Gingerbread House!

On day 9 of our advent calendar Mike and I finally got to do one of my favorite activities! We built a gingerbread house! I haven't gotten to build many of these in my life (in fact this may have been the second or third one) but I really enjoy making them and Mike really enjoys eating them :) So I bought one of the kits and we got to work.

Once we got it to stand and the frosting had hardened we could start the fun part- decorating! I was so worried it was going to fall over, frosting doesn't make the best foundation. Luckily we didn't have any problems. We had a lot of fun decorating the house and I think it turned out to be pretty cute. We are definitely not master gingerbread house decorators but I was very happy with it and Mike said it was very tasty.

I tried to plan things for us to do that were fun but also things that were spiritual to help us remember the true reason we celebrate Christmas. I found a talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in 1976. You can read the talk here, http://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/12/maybe-christmas-doesnt-come-from-a-store. We're really enjoying our advent calendar this year and the month of December! 

Happy Thanksgiving

This year Mike and I celebrated Thanksgiving in Charleston with my family. It was great to enjoy the break down there and get out of town. I've never been so excited to leave home and go somewhere else. We started our Thanksgiving with the huff and puff before you stuff. This is a tradition in Mike's family that I really like and we do it whether we're with his family or not. This year we walked a couple miles around the neighborhood. It was a bit chilly starting out but once we got going it felt great and we loved being in the sunshine. I forgot the camera so Mike got this with his phone.

After the walk we set about making dinner, or rather finishing what we didn't already have done. We put the turkey in to cook and since the bread was done and the pies were done we just had the potatoes, stuffing, deviled eggs (just for Mike and I), broccoli salad and my olives. Mike and I made the broccoli salad (we cheated a little and bought broccoli that was already cut up) and the deviled eggs. Then once the 13 lb turkey was just about done we started boiling the sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. I decided to be in charge of making the potatoes which is strange because I don't like sweet potatoes at all (I mean if they are so good why do you have to cover them in marshmallows?) and I'm not a huge fan of whipped potatoes which is how my parents like them (I prefer mashed) but I wanted to help. I'm told the sweet potatoes were good and the others well good just not how I like to eat them. 

So finally the turkey was done. It took longer than expected so we were very hungry by dinner since we'd been trying to save our appetites for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was worth it though because it was delicious. (Although we noticed after dinner that we had completely forgotten to cook the corn..oh well sorry Josh)

The turkey was tasty but a pain to carve

We had pumpkin and apple pie for dessert but I didn't get any pictures of those. We opted to stay home this year instead of going shopping. Honestly the deals weren't good enough to get me out of the house. We had a very nice relaxing weekend with family though and spent a lot of time focusing on our blessings which are too numerous to mention. Now its hard to believe we'll be back down in just 2 weeks to celebrate Christmas :) I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Gratitude

I didn't post something that I'm grateful for everyday. I wanted to wait to do it all at once. I have so much to be grateful for in my life right now.

I am grateful for:

