Out of Service

**Disclaimer: this is a long post! Consider yourself warned.**

Sorry I've been out of service the last week or two, but I have been basking in Christmas glory. My mom and brother joined us for our first Christmas (in five years) in our own home. We had a LOVELY time. Highlights include:

1.) Visiting the Temple lights. SLC has nothing on Mesa.

2.) Watching our traditional Christmas movies:





"I lost mine" [giggles every time]

3.) Stuffing our faces with all kinds of good food like Costco ham, spritz cookies, buckeye balls, cherry chocolate bites, mustard green beans, cranberry cider, oh etc. etc.

4.) Receiving some very thoughtful gifts such as new cowboy boots, a camera (so nice!) from my brother, great cooking equipment/books from my mom (especially some Penzey Spices....mmmmm, mmmmm), food storage from Ryan's parents (thank you! saving me the stress is a greater present than you'll ever know!) and Guitar Hero from Ryan.

5.) Making my mom play said Guitar Hero. She did quite well and hardly complained when we made her play the Metallica Guitar Hero.

6.) Playing Cranium, where my mom made a clean sweep of us all.

7.) Watching the cute new Disney movie.

8.) Hiking in the intriguing Usery Mountains.


9.) Snuggling with our poodle visitor.

10.) Celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Creepy Christmas

The most disturbing thing happened today. My boss gave me a box of fudge yesterday (somebody gave it to him, but he didn't want it), so I left it on my desk last night. I'd had a couple of pieces but somehow managed enough self control to save some for the rest of the week. Just before lunch I got a hankering and opened the box.

I was horrified to find one piece had a bite taken out!!! Who does that?? My coworker pointed out that it must be someone deranged. I felt like someone left a knifed jack-o-lantern on my doorstep with a note that says "You." Seriously though. A mere petty thief would've taken the whole piece or maybe even the whole box. But who takes one bite and put it back?

Obviously someone is trying to mess with my head. And it's working. Merry Christmas indeed.

You Better Watch Out

Santa isn't the only one watching . . .

No Mercy . . .

Um, "Sam" is no longer with the company, as of yesterday. Do you think somebody at work read my blog??? Somehow I feel a little guilt.

A Little Mercy

So there are two opposing forces in justice and mercy. I feel like most people may respect one but tend to lean toward the other. Ryan leans a bit to the mercy side, and I probably lean a bit toward justice.

My coworker "Sam" CLINGS to justice. She works in internal audit, so her job is literally to judge the processes and controls of everyone else in the company. Perfect role for her personality, but it sure stresses out the rest of us.

She performed an audit on the department I support and wanted my input on her results. She was harsh, surprisingly so even for her. I kept delicately trying to show her how her numbers were exaggerated and overly dramatic. Finally she blurted out:

"Christie, you're younger than I am, so you just haven't learned yet. You need to make the data look as bad as possible. That's the way you get them in the most trouble."

Suddenly the idea of justice without mercy hit home. I decided I was awfully glad "Sam" would not be my judge in Heaven. Hopefully this will help me to remember to show a little more mercy to others myself.

Lastly, I take offense to the "younger" reference. What in sam hill (pun intended) does that have to do with the price of beans?

Comeuppance

I always tell Ryan he'll get comeuppance for his misdeeds. Sadly, I got a taste of my own medicine. Literally.

I bought this sweet little item while in New Mexico.

When Ryan was carrying it into the house, the bottom of the bag broke. Just like my heart when he told me. Wouldn't you know, the jar didn't shatter though. The bottom just fell off. So Ryan, trying to console me, explains that it's salvageable. He scooped off the top layer in case it had any stray glass. Then he put it in tupperware.

I've been enjoying this raspberry goodness almost every day since Thanksgiving. Yesterday I realized it was almost empty. A few bites into my toast, I felt horrible stabbing pain in my gum. Obviously, I found a glass shard. I was able to extract it myself without any long term damage.

Ryan obviously felt terrible and kept apologizing. Then he remembered I'd made him a PB&J sandwich for lunch. "Oh no!" he said. "I guess I better not eat my sandwich."

