Mandi - This one's for you!

My friend Becky is amazing (Steph is also amazing, and congrats on her engagement). I've known Becky since freshman year in Chipman hall, and she has just started a new blog, a blog about cupcakes and Utah. Two things, I know everyone enjoys. This new blog is in addition to her already delightful Project Domestication blog, which I have never put a link to before, but I look at pretty much every day, it is an important source for someone looking in to becoming domestic. So if you like all things cupcakes and Utah check out this blog. And if you love domesticating check out her project here. Good job Becks! And keep up the good work. 

27 things...

Tag you're it! Thanks for the tag Mandi H. 

27 things for which I am thankful. 

1. Andrew

2. Mom and Dad Law

3. Mom and Dad Law's cozy basement 

4. Mama K and Daddy Del, for letting us come home and eat all of the food

5. Being able to go home

6. Siblings 

5. Neices and Nephews, who are made so that I can spoil them 

6. My place of employment

7. Co-workers at said place of employment

8. Being able to get an education at my own pace

9. Chewie dogs

10. Music

11. Most dogs in general

12. Space heaters 

13. Photographs

14. Corrective lenses

15. Homemade baked goods 

16. The ability to exercise

17. Google images

18. Living within walking distance of a church

19. Public transportation

20. Vacations

21. Warm shoes

22. Good health 

23. Books

24. Holidays

25. America

26. Breakfast cereal

27. Andrew, again. 

I feel like tagging, Kara and Mindy.  Show you thankfulness girls. 

This Year's Soundtrack to the Season

Yes, I started listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. Why? Because I felt like it. And now I can finally stop pretending. Thanksgiving is officially over (thank  goodness) and now we can move on to the important holiday: Christmas. Just kidding, I like Thanksgiving. In fact I wrote a paper discussing the preparation of Thanksgiving dinner and what it means to the American cultural identity. Just let me know and I will e-mail you a copy. 

Now, I would like to share with you a few selections from My "Happy Christmas" playlist this year:

Celtic Women 

What can I say? I like anything and everything celtic, even the basketball team, and tatoos. More specifically, I like when Celtic Women sing Carol of the Bells. 

Barenaked Ladies 

I love them even more because they are Canadian, not to mention the fact that they are cool enough to include Hanukkah songs. It makes me wish I had a little dreidel.  

Josh Groban 

Ahhh...Josh, what more can I say? Other than I waited years for this album, and I am just so very thankful that you decided to grace Christmas with the voice.  Check out The Little Drummer Boy and of course listen and see what Josh does for O Holy Night. It is AMAZING. 

Michael Bolton

It's a little known fact that I am a closet Michael Bolton fan. Both of these CDs are great. I prefer the Michael with long hair, but that's just me. I think my love for MB stems from listening to a lot of MIX 103 while growing up. Thanks Lee's! For providing all of the Magic Valley with great soft-rock hits.  

Mariah Carey 

I really enjoy M.C and therefore why wouldn't I enjoy a Christmas CD? Year after year "All I want for Christmas is you" is probably one of my most listened to holiday songs. It makes me want to tap dance. First, I would have to learn, but it doesn't look too hard, and then I would choreography a dance to this  song, that is what I think about every time I hear the song. 

Neil Diamond 

A lady I work with recently introduced to the majesty that is Neil Diamond Christmas. And I must say that I am enjoying it immensely. Neil Diamond is a new fav, and it makes me ill to think about all of the holiday seasons that I've had to suffer through without him. I could have been enjoying him all these years. I will just have to make up for lost time. Welcome Neil. 

Neil Diamond to this? Yes. Those Lachey brothers really know how to do a Christmas album right. Best songs? Too many to name. Swallow your pride and give it a listen. You won't be disappointed. Well...you might be, but just get over it. It's a classic from when boy bands reined supreme.  And that era should never be forgotten. 

Nightmare Before Christmas

???What??? Yes, that's right. It's a Christmas CD. It says so in the title. The thing I love most about this movie, is that it is quite possibly the only movie that fully encompasses 2, count em 2 holidays.  2 of my favorite holidays, mind you. So yes I listen to the soundtrack from Halloween to Christmas. In fact there is a song specifically titled "Making Christmas" What could be more festive. 

Honorable mention to Elton John's "Stepping into Christmas" for being the only Christmas song I run to year round. Congrats. Also I would like to thank Pandora for giving those of us with music ADD (Andrew) a little bit of everything. Like a holiday smorgasbord. Eat up! 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Our tree has been up for 2 weeks, after a quick trip to the Home De-pot, I finally got rid of the 5 foot $16 Walmart tree that has haunted the past 3 Christmas Seasons. This one is 7 feet tall, with a wide "girth" and most importantly it is pre-lit. And quite honestly I think its lovely.

It's stuffed with goodies.  Every branch on that tree has something hanging from it, and while some people may miss the scent of fresh pine when converting to a fake tree, my spruceberry candle more than makes up for it. That candle smells better than any real tree ever could.  

