i heart the holidays

it has been a little while since i have posted about what is going on in our lives.  we had a fabulous thanksgiving weekend spent with family and friends.  josh and i were both fortunate enough to get off work the days after turkey day so we headed to murray wednesday night and stayed till sunday afternoon.  it was so nice to be able to enjoy our time there and not have to run around frantically trying to fit everyone in.  josh's aunt and grandparents were in town from california and it was fun to be able to hang out with them (and play lots of games).  thanksgiving day was also my dad's birthday (happy birthday again dad!!!)   so we had thanksgiving dinner with his side of the family.  my extended family sure knows how to put on a great meal!  especially the homemade rolls... amazing!  laura and i have been doing a "no sugar" deal for the past month but we decided to give ourselves a free day and i definitely took advantage of it.  pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, and lemon cream pie.  yep, that's right, all in one sitting.  and i could have eaten more.  we are so blessed and i am so grateful to have such an amazing family (both mine and josh's and our extended families) and friends who i love to death!

that night we decided to see twilight because it's has been all the rage lately.  i've read the books and didn't really have any expectations for the movie, but seriously i thought it was lame.  i felt that the actors were terrible and it felt like it dragged on and on.  i know some of you chicas out there will disagree with me, but honestly i don't even know if i'll netflix it once it comes out.  and that's sayin a lot. but it was fun hanging out with laura and spencer, the romeros, and the lovells.  our friends seriously crack me up.

friday was round 2 of thanksgiving dinner with josh's family.  kristi made a yummy meal including ham (josh's fav) and pumpkin pie (yay!).  we were able to hang out all day playing games and talking.  josh's dad busted out some of those metal puzzle games where you have to figure out how to get certain pieces on and off (is anyone following me?)  anyway, they are so frustrating and i am never able to figure them out.  but that day i was bound and determined to figure out the hardest puzzle and after about an hour and a half, i accomplished it!  i was so excited i kept showing everyone.  it got to the point that i was able to solve it twice in less than a minute.  seriously, so awesome!

the rest of the weekend was spent hanging out with our friends, playing lots of games, eating plenty of food, taking naps, and me doing homework (stupid finals).   we had a great time and we are so grateful to our wonderful families who spoil us every time we come down!

so tonight instead of studying for my final tomorrow, i wanted to put up our christmas tree!  my wonderful dad bought it for us and it is perfect!  it's a pre-lit slim tree (because we don't have much room) but it is the perfect size for us!  decorating the tree is always a sentimental time because while growing up, my mom had us pick out an ornament every year from hallmark.  we've been getting them ever since we were born so my collection is more than 24.  since we're married my mom gave me all of my ornaments so we have a pretty decent amount to fill up a tree.  i definitely want to continue this tradition because it is so fun to unpack each of my ornaments every year and reminisce about when i went and picked it out.  it's funny to see the phases that i went through and remember what was going on in my life when i picked each ornament out.  josh's mom also gave us some of his ornaments so we have quite the collection started up!  between all of our personal ornaments, the ribbon, and the gold/silver balls, our tree is completely full!

this is josh's "smore-man" playing the guitar
on josh's last day in alaska last summer, we took a float plane ride to taku lodge.  while hanging out there we picked out an ornament for our future tree.  i was so excited to finally get it out!  it will help us remember our crazy, rainy days in juneau.
this ornament is one of my favorites.  i absolutely love slippers... i wear them all the time... and these cute things even light up!  they couldn't have been more perfect!

i decided to put up the few christmas decorations i have.  i made this wreath last year.  

and this was my one christmas craft for christmas.  (lindsey, this is what yours looks like)

see ya later alligator

i got this email the other day from a friend.  these are all stores that are going under (or partially going under) because of our lousy ecomony:

*Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)
*Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closing
*Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwide
*Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January
*Cache will close all stores
*Talbots closing down specialty stores
*J. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)
*Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)
*GAP closing 85 stores
*Footlocker closing 140 stores mo re to close after January
*Wickes Furniture closing down
*Levitz closing down remaining stores
*Bombay closing remaining stores
*Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January
*Whitehall closing all stores
*Piercing Pagoda closing all stores
*Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.
*Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )
*Macys to close 9 stores after January
*Linens and Things closing all stores
*Movie Galley Closing all stores
*Pep Boys Closing 33 stores
*Sprint/Nextel closing 133 stores
*JC Penney closing a number of stores after January
*Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.
*Wilson Leather closing down all stores
*Sharper Image closing down all stores
*K B Toys closing 356 stores
*Loews to close down some stores
*Dillard's to close some stores

and i'm sure the list will continue to get bigger

utah vs byu

start 'em young!