Sheepishly I looked at the ground. Taking a deep breath I said, "I have a confession. I've been eating the good stuff . . . sigh . . . and giving you the cheapy store brand. Your sandwich is safe." Suddenly his guilt fled. He realized it wasn't his fault I almost swallowed sharp glass; it was fate. I was just getting my comeuppance.

How Embarrassing

I can't believe it's the 6th, and I just realized I still had a Thanksgiving background. Oops. By the way, I'm not really getting this for Christmas. In case anybody thought I was serious. That would be embarrassing too.

Treat Advice

Okay. I am thinking I'd like to try some new things for our Christmas goodies this year. What's coming out of your kitchen?

Need a Christmas Gift Idea?

This is what I'm getting Ryan:

Thanksgiving Memories

1. We played Scattergories and for an "S" hobby Ryan said, "For a hobbit, I put Samwise Gamgee." Maybe you had to be there, but it was a funny play on words to me.

2. This interchange between my family:
Aunt to my future biology teacher brother: You should tutor your cousin in biology.
Brother to my scholarly cousin: You're not doing well in biology?
Scholarly cousin: No, I'm doing fine. I have a C.
Brother sighs.

3. While playing Taboo I blurted out "pigeon stool!" when the answer was obviously (to everyone else anyway) "stool pigeon." Oops.

4. I pointed out to my brother that he's more closely related to me than any other human on earth. He quickly proceeded to pick up his butter knife and stab it to his chest. Then he mumbled something about his stupid sternum being in the way. Again, you probably had to be there, but I giggled so hard I snorted.

Hope you all enjoyed yours too!

The Segue of Thanksgiving

I proudly profess that Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year, but I love Christmas time the most. I know a lot of people think that Thanksgiving is overshadowed and ignored, falling too close in between Halloween and Christmas. While that's true, I feel like the holiday is the perfect segue to Christmas. What better way to get us all in the Christmas Spirit than to spend a full day of gratitude? I admit I have my lights on the roof and Christmas CD's in my player . . . but I promise that doesn't make me love Thanksgiving any less.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Brilliant

This may be the worst idea ever.

When in Doubt, Throw It Out

Today our department scheduled five hours to clean up our workspace. That seemed ridiculously long, but I had no idea what we were getting into [forgive me for ending in a preposition; I'm tired]. I found such items as antacids in the filing cabinet nobody's used for over a year, Highroads issues (our member magazine) from 2000, and procedure notes for processes we no longer use. That last one really floored me. Why would you send training notes to the warehouse? If it's a current process, you should keep them WITH you. If it's not a current process, trash them. When was the last time you were at work and thought, "Man, I wish I had a copy of those instructions from ten years ago so that I can see how much better we do things now." If there's anything I have learned from being my dad's executor, it's "When in doubt, throw it out." If you don't, it just means someone else ( = me) will have to do it.

Turning on the Oven

We have been out of the 90's now for a week or two, so I can finally turn on the oven. Okay, so I have been using it the summer through, but I tried to use it as little as possible. Now I can just let it run, baby. I've made things like my grandma's rolls, midnight chocolate cake, twice baked potatoes, and butternut squash puree. [Did you know twice baked potatoes aren't that hard? I've never made them before because baking something twice seemed difficult. I was wrong! They're easier than mashed because you only have one bowl to clean and you can leave them in the oven instead of hovering over the stove to occasionally stir.] Anyway, I'm pretty excited. What have you been putting in your oven lately?

Historic Day for the Blog!

My dear friend Holly is allowing me to guest post on her endlessly witty blog If I Were Really Skinny. We ate lunch together every day in middle school. She saved me from the Earthworm Jim kid and helped me learn that being a girl is okay. Her dry humor distracted me from horrors of the social scene in secondary education and now entertains me on a regular basis. I highly recommend you look her up here and check my two cents worth here. Happy Monday!

Hard Time

Maybe it was just a rough week, or maybe I'm just a cry baby. Either way, this one got me all choked up.

Hope Ya Know We Had a Hard Time

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I LOVE this time of year. From now through Christmas! Even if it was in the 90's today. Sigh.

Oops - Missed the Blog Anniversary

Why didn't anyone tell me it was my blog anniversary? Two months ago! Oops. Or if I'm channeling my mother (which happens often) oopsy-daisy.

