Early Christmas

One of my Christmas traditions is to have an early Christmas at my parents house. This tradition started when I complained about never actually opening any gifts at my own house because we always spent Christmas in Rifle with my grandparents. This is nice because I get to have 2 Christmases. So on Saturday, my parents, Ben and I had our early Christmas together.

First we piled in the car together to drive to Bountiful to pick out my big gift. A brand new shiny bike.



Then we kind of regretted only taking one car, because there was no way to fold the seat down and have room for the bike and the four of us. But with some clever maneuvering and the use of some cloth grocery bags, we were able to get the bike home without scratching up the car and without having the bike fall out somewhere on the highway.

I love my new bike and can't wait for the snow to melt so I can ride the crap out of it. It was such a flashback to my childhood, having my parents take me to the store to pick out a bicycle. :)

Otherwise, I was very eager to give Ben his present. I got him a personalized jersey for his favorite soccer team.



All in all, it was a great early Christmas. Now we just have to hope for good weather so we can make it to Rifle to visit my grandparents for real Christmas. I hope you all have a great holiday!

Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
I have always enjoyed wrapping presents. I used to have to do gift wrapping at Cracker Barrel, and I learned some tricks that make wrapping even easier and better looking.

2. Real tree or artificial?
I think prefer artificial. We have a little fake tree and I'm fine with that. I never really liked the mess and smell that comes from real trees.

3. When do you put up the tree?
This year we put it up the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We don't really have a set time, just whenever we get around to it.

4. When do you take the tree down?
once again, whenever we get around to it.

5. Do you like eggnog?
Yeah sure, don't drink it very often.

6. Favorite gifts received as a child?
I remember one year Santa left me a Barbie house in the garage, it was totally unexpected. Also, when I got my Molly doll, that was a very good Christmas.

7. Hardest person to buy for?
My Dad because he doesn't really have any hobbies and he doesn't listen to music.

8. Easiest person to buy for?
My Mom, because I can usually get her something I would like and it's pretty safe.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?
My parents do, and I still love putting it up. It's Precious Moments.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards?
E-mail seems so chintzy. I think this is the one time where e-mail won't cut it.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
I can't think of anything truly horrendous, but my grandma sometimes would give me this awful gold costume jewelry and Charlie perfume.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie?
Nightmare Before Christmas, Elf, Muppet's Christmas Carol and A Christmas Story.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
This year I started mid-November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
No, I recycle the boxes they come in though.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
I'd have to second Bex and say cheese and crackers, but also pie, because I really don't eat pie the rest of the year.

16. Lights on the tree?
Of course.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
Angels we Have Heard on High, Little Drummer Boy

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I always end up traveling.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
From the poem? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen. And then Rudolph.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star?
We bought a really cute star last year. My parents have an angel on theirs.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?
When I was little I complained that I never got to have Christmas at my own house. So we started a tradition of opening presents a few days early at my parents house, just the ones between me and my parents. Then we open the rest on Xmas morning at my grandparents house.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year?
How rude everyone is when they're out shopping.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?
I like ice colors- whites and silvers and blues.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?
Honey baked ham.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year?
The one big thing I want is a new bike.

Handbag Heaven

Coach > Life

Some girls like shoes, for others it's hats, or maybe jewelry. But for me it is very obviously handbags.
I started "collecting" them in High School. The great thing about holding on to your old bags is that I can go through them and reconnect to the time when I carried them. Like I can remember which bag I was carrying when I met Ben for the first time or when I went to England to meet Bex and all the hobbits.
I have my favorites, some that I don't even carry that often like my big cherry bag or my green coach that got compliments everywhere I took it. Yet, I don't think I could name a definitive favorite.
I'm probably most proud of my little Coach collection. I'm not usually a brand snob, but I really like some of the bags Coach makes and the quality is usually worth the hefty price tag. Also, I have yet to purchase a Coach bag at retail price due to the handy outlet in Park City.

