A Good Feeling

A little earlier this month a neat thing happened. A person very special to me went to the temple for the first time and received her endowment. Her name is Tanya Kapustina. She was one of the last people I baptized on my mission in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

This is Tanya right before I baptized her.

This is Tanya in the MTC with me and Melissa right before she went to the Temple.

The neatest thing for me though however was that she asked Melissa to be her escort in the Temple. It is such a gratifying feeling to not only see the fruits of my labor but to have my wife take part in it as well. Sister Kapustina(Tanya) is now on a mission in Vladivostock, Russia where she is now influencing other peoples lives. I have such a strong testimony that this is the work of the Lord and that when you touch the life of one person you are really touching the life of hundreds. I think of so many people who have touched my life which makes me want to strive to make everyone around me better than I found them. Thanks to all those who have made me a better person, specifically my parents and Melissa. Love you all!

-Brandon

Stay tuned..

Brandon and I had a super fun date yesterday. Can you guess what we did?

Nope, we didn't go to dinner....or to a movie...or shopping...

We went to the eye doctor! This was my first time and boy was it an experience. The doctor we went to gave us more than we bargained for--meaning a very long lecture on how to avoid blindness. It was pretty funny actually as we kept looking at each other and thinking "is this man ever going to be finished?"

The best part is...we get new glasses! I have never had them before. I am getting them more for fun, but it will help my eyes especially being at a computer all day.

We have some very stylish frames picked out, but you will have to stay tuned to see them.

Snow Much Fun!

Do you know what these are?

Did you know you can do this with them?


With these people?

And have tons of fun on President's Day?

At this beautiful place (Mueller Park)?

The JAZZ Game! It was suite!!!!

Yeah that's right. My corporate wife used her influence in the business world to help me accomplish one of my dreams before I "kick the bucket." I got to go to a Jazz in in a suite! We watched the Jazz pound the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 5 115-87. It was awesome. Thanks Babe!

Pregame

Deron Williams right before he lights up the Mavericks for 34 points and 12 assists.

P.S. I'm going to try and post Wednesday-Thursdayish so all of you, who can't wait until Sunday when Melissa posts, won't go through withdraws.

Happy Valentine's Day

When I came home from work on Friday, this is what I found:

The pictures don't do justice, but Brandon had "heart attacked" our apartment with over 50 hearts hanging from the ceiling. I have been heart attacked before, but this time it was so sweet. He wrote reasons he loved me, funny inside jokes, and some are redeemable for later.

Today he made me his delicious Chicken Fettucini Alfredo that is way better than any restaurant's. And we had chocolate dipped strawberries, a tradition we started last year. He even used a double boiler to melt the chocolate. Who does that?

He picked out some sassy earrings and fun brown and white flowered skirt that is springy, but classy. My favorite flowers are tulips, but since our neighbor had just barely given us a bouquet for watching their dog, he is going to surprise me some other time with them. I admit, I would actually rather have flowers randomly then get them just because everyone else is.

I'm a lucky girl. I am far from the perfect wife, but Brandon always does an amazing job at serving me even when I may not always deserve it. I'm so lucky.

The Truth Comes Out

I've been "tagged" by my sister-in-law Jessica.

I have never been tagged before so get excited! Here goes...

Here are the rules for the Honest Scrap Award:

A) first list 10 honest things about yourself-and make it interesting even if you have to dig deep

B) pass the award on to seven bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap

My 10 honest things.

1. I am not a morning person. This has shocked some people because "I seem like the type", but definitely can't hide it from Brandon. Good thing he can motivate me in the morning. However, once I am up, I don't stop. Brandon has nicknamed me "Inertia Girl" for this very reason.

2. I am always cold. This comes in handy for cuddling purposes, but you will often find a blanket wrapped around me just to stay warm in our apartment. I probably look like a 2 year old.

3. I hate mustard and mayo with a passion. I won't even touch a sandwich with that yucky stuff. And I will NOT eat instant potatoes. I think I get that from the Idaho blood in me.