I guess this isn't unexpected. I have a hard time with dates. In fact, Ryan and I both think we got married in 2005. We didn't. But that's the year we blurt out when asked. I guess as long as we're both wrong, it's okay.

Happy Halloween!!!

October Foods

Ryan's grandma sent me a Martha Stewart link to very yummy fall/Halloween themed recipes. I highly recommend you take a gander here and here.

We had these yummy Monte Cristo Sandwiches:



And we'll see if I can get enough courage to make this Butternut Squash Risotto because it looks like heaven on a plate to me:



There's a little something for everyone, so please check it out.

I Never Ate My Candy

Is that weird? It was sooo important to get as much candy as we all possibly could, but then I hardly ate any of it. Maybe we just had a lot of bad candy in our neighborhood, but probably I was just picky. Ryan figured out when he was grounded from trick-or-treating one year that it's better to stay at home. The candy you're giving out is always the best, right? I mean, who buys candy they don't like? Sometimes he's a pretty bright one. Anyway, we ALWAYS give out Reese's. What do you give out?

Best Halloween Special Ever

Two Clever Halloween Projects

My friend over at My Kids Eat Off the Floor is a very crafty one. She posted about two great Halloween projects:

a spooky haunted house picture


a decorative pumpkin pillow


Please take a look. If you want to make them this year, you only have a couple of weeks left!

A Nice Costume

Lest anyone think I couldn't be something sweet and normal for Halloween:

See, there's nothing shameful in being an angel for Halloween. Side note: isn't he an adorable lion? Good thing he doesn't read my blog. Anyway, the point is that not ALL of my costumes were weird.







Errr...that one's not a costume. That was just everyday fashion at my house. No, I wasn't elected "most fashionable" at my high school. Why do you ask?

To Kill a Mocking Bird and General Conference

Okay, I promise Harper Lee and Conference relate both to each other and to October. At least in my head they do.

Since I was in between books, I decided to reread To Kill a Mockingbird. I fell in love with it all over again. Nobody likes to think that they are prejudiced . . . but I felt awfully humbled. How many judgments do I make on a daily basis? More than I care to admit. God really did make us ALL in His image, but I know I don't treat everyone that way. I should.

General Conference really impressed that upon me too. It seemed like 50% of the talks were related to love (loving God and loving our fellow man). President Monson is probably the greatest example I know of someone today who serves his neighbor. Harper Lee inspires me to respect everyone. Thomas S. Monson (and others like Dieter Uchtdorf) inspire me to love and care for everyone as well.

I haven't decided what to do exactly to love my neighbors more . . . but I will be thinking about it. What do you do to show love to your fellow man? Do you do volunteer work? Care for your spouse and children? Donate to a good cause?

Oh, and the reason that To Kill a Mocking Bird is October appropriate is that the big scene where Scout and Gem are attacked and finally meet Boo (hey, even that is Halloween-y!) is . . . on Halloween! It's a stretch, I know.

Leaves

In the scorching desert, we have to create our own autumn. One way we do that is by utilizing manufactured fall scents. We have a Wallflower (Ryan and I pick out the scents together. One time he tried to pick Calypso Caribbean something-or-other, and I vetoed that one) and also candles. My favorite was one by Illuminations, but alas, they are no more. I found my replacement though, and it may be even better:

Leaves is a bit of a misnomer though, since the scent in no way resembles the smell of leaves. It does, however, smell like spices and apples, and harvest berries. I love it. Anyway, I'm hoping for the same reaction from the trick-or-treaters as last year:

[doorbell rings]
Cute little girl: Trick--
[girl stops and sniffs air]
Cute little girl: Your house smells BEA-U-TI-FUL!

I totally gave her extra candy.

An Embarrassing Halloween Costume

I was thinking I might attract more readers using public self-shaming. Just kidding. But really, what was I thinking? Did I really associate "magic" with being cool???? Sadly, yes. Some other odd costumes included an astronaut and Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Oh, and my very most favorite: butterfly princess. What does that even mean? I guess I never really found my niche with Halloween costumes. Costumes are just too closely linked with fashion, and that's not my strong point either. The important thing, however, is that nobody made fun of me as a magician. At least not to my face. Unlike the time I was Scarlett O-Hara and everyone thought I was a saloon, ahem, special escort. That was true embarrassment. And I cried. And swore. Twice.