So today I got bored and decided to pull out my bags and take "inventory" of them.

6 Coach
2 Dooney and Burke
1 Kate Spade
29 Assorted Brands
= 38 handbags

Not too mention that I had to have matching wristlets and wallets for all of them. I have a thing where I like the bag and the wallet to match or at least be the same color or material. A little obsessive, I know.

I'm already looking forward to my next handbag purchase. It's an expensive habit, yes but soooo much fun!



My prized Coach collection. My favorite is probably the lime green one, but I couldn't really pick a true favorite as that would be like a mother choosing a fave child!



This is where my retirement fund is going. :) Just kidding.

P90X

I've kept quiet about my weight loss and fitness goals, but in the last few months I have actually made a big change in my life by finally working on losing the weight I've been steadily putting on for the last 3 years. Pretty much as soon as I changed jobs from standing 8 hours a day to sitting, I gained about 10 pounds right away. Then from eating out at fast food places every day I gained another 10...and so on.

I decided almost on a whim to make an effort to lose weight. I stopped eating at fast food places every day. I started exercising 3x a week at the rec center. I copied the Turbo Jam workout videos and started doing those too. I even started lifting weights.

I have successfully dropped 17 pounds. I don't feel that it is very noticeable, but when my family came to visit from Colorado (people who had not seen me in months)they said they could see a change.

I'm only about halfway to my goal, but I've decided to try the P90X system. My problem with working out is that I get bored of the same routine quickly. This system should be good for me because it comes with 12 different videos to do.

I want to tone up and be able to do a real pushup and get into my skinny jeans. I think that is reasonable. I don't have aspirations of a size 0 or having Madonna arms. :)

the man who wore vans

Husband Survey

1. Where did you meet your husband? Myspace, sad but true

2. How long did you date before you got married? 1 year and 7 months

3. How long have you been married? 20 months

4. What does he do that surprises you? he started snoring after 2 years of being super quiet. That was surprising!

5. What is your favorite feature of his? pillow lips, bootay

6. What is your favorite quality? his snarky sense of humor

7. Does he have a nick name for you? bug, bugwife

8. What is his favorite food? cheese

9. What is his favorite sport? soccer

10. When and where did you first kiss? in front of my apartment in Aug 05. I kissed him!

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? get coffee, go shopping

12. Do you have children? three cat-kids

13. Does he have any hidden talents? he can play instruments

14. How old is he? 27

15. Who said I love you first? I think it was him, I said it back though

16. What is his favorite music? ska, punk, rock all of those

17. What do you admire most about him? his selflessness

18. What is favorite color? green

19. Will he read this? maybe

20. Who do you tag? all my gal pals with hubby/boyfren's/whatever

it's pumpkin-ninny!

Last night Ben and I decided to carve up some punkin's. We'd never done it together before and the weather was nice, so we just sat out in front of our house and carved them before it got too dark. It was a lot of fun and brought back a lot of old memories of carving pumpkins every Halloween with my dad.



My pumpkin is on the left, Ben's vampire pumpkin is on the right. It was my first time using a pattern, I think it turned out pretty good.

1st Game at Rio Tinto Stadium

Ben, myself and his brother Clayton all braved the chilling wind and bitter cold to see the first game for Real Salt Lake at the new stadium in Sandy. It is a really nice stadium, much better suited for soccer than Rice Eccles was. They tied 1-1. It was fun to be there, even though I'm not a huge soccer fan.

High School Not so Musical

The delightful Joanna did this and I'm way too susceptible to peer pressure so...

