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!