Congratulations!

This post is for Anton. I want everyone to know how proud I am of you, and how much I love you. You deserve a huge congratulations for finishing your MBA - not to mention how fast you finished! I can't tell you enough how proud I am of you...I am so lucky to be your wife! You are a wonderful man, so hardworking, so genuine and kind. I am truly blessed to have you as my companion. I love you! Thank you for being my best friend, the most incredible husband and "my favorite". Congratulations!

I took Anton out for a delicious dinner at the Snake Creek Grill in Heber, then we spent the night and most of Saturday in Midway watching movies, and being lazy. Anton isn't one to sleep in, but I think the last few weeks finally caught up to him...we slept in until 10 am on Saturday! May not sound like much, but that's amazing for Anton - sleeping in for him is usually 7:30 - 8:00 am.

Then, on Saturday...we came home to this! A wonderful "prank" played on us by family. They knew we were in Midway, and thought it would be real funny to stick these on our lawn on Friday night. We did get a good laugh at them. But, watch out...This means war!

(If you can't tell, they are giant reindeer with target marks on them. I laughed so hard when I saw them!)

Fun Weekend!

What a fun weekend....

• Thursday was Antons last class!! Yeah!! He came home that night in such a good mood, and so excited, he made me get out of my pajamas, and put my jeans on because we were headed to Walmart to go pick out a new flat screen TV!



• Friday, we went back to Walmart and bought the flat screen TV and a new PlayStation. We had a fun dinner with some good friends, and then went home where I managed to beat Anton at video games. It was wonderful.



• Saturday we went to the "Bear Hugs Christmas" with our youth...it is put on by the Jazz / Jazz Bear. Our youth have done it three years in a row, and this was our second time going. We get up at 5:30 in the morning and drive to the Sorenson Center, and there we meet & get paired up with an underprivileged child. After eating breakfast, we pile into buses (8 of them), and are escorted down to Walmart by fire engines, and police officers (they block off the road for us, and the kids think that is the neatest thing - it makes them feel really special). Then at Walmart, that child has $90 for them to pick out whatever they want for Christmas. It is really touching, and so sweet. The kids are absolutely adorable. Anton and I want to do it every year...we love it. (I wish I would have gotten some pictures)



• After the service project, I went over to my moms to meet my sisters and make Christmas candy! It was really fun to get together with just my sisters and mom. We talked and talked and talked...everything from politics, to hair styles. I had such a fun time....even though there were some disasters in the kitchen....cookies burning, spatulas breaking into the fudge, beads falling all over the place, and Anna breaking the cookie maker. :)



• That night we got together with some good friends we have met through Antons school. We went to Porcupine Grill for some delicious food, then headed back to our house to just hang out & talk. We feel really blessed to have met such good friends through the program.



• Sunday my Grandma Woodward had her Christmas open house. It was a nice open house, and it was really good to see my family. And, Anton loved my grandma's red cabbage!
  

Well, as you can see by my really long post, we had such a fun weekend! Below are some pictures of Quique coming to play last night. Quique is Coopers very favorite - loves her. Cooper loves to run around in the snow....afterward, he comes in the house looking like this...

Santa!

As you can see, my adorable niece Ellie LOVED Santa Claus!

Pinky the cat

This was emailed to me this morning, and I forgot how much I loved "Pinky the Cat". I am sure my family would agree that Pinky has many similarities to our old cat Sunday. And I don't know about you, but from the looks of it, Pinky isn't too thrilled about going in its box. I don't know...I could be wrong. :)

4 Days

That's right....4 Days. Anton will be finished with his MBA in 4 days!!! I can't wait to have my husband back!

Dinner Club

Last night was another delicious Dinner Club. It was at my house, and I was so glad everyone was able to come! The Mexican food was delicious and sitting and talking with all my friends was even better. It is such a fun thing to get together with all of these ladies - I am lucky to have such great friends! Dinner started at 7:00 and we lost track of time talking and talking, everyone left around 10:30 - so fun! I am bummed I didn't get a picture of everyone. Anyway, here is the recipe for my dish:

Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound ground ground beef
1/2 medium-size red onion, chopped
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe black olives
1 cup mild enchilada sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
(8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

Toppings:
shredded lettuce, diced tomato, finely chopped red onion

Preparation:
Cook first 3 ingredients in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well.
Place beef mixture in a large bowl. Stir in tortilla pieces, next 4 ingredients, and 1 cup cheese; spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup cheese.
Bake at 400° for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly. Serve casserole with desired toppings.

