Happy New Year!

Another year snuck up and grabbed me. Can you believe it is 2010? I am sure the checks I write for the next six months will still be a 2009 crossed out with the corrected year above it. Shucks, last year I was still writing 2005 on lots of things. I don't know where time goes. But I DO know where we go for a New Year celebration!

John had to work a full day on New Year's Eve. I guess not everyone considers the night before the dawning of a new decade to be significant enough to give employees a break! Although the party at the Friends started at 4:00 PM, we arrived nearly forty-five minutes late. One can imagine our relief to find there was still delicious food left! We knew they had been grilling because brother-in-law Joe was wearing his griller apron, with a big ol' pig on the front. We knew instantly that we were in for a treat! We enjoyed some grilled chicken kabobs on warm pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and T'liese's homemade tzatziki sauce. It was divine! And I was assigned dessert...with a catch. T'liese tricked me into bringing something healthy by making it seem like a challenge. I took her on and then some by utilizing my new nine-inch tart pan to make a fruit tart from scratch. It was delicious, and not too shabby for a first attempt! I also made a healthy apple crisp, which may have become slightly less healthy when we put a scoop of Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream on top. T'liese had invited some friends from church as well, and we enjoyed our evening together! The men played Bocce Ball (except the single game T'liese and I played where we beat the boys) in the park next to their home. What a fun game! It will be on my Amazon wish list! After it got too dark to play outside, we lost some of the couples who needed to go home for their kids. I can't help but wonder if this is the last time we will have just the six of us without some little munchkins joining in on the fun. Megan is due in two weeks, and T'liese four weeks behind her. Yipppeee!

We played Scattergories and The Ungame, and before we knew it the New Year had arrived. We hadn't planned on staying that late (John and I were fast asleep by 10:00 PM last year!), but the time escaped us because we were having such a great time. I tell ya, it sure is nice being so close to family. We drank a toast with Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Juice before calling it a night.

Here's to 2010!

White, Wonderful Christmas

We enjoyed our Christmas visit to Utah. Doesn't it make the world go round to be near family for the holidays? We arrived via Southwest Airlines on Wednesday and were picked up by my parents and my two brothers, Parker and Kip. It was a fun chat back to Nephi, about an hour and fifteen-minute drive. We ate a yummy dinner of Crockpot sloppy joes before heading to bed. Thanks for giving up your bed for us, Parker! Thursday started out with John making his famous Weir Waffles for my family. A hit for sure! Charloe and her family arrived just before our big Christmas dinner. Mom decided to make it on Christmas Eve this year, and not a single person complained! Gary even showed up to eat the turkey breast, ham, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, Merrill's stuffing, and dinner rolls. It felt foreign to not have Jeffy Jell-O, but no one noticed because of the mass amounts of food on the table! It was an incredible meal! After it got dark, we went to the Old Mill Park to admire the Christmas lights and sing some carols as a family. It was fun, but a little chilly for my taste. We returned home to some hot chocolate, board games, and reading Luke chapter 2.

Christmas was an amazing day. Everyone got such wonderful presents, and it once again made me realize how blessed we are. It was fun for Santa to come to my niece and nephew, Brynn and Corban. They got tons of presents and loved opening every single one! John gave my little brothers a neat present...he burned every classic Nintendo game ever made onto a CD and bought them controllers that connect to the family computer. They can play Nintendo any time they want, and Mom may hate us in a few months! John hid a present for me in the tree...the soundtrack to my favorite movie, White Christmas! He couldn't locate it anywhere, so he made a copy from me using our DVD! Is he amazing or what? It was an incredible Christmas morning.

Saturday morning was full of work. We kids gave my parents a new kitchen! They have sixteen settings of plates, bowls, salad plates, fruit bowls, mugs, and silverware. We also got them new glasses and some serving bowls and platters. So on Saturday morning, we revamped the kitchen to replace all the old stuff with the new. It looks amazing! T'liese and I went shopping three months ago for everything and had to wait this long for them to get it! I think they will really enjoy their new things! Later that morning, Aunt LeAnn and cousins Dolly (with her adorable son, Connor) and Angel arrived to help us tie some baby quilts for T'liese. It went too quickly with amazing results! Afterwards, we visited while the boys went sledding. Everyone had a great time, and I didn't get cold and wet! That evening, we watched a few more episodes of Jericho, which Mom got for her birthday. What a great show! We even borrowed it to finish the rest at home!

Sunday meant church at 1:00 PM, then dinner of an amazing beef roast and roasted potatoes and carrots. Everything tasted so good, especially since it was our first official meal since Thursday! We had eaten from our incredible Utah Snack Table for three days and couldn't get enough! After dinner, we packed up and headed to Salt Lake City. It was way too cold to enjoy the lights at Temple Square, so we wimped out and went straight to the hotel. I got us free rooms near the airport with my hotel points so they could be close to the hospital he following morning for Parker's successful ear surgery. After arriving, we watched some Food Network then went to bed.

Monday morning, John and I slept in then headed to the airport for our flight home. Even though it was delayed an hour, we still made it to our house by 6:00 PM that evening. What an incredible trip! The only downside is how quickly everything went! It's our fault...if we weren't having so much fun, it would seemed longer!

Thanks for a great Christmas, everyone!

Return to Paradise

We pulled into our driveway, just after dark. Sighs of relief escaped our mouths...it felt so good to be home! Despite having a wonderful time in Utah for Christmas, it is always nice to come back to the place that houses all of our stuff (including six beds that we don't own, two that we do)!

We unloaded our luggage from the trunk and opened the side gate to walk towards our apartment. John carried our heavy bags down the stairs as I followed carrying our coats and carry-on. At the bottom of the stairs, I turned my key to unlock our door (with a gorgeous wreath on it, don't forget). Always the gentleman, John motioned for me to enter first. The kitchen was dark, so I went straight to the light switch. And found...

A Cuisinart Stand Mixer! I have been wanting one for I don't know how long, and there it was shining at me on our table with a big red bow. I was in shock. I stared at the contraption on the table...the most beautiful kitchen appliance I had ever seen. And it was in MY kitchen! I walked over to it slowly, afraid that it was all just a wonderful dream that would disappear as I got closer. I lightly touched it and felt stainless steel. Nope. Not dreaming. I started to cry. Hyperventilate. Gush. Jump up and down. Scream. All of the above. I couldn't believe it! That 800-watt power monster machine that refuses to show fingerprints was in MY kitchen!

From now on, John will be known as Mr. W(onderful). Just when I didn't think Christmas could possibly get any better, he finishes like that! What a guy! And what a mixer! No doubt everything I make will taste much better now that it will come in contact with MY Cuisinart Stand Mixer!