the end of the begining.

confession: i kind of enjoy the cozy nights when i'm stuck at the computer and he has 10 million textbooks spread out all over the floor. usually, we'll take a break with a tall glass of fizzy diet coke or a bowl of ice cream, already in our pajamas, of course. and even though he has turned my office into a disaster area, i love having him here.

ps. i removed my blog header & now i don't feel like making a new one. i don't have the right program to really make one i like. anyone want to do it for me?!

we love good food. and date nights.

i'm all too happy to share my list of restaurants to try in 2010! i have this list written down & taped to the fridge, because we tend to have a hard time choosing where to eat, which means we gravitate to the same old places, which isn't so fun. so here is my list of new places we want to visit this year-all located in downtown slc, which i realize won't help some of you, but that's where we live, so sorry friends.

• boston deli
• judge cafe & grill
• eva
• robins nest
• takashi
• cucina toscana
• carluccis bakery
• bombay house
• royal eatery
• toasters
• beehive tea room
• bruges, waffles & frites
• haggerman's bakery
  

and here are a few places we already love that you might not know about:

• les madelines
• gourmandise
• stoneground
• cucina deli
  
• cafe shambala
• bambara
  
• golden phoenix
  

and if we ever make it down south, i'd love to try...

• communal
• spark
• pizzeria 712

this makes it seem like we eat out for every meal-we definitely don't, but g does take me on a date every weekend, so i plan to make a dent in this list one friday night at a time. if anyone wants to join, we always love company. happy date nights.

currently...

freshly bathed pups.
clean house.
mopped floors.
husband's laundry.
institute.
missing k.
math problems.
day planner.
bowling class.
new school friends.
date nights.
avatar.
fresh list of 2010 restaurants to try.
teaching preschool.
hair in a bun.
valentines day plans.
early morning yoga.
planning primary party.
doctor's appointments.
hugging g.
spider solitaire.
fresh snow.
in love.
gratitude lists.
ensign.
nail polish.

happy monday.

everything hurts.

in case you ever thought yoga was easy or that it was good for relaxation, but not so good for body sculpting, please let me clear the air. after two weeks of practicing at least 4 times a week for an hour, a process that has included trying to balance on my head (headstand), support the weight of my entire body with my arms (crow), and torturing my thighs by sinking deeper and deeper into warrior 1 or 2 every morning, i give you this list of things that currently hurt:

my shoulders
my upper back
my lower back
my back
my abs each time i breathe, sit up or laugh
my butt!
my inner thighs
my outer thighs
my calves
my triceps
my biceps
and finally,
my forearms (yes)

granted, i have taken yoga in the past and literally fallen asleep during class, so this might have something to do with my insanely amazing rockstar instructor, but still. and i also realize that someone who is in better shape than i am is going to read this and laugh, but friends, i didn't work out AT ALL last semester and now my muscles are punishing me for it. and the truth is, i'm loving every minute of feeling sore again even if it means i can't resist the urge to complain about it every time i move.

just for the record, i love yoga.

moffs at the cabin.

• helping g cook margaret's ribs for the first time
• feeling so proud when they turned out perfect
• late night poker games
• diet coke galore
  
• sledding down the hill of death
• bruises
• dance parties every night with kate
• watching g play mechanic every single day
• pulling dad & jon behind the snowmobile
• them deciding that it isn't as fun as it looks
  
• afternoon chats with the girls
  
• feeling relieved that we didn't break anything
  
• driving sledders up and down the hill all day
• christy's cocoa latte
• dad bringing us fudge and chocolate covered pretzels from the lodge
• sunshine and clouds, but no snow
• big pots of soup
• aquaphor & gold bond
  
• gorgeous trial rides
• too many movies to count
• afternoon hikes with the pups
  
• staying up late
• ingrid blasting from the ipod all day
  
• reading by the window
• loving every minute with my fam

any one who knows g's parents will understand why i can confidently say that i have the best in-laws in the world. thank you to all of the olsens for letting my family enjoy the cabin for a few days. it was perfect.

the gig is up.

after 4 years of parking illegally and paying around 30 bucks a semester to park directly outside my building (instead $125 to park on the other end of campus) i think i might finally have to give in and buy a parking pass.

and to think, this was supposed to be my bse! lame.

apparently, the bike cops have finally figured me out because i have continued to park right next to my classes and use the method that has worked for me since 2006, but instead of walking to my car after class and feeling complete triumph (as i am accustomed), i've received 2 tickets in the past 48 hours.

husband isn't pleased & he won't let me try my luck again tomorrow, even though i reminded him that my refusal to follow the rules has saved us approximately $375 of parking pass money thus far.

i'm convinced somebody must have spotted me and ratted me out, because suddenly those pesky little bike cops are on a quest to take me down & even my best hiding places aren't cutting it.

if anyone has any suggestions, please do chime in. i will feel so defeated to finally give in and hand over the cash for a legitimate pass at the very end of my college career. there has got to be another way...i just haven't thought of it yet!

the man can be so cruel.

sledding=death wish.

so here is a video we took this weekend at the cabin. we spent hours sledding down this huge hill we have in front of the house & the size of the hill plus the icy snow made for some pretty intense sledding. lots of bruises were acquired in the process (i have 2).

at one point, we had the brilliant idea to drive the snowmobile down the hill at the same time & i was chosen to be the lucky person who got to sit on the back and hold on with one hand, while trying to steadily film with the other. and we were going fast, which explains my annoying screaming & shaky camera work.

seriously, sorry about the screams. even i am annoyed by my voice.

enjoy.

sledder = andy
pusher = g
driver = jon
screamer = me

bse.

school started today & i'm not the least bit upset about it. want to know why? this semester i'm enjoying the bse (or best semester ever). in case you are wondering what a bse might consist of, let me tell you:

• 2 yoga classes (held each morning)
• 1 bowling class
• 1 preschool class (consists of teaching preschool once a week- so fun)
• 1 class with the easiest professor at the U (honestly, he is)
• 1 research class that doesn't involve a teacher & is done completely on my own time
  
• and 1 elementary math class (you know, to learn how to teach elementary math)

school has been a major pain for the last 4 years & i am finally reaping the benefits of almost being done. the finish line is in sight (only 2 tiny semesters) and getting there is going to be a blast.

i'm loving my life right now.

goodbye 2009.

goodbye to the hardest year thus far. i can't lie, i'm not sad to see you go. you've been rough on me & given me more sleepless nights and tears than ever before. at times, i couldn't understand why the bad news had to keep piling, but now, i can see why the trials were necessary for me. 2009 brought hardships and uncertainty, but it also made me a stronger, better, more faithful version of myself and for that, i will always be grateful. although you were hard, i can't forget that you were good to me too.

in 2009 we:
said goodbye to my sweet jackson w.
moved into our new avenues digs (and fell head over heels in love with her)
welcomed a new niece into the world (and fell head over heels in love with her, too)
began the search for the perfect olsen family cabin
i turned 22 and we took a staycation in our favorite city
explored the aves with lots of walks and lazy nights at the park
pretended to be cowboys
learned an important lesson
learned how to kill a bee
found out that my best friend was having a baby and cried.
i ate my first big mac and didn't cry.
re-did the backyard
had our fare share of perfect days
took a weekend getaway to vegas & didn't win any money
watched fireworks from our rooftop
wake boarded & cliff jumped side-by side in lake powell
killed 2 fish