ashley and jordan

my life is super interesting

2012-02-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

i mean really i have spent my time lately browsing websites like these:
common and proper nouns
shakespeare's language
shakespeare's language of flowers

see? i told you. super interesting
actually, i have to say that teaching is really fun.
most of the time.
and definitely a challenge.
all of the time.

for the past four years my work has been my life.
of course my husband, family, and friends and my beliefs play a big role in my life,
but i have literally spent all my time dedicated to work.

and although working is likely going to still be a part of my life
i have a feeling that my priorities are about to take a major shift.
and i couldn't be happier about that.

however, there are many moments when i wonder how it will all work out.
{especially when i hear people share insensitive comments about people they know whose children call the babysitter mom}
i wonder if i will have time for everything that i need to do.
i worry about it.
and sometimes i wonder if i can do it.

no matter what, when i think about this topic
i always think that as rewarding and wonderful as it is to be called mrs. furness by my students
i think i will enjoy being called mom by my own child so much more.

photo by alex hawker

p.s. on a totally unrelated note, i like this photo because it builds my confidence and it reminds me of how much i LOVED my short hair. yes, the hair debate is on more than ever.

valentine's wish list

2012-01-26T15:56:00.000-08:00

i stopped by the grocery story earlier this week and was beckoned by the candy aisle
of course i yielded when i happened upon sweetarts, butterfingers, and reeses- all heart shaped
i have been itching to put out my valentine's decor and will most likely be doing this today

and i have been thinking of all the cute things i could get for myself to celebrate this day
so that's what this post is: a list dedicated to the day devoted to love

via

i bought a headband from ban.do on sale for a steal a while ago

and i have never been the same.

i.love.ban.do.

via

and come to think of it any of these maternity dresses would be nice.

via

i am also dying over these tiny toms

conclusion: do i need any of these? not really. do i want them? absolutely. will i buy them for myself? depends. it may have been a good idea to purchase the chocolate after all, especially if it curbs my appetite for all things valentine's day related.

temple square

2012-01-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

before we left for california

hailey, jordan, and i stopped by temple square to see the lights

i was afraid we wouldn't go this year, but it worked out perfect

being at temple square with the nativities and the beautiful lights are a perfect reminder of why we celebrate the christmas season.

why we have temples

2012-01-17T12:39:00.000-08:00

i just read this talk by elder richard g. scott. i have often wondered what i would say if i were asked why the lds church builds temples all over the world and elder scott's article answered many of my questions.

in the temple we can be sealed to our families. both jordan and i were born to parents who had been sealed in the temple and we know that our families will be together for eternity. because jordan and i have been sealed we know that it is possible for us to be together forever. this blessing also makes it possible for our children to be with us forever.
we also know that these blessings depend on how we choose to live our lives here. elder scott tells of his own experience with realizing this fact after losing two of his children. returning to the temple helps us to be reminded of these blessings and what we should be doing in our lives to live righteously.
elder scott also bears his testimony that attending the temple brings peace, joy, and understanding into our lives.

i am so grateful for temples on the earth today. i need to be better about making sure that temple attendance is a part of my regular schedule. i know that the temple is the house of the Lord.

27 weeks

2012-01-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

i am loving this purple, silky shirt

lately i have started to feel like i am obviously pregnant

however, when i went to the dentist i told them that i was wanting to make sure my teeth and gums are still ok because i am expecting

they didn't believe me

baby girl is doing great

she is constantly moving around

i absolutely love these reassuring feelings

i am amazed that we have come this far!

there is still so much that i need to do to be ready for this little girl

i get so excited when i look at the teeny clothes we have waiting for her

i just can't wait to hold her!

our new year's vacation part 5

2012-01-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

day 5: the boys spent day 5 at the rose bowl! they watched a great game where oregon beat wisconsin. all of them had a great day. the girls found the fabulous south coast plaza mall in costa mesa and we shopped until we dropped. {and took absolutely no pictures}

day 6: our trip came to an end. we flew in a tiny plane back to salt lake city.

this was such a fun week with our family. we loved spending time with my parents and siblings. it was great to travel with everyone {it was the first time ever traveling with the in-laws}. i loved it! i feel like my belly doubled in size on the trip and it was fun to have my family share the excitement that baby girl is almost here! it was just great to be all together, and we did so many exciting things. as soon as i hugged my brother to tell him goodbye i started crying because i love spending time with my family. i'm so glad to have them; they have become my best friends.

our new year's vacation part 4

2012-01-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

day 4: we went to church with our cousins, jason and geri, visited huntington beach, and explored downtown hollywood.

i couldn't resist taking this "baywatch" picture. haha

our new year's vacation part 3

2012-01-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

day 3: DISNEYLAND! i loved this day because there was so much that i could do, which explains how there are far less pictures of this day than others. we went on rides all day. i hit up the alice in wonderland ride, the monorail, pirates of the caribbean, and downtown disney. day 3 was new year's eve so we were there for the fireworks {at 8:45 p.m. we missed ringing in the new year because we were exhausted. but we did order pizza and drank sparkling cider.}

our new year's vacation part 2

2012-01-10T15:52:00.000-08:00

day 2: drive by at the staples center + universal studios + then back to the staples center for a clippers vs. bulls game = a jam packed day of fun.

this is marley from marley and me

our new year's vacation part 1

2012-01-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

this year we were so lucky to be able to go to california after christmas with my family. we spent three days at amusement parks {with a basketball game thrown in}, one day at the beach and sightseeing, and one day of shopping for the girls and the rose bowl for the guys. it was such a great trip! i loved being with my family and may have shed a few tears when i hugged them goodbye. i worried beforehand that i would feel left out not going on the rides, but i had such a great time. we filled our days with so much fun i am going to have to split this post into several parts.

day 1: traveling and knott's berry farm

when i saw this crazy roller coaster i wanted to ride so badly

i felt a teeny bit sorry for myself

i still want to go... someday...when my baby won't be at risk

it seriously looked like a good time

luckily my mom was not all about the crazy rides, so we sat on a bench and talked

and then hopped on the train

hanging out with her made me feel better about missing out

the authentic train ride was complete with bad-guys attempting to hold up passengers...it was a good time.

i love him

2012-01-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

i am a lucky lucky girl

really that is an understatement

this guy is so great to me

and i just love how much he cares about his baby girl

it melts my heart

i also love that the past few callings we have had in church have been together

today as we were teaching our sunday school lesson

it hit me, once again, that this truly is a good man

and actually, i am more than lucky

i am very blessed

a post i missed

2012-01-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

so i forgot to post this...
it's from my birthday
which was almost six months ago
go on and have a looksie
it's fun to look at pictures of me sans belly
and there is a funny story about a birthday gift

christmas in idaho

2012-01-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

i absolutely love going home for holidays
every time we go i realize how lucky we are that we grew up in the same town and we only have to walk across the road to visit each family
this year we stayed at my parents' house
we went to family parties with both my extended families
we ate delicious food
jordan went skiing with his cousins and i went shopping with my youngest sisters
the boys went shooting out in the field
my dad took jordan for a drive in the vette and jordan has not stopped thinking about it since
we spend christmas evening with the furness family and had a killer party
{i even got to see sweet little baby pics of jordan that made me even more excited to see who baby girl looks like}
and of course it is so fun to give each other gifts and see the reactions
for the first time, jordan and i surprised each other with our gifts and i loved it.

all in all being at home is always such a great way to take a break from regular life

jordan completely surprised me with a basket for my beach cruiser!
i seriously can't wait to go for a bike ride.

almost 26 weeks

2012-01-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

tomorrow i will be 26 weeks
it seems crazy to me that in about 14 weeks she will be here
i am loving this stage of pregnancy
besides being tired, i feel great
it seems weird to me that i fit into maternity clothes and that few of my normal clothes actually fit
{i happened upon some great maternity stores in california}
when i look at these clothes i want to laugh because they seem big, but then i put them on and they fit perfectly
i love that i feel her move around almost constantly
and i love that other people can feel her move and kick too
it makes me so excited and i just want to hold her

2011: a year remembered

2011-12-31T12:51:00.000-08:00

happy new year!
it makes me sad to see 2011 go
but i am very exciting about the things to come in 2012

for me, this year was all about learning.
and i am afraid that learning patience may be an ongoing lifelong lesson
but i encountered lesson after lesson on patience this year.

for a while, i have felt like i have been needing something in my life
i consider my life very fulfilling
i have a great family and amazing husband
and my job is really one of the best things i can imagine doing with my life
but something was missing

i hope that i can apply what i learned by finding the joy in my role as a mother

i hope that i will continue to enjoy the good and bad that comes with pregnancy

i hope that i will enjoy the late nights, the early mornings, and the never ending work that comes with the job title 'mom'

and i hope that when i am tempted to complain i will remember the year that i spent learning about patience

and that i will always act like i remember that this baby girl is a blessing that i am grateful to have

and i can honestly say that i am grateful for the gospel
because i have learned a little more of what it means to trust in the Lord
and i have gained a bit more understanding of His timing

i also learned a little bit more about my role as a teacher
i am the kind of person who grieves any ending
and the end of the school year was no exception for me
as i said goodbye to my students, who taught me more about life and learning than i taught them, i learned that being a teacher is wonderful
and a part of the blessing of my profession is that i have a short window of time to inspire, teach, and to learn from my students
i hope it has helped me to make better use of my time and to strive to have a good attitude about teaching

i also learned more about appreciating the people i have in my life
and i hope that i will act like i have learned something about this.