My Kind of Apples

Apples were never my favorite as a child. Yet, they've grown on me over the years, and I find myself craving a good apple this time of year. The BEST apples (and I am totally unbiased) are from Dixon's in Pena Blanca, NM. My kind uncle picked up a mailable box for me, and my thoughtful mother mailed them my way. I have to say, I am loving each one. I'd planned on making an apple crisp out of them . . . but I think I won't. I'll use grocery store apples for that. Dixon champagne apples deserve to be eaten just as God intended them. Another way I enjoy apples (again, I used store apples for this one too) is with onions. Odd, I know, but also delicious. I first found this recipe when I was subscribing to Taste of Home. I promise apples and onions will taste surprisingly better than you think. Hint: I add some white pepper and also nutmeg for extra depth.

How do you eat your apples?

An October Tradition

General Conference. Check it out here.

Orangey Things

I have decided to try something new with my blogging. For the month I will only post things relating to October. My first post will be to redirect you to my friend's blog. I hope she doesn't mind. In the blogging world I consider myself to be a bit sloppy and chaotic. Meredith is quite the opposite. Her blog is clean, refreshing, and lovely. Very fitting since her blog is Just Lovely. My favorite color is orange, which just happens to be a very October-appropriate color. Check out the lovely orange things she has found here.

October?

I am shocked (pleasantly) that it is October. Time flies faster and faster, it seems. And yet when I think of where I was in life a year ago, I'm even more shocked. Has it really only been ONE year? It feels like twenty.

Anyway, I am very excited about "autumn" (it's a relative term here in the desert). This Saturday I will be breaking out the Halloween decorations. At work my coworkers decided we should decorate our department like a witch's coven. Hmmm...having never seen one, I'm not sure how to do that. Any ideas?

I did volunteer to buy a plastic cauldron and make witch's brew--well, homemade root beer. . . I also feel a need to make cinnamon rolls and chili and spiced baked goods. I will be doing that this weekend as well. What do you do in October?

Continue Blogging?

Obviously I haven't been an avid blogger. Even though I faithfully read others' blogs, I do not faithfully contribute to my own. I think I either need to make a stronger resolve to blog regularly or give it up altogether . . . but I just haven't decided which yet.

A New Passion

I think I am in love. Finally, a video game I can play better than the husband.

Legacy

Ruthy is one of the finest women I know. She loves dancing, Agatha Christie novels, Shirley Temple, I Love Lucy, and sweets. And especially she loves her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

I have hundreds of memories with this beautiful, wonderful woman. People like her deserve to have a legacy. And that is why I'm learning how to make her dinner rolls. It's a small thing, but our family can think of her every time we eat them. Also, I try to imitate her puttering and humming around the kitchen. Picturing that always makes me smile.

I have her delicious recipe but am struggling with the execution of it. Any tips for handling doughs and breads? I need to make my grandma proud.

"A room without books is like a body without a soul" - Cicero

One of my earliest memories is of a trip to California when I was three. I remember having lots of fun but getting very homesick toward the end. When we walked into the house I remember being so excited. I said hello to everything (you know how clever little kids think they are--"hello TV! hello couch! hello kitchen!"). But these were only on my way to saying hello to my most prized possession--my books. I opened my book cabinet and pulled out an armful. My books!

Funny how things have changed so much. And yet they haven't. But it's been a few months since I've read something that really captivates me. I always struggle to pick out new books because they may be boring or racy or violent or too sappy. How can I know without taking a risk? I don't like risks. So I try to work purely off recommendations. Any ideas?

Cousin Love

My cousin came to dinner tonight and I thoroughly enjoyed her company. It reminded me of this gem:



This was taken on our stairs our last Christmas before we left Albuquerque. We LOVED getting together and I'm so glad that we still do.

Here's a more recent (and less dorky) one of just the girls minus Jill (not sure where she is?):



I think this one was taken our last Thanksgiving with Grandma and Grandpa. I miss our old house in Abq. I really miss my grandparents' house in Abq. And I miss my grandpa terribly. And I'm so glad my cousins are around to talk about him with me.

Remember when Grandpa and Jill decided to sew Grandma a swimming suit out of Kleenex? Glad they didn't follow through on that one.