1. Your High School's Full Name? Granger High
2. High School Colors? red and silver and blue
3. School Mascot? lancer
4. Did You Date Anyone From Your School? I'm gonna go with no.
5. What kind Of Car Did You Drive? my parents hand me down Gold saturn, that is now probably been sold for parts or crushed into a cube
6. Where Were You On A Friday Night? nothing probably. maybe out with Heidi.
7. Were You A Party Animal? Not at all.
8. Were You Considered A Flirt? not likely.
9. Were You In Band, Orchestra, Choir Or Other Groups? I was in choir until senior year, then they changed choir teachers, and I didn't make madrigals, so I left the class.
10.Were You In Any Clubs? I was secretary of drama club senior year. I also was on the lit magazine and the broadcasting club.
11. Did You Ever Get Expelled Or Suspended? No I did not
12. Can You Still Sing The Fight Song? I couldn't even sing it when I went there.
13. Favorite Teachers? Mr. Butler (drama) Mrs. Sargent (english) Ms. Miller (communications) Ms. Gaskins (psych)
14. Where Did You Sit During Lunch? senior year we never sat in the lunch room, we usually went to wendy's for lunch in my car
15. Who Did You Go To Homecoming With? I never went to homecoming.
16. Who Did You Go To Prom With? I went to Jr. Prom as a senior with Travis
17. If You Could Go Back And Redo High School...Would You? No, it was bad enough the first time.
18. What Do You Remember About Graduation? It was boring as hell.
19. Do You Plan On Going To Your 10 Year Reunion? Maybe.

I love this man!

If you think this sounds like bragging that's because it is.
Twice in the last week he has used his position of "power" on the radio to be incredibly thoughtful and loving to me. Ben works as the morning show producer for B98.7, a local radio station. They do this thing called Celebrity Challenge where the listeners have to call in and guess the actor and movie after they play this little clip.
Anyway, Ben let me pick some of my favorite movies and choose the best clips they could use on the show.
This week they used my clip from "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and dedicated it to me because it's my favorite movie. Unfortunately that morning I happened to miss the show, but he played it back for me and it was so sweet!

Then on another morning, they were talking about a recent fire in Draper and that people were being given 5 minutes to evacuate their house, and what would you take with you given those circumstances. The DJs were talking about get the computer with all the pictures on it, and Erin (the dj) was teasing Ben about his collection of t-shirts (he does have a pretty expansive selection) but then they asked him what he would bring. And he said (this makes me cry just thinking about it) that he would grab my Starr bear because my good friend (Erin) gave it to me and it's irreplaceable. I am so touched. I don't know if I would even have thought of getting Starr if the house was on fire, but the fact that he thought of an object that means so much too me, instead of something for himself, is just amazing. :)



That's Starr. (and Pikachu) He probably is my prized possession.

The Kids

This is Callie. She belonged to Irmgard, the woman who lived in our house before us. When Irmgard got sick, Ben's Grandpa took care of the cats until we moved in. Callie was the first cat I ever had. She is a real sweetheart, except for when she throws up on the floor or bites you because she doesn't like how you are petting her.




This is Tiger Lily, we adopted her two years ago from the Humane Society. Originally, we wanted to get a dog. Instead we ended up with her. She was just a tiny kitten who won me over with her playfulness and unique look. She likes to hide in boxes and bags, crawling under the covers and drinking from the bathroom sink. She also made an escape attempt earlier this year, and was finally recovered hiding in the backyard under a bush. Since then, she's not allowed outside.



Finally our youngest baby is this little hairball, Codi. We adopted her from a litter of strays Ben's Mom took in. She is our smallest but most personable cat. She purrs louder than cats twice her size. She is also big on cuddles and likes kneading and pawing her humans.

It has been a lot of fun having these pets. It is hilarious to watch them play and chase each other. Often you'll see Codi and Tiger Lily cuddling one moment and wrestling the next. Because Callie is so much older she tends to stay on her own.



A common scene in our house.

My bestest Bud

Bex has been my best girl friend for over five years now. She is originally from New Zealand, but currently lives in Scotland. She is a super-smart Ph.D. student studying biology. I met her for the first time in 2003 when I took a trip to Birmingham UK to visit her and her parents. She then returned the favor when I got married last year, she came all the way to Las Vegas to be there for me. She is an amazing person and I can always count on her.