merry christmas

2011-12-23T12:34:00.000-08:00

photo and card design by alex hawker photography

because i have neglected to post these

2011-12-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

my seester informed me that i have not been doing my duties of posting photos
because she heard from my other seester that the bump has truly become apparent

i know, i have seriously been slacking
i have many excuses
some include the fact that i am alone a lot of the time and my pictures turn out like what you are about to see
i also bust out the sweatpants right after arriving home from work
etc. etc. etc.
it's seriously sad.
also, whenever i do take pictures i am always wearing this same outfit
ridiculous.

week 20 ish

see, not the best photos.
this is why i don't always post these
and i don't feel like they do the belly justice
it's better in real life.

also, terrible background.
this is the day we decided to move our room into the office so that baby could haver her own place
then we went to a baptism and i got to wear my new maternity dress
afterwards we came back and finished putting the rooms together
{it's still a work in progress}

week 22

now it feels like christmas

2011-12-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

it never fully feels like christmastime until the week that school is out
{especially this year with the lack of snow}
i just have a hard time focusing on more than one thing at a time
and right now there are three things needing focus: teaching, baby planning, and christmas
naturally, christmas has been pushed to the end

i have managed to do a few things christmas related
i have bought and wrapped all our gifts
and i have decorated our house
{every year i ask jordan if i can decorate before thanksgiving but he is a firm believer in thanksgiving and does not want it to be overshadowed by christmas}

the tree
we added some ornaments that my mom sent with us last year that i was given while growing up
and i made the star for the top

this nook is seriously my favorite
i love the table, typewriter, and the pear
and i love the stockings and other things added to it for the holidays
the little clock sings christmas carols on the hour and i love it

ribbons for christmas cards

the nativities

i love having a piano

while posting these pictures i noticed that quite a few things have changed since they were taken

for example, a couple of decorations have broken

{some are repairable and some are not}

the tree tipped over

{it's likely that i set it up wrong. i'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that it's leaning so much in the photo. jordan, of course, saved it.}

the ribbons have been filled to the brim with christmas cards

{receiving cards may be the highlight of the pre-holidays}

when i think about it i truly love our little home

it's not fancy and it's not filled with expensive things

but everything we have holds a meaning to us

and we love it

there is something about putting together a home with the person you love

i will forever cherish our memories here

three years

2011-12-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

photo by alex hawker photography

i can hardly believe that it's been so long {and at the same time such a short amount of time} that we have been married

i can't imagine my life without jordan

he makes everything complete

he is the one who is sensible and calm

he is the one who can calm me down when i am upset

he helps me feel good about myself

he works hard and i am grateful i can trust him to take care of us

he makes me happier than i ever imagined i could be

and he believes in me

i have learned a lot about myself these three years

and i owe him for helping me to grow

i am beyond excited to see where year four takes us

we will be more than a married couple by this time next year,

we will be parents

and i am beyond grateful to be paired with jordan on this adventure

i love you babe

forever and ever

thoughts from today

2011-12-14T21:15:00.000-08:00

first, i have to explain why there are no pictures to go along with this post
i have pictures that i would like to add, but i have misplaced the camera
and since jordan is taking a final he is not here to find it for me
very often lately i can't seem to find things and he is able to find them
i guess that's why we make a good team

next, i have been terrible about posting lately
it's not because of a lack of things to write about
but because i have really just been enjoying my busy life
some of the current happenings are:

i have been trying to become a better teacher {which is quite consuming, but i love it}
{speaking of which, one of my students told my ta that the reason she is so quiet in my class is because she is afraid of me. i often wonder how this happens.}
my home is decorated for christmas and most gifts are wrapped and placed under the tree
i hosted book club with some ladies from work
i have been cooking real dinners in effort to nourish baby girl
we switched bedrooms and jordan set up the crib {yay}
last weekend we attended a beautiful and uplifting baptism
i have been sending out a few christmas cards

i am so grateful for christmastime
i love all of the traditions
last night we watched the christmas devotional from the first presidency
and it made me very excited about the season
and it helped me to be reminded of the reason why i celebrate the holiday
i am very grateful for jesus christ and i love this time to celebrate his birth and life

and i would say the most important thing that is going on lately
is that baby girl has been moving around like crazy
i swear there are times when she is doing water aerobics
it makes me wonder about her personality and if she will be as feisty as she seems to be
lately i have been feeling her kick very often
and i always tell jordan when she is moving and kicking
and she immediately stops when he tries to feel
but last night he felt her kick
it was so exciting

19 weeks

2011-12-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

so this was over two weeks ago, but here's documentation

lately

2011-12-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

we have really been enjoying life lately.

thanksgiving break was wonderful

and everyday it seems like we fall more and more in love with baby girl.

last night i was lying on the couch as we watched a movie

and she kicked.

over and over and over.

i could even feel it with my hand.

of course she'd stop every time jordan tried to feel it.

every time i feel her move i am so grateful to know that she is still doing well;

she is still there and still growing.

it is so reassuring.

over the break we had some family pictures taken by my seester

and i love them.

i think they are especially awesome because the bump is becoming more and more apparent.

so i just realized how many of these pictures i absolutely love

it could be because of the bump or because my husband is extremely handsome

or because our photographer rocks.

it might have something to do with the fact that this was the most fun i have had taking pictures in a long time.

seriously.

we laughed the entire time.

i think it is all of the above.

2011-11-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

the past week was wonderful
it normally doesn't get better than a two-day work week
and knowing that a trip to idaho is coming is just about the best thing we can ask for
but this year was a little bit different
we had a new anticipation as the thanksgiving holiday arrived

before we left on wednesday for thanksgiving
jordan and i had the best afternoon
he went to work that morning and i tried to focus on packing and cleaning
but i couldn't focus.
i was so excited
you see, on wednesday at two in the afternoon we had an ultrasound

i knew it would be amazing, but i had no idea the feeling that would come as i watched my little girl on the screen
we could see her little arms and hands curled up by her face
we saw her little lips and nose and noticed that her mouth is now able to swallow
the technician pointed out different organs which appear to be functioning perfectly
we saw her little feet and we noticed that she doesn't seem to stay still for long
and then it was most exciting when we found out that she is a SHE. a baby girl.
we are over the moon.

i am loving that i get to say she and her and baby girl
because it's hard to always say it and the baby
i am beginning to truly and deeply love this little person
and not just because it's exciting {although it is very exciting}
but i am feeling slightly more of the responsibility and the important role that i will have as her mother

any guesses?

2011-11-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

i honestly thought that i would be able to wait patiently until week twenty to find out whether we are having a boy or a girl
and while i have waited, i have been getting very antsy lately
so i was relieved when the doctor said i could find out before thanksgiving!

i really am so excited to know
i don't feel like i can officially start planning and preparing until i know

and it makes me especially excited to find out since husband is hoping so badly for a boy
{not that he wouldn't love a girl.}
and i really think it will be a girl

let me just say that we are absolutely thrilled that we are having a baby
and we are in love with the little one already
this news won't change any of that
it will just be exciting to know what we're planning for.

today i was talking to alex about what we think baby is
she said i never did a poll here on the blog
and she is right.
so you will notice the little poll on the left.
it closes next wednesday afternoon because we will know by then!

p.s. have you ever done anything special to reveal the gender of your baby? would you? do you think it's sweet or tacky?

horizontal stripes and 16 weeks

2011-11-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

i don't like to follow rules that say things like
no white after labor day or horizontal stripes are a no- go

i actually really like horizontal stripes
and i especially like this cute little sweater
it's comfy and loose fitting, but not baggy and frumpy
and i love how it fits over the bump
tomorrow is 16 weeks folks!
so excited about that.

more soup: minestrone

2011-11-02T16:06:00.000-07:00

i saw the recipe for this a few weeks ago and knew that i must make it.
it was just as delish as promised.
thanks geri!

{if you want to see more pretty pictures check out the blog where i originally saw it posted}

Ingredients:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 sm white onion, minced (around 1 c)
4 t garlic, minced (about 4 cloves)
1/2 c frozen french cut green beans
1/4 c celery (I like a little more, about 1 1/2 stalks)
1/2 c chopped zucchini
4 c vegetable broth (don't don't don't use chicken broth)
3 c hot water
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans (drained)
2 (15 oz) cans small white beans (drained)
1/2 c carrot, shredded
2 T fresh* parsley, chopped finely
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t dried basil
1/4 t dried thyme
4 c baby spinach
1/2 c small shell pasta

Directions:
1—heat EVO over med heat in a lg soup pot
2—saute onion, garlic, green beans, celery, zucchini in the EVO for 5 min or until onions begin to turn translucent
3—add vegetable broth, hot water, tomatoes, beans, carrot and spices
4—bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 min
5—add spinach leaves and pasta, simmer for 20 more min or until noodles are done

**i didn't have some of the ingredients, so i made some substitutions. i used dry onions, garlic, and parsley. i also didn't have spinach or kidney beans. so i added more white beans and extra pasta. and it was still GREAT!

it was especially delicious paired with knock off olive garden bread sticks that i found here

the best part of this recipe? it made plenty that i froze some and i will have lunch handled for the next few days!

fall colors

2011-11-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

we took a drive through the alpine loop during conference weekend.
it was the first time for both of us and we loved it.
it was gorgeous!
the road was a bit windy, so next time i will need to remember that when i am feeling a bit nauseas.
it really was so fun.
i just love husband. he's the best.

happy halloween

2011-10-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

halloween has been so fun this year
my favorite part of this holiday is dressing up
{and the candy isn't bad to have around}
we went to two halloween parties this weekend and saw lots of friends from our ward.

