Cherry-stained Fingers and Full Bellies

Yesterday was a nice, relaxing day. I ran around a lot, but it turned out to be well worth it. I slept in kind of late, having worked late the night before (closing at B &N is killing me!). I woke up with enought time to play with the puppies, shower, get ready, and pick up lunch for Eli. I usually make lunch for him, but was running a little late. I do kind of like closing at work because Eli and I are still able to have lunch (at Sam's) and dinner (at B & N) everyday. People think it's a little obssessive, but it's the least we can do while are schedules are a little off.

Continuing on, I stopped at a RS luncheon to get to know a few of the sisters in ward. I made it in time for the clean up. Nice! I met two nice ladies though. It's been great going to this new ward (outside of Utah) because people have been very receptive to us moving in. Although there are obviously people that have been friends for awhile, it's not an odd thing to have a new family move in. It's been great to have that openess and welcoming smiles.

After the world's shortest luncheon, I felt ambitous. I was planning on making spaghetti, but decided I would tackle a pineapple-stuffed chicken and bake a cherry pie. My first pie ever and it turned out amazing! The recipes came from Chef Britta's website. I went to girls' camp with her when we were younger back in California and she's turned into an amazing Chef! Thanks Britta!

Both turned out delicious! One of the most fun things about cooking and baking is the help. Eli is such an amazing husband. Both recipes can be kind of intense and I needed to grow an extra pair of hands. Eli became my extra pair. Instead of relaxing after a long day at work or playing on his new phone, he helped me. I gave him the daunting task of pitting and halving the cherries and he did with no complaint, after I threw a fit because my dough didn't come out right (he fixed that too). He's so stinkin' cool that way. It was pretty funny too; his fingers were a deep purple color after chopping into all of those cherries! I wish I would've had a camera, but I'll give you a little idea of what it might have looked like. Imagine black, tire-stained fingers (they were clean) and the little purple, cherry-stained fingers mixed. They looked a little like this:

We spent the rest of the night stuffed and content with our puppies. Sometimes I have to stop and thank God for the wonderful life I've been blessed with; an amazing husband, a wonderful place to live, our wild puppies, and the ability to follow a good recipe!

It's Like the Birthday Butterflies

I was talking to a coworker of mine today. He commented on my Kool-aid Jammers purse and asked if I made him. I assured him that I was not nearly creative enough and got it from etsy.com. He then told me about all the interesting websites he's found. One of them sounded extremely interesting so I checked it out. Here's the description from the website itself:

"SomethingStore is a fun new website that operates simply: We will send you something, an item selected randomly among many things from our inventory, for $10 (free shipping in the US) and you will find out what your something is when you receive it. What will yours be?"

Then I asked myself the question, "What kinds of things do people get randomly for ten bucks?" My question was quickly answered as I read on:

"Your Something May Be Anything. It may be something you need, something you want or something you desire. Yours may be a cool gadget, rare book, table game, handmade necklace, reverse clock, box of gourmet chocolates, set of shiny shower curtains, popular video game, big-box retailer gift card, the latest version of a software, a set of kitchen knives, a pair of designer jeans, garden tool, kitchen appliance, unique home decor item, electronic equipment, magazine subscription, office supply item, or ...Your something will most likely be brand new, though it may also be refurbished or antique."

And then I thought to myself, "I really like the excitement I feel when Eli tells me he has a surprise for me. I like the feeling at birthdays and Christmas. I wonder if that's what it would feel like if I ordered from this store." I decided that I might have to try it sometime soon. Maybe you should too!

Step It Up and DANCE!

Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE to dance. My love for dance started at a very young age. I took ballet for a few months when I was 3 or 4. I'm not gonna lie. I've always liked to shake my groove thing. I was exposed to breaking in 5th grade when a girl at school by the name of Jai danced for a talent show. It was amazing! I never got around to getting back into dance clubs or anything like that, but you better believe my kids will have better moves than me!

It's been awhile since I've been able to get out and cut a rug, so I've been meeting my dancing needs in other ways. I recently rented Step Up 2: The Streets. I got hooked again. I love watching people dance! I started searching YouTube for dancing. The director of Step Up 2, Jon Chu, has a pretty big dance crew. They've challenged Miley Cyrus to the biggest online dance battle. It's crazy what people can do. I've posted Chu's challenge video and Miley's response. Eli and I are big fans of Miley's video. EH!

