk before we found restrooms, I went in the parking garage as soon as we parked (a la Seinfeld). I was in such a hurry to make sure I didn't get caught, that I forgot to reach back and grab my camera from the car. So I have NO pictures of this lovely night : (

We ended up leaving early (the pregnant lady in our group could only walk so many miles) so we missed the fireworks. I couldn't believe how many parents were hauling small children around! I don't know...just the environment and being so late at night....I thought it was crazy. We were very glad that Matt's sister Becca watched Deacon for us! Thanks!

Since I didn't take any pictures, is it weird if I instead post some pictures from the last time we went down the strip with Matt and Ashley....a couple days before New Years 2004? Time flies!

Anniversary

Today is our sixth anniversary. We're gonna go crazy tonight with some Martinellis (Thanks mom!). We googled the "traditional" gift for the sixth anniversary and it is candy or iron (Huh?). Anyway, I found this video about what NOT to give for an anniversary and the whole thing is HiLAriOus!

On the 6th Day of Christmas.....We Made Christmas Cookies

We made Christmas Cookies for Nathan's Home Teaching families. We did sugar cookies and decorated them with different colors. I only had Halloween/Fall cookie cutters, so we used a leaf cookie cutter and after the green frosting it looked just like a Christmas Tree. We also made snicker doodles, but instead of sugar/cinnamon, we dipped them in red or green jello. I think my mom invented that and it makes them look festive and taste soooo good.

Turns out, Nate's HT partner already bought cookies for the families (how often does that happen?---both guys taking care of treats?). So I ended up taking the cookies to my Visiting Teaching ladies Ü.

It took a few tries, but we showed Deacon how to roll them. He would roll a cookie, place it on the pan, then pick it up and eat it Ü. He'd make this cute "rarara" noise while rolling. We think he was trying to say "roll roll roll".

On the 4th Day of Christmas........We Went To See Christmas Lights

For youth group, we planned a trip to Temple Square to see the Christmas Lights. We'd been wanting to go as a family, so Nathan and Deacon came too. It was soooooo cold that night (I think single digits). I bought a bunch of those hand warmer packets that last several hours. They even make some to put in the sole of your shoes to keep your feet warm. Deacon wore two of everything: shirts, pants, mittens, socks, hats, blankets:
Everyone loved his blinking hat (thanks Grandma Jo!)

There were so many people there, we actually never met up with our group! Ooops. So it was just the three of us.

When it got too cold outside, we made our way indoors to the Visitor's Center. There was a huge crowd around The Christus statue.

There were lots of other statues too. Nathan wondered where the original (au natural) Adam and Eve statue was. Inappropriate, I know. Ü