the month in review...it's a long one folks

the holiday season is here. yay for that! i love love love this time of year, more than i can say. something about the snow just makes everything better. but then again, i do love myself a hot summer day lying on the beach. but for now, it's winter, and i'm in SNOW mode.
it seems like it took forever for it to snow. but at least it's here. and it seems like it's here to stay.
i was all about halloween, and it took me until the day before thanksgiving it seems to get all the thanksgiving decorations up. steve and i hosted our first thanksgiving at our house. of course steve cooked the bird and my sister did dessert, so i did nada and it was fantastic. i love hosting parties, but never seem to do any of the work. score!
thanksgiving day, we were all over christmas. lights up on the house, christmas mode. then we took an intermission to go elk hunting.
steve has loved hunting for many years and i decided i better learn to love it as well. so i tagged along on the boys trip down to the fishlake area. cold temperatures, snow, lots of elk, and best of all, a fifth wheel to sleep in! it was complete with 5am wake up time, driving and hiking up and down snowy roads, stalking elk through binoculars from hundreds of yards away and trying to figure out a way to get to them through thick pines and steep terrain. we came away from it with a great story, but a controversial one, so i will keep the details off the blog. in the end, the only elk we came home with were a few legs from an elk that someone else got that are marley's new chew toys. elk season isn't over yet though, so keep those fingers crossed. although buying a freezer to keep an elk in isn't on the top of my christmas list.

marley gnawing on some elk legs...yum!
so beautiful up there. poor steve can't open his eyes to take a picture if the sun is shining our direction. that's the best we could do. ps, this trip was the first time i've worn camo, in my life. i quite liked it.

sure was cold on the lake. and yes, that is our dog relieving himself in the background. gotta love him.doesn't marley look like he's having a good time out on the ice?the scratch marks from his claws just scream "good time". is that considered child abuse?marley was tuckered after a few days in the great outdoors.

anyways...we are home for now, enjoying our heater and comfy bed. christmas decorations are up, tree decorated, scentsy melting some yummy christmas smells. cookies and ginerbread baking. and of course, some home projects on the side. we are on vacation, but home. i love it. time to do anything and everything and hang out with my 2 favorite boys. and since steve isn't working for a few weeks, he can have a beard. oh how i love facial hair on him! mmm.
oh yes, and christmas cards sent. this is the first year i've done this and i loved putting them together. i think there is a little martha stewart somewhere deep down inside me that wants to come out. i just wish i had the time and money to let her out. maybe someday.
other news, steve got to work the utah/byu game. sad ending, but cool experience for him to work on the field.

love this guy in uniform!

so now i sit in my warm, cozy home, while my husband plays on the no sex box. i love my life. i love my family. i love the Gospel. i am thankful everyday for everything i have. i love this time of year and i can't wait for Christmas, but i will be sad to see it pass for another year.

steve's stocking. you can't tell very well in the picture, but it's hanging on our front door, measuring about 3 feet tall. we dressed marley up in some festive wear. he wasn't digging on it.

this picture says it all. again, child abuse?this is as festive a picture as i could get from the bugger.

regardless. HAPPY DECEMBER EVERYONE!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

it's that time of year. the time of year to think about all of the many things you have to be grateful for. it kills me that as a society, we only do this once a year. i wish i could say i was different. i may think about it more than once a year, but i'm sure i don't think about it as often as i should.

so for myself, and for anyone else who might be interested, here is a list of some of the many many things i am grateful for...

1.my husband. he is the best thing that has ever happened to me. i actually do thank God everyday for him.

2. the rest of my family. they are such incredible sources of strength and support and i'm sad i don't get to see them more often.

3. marley. the cutest darn boxer i've ever known. always knows how to cheer me up and make me smile.

4.the wonderful family i married into. they are so close and i love being part of that.

5.my house. i'm grateful for the roof over my head. the heater that keeps me warm in the winter. the ac that cools me off in the summer. a place to decorate and call home.

