we GLAMPED on LABOR DAY

Over Labor Day weekend, my family and I went to Conestoga Ranch in Garden City, Utah.  We had an absolutely fabulous time, and if you're into the idea of "Glamping" you'd enjoy it, too!  Plus, it's just a short drive to Bear Lake, other restaurants, raspberry stands, etc.

We stayed in deluxe tents.  Our tent had a queen size bed and two twin beds with plenty of room to spare.  Each tent has it's own picnic table, fire pit and chairs.  The employees will even make a fire for you!

 

All of our bedding and towels were provided.

This building housed a convenience type store and about a dozen or more bathrooms, some of which included showers.  Soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc., was all included.

 

We embraced the glamping lifestyle and did not bring any of our own food because there was a restaurant just a stones throw away from our tent.  The food was fabulous, and is actually open to the public even if you aren't spending the night at the ranch.  I loved how open it was.

The ranch also has a few other sleeping options.  One is the a grand tent.  We would've stayed in one of these had there been availability when we booked.  I heard these have electricity.

You can also stay in one of these wagons.  

 

We had a lovely time, and may have found a new Labor Day family tradition.

 

{t}: TIMES square on NYE

Since I'll be living in NYC and already brave the crowds of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I may as well round out the year in Times Square.

Yes, I hope to ring in a new year while standing on the streets in Times Square.  I know it'll be beyond crazy with people.  I know every inch of my body will be freezing.  And I know it'll be even crazier walking or riding the subway back to my house {or hotel}.

But, it'll be totally worth it.

MUSIC mondays: favorite CHRISTMAS songs

I'm being lazy today and doing a repost for MUSIC mondays!  Here are my top 10 favorite Christmas songs.

10.  "Christmas is Calling"

I have my husband to thank for introducing me to this song.  It's just sweet.

9.  "Christmas Song"

I first heard this song by Dave Matthews back in high school.  A different Christmas song, but beautiful nonetheless.

8.  "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

I love The Carpenter's version of this song.  If I had to pick a romantic Christmas song, this one would be it!

7.  "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

Love Mannheim Steamroller's version (as Veni Veni).  Perfection!

6.  "Carol of the Bells"

I grew up listening to Mannheim Steamroller's version of this song.  I also saw them in concert.  Amazing.  I also sang this song in my 9th grade choir.  It's a fun, energetic song!

5.  "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"

This is such a fun, holiday song.  Every time I hear it, I think of the scene from Home Alone when he is fooling the robbers into thinking there is a house full of people.

4. "O Holy Night"

"Fall on your knees!  Oh, hear the angel's voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born."  I love the lyrics to this song, and it's powerful melody brings tears to my eyes.  While Josh Groban is a close second, I think Celine Dion takes the cake on the best version of this song, EVER. (I'm expecting a rebuttal, Karen.  Haha!)

3.  "Hallelujah Chorus"

Handle's Messiah is absolutely amazing.  My very smart mother took me to a Messiah Sing-In with the Utah Symphony when I was still quite young.  It had an everlasting impact on me.  I can't not listen to the Hallelujah Chorus without getting chills, and I love this version of the piece.

2.  "Happy X-Mas (War is Over)"

Whether it's the original by John Lennon, or Sarah McLachlan's cover, or this French Canadian dude's version, I absolutely love this song.

1.  "Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful"

I began taking violin lessons when I was just barely six years old.  One violin teacher I had gave her students the opportunity to make a Christmas album in a recording studio.  It required a ton of work, usually 8+ hours in the studio, often recording/playing the same song many different times.  During one such recording session, I found myself recording Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful. As I played each note and listened to the lyrics of the song in my mind, my heart became very full.  My eyes blurred and swelled with tears.  The message and spirit of this song touched my young soul in a way I can't articulate, but the feelings I had have remained with me all these years later, making this beautiful Christmas hymn by far my favorite song of the season.  Surprisingly, I have yet to find a version of this song I absolutely love, but this piano solo rendition is very lovely.

INSTAGRAM wednesday: CHRISTMAS

Christmas has officially arrived at our house.  We didn't necessarily choose to wait until December to put our tree up, but since we did I think we'll continue doing that each year.  It's nice to keep the holidays separate as much as possible.

Here is our tree.  Every single ornament is 100% shatterable and nothing about the tree is kid-friendly, but we refuse to put up anything else.  So far, Isabelle is very good about not playing with it.  I thank my lucky stars for that.