Cruella {from 101 Dalmatians} and Rod {from hot rod}
{yes, i was asked who cruella was at school. seriously.}

apparently some friends from our ward didn't recognize us.
this means our costumes were awesome.

some of our favorite people. the merrills with the cutest buzz lightyear ever.

also the scariest dinosaur. i love that he has two lollipops. one in each hand

and i was so excited to dress up for school
i have been planning it for weeks
it is always so fun to see the students' costumes.
but for some reason baby was not having it
i ended up having to come home because i felt awful
and we cancelled our plans for the evening.
but that's ok.
who doesn't like a night in when castle is on?
plus i have been able to pass out halloween candy to trick or treaters already!

looking back

2011-10-29T10:32:00.000-07:00

i have been noticing lately that this little old blog is actually getting old.
here are some of my favorite posts.

to my teenage self
a compliment
our latest news
me and the boy i love
one of the most memorable teaching moments

headbands

2011-10-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

lately i have been making lots of little headbands
just in case the little one is a lady
i have been making the flowers mini for little ones.

i went to a birthday party a bit ago for some of our friends' twin girls, so i decided to give them some of these mini flower headbands.
i love the packaging. it was a little gift i would have liked for myself.

soup cravings

2011-10-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

all i have wanted to eat lately is soup.
it doesn't matter if it's homemade or canned soup.
or if it's hot or cold out.
luckily it's getting colder.
i just want to eat it all the time.
and then i love drinking hot chocolate.

so i made a batch of white bean chili a couple weeks ago.
it was delicious with homemade rolls. {ahem, rhodes rolls}

here's the recipe i used from my friend sadie. it's a slight variation of andrae's. i love this soup.

3 to 4 Chicken Breasts (around 12 chicken tenders) cubed

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 TB olive oil

1 medium white onion chopped

*Combine ingredients in skillet. Heat until chicken is cooked

Add:

2 cans Great Northern Beans(regular white beans are good too), rinsed & drained

1 to 2 cans green chilies (small)

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1 to 2 14 oz. cans chicken broth

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

*Bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 min. Then add:

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream
(I do not add these, but I think most people do)

sadie suggested adding the spices to the chicken in the skillet and i tried it this time. it was delish. a little more spicy, but good.

baby bump

2011-10-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

i can't decide if it's just the dress or if the bump is really showing
when i was home this weekend i kept hearing that the bump is really not that noticeable.
so maybe it is only me.
it may be that i am just so excited.
{however, when i wore this dress on monday a parent told me she could see the bump and today a student said the same thing, so maybe it's not just me}

{keep in mind this is for documentation. not for any judgy judging. i know. most people get ready before they take pictures and post them on their blog. i have no shame and i take them after work. also i don't wear this dress everyday, even though it may seem like it.}

fall break

2011-10-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

last weekend was fall break and i was in need of a getaway
my ex-roommate natalie and i took a little vacation to idaho
it was a great trip
complete with hostess cupcakes and donuts, hanging out in blackfoot, dancing with the xbox kinnect, burgers and fries, a trip to jackson, shopping at boutiques, lots of talking, and spending time with family.
i loved it. girl trips rock!
{i was also very happy to return to my sweet husband who had to stay for a test and schoolwork}

after sunday dinner my dad whipped out his cotton candy machine
is he going to be a great grandpa or what?

today i am thinking

2011-10-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

i found out some sad news.
sometimes it's hard to hear about trials that other people go through
it's difficult to know that there is someone who is suffering
whose loved ones are suffering even more

and then i read this article
it's beautiful.
and real.

and i feel like i am starting to look at things with a different perspective.

i don't think i have all the answers.
in fact i know i do not.
but i have noticed some words from one of my favorite songs carries some strong comfort for times like this.
the entire song is beautiful and lovely, but i have bolded the lines that i think especially apply.

More holiness give me,
More strivings within,
More patience in suff’ring,
More sorrow for sin,
More faith in my Savior,
More sense of his care,
More joy in his service,
More purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me,
More trust in the Lord,
More pride in his glory,
More hope in his word,
More tears for his sorrows,
More pain at his grief,
More meekness in trial,
More praise for relief.

More purity give me,
More strength to o’ercome,
More freedom from earth-stains,
More longing for home.
More fit for the kingdom,More used would I be,
More blessed and holy–
More, Savior, like thee.

television

2011-10-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

we are not big tv people
in fact, for over two years now we have somehow survived without any channels.
{unless you count that one spanish channel and our occasional viewing of dora the explorer or the spanish version of jerry springer, which even a non-spanish speaker like myself can appreciate}

there is, however, one show that we plan for each week. castle
it is awesome. i love it so much.
and now we can actually watch it at home.
{although we will never end the tradition of watching it with our good friends, the merrills.}

on the weekend of general conference jordan set to work to install a huge antennae on top of our house.
and it worked.
we now can watch castle, general conference, and byu football to our hearts' content.
sometimes i forget that it is even an option to watch tv.
we are like little kids when we discover that there is a channel that we didn't realize we had.

and it's fantastic that now i get to watch ice skating, the x factor, and history channel specials.

last sunday we made these

2011-10-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

delicious whole wheat oatmeal pancakes
we used our wheat grinder that jordan's parents gave us for christmas last year
we were both very excited about it
and they tasted so delicious. seriously.
i kind of want to eat them again. maybe tomorrow.
i think next time i will put the oatmeal in the blender so that it's not so noticeable.
but really, even jordan thought they were delish, which means you can't even tell that they were healthy pancakes.

via

more spiders

2011-10-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

this fall has been the fall of spiders.
a few weeks ago i was up at about two in the morning for my routine bathroom break
and i about fell on the floor when i saw the hugest spider
it was the kind that you know is going to explode if you smash it
it gave me some serious shudders.
and then i realized
that i was not going to be the one to kill this thing
the only option was to wake up jordan.
i don't think he was too happy when i woke him up to kill a spider...
especially when he realized what time it was.
and he seemed to get more annoyed when i told him to hurry or it would get away.

but then he saw it
and he almost immediately told me he was glad i woke him up for that
who wants some size-of-your-palm-spider creeping around their house?
while you are asleep?

needless to say i could not sleep after that.

then the other day hailey pointed out another spider, this time in the living room.
it was huge, but nothing like the one from the middle of the night.
i mustered up all my courage and killed it.
so i guess you could say i am back in the saddle again.
and i will survive all these spiders.

bloom part 2

2011-10-12T16:16:00.000-07:00

after yesterday's post i assume that you think my aunt janet is pretty cool

well she took my challenge and visited bloom just like i asked

it was so nice of her.

and she got to meet kendi and bryan

i am very jealous, but also very grateful that i got an inside view without having to pay for the roundtrip airfare.

someday soon i will be there in person with janet. hopefully.

halloween decor

2011-10-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

ok i finally realized why i am feeling an overwhelming urge to decorate for halloween, drink apple cider, and buy halloween candy. it could be the fact that i spent the evening at my friend's house where it was completely decorated to the nines with halloween decor.

but i think the real person to blame here is my aunt janet, aka little pink moth. take a look at her front porch. that's right painted pumpkins. zombies and all.

oh and if that wasn't cool enough she also has a haunted bird house village inside. i wish that janet could share some of her decorating brilliance with me.

holidays

2011-10-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

happy new year 2010

maybe it's because i am constantly looking ahead because of some exciting events taking place this spring
or maybe it's due to the fact that i am a teacher and the holiday breaks make me more thrilled than any student

but i am ready for the holidays. i seriously cannot wait.
this year i am going to put a little more planning into the season.

for halloween i am actually planning my costume ahead of time. and it will be one i have not worn before. {let's hope it works out.}

i hope to experience black friday for the first time ever. that's right. i have never been.

and we will be taking a little trip with my entire family for christmas. i am so excited!

sometimes i don't like change, so i will make sure that the amount of apple cider, hot chocolate, fudge, and christmas music will stay the same. these new things should just make it that much better.

what are you doing for the holidays? and do you have any tips for shopping on black friday?

breakthrough

2011-10-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

today i did something amazing.

it reminded me of pam beasley from the office.

i stood up for myself.

now don't get me wrong there are many situations where i am completely capable of this.

but there are some people who intimidate me.

for example, when someone is older, more irritable, or extremely confident i find myself becoming weak and just going along with whatever.

but not today.

and i was very professional.

little things really do have a great impact.

confessions of mine

2011-10-04T18:37:00.000-07:00

i am listening to christmas music. yes, it's the fourth of october. and yes i did listen to a few christmas favorites back in june. i also secretly hope that it snows within the next couple weeks. {but i do my other holidays justice. i have pumpkins on my porch and other halloween and fall decorations up right now.}

one thing that has always been constant in my life, and especially my life since leaving my mom's house with delicious cooking, has been peanut butter and jam. i can't get enough of it. it seems so satisfying. the first time my sister visited my college apartment she realized how often this simple sandwich was my meal. she immediately took me to quizno's for lunch and then the grocery store. since then my family continues to check on me and ask how often i have had pb&j. this craving has returned hard core the last few months. i guess little one likes it too. it's interesting to see which foods i want to eat and which foods i absolutely do not want to eat. {another example, i have been eating soup almost every day for the last week.}

another example: yogurt with granola. and it's in a measuring cup because i hadn't done dishes. oops. {i guess i'm going all out with these confessions.}

ok last confession for today. i bought a maternity dress... last spring. not because it was needed. it was just cute. and most maxi dresses go beyond the floor when i try them on. but not this one. and i think i was able to get away with it. but now i am loving this comfy and soft dress that is oh so effortless. and of course it's fabulous with my favorite mustard cardigan.

thank you

2011-09-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

for all the sweet comments about our news
we are seriously excited for this little one
and i cannot wait to know if i can say he or she
i am officially twelve weeks today
and i'm hoping that the second trimester is an improvement
i love having this experience and it's so fun to think about this tiny little baby
i am beyond grateful that this is actually happening.
it would just be nice not to worry about feeling sick
as i am teaching my middle school students.

really though i can't complain
because being tired and feeling sick means that baby is still there

a couple weeks ago jordan and i heard our baby's little heartbeat
it was the most amazing sound
we loved it
and we love knowing that yes, there really is a baby.