A Fave and Anticipated Fave

99 times out of 100 I recommend homemade snacks/treats over store-bought. One exception is this:


Heaven on earth. No joke. I love most dark chocolate, but nothing I've ever tried is like Ghiradelli. Definitely one of my favorite guilty pleasures.

Nestle chocolate chips and Bakers chocolate squares are great and I use them regularly. But if I want/can afford to splurge, I use Ghiradelli.

Another soon-to-be favorite is Julie and Julia. I am so excited to see this movie! From the trailer I can tell Meryl Streep will make an EXCELLENT Julia Child. And I fully expect to see all kinds of delicious foods I can make, and not buy (like the above). Mmmm . . . I only wish the movie was in 3D . . .

How He Looks to Me

I am not a fan of overly lovey-dovey posts. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad to hear that people (especially married people) like each other. I just don't need to hear about it dripping in mushiness. Hopefully I will avoid that here. If not, please promptly bring it to my attention.

Pioneer Woman (one of the few blogs I follow without a personal connection to the blogger) posted about a picture that she felt exemplified her husband. Ryan has many traits I appreciate, but what I love most is his silliness. When we met, he tried hard to act cool. But he soon realized he didn't need to. I know nothing of being "cool" and thus wouldn't be impressed by it. He will probably leave me if he sees this picture. Luckily for me, I don't think he reads my blog.

And the Desert Shall Rejoice, and Blossom as the Rose

Life is a little rough out in the desert. I'm reminded every time I get into my sweltering car and the thermometer reads 120. I tried to grow some marigolds and they fried. It was horrifying to see them die so quickly, even when planted inches away from the drip system. Experiences like that may be discouraging, but I appreciate this even more:



We have two of these bushes, and I think they're some kind of desert sage. Even though they're not my favorite, I LOVE when they look like that.

California Trip

I've been so bad about blogging lately. It's like writing in my journal . . . I wait and wait until I have so much to say it overwhelms me. Anyway, thanks to the flu scare in May, we got a screaming deal on a cruise. We'd never been on a cruise together, so it was a great adventure. We loved it.

First we spent a couple of days in San Diego. We went to the zoo where Ryan was tragically attacked by a gorilla. The little girl may never recover from the trauma.



We went to Seaport Village for dinner that next. The food was okay but the view was awesome. We sat outside even though it was chilly so that we could enjoy the sound of the waves and view of Coronado Island. We decided to go back and wander around Seaport Village again the next day before our ship left port.





The next day we took an incredible tour of Catalina Island. We rode on a unimoger, which means loosely "one of a kind vehicle" in German. It wasn't that fast but had incredible torque. So we were able to venture over some pretty rough terrain to get to some gorgeous views. Like this:



An especially this:



Because of the Swine Flu, they canceled our day in Mexico, so the other two days were "out to sea" days. We had a blast on the ship too, but we didn't take many pictures. I didn't want a reminder of such gluttony. One night was more formal, so we did actually take a picture of that.



May was an extremely hectic month for us, so we were mostly just so glad to get away for a week! It was definitely a good break.

Baby Birdies

I am SO excited! I'm definitely not a bird lover, but there is something really cool to me about having baby birds just outside our front door. I feel like I somehow contributed to nature or something. Anyway, I think they were born sometime Friday night because I heard cute little chirps Saturday morning. I can't see them because they're too high, but Ryan got a good picture by reaching and using our little stepping stool. I just think they're adorable. I name them . . . Pitrie, Ethel, and James. As you can see James is a little shy.

My Mom's Chicken Enchiladas

Note this is MY mom's enchilada's. My mom is the offspring of two Idahoans, so this recipe is a little not authentic. She has lived in New Mexico most of her life though, so does know what she's talking about. In New Mexico, we often do layers instead of rolled enchiladas though. I like that for two reasons: 1.) I like being different 2.) we're talking 100x's easier. I do deviate from my mom's recipe a little as noted because Heaven forbid I follow directions verbatim.