Christmas Sweater

Here is one of the many things I love about Christmas...You gotta love the Christmas sweaters people start wearing!

Tiny Dancers

I saw this on Monday's Today Show - melted my heart! Enjoy! Here is the link:

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=4f5a4656-9aa5-41dd-b118-719c87d79055

What?!

So, the last few years I haven't really gotten into the bachelor, but this season caught my attention. The bachelor seemed like a really nice, genuine guy....a little different than the ones in the past. Anyway, to make a long story short, last night was the "Final Rose Ceremony". When the show started, the announcer goes, "Stay tuned for the most dramatic rose ceremony in bachelor history", and I just rolled my eyes thinking to myself 'yeah right, they say that every time'. So it gets to the point in the show where he has to send one of them home, and the girl I didn't like as much was the first to get out of the car (which means she is going home first, and my favorite girl was the one he was going to pick). Then, the last girl (my favorite) pulls up in the limo and goes and meets him outside where he has a diamond ring and a final rose. I am getting all excited that he chose her, and then came "the most dramatic rose ceremony in bachelor history". He dumped her!! Yes, that's right - he sent both girls home!! I couldn't believe it. As shocked as I was - and as cheesy as this sounds - I admire him for not proposing to her if he wasn't 100% sure that she was the one. Good for him. So you better believe I am going to tune in to the "after the final rose" show tonight. Oh and something fun - two weeks ago they went to Cabo San Lucas - and stayed in the hotel Anton and I stayed in on our honeymoon - so fun to see!

Thankful!

I love this season. I love Thanksgiving - everything about it. I love the Thanksgiving meal, I love to be with family, I just love Thanksgiving. I remember this past conference, President Erying's talk on how every night he would write something down that happened that day and the more he wrote, the more gratitude would fill in his heart. And, I just thought to myself, I don't write down enough of what I am grateful for, or the wonderful blessings that come into my life. This morning on my way to work, there was a severely handicap man on his scooter riding down the side walk on Highland drive. He had crashed his scooter and was stuck - and there was nothing he could do. By the time I drove by, I noticed 3 or 4 cars pulled over helping him. I don't know why it hit me so hard to see these people so willing to help - but it did. I was so touched that so many people stopped to help this man. I am sure these people had places to be, but it was as if they didn't even hesitate to stop and help. I am grateful for people like that! And, I am sure that handicap man, and his family are grateful for people who are willing to help. Anyway, here is a small list of the things I am grateful for....I am sure I will be adding to this list as it gets closer to Thanksgiving!...
Anton
to live in America
my parents
health
eternal families
my Diva dog
opportunity to have traveled - makes me grateful for where I live
sense of humor
opportunity to be a mother
trials
my happiness

Jumping Jacks

Why am I laughing at this? Maybe because that is what I look like in Kick Boxing class. I guess that's why I stopped going. I particularly enjoy the gentleman on the far right.

Nesting

So, I have been nesting really bad lately. In fact I am nesting so bad, I went to Blockbuster and actually asked them if they had Disney's "The Great Mouse Detective" - when they didn't' have it, I was really stumped as to what I was going to watch. So funny! So, not only have I been wanting to watch movies that 4 years old watch, I have been wanting to create and sew. So I went looking to try and find some cute ideas of what I could make and I stumbled upon these cute little booties on Heather Bailey's blog. I think I need to make these.