Maybe one day we'll have one just for Isabelle that's a bit more age appropriate.  But, for now, she's going to have to suffer with our pre-kid tree because we just love it too much not to display it.

{day TEN} federal HOLIDAYS

My husband works in finance and, therefore, gets all federal holidays off.  It's wonderful!

This weekend is a three-day one for Dustin since it's Veterans' Day on Sunday.  We see so little of each other during the week that I enjoy all of our weekends, but it's extra special when we have one extra day to spend with each other and not worrying about work.

Another great thing about federal holidays is that they seem to come around so often and so fast.  I think there are at least 7 or 8 a year, and since time flies for me it seems as though these fun freebie days are always right around the corner.

I imagine some people who have to work on federal holidays {I've definitely been there} probably are annoyed by them, or at least find them inconvenient if you find yourself needing to go to the post office or bank.  But, in our household they're golden.

Okay, a tad cheesy, but it's late and I'm gearing myself up for the drama that always ensues when it comes to putting my daughter to bed.

Anyway, thanks again federal holidays!

FLASHBACK FRIDAYS: That One Special Day in June

Today, I'm participating in Karen's meme Flashback Fridays.  I think it's fun to revisit old posts, and this one is in honor of Father's Day, which is fast approaching.

Enjoy!

...

My husband and I tend to take a "less is more" approach when it comes to holidays.

Father's Day was pretty easy, breezy this year.  We made plans to spend the day with Dustin's side of the family who live two hours away from us.  On Sunday morning we woke up early, got ready and then hit the road.  Before we left, though, I gave Dustin his present.  It actually ended up being a two-for-one because I ended up getting somewhat of a gift too.

I bought Dustin 'Fierce' from Abercrombie & Fitch;.  It is an awesome cologne that, I swear, The Gateway (an outdoor mall near our house) pumps through the vents so it can be smelled all throughout the greater Salt Lake area.  It seriously haunts me every time I am shopping.  I tried my best to resist the temptation to buy it.  I really did.  But, eventually, it's awesomeness won, even at the risk of losing my hearing (it's so loud in A&F, seriously!) which means it's that good of a cologne.

Dustin loved it, and now he and our house smell so wonderful.  It's like heaven in here!

But, wait, it gets better.  When I left the store carrying my first ever A&F purchase, I walked out of the store with this bag.  It was WAY too big for my little cologne box, but it had cloth handles which made it both cool and ridiculous.  Cool in that how often do you get bags with cloth handles, and ridiculous because, hello, cloth handles?  What a waste of money!

No, the best part is not the handles.  It's the bag itself.  I mean, seriously, how often does a bag with this type of picture on it come along?  Forget that this is a bag from a clothing store and the picture is of a half-naked man modeling a swimsuit that isn't really even on his body, begging the question, "Does A&F really even like their clothes?  They don't advertise people wearing their them."

Just forget all that nonsense.  Sometimes we all just think and analyze too much.  Just look at the bag.  The bag, in all it's glory.

Ya, the bag was my present.

P.S. Dustin, I love you so much.  And one of the reasons why I love you so much is because you can appreciate the humor in this post.  :)

U is for UTAH

I live in a nice suburb just north of Salt Lake City, Utah.  With the exception of a few years I spent in Idaho, I've lived in Utah my entire life.  It's a great place to live, and I'm happy here.

And, in case any of  you are wondering

Yes, I'm Mormon.

No, I'm not one of 15 wives married to the same man.

Ok, moving on...

Here are a few things I love about Utah

An good skyline with gorgeous mountains

An awesome library (aka where everyone gets their engagement pictures taken) right in the center of the city

A place for Winter sports

And a place for Summer activities

At Christmas time, I can walk through this whenever I want.

And the newest addition to the city is an indoor/outdoor mall.  Only shop here if you're fans of stores like Nordstrom and Tiffany & Co. just to name a few.

So, there's a little tour of my place of residence.  Utah is an easy target, but when all is said and done, it's not too shabby.

E is for EASTER

When it comes to holidays, Dustin tends to be really low key about everything.  He's your typical "put the Christmas tree up on December 24th and take it down once the presents are all open" type of guy.  And after nearly seven years of marriage, I'm totally cool with his perspective and the two of us have come to compromise on a lot of things.  For example, the Christmas tree can't be put up before Thanksgiving {for him}, but it can't come down until after New Years Day {for me}.

