dancing in the kitchen to christmas music is the best when it's with brian!

i just HAVE to say again what a wonderful husband brian is! tonight i had my grandma, my aunt, and my mom all over for dinner for my grandma's birthday this past week. brian did most of the cooking of which he wasn't even able to eat due to having gallstones AND when he came back home after going to visit his family he put away all left overs and helped clean up the kitchen while us girls finished our game. i think i'm just really happy about this right now because it usually doesn't happen...he does cook (which i love and think is super sexy) but always leaves me to clean up...which is how we like it around here. but i was so surprised of how big of a help he was without even asking! what a GREAT husband! it was a fun night and his yummy dinner was a huge hit!

some recent favorites:

-dancing in the kitchen to christmas music with brian! sooo romantic and lovey :)

-getting over being sick! not a fun past weekend and beginning of the week

-skyping with my brother who is in napal, for the first time tonight!

-lots of holiday baking

-shopping for/wrapping christmas gifts!

-the christmas decorations/tree in my home!

-having a clean home! it's a real good thing i like cleaning it too!.. for the most part.

oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree!

last year for our first married christmas together we had a big tree and i loved it! but i thought it would be fun to have a little tree...it fits a little more nicely in our little apartment and i wanted it to be right in front of our window and since we have a built in table thing over the air conditioning it had to be a little one. and i must say it was MUCH easier to string the lights on!

the stubby little thing before

and after!

i love waking up to it and spending the evenings with it all pretty and lit.

the nutcracker

well i guess it wasn't exactly the nutcracker this year. it had a new twist and was called guess who stole the nutcracker? my sisters alex and jordan, and my brother forrest were all in it this year! it's so weird to not be performing in a big holiday performance...it definitely helps set the mood for christmas. besides i miss the theater and all my dancing friends! there is nothing else like it! ....i think that is why i drool over the performances in glee because it just looks like so fun and what a life that would be to do that allll the time with all those fun people!

oh to dream.

thanks mom for always driving us to classes and long rehearsals!

sisters

jordan & alex

liana and i have known each other since our underwear was showing through our tights

and leotard when we were five dancing together at sdcyb!

now she has lots of little students of her own!

best little doll in party scene ever! well besides when i did it :)

what's a show with out going out to eat after??

mom & dad

thankful for thanksgiving

i can now really be allowed to listen to Christmas music and i am thankful for that!

Brian and i have decided for the thanksgiving holiday we will switch off every other year being with either my family or his.

it's just too much all in one day for us to do both

and it's usually right at the same time anyways :(

so this year was with the schimpf's and it was delicious and fun!

i contributed the mashed potatoes, a strawberry jello salad, and a chocolate cheesecake...yum!

we ate and decorated a feather of what we are thankful for to pin on the turkey.

thanksgiving night my sisters and brian's sister came over for a sleep over!

we played rock band, watched elf, and stayed up late...

well except for stacie who fell asleep ten minutes into elf :)

the next day we slept in, made banana pancakes, and then bravely hit up a few stores.

but they actually weren't too busy at all!

and best of all it is still only friday! so i still have a whole weekend to enjoy!

looking forward to spending a saturday morning

with good friends in zumba class and catching up over a yummy breakfast!

dear santa,

i could never bring myself to pay for these :(

and the knock off ones i've found at kohls look almost exactly the same but are not in my size!

so lame.

stress? what stress?

ahhh! i can't sleep once again! and knowing that i have to be up for work in less than six hours isn't helping one bit! i seem to always do this right around the holidays though. my brain just goes on and on thinking about all that's coming up and my to-do lists that aren't even full enough to be stressing about at all! i hate that i become so awake once it's time for bed because in the afternoon i'm forcing myself to stay awake thinking 'oh yeah i'll go to sleep so easily tonight because i can barely keep my eyes open right now!'.

i'm so excited for thanksgiving this year! more than i think i ever have been. not sure why but i am thankful to have a great holiday to look forward to and an excuse to spend time with loved ones!

a few things i should be thankful for this year...