Here's to Good Health

This post may sound a little cheesy, but oh well. I started coming down with a little cold last week after I got back from California, nothing too bad, just a little cold. It just kept getting worse and worse, and it started to get painful. Yesterday morning, I broke down in tears because I was so sick of not feeling well, and my face and mouth hurt so bad. Well, that is because I have come down with a Sinus Infection. Not fun. My face hurts so bad, and nothing is helping the pain. Anyway, the reason for this post is to not sound like a little cry baby, but to actually mention how grateful I am for my general good health. I talked about this with Anton, because he is always saying how lucky we are to have good health...and it is so true. As I was laying in bed miserable yesterday, I couldn't help but think of those poor people including children who have cancer, or chronic pain and how hard that must be to live with that every single day. I can't imagine...it must be so hard for them and their families. My heart goes out to them. Anyway, I am really grateful and feel blessed that Anton and I have had such good health (generally speaking)! You can't escape those darn colds though...poor Anton has the sniffles now.

Brothers

I am sure you have heard me talk about my brothers before. These photos give a good description of why I love to be around them so much - they are so funny, and have the best sense of humor! They constantly make me laugh...I had so much fun with them on our trip. Here is a glimps of Jake & Nate. (notice how they have to make a face in every picture)

Happy Halloween!

Anton and I had a fun night together last night! Sometimes I forget how much fun it is to have him home because he is gone so much...I can't wait until he is done with school so he is home more. Anyway, I made some yummy soup to go with biscuits and spaghetti squash, we carved pumpkins, made sugar cookies, then laid down on the couch together and watched the jazz game. It was so fun! Here are our pumpkins...I am sure you can guess which one is mine, and which one is Antons :) I hope all of you have a Happy Halloween!!

Disneyland

I had so much fun in Disneyland & California Adventure. I felt like I was 8 years old again - I couldn't wait to get there! I wasn't very good at taking pictures, I only took a few and they didn't turn out very good, so they weren't worth posting. Anyway some highlights of the trip were:

• Of course being with the whole family - we had so much fun!


• Our awesome matching t-shirts that John (brother-in-law) was so embarrassed about! Don't worry, we knew they were nerdy, that's why Nate had them made! As soon as I get the picture of all of us in them, I will post it!


• Moms hair after 'California Screamin'!


• Katie getting pooped on right on top of the head by a seagull!


• Mom getting called an "old hag" by some random guy - so mean! I can't believe he said that! And of course, now we tease her and call her 'the old hag'.


• The Dollar Game - fun game my mom was in charge of. As we were playing we asked her "So how does this end"...."well, lets just keep playing, I am not sure how it ends"!! So funny - classic mom!


• My cute nieces and nephews - they make Disneyland so much fun.


• Dad getting drenched on the Grizzly River Run ride -he was the one who didn't want to get wet, and he got soaked - I mean soaked! He had to go back to the hotel and change. I laughed so hard on that ride!


• Caroline plugging her nose the whole time on Splash Mountain - from beginning to end!

There were so many more highlights I could list - but you get the idea...I had a blast! I am so lucky to have such generous parents who take us on these fun family vacations. I love my family - we always have so much fun together. Thanks Mom & Dad - love you.

Coscto + Pregnancy = Not such a good idea

'Preggers' is what Anton likes to call me. Going to Costco when you are 'preggers' might not be the best idea. Why? Well let me just tell you what I purchased: As you know, it is only me & Anton right now, so buying a ten pound frozen lasagna just for the two of us probably wasn't the best idea in the first place, but it gets better. That ten pound lasagna sounded so good when I bought it, but let's face it, about 4 hours later I could have barfed at the thought of eating it. It is still in our freezer. Another item: frozen toquitos. When was the last time I bought toquitos? Never. Maybe my mom bought them for me when i was in Junior High. I have no idea why they sounded so good. The toquitos however, were a bigger success than the lasagna. At least I have had 4 of them. Still have 500 to go. Another strange thing...I love cake. Let's be honest, I love anything sweet. Cakes, brownies, cookies - I am a big fan. Not now. We had a birthday party for my grandma last night, and my mom had bought these fabulous cakes (I mean fabulous), and I shuttered at the thought of eating cake and ice cream. So, now let me get to my favorite food - I could eat it for every meal. Mashed potatoes with gravy. Basically anything with some form of potato in it seems to sit well with me. It must be the starch that is helping settle my stomach.
On another note - I saw baby brog for the first time yesterday!! so exciting! The baby is healthy and everything looks great, and in the end, all that matters is that the baby is healthy. That, and that I get my mashed potatoes. Kidding. :)

May Baby

The end of May...our Little Baby Brog will be on its way!!