Easter, however, is a whole other ball game.  He absolutely loves Easter.  And, now that we have our daughter, he loves the holiday even more.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Easter too, but it's not my favorite.

Source

We always buy our daughter a new dress to wear to church.  We always do an indoor and outdoor Easter egg hunt, per Dustin's standards the eggs MUST be real.  We do not hunt for fake, plastic eggs in our household.  We also fill our daughter's Easter basket full of fun goodies that usually include candy, books and some bigger gift like a movie.  And we always prepare a nice meal to enjoy together as a family.

I'm starting to look forward to Easter more and more because I love that Dustin loves it so much.

Enjoy your Easter holiday this weekend!

welcome TWENTY DOZEN

Happy New Year everyone!

I have yet to meet anyone who is upset 2011 is over.  Apparently it was a rough year in general.

I'm going to spend today and tomorrow with my family before getting back to "normal."

Enjoy yourselves!

last WEEK...

My week off was great.  In fact, I had so much fun that I keep forgetting Christmas is still yet to come.  Here's a look at what we did last week.

Attended two different events:  First, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra at Temple Square Christmas concert.

Being creative with our stockings since we don't have a fireplace.

Visiting our old house that we sold a little over a year ago.

And enjoying all the Christmas cards we've received from friends and family.

Now that things are back to normal, and my husband is working his usual late night shifts, I relish the time, late at night, after my daughter has gone to bed, when I can sit by the Christmas tree and look at the lights and just think.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

my DECEMBER birthday

Today is December 1st which means it's 16 days until my birthday.  Some people may think having a birthday one week (technically 8 days) before Christmas would suck, but I love it.  I've ALWAYS loved having a December birthday, and here are my top 5 reasons why.

5.  It's during the school year

I don't know about you, but on some level I think having a summer birthday and never being able to go to school on your big day (when, oddly, YOU have to bring treats) seems like it would kind of suck.

4.  It's hoodie season

I'll be honest, I don't put make-up on everyday.  I'm not completely vain that I can't stomach the idea of people seeing me looking "less than" in public.  I just don't care.  I probably should, but I just don't.  This all stems from my constant need to be comfortable.  I'll admit, I will put fashion over comfort sometimes, but 9 times out of 10, if I'm not comfortable I change.  Hoodies are the epitome of comfort as far as I'm concerned.  No, they sure aren't flattering but they sure are cozy!

3.  Deals, deals, deals!

Black Friday.  Cyber Monday.  Hello, everywhere you turn there is a sale in December which my gift cards and/or cash presents go a lot further!

2.  There is SO much going on!

December is a busy time of year.  In fact, I have four things I absolutely HAVE to go to on December 10th.  I'm not hte kind of person that needs to be doing something at all times.  I definitely have "home-body-ness" in me, but the fact that I have options rules!

1.  Everyone is happy!

Sure, the holidays tend to bring out the worst in us, but that usually goes away when once we've exited Wal-Mart, or the mall or aren't driving.  I've always loved my birthday in December because people are generally really excited and happy.  

So, there you have it.  The reasons why December birthdays are so fab.

Do you like when your birthday is??

my TOP 10 CHRISTMAS songs

10.  "Christmas is Calling"

I have my husband to thank for introducing me to this song.  It's just sweet.

9.  "Christmas Song"

I first heard this song by Dave Matthews back in high school.  A different Christmas song, but beautiful nonetheless.

8.  "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

I love The Carpenter's version of this song.  If I had to pick a romantic Christmas song, this one would be it!

7.  "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"

Love Mannheim Steamroller's version (as Veni Veni).  Perfection!

6.  "Carol of the Bells"

I grew up listening to Mannheim Steamroller's version of this song.  I also saw them in concert.  Amazing.  I also sang this song in my 9th grade choir.  It's a fun, energetic song!

5.  "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"

This is such a fun, holiday song.  Every time I hear it, I think of the scene from Home Alone when he is fooling the robbers into thinking there is a house full of people.

4. "O Holy Night"

"Fall on your knees!  Oh, hear the angel's voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born."  I love the lyrics to this song, and it's powerful melody brings tears to my eyes.  While Josh Groban is a close second, I think Celine Dion takes the cake on the best version of this song, EVER. (I'm expecting a rebuttal, Karen.  Haha!)

3.  "Hallelujah Chorus"

Handle's Messiah is absolutely amazing.  My very smart mother took me to a Messiah Sing-In with the Utah Symphony when I was still quite young.  It had an everlasting impact on me.  I can't not listen to the Hallelujah Chorus without getting chills, and I love this version of the piece.

