This post is mainly for my benefit. I love flowers and this year at Boulder, there were more flowers than I had ever seen before. I think it was because we went earlier than we usually go. Any way here are a bunch of the flowers that I saw while I was up there. Oh and a few pictures of the beautiful creek that I have so many memories playing in.
So Saturday the 19th was Andrew’s Birthday. I have been so excited for his birthday to get here! I had planned what I was going to give him since last November and couldn’t wait to give it to him and see his face. Andrew has really been wanting a flat screen TV for a few years now but I just didn’t think we needed one because we have a perfectly good TV and they are just so expensive. Well I guess I caved because I knew how much he wanted one….but I didn’t let him know I had decided this.
I started having my work split my direct deposit into 2 accounts…our normal bank account and a new one that I didn’t let Andrew know of. I had my work take a little bit out each month and put it into the separate account and then when his birthday came, I would have enough for a TV and Andrew would never notice. My original plan was to actually buy the TV for him but then I realized I knew nothing of all the different features or what size he would want etc So I decided I was just going to give him the $$ to buy it himself. I wanted a creative way to give him the money though..just handing him the money was pretty boring in my opinion so with the help of his cousin Kami (who I work with) we came up with an awesome plan hehehe….
One of the guys at my work had bought a 42” flat screen and he let me use the box it came in. As soon as my last paycheck before Andrew’s birthday was deposited, I withdrew all the $$ and put it in an envelope which I taped to the bottom of the box. we then filled the box with packing peanuts and shredded paper until it was full. However the box wasn’t heavy enough to pass off as a TV so I got some bricks from my flower bed and put them in a box inside the TV box. I decided to give him his gift a day early because I was just so excited to give it to him and see his face and on Saturday, he had to work and then we had family parties so he wouldn’t have time to enjoy it.
So I made Andrew come in through our front door instead of the garage so he wouldn’t see the TV box in there. I told him I needed help bringing in his birthday present. Oh he was so excited and confused! He had no idea what it could be! he tried guessing the weeks leading up to this birthday and looking in all possible hiding spots in our house but I had kept it at Work….hehehe…Any way so I waited in the garage ready with the camera to get his picture as soon and he saw it:
He was so excited! He couldn’t stop smiling! I couldn’t stop smiling either…but for a different reason…I couldn’t wait to see his face when he realized this was not exactly what he thought….
Well he kept admiring the BOX….and was so happy and said it was perfect and had all the right features (it should…since a GUY had bought the TV of the box I was using lol). Well he Finally opened the box to get it out and his excitement immediately went away. He said very solemnly “Oh, I knew it was too good to be true :(”
Opening the box….
And then his surprise when he realized there was not a TV in the box
So then he started digging….
And digging…..(hehehe all the dust particles from the paper!)
And Digging.
He found the box of bricks and then he finally found the envelope.
AAnd then he was happy again…. :D
(Sasha had to wish him Happy Birthday too)
Of course immediately after, We had to go look at TV’s. We went to a few stores, came home and did some research and then went and bought him his TV. Ironically, He ended up getting the EXACT same one as the Box I used. (LG 42” LCD TV)
I do have to admit, the TV is pretty cool! I didn’t think there was that big of a difference to a High Definition TV and a regular one but there is! The picture is so clear and defined. It almost looks Cartoon-ish when you watch because it is so clear. Andrew was so happy (and still is!) he couldn't stop smiling all day and kept saying how awesome I was (yah…I know lol) He was a little bit mad that I went over our Birthday budget but when I explained how I saved up for it, He couldn’t be mad anymore cuz he was too happy. :D I Love him so much and he deserves it. Happy 23rd Birthday Babe!
Easter this year was sweet and simple. We spent a little bit of time with each of our families and watched conference. I don’t know if it comes with being an adult or if I just understand the eternal perspective better but I really enjoy conference now. The messages as always were very wonderful and I can’t wait for the May ensign to read them through.
Andrew’s grandparents from California were passing through town on their way to Colorado and so we got to visit with them a bit. We got plenty of pinochle games in as always :) The real reason for this post is because I needed a reason to brag about my Easter eggs I colored. I think they turned out awesome!
