It's official

him.
Spent six hours at the court today, and was selected for jury duty.  Quote, "You're not supposed to campaign for it, but I totally did.  It was a competition for me."  Apparently on the form it says accepted or rejected, he peeked and saw that he was accepted and felt like he "won the game", he did win.  They chose 2/100 people, that's my baby, 1 in 50.

He is:
So elated to be taking an active part in the judicial system.
So confused at why people are so bugged when they have to do it.
So charming during his interview with the lawyers so that they would pick him.

It's official, he's a patriot.


her.
Been sick since Saturday.  Ended up in the Urgent Care Center tonight and has a kidney infection.  Right kidney to be exact.  Dang.

Ate kettle corn popcorn and ice cream for dinner tonight.  Haagan Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond always gets me through the hard times. After a week of toast and applesauce, it felt so good.  Watched OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network, thumbs up) and is looking forward to a lazy day in bed tomorrow.

She is:
Annoyed.
Feverish.
So ready to quit with the illnesses.

It's official, she's a pinhead.

{*disclaimer, he is truly one in a million frillion.}

Silly thoughts that I could probably keep to myself-

I took a new job. I work fifty hours a week now. It's a little overwhelming, but it will keep me busy while Mckay studies his life away for the CFA. Plus one of the babies that I take care of is only 3 months old. Darling and sweet and beautiful all wrapped up in a tiny pink blanket!

We were so excited for Super Bowl Sunday. Then I got sick. I had to leave church early, which meant I didn't get to go to the party (Mom's rule). Mckay had to go watch the game without me, and much to his dismay, missed out on the awesome treats I was planning on making for him. I went to bed early and woke up to a note on the mirror with a PS that said, "THE PACKERS WON!” phew.

Ibuprofen is the most wonderful thing on the planet. I worked 12 hours on Monday and Tuesday and was able to keep upright the entire time thanks to recommended dosages of the miracle drug.

I came home last night, tired and not feeling well, to a perfectly made bed & sparkling kitchen... chores have been neglected since I fell ill. Such a sweet guy I'm married to.

I am the Beehive advisor (teacher) now. I cannot believe it.  I swear I was just barely 13 years old & chanting “once a Beehive, always a Beehive” with Alysha Kibble. Wow, we actually said that… what does it even mean?

I (and he) love our apartment so much; it is my favorite place in the world. Minus the fact that the hardwood floors are "unfinished" (I don't know if there ever was a finish, if at one point there was, it has disappeared) and I keep getting splinters in my tootsies. Uhg, I don't want to have to go downstairs and talk to our landlords. The cat smell offends my nose.

I had a dream on Sunday night that my two front teeth came loose (I was fighting a girl and my fingernail hit my tooth. Yes, that is what was happening in my dream.) and were only attached by little strings. I was at a party and I'd have to stuff them back into my jaw and then go and talk to people, but they kept coming loose and dangling over my lip, it was just so frustrating. Someone told me to just pull them out and I was mortified, I was looking for super glue or a dentist and couldn't find either.  I have crazy dreams like that on a nightly basis. 

Mckay really wants an iPhone and I really want an iPad.

Mckay and I watched The Bachelor last night.  It was the best.  I loved watching it with him!!!  He was so funny and into it.  He kept pausing it to point things out or laugh at the girls.  He hates Michelle, SO MUCH.  Alli's date was so awkward, I was cringing the entire time, the sinking table was an apt metaphor for their relationship.  I was sure Britt was going home but Jackie getting the boot wasn't a disappointment.  I'm thinking in the end it may come down to Michelle and Chantel.  I love Shawntell and Emily but they're too good for him.

The sun is finally out and I am so thrilled.  We have mounds and mounds of snow and I need it gone.  I hate when the snow drifts that line the roads turn black.  It makes me feel like I live in such the ugly, polluted world.  At least the lovely blue sky is out today, blue skies make me feel like the world is in harmony. 

A pretty, pretty picture.