12 weeks!
this picture looks like i just drug myself out of bed and got ready after spending eight hours of parent teacher conference in two days and yes, indeed i did. i am looking forward to the day when i will be on the parent side of the table.

a bit of news..

2011-09-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

and we are thrilled.

bloom

2011-09-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

have i ever shared how much i love texas?
i do
i spent a couple weeks there visiting my aunt janet and her family
when i was in high school
then i save my money and went again in college
i love it.
the dallas area is absolutely fantastic.
and i know i have forgotten many things
so it seems only right to go again...soon.
and i'm also being slowly convinced by the fact that my favorite fashion blogger, kendi
is opening up what i anticipate to be an amazing shop, bloom, in mckinney
fate?
yes.
janet, i may have to live through you.
go to bloom and tell me exactly what it's like. pretty please.

we went to the fair

2011-09-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

wilson phillips came to the utah state fair last thursday

and we went.

of course i went and natty and her friends went.

but even jordan got to see them.

unfortunately it was not all that i had expected.

they only sang three of their songs

but it was great to be there

and it was fun to sing along with them

and dance, of course.

we ate a scone covered in cinnamon and sugar and dipped in honeybutter

it was a close runner-up to the tiger ear at the idaho fair

and jordan got to go on the crazy spinny ride

{later we realized that jordan had lost his phone while on this ride, so we had to go back to get it this week}

cafe search: the chocolate

2011-09-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

natty and i tried out a newish place in orem

the chocolate

she was so nice and asked me to go for my birthday.

we had a delicious pazooki

oh my

it was heavenly.

seriously, so good.

i want to go back.

and of course it was so fun to chat with nat.

sometimes i wish those roommate days had lasted just a little bit longer.

oh and that is the shirt i made

and i have been super lame and didn't post about it at all.

it started out as a dress.

a pretty not-flattering dress

and then i saw a tutorial that changed this dress' life

and it became a shirt.

a cute, comfortable, anthro knock-off shirt.

and i love it.

remembering

2011-09-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

viaWorld Trade Center Outline Project

i hope we are all remembering.

in my classes on friday we discussed the difference between remembering and celebrating

i hope september 11 never becomes a holiday

or a celebration

i hope we continue to go to school, work, and church on this day

i hope that we continue cleaning the house

and i hope we hold our loved ones close

and most importantly i hope we choose to remember

the most recent time magazine was all about september 11

and i learned something profound

a wife of one of the men on the planes was quoted saying that she is a peaceful person and she doesn't wish revenge on anyone.

she believes that judgement comes after this life.

i thought that was beautiful.

she is in a position that almost justifies hate and a wish for revenge

but she has made a better choice.

i hope to see from this perspective.

the summer i spent reading harry potter

2011-09-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

my journey with harry potter begins and ends at king's cross station.

i went there merely to visit the tourist attraction that i thought was absurd

and that i kind of made fun of

then i received the assignment

that changed my summer plans

and i couldn't put the books down

really i became a true harry potter fan

tonight i finished the last of the series

and although i didn't, i felt like shedding a tear.

i loved it and am proud of myself for finishing it.

and i'm especially proud that this experience has brought the reader in me back.

somehow when you have stacks of college history books lurking over your head it's hard to find a reason to avoid them and read for pleasure.

but it's come back and i am truly the reader i once was.

{and i'm really looking forward to the movie. i waited to see it!}

cookbook

2011-09-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

my mom has an amazing cookbook:
the better homes and gardens step by step cookbook
it has simple, detailed recipes for delicious food
lately when i have been calling my mom for a recipe
it has been from this cookbook

and it has step by step instructions with pictures
seriously so awesome
and it was only a couple dollars on amazon
i have been excited about it all week and it finally came.

so last night we had peach crisp
amazing.

i love this

2011-09-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

the sweetest thing ever.

school has begun

2011-08-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

this is me on the first day of school

basically my life is school now.

it's great, but also very exhausting after doing nothing all summer.

everything seems to be off to a great start

and i really am loving having a fresh start with new students.

but i miss the old ones.

i don't think i ever wrote about my students last year.

they were fantastic.

i loved getting to know them

and we had so much fun with all the books we read.

i love it when my jr. high students ask me questions about me, because they actually care about the answer.

this last school year ended with some of my favorite days ever.

the 9th grade graduation was such an emotional day for me.

i gave out awards to my journalism students

and it was terribly hard to realize that they wouldn't be back.
and i was honored to hear one of my students bring up a game we played way back in october as part of his "top ten things he'd remember from 9th grade"

that night one of my students told me that another student's parents had thanked her because she had been such a great friend to this student.

and then she told me that it had all started with an english project.

i was so glad to see that the project had actually helped someone.

i also chaperoned the 9th grader trip to lagoon.

i expected to spend the day alone,

but a group of wonderful kids invited me to hang out with them.

and it was so fun.

they were shocked that i would go on all the rides.

three of us even rode the skycoaster!

it was so overwhelming to have so many sweet students and parents tell me how grateful they are for my work.

honestly, that's all i need to make my job completely worth it.

i was sad to see the year end, because i knew that no students would ever be like the last.

but now that school has started again

i am realizing that that's ok.

and even though it's different and new

it will still be just as great.

and i am excited for what is to come.

birthday

2011-08-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

so the actual day of my birthday was fantastic
we went to church at home, which i love, because there are so many nice people who come and say hi
my mom made peas and potatoes for dinner
it's my fave and it was delicious

and i wore my new favorite shirt
yes, i made it

copper just really wanted to be in the picture

when we went to say bye to jordan's family his mom had a birthday cake waiting for me!

and of course it was my favorite, chocolate with chocolate frosting.

so yummy

a fondue style birthday

2011-08-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

my birthday is always around fair time in mud lake
and this year it was on a sunday
so we decided to spend the weekend in idaho
and we had a fondue party on saturday afternoon to celebrate

and so many nice people from my family came

jordan was super sweet and made me a "cake" out of fondued items
it was super delish

summer isn't over yet

2011-08-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

nope it's not.
even though i have gone back to school for meetings
and i am starting to feel more responsibility
it's not even close to over.
there is still plenty of time for us to do the fun things we want to.

i had a huge realization this summer
i noticed that when i don't have anything going on i usually don't get started with my day until around 1 or 2 or sometimes even later
well, during the school year i am done and can leave by 3:30
so that means if i can be productive and get things done
i should have plenty of time for fun

26th birthday

2011-08-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

i was ultra spoiled on my birthday

this boy has really gotten good at listening to me share all my wants and wishes

this was proven when i saw this bag

exactly. he knew exactly what i'd been wanting.

seriously, alex is awesome and gives the greatest gifts.

you can't really tell from the picture, but this shirt is totally blinging

the ruler is so sparkly.

these comfy sandals were brought back from hawaii for me

alex had some and had been wearing them around for a while

one day she asked what i thought of them

and i told her they were not cute. in fact, they were kind of ugly.

i guess this was terrible news because they were just waiting for me to open them on my birthday!!

haha

they are way comfy

it's a good thing alex totally knows me and was not offended

thank you thank you!

that was such a great birthday!

fear

2011-08-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

i have shared my fears of some scary creatures before {i.e. spiders}
and i have told you that swimming is not really my thing
so you may think i am somewhat wimpy.
but i must tell you, the reason i have such fears is because there are some very frightening things out there.
take a look at these pictures.
they are very very cool in the sense that it's a photo of what's both above and below the water.
but seriously my heart nearly stopped in fear when i saw them this morning.