Everyone needs to....

Click on my sister's name, Kara at right and see a picture of her darling family, with her adorable children! Good job Kara!

Ahhhh...

I love it.
I hate it.
I can't wait to see the movie.

Here's one more....

Sacrifices.

The Greatest Adventure of All....

So one of the greatest movies of all time, is "The Great Chipmunk Adventure." You can't go wrong with any movie that has "great" in the title. This is the one movie we watched over and over and over and over again. That and Nickelodeon's The Elephant Show. This movie has everything, first off you have the chipmunks, spoiled pampered dogs, rich mega-villains, exotic locales, singing, dancing, cannibalistic natives, and even penguins. Name one other movie that has all of that. Anyways, I bought the DVD at Target a couple of months ago, and I was watching it tonight with one of my nieces.
It brought back some memories, memories I'd like to share with you:

Off to see the World.

Boys and Girls of Rockin' Roll.

Oh and did I mention, TRL's officially off the air? I cried...

Whose that Hottie?

 Meet my baby brother, Tanner K. 

Tanner is the baby of the family, and I am not going to lie, he was a very cute baby. Apparently all of that cuteness has turned into hotness, when he become a freshman. 

May I present to you, the JHS October "Hottie of the Month!"

That's right it's Tanner, or as they refer to him on the website, Holyoak.  Click here to see the full article here. 

But I am making up my own article. I know Tanner better than anyone, I practically raised the kid. 

Tanner likes baseball. He is very good, and in the game pictured above he was the best defensive player on the team! Making all three outs in more than one inning.  Tanner also likes to eat cereal, I do believe those are some honey bunches of oats, which are his fav. Either that or Peanut Butter Cup cereal, which I also enjoy! Who wouldn't like eating candy bars for breakfast?  One time he left the door to the cereal cupboard open and Dillon came down and ran into it,  ripping the cupboard off its hinges. Good one boys. I think they planned it, so they could have easier access to the cereal. 

Look how tough he is. And even though he said that his favorite movie was Glory Road, I know better, its actually State Fair. He comes from a long tradition of Musicals, coming in second place is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Tanner, I would blame Dad. 

So it looks like Tanner and Sierra are friends in this picture, but I am sad to say that Sierra actually gets really mad at Tanner sometimes, maybe its because they are so close in age....

Oh look, it's not just one hottie, but two! Another on of Tanner's favorite activities is riding in the middle of nowhere on a motorbike. This however is one of my least favorite activities. And if it looks like I have a mustache, it's just dirt. 

So there he is, the Hottie of the Month. Those ladies at Jerome High School must really know whats up! And even though he didn't list a specific girl's name, under his dream girl...we all know who it is.... Hannah Montana, or should I say Miley  Stewart, or is it Miley Cyrus? 

Au Revoir October

October was stuffed to the rafters with ballerinas, lots of cupcakes, caramel apples with Andrew's fam, a trip to Colorado to visit my sister and her kiddies, and my mother dressed as a witch. Cheers!

Happy Anni!

Happy 3 Anniversary!! Yes, its true, Andrew and I were married 3 years ago today!



And my favorite thing about having a versary in the fall is the gorgeous flowers! Isn't Andrew the best?! What more could I want?

Who misses London?

I DO!!!!! 

Fall Means...

The United Way Pumpkin Auction at work! This was my entry! It's current bid is in the $50 range! Thanks to Martha Stewart for the great idea! Look how frightening the rats are, I am pretty sure this pumpkin will give you nightmares, if you saw it in real life. I titled this pumpkin "Bubonic Rats" by Hailie Law. And I took it to work and everyone was like "oh that's sooo cute" Does it look like I was trying to go for "cute"? I think not, I was hoping for something more along the lines of "oh gross" and "that's digusting" and "I can't talk because I'm losing my lunch in the corner". Oh and those spiders going up the side are there simply because I had them, and I wanted to use my glue gun.



Oktoberfest!!! Life is better with beer...according to my German Oktoberfest shirt.



A drive round the Alpine loop. It was my first time. Its as close to camping as I am ever going to get. My idea of appreciating nature is a drive-by.


A trip home to Idaho meet the newest member of the gang, Hank the Irish Settter. I am not going to lie I didn't really get along with him. I could never betray Chewie like that. Tanner made in on the blog as well! Hi Tanner! Oh and that's Jeter the cat. He likes to climb on the car, and sleep in Chewie's bed.



Halloween Cupcakes!!! Those are Black Velvet cupcakes.... which reminds me of a song, something about black velvet in that little boy's eyes..... it was a red velvet cake recipe, but instead of red food coloring I used black. Hence the black velvet. Oh and that's cream cheese frosting. Thanks to the Lott's for the loaning of the cream cheese! Thanks for Mama K for the use of what could possibly be the cutest cupcake stand EVER!



Finally the Lonestar Taqueria, which Andrew claims is the best mexican food in Utah. It is rather enjoyable, I am especially partial to their fish tacos....the salmon is super tasty!