1. My husband. He takes such great care of me. He is always putting my needs before his own. Some might say I'm spoiled but really I feel like we both are just putting the other person's happiness before our own. He never hesitates to help me with whatever I need and is always there to comfort me and drop what he is doing if I need anything. I love that he always says I love you and I never have to wonder if he loves me because he shows me each and every day.
2. Good doctors . We have had wonderful experiences with doctors helping us through our fertility issues. They have been positive and great at listening to us and working with us to make sure I'm healthy during the process and that we understand why things are happening.
3. My education. I may not be using my degree right now but I'm grateful that getting that degree gives me knowledge of working with children and the option of going to work if I need or want to.
4. Sunshine. It always seems like we don't have enough of these days but I love it when we have a beautiful sunny, blue sky day. It just makes me happy to go outside and be in the sunshine and sit in my apartment and let the light come in.
5. Heat. I know this one may seem silly but its been cold here lately especially at night so I'm grateful that we have heat for our house and car so we can be comfortable.
6. Our cars. I'm grateful that we have 2 cars but only pay for one. We can go anywhere we want quickly and comfortably. They make it easier to travel and go get things at the last minute.
7. Technology. We don't live right by our families. Skype and facetime on our computers let us talk to and see our families anytime we want.
8. Holidays. I know it may seem strange but I am grateful that we have this time of year that feels so special and people just seem kinder and happier. It also seems to give us a new focus on family and what is important in life.
9. My eternal marriage in the temple. I am grateful that Mike and I have been sealed in the temple and that we will be together forever and that any children we might have someday will also be ours for eternity.
10. The Book of Mormon and Bible.
11. A living prophet President Thomas S. Monson. I am grateful that we are led by a prophet who receives revelation from Heavenly Father to lead and guide us and teach us what we should do to bring us happiness.
12. Friends who love and care about us. I don't consider us to have tons and tons of friends but I wouldn't trade the ones I do for anything.
13. Prayer! I'm grateful that I can pray to my Heavenly Father and that he always listens and answers.
14. That I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love the gospel in all its simplicity and truthfulness. I'm grateful that the gospel never changes and that I can always rely on my Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ.
15. Family traditions. I am grateful for the traditions that my parents established while we were growing up but also for the ones Mike has shared with me since we got married. I'm also grateful for the opportunity to start new traditions with Mike and someday our children.
16. My camera, I love taking pictures and I love that the pictures I've taken allow me to go back and remember wonderful memories and people from years past.
17. My Savior Jesus Christ and his unconditional love for me and the patience he has with me.
18. Our apartment. I'm grateful that Mike and I have such a nice place to live. Its not the fanciest but it is ours and we are able to have what we need. I am grateful that we have a safe place to live and that it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
19. The temple. I love that we have a temple close to us where we can go to feel close to the Lord. We can serve others which I love doing because I completely forget about my own problems. I love the peace I feel when I am in the temple and that when I am there I never want to leave.
20. The beautiful world that was created for us. We live in such a beautiful world. I love to see the ocean and to go see the majestic mountains. I love taking drives and seeing beautiful landscapes and being able to appreciate the wonderful gift of the earth.
21. I am grateful for my phone. I'm grateful that I have a way to contact someone immediately if I need anything and a way to easily talk to family and friends who might be far away.
22. I am grateful that I live in this country. I do not always agree with what is happening in politics but I am grateful to live in a free country.
23. I am grateful for electricity. We benefit from this so much...lights, heat, all of our appliances that we use. It helps to keep us comfortable and makes life easier.
24. I am grateful for clean water. This allows me to be able to take a nice hot shower every night and be clean. I use it for cooking and drinking and so many other things too numerous to mention. Really where would we be without it?
25. A good night's sleep. I love when I can go to bed early and cuddle up and just rest. It is so wonderful to get a peaceful nights sleep and wake up in the morning feeling well rested.
26. I'm grateful for appliances like microwaves and refrigerators. The microwave makes it easier to save food that we can easily heat up later and I love that it is convenient to keep our food cold so that it lasts longer.
27. I'm grateful for grocery stores. They make it so much easier for me to quickly get the food that we need and to get things when they may not be in season. I'm also grateful that we have so many so close to where we live so it is easy to get food and a variety of food so we can eat all the things we like as well as new things.
28. I am grateful for my family. Both my immediate family and extended family. I am also grateful for the family I married into. I'm grateful for each person's love and support.
29. I am grateful for good books. I love reading so I'm grateful that we have so many wonderful books we can read and that I have the ability to read them. I love the books that entertain me and also those books that are full of information so that I can always learn more.
30. I am grateful for Mike's education. I am grateful that he is able to go to school and learn to become a chiropractor. I appreciate that he tries so hard to do well so that he will be able to provide for me and our future children. I'm also grateful that he has found something that makes him so happy.

I know that I could have listed so many more things because I have so many things to be thankful for and so many blessings in my life. I am grateful for all of the friends, family and things I have been blessed with by my Father in Heaven. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May we remember to be grateful all year long.

Countdown to Christmas

This year I decided I wanted a new Christmas tradition for Mike and I. We have the traditions that we brought with us from our families that we did growing up but we didn't have anything that was just ours. So in October we were in Barnes and Noble and I saw advent calendars for Christmas. I really liked the idea but I didn't just want a piece of candy everyday. Also why would anyone want to eat a piece of candy that is at least 3 months old?

I was inspired by a friend of mine who made her own and each day she chose a scripture from the story of Christ's birth to read and an activity to do as a family. I loved this idea because I could customize it to be exactly what we would enjoy. Instead of copying her design I decided to figure out a way to make my own. I decided to use paper for mine since that is cheap and colorful.

This is the finished product! I'm so happy with how it turned out! I did the numbers in a zig zag just so all the colors wouldn't line up with each other. Each day has a special Christmas activity for us to do as a family. It was so much fun to think of fun things we could do :) I also made it as a surprise for Mike so he has no idea what we are going to be doing. I figured that's 24 days worth of surprises for him and me really since at this point I don't remember everything I typed up and I definitely don't remember which day is which. We'll be in Charleston on the 14th so we can do those with my family too. I'm so excited to start this new tradition!

New York Trip

For the past few months Mike has been in contact with a chiropractor in White Plains, New York. While they were texting and talking back and forth Dr. Gertner told Mike that he is looking to hire associates to work in his practice. He told him all the details about the opportunity and Mike was really excited. He was excited mainly because of the opportunity but also because the opportunity is in New York. He LOVES New York! He had been considering New York for the future for about a week when he heard about this opportunity and started talking to Dr. George so we knew a trip to New York was definitely going to happen.