Inspiring

My mom passed on this fabulous website. Click on her sewing projects - so darling! Time to break out the sewing machine! www.hellomynameisheather.com

Here is a small little glimpse....

Too funny!

This picture kills me. I laughed out loud when I saw it (thanks mom!). I love how mellow the baby is after being drawn on all over the face - including the eyes!!

Why?

Why why why are people so annoying sometimes?! Seriously! Can I just vent for a minute and tell you one of my biggest pet peeves? Thanks. It drives me nuts when people call in and say:
random caller: "Who is this?"
me: "Watts Enterprises, and Watts Architects."
random caller: "Well I noticed I missed a call from this number a while ago."
me: "Did they by chance leave you a message?"
random caller: "No. Would you mind checking to see who it was who called me? My name is so and so."
me: "No problem. Let me put you on hold while I find out who it was."
So, I walk around, ask everyone in the office if they called this random annoying person. All the answers I get...No, nope, not me, sorry it wasn't me. Great.
I get back on the phone:
"I am sorry, it may have been a mis-dial. No one here recalls calling you."
random caller (in a very annoyed voice): "K". Click.
Love them. They really make a Monday, or any day for that matter, fun. Actually let's be honest, I don't love them, they drive me nuts. I know you are curious as to who called you...but don't be ornery with me when I can't find out who called you four hours ago. So, there you go...that is what drives me crazy. I will be nice now, promise. Thanks for listening.

"Gramps"

I spoke of my Gramps in a previous post, but let me just tell you how much I adore this little gramps of mine. My gramps is a wonderful musician - he plays the guitar beautifully...I mean, he is really talented. In the past few years we hadn't really heard him play that often, and I have always wanted Anton to hear him play. Anyway, I went over there for my "free lunch" as he likes to call it, and I was sitting there with my granny and gramps just catching up on whats been going on. He pulled out this tape and said, "this is for you and Anton. It was recorded in a studio with Kenney, and another man playing the drums. I want Anton to hear me play so he doesn't think I am one of those cowboy type guitar players that only knows two cords". Kenney is my uncle who passed away a couple of years ago, and he was a wonderful musician as well - he played the bass. So, the three of them went into a recording studio and had some records made of them playing. The tape has songs like Satin Doll, Mack the Knife, Baby Blues....and so many more. Anyway, he picked this tape out particularly for Anton because it has some Spanish songs on it (Anton went to Spain on his mission). I just listened to the tape on my way home from lunch and I probably had a smile on my face the whole time - even got me a little emotional, I will admit. It was the most thoughtful little gift - and it is a treasure that I will have forever. My gramps is one of my favorite people - he is so funny, a gifted artist, a wonderful musician, and such a good grandpa. I love him so so much.

Williams-Sonoma

Williams-Sonoma has some cute Halloween stuff right now. Of course it is pretty pricey - but it sure is fun to look at. Man I love that store! Go look on their website - it even has the delicious recipes (especially for soup)!

Finally!!

Cooper is finally here! He is the cutest little guy....He is just itsy bitsy! He and Diva are going to spend some quality time together today - they are locked in the bathroom together! Hopefully they will become more comfortable with one another. I will post pictures soon.

Jackson Hole

We had such a fun weekend! Last minute Anton and I decided to go meet up with my parents up in Jackson Hole. We left Friday afternoon and got back last night. It was so much fun...we went biking, hiking, shopped, ate out at yummy restaurants, played games and went site seeing. The colors of the changing leaves were stunning. I couldn't get over how beautiful it was. On Saturday afternoon my dad drove us up to Jenny Lake, and then to Jackson Lake Lodge where we had dinner. On our way we saw several moose, and some buffalo. Saturday night was the best though. We were driving home, and by then it was starting to get dark, we noticed some cars pulled off the side of the road so we pulled over to see what they were looking at, and it was some elk right off the side of the road. It is mating season, so the big bull elk were bugling - and it was the most incredible sound. One noticed we were there and turned and looked right at us then started bugling - it was so awesome! Really, it was amazing. They were so close, and so beautiful. It was so much fun!! It was a much needed trip for both of us. His schooling has made it so we can't go out of town very often, so this was extra fun. We had a wonderful time with my cute parents - even though my dad creamed us at Hearts three times in row. According to my mom, he is no longer invited to play with us! Funny! Thanks Mom and Dad for such a fun weekend - we loved it!