{both via}

yes, it's true that i can be someone who is easily afraid
and am limited in the activities that i do.

there are some things that i am terrified of and will rarely do - and often won't:
swimming in water where the bottom is not visible, steep water slides, anything where a mouse is involved, scary movies, haunted places {whether real or fake}

then there are some things that are frightening and i will do after consideration or some convincing {usually i end up enjoying it, it's just making that step is difficult}:

eating new and unusual food, playing video games {it's terribly embarrassing with my skill level}, diving boards, rafting,

then there are things that are scary for some, but i have no fear:

roller coasters, airplane travel, visiting new and different places {with some reasonable exceptions, of course}

divine

2011-08-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

oh my how delicious do these look?

a layer of oatmeal cookie

covered with a gooey chocolate

and then more oatmeal cookie crumbled on top

delish.

this is a specialty of jordan's mom.

and luckily we grew up in the same town

so i happen to have the local cookbook

and we whipped up a batch of these babies

i am seriously beginning to feel like georgia in last holiday

when she takes pictures of all the meals she cooks

{come to think of it, you should check out that movie. queen latifah and ll cool j. what more could you ask for? it's so awesome. watch the trailer here. }

p.s. here's the recipe

1 c. butter or margarine 2 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla.

Add mixture of the following:

2 1/2 c. flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. soda 3 c. quick oats

Spread above mixture on a jelly roll size pan, reserving approximately 1/4 of mixture to use later. (a fork works well to spread with.)

Melt together:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips 1 can sweetened condensed milk 2 Tbsp. margarine 1/2 tsp. salt

Add: 1 c. chopped nuts 2 tsp. vanilla

Spread melted mixture on top of dough mixture in pan. Crumble reserved dough on top of chocolate mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until crumbles on top have turned golden brown.

do you ever...

2011-08-02T13:58:00.000-07:00

read other people's blogs and feel a little intimidated by their life?
i stumble upon this feeling too often.
i find myself feeling jealous, inadequate, and just not put together at all.
and it makes me worry.

i recently read a quote from harriet beecher stowe's little foxes which helped explain this for me:

“A little community of people, all of whom would be willing to die for each other, may not be able to live happily together; that is, they may have far less happiness than their circumstances, their fine and excellent traits, entitle them to expect.

“The reason for this in general is that home is a place not only of strong affections, but of entire unreserves; it is life’s undress rehearsal, its back-room, its dressing-room, from which we go forth to more careful and guarded intercourse, leaving behind us much debris of cast-off and every-day clothing. Hence has arisen the common proverb, ‘No man is a hero to his valet-de-chambre;’ and the common warning, ‘If you wish to keep your friend, don’t go and live with him.’”

“Which is only another way of saying,” said my wife, “that we are all human and imperfect; and the nearer you get to any human being, the more defects you see… The evenness and beauty of a strong, well-defined nature, perfectly governed and balanced, is about the last thing one is likely to meet with in one’s researches into life.”

i don't mean to say that we would all be disappointed if we really knew people.

but i think it's comforting that this is true for me, you, and the girl whose blog i read though i've never met her.

{this makes me think that maybe i need a change of mindset or maybe i just need to limit my reading of blogs.}

park city staycation

2011-08-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

before every summer we have had a conversation about how we have to have fun and do as many fun things as possible while we have a break from school.

we are starting to feel the summer winding down

and decided we needed a little vacation.

so we headed up to park city.

we got there on friday evening and we had dinner at cafe terigo on main street

it was a lovely little cafe

and we were super lucky to get to sit out on the patio

after dinner we walked around main street and i discovered a little shop that i loved

and of course we indulged with some treats from the rocky mountain chocolate factory

via

the next morning we went up to the park city resort and rode the alpine slide and the alpine roller coaster

it's so crazy to see my favorite utah resort without the snow

we waited in line for a while- quite a long while actually

luckily we were there fairly early in the day, so it wasn't as long as it could have been

while we were waiting a little boy was crying and whining about how he was so scared and didn't want to go

i couldn't help but laugh

and it was especially funny because his friend kept looking at him like "what's wrong with you?"

and then his friend sat down in his sled and said "let's play mario kart!" and sang the mario kart music

after the alpine slide we waited in line again for a while to ride the alpine roller coaster.

seriously, the coaster is worth the wait

{and yes that is a band aid on my nose. quite the fashion statement, no?}

after we had finished at the resort we headed over to the outlet mall

seriously, this is the best kind of vacation

eat. play. shop.

and it makes it so wonderful when you have a super patient husband like mine who will let you look in all the stores you please.

{there are a few that he wanted to go look in as well}

when we were about to leave i saw that there was an ann taylor

of course we had to go there

and it was so funny to walk in and see several gentlemen seated along the window.

jordan took that as his cue and sat among them and waited patiently.

it was such a great vacation and a nice way to help wrap up the summer.

home is a place not only of strong affections...

2011-07-31T13:37:00.000-07:00

...but of entire unreserves; it is life's undress rehearsal, its back-room, its dressingroom.

{harriet beecher stowe, little foxes}

i feel that it is very important to make my home somewhere where i want to be

and place of comfort and peace.

i loved growing up in a home that was clean and neat, but also a place where i could actually live.

i hope that i am able to establish such a place for my family.

my seester alex made these curtains for me

do you like them better tied or untied?

we received this mirror for our wedding

i added the vinyl lettering

we lucked into these great rugs

and i think they really help make the room look nicer

and i am just so excited about the piano

and i absolutely love this picture of the rexburg temple

because this is where we were married.

when visiting husband's grandfather this summer he told us about the paintings in his home.

and he said there are two things that every good home needs

good music and good pictures.

it reminded me of the advice my mom gave me one time

to always have pictures of Jesus Christ and pictures of the temples in my home.

i love this advice.

garden

2011-07-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

we have attempted to grow a garden this year.
our greatest success so far has been the two plant boxes of zinnias
they look like they are getting ready to bloom.

for some reason the flowers on the outside edges are growing the fastest.
i can't wait to have pretty flowers growing.
the bottom boxes have had some struggles.
the left box is onions, and has been growing fairly well.
we had a great group of peas in the right box, but they died when we abandoned them for idaho.
now that box will hopefully grow a second crop of onions.
the middle box has had the worst luck.
we planted a beautiful flower and some asparagus, but the early rains this spring flooded them and they never grew.
now there is a half batch of peas, which appear to be dying and some carrots that never sprouted.
but really, at least we will have flowers and onions!

and i just had to include a picture of our patio area.
i just love sitting out here in the evenings.
it's so nice to have a grill and these comfy chairs.

dinner

2011-07-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

so very often people ask what i do in the summer.
i don't always have a lot to say.
but i have been trying to be better about cooking dinner.

brisket, yummy potatoes, and corn
the brisket recipe came from my first provo roommate who was from georgia.
that means this is authentic southern brisket.
it is to die for.
like melt in your mouth stuff.
see for yourself. {and this is even the second day leftover version}

mega nachos with beef, beans, and cheese melted on the tortilla chips.

i took the pioneer woman's advice and did two layers of all the good stuff.
delicious.
now i just need to try her homemade salsa.

rodeo

2011-07-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

we went to the days of 47 rodeo this year and were super lucky to have friends with connections which meant our seats were on the third row. right behind the announcer. it was so much fun. and of course we went out to eat at winger's before and lit fireworks after. what a great little date.

jewelry making and a story

2011-07-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

i bought these great beads early this spring and was set on making something with them

i have no experience in making any kind of jewelry

but yesterday hailey and i sat down to watch an anne frank movie

and i pulled out the beads, chain, and tools

after finishing our projects i don't think we are too terrible after all

i made this pearl and giraffe bead necklace

hailey made this purple snakeskin bead necklace

p.s. this necklace reminds me that the snake who once found refuge in our yard is gone.

we were eating grilled pizza outside this week with some friends

and jordan saw something moving in the grass

before any of the rest of us knew what was happening he had taken a post and was beating the snake to death.

{i would say poor snake, but it was very very slimy and gross}

unfortunately we didn't take any pictures of this incident.

maybe we can get some from our friends.

afterward their little boy {who loves jordan}

looked at jordan with very wide eyes for a while

and then kept pointing to the snake spot and the posts

it was crazy.

i am a grandma

2011-07-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

no, not an actual grandma.
i'm not even a mama so don't get too antsy.
but i love grandma-ish things

exhibit a: making homemade raspberry jam.
there is really NOTHING so delicious.
{and pretty dang easy}

exhibit b: quilting.
i love it. unfortunately this was the last quilt i made.
but this is one of my favorite things to do.
and i just really like sewing.
i love love love the fabric, and fabric shopping is right up there with clothes shopping.
and i love the end product.

exhibit c: my clothes.

i would wear a hat and gloves everyday if i had it my way.

i would love that.

sometimes i want to be really brave and do that.

luckily i stumbled upon this sweet little style blog. i think we might be soul sisters.

{p.s. this is what i wore to my bridal shower with the roommates. the invite said "dress as lady-like as you please". seriously, my roommates know me well.}

i make fun of myself sometimes because of my grandma ways.

but really i love it.

it's part of the chicken tail dilema.

but it's me.

{and i am pretty dang grateful that i know how to do these cool grandma things.}

we like to go riding

2011-07-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

in case you don't recognize me by my eyes i am here to say that this is me. see, i am even wearing a hair elastic on my wrist. also i have sweet pink and black boots. convinced?

we have had a great pioneer day weekend and have found some great places to ride. friday night we found an awesome track and lots of trails out west of lehi. saturday we went on a pretty scenic ride up in the mountains. isn't that view beautiful?

it is so fun to be able to go together. i love that jordan actually wants to ride with me.

faux metal art

2011-07-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

a while ago my friend, aubree, shared some ideas for making these out of toilet paper rolls
i really liked them.

via

beautiful right? it doesn't even look like it came from toilet paper rolls
i decided to copy the top picture:

1. collect tp and paper towel rolls
{note: currently i have charmin tp
which is HARD to clean off when the tp is gone.)