6.the gospel. i can't even tell you how lost i would be without the gospel in my life. there are honestly no words that would give justice to the way i feel about my savior and the gospel. i'm just so grateful that i get to be imperfect and continually strive to be more like Him.

7.my eternal marriage. as if it wasn't awesome enough to marry my best friend and get to spend all day everday of our waking moments together. i get to be with him FOREVER. i can't even fathom that and the idea of it brings a huge smile to my face.

8.my car. i'm grateful i have a reliable car to get me from point A to point B with no worries. not only does it do that, but it has seat warmers in it! :)

9.my job. especially in these economic times, i am so grateful to be gainfully employed, and actually make decent money and not worry about if i will be "let go".

10.food on the table. i'm grateful that i have never had to go hungry. although going hungry might help me lose a few.

...those are the main ones, but here is a smattering of other things i am grateful for.

11.socks to keep my feet warm

12.shoes on my feet

13.clothes.

14.water

15.pictures

16.computers

17.a big bed to sleep on

18.decorations for my house

19.friends to talk to

20.journals-which are there at 4am when you get home from work and there is no friend to talk to.

21.jewlery

22.makeup. trust me, you are all grateful i have this one as well.

23.imagination

24.hope and faith

25.tivo

26.affection and intimacy

27.music

28.knowledge, my education, and the ability to continually learn new things.

29.a husband who works hard and puts up with me and all that comes with me.

30.memories.

31.where i grew up.

32.all of my husband's many talents.

33.his sense of humor and always knowing how to make me feel like the most special girl in the world.

34.a husband who cooks.

... you get the idea. the list could really go on and on, but this is what came to mind. i really am a lucky girl and have so very much to be grateful for this holiday season and throughout the year.
the picture above was taken the other day when steve and i hosted thanksgiving for our family. we both have to work on thanksgiving so we had an early thanksgiving. it was a fabulous time filled with family and food. two of my favorite things.

i hope you all have a great holiday and can take a moment to think of the blessings you have in your life.

waterworks

ever have those days when you are ultra sensitive and have no reason to be? those days when everyone is on your nerves? those days when your psychiatric patient who can't even tell you where she is calls you a b#&$% and you want to go in the bathroom and cry? those days when you cry so dang much your eyes are practically swollen shut? those days when you have to tell people "i have allergies" when they ask why your eyes are watering and they say "you look tired". thanks, like that helps.
ugh. i've had those days. i'm having them now. so if you see me and "i look tired", just smile and keep walking because chances are, anything you say to me will probably make me cry.

man it sucks to be a girl sometimes...

a post about nothing really

ooh, a new post! but don't get too excited. it's really not anything fabulous, but i feel bad if i don't say SOMETHING every once and awhile.
so i will give you an update.

• the house is de-halloweened. decorations down, stored away for another year. small tear comes to my eye in that process because i so dearly love halloween.
• thanksgiving decorations are out of storage, but not out on display yet. i mean, de-halloweening took AT LEAST 20 minutes. i can only do so much in one day.
• i am fully listening to christmas music every chance i get.

that's about it for me. happy monday to everyone!

33

today my darling husband, the love of my life, the sexiest man i know, turned 33.


last night we got to go to the grizzly hockey game. we got awesome rinkside tickets, 1st row! AND we got a puck that flew over the glass. AND steve got his name on the big screen at the E center. pretty cool.

We had a fairly lazy day today complete with a massage, movie, and dinner. oh yes, and presents. recently steve's xbox got the dreaded "3 rings of death" after we had already gotten it repaired once. don't ask me why, but being the loving wife that i am, i got the guy a new xbox. i sort of had to, since my original gift to him was a new xbox game. i'm sure i will regret this decision come november 10th and he is elbow deep in xbox live, call of duty fest. but alas, i can't help myself. i just love to see the kid smile.

i'll spare you all my list of 33 things i love about this man and just say this little ditty...
i love you more than anything babe. more than i ever thought possible. i'm so grateful for everyday i get to spend with you and i look forward to all the birthdays to come!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!