Wintery Walk

Jason and I took a stroll down the Provo River Trail to enjoy the 40 degree weather and sunny sky on Sunday. Winter can be such a depressing time, but we saw some pretty beautiful sights. This trail is one of the many things we'll miss about Provo!

Loverly Suprises

Jason and I really made an effort to make Valentine's day special this year. So, we decided to recreate our first Valentine's Day together from 3 years ago. While he was gone at work, I decorated the house with balloons and trails of chocolate and left notes all over the house and hid presents for him to find. Later, while I was gone at work, he cooked an amazing gourmet meal for me out of our Cuisine magazine (which is a fabulous magazine that I highly recommend to everyone). He had a dozen roses, a bottle of Martinelli's, and my present- "Mamma Mia!" waiting for me when I walked in the door later that night. To top it all off we went dancing after dinner and had a great time. I'm so grateful for my wonderful, thoughtful husband. I love you baby! :)

Here's a video clip from our first Valentine's Day together. This is Jason discovering the surprise I left in his apartment for him.


A Scrumptious "Choco-Colada" Cheesecake Jason made: (coconut, chocolate deliciousness)


Our yummy dinner complete with french bread and balsamic vinegar and oil dipping sauce. (Jason thinks of everything!)


My recreation of our first Valentine's. (The notes were a lot more profound this year!)


Here's my personal chef in action in the kitchen: (and yes, that is HIS apron)

Oh the Cheese...

Jason and I went to a dance on Valentine's day and had a really fun time. There was a live band and lots of food and people. We had a few pictures taken at the "photo" area while there. Though this picture is so cheesy I almost gag looking at it, I thought it was worth sharing to document our night.

Healing Remedies

As the snow is falling outside and soft christmas music is playing in my apartment, I realize that something is missing! I'm not sniffling from a runny nose or massaging my neck from swollen glands and a sore throat. It's a miracle! I am almost always sick at this time of year, and actually at most other times of year too. Despite my fairly active and healthy lifestyle, I've spent most of my life under the cloud of some illness. I was contemplating what I did different this year to ward off the cold and flu season and realized I introduced 2 new things into my diet. (and don't worry, I'm a firm nonbeliever in supplements and most herbal/organic remedies. (as a exercise science/nutrition major this is almost a given since the "facts" about supplements are pounded into my head in every class) No echinacea drops or O.D.ing on vitamin C for me when I get a cold) These two home remedies are just comfort food for me and probably give me enough boost in mood to create the placebo affect that can be so healing. First, whenever I've begun to feel poorly I've made myself a cup of the most amazing, soothing drink:

Stephen's Gourmet Wassail (Citrus & Spice)



and if that doesn't work I buy a cabbage and make this fabulous soup:

Healing Cabbage Soup (recipe on allrecipes.com)



Hopefully these warm, comforting foods can help you ward off sickness and enjoy the most wonderful time of year too. :)

Yo-Yo Garland

Wahla! This year's Thanksgiving craft! Haley and Kellie (2 of my older sisters) discovered this amazing garland online (at heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/2006/12/yoyo_garland.html). It was so fun and so easy but unbelieveably time consuming. We cut up millions of fabric scraps into 5" circles and then sewed around the edges to make each cute yo-yo. That process took about 8 minutes per circle. Multiple that by the 60 I was able to complete on the drive home from Montana (a 12 hour journey) and you get one short, but very cute Christmas tree garland and several bruised and punctured fingers. :)


Some of my still uncompleted circles...



The end result!

Cookies Galore

Jason and I wanted to do something Christmasie and fun last night, so I whipped up some sugar cookies shaped like stockings, candy canes, evergreens and stars. We transformed them with red, green, and yellow icing into these masterpieces as we listened to the Christmas Devotional. What a fun way to begin the holiday season. We love Christmas!

Before...



After!

Handicapped

Recently we noticed that a couple of pixels on our camera were dead, so we shipped it out to our Canon headquarters to be fixed. That was 8 days ago. I'm going through withdrawals. Food has lost its flavor. Colors have lost their brilliance. And I seem to feel a lot like this guy. Yep, I'm addicted to taking pictures.