2. cut up into even pieces.
it's difficult and looks worse when they're uneven.

3. glue four together in a flower.
i used wood glue, which was awesome,
but craft glue such as tacky glue would work well.

4. put them in rows and glue them together at the corner of the flowers.

5. spray paint on newspaper outdoors

6. here it is.

i am loving it.

i'm planning to make two more panels and i will hang all three vertically across this space.

i think it's pretty.

and someday when i am brave, more of a perfectionist and have lots of patience i will try to make some that look like this:

via

cafe search: tam's dinner

2011-07-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

we met the newlyweds at my grandmother's to pick up some of their furniture

and ended up eating lunch at tam's in rigby

it was delicious

of course we had to try everything:

regular cheeseburger, cheeseburger on texas toast, fries, tots, and chocolate shakes

{this was literally a dream come true as i had dreamt about going to a burger place the night before. crazy right? do you ever dream about burgers? or any kind of food?}

family reunion

2011-07-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

the furness family has a tradition of a fun campout reunion

we had so much fun with all the cousins

visiting, swimming, spinning, eating.

jordan and kurtis planning their attack with the nerf guns

ready to attack

poor unsuspecting girls

getting more serious with their attacks

this wheel was so fun. it was constantly going and usually with a crowd of kids watching the excitement.

unfortunately it looks like i was not there.

but we had a blast and can't wait for next year

summer update, wildlife and numb face

2011-07-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

this summer has been so fun.

we have packed it full of trips to idaho,

delicious food,

old movies {we watched roman holiday, another audrey hepburn movie, i totally recommend it},

spending lots of time with family,

i have begun the third harry potter {loving it, i have even been reading in the car, although it makes me carsick},

fun and busy projects,

fourwheeling and dirtbiking,

and not nearly enough bicycle riding.

the other day i saw a quail in our backyard

and then noticed that there was a quail chicks following her

also {completely unrelated} for some reason i think it's funny to share things like this:

i went to the dentist today and half my mouth is still numb.

i had to get a little cavity filled.

but the laughing gas is so worth it.

and i got to watch a movie while the dentist worked on my mouth.

i know it's quite attractive.

but it keeps making me laugh.

me smiling

and laughing

i will be back with proof that we are still alive and well.

{we just really like to travel to idaho.}

proof

my new ride

2011-07-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

we spent the morning of the fourth riding

one thing that i LOVE about idaho is that there are places to ride all over

so we met jordan's friend, dakota

and while the boys rode around i got used to my new little ride.

when we bought this sweet little black and white banshee

jordan took her for a test drive

and the kind gentleman selling her asked if it was for me

i nodded

and he began to tell me that she goes pretty fast,

"she took me all the way up choke cherry without even hesitating, and i'm a big guy".

he began to tell me about the "power band" and i nodded while thinking i knew what he was talking about

seriously though,

she likes to go fast. very fast.

when jordan drives i sometimes close my eyes and hang on.

it sometimes feels like i could let go and just fly right off.

but that's not exactly what happens when i drive.

i am still learning about driving a four wheeler with clutch.

it's going alright.

{we won't talk about running over a sagebrush...luckily it's a light little thing and even though there's no reverse i can push it when i get a little bit stuck}

and of course i spent quite a bit of our riding time watching jordan and dakota on the jumps

we are in idaho

2011-07-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

for the wedding of these two lovebirds

i love weddings

they are especially fun when i get to wear a fancy dress and sip on some punch

oh yes i'm excited

{and if we're lucky a little nephew of ours will be there.}

we are in for a seriously good time.

i knew i loved all things british

2011-06-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

remember my assignment?

so i gave in

i read the first book

it took me a minute because i was super busy

but when i wasn't reading it
i was thinking about it.
can't wait to read the next one.

and because i had a head start on reading the books...
here are pictures of Alnwick Castle in Scotland
you may recognize some of these pictures
because parts of harry potter was filmed here.
yes. very cool.

{and just a reminder before you go wondering why on earth i look like that... two reasons. 1. london/ scotland pictures 2. i had just spent hours on a bus}

summertime = roadtrips

2011-06-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

especially when there is a wedding coming up
{remember my brother? he's getting married on saturday}
and especially when our families have super fun reunions
which ends up being almost every single weekend

during my college days i could cruise to idaho in record time
i made sure i filled up with gas before i left
and i didn't stop for food, drinks, or bathroom breaks unless it was an absolute emergency
{and if people were driving too slow i would pass them.}

all of that has changed now
i like to take our time getting there
we sometimes stop for dinner
and sometimes for snacks
you better believe i have several snacks that i love for long drives...

hostess cupcakes
hostess raspberry filled donuts
naked juice- seriously the best
chocolate licorice
chex mix- original flavored
mcdonald big macs
maddox diner {brigham city, utah}
scotty's drive-in {idaho falls, idaho}

naturally, these drives are going to be really good for me.
{hey, at least we'll be happy}

summer is a time for movies

2011-06-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

you didn't ask for this {come to think of it, no one ever asks me to share my opinion here, but i do quite freely} but here are some of my thoughts on current movies we've seen.

what we have seen lately:

the king's speech {version pg-13 of course} -we both loved it. i always love the bbc; they do a great job of telling a story. i loved the emotion. i also loved the king's home life with his daughters and of course his endearing relationship with his very fashionable wife.

country strong- i know i've already gushed about it, but husband needed to see it. i knew he would appreciate the music so much more if he did. and i was right.

sabrina- {with audrey hepburn} i have the new sabrina, but this was the first time watching the original for each of us. we BOTH adored it. it's so sweet and charming.

breakfast at tiffany's- we watched this in the car going to yellowstone. jordan {and i} loved it. however, i struggle with motion sickness and movies in the car= headache and stomachache for me, so i will have to watch the rest later, especially since we found it on the $5 shelf at wal mart.

rabbit hole- {with nicole kidman} it was very sad, but amazing. i enjoy a good sad movie every once in a while.

what we {mostly I} want to see:

never say never- i think i just might give in to the bieber obsession just enough to watch the entire movie.
update: i LOVED this movie. so good and inspiring.

the italian job- we just found it for $5 at wal mart! i haven't seen it in forever.
update: loved it again, of course.

roman holiday- another audrey movie that my friend megan has been telling me about. we got it for $5 and i am so excited to see it.

what movies do you recommend?

strawberry days

2011-06-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

we went to strawberry days with my cousin brock and his wife carrie
and my sister hailey came and sat by us too
it was so fun
i got to wear my western shirt with rhinestones and my boots
and eat strawberries and cream
and there were fireworks after the rode!
plus we got to see the most hilarious little boy dancing in the middle of the arena
oh my. he was crazy.

heebie jeebies, spiders, and boys

2011-06-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

eew last summer i had two incidents with spiders
one was very large
one was very small and yucky
today i sat down to read a book and saw a spider crawling on the ruffle of my cardigan.
so gross.
right now i feel like there are ten spiders crawling on me.

also related, on friday i took jordan some dinner at work
and then we went to get frozen yogurt
but we were in separate cars because we had met at his work
on the way there i saw a mosquito flying around my car
i thought he was in my hair once
and i kept trying to smash him, but he kept getting away.
then he disappeared, but i was driving, so i wasn't really able to look for him
after a while he showed up on my arm and was starting to bite me, but i killed him first.

then after we got our yogurt i realized that he had bit my ankle.
oh but he didn't just bite me once
i had three bites.
ugh
i.hate.bugs.

why are they so frightening?

my roommates and i used to talk about the heebie jeebies when there was a boy who liked us, but we weren't into him and he weirded us out. when this happened my dad would tell me that i was too picky. but i knew i would find a boy who wouldn't give me the heebie jeebies...and i did.

not only does this boy not give me the heebie jeebies
he also fixes things like the sprinklers, holes in walls and ceilings, and cleans up really yucky messes.
he is great.

oh and i made this

2011-06-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

i love this little flower cluster.
love love love.
i made it the same day as the skirt
{i told you i could be productive}
i wore it pinned to my shirt
and i'm considering using it as a headband.
and now i want to make more.

and remember i have said before not to judge my pictures ok? so don't. thanks.