-a strong, fun, happy marriage.

-the gospel.

-a family that continues to teach me.

-challenges that make us see the good in life.

-a loving, comfortable home that i love to be in.

-my new job!

-a healthy, working body that allows me to run and play.

-my gym membership.

-yoga class.

-supportive parents.

-a husband that works hard and enjoys his job.

-a husband that truly supports me in what ever i need.

-personal prayer.

-modern medicine.

-my brothers and sisters.

-the fact that i can enjoy cleaning/organizing my home.

-the temple.

-new friends.

'let thy food be thy medicine and they medicine be thy food.'

this is definitely something EVERYONE should watch! i couldn't get enough of it! how true is it that we are what we eat? they are so many great facts and subjects brought up in this documentary i don't even know where to start! just makes me really understand and appreciate how important it really is to eat well in order to live well. and to not rely on our doctors, like so many of us do, who are only trained in medicine, not nutrition. the old lady is my favorite and she makes so many key points about how our bodies work...which is so simple when we really think about it.

today's top...

...five favorites:

1. waking up in Brian's arm not wanting to get out of bed.

2. wearing boots, sweater, and scarf all day without getting too hot! not being in scrubs or workout clothes for a change.

3. running around and playing with my four favorite kids at the park. the fact that they are so great and them making me feel like i could handle a large number of my own kids someday :)

4. my new play list for the car. and glee's new songs that help make up my favorite go-to play list!

5. secretly listening to Christmas music early while Brian is gone and i clean. and of course a freshly vacuumed floor.

practically perfect in every way

I love Brian and this is one of the many reason why...


He brings home flowers for me, not to make up for something he did wrong or to celebrate something but, just because I'm his. Now as much I totally agree that flowers will just die and they are money that could have been put to better use, I still very much LOVE them! Especially in my home :) It just makes me so happy! And because Brian doesn't do things like this often (my first flowers from him we after we were married. and these ones right here i think are only the second or third time he's done this) it makes it SO much better when he does!

This past month has gone by SOOO fast I can't believe it! It's been a good one though! We haven't done anything super exciting but it's just been good :) We found out a couple weeks before the elections that Brian was right above the number of people that wouldn't be cut! It was a HUGE relief and made me feel so much better to not see my husband so stressed and worried!...and keeping his job meant that we get to keep our home in San Diego, my job, and most of all we can continue our plan for babies!

I also hosted a little night of yummy dinner and some fun time together at my place for some great friends of mine and needless to say the night was a success! (note to self---take more pictures!!) We had so much fun getting to know each other a little better and it has started to turn into a kind of monthly thing, which I love. You don't realize how important or how much you need girl friends until you're married...at least for me. Sometimes being married without kids I feel like I don't fit in with the married crowd all the time so it's been super nice to find friends in the same boat as me. (makes me re-think about wanting babies so soon...it's fun just having fun being a married)

Halloween was definitely nothing to talk about...Brian doesn't like the Holiday really and he works weekend nights as of right now and then I ended up being sick Halloween day....we will for sure have to make up for it next year because I love holidays and doing all the things related to them! But we were able to hang out at the Collins Friday night which was fun to see all the little kiddos all cute in their costumes and visit with cousins!

I've been at my new job as an assistant for Dr. Pulsipher at his ortho office for just over three months now and loving it!! What a blessing it has been at such a perfect time! And after my MA externship experience it really does make such a difference when you are able to work with great people in a nice environment! I've learned a lot and really like what I do! And I am still able to nanny these cute kids below on Fridays! It does make me sad that Brian and I have such opposite schedules but I just tell myself...well at least he's not fighting in a war across the country...and then I suck it up and be happy with what I do have!

Now just looking forward to all the Holiday fun and all the events that come with!