Jenny Lake

Hole in One?

Almost!! My ball rolled right over the hole. I about had a heart attack. Although I didn't get a hole in one, I won closest to the hole for men and women. Quite an accomplishment for someone like me! It was a really fun day and a really fun tournament - I got to play with my mom, dad and brother Nate. So fun!

Cooper

Meet little Cooper!He is the newest member of our family. Yesterday Anton and I met him for the first time - we get to bring him home in two weeks! I am so excited!

Fun packaging

I love these. Leave it up to Martha.

"Grandpa Jensen good"

So last night I took my first attempt at making salsa - and it was a major success! The key ingredients...tomatoes, peppers, and jalapenos were all from my garden. I am thinking that's why the salsa turned out so good, is because fresh ingredients always make things taste better. My gramps Jensen is such an incredible cook and always makes really hot salsa for Anton (because he is the only one that can eat it) and he always raves when he gets a bottle that my gramps could sell his salsa "it's that good"! Well, I made Anton be the first to try the salsa , and he took a bite...then another...then another and said 'Liz, seriously, this is good. This is like Grandpa Jensen good'!! Good job to me!

My 100

I have seen on blogs this thing called "My 100", so I decided to take a shot at it. It took me a couple of days to finish, due to lack of time. But now I have finally finished it. You will notice on one my favorites, I listed the Saturdays I get a lot done are one of favorite days. That was true for this Saturday. It seemed like we marked so many things off the list that we had been wanting to do. Anton amazes me at how he can fix almost anything. Last weekend, he fixed an electrical problem we were having, and this weekend he fixed our garage door. He wanted to at least try to fix it before we got a whole new garage door system - and I am so glad he did! I am lucky to have such a handy man as my husband...don't know what I would do without him. Oh and did I mentioned he got a lot of the painting done on the exterior of our home! Seriously! I say WE got a lot done, more like HE got a lot done! Also this weekend was cute Leslie's baby shower! She looks adorable pregnant and I am so excited for her to have her baby. I was telling Anton how hard I laugh when I am with this group of girls. Julie has a way of making me laugh so hard...don't know what it is, but she kills me. Thanks for the laughs! So, all in all it was a great weekend! After you read My 100 - go do one for yourself!

