Sleepy

This is how I pretty much feel all the time now.
I think my husband is the same way....


I don't even know how I would have handled a part-time job along with school.
My husband is amazing for working and going to school both full time.
And I am sure grateful for him for that!
I have to get a job next semester though.
This could get interesting....

I am in love.....

Seriously, this place has the most amazing fabric.
I love it.
But $15/yard...?
Come on now.
Yeah, right.

Anyone know of any good online stores that sell inexpensive fabric?
I need to start working on and improving my "talent."

Busy Busy Busy!

Life has been so crazy lately. I don't have time for much anymore because every second my husband is home, I want to spend that time with him. So I try to do all my homework when he's not home. It's hard juggling school, spending time with my husband, homework, YW's, cooking, cleaning, etc. I am so grateful that my husband has been helpful and done the dishes lately because he knows I can't make dinner if the sink is already full of dirty dishes. (So he kind of does it for selfish reasoning- he wants me to make him dinner!) Haha. But I don't mind. :)

Anyways, things that have been going on recently:

1. My parents stopped in Utah on their way to take my brother to BYUI. Thus, I got a sewing machine and a desktop computer. Both are old (the sewing machine more so than the iMac), but they will work!

2. I ended up going to Rexburg with them (on Labor Day) to help my brother and parents find everything and to see Sandra! The school has changed a lot, and it is really, really weird.

3. Jon and I went to an Orem Owlz game! I've been wanting to go to one for a while, but it always seems like we don't have the money or something else is going on when they're playing over at UVU. It was fun, but the game wasn't that exciting considering the Ogden Raptors didn't put up much competition (Owlz won 17-1). Although, we did get 4 free tickets to the playoff game Saturday! Exciting! It does make me miss going to Padres games when I was younger with my family. I can't wait until we live in a state that has a professional baseball team because that's about the only sport I can tolerate watching.

4. I hate football and football season. That's all I have to say about that.

I can't really think of anything else worth mentioning. Life is going fine; I just wish I had some more time!

Anniversary Celebration!

What a fun week!

Jon and I had a great time on our "getaway" to Heber City and Park City last week.
It was just what we needed,

except I could have gone for at least a full week or even longer!
We started the day off with BBQing in Provo (we couldn't check into our place until after 3 PM).



I sure do love to BBQ!
I will say, there are some creepy people that hang out at the parks in the ghettos of Provo (since that's where we live). Haha.
Anyways, we didn't do much the first night in Heber.
We got some pizza and just relaxed.
The next morning, we were trying to decide what all were were going to do that day.
Well, I was planning on doing some outdoor stuff - hiking, swimming, and summer fun activities at the resorts in Park City.
But guess what Jon wanted to do?




He wanted to go shopping.

Weird, huh?
So we headed up to the outlet center in Park City and did our "Back to School" shopping.
We got some awesome deals like a few shirts in the price range of $4-$6.
We headed back to our room, ate lunch, then headed off to the Jordanelle Reservoir to go swimming!


Well, apparently, it was too cold for Jon, so we didn't really end up swimming.
I got in about knee high, but Jon wasn't enjoying himself so we took off.
We went up a road that had some pretty views of the reservoir and the dam.




On our way back down, I spotted some deer on the side of the road.
I pretty much love deer and think they are the cutest things ever, especially when they run/hop away.

(My camera likes to mess up my pictures sometimes, but at least it didn't mess up the deer part of the picture!)
Well, we decided we were hungry for dinner at this point.
We had planned to eat at this place just outside the hotel/motel (whatever a Holiday Inn Express is).
It was called The Claim Jumper.
Very misleading for someone who is from California and has eaten at a place called Claim Jumper.
Anyways, we checked it out and were seated.
Then we saw the prices on their menu and knew we had to get out.
Unless you wanted just a salad, you would be paying at least $22 a person.
No thanks.
We aren't that rich.
There isn't much to eat in Heber besides fast food, so we looked into places in Park City.
Well, most everything there is pretty expensive too.
However, I did find a place that had good reviews AND was inexpensive.
It was called the No Name Saloon.