(just ignore the blurriness)

Oh! and I also made some of this goodness! just some simple Halloween cupcakes, baby banana bread muffins, and my favorite...little baby pumpkin cupcakes. too cute!

week off from work equals lots of free time.

...now i just need my very own baby girl to test out the ones that would look silly on a grown-up.

YES on Prop D Please.

I love General Conference! What I don't love is that Brian has a very high chance of loosing his job if Prop D does not pass. And if he does get cut then we would have to move to a new city that's hiring. And if we move to where ever that new city is we would probably be there for good. Living somewhere new sounds super exciting but I wouldn't want to be there forever and not have our kids live close to all of our family. Not to mention that most other cities are in the same position as us and so they are also getting rid of cops. This is definitely going to be a big trial for us and a time when we need to hear and listen to the words of the Lord. That is why I'm so grateful to start this month off with Conference! This is time when I am so thankful for my testimony of prayer and the experiences I've had in the past to gain a testimony of prayer. I know that what ever road we are lead to might not be easy but it will be the right one for us as a family. I just wish I could take away the stress from Brian and make all this stop so he isn't so down. And I really wish this didn't put a stop to our plan for babies cause that makes me sad more than anything! well i should stop here before i continue to vent all night...

date night.

let me just tell you about my hot date last night...
he opened my door, held and kissed my hand, and made me laugh.. a lot!
we grabbed blankets, picked up some delicious submarina to go.
in the car he told me all the things i didn't know about golf (which is about everything), so i learned lots, we (well mostly he) sung and danced to glee, and we headed off into the sunset (which didn't really exist because of that darn marine layer).
we made ourselves a little picnic on the grass at la jolla. we cuddled close and fought over our tiny blanket because it was freezing! we laid under the the few stars and laughed and talked and tried to keep each other warm. it was magical and oh so much fun.

bring on the cold!

as much as i love summer today made me so excited for fall! the decorations around the house for each new holiday (which i am dying to use my new autumn/halloween ones), the crisp night air, the cozy sweaters, the super yummy smelling candles that make you want to eat them... too bad it's san diego and this is about as fall as it gets. i miss rexburg. i want orange, yellow, and red trees. i want actual chilly weather. but on the other hand i'm so glad i live here :) where i don't have to worry if its too cold to wear flip flops or not. maybe a trip to julian will be a must this coming season. so i can feel like we have seasons.


today i'm grateful to continue to find out how common miscarriages are. the more women i talk to about it, not only does it make me feel better letting it out more and just talking about it and not holding it, but it seems like each one of them has had at least one if not more! it just makes me feel better knowing that it IS so common even if it's not always talked about. and then seeing these women with their multiple kids gives me a sense of peace, like its okay and i'll get my chance. (and reminding myself how much work it all is and that this life before kids i'll never ever have back. ever.) even though i'm sad at times i really am sooo enjoying the time we have right now to just be a husband and a wife to each other. even though children bring such joy i'm scared for how they will change brian and me. i know it will be a wonderful change but at the same time its a very new and forever change.

now lets move to this street,
ride our bikes, and jump in the leaves.

i can do hard things.

this family's story makes me so incredibly grateful for the gospel in my life. and helps me daily to remember that we can do hard things. we are here to do hard things! and no matter what those hard things are in your life there is always worse. i am grateful for my personal trials and for others who so willingly share their trials, which help me get through my own more than they know.

i am grateful for sundays and the time i have to reflect on the important things in our life. i am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who knows us best and who knows more than we do. its times when when you loose a part of you but in the middle of having that punched in the stomach feeling that you can only be happy, for your Heavenly Father has blessed you and continues to do so with so much more. i know that without the gospel of Jesus Christ my life would not be full. i know that families are forever and that we are here on earth to teach each other.

birthday vegas trip

on our way to vegas baby!

this sweet man's birthday was june 10th

old guy is no longer in his early 20's.
so we celebrated it with a little weekend get away.
we left thursday but made sure we got a healthy birthday breakfast...
which includes come code red and el ranchito.