go utes

5 for 5.95

so, the name of the game is to pick the 5th photo in the 5th album of your pictures on your computer.  this picture was taken by the fabulous melissa kelsey while shooting our engagements last february.  we were downtown having a jolly 'ol time when it started raining randomly.  i'm usually not a big fan of the rain, but it was kind of fun (even though my hair started to curl a bit) and it only lasted a minute.  i like how you can see some raindrops in the picture, too.

so, now it's time to tag 5 of my pals... and if i don't "tag" you, don't be sad- you can still participate :)

1- lindsay

2- krissey

3- kim

4- layla

5- stacy

that's a random enough group.  happy blogging!

christmas is coming...

ok girls, so the time is getting closer and closer to start that christmas shopping (something i know we all love!).  many of you will remember i hosted a party a few weeks ago for my friend layla.  she sells juicy couture jewelry and sweatsuits, ed hardy clothes and hats, christian audigier clothing, tiffanys jewelry, chanel sunglasses and more.  plus she has tons of cute jewelry and accessories that you can't find in the stores.  her prices are awesome and everything is at a great deal.  it's a great place to get some cute jewelry/clothes/accessories at affordable prices.  the last party we had was so much fun that we decided to do another one for christmas shopping (you can always buy yourself a lil somethin somethin too).  also, to accommodate for everyone, we're going to have one in logan and murray this time.  that means you slc girls won't have to be driving to logan again, and that also means you won't have any excuses not to come :)  seriously, the more the merrier!  i want everyone to know about this early enough so you can mark your calendars, tell your friends, and be there!  

logan party:

date: wednesday, dec 10th

time: 6-8 pm

place: my house was just too small for all the girls and shopping last time so this time we're having it at my friend kendra's house.  she only lives about 2 blocks away from me

murray party:

date: tuesday, dec 16th

time: 6-8 pm

place: hankins home

they are both open houses so you are welcome to just drop by for a bit if you've got other commitments.  i would love to know if you're interested in coming... also, if you want to come, leave me a comment and i'll make sure to let you know what the addresses for the parties are.  let me know if you have any questions and i hope you can all make it!

angel

isn't it interesting when a person can have a huge impact on your life, and you've never even met them and they don't know who you are?  i got the link to this blog about a month ago (thank you jon and donnarae) and it has affected me more than i can even express.  the first time i went to this blog, i read the entire thing, every post and many of the comments that people wrote.  i have since checked this blog daily to see how this little boy is doing.

the blog is a journal from a little boy (aroune 8 or 9) named trent duval.  he and his family live in the salt lake valley, and in july 2007 he was diagnosed with the AML form of leukemia.  he was living in the hospital for many months, went through many rounds of chemo, and had many surgeries (bone marrow transplants, blood transfussions, etc) to help him fight his illness.  he has been through every physical ailment you could think of- nausea, fatigue, pain, diarrhea, fever, stomach aches, and headaches, just to name a few.  but despite all the pain he has gone through, he writes about the positive.  he writes about his thoughts and feelings, the activities he does while in the hospital, his family and friends who come to visit, and the fun opportunities the make a wish foundation has granted him.  

he also writes about his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  he talks about heaven, his Heavenly Father, his brother Jesus Christ, and the reason he is here on earth.  he understands the plan of salvation, eternal families, and the atonement of Jesus Christ far better than many adults understand it.  my testimony on these subjects has grown tremendously just by reading this little boy's thoughts and feelings.

i think this blog has put many things in perspective for me.  when josh was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, i thought my world was going to end.  it was days after we had gotten engaged and all i could think about was "why me?" and "why us?" and "why now?"  i kept thinking, we're too young to be dealing with this, we can't afford this, and we have too many years ahead of us to have such a heavy burden on our plate.  it wasn't until after many hours of tears and prayers did i realize how truly blessed josh and i are and how good our situation really was.  i was able to start focusing on the blessings rather than the hardships.  josh's prognosis was good... he's in good health, has a good attitude, and the doctors are hopeful that they found the cancer early enough.  we both had amazingly supportive families (esp. josh's) and wonderful friends who stood by our side through the hospital stays, the late hours, and the tears.  josh had an amazing medical team, wonderful doctors and nurses,  and was able to start his treatment immediately.  he could have been a lot sicker than he was, he could have lost his hair, he could have been stuck in the hospital longer than he was, and his cancer could have traveled through his body much more than it had.  other than the complications josh had during his initial surgery, he has been in pretty good health and his body has reacted well to the interferon treatment he has been on for the past 11 months.  there were so many things that we had to be grateful for, and our situation could be much worse than it really is.  

i have learned so much from this little boy.  i've learned so much about the strength and understanding you can get through the principles of our gospel... it is comforting and reassuring.  by truly understanding the purpose for our life here on earth, we are able to understand that all things happen for a reason and that trials are put in our lives for a reason.  i am so grateful to have this knowledge in my life.