I had read reviews on it and knew that it had a more bar-like feel to it.
But what else were we going to do?
Eat McDonald's?
No, thanks.
I know we're not the classiest of people, but we did want something of a little better quality and taste.
Well, little did I know that it really in fact was pretty much a bar, and we were carded as we went in.
I think we were the only ones in there not drinking beer. Haha.
Although, I will say that our Sprite did taste a little funny.
But we did specifically ask for a non-alcoholic drink.
We definitely enjoyed their food (at least I did).
Jon wasn't digging the chips because they were kettle, and he doesn't like kettle chips.
We had Buffalo Burgers. Mmmm!
It was good.
After that, we stopped by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory to get ice cream and walk the rest of the way back down Main Street to our car.
We had to check out of our room by 11 AM the next morning, so we ate breakfast, swam for a bit at the pool, and took off back home.
Too short of a trip.
But it was fun, and I love my husband so much for taking me!

Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos

So I just had to post this. I tried this Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos recipe tonight, and it was pretty dang good. Although, mine did not look quite as nice as the ones pictured on the website I got the recipe from. But they still tasted wonderful!

Mmm... don't they look delicious?

Here's the recipe:

Baked Chipotle Beef Taquitos
Recipe by OurBestBites.com

3 C cooked, shredded beef roast*
4 oz green chilies, undrained
1/4-1/2 t minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (I use 1/4 t for mild heat. There's a note in the blog about removing the seeds and such- just click on the link above to learn what to do.)
3 t adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers
1 t garlic powder
1 t coriander
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
zest from one lime
1 T fresh lime juice
1 package Queso Fresco (about 12 oz)
6" corn tortillas (about 20)
olive oil or cooking spray
kosher salt

Note: If you don't want to work with the chipotle peppers, or can't find them, try adding some Chipotle Chili Powder. You can find it by the other spices in the grocery store. It will still give you a smoky spice, so start with a little and increase to taste.

*I created this recipe to use up left over roast from things like pot roast and french dip sandwiches. If you're cooking a roast strictly for use in these taquitos, then just mildly season it with things like salt, pepper, onion, and garlic before cooking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice any larger pieces of roast across the grain so the beef is shredded into 1/2-1 inch pieces.
Combine chilies, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili powder and lime zest and juice in a bowl. After stirring to combine, gently toss together with shredded beef.

Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. (after those are used, do the next 10)

Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1T queso fresco in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top with 1-2 T shredded beef mixture. Tightly roll and place seam-side down on a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Continue to roll until all of the tortillas are filled.

Use cooking spray, olive oil spray, or lightly brush olive oil on the top of each taquito. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.

Serve warm with sour cream and guacamole. Makes about 20 taquitos.

Freezer instructions: Make as noted through the step where you sprinkle the tops of the taquitos with salt. Place in a dish a single layer, not touching each other and set in the freezer. After frozen, place in zip-top bag, foodsaver bag, or any other air tight container. To cook, preheat oven to 425. Place taquitos on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake until edges are golden brown. (Usually about 30 minutes)

I have leftover shredded beef, so I think I'll probably be making some more later this week. :) Tomorrow night, I will be trying this Spicy Honey Chicken recipe from the same website and make it into this salad. I think I might just love this food blog.

I am working on a post about our anniversary getaway. I am just slow with it.

We're Off Again!!!

We're headed out of Provo again but not out of Utah! In fact, we're only going about 30-40 minutes away to....

Heber City...

Park City (minus the snow)...

Jordanelle Reservoir...

and maybe Deer Creek Reservoir.

We really don't know what all we're going to do just yet. Maybe some swimming, some of the fun summer activities at the Park City ski resorts, and lots of eating!

This is how we're celebrating our Anniversary- by getting away for a few days! It should be fun. :)

Two Years!