{also did i mention that i am back to work for a few days? well i am. i am attending a curriculum conference. lucky.}

rodeo

2011-06-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

i have been known to say that living in utah is nearly perfect
we are far enough away to have our own lives
and we are close enough that we can quickly go home whenever we want/ need

but there are some times when i am busy with stuff
or when i have been home an awful lot lately
and i still have weeks of traveling to idaho coming up
and i miss out on a big event.
yes. that's the worst.
and it happened this week.

my sister hannah made it to state in barrel racing this year
she is fast
and she is good
and luckily i got to see her ride at one rodeo this year
but i didn't make it to state.
it's not that i didn't want to
it's not because i forgot
it just came at a busy time and a time when there are already so many other trips to idaho going on.
it was a bummer to say the least
i am so sad that i wasn't a part of the loud cheering section for my sister
you see, sisters are very important to me.
and i'm sorry hannah

by the way hannah rocked
she made it into the short go, which means she was in the top 20 who rode again today

how i spend my summer break and skirt tutorial

2011-06-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

lately when people find out that i am a teacher they ask

"so what are you doing for the summer?"
i like to tell them that i just hang out
or i just do whatever i feel like
it seems like i am always busy with something.
i get to ride my bike
my house tends to be a little more clean than normal
i get to see my seester hailey a lot more
and we go to idaho often

but sometimes i get really productive and i make stuff.
a couple days ago one of my friends came over and i made this skirt.
in one hour people
it's super easy
want to know how?

the first thing you will need to know is that i found my inspiration and then i just did it.
i didn't measure or follow a pattern.
that is breaking all the rules, you see i grew up learning how to sew correctly
and sometimes i do not like to do things the correct way. {sorry mom}
my grandma often would lead me to patterns that were my style
she called them "folk quilts" because they were more forgiving and your seams didn't have to match up quite perfectly.
and this is that type of pattern. you just do it.

easy skirt tutorial:

you will need some fabric {only a yard or two, enough to go around you}
and a thick elastic band

1. I measured how far around my waist and cut my elastic

2. I cut the fabric to be about 1 1/2 times around my waist and how far down {mine goes to my knees} and then I cut it out.

3. Hem the bottom of the skirt

4. Gather the top and sew to the elastic

5. Sew the back seam

Voila you have an easy elastic waist skirt

yellowstone trip

2011-06-16T12:30:00.000-07:00

jordan's parents took us to island park to spend the weekend at a cabin.

jordan's brother nick and his wife megan were up there with megan's family and they were all so nice to share their family trip with us.

it was great to spend time with the furness family and we especially loved seeing our nephew, mason.

it's so much more exciting to visit new places with a child who is so excited about everything.

we spent all of saturday at yellowstone park.

we haven't been there for a couple of years and it was so fun to see all the sights.

we even saw a few animals.

jordan's dad, jordan, and our nephew, mason.

we started off at old faithful.

hiking around all the geysers and the river

hali and me at old faithful.
we were able to see the geyser twice.

while walking around the geysers we saw a herd of buffalo that were right by the trail!

me, hali, and tammy {jordan's mom} at the grand canyon of yellowstone

hali, jordan, dallas, and tammy at artist's point
which is the upper falls {i think} and a part of the grand canyon

us at the lower falls
do you love my coat?
i forgot that it's pretty cold in idaho still {and especially cold in montana}
so i had to borrow a work coat from my parent's house.

quilts by phylus

2011-06-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

when i was in jr. high my grandma started a tradition of teaching each of her grandchildren who were interested how to piece quilts.

we would each select our own pattern and fabric

then each week we spent an hour or two cutting our fabric and sewing the tiny squares or triangles together to make beautiful quilts

my grandpa used to joke and say he didn't know why we would cut our fabric up just to sew it back together and then he would smile at us and tell us that our quilts were really beautiful.

my grandmother is very patient

and thanks to her i have a trunk full of my own quilts

my grandmother is truly talented

and she is now selling many of her quilts at her etsy shop, Quilts by Phylus

right now she has several gorgeous patriotic quilts

seriously, just look at how amazing these are!

look here

idaho trip

2011-06-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

i went to idaho last week because we had a bridal shower for aubree

which was totally a party

i hate leaving husband behind for more than a day

but this trip was filled with so much fun that i just had to go.

birthday cake for hannah who is now sweet sixteen,

fourwheeling at the sand dunes,

baking lots of sweets {for the shower of course},

chatting with my grandmother,

and then finally on friday night husband came and we went to island park with the furness fam.

austin and dad on their dirt bikes

the girls
krystal, aubree, hannah, alex {hali came later}
since this party was for hannah's birthday she invited some friends to come

mom and me on the four wheeler
it's deluxe and has a comfy back seat.
oh and do you love my carhart jacket?
pulled that baby right out of the workcoat closet.
since i expected summer vacation to feel like summer.

austin

dad

austin and aubree

dad and hannah

dad and me

we headed out to the dunes and rode around for a while.
austin and dad offered to take us girls around the hills and so i got to go with both of them.
my dad is crazy and took me up to the top
and i looked down and thought "there's no way he'll go down this steep drop off"
oh boy was i wrong.
he took me down and then turned around and climbed back up!
it was so fun.

then a guy showed up and looked at all our heavy duty four wheelers and asked if we could help him because some of his friends were stuck about 5 miles away.
my dad went to help and was gone for most the night.
the girls rode around the dunes.
and alex, mom and i went back to start cooking the tin foil dinners.
it ended up being a fun night.
hopefully we'll get to go back again this summer and do some more riding.

in love

2011-06-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

{some engagements of my brother austin and his fiance aubree which were taken by alex hawker}

these two are such a sweet couple.
i.love.them.together.
and that's always a good thing to be able to say when it's your little brother.
{especially when this brother only has sisters and we all just adore aubree.}

oh my

2011-06-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

alright if you have spent more than five minutes looking at this blog you have surely noticed that
i. like. food.
but not just any food.
oh no.
the ooey gooey sweet kind.
and the greasy fresh from the grill burgers and steaks.
yes.
i am that girl.
and i cannot help but share the next sweet thing on my to cook list.

found here

barbeque

2011-06-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

this weekend it felt like it is officially summer

and to me summer tastes like grilled steak, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables

so i decided to make a truly summer dinner

i marinated steak pieces, vegetables and pineapple in this

skewered all the ingredients

jordan grilled them

love him

delicious!

{next time i will remember to soak the sticks before skewering the food. they got pretty toasted}

why i've been away

2011-06-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

welcome to our new home

i'll take you on a little tour

i am beyond happy about having a piano...even if a couple of the keys don't work yet

my favorite part of decorating is finding little nooks
like this one with the cute little table and typewritter

still needing to take care of some empty walls
but i love the bookshelf and of course the quilts in the corner

we have a dishwasher!
and i love that little delish sign

the rest of the kitchen
again, a washer and dryer next to the fridge.
hey at least we have them!

isn't the paint lovely?
i know it will be splendid with our black and gold theme.
a painting project may be in the near future

and we have an office/ sewing room! wahoo
also plenty of room for guests...hint hint

well if the pictures don't explain well enough, we have recently moved.
as in one day was my last day of school and i signed yearbooks and cleaned up my classroom
and the very next day i was packing up all my belongings to move into the other side of the duplex.
it went much more smoothly than i'd expected, but still moving takes time
and i'm still working on the final touches.
it's so nice to have a little bit more room and be able to really put things away, because there is room for it all!
i've been trying to get back into the habit of practicing the piano.
and when jordan is busy doing homework i curl up in that cozy white chair and read.
it's wonderful to have a break from work and just do the things i enjoy.
{not that i don't thoroughly enjoy teaching, but it is work after all}

also i'm guest posting on The Diaries today {formerly known as Plain Jayne Diaries}
go check it out!

blessings at the perfect time

2011-05-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

the past two weeks have been ultra hard for me.
i have been overwhelmed to say the least
you know when your work load piles, you count down the days until you have to move, and then your computer hard drive crashes?
oh yes and let's not even discuss the laundry, dishes, and cleaning that has been left undone.
or the lack of dinners.

it was all building up to today, the pinnacle of my stress
the shakespeare festival at school.

this is a big event.
because the 8th and 9th graders study shakespeare during the last term we put together a festival where they can demonstrate their knowledge of the life, history, and plays of shakespeare.
the festival consists of a village that fills the soccer field. each student is part of a group which runs a booth and teaches other students and visitors about a specific aspect.
some booths were flower shop, bakery, archery, fencing, dancing, games, calligraphy, animals,music, the globe theater, and fashion.

i have been anxiously awaiting this day for a long time.
in fact for the past week or so i have had nightmares about how terribly this day would go.
on saturday and sunday i spent my available time making my costume.
{if a major part of my students' grade depends on their costume then i should be appropriately dressed for the time period as well right?}
i wore a deep purple dress and added a few details to create my "anne boleyn look"

this was my inspiration

i created a french hood out of felt, duct tape, wire, and some really cool fabric and trim.
{the french hood is the headband with the veil behind.}
then i wore a black tee under my dress and added some fabric around my waist for an overskirt with some jewelry.

don't look at me- just look at my costume.
we had just been through a rainstorm before this picture

so the day turned out great.

we set up pretty quickly and had time to spare before the festival began.

then a wind and rain storm came up and blew over part of the village

so everything was moved indoors and it went pretty smoothly

i realized today that i am very blessed, especially because of people around me

for example, my husband is amazing. really. he woke up before 6 am to come to my school and help set up. {he has come before to help prepare for the festival as well}

jordan came in and didn't ask questions- he just got to work. and it was nice that he helped involve the students in his work too. my students love working with him. they think he's great.

my wonderful parents drove from idaho to attend the festival. they made a day of it. it was so fun for them to see where i teach and meet some of my students, especially on such a fun day. {and they brought me yummy lemon bars}

my good friends from my ward came to the festival. it was such a surprise and it was so fun. what great friends.

megan and logan, me, cindy and logan
these little boys were so fun to have there.
they loved the animals.

one of my students bought me some flowers from the flower shop. she told me that she appreciated everything i had done and that she loved having me as her english teacher. several other students told me how much they loved the festival and appreciated my work.

at the end of the exhausting day one of the moms brought me a bag and told me that inside was a casserole, homemade bread, and chocolate cake. she said that it had been a long day and she appreciated all i had done.

even though i am very tired i feel like i have been successful and it was a great end of year activity.

inspired

2011-05-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

from this shop

i absolutely love this print
i adore anne frank and her life and i love how uplifting her words and thoughts so often were

remembering

2011-05-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

puerto plata, dominican republic

blenheim palace, woodstock, oxfordshire, england

flowers on a street in paris

when i went to each of these lovely places. le sigh

i am still feeling some wanderlust and wishing i could travel somewhere.
some more ideas...

new york, including some less touristy spots specifically long island

happy birthday...