100 Things about me:
1. Anton is my favorite person in the whole world.
2. I love to get my hair cut and colored
3. I get really really mean if I don’t eat in a timely manner.
4. I love my family – they are the best and so much fun to hang out with.
5. I love to read home/interior design magazines – good inspiration for my own home!
6. I admire my parents – I have learned a lot from them, and I am so proud of them.
7. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints.
8. Probably my favorite treat is chocolate covered strawberries. And I hardly ever get them. Maybe that’s why I like them so much!
9. I love fall days – but hate that winter is right around the corner.
10. The 4th of July & Halloween are my favorite holidays.
11. I get discouraged easy.
12. I am grateful for the trials I have had – I feel they have made me a better person.
13. I am terrified of getting in a car accident.
14. My fingers and toes are always cold.
15. I still sleep with my “blankie”
16. I love to shower right before I go to bed.
17. Bobbi brown makeup is my favorite.
18. I love horses. I used to ride once a week – miss it terribly.
19. I love the smell of clean laundry.
20. I would rather shop online than go to the mall.
21. My favorite day of the week is Friday.
22. I am allergic to walnuts and kiwi.
23. I am a converted Rolling Stones fan.
24. I don’t know one thing about football.
25. I love a good salad.
26. I believe in miracles.
27. I am TERRIBLE at math.
28. I love to laugh really hard – it feels so good.
29. I think my brothers are so funny.
30. I think my sisters are beautiful.
31. Diet coke is wonderful. It is my favorite.
32. I love to snuggle with Diva…when she is clean.
33. I love to people watch.
34. I know too much about celebrities. People.com
35. I am the youngest child (2 brothers, 2 sisters).
36. I have a fake front tooth.
37. I miss my red Jetta.
38. I am terrible with money. Thank goodness for Anton.
39. I am very interested by European History (British & French).
40. I love the website Wikipedia.
41. I look forward to being a mother.
42. I really like campfires –but hate smelling like them.
43. I know a lot about cars.
44. I don’t have a middle name.
45. I can appreciate and love good architecture.
46. Favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor: Mint Chocolate Cookie
47. I have a hard time with people who take themselves too serious.
48. I love fresh clean sheets.
49. I can laugh at myself.
50. I struggle getting out of bed in the morning.
51. I love my Friday night dates with Anton.
52. I love to travel – wish I had the means to travel more.
53. Little kids make me laugh.
54. My dream vacation: do humanitarian service in Africa, and then finish the trip off with a Safari.
55. I prefer vegetables rather than fruit.
56.I don’t like shrimp – It is a texture thing.
57. I am faithful and spiritual.
58. I broke my wrist when I was 5 – my dad told me I was faking and to take some Tylenol.
59. I love it when it rains really really hard.
60. I like to give gifts.
61. I love shoes – especially heels…they make me feel feminine.
62. One of my favorite things (& there are many) about being married are the traditions Anton and I have started for our own little family.
63. I like to cook Chili on Halloween. This is really the only time I do.
64. I think Will Ferrell is very possibly the funniest person alive.
65. I don’t know a lot about politics and I don’t pretend like I do.
66. I can only drink milk if it is really super cold. And I can’t eat most breakfast food without milk.
67. One of my favorite talks was given by Elder David A. Bednar on the “Tender Mercies of the Lord”. It gets me emotional every time I read it. And what a sweet phrase, ‘Tender Mercies’.
68. I have no patience when people make fun of others with disabilities.
69. I love to watch movies and have popcorn on Sunday nights.
70. I like to cook, although I don’t cook very often – only on Sundays, special occasions and when Dinner club rolls around.
71. Chocolate brown is one of my favorite colors.
72. I love coming home to Diva. She is so excited to see me, even if I have been gone for 10 minutes.
73. I love to look through catalogs…it is so relaxing. I get that from my mother.
74. Wrigley’s Spearmint gum is my favorite. Just wish the flavor lasted longer.
75. I hardly ever carry cash with me.
76. I prefer David Letterman over Jay Leno.
77. I am proud to be Anton’s wife.
78. I go by several different names: Elizabeth, Liz, Lizzy, Laz, Lizard
79. I love my wedding ring – it is so “me”.
80.This is my first year having a garden – it is pretty good for a beginner!
81. I love to get pedicures and manicures, but don’t very often. I don’t know why.
82. I don’t like to water ski or wakeboard. I do however, love the tubes.
83. I love getting together with my girlfriends – they make me laugh.
84. I get anxiety when driving on the freeway – again, I am terrified of getting in an accident.
85. I love to BBQ.
86. It drives me crazy when I hold a door for someone and they don’t say thank you. It is so rude.
87. I love the kind of Saturday’s when I get a lot done.
88. I enjoy cleaning my house – not necessarily the cleaning process – but I love the way my home looks and smells after it is all nice and clean.
89. I don’t have a favorite movie – I have ‘favorites’ – but I don’t have a #1.
90. I hate spiders.
91. I love to make Anton laugh.
92. I used to play the piano when I was younger – I wish I would have kept it up.
93. Generally I really like songs that have horns in them. Weird, I know.
94. I prefer being really hot, over being really cold.
95. I can eat spicier foods now thanks to Anton.
96. I love summer nights.
97. I have always been pretty good at spelling.
98. In a restaurant, I can only drink my drink if I have a straw.
99. When I make a sandwich, I make sure nothing is hanging out from the side of the bread. If it is, I peel it away or tuck it back into place. I am so strange!
100. I am pretty even keel with my moods. Unless I am hungry!!

Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancing

I love this song...I love the guy in purple even more.