Dr. George told Mike he wanted him to come for an interview and to also see the clinic and observe how he runs his practice. We planned to go during Thanksgiving week since we had more time off school and work but schedules didn't line up and Christmas was out of the question. That left us with 2 options: go this past week or wait until sometime next year. We decided that the best time would be to go now. So on Sunday night we decided and we left for the city on Wednesday afternoon. So Mike picked me up after work and we began the 11 hour drive up to White Plains (for those of you who don't know, White Plains is about 20 miles outside of Manhattan).

We got to the hotel around 12:30am and basically just passed out. Mike was going to be with the chiropractor all day Thursday and half the day Friday. That meant that I would be left to explore on my own. The only hard part was that I wouldn't have a car so I decided to just stay around the hotel property which was huge and beautiful so it wasn't too hard. So on Thursday I spent the day sleeping in, working out at the gym, sitting outside in the park reading and taking pictures of the area. It was fun to explore an area that people don't think of when they here New York. It was so quiet and peaceful and we would have everything we need with the city being just 20 miles away if we wanted to go.

Mike at Dr. George's clinic

I had fun relaxing and taking lots of pictures. The area had tons of trees so you completely forget that you are in New York and so close to the craziness. The nice part is that you have the peace and quiet but there is still lots to do. You can go into downtown White Plains to get more of the city feel or you can just stay in the suburbs. I think we were there at the best time of year because the leaves are starting to change and its cold in the morning and at night but its still in the 70's during the day and the good news for me....less humidity than home :) I also love how they've combined the old and the new. The hotel was updated but it still had that old feel to it.

After Mike was done shadowing we went into Manhattan. I have to say that its not as loud as I thought it would be for being a crazy city. The traffic is really not too terrible either. The worst part in my opinion are all the people walking around. The traffic is always moving unless its a red light so its really not bad. The hardest part is trying to find parking. Another thing that I'm not positive I could ever get completely used to is the smell, the city has a very unique smell to it and where you are depends on how prominent it is.

We got so see the LDS Manhattan Temple :) Its across the street from Lincoln Center

I've never seen so many pigeons in my life! Let's just say....the cars dirty now

Julliard

One thing I wanted to make sure we explored was Central Park. After much searching we found a place to park right next to the park :) On the way into the park we saw one of the many hot dog and pretzel vendors and we had to stop and buy a big pretzel :) The park was beautiful and it seems so out of place in the middle of the city. It completely takes you out of the craziness.

We found Balto!

After the park we just did some more exploring of the city. We got to see Times Square which was amazing! I think it was my favorite part of the whole city. I loved the energy of all the people and the huge tv screens. This is also where a lot of Broadway shows are done and the Madame Tussauds wax museum (which I really want to go see someday) and a ton of restaurants. We also saw the mirror ball they use on New Year's Eve. We also got to see where the richest people in the world live and the city was noticeably cleaner in the areas these people live in than in other areas.

The Empire State Building...It just keeps going and going

The iconic Flatiron Building

See that tall building way in the background...that's the new world trade center

After exploring Manhattan, Mike wanted to leave via the Brooklyn Bridge so that he could start showing me some of his mission. On the way out of the city we saw more beautiful buildings. My first thought when we there was that this city is definitely old but that is part of its charm and its also what I think it so amazing.

 

This was one of the most ridiculous things we saw. I think at this point I would just park. The parking ticket would probably be less than the idling ticket.

 Brooklyn was one of Mike's favorite areas in his mission. It was exciting and still considered city and he loves city life. He took me to a park where we could see the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges and a nice view of New York City.

After Brooklyn we drove through Queens and then Long Island. Mike arranged for us to stay at some friends of his that he met on his mission. It was fun to spend the night talking with friends. Mike also took me out to a nice dinner at Applebee's :)

This poor dog.....

This was the church building for Mike's mission for 6 months.

This picture and the one below are from Flushing Meadow Park. This is where they had a world's fair.  Behind it is where they play the US Open.

We were set to head home on Saturday but on the way out Mike told me he had a cool place to take me. We climbed up to the Pulaski Bridge and got some great views of the New York City skyline. We were so happy we had such a beautiful morning on our last day.

This one really shows how tall the new world trade center is

Lastly because we were tourists we bought I love NY shirts and I told Mike I wanted a picture of us wearing them in Times Square. So being the great husband he is, he paid for parking and we walked 7 blocks to Times Square. It was so much fun to walk around :) I just loved being in New York City!

I hope we can go back soon because it was awesome! I really don't think I would mind living in a place like White Plains and being able to go into the city whenever. The best part of New York city is that you have plenty to do without spending any money. There are always free shows and museums to go see, I just wish we'd had more time. Those shirts are such true statements of our feelings after this trip :)