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use Healthy Request and it's still good)
1 can cream of chicken soup (again, I use Healthy Request)
1 cup milk or 1 cup chicken broth (hey, I used Healthy Request, so milk's okay, right?)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 - 4 oz. can chopped Hatch green chili (only Hatch? YES)
2 cups cooked chicken (recipe calls for diced, but I like shredded)
12 corn tortillas
cooking oil
3 cups cheddar cheese

Combine the soups, milk/broth, onion, chili, and chicken in a large saucepan to warm through. Next, the tortillas need to be softened. Either fry very briefly (just until soft) in a little cooking oil, or simply dip in the sauce after it's warmed. I ALWAYS dip in the sauce because it's easier and uses fewer pans. Very lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Layer the tortillas, sauce, and cheese in the pan. Repeat until all of the sauce and cheese are gone. The sauce to tortilla ratio doesn't always come out perfectly for me, so use some judgment if needed. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the cheese is nice and brown. Mmmmmm.....

Irma's Salsa with Christie Commentary

1 (14.5 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes (Irma says use generic; it's less sweet)
1 clove garlic (I use the largest clove I can find because I like my garlic)
1/2 of a whole pickled jalapeno pepper for mild (yech, I don't like pickled anything, so I chop a fresh one with all but a few seeds removed)
1 teaspoon diced (yellow/red/white/not green) onion
salt to taste
1 small fresh tomato, diced (I use two to make it chunkier)
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I use a bit more cilantro than this)
Lawry's seasoned pepper to taste (the recipe doesn't call for it and is good w/o, but I think it adds just a little personality)

First, I like to blend the garlic, jalapeno, and diced onion really well in the food processor/blender; I definitely don't want any big chunks of those to hang around. Then throw in the can of tomatoes and pulse (I add my cilantro after just a pulse or two, but Irma likes to add it later). If you like your salsa really liquid, blend it longer. Otherwise, just get it fairly chopped up. Then, Irma likes to chop her cilantro and add it now that the blending is over. I figure it's lazier, but you can chop it less if you add it to the food processor earlier on. Irma's way is probably better though, I admit. Anyway, add the remaining ingredients, then salt and pepper to taste. Remember that spices need to be stronger if you're going to serve your salsa chilled instead of room temperature.

I'm just learning how to make salsas, so please share if you have a good recipe!

Fiesta Night!

Okay, so we didn't realize have a "fiesta" per say. I only thought of that as an oh-so-clever title to a posting on our dinner. But we did have enchiladas, salsa, and rice (er, rice-a-roni; forgive me). I will try to post the recipes tomorrow, but here are some pictures for now.

New Layout

When my friend said, "I can't remember your blog. What is it? I do remember that it was red and yellow at one point (I hope you changed that)" I realized I needed a change. I was too scared to make changes because I thought I would mess it up. But I decided to be brave. Honestly, it was 100x's easier than I thought. So, let me know if this one is even uglier than the orange. I promise I won't be offended.

Easter

I've been contemplating Easter and Christ and His Resurrection more frequently over the past few weeks. Even though I've felt strongly to post something, I haven't been able to put words to what I feel. So I'm not going to try. Instead I'm going to post the words of others. Elder Holland has a way of touching me deep to my core. It was during one of his talks that I felt a strong impression that led to my marriage. His talk this conference was especially touching to me as he spoke of our Savior.


None Were with Him


Another way I enjoy expressing testimony is through song. So here are some of my favorite songs about the Savior:

Easter Hosanna

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today

He Is Risen

Easter Eggs

I haven't dyed Easter eggs in years, so I decided we should this year. Probably I was influenced by the giant display at the grocery store. Hey, marketing works.

My eggs were mostly boring, but The Husband got a little creative. Note the angry little green egg and the awesome blue football. The one that looks black-brownish was his too . . . his mutt egg dyed with ALL of the colors. The point is that we did have fun. And rewarded our efforts with cherry chocolate cupcakes.

More Food

I think I should add more food to my blog. That might inspire me to cook more/better so I have more material. Anyway, this weekend I did make some cupcakes. I've been anxious to try out the cupcake courier my brother gave me. I'd say, success.




I used this recipe, but I made my own cream cheese frosting (canned frosting is blasphemy to me).

We Live in an Odd Place

I was telling Ryan yesterday that we really do live in an odd place. He just raked up the last of our "fall" leaves last weekend, and one tree has already started growing new "spring" leaves. Living in a desert, we get to enjoy cacti and yucca and palo verde trees and creosote. I especially love creosote. But because we RARELY reach freezing temperatures, we have some California-type plants too. In our very own backyard, it turns out we have citrus trees. We knew that when we bought the house but weren't sure what kind of "citrus" we would get.