Now that I have you all totally wowed with my awesome talent, I should let you know that they are easier to make than they look…it is actually easier and has less of a mess than regular Easter egg dying methods. I found how to do this just browsing through google looking for cute ways to dye eggs. You dye them with Silk ties. I just bought mine from D.I. and Savers. The ties have to be 100% silk and they usually have a tag somewhere on them that say if they are or not. Then you just cut it into squares big enough to cover your RAW eggs and tie it with a rubber band. Then I just plopped them into a pan of boiling water with a few tablespoons of vinegar and let them hard boil. When the eggs were done, I took the material off and Ta Da! I have totally cute eggs that look like they took me hours to color! Andrew was really impressed :)
Here are some of the ties that I used:
Another great thing about this method is that they eggs aren’t sticky with the dye or the dye doesn’t bleed on to your hands or clothes or the egg carton….it is completely on the egg And everything I’ve read said you can use the scraps more than once to dye multiple eggs so you can get a good use out of them. Any ways I hope you all enjoyed your Easter!
On Friday I had a Girl’s Night with my mom, sisters and my mother-in-law, Liz. We went to Color Me Mine in Provo which is a shop where you paint your own ceramics. They have a ton of items you can choose to paint from kitchenware to decorations to random trinkets. We all had fun painting and spending time together. They had a guy in the corner singing with his guitar all night which really made the atmosphere fun as well. Afterwards, we all came to my house and I Made fruit smoothies for everyone.
Justine with her bowl and Meilin with her Frog piggy bank
Liz with her bowl
Mom painting her bowl
My Veggie tray
I was able to pick them up today! Here are the final FABULOUS results of everyone’s pieces:
Meilin’s Frog
Liz’s bowl
Justine’s Bowl
Mom’s bowl
My tray :)
I think they all turned out great! I definitely want to go back. There were so many things I wanted to paint that I had a hard time choosing! And if you don’t feel like you are very creative, they have tons of stencils and ideas and all the staff are more than happy to show you how to do the different techniques.
Having someone to love is so wonderful. It is even better when you have someone who loves you back. I’m so lucky to have both in my life! Andrew and I had a cute evening for Valentines. I made roasted game hens and we ate by candlelight (cliché yes, but fun) While I was cooking, Andrew set up a mattress in the Living room and after dinner, we watched a movie “camped out” in our living room. It was cool.
When Andrew and I were dating, somehow this song would always pop into my head when he made me happy, if I was thinking of him, or around him etc…My friends would always point out that I was humming it again. It eventually became known as our Theme Song. So in the season of love, I just wanted to share it :D
I have married into an awesome family and I just need to brag about them a bit! I’ve known this all along but every once-in-a-while they do stuff that just reminds me how lucky I am to have them all In my life. I’m not just talking about his brothers and parents but extended family too! From his aunts and uncles, to grandparents and cousins. I love them all and I have even made some close friendships with a few of them.
On the weekend, we spent some time with Andrew’s parents and brothers. They asked us when we were going to put up Christmas lights on our new house. We responded that we just haven’t had the time between work and school and we may or may not be able to get them up this year. It’s not that we don’t have the Christmas spirit, we are just ridiculously busy with everything and can barely find time to breathe some days. Well yesterday, I drove home from work and as I was coming up the street, I noticed our house had lights all over it! Liz, Darrel, Alex, and Anthony, bought lights and put them on our house for us! They didn’t just get a string of lights and threw them up on our house, NOPE! They totally went all out and bought colored icicle lights for the house, light-up candy canes for the walk-way, a Snowman, and also wrapped our fences and trees with lights as well! It looks so great!
Well, the awesomeness doesn’t stop there, when I came home today, I discovered that Andrew had cleaned the ENTIRE house, got the laundry started AND bought me flowers for no reason except that he loves me. I love him! Here are the flowers:
Sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve such great people in my life. I just hope that I return their love in a way they know I love and appreciate all of them.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to dedicate a post to things that I am thankful for.
This only scratches the surface of everything I have to be thankful for! I feel so blessed that Andrew and I have so much to be thankful for!
So we bought our first house this past May. Sorry it has taken me till now to get pictures posted but here it is at last! It is pretty plain and boring from the outside but it’s the inside that counts right? I still love it. It is 3 bedrooms, 1 bath.
Living room:
Kitchen/Dining room:
So that’s our house….You’re all welcome to come and visit and see the rest of it.
