Oh, The Weather Outside is Frightful

Let's not talk about how the average high this month has been 20 degrees.  No need to mention that our 60 degree apartment feels fabulous - honestly!  It's been so cold that when I was walking out to my car after work on a 40 degree afternoon, I was so warm that I didn't even turn my car heater on.  People keep telling me this has been the coldest winter here in Utah in a long time!  Well, thank you Utah, for the not-so-warm welcome!

Despite the bone-chilling temps (I was perfectly fine with never having been outside in -7 degrees), we have tried to enjoy it as much as possible!

Jared and I went to Brighton Ski Resort the day after finals ended last semester.  It was the perfect day to be on the mountain.  A constant light snow kept it nice and powdered for us the entire afternoon.  It has taken me some time to adjust to snowboarding on "real" snow but let me tell you, it's way better than ice!

When we came back from our holiday break, we met up with the Horlachers who were in Utah for the holidays.  We went sledding and it was seriously SO fun!  The parks around here are designed with sledding in mind.  It made it way better than always trying to dodge trees and rocks!  It was so fun to see those kids and play with them!  I miss seeing them more often and I can hardly believe how big they are getting!

Just a couple days later, Jared and I went to the Canyons Ski Resort.  That place is more like a village than a resort.  It was such a big resort with so many great runs down the mountain.  It is exhausting to go out all day!  I was used to only being out there for half days, but we don't like to waste which means our all-day passes get put to their fullest use!  I had to take a break both times, and I accidentally fell asleep even!  I was SO tired, but it was so fun!  Both times, we ate out afterwards because we were positive that we were going to starve or fall over before we could even make ourselves the simplest of meals!  We hope we can make it out a few more times this season!

Moral of the Story: I like playing in snow.  I don't like living in snow. 

Our First Christmas

Christmas was wonderful!  We enjoyed the warmer weather (in the low 60's) in Arizona.  I LOVED the mild weather! We spent Christmas eve day with Jared's family.  Then we ate with our family and opened presents with my family.  It was a late night filled with lots of tradition - both his family's and mine.  We then finally crawled in bed to be woken up a few short hours later to see what Santa brought.  The little kids (Jared is #2 of 9 kids, the youngest being 3 years old) were so fun!!  I've missed seeing little kids on Christmas morning.  After breakfast, we went to my family's house and opened presents, enjoyed family, and saw what Santa brought there too.  We took our usual mid-Christmas-morning nap and then went back to Jared's Grandma's.  Then we went to my Grandma's.  Next we went back to our family's house and then back to Jared's house where we finally crashed....  Whew!  I can't even begin to tell you how busy it is to always be bouncing between both families for the fw days we have with them, but it's so worth being able to spend time with them!  We are blessed to have two very wonderful families!

I imagine that First Christmas being a bit more calm.

I am thankful to our Savior for His birth and life.

What a wonderful reason to celebrate!

Other Highlights 

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-Buying and decorating our very own tree

-Talking to my brother David who is now in Italy

-Doing the family puzzle(s)

-Caroling with Jared's extended family (around 30 of us)

-Watching lots of Christmas movies
-Going to "A Christmas Carol" at Hale Theatre with Jared's family

-Going to J's basketball game that ended with a 3-point buzzer shot by J's team to tie the game... and then they WON in over time
-Going to the Phoenix Zoo with our siblings

-Jared and I finished reading Percy Jackson #1 on the road trip down and watched the movie.  It's been really fun to read books together on our road trips

-Eating lots of good food

-Going to my Grandma's Christmas party and seeing all the talents

-Attending church with both our families

-Sharing our traditions with each other

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

My Handyman

I married a handyman.   

We moved into a place that had a few things that needed fixed up:

-new shower heads installed

-new calking around the tub and kitchen counters

-a bathroom medicine cabinet needed installed

-new towel rod (one that isn't 10in. above the toilet - seriously, who does that?!!?)

-closet door tracking - the sliding doors were more like just sliding immovable doors

-new sink faucet installed

-putting together a t.v. stand

-putting together a coffee table

Poor guy, had a honey-do list longer than ever should be legal, 

and all before we were even married!

After we got married, he helped hang all our wall decor, hung a ton of storage hooks and... replaced our dishwasher AND microwave. (P.S. I'm really grateful for BOTH those appliances!)

He was able to do all of it!! 

I can't even tell you how grateful I am for having that all taken care of!!

It really is such a blessing!
I'm so grateful he has taken the time to learn those skills
and use them to bless us!

How did I end up so lucky?!?

I am so thankful for that handsome handyman of mine!