side note-we officially suck at taking pictures which makes me sad when its time to leave and i only have a total of four pictures to look back on.

luckily...

the sweet sounds of glee filled our long car ride.

of course the best part of vacation for me is getting a lot this...

the stress just drifts away when i'm not at home and therefore i can sleep so much better without my mind running in circles about what needs to get done.

but of course we fit in the fun stuff.
we did a lot of walking around all of this.
i think the most entertaining part was just watching and looking at all the crazy people that you see in place like this.

and unfortunately walking though all the hotels we got to smell too much of this...

which was the worst for me!

we ate at one of these.

i don't remember which one we went to but it seemed like it was mostly sea food which neither of us like. i was hoping for some good orange chicken people!

we saw a musical here.

went here, checked it out...

and then decided to ride this instead. which was super fun!

our condo had a nice big jacuzzi tub.
which sounds really nice right about now!

and boy do i love this guy! we had such a great time! it's so crazy to think that we can spend almost every minute together for four days and i still can't get enough of him! but i don't know if he could say the same haha.

now time to prepare for camping on the lake with the schimpfs at don pedro!
super stoked for no showers and no running water!
but really. i am looking forward to lots of sun, water, reading, an excuse for no make-up, and family!

B&C update

1. brian's new schedule started a couple weeks ago. he hates it and i thought i loved it. he now works 6am-4pm mon-thurs. its more like a normal schedule which is better than what it used to be which was weekend nights. but i feel like i see him less now. he is tired all the time and i'm not a fan of being woken up just hours before i need to for class. but! we can actually go to church together now which is the highlight, for me, of his new schedule! no more driving separate cars and then me staying by myself for the last two hours. we even get to take a sunday nap together!
also...date night finally! not that we didn't before but it seemed like having it in the middle of the week didn't always workout. we can now have a normal saturday night date night :) i love my hubby!


2. i started my last two classes online that i need to finally complete my degree. i am NOT a fan of online classes. it is mostly a bunch of busy work that i learn almost nothing from. i don't have any other choice for these classes because they are only offered at byu-i. its just so annoying. i always wonder what it would be like to still be there and to be getting the degree i originally wanted. to wear the cap and gown and NOT have had to take two classes at a community college so i can transfer them. oh well. i sure miss my college life but i have so much more now, so i just need to suck it up and live it.

3. we started p90x....like everyone else and their mother.

4. if i wouldn't have slacked this past weekend i would still be on track with it and this would be only the fourth week. what ever. i don't want to be muscle women i just wanted a new form of exercise. i am still planning on continuing though... but maybe with just an extra day for my muscles to rest since i still have dance class twice a week. brian does it sometimes which is better than his exercise routine before, which consisted of nothing. so i'm proud of him for wanting to do it with me!

5. my biceps grew a whole .5 inches since starting! i know i know. but i was excited to see some kind of change in something!

6. i do realize our lives are kind of boring and there isn't much to update about. ...mostly i just can't think of everything all at once.

the end.

polaroids of life.

when i think back over years in my life i try to remember all that i can. its hard to remember what i was like, what i was doing and thinking on a day to day bases. i can remember a lot, but of course not everything. at times i wish we could capture all the moments of joy, change, trails, and life into our own little life movie. its times in my life like right now when i want that most. years down the road when i have a lap full of kids i want to be able to remember all that i can about the times when it was just brian and me. or right now when i think about how much attending college at byu-i changed me, improved me, and gave me greater sense of the gospel...i wish to relive those life altering times but from an outside view. my life with brian is more than i could have ever imagined it to be and i don't want these times to be a blurry memory one day.

a little taste of heaven

i finally made what i've been craving all week and they tasted like heaven!

now these are not the ones i made but i am currently obsessed with these beauties.
mine did look a little more delicious i will admit :)
but i think i've decided that i really just crave the cold hard semi-sweet chocolate that forms so perfectly to the little berry and the way it just cracks off in big chunks. yum!

get ready for it...