While on the island of Antigua, we walked by an intriguing sign.  It said something to the effect of "ten and done", so we stopped, pondered on what it could be, and then moved on.  Within seconds we were approached by an overzealous islander who showed us this fabulous picture he'd drawn of himself and Samuel L. Jackson.  It was really impressive.  The thought crossed my mind that he surely didn't draw that, but I pushed it aside and trusted in humanity.  He promised us that he would draw our portraits for $10.00 each.  Should we do it? {NO!} Well, it sounds kind of fun, we've never done that, if it's really impressive that would be something cool to have.  Against our better judgement we said, "Sure, what the heck."  He led us to his little corner and we perched on the plastic chairs for fifteen minutes.

Onlookers walked by, smiled, gave thumbs up, laughed or just blatantly stared.  I started to get nervous and was feeling pretty foolish for falling for that one, but still held onto the hope that in fifteen short minutes and twenty dollars I would have an island masterpiece.

Then he turned this around for us to see:

We were less than pleased.  In fact, I felt a little ill and understood the laughs.

We smiled as convincingly as we could and handed over the money.

Then we got out of there as fast as we could. 

Mckay had a whole plethora of names he was calling the picture of himself.  They were choice, and not too far off the mark.  We brought the picture home, don't even ask me why, it's no masterpiece-that is for sure.  Later, while sitting on the beach and laughing/crying over our portrait Mckay said, "That money was worth the laugh alone."

You live and you learn, right?

Two other things.

1. Ice storm? Worst.  It was literally a storm that left 1/2in of ice over every surface.  Our cars turned to ice cubes and the world turned into an ice skating rink.  I was slipping and sliding and getting soaked and cursing this stinking weather.  Spring needs to come, and quickly.

2. The Bachelor? Yes, I confess, I am an avid watcher, again.   Brad Womack drives me insane.  He is such a wuss.  Maybe next season ABC can get someone who doesn't need his therapist on speed dial.  I can't take the constant reassuring he needs as to why he is there (That would be to fall in love.  You have to trust yourself).  Also, he needs to expand his vocabulary.  Although "please" is a very nice word, it has its place.  And that place isn't after every sentence that comes out of his mouth. Example? "Could you kiss me? ...pl-ease?" "Come here? ...please?" "Can I steal you away for a minute? ...please?". 

It's too much.

• Wake up and realize that Miss fakest-tan-I've-ever-seen Michelle is a snarky, spoiled biotch. (But don't kick her off, because most of the stuff that comes out of her moth makes me laugh.  "Next time we're together, you can talk".)
• Nice move ABC sending the sweet southern bell Emily (I vote for her) to the NASCAR racetrack!  So heartless...yet convenient.
• A shopping spree?  Really??  I guess running through a mall hand in hand is a good way to tell if a woman is wife material....
• Favorite part of this last episode was Brad's comment "I don't want any drama in my life.".  Uhm, note to Brad, going on The Bachelor twice would suggest otherwise.  Mmmmkay?

Sunkissed

I'm Irish so I don't get tan, per se, but my freckles all get really dark.  Mckay is legitimately tan.  We are both happy.  Or at least, we were until we came home to 16 inches of new snow on top of the 20 we already had.  Last night Mckay shoveled our cars out for an hour and a half.  We were ready to turn back.  I think he said "we need to move" at least ten times, sigh.  Here are some pictures of brighter days: 

 Puerto Rico

 Devil's Bay, Tortola

 Antiga

 Diamond Waterfall, St. Lucia

 Hiking through the huge boulders at Devil's Bay.

 Couldn't get enough

 Super healing sulfur mud (says Louis XVI) that ruined our suits

 The Pitons, St. Lucia

It was a lovely getaway.  Despite the snow we are happy to be back. 

I missed our sweet, little home and happy {real} life. 

Snowflakes aren't so delightful.

A love story:  In September of 2009, I was in the city with friends for the first time.  We rode bikes in Central Park.  On our way back to the car, I spotted a chair (if you could call it that) in a pile of garbage.  It was actually the wooden frame of a chair, seat missing, sawed through the middle, and extremely dirty and grimy.  I shouted to my new friends, "I want that!" and they laughed, rightly so.  But one of the boys carried it 5 blocks for me and we stuffed it in the back of the mini-van.  I took it home and gave that chair a make-over.  New seat, foam & fabric, staple gun, glue, nails, and lots of soap and hot water.  It wasn't a masterpiece by any means, but I loved it & it's been with me for over a year now.