2.  "Happy X-Mas (War is Over)"

Whether it's the original by John Lennon, or Sarah McLachlan's cover, or this French Canadian dude's version, I absolutely love this song.

1.  "Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful"

I began taking violin lessons when I was just barely six years old.  One violin teacher I had gave her students the opportunity to make a Christmas album in a recording studio.  It required a ton of work, usually 8+ hours in the studio, often recording/playing the same song many different times.  During one such recording session, I found myself recording Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful. As I played each note and listened to the lyrics of the song in my mind, my heart became very full.  My eyes blurred and swelled with tears.  The message and spirit of this song touched my young soul in a way I can't articulate, but the feelings I had have remained with me all these years later, making this beautiful Christmas hymn by far my favorite song of the season.  Surprisingly, I have yet to find a version of this song I absolutely love, but this piano solo rendition is very lovely.

giving THANKS

I spent the majority of my childhood celebrating Thanksgiving at my grandparents' house in Idaho Falls.  It was a time of year I always looked forward to, and, now as an adult, I can look back at it with fond memories.

It was the same thing every year.  Thanksgiving dinner, typically held around 1:00 in the afternoon, was at my grandma's sister's house.  The crowd wasn't usually that big - our family and a few of my dad's cousins and their families.

When we arrived at the house, all dressed in our Sunday best, the majority of us (the men and kids that were too young to help) all sat around, made small talk while listening to a football game in the background.  My grandma, her sister and a few others were busy in the kitchen finishing up dinner.

Once we were finally ready to eat, the youngest kids all found their seats at a small table reserved just for them while the adults and older kids sat at "the big table."  We all ate on very nice china and it was always a very elegant, classy occasion.

Later that night, my dad would always take us to see a movie.  This was always a fun tradition for me, and I recall one year being so excited to see Disney's Aladdin.  Much to my dismay (the whole town's dismay, really), the newspaper had misprinted the starting time of the movie, and we were all forced to leave (and risk not getting a good seat and/or ticket) or stand around for what felt like HOURS until the movie actually started.  My dad, being the awesome guy that he is, decided it was best to stay.  So, we waited and waited and waited for the movie to start.  Good thing Aladdin was actually a fun movie, especially for a pre-teen like me.

At the end of the week, our family would pack up and head back to Utah, but not without being extra excited to return just weeks later to celebrate Christmas.

This year, I am more excited for Thanksgiving than I can remember in a long time.  We'll be with my husband's family in Wyoming, so I'll be able to travel away from home for the holiday just like I use to as a kid.  Traveling during the holidays (mind you, I'm talking driving, not flying) always makes things more fun for me.

And while I won't be in my Sunday Best (which I am NOT sad about) or hit up the theater to see a moving on Thanksgiving evening (not a tradition my husband is crazy about carrying on), I know I'll have a great time.  After all, it's all about being with family, enjoying good conversation and eating, eating, eating!  

I have a lot of things to be thankful for this year.  My husband is such a great guy and treats me so well.  He is a hard worker, a wonderful father and overall kicks major ass (language, I know, my bad).  My daughter, while trying at times, makes me a better person, makes me laugh and the reason I have so much hope for the future.  My parents and in-laws are extremely supportive and always there for me when times are tough.  I'm thankful for their example of hard work and service.  My little brothers are the COOLEST people since forever.  I've really grown to love and admire and appreciate them this past year.  I'm so happy they both have awesome wives that bring such awesome cooking (Aubrey) and spunk (Brittney) to our family.  I definitely scored in the sister-in-law department.  :)  My nieces and nephews are so adorable.  They love my daughter and are always willing to play with her.  They say the most hilarious things EVER and are always willing to give me a hug (the nieces) and a "pound it" (the nephews) when I make them I'm around.

Those are just a few things I am grateful for this year.

I hope everyone has a fun Thanksgiving holiday!

that one SPECIAL DAY in JUNE

My husband and I tend to take a "less is more" approach when it comes to holidays.

Father's Day was pretty easy, breezy this year.  We made plans to spend the day with Dustin's side of the family who live two hours away from us.  On Sunday morning we woke up early, got ready and then hit the road.  Before we left, though, I gave Dustin his present.  It actually ended up being a two-for-one because I ended up getting somewhat of a gift too.

I bought Dustin 'Fierce' from Abercrombie & Fitch;.  It is an awesome cologne that, I swear, The Gateway (an outdoor mall near our house) pumps through the vents so it can be smelled all throughout the greater Salt Lake area because it haunts me every time I am shopping.  I tried my best to resist the temptation to buy it.  I really did.  But, eventually, it's awesomeness won, even at the risk of losing my hearing (it's so loud in A&F, seriously!) which means it's that good of a cologne.

Dustin loved it, and now he and our house smell so wonderful.  It's like heaven in here!

But, wait, it gets better.  When I left the store carrying my first ever A&F purchase, I walked out of the store with this bag.  It was WAY too big for my little cologne box, but it had cloth handles which made it both cool and ridiculous.  Cool in that how often do you get bags with cloth handles, and ridiculous because, hello, cloth handles?  What a waste of money!

No, the best part is not the handles.  It's the bag itself.  I mean, seriously, how often does a bag with this type of picture on it come along?  Forget that this is a bag from a clothing store and the picture is of a half-naked man modeling a swimsuit that isn't really even on his body, begging the question, "Does A&F really even like their clothes?  They don't advertise people wearing their them."

Just forget all that nonsense.  Sometimes we all just think and analyze too much.  Just look at the bag.  The bag, in all it's glory.

Ya, the bag was my present.

P.S. Dustin, I love you so much.  And one of the reasons why I love you so much is because you can appreciate the humor in this post.  :)

the MAGIC of CHRISTMAS

By his own admission, Dustin is a bit of a Scrooge.  He's one of those people that likes putting the Christmas tree up on December 24th and taking it down by noon Christmas day.

And then there's the issue of the radio stations playing Christmas music right after Halloween.

And then there's the complaints about how Christmas has become too commercialized.

And then there's the hum bug about how Christmas shouldn't always be about getting presents.

Ok, so I'm exaggerating things a bit.  Big emphasis on the word "bit."

I, on the other hand, love Christmastime, but over the years have gotten used to his less than jolly attitude.

This year, however, things have been different.

One day, while driving around and listening to the radio, Dustin said, "You know, I'm not going to let the Christmas music on the radio bother me this year.  I think I'll view it as "holiday music." This way, I won't get annoyed when I hear it before Thanksgiving."

Another day, he said, "Even though Christmas isn't all about getting presents, gifts are apart of Christmas.  While they shouldn't overshadow celebrating and remembering the birth of Jesus Christ, it's not a bad thing to get excited about opening presents on Christmas morning."

The sudden shift in attitude has been great, and I was really surprised to hear him be more upbeat about and more welcoming to the holiday season.

Why the sudden change in attitude?  That's simple.  Our daughter.  Having our Belle has reminded him of the magic of Christmas.  We have plans to make cookies and deliver them to our friends.  We watch at least one Christmas-ish movie or cartoon a day, just the three of us. We're starting new traditions and thinking of new ones all the time.  It's been great.

And, I couldn't ask for a better way to end the year and bring in the new one.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Confession Wednesday: Favorite Christmas Traditions

This is an easy confession for me.  All during my childhood years, my family and I would spent Christmas with my grandparents in Idaho Falls.  Every year, my grandma would put together a great Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve.  Besides my family, my grandma's sisters family came to the party too.  It wasn't a large crowd, but we still filled up the house.

The party always began in the basement.  We had hamloaf (like meatloaf only made with ground ham...it's hard to describe), sour cream potatoes, raspberry jello and little sandwiches.  The little sandwiches were always my favorite.  They weren't anything special, just a sandwich platter my grandpa ordered from a grocery store, but considering the fact that I only ever ate little sandwiches on Christmas Eve made them one of my favorite parts of Christmas.

After dinner, we all made our way  upstairs and had a Christmas program.  We sang songs, read from the Bible and my sister and I usually played a musical number on our violins.

Last, we did a fish pond.  This game is one that my grandpa put together.  He called it Grandma's Fish Pond.  He hung a sheet in front of a door frame and each of us took turns "fishing."  Our "fish" were always random, dollar store type things, but we all enjoyed it, even the adults.

At the end of the party, people went home and the kids went to bed trying so hard to fall asleep, but couldn't knowing Santa Claus was on his way.

As my grandparents aged, they were unable to host Christmas at their house.  So, my parents carried on the traditions at their house.  Things were never quite the same, but fortunately, I'll always have my memories of Christmas in Idaho Falls.

To this day, I insist on having little sandwiches every Christmas Eve.  No party is complete without them.