2010 Friend Survey
Welcome to the 2010 edition of getting to know your Friends. Copy & paste, change all the answers so they apply to you, and then TAG your friends including the person who tagged you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not have known!


1.What time did you get up this morning?

i got to sleep in! ten!


2.Diamonds or pearls? :

i like both

3.What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

the last song with stevie.

4.What is your favorite TV show?

greys. how i met your mother. a baby story. the office. sytycd.


5.What do you usually have for breakfast?

cereal.

6.What is your middle name?

don't have one.

7.What foods do you dislike?

asparagus.

8.What is your favorite CD at the moment?

the mix in my car.

9.What kind of car do you drive?

2010 Hyundai elantra

10.Favorite sandwich?

submarina- turkey, tomato, sprouts, avocado, cheese, mustard

11.What characteristics do you despise?

conceitedness

12.Favorite items of clothing?

yoga/dance pants

13.If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?

anywhere tropical

14.Favorite brand of clothing?

lots but nothing specific.

15. Where would you retire to?

where ever my family is.

16.What was your most memorable birthday?

i had lots of really great ones growing up. but 16 was a nice surprise.

17.Favorite sport to watch?

uh dance.

18.Furthest place you are sending this?

no where.

19.Person you expect to send it back first?

no one.

20.When is your birthday?

January 28th.

21.Are you a morning person or a night person?

it depends.

22.What is your shoe size?

7.5

23.Pets?

we kind of want a turtle or a fish.

24.Any new and exciting news you 'd like to share with us?

i'm pregnant and freakin so excited!

...i kid i kid. but i do wish.

25.What did you want to be when you were little?

a baby doctor

26.How are you today?

great!

27.What is your favorite candy?

dark chocolate.

28.What is your favorite flower?

tulips.

29.What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?

june 10th, brian's birthday, we are going to vegas for a long weekend with stevie and jared!!

30.What's your full name?

Carina Milne Schimpf

31.What are you listening to right now?

was music but brian turned it off and now its family guy...

32.What was the last thing you ate?

banana's dipped in chocolate :)

33.Do you wish on stars?

no.

34.If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

i always liked how the red crayon colored when i was little.

35.How is the weather right now?

exactly how i like it.

36. What is your natural hair color?

dirty blonde

37.Favorite soft drink?

i don't drink soda but root beer is yummy sometimes.

38.Favorite restaurant?

BJ's/Olive Garden

39.Favorite color of nail polish?

depends on my mood. i usually don't like it on my fingers, sometimes toes but something nice and bold.

40.What was your favorite toy as a child?

my baby dolls for sure! and my play kitchen.

41.Summer or winter?

summer.

42.Hugs or kisses

a nice good hug always feels good.

43.Chocolate or Vanilla?

chocolate.

44.Coffee or tea?

herbal tea with lots of honey and sometimes lemon.

45.Do you want your friends to tell you when they complete this?

if they must.

46.When was the last time you cried?

saturday, listening to conference.

47.What is under your bed?

snorkeling stuff, shoes, brian's extra police gear, bags, tool box...the list goes on.

48.What did you do last night?

watched across the universe with brian and cuddled and loved each other lots.

49.What are you afraid of?

long, big earth quakes now! not being the mom i want to be.

50.Salty or sweet

both.

51.How many keys on your key ring?

two.

52.How many years at your current job?

three i think.

53.Favorite day of the week?

sunday.

54.How many towns have you lived in?

two.

55.Do you make friends easily?

not really. i'm kind of shy at first. its always something that i really wish came easier to me.

56.How many people will you tag?

none.