Two years ago, I married my best friend! It was definitely a very long and interesting day (throwing up at 3 AM, not getting much sleep at all, etc.). But it was also the best day ever! I love my husband so much and am grateful for him everyday. I am grateful for the sacrifices he goes through (his current job) to make me happy and provide for me. He is the best and the funniest person ever. I love the nights where we're all ready for bed, but we stay up late talking and giggling (even when I know I have to wake up in less than 7 hours to go running!). I am so excited for this wonderful journey that we will be going through these next few years(finishing school... yeah!). It will be fun to see where we end up in the future.

10 Things I Love About You (from a book my MIL and SIL made for Jon and me):

1. He can always make me laugh.

2. He is a hard worker.

3. He is always doing everything he can to make me happy.

4. He is kind to everyone.

5. He has a large second chin.

6. He is very dependable.

7. He is always smiling.

8. He has a strong testimony and love of the Gospel.

9. He is a big nerd.

10. He is my best friend.

1. She is fun.

2. She makes me laugh.

3. She has beautiful blue eyes.

4. She is patient.

5. She is understanding and forgiving.

6. She makes me want to be a better person.

7. The way her mouth moves when she talks.

8. Her smile.

9. She is always happy.

10. I like the way I feel when I am with her.

Happy Anniversary, Jon!!!! I love you!

Berries and Blogs

A few months ago, I attended Enrichment, where we learned about different things that could help us become more self-reliant. We talked about food storage, canning, making your own laundry detergent, growing sprouts, and making homemade breads and jams. Well, I came away from that thinking I'd give some of it a try. I have never been that great at making homemade bread (even with the bread machine!), besides a pizza crust. So I tried this recipe that we were given for a basic French Bread. It was amazing! I was so happy with my results that I have made it a few times since then. It was cooked all the way through and perfectly soft all around (I always ended up with a crunchy, slightly burnt crust before).

Anyways, so I've been waiting a long time for Blackberries to go on sale because I wanted to try making some Blackberry Jam! Well, I got sick of waiting and decided a week or so ago to make Strawberry Jam because they were on sale for $1 a pound at Walmart. Mmm... it turned out a lot better than I thought it would be!

This is not a picture of my jam, but I have the same exact jars. So this is what my jam pretty much looked like. (Image found via Google.)

We have not eaten it all just yet, but we are rounding our way onto the third jar. I'm sure we'll be done with them in the next week. I had an excess of Strawberries after I made the jam because the recipe called for 4 pounds, and I only ended up using just a little more than 2 pounds. So I decided to make a Strawberry Pie, which I had never made before. I thought it was good hot and fresh, but after cooling off and being in the fridge, Jon ate pretty much the rest of it.

Oh and, of course, the week after I make Strawberry Jam, Ream's decides to put all their berries on sale 3 for $4. So, today, I bought 4.5 pounds of Blackberries and Raspberries! I'm pretty excited to make jam out of them. But since I only have one set of jam jars, I will have to freeze these berries until I can make some more jam or buy more jars. Hopefully, I have enough berries to make the jams.

In other news, I have become a big fan of reading other people's blogs. Random people's blogs. Not really ones that are personal, but ones that are designed to show you tutorials on how to make things. Granted, most of it is making baby's/children's clothing, toys, dolls, etc. I just think it would be fun to get some ideas together to try when I get my sewing machine next month from my Mother (she's bringing my Grandma's old one up here... how old? I don't know yet.). It will give me some practice before I do have kids of my own, so maybe by then I'll be a pro...? I also want to try making some skirts and things for myself. So we'll see... A few other blogs also give out inexpensive and healthy recipes and turning something old into something new (repainting furniture, refashioning an old shirt, etc.). I have a few things I want to repaint, but I just need the tools to do all the painting!

Another type of blog, I like to look at are the giveaway blogs! You can find links to those on the left side of my blog. Give Away Today and Fabulous Fun Finds are my two favorites. I have been entering for a few months now, and I have won twice! One was a picture that I can someday hang in a baby's room, and the other was some headbands. It's exciting to win, but I kind of wish I won the ones for DownEast or Layers clothing. Haha. So that's what I do most days; enter giveaways. I call it my "job." Jon laughs at me for that.