4. I love projects. Even when I am busy, I make more projects for myself. I love the sense of accomplishment. My next big project I want to tackle is to learn how to sew and make a quilt all by myself. Hmmm. Need a sewing machine first. Guess I can put that off for a while.

5. I still wear my retainer. Wouldn't want all that money for braces go down the drain. (For Brandon's sake, I don't wear it every night)

6. Family means the world to me. I love being with family.

7. I dislike unloading the dishwasher.

8. I have a constant passion for travel. I love experiencing things for the first time and exploring.

9. I have such a bad habit of leaving things out-especially on the kitchen table. I am going to start paying Brandon every time I leave something out so I can be in a good habit when I have kids and expect them to be clean.

10. I would rather spend money on clothes, decor, or travel than food.

I tag:
1. Andrea Nelson
2. Diana Cragun
3. Adrienne Morrill
4. Emily King
5. Kristin Murray
6. Katie King
7. Jen Gibbs

Recipe for a "Sooo FUN" night

1. Make "Soooo good"cookies. I recommend heart shaped for this time of year. (Let me know if you want the recipe.)

2. Invite some fun party people.

3. Go crazy with colored frosting and sprinkles.

4. End with fun memories and lots of yummy cookies.

Sunday Updates

I decided that I spend maybe a little too much time blogging. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it! But I challenged my Laurels today to give up something and replace it with something else. And I've got to do the same. So for at least the next little while, you can expect Sunday blog updates just on Sundays. I think this will help be be a more balanced wife and develop other talents that have been lacking lately.

Happy Birthday Andrea!!

This is Andrea and her cute son, Tanner. She is one of my best friends and today is her birthday. Here is just a little note for her...


Andrea, I hope you have the best birthday ever! Thanks for an awesome weekend. We miss you and want you to come back. You have always been a great friend, but I learned even more from you while you were here.

1. You are so thoughtful. I cannot believe you made these cute "SUNDAY" letters for us just because you remember me saying YEARS ago that I thought they were cute. They make our house a bit more homey. And they look like something you pay big $$$ for at a craft store.

2. You are a so good at whatever you do. Take Kellie's baby shower for example. You made the perfect decorations. And you even sewed those cute little birds and made the eggs to fit in with the theme. Who does that?


3. You are a true friend even if it means waiting until 2:30 in the morning for Brandon to finish his grad school applications and still drive us home to Kaysville.

4. You know what is most important in life. It was so sweet to hear you talk about your little family and how much they are YOUR LIFE. I want to be a dedicated mom and wife like you.

This list could go on and on. Mostly, thanks for being one of my best friends, for being a stellar example, for bringing me sunshine during these gray Winter days. I love you! Can't wait for an H&M trip with you. :)

Congrats Amy!

My friend Amy Robinson got married on Saturday. She looked beautiful! I'm so happy she found her happily ever after.

What happened?

So I thought I was a good cook. Ok, cook is probably not the word I should use. Baker. Yes, I love baking! Cookies, cakes, tarts, cupcakes, breads, rolls. You name it, I love to bake it. (For that reason, Brandon and I compliment each other well since he is by far a better cook than I am).

Yesterday for some reason, I tried making yummy, warm rolls for Sunday dinner and this is what happened...Well, I'm not sure what happened.

Just in case that picture doesn't do justice, Brandon models the dimensions of my very imperfect rolls.

To better rolls next time...

Snicker Salad

For a super easy, yummy, refreshing side dish or dessert in these bleak winter months, try making Snicker Salad. It is a sure winner. Lots of you have asked for the recipe...so here it is...

Chopped bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, peaches (any or all of the above)
Chopped Snickers
1 small yogurt (peach is my favorite)
1/2 container cool whip

Mix yogurt and cool whip together. Mix in chopped fruit and snickers. For extra presentation points, serve in a clear trifle bowl and lay pieces of fruit and snickers on top. Viola! That is it!