trent got sick yesterday and i was worried about him all last night and all day today.  his mom finally posted this afternoon that he had passed away.  instantly, my eyes filled up with tears and my heart ached.  i have been so inspired by trent and his family and i'm so grateful for these angels that our Heavenly Father puts here on earth to help the rest of us understand his plan.  i encourage you to read his blog, read his testimony, and see the beautiful outlook he had on life.  he changed my life and i know he will change yours too.  my thoughts and prayers are with his family and for all those who are going through such challenging times as well.

http://trentduval.blogspot.com

185 days

it's november 1st and i'm sad to see all the halloween festivities over with. i've come to like halloween more and more as i've gotten older. maybe that's because i like halloween decorations. i don't usually go all out with costumes, but i do like all the pumpkin carving, the haunted houses, and the scary movies. on monday we were able to go to the pumpkin walk with some friends from the ward. i know what many of you are thinking, the pumpkin walk on family night?! are you crazy? the answer is yes. however, we were fortunate enough to have our friends (mike and michelle) wait in the massively long line so we didn't even have to wait in line for a second. any of you who aren't familiar with the pumpkin walk are missing out. it's a logan tradition and i love it! basically there is a theme every year and different groups of people use pumpkins and other types of squash to come up with a creative display. they set them up in the park and everyone and their dog comes to see what fun ideas people came up with for the year. i am impressed with the creativity of the people in this valley... there were some cute displays!

i thought this one was cute... it was a little league soccer team. i loved how they were able to capture the moment so perfectly... right down to the goalie putting grass in her shirt.

this was one of my favorite displays of the night... noah's ark. it's probably hard to see, but i loved the detail they used to add character to all the animals. i especially loved the elephant bums and the bow on the female's behind
this one was cute because it was done by a preschool class. i couldn't help taking a picture

this was an operating room. the pumpkin on the operating table had its guts (all its seeds and goop) pulled out and spread around him. very creative
the sword and the stone. i loved this movie when i was young!
hansel and gretel. super cute with the lollipops made out of squash

so, anyone who lives in logan has come across brent at least once. he is a guy who rides around on his bike and honks and waves at everyone. you could be having the worst day ever walking around campus and just one beep of his horn and a wave and a smile from him can turn your mood around. i love how the theme this year was heroes and one group came up with this. well done!

josh and krissey. like i said, mike and michelle came with us but for some strange reason, i didn't get their picture!

wednesday was a day josh has been looking forward to since may. it was the season opener for the utah jazz. last season, josh and i got addicted. yes, i'll admit it. we watched every single game, even if we weren't together (nights i was working at the cheesecake factory, i always swapped to work in the bar area so i could keep one eye on my tables and the other on the game. i was also fortunate enough to serve the jazz players after many of their games... that was a highlight!) anyway... wed was the first game and josh was stoaked. i got home from school late that night but the second i walked in the door, josh made me put on my jazz shirt (kyle korver's number, of course). he was already in jazz shirt and shorts. we ordered pizza and watched the jazz win their first game of the season. (i am currently watching the jazz play the clippers. let's hope by the end of the night we are 2-0)so i had to work all day on halloween. it was fun to see all the cute kids dressed up in their costumes. it makes me so excited to have kids one day so i can put them in oversized costumes, paint their faces, and have people gawk at them all day long. it will be fabulous. we were supposed to dress up for work but i didn't really have any costume that i wanted to wear that i wouldn't mind getting dirty (us servers have a difficult time keeping ourselves clean). so i didn't dress up during the day shift and definitely got crap for it. so, during my break, i decided i'd borrow some of josh's coveralls and dress like he does everyday for work. i made sure to add some grease (it was actually smeared pencil) all over my face, neck, and arms. just what josh looks like after a rough day at work. i was sad that i had to work and missed out on all the fun parties our friends had for the night, but it's ok... we'll just plan on attending next year with some killer costumes.

the sabor gang all dressed up
this is my boss's daughter, london. she was dressed up as boo from monster's inc. her costume was adorable (i don't think she liked it very much though, the hat kept bonking her in the face) and my boss and his wife actually made it all for her. see what i mean... halloween is fun when you have kids to dress up!

the last news of the week is that josh and i have officially hit the 6 month mark. that's right, 185 days of pure marital bliss. the mini-anniversary was on thurs but i had to work that night, so we celebrated it today. we slept in, got some breakfast, and headed up to bear lake. the drive was beautiful! when we returned to logan we decided to eat at blackstone because we've never tried it. it was alright, not too much to say about it. i'd probably take a salad from sabor next time for half the price but whatever. anyway, it was a great day and i was happy to spend it with my hunny. it's crazy how fast time flies, but then again, i feel like we've been together forever!!