Well, that's that for now. Sorry about the long posts lately. I guess I just don't post much, so sometimes I have a lot to say when I do. In fact, I have more to say, but I'll stop for now.

Arkansas Trip, Etc.

So two weeks ago was our trip to Arkansas! It's the second time we've been back there since we've been married (not including the wedding reception we had there). Jon went to help his Dad build a Pole Barn for a friend. Jon's main motivation for this trip was a gun, which he is happy to have now. So more than half the money he made went to pay for the gun that his Father, apparently, gave him a good deal on.

Our "fun" adventure started on Sunday, shortly after Sacrament meeting. We left Provo around 3:15 PM MDT. Seriously, I wish airplane tickets weren't so expensive because it would be sooo much nicer to fly rather than drive to AR. Gas was only $120 there, so that would be the same, if not less, than a plane ticket for one person one way. After spending 24 hours in the car (and two hours of sleep on the side of the road near War Axe, Nebraska.. sounds kind of creepy, huh?), we finally arrived at Jon's parent's home Monday, around 4:00 PM CDT. Jon quickly brought in our things, and then got ready to meet his Dad at the work site to get a little work in that day. I, on the other hand, needed a shower. Then Emily came to pick me up, so we could hang out for a bit. And so that was pretty much the rest of our week in Arkansas. Jon went to work with his Dad, doing around 12-14 hour days, while I went out to eat, saw Harry Potter (again!), went to the lake, watched chick flicks, etc. with Emily (and, occasionally, Sarah also).

Luckily, on Friday night, Jon and I were able to have a fun evening with both Emily and her husband, Chris. We went to eat, played a round of miniature golf, and then had some ice cream! It was fun, but I wish Jon had been home more often so that we could have all hung out like that some more! I know Chris would have enjoyed having another guy friend around more often to go do manly things with (shooting, fishing, etc.).

Jon's mother, sister, and nephew were all gone this week to attend his brother's boot camp graduation in South Carolina. So Jon was definitely disappointed that he didn't get a lot of time to see them and, most especially, his nephew. They did arrive early Saturday morning, so we got a little time to see them before we took off the next day. We went to church with his family, then we got all our things together and took off on the "fun" drive back home.

There is a section of highway in between Jon's town of Mountain Home, AR and Springfield, MO, where there are these "Share the Road" signs. I've only seen maybe one or two of the Amish in their buggies on the side of the highway in MO before (and that was a while ago). So I was hoping to see some on our way out to AR and back home. Well, we didn't see any on our drive out to AR, and I thought for sure that on our way back, since it was Sunday, we wouldn't see any again! Well, I was certainly wrong! It was around 5:00 PM in MO when we went through this small town, and there were Amish buggies everywhere! Okay, not literally everywhere, but you know what I mean. They were on both sides of the highway. Some were in the middle of the highway trying to cross or turn. It was pretty crazy! I love it! Here's a picture I found via google (I only got one decent picture at the bottom of this post):

Anyways, so that was my exciting part of the trip home. I really enjoyed it, and I kind of want to learn more about the Amish and be their friend. I didn't really take any pictures of people (besides the Amish). I'm always bad at that. So here's what I took when I got bored one day outside the in-laws' house:

Sadie was the only one that wanted her picture taken. I felt bad for them eventually because they never got played with much that week (I don't like dogs). So I gave them a little love and then got grossed out by all the dog slobber on my hands. Yuck!

One of the many vehicles in the yard. I think they have somewhere around 7 or 8. Haha.

A little blurry.

Front of the house.

The driveway and "shop."

The cute little Amish families on the side of the highway in Missouri.

In all, it was a fun trip, but I think we are both done with the whole driving there and back thing. We'll just have to save up $400-$600 next time we want to go out there so that we can fly.

On our way to....

Arkansas!

Sorry, I had to... :)



I'll try to be better at taking pictures on this trip.