As far as I can determine in my ignorance, we have a pink grapefruit tree, a Valencia orange tree, and something more similar to a navel orange tree. I didn't think navel oranges had seeds, but these do. Anyway, we are up to our ears in oranges and grapefruit.



I've been squeezing the oranges for juice (which is wonderful!), but I don't know what to do with the grapefruit. I'll eat one from time to time. Not everyday though, and we have enough to last a year if they'd stay fresh that long. At any rate, it's a new adventure! Maybe by next season I'll know better what I'm doing.



The trees look sooo pretty filled with fruit. I'm really looking forward to the blossoms. They will smell heavenly, I'm sure.

A Chicago Christmas

I was pretty nervous about spending Christmas without my dad, especially so far from home. Being in the less familiar, I thought, would make me miss him even more. Luckily, I think it worked out to be the opposite, and I didn't have to experience as many painful reminders of the loss. It also helped that we had a really fun and relaxing time with family. Here are some of the reasons why:

1.) It was sooo nice to put life on hold for a week. I literally left my cares at home. No legal papers or primary roles! It was a much-needed and appreciate break.

2.) My two nephews. They are the best; I just adore them. They are both so smart and handsome. The three year old is at a really fun age where he loves to talk and pretend. He told me all about his friend Morty the cat and Santa Claus coming down the chimney and all kinds of other things, all while we were hiding in a cave (a blanket over our heads) avoiding the bats and bugs. But don't worry, he built a bug-getter out of legos, so we were safe.

The toddler (now 18 months) is a shier guy but still so fun to be around. My two favorites about him are that his favorite animal is a moose and that he wants to do everything his big brother does. If you ask him what sound a moose makes, he just makes this "uuughh" grunting sound. He also got the cutest little moose pajamas from Santa. His older brother is just the coolest guy in his eyes, and he follows him around copying him. If his brother jumps on Uncle Krizzle, he does it too.

Of course, being the bad picture-takers we are, I forgot to take pictures of them. Dumb, I know.

3.) Puppies! My mother-in-law breeds dogs, so we had dogs everywhere. One of her females had a new litter of puppies. Even though they were still in the stage where they look a little like gerbils, they were still very sweet.



The dogs really love being with people and love to nestle into a nice, warm lap. I loved that. Ryan kept asking me who my favorite was, and I kept saying I couldn't decide. Now that I'm home and looking at the pictures again, the newest little female was my favorite. She's such a naughty little girl that she's squirming in all of the pictures Ryan tried to take.

4.) My mother- and sister-in-law. They both tried extra hard to help me feel at home, and I really did appreciate it.

5.) LOTHT t-shirts! I admit I was a little slow figuring out why my brothers-in-law bought me a shirt with a fish on it but finally realized it was a blue barracuda. Ryan and I both wore them on the plane ride home. When we stepped off the plane some guy shouts "Blue barracudas! Right on!" I was both proud and mortified to have attention called to us in such a public place. Here is a picture of all of us wearing our shirts. In case you're wondering, we're scared because we just got caught by the temple guard (Ryan's favorite part of the show).



Overall, it was a great Christmas.

My Time These Days

Lately my days have been filled with the normal day-to-day things (work, cooking, dinner, etc.) as well as primary stuff (preparing for the new year is the busiest time for primary secretaries) and dealing with my dad's affairs. People keep asking me if things are about settled. Anyone asking must never have been in charge of someone's affairs before. I am continually shocked by how much has to be done. My dad was a financially savvy man, and he was involved in some complicated transactions--making my job that much more exciting. If I finish within a year, I'll be thrilled. Here is a picture Ryan took of me sorting through statements and bills. Believe it or not, the volume of paper was about 50% bigger than that before I was done.



On the bright side, I am learning all kinds of things I never knew before about estates and settling affairs. Then again, this isn't knowledge I hope to use again anytime soon.

An Apology

I'm sure most people have given up on my blog. So I apologize but will try to do better. Also, I will be doing some "make-up" posts on some of the things I should've blogged about the last couple of months but never did.