The other morning I woke up and was looking at it through our bedroom door and thinking to myself, "I love that chair! It looks so good at that white desk, a perfect splash of color."  It was serious love I was feeling.  I got myself out of bed, kissed Mckay good-bye, sat on the chair and CRASH. It collapsed.  Mckay came running back into the house per my screaming.  The pain was definitely a mix of my ankle being smashed under my own weight and my heart being smashed.  I was totally bummed.  The end of my chair.  Now we have a boring, white one (from the kitchen set you see) with no splash of color and it's just a little sad to me.

He hurt his hand in basketball last week. Doesn't that look nasty? It's okay though, because he likes bruises.  They make him "feel like a man"... (anyone???) He plays basketball all year round, sometimes I go watch his games, this last one was a doosey. I love when I decide to go watch, I'm always so impressed with his skill and it makes me have a serious school girl crush on him.

Lastly (and bestly), we've had enough! The snow just keeps coming.  They say we've had more snow so far this winter than all of last winter combined.  We both feel the same way about that, completely disgusted.  Hear about those East Coast storms in the news lately (my Mom has), that's us. Seems like every week or so we just get dumped on. So, on Sunday we decided we're getting away.  We're leaving for a Southern Caribbean cruise on Friday and won't be back until February. Extreme conditions (remember how I lived in Rexburg for two winters? I've already become a wimp) call for serious spontaneity.

(yes, that is my scarf he is wearing. i made him)

Cheers to 2010!

one diamond ring

two people sealed for eternity

three victories over Mckay in SCRABBLE

four visits to Utah

five trips to the temple as a married couple

six days under the Mexican sun {or sick in bed, if we're being honest}

seven lovely holidays celebrated

 eight days in New York with my Momma

nine states visited together

ten new siblings

eleven nieces & nephews gained

twelve FABULOUS months of 2010

It's Christmastime in the city

A few weeks ago, when we were planning our holiday, Mckay volunteered to plan Christmas Eve for us.  On Thursday night (the night before Christmas Eve) he said he had a present for me.  I unwrapped my 2011 planner, and was a little confused, until tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular slipped out!  So Christmas Eve we spent most of the day in New York City.

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, but it was honestly one of the best shows I've seen out here.  The Rockettes are amazing & so entertaining.  About half way through the show I thought to myself, "This is really fun but it's sad that no one focuses on Christ at Christmas time anymore."  Right after I thought that, the curtain opened to a scene of a family reading the Christmas story out of the bible together. For real.  The next thing I know they are reenacting the entire Christmas story (angels, shepherds with live sheep, wise men with live camels, Mary, baby Jesus... the whole nine yards) to beautiful, traditional Christmas music.  It was so touching and I was pleasantly surprised.  It's good to know that even in NYC Christmas is still celebrated as the Christian holiday it is, not just the commercialized frenzy it sometimes becomes.

After the show ended, Mckay told me that he'd found us a French restaurant to eat at.  Boy, did he find us a French restaurant to eat at.  La Bonne Soupe is now on my favorite list.  I had the onion soup (Americans read: French onion soup!) & it was absolutely divine.  I cannot convey how cute and perfect this place was.  Everyone around us was speaking French, & we needed a little help navigating the menu-it was loads of fun.  Must go back often.

After our lunch we decided to check out the Top of the Rock, an observation deck on the top of the Rockefeller Center (66 floors!).  It was really neat...and bright!

After we left the city, we headed straight to our friend's home for delicious homemade soup and desserts. We then joined 1,000 other people from the area to sing Christmas hymns gathered around the town Christmas tree.  It was wonderful.  We ended the night with homemade lemon poppy seed muffins, scrabble & stocking stuffing.

100 days

We've been married for 100 days today. 
Is that a milestone? I remember in kindergarten we had a sweet count up (essentially the opposite of a countdown) to 100 days of school & then we had a party.  We also counted to 100 together that day; it obviously made a big impact on me because 16 years later I did a count up to 100 days of marriage. And I'd certainly say we partied today.  Love being married, love being married & having our first Christmas together. 

[picture taken at the "Top of the Rock" at the Rockefeller Center yesterday]

[his head is really not that tiny]