Bentley!!!

Look who joined our family!!

It's Bentley!

He is an adorable little maltipoo with tons of energy :)

Isn't he cute under the Christmas tree?! He has already grown so much since we got him!

What Boredom Does...

Dan has had so much homework lately. I'm really proud of him because he does so well in school but these past couple weeks it has meant that he goes to school before I get up and comes home after I go to bed.

(Of course, I usually am awake for about 13 hours of the day that doesn't give him much time to work with.)

Anyway, I have been trying to fill my time by reading magazines and books, working on my baby blankets, and watching a lot of TV.

When that started to get old I turned to the kitchen.

Now, I have been following this blog, Bakerella, ever since it first got started. She has become well known for her adorable cake pops. And as an avid blog follower I decided it was about time to try them out.

It's actually surprisingly simple. Mine were supposed to look like mini cupcakes. Even though they didn't quite turn out I thought they were pretty cute.

Basically you just take a cake (I used red velvet), crumble it up and mix it with a can of frosting.

Then when it's well mixed you roll it out into little balls and refrigerate them.

Next, I dipped the bottoms in chocolate...

And the tops in melted candy things I got at the craft store.

Then I decorated them and before you know I had my very own cake pops!

It made a lot.

And a lot.

But they were delicious!

I can't wait to try out different designs!

Vegas Baby!

One of my best friends from high school goes to Vegas pretty much every year for spring break. Since it's only a few hours drive Dan and I decided to meet her and her boyfriend, and her mom there for a few days of fun.

We had tons of fun walking around the strip and spending time in the sun by the pool. Sadly I did not get pictures but it was great to see them!

We also went to Vegas to see my aunt and uncle. We have so much fun with them and this time was no exception.

Besides all the delicious food they cooked up we had fun playing games.

Maria and Daryll love the Pirates of the Caribbean Life game and they go all out. So we had to get a game in.

Take a look at the players.

(Notice the tan line. I didn't think I needed sunscreen in St. George because I was cold. Big mistake. Now I have a farmer's tan just on my right arm since I was on the passenger side. Attractive, huh?)

Anyway, that's me. I was the only landlubber but it didn't stay that way for long...

My attractive husband. He was a pirate hence the eye patch and sword.

Maria was another pirate. Notice that giant bag of loot.

Daryll was Captain Jack Sparrow. Pretty incredible costume.

The rules for their version are a little different and so much more fun. And you get to use real coins that look like they belong in the movie. It's great. I highly recommend playing this game with Maria and Daryll.

Anyway, after a few spins (ok, we were halfway done) I stole Captain Jack Sparrow.

I promise that after putting all this gear on you will start to feel pretty powerful.

Maria ended up winning (she sure knows how to hide that loot!) but we let Dan try the Jack Sparrow hat on and I have to say that we might have our Halloween costumes picked out! He looks pretty great :)

Oh, here is a picture of the treasure chest that stores all this amazing gear. Maria and Daryll go all out for Pirates of the Caribbean and it is funnest game ever!

Thank you Maria and Daryll! We had amazing time!

First Eagle

One of the most exciting times of the year (for Dan) is when it finally warms up enough to golf. The weather has not been great here but we went to Las Vegas this week so to see my aunt and uncle and my friend and stopped in St. George.

I love watching Dan golf in St. George. The scenery is amazing.

And this year, in his first golf round of the season Dan did an amazing thing himself...

He got an eagle! It was really quite impressive.

He made a really good putt and was two under par. We played (well, Dan played and I watched from the cart) with some old men who were hilarious.

After such an incredible start to the season, keep your eyes open for Dan on the PGA tour!

Surprise Dates!

After being together for nearly three and a half years we realized that our dates were fairly predictable. Now, I'm not complaining because I love curling up on the couch to watch the latest movie, going to a Jazz game, or going out to dinner with some friends. But we just wanted to switch things up a bit and try some thing we have not done before.

Enter Surprise Dates.

Every month we are going on a surprise date. We are going to take turns planning these dates and hopefully we will be able to try something new together.

February was my turn to plan. I decided that I wanted to do something active. And since it has been too cold to do much outdoors, I needed to come up with an indoor activity.

So we went rock climbing. It was so much fun. I have not gone since I was in high school and I don't think that I have ever belayed before.