"well i have personality"

...that doesn't hide the fact that you don't pointe your toes (i don't think you really know how).

your arms are just plain weird, and creepy to watch.
and you are not any better than anyone else that you're dancing next to.
so stop pretending like you know what you're doing and get out of the way. please.

oh. AND i have never seen one ounce of personality come from you while dancing.
(looking at yourself in the mirror the whole time is not personality by the way)

my best wishes!

so so lame

it is such a good thing we have a blog because i seem to be like the best person i know that updates their blog.

it's amazing.

really.

and it is even better that we have this blog that i am so good at updating becaaause..

our lives are so awesome and interesting that i can't even fit all the awesomeness in my many many posts.

but life is good, i can't complain.

although i'm thinking to make this blog more entertaining is another reason why i should not wait to get on making those babies.

just a thought.

i'm trying to build up my pros and cons list of either waiting or not waiting for babies...

it is rather difficult if you ask me. so if you have some pros/cons of your own please share!!!

weird. 21??

i really can't believe it's a new year and according to brian i am like a real adult now!

i started out the year beginning my externship at a family practice called center for family health. i'm learning but it is really hard to get motivated to get my butt to go when i'm not getting paid for it and the major reason being that the doctor that i mainly work with is, lets just say, not a very nice person. and i'm not the only person that thinks this i have found out, which makes me feel much better. i truly avoid her at all costs and hope that when i do have to converse with her i don't feel like crying like a baby after the fact. on the other hand.. everyone, not sure about that specific doctor, including the patients love me and think i'm so nice and efficient! i'm about one third done so i am really looking forward to when the end is in a little more clear of a sight....that will be a great day!

i like to say that i am looking forward to being done with this externship and these last couple classes, that i also just started, but truly i feel weird. like the end to this period of school for me came too fast or something.

this year also brought on a super sucky schedule for brian. well, he likes it a lot! but with my schedule i'm definitely not a fan :( he works friday-monday 2pm-midnight. and mon-fri for me are very full/long days of being at the doctors, working, and/or classes. all i can think about is summer and how awesome it will be! [but, if anyone needs a new best friend on the weekends...]

luckily this past week i got the day off for my birthday! our plan was disneyland but i was so sore and exhausted from the day before i ended up sleeping in a little too late to make the trip worth it. which i was fine with because we still had a great day together! dinner at bj's was delicious and the sunset/dessert at seaport village were perfect! and just spending the whole day with my favorite person in the whole world made everything even more perfect!

a little late maybe..?

there is so much to catch up on i'm not sure where to start.

tahoe was a great little get away trip for us. it was very blizzardy but still fun and relaxing. what made it even more awesome was that we didn't have to pay for a hotel or food thanks to katie's mom. she loved having a full house and cooking EVERY meal for us! it was great!

the snow was up to my waist here! but completely beautiful and reminded me of rexburg :)

snowboarding at squaw valley. fun! but not in two feet of powder and blizzard conditions.

just before the nine hour drive back home :(

the rest of december brought lots of family, food, and everything christmas :) brian's cousins had a girls christmas party/sock exchange that stacie and i went to together. it's great having more cousins you're age and older!

my beautiful new cousins

christmas socks!

christmas eve/my mom's birthday was spent with my family at joe and becky's house. the night was full of crazy kids all excited for christmas, yummy food, white elephant game, cousin gift exchanges, and (my favorite) costco birthday cake for my mom and millie. yum!

wow a family picture.. this doesn't happen often but i insisted.

christmas babies!

we spent christmas night with the schimpf side and it was so warm and christmasy with very yummy food and lovely company.

and the hutchings side the day after christmas.

needless to say we stayed very busy with all the large family festivities!

our first christmas together felt so good and made me so thankful for our loving savior that has made it possible for brian and i to be together for eternity. sometimes i'm not sure what it is that makes me deserve everything that i am blessed with. but i do know that i our heavenly father loves us always and has a specific plan for each of us! and i couldn't be any more grateful for this gospel, the christmas season and what it brings to people, and my amazing husband!