2011-05-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

to plain jayne!

plain jayne is my little sister
and she is the best
she is talented, funny, uplifting, and really just fun to be around.
she also gives great advice.

unfortunately i distinctly remember the days when she would try to hang out with me and i was a mean older sister and did not want her to be there.
but then in high school i realized that it was pretty awesome to have a sister as a best friend because it was like having a sleepover. every.day.

i remember a weekend after i moved to college where i realized that i didn't have any plans. it was weird because before when i'd been at home i would just make plans with alex. we didn't ever have to call each other and see if our friend could go because we were sisters. it was great. when i had plans she automatically did too and vice versa. it was the best.

alex would always make an effort to come and visit me in college. those days were the best. i would make a list for months of all the places that alex just had to see and then when she'd come down we would try to visit all of them. then after she left i would be so sad and so i'd begin making the next list.
i still think this way and catch myself often thinking, "i have to bring alex here!"

alex has been there for me when i need her and she is always the person i call when i need something.

thanks for being a best friend alex and more importantly, thanks for being my sister.

i love you plain jayne. happy happy birthday!

the nature of creativity

2011-05-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

just read this article from splendid communications and it has me thinking.

you know, just why is it so important to me to spend time being creative?
why do i often feel compelled to redecorate my house, piece together a quilt, or create something new to wear?
why do i spend time writing on this blog, reading other people's blogs, and why do i feel motivation after reading through a better homes and gardens magazine?
aren't there more important things to do with my life and my time?
shouldn't i be helping someone rather than worrying about these creative endeavors?
and can someone please tell me why on earth i still read magazines and blogs devoted to wedding planning and still come up with my most current "wedding plans" although i am happily married and will not be planning another wedding for myself?
and especially when things happen in life that you weren't expecting and you weren't ready for you just might find yourself what exactly is my purpose and why do i spend my time doing what i do.

when i hear president uchtdorf's words i feel the truth that creating is a part of my purpose.
it is a part of why i am here, why i exist.

so yes, i will continue to spend time writing creatively, i will piece together more quilts than i can plan for right now, and i will set goals to learn more songs on the piano. i will continue to look for inspiration in magazines and in people around me and i will create a lovely yard and most importantly a lovely home that is comfortable and where the spirit can be felt and where my greatness can be achieved.

2011-05-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

right now my life is packed pretty full.
i have things i need to be doing literally during every waking hour.
the school year is wrapping up, but don't you worry it is going out with a bang.
we still have one more issue of the newspaper to publish
the shakespeare festival {lots of work = hopefully an amazing experience}
the regular load of grading and teaching
the need to get organized in my classroom before summer

also my personal life has lately picked up its pace as well, which is great because it's made me manage my time and it's forcing me to keep my work life and personal life separate, which i need to learn to do anyway.
among the things i'm worrying about is moving.
this is going to be a great change for us, but it will make for a busy last week of school.

so, i am really trying to look at the exciting and positive things.
we will have an extra bedroom! we have plans for an office and a sewing/craft room. i am excited. realistically it will be a place for our computer desk and a place where my sewing machine can stay out all the time. but i can't stop thinking about how cool it would be to add some fun details. maybe a chalk board? book shelves? jars of sewing supplies? chevron stripes?

definitely a wall design i will have to wait for, but i love it.

i love the jars.

wouldn't it be fun to have a chalkboard and bookshelves?

none of these are actually realistic, but i think i can use some inspiration to make our very realistic little room a little more fun.

my assignment

2011-05-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

hello i'm ashley.
i teach jr. high english. i have been to london, visited, king's cross station and seen platform 9 3/4.
i even went to the castle in scotland where harry potter was filmed.
and i have never read a harry potter book.
i know i know.
i missed out on a major culture phenomenon.
especially because the final book and the sixth movie came out while i was in london, although it was surprisingly not as big a deal as it was in the u.s. something about americans being crazy fans...

i also teach jr. high journalism and i'm over the "bookclub" homeroom. and last week i was given the assignment by one of my students to read harry potter. all of them. from start to finish.
and the due date is before i see the second half of the last movie.
she told me i was not allowed to see it before i had finished. i am also not allowed to read anything else before this assignment is complete.

she even checked on me this week to see if i'd been reading. i haven't.

cafe search: roll up crepes

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

jordan an i have our regular places
and we like them
they are delicious. they are comfortable.
lately we've wanted to try new places around provo and since roll up crepes just opened on state street in orem we decided to check it out.
jordan got the apple smoked pork crepe and i got the thai chicken curry.
his was very good. we both loved it. the vegetables on the side were yummy and the pork was amazing.
mine was pretty good. i loved the peanut sauce and it was a good amount of spicy.
then we split the banana nutella crepe. oh. my. my tastebuds felt like they were back in paris.
it was so good.

oh and the ambiance was very fun. i loved the parisian feel and the tree they have painted in the middle of the room. i loved that it had a small local cafe feel and everyone was very welcoming.

sadly i did not take pictures.

but i'd go with you in a heartbeat if you came to visit.

{this post somehow got erased earlier, so here it is again.}

when we're helping we're happy

2011-05-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

did you comment at pioneer woman last week?

she was able to give away to many charitable organizations. {did you see that someone else wanted her to donate to the lds humanitarian fund?} and she will be donating more than $5,000 to help people affected by the tornado disaster. i just love this! all i did was comment, but i feel like i helped somehow.

this kind of thing makes my heart happy.

in ninth grade english this year we read night by elie wiesel. {if you haven't read it before i strongly recommend it} it is a story of the holocaust. i think it's so important for students to read stories like elie's because there is so much to be learned about life, faith, hope, and the human spirit. these students had previously studied the holocaust in depth, so i wanted to give them a different kind of experience with this literature. we used our study of the holocaust to study intolerance, cruelty, and genocide that has happened and still happens worldwide.

i created an "action research project" {later students began to call it the "act project"} each student was required to first consider their feelings toward those around them. they wrote two paragraphs reflecting on their tolerance, kindness, and treatment toward other people.

second they had to spend seven days doing some sort of action to help people around them. they did things like take their neighbor's garbage out, sit with lonely kids at lunch, choose unpopular kids first when playing sports, visiting the local developmental center, and serve at deseret industries.

the third part of the project required them to give a presentation on an organization that makes a difference in other people's lives, locally, or worldwide. i was amazed and had to hold back tears through many of these presentations. they taught about organizations like the red cross, mother's without borders, the lds humanitarian efforts, the huntsman cancer institute, and toms one for one. it was amazing. and what was even more incredible was that these students shared their goals of being able to help with these organizations. they were so motivating.

there are moments when i am teaching and i can't believe that i am the teacher because i am taught so deeply and profoundly that i feel inadequate for my job.

this is a list

2011-05-09T16:14:00.000-07:00

of what hailey and i are going to do this summer:

la bonne vie at the grand america

seven peaks

j dawg's

hike the y

watch mean girls with jordan {he's never seen it}

fondue

make crepes

watch iron jawed angels

the french bakery

jcw's

ride bicycles

see water for elephants

shop in salt lake

visit the new crepe place...roll it up

hmmm...

i've been there

2011-05-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

so in honor of the royal wedding
which happened a week ago
and yes i am still thinking about it

i wanted to share a little something.

this is westminster abbey- where william and kate's ceremony took place

buckingham palace

climbing to the top of st. paul's cathedral

at the top of st. paul's- where diana was married

kensington palace

the orangery at kensington palace- where victoria, diana, and wills lived

also, i basically just like any excuse to think, talk, or blog about london and how cool it is.

awkward and awesome

2011-05-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

awkward:

sitting in the car at the wal mart parking lot while husband puts washer fluid in our car and a car full of crazy girls rolls up yells on their p.a. some bad words then drives around and this time makes conversation with husband. it ended with the driver saying "my friend thinks you're hott, are you single?" jordan gave a stern "no" and we left.

cheering my heart out for james stewart at supercross and having the rude people in front of us trying to drown out my cheers with boos. rude. i don't like booing. i don't care who you are cheering for. booing is rude.

i keep seeing young couples with a baby or two and they look very young. too young. but then i realize that we look too young to be married, so maybe they are in the same situation as us.

i got pushed by a student in the hall this week. it wasn't mean, she is just a middle schooler who thought i was in her way. she also thought i was a fellow student. nope girly. you'll be in my class next year.

awesome:

having a dream about london where husband was with me and we visited some of my favorite shops.

we bought seeds for our garden and planted them. i can't wait until we have flowers blooming and vegetables to eat.

i am planning a pretty cool costume for our school's shakespeare festival.

i bought jordan tickets to supercross and gave them to him for valentine's day. basically it was the best gift i could have given. and it was such a great weekend with husband.