There was just one problem. I forgot that I am terrified of heights. The first time I didn't even make it all the way to the top I was so scared! But I got over it and we had a great time. It was definitely an upper body workout and we are both feeling it today!

We had so much fun on this Surprise Date and I can't wait to see what Dan has planned for us next month!

Starting Last Summer...

Last summer Dan was working until really late every night. After a few nights of nothing to do I decided that I needed a new hobby.

So I went to the craft store and bought a book and a few skeins of yarn. Every night I completed a few more rows. And before I knew it, my first baby blanket was completed.

Now, I have to say that this was quite an accomplishment. In high school I tried several times to crochet a blanket and now there is a bin at home that is full of my failed attempts. But this time, I really enjoyed it.

Since then I have completed this purple baby blanket...

And I just finished this adorable pink blanket.

So far, this is most definitely my favorite blanket I have ever worked on. It is so incredibly soft and the hearts are just adorable so I had to post a picture.

The next one I'm working on is by far the most difficult I have ever done. It is labeled as a project for an advanced crocheter (is that a word?). I'm pretty intimidated but I'm hoping it turns out!

If I ever finish it I will for sure post a picture especially since it is a blue baby blanket and I have only done girly blankets.

I'm sure that if I only make girly blankets, I will only have boy babies so I'm switching over to boy baby blankets for a bit.

Also, my grandma and her sisters have made Christmas stockings for all of their kids, in-laws, and grandkids. Grandma taught me how to make them and I made Dan's Christmas stocking this year! And I don't have a picture but I also knitted and crocheted my sisters present which turned out way cute.

Who would have known that an impulse buy last summer could have kept me busy this long?

Our New Car

When Dan was a kid he loved Legos. He says that he built some pretty impressive things but then he got rid of all his Legos.

The first time he came to Minnesota we went to the Mall of America and saw the Lego sculptures. He loved it! I think it was the highlight of the whole trip.

So when I saw a lego kit that made three cars on sale, I had to get it for him. And he has really enjoyed putting all the pieces together several times.

You can even open the hood and the trunk.

Once he was done with it we were going to give it to my cousin but he has enjoyed it so much it might stay displayed on his nightstand forever! Didn't he do an amazing job?

Trapped!

This morning we went to my cousin's baptism. When we came back, we opened the door like usual. But as I reached to close the door, the whole doorknob fell off!

We shut the door and pretty soon we were trapped inside. We couldn't get in or out.

Luckily, for Christmas Dan's parents gave us an amazing present. A tool kit with everything we needed to fix the door.

After my handsome husband worked on it for a little bit, the doorknob went back on. We can only turn it one way now so hopefully we don't get trapped again!

We're Engaged!

So I know this a year late, but a year ago today Dan proposed. I never really wrote anything about the day he proposed but since that was the such an important day I don't want to forget anything. (ps this might be kinda long so feel free to skip it)

Last year I had a pretty good idea Dan was going to propose. My sisters were both around and they wouldn't make any plans with me for Saturday night. When I was driving back to my apartment I heard the song on the radio by Black Eyed Peas called I Gotta Feeling. Right then I knew that "tonight's gonna be a good night."

While I was getting ready I couldn't stop singing this song and just plain being excited.

After a long wait he finally picked me up at my apartment. He looked amazing and was even wearing the sweater I gave him for Christmas a few years ago.

I really wanted to get married at Sundance but we knew that wasn't going to work out so I was thrilled when we started driving up Provo Canyon holding hands.

Once we got to Sundance we went to the Tree Room. I had never been there but it is the most romantic little restaurant ever. We couldn't take any pictures up there because my sister had "borrowed" my camera.

We were seated right next to a fireplace at this small table for two. There were candles on the table and the fire smelled delicious.

After an incredible meal of cheese stuffed ravioli (me) and apple caramelized pork (Dan) the waiter asked Dan if he could bring something out. Unbeknownst to me, Dan had called ahead and said that he was proposing that night and asked the waiter to pretend he was going to bring out a ring. He didn't.

Well, I guess we got finished a little bit early because we went on a walk. That was perfectly fine with me because even though it was the middle of winter, Sundance is one of the most beautiful places.

We stopped to warm our hands by a roaring fire. When we walked away, Dan bent down like he was going to propose. And he didn't. Instead he tied his shoe.

So after a fake proposal twice I was wondering if it was really going to happen. Maybe it wasn't the night.