The ACDC

The M & M Cru

You'll seriously have to check out their other videos. You can find Jon Chu's crew HERE and the M & M Cru HERE. Have fun!

Tag! You're It!

Here's a fun little tag game I found on my friend Jen's blog:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together (or a memory with Eli). It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Say A Little Prayer

I would like everyone to meet my Mommy Martha. To call her grandma just wouldn't seem right. Mommy Martha is such an amazing woman. She has the sweetest personality and she's so giving. One of the things I remember about Mommy is that she is always in the kitchen cooking! When I was little and visiting her in Texas she made me eggs, steak, beans, and fresh tortillas for breakfast. It was amazing. She takes care of everyone in our family, and even those not in our family. I love her so much!

Just today I was told that my little Mommy Martha found a lunp in her throat. After a biopsy and tests it was found that she has stomach cancer. Next week she'll be going in for a CAT scan to see how extensive the cancer has spread. Please pray for my Mommy Martha. I don't want to think about the possible outcomes, but she is much loved and much needed. Please pray for her. She is such a special woman!

Not Your Regular Sausage

I feel like I've forgotten about one of our family members. He's a new addition, but he's been with us for about a month. He kinda makes you wanna say "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" when you look at him. Let us introduce you to Chorizo!
Our dear little Chorizo came to us from a family in Ephraim. He was the last one in his litter. He is a short-haired Chihuahua that is about 4 months old, so he is just a little older than Lima. While we were doing some research on Chihuahuas we came across this description "Chihuahuas are prized for their devotion, ferocity, and personality. Their curious nature and small size make them easily adaptable ...are often stereotyped as high-strung..." The family that we got Chorizo from also said that they called him "Demon" because he was such a terror and got into everything.

Not our little sausage! Chorizo is the biggest pansy in the world. He would much rather be held, he does not like to explore, and his favorite thing to do in snuggle and stick his little wet nose and tongue in your ears and nose. Although he is Eli's favorite, Chorizo lacks the wrestling skills that Eli wished he had. He can put up a good fight against Lima with some lucky moves, but in the end he tends to rollover and submit to her aggresion!

We've also started to call him "Batdog" because when he gets scared and we pick him up, he spreads his arms and sticks his ears up and freezes in that position. We love him to death and are happy to have our pansy, batdog, little sausage man, CHORIZO!

Lima and Chorizo are best friends!

A Belated 4th Posting

I apologize for being a little behind on updating our blog, we've been a little busy with the move and all. Not to fear though, things are going extremely well for us in New Mexico. We've been having quite the adventure here in Albuquerque. It's unbelievable how much there is to do here! We'll keep you posted of all of our excursions.

I'll start with the 4th of July. It was so much fun! We went to the Rio Rancho Parade we our puppies and our friends, the Smith's. There weren't any huge floats or anything, but they had some awesome cars and it was still fun to get out and see all the new people.

After the parade Eli and I and the Smith's went to Old Town Albuquerque where they have so many museums and little shops. It was pretty cool. Our first stop was The Rattlesnake Museum which boasts the largest collection of different species of live rattlesnakes in the world! It was neat to see all the snakes, but also to see all the different memorabilia from cultures all over the world that have been influenced by snakes.

After we wrestled with the Rattlesnake Museum, we made our way to the Museum of Natural History. We didn't stay too long, but are consdiering a membership there, if only to see the dinosaur and living sea exhibits!

As we made our way back to the car we found the National Atomic Museum. It was a small, inviting museum that followed the timeline of WWII. They also had a Children's science lab that kept Eli and Todd busy for most of our visit. Pretty interesting stuff.

We finally made it home to where our sweet pork burritos, mexican rice, and Eli's amazing refried beans were waiting for us. It was the quietest dinner we've ever had because the food was so good!

After dinner we all piled (including the puppies) into the Smith's expedition and found a perfect place for fireworks. We took out the back seat of the car and set it on the sidewalk so we could kick back and enjoy the show. It was a nice production, a little on the long side, but still entertaining! Eli and I were amazed the Lima and Chorizo handled the event so well. To be more honest, Lima spent the time digging a hole to lay in and Chorizo cuddled up to Bonnie the whole time being the pansy that he is. After the city fireworks we went home and lit a few of our own fireworks.

All in all, it was a great day! It was well spent with friends and our little family and I think that we are really going to enjoy our lives in New Mexico!