England

Even though it has been so wonderful having my parents home, there is a part of me that is sad I will no longer get to visit beautiful England. Last night I was over at my parents and they had left a gift for me on their counter - the note said, "lizzy & anton, this is to remind you of your trip to england, love mom & dad". It was a water color painting of a couple walking with an umbrella in London, and Big Ben in the background. It is beautiful! I couldn't believe how thoughtful that was - and I am so excited to have it hanging in my house to constantly remind me of the times I spent visiting england. England will always hold a special place in my heart...I had some really neat, and some very touching experiences over there. I am so grateful for my parents for giving me the opportunity to visit...I will never forget my trips over there. Here are some pictures of my favorite places we visited...

This is a picture of the York Shambles. York has the largest gothic cathedral in all of northern Europe, and it stands in the city center. It is also known to be one of the most haunted places in the world.

This is a picture of the York Minster - not the best picture, but gives you an idea of the town. Another one of my very favorite places was Haworth Village. Haworth is where the Bronte sisters lived and wrote most of their famous novels. It is the most charming little place - the setting is stunning. I didn't have any good pictures, so I had to steal this on off the internet. It doesn't even hold a candle to what it really looks like.

Anton's favorite little village was a town called Lincolnshire. Here they have a really neat cathedral and castle - which you can climb up onto the wall and see the whole town. At the Lincoln Castle is where they keep one of the surviving originals of the Magna Carta. Here is a picture of the cathedral.

Another favorite of mine was Chatsworth House. If any of you saw the new Pride & Prejudice you saw this house. Simply stunning.

And then of course was our trip (Me & Anton) down to London. It was SUCH a fun day (with the exception of loosing my camera). It was Anton's first time to London so we spent the whole day site seeing - highlights were obviously The Houses of Parliment, Big Ben, Tower of London & the British Museum. So, as you can tell - I LOVED my trips to England. They have sparked a new interest and that is British history. Ask Anton...he can't take anymore movies/documentaries/books on British History!! So, in a nut shell....there is a small sample of my wonderful trips to England! Thanks Mom & Dad!

a whole year of cupcakes

This time of year always makes me want to be domestic - don't know why - it just does. Good ol' Martha always has the most creative ideas. As you may know, the latest thing is cupcakes... darling, creative cupcakes. So, i stumbled upon Martha's 'A Whole Year of Cupcakes'...one for each month. Here is Septembers....too cute!

Jordanelle Triathlon

Saturday was the Jordanelle Triathlon! it was really a lot of fun to go up there and watch family compete. everyone did so well - i was really proud of each of them. Anton did really well (especially for not much training) - for the swim, he left with the second wave, and was coming in with a lot of the first wave swimmers. i was so excited for him! unfortunately not a lot of my pictures turned out because obviously people are moving so fast - it is hard to get a shot of them. and, Anton would kill me if i posted pictures of him in his swim gear! my mom can agree that it was so motivating seeing all these different types of people - athletes or not - competing, and pushing themselves to finish. i loved it and it has really motivated me to push myself - and hopefully do it next year with the whole family!

Dinner Club

last night was dinner club...it was so much fun (even though we were missing 2 or 3 people)! the theme for last night was "Restaurant Favorites". It was so delicious! as soon as i get the recipe for the main dish from cheesecake factory that Amy made, i will post it. i love getting together with these ladies - i always have so much fun. to top the night off, we were getting ready to leave and i kept saying "watch me drop my cheesecake"....i made it safe and sound out to my car and asked Jamie if she could hold it while we drove home, and right as i was handing it over it slipped out of both our hands and landed right on the gear shifter of my car! We we laughing so hard - thanks for the laugh Jamie!

i have finally joined the world of blogging! a little update on what is going on in our little world...anton and i have been married now for just over a year and a half. i never knew i could love someone the way i love him. he is my best friend, my biggest supporter, the most thoughtful man i know, he makes me laugh harder than anyone, and he is such a good person. simply put...i love him. we have a little dog, her name is diva. that is exactly what she is. anton is in the masters program up at the U of U and hopefully will graduate in October (cross our fingers!) and i have a wonderful job at an architects office here in holladay. our lives have been so blessed with our wonderful families and darling friends, so we want to keep you updated on whats going on with us....welcome to our blog!