We drove down from Sundance after our walk and headed for his house. Part way there he stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom. I guess he was really calling my sisters (who were decorating) to confirm everything was ready and just needed a couple more minutes so I waited in the car.

On the way to his house he asked what I wanted to do. Was he even going to propose?!

I decided to test him just a little so I suggested we watch a movie at my apartment. He said that Joel had the movie at his house so why don't we just stop there first. Finally, I agreed.

When we got to his house I was just overwhelmed by the smell of roses.

We walked down petal lined stairs and into the office.

As I looked around I saw the room covered in candles with soft music playing. The roses were still overwhelming and so romantic.

Dan walked over to the table and grabbed my hands. He told me how much he loved me and that he couldn't imagine life without me.

He unwrapped a ring box and got down on one knee. Again, he told me how much he loved me and then he asked me to marry him. I said yes and he placed the most beautiful ring on my finger.

We hugged and kissed and we were engaged! Then Dan showed me a movie he had made for me of our dating years. (That's why my sister stole my camera) It must have been hard because we don't tend to take a lot of pictures but it was beautiful.

On our first date we went to Chili's and had the chocolate molten cake for dessert. Dan had picked it up and had it ready for us to indulge on after he had proposed.

We called my parents and announced the wonderful news. Then Dan's family came in and we were able to celebrate with them.

And that's the story of how the love of my life proposed.

My Turn to Give

Growing up we had a lot of family and friends who were able to help out when my mom was so sick with cancer. Last week I was able to pay it forward and provide some help to one of my dad's sisters.

My aunt Lori has always been a woman I have admired. She is always positive and cheerful. She reminds me what it means to be charitable.

Recently she was diagnosed with cancer and needed to have surgery. Since her husband was out of town I flew up to Tualatin, Oregon to help out. We spent one day in the hospital waiting for the surgery to begin and then the rest of the week waiting for results.

I was able to give back some of what others have given to me by helping my aunt. And it was lots of fun to spend time with her amazing family. She gave me some new recipes and we had some great talks.

I'm so grateful for the time I was able to spend with Lori and her family. It was great to provide some service to Lori. She teaches me so much and is a wonderful woman. Keep her in your prayers and hopefully the next time I visit, we will be able do the P90X yoga and go hiking!

Fabulous Fondue

For Christmas my parents gave Dan and me a fondue set with the Melting Pot cookbook. The Melting Pot is my favorite restaurant and I have wanted a fondue pot for so long. So when we got it I knew that we would have to try it out.

For the appetizer we had a zesty cheddar cheese fondue. We dipped apples and bread in it and it was exquisite.

After a salad we went onto our main course. We had a Caribbean broth to cook the meat in and we had plenty of food. We had shrimp, lobster, steak, and chicken. Potatoes were added to the broth and they came out wonderfully.

Some of the shrimp were not marinated and the lobster was plain (it's one of my favorite foods). Then half the chicken, steak, and shrimp were marinated in a cilantro lime sauce and the other half were marinated with Caribbean jerk seasoning. We also made a lot of different dipping and sauces and thanks to my grandma we even had real fondue plates!

I have a huge tendency to go overboard for this type of thing and our fondue night was not exception. I think I had three or four pounds of meat for the two of us! We were able to cook the extras and enjoy leftovers for a few days.

The only thing missing from this fabulous fondue dinner was the chocolate dessert. We were so full after eating that we couldn't stand the thought of eating something as rich as a chocolate fondue. But the next time we have fondue it will definitely be chocolate!

Ringing in the New Year

We went up to Wyoming for New Year's Eve. We drove my little Chevy Cobalt and it was a huge mistake. It was not easy to drive through the Wyoming roads in a car that doesn't have four wheel drive and I don't think we will be driving there in the winter with my car.

On the way there, we got stuck in the snow and then we almost slid into a semi truck that was parked all the way across the highway.

Once we finally got there we got to see my grandma and a lot of my mom's family. And I got to do some things that I had never tried before!

We drove up a small canyon road and then walked or snowmobiled the rest of the way up. Once we got to the top I shot a gun for the first time ever!

I have to say that I look kind of good shooting a gun even though I didn't hit anything.

Dan got to shoot as well but he did much better than I did!

That night we celebrated the New Year with fireworks and chocolate fondue. We played tons